Well, that's freaking great, my car is broken now. UPDATE!!!!!!!

[Danman]

Yea, it was working fine and all when I went to school and when I got home. Then, when I was trying to leave to my gf's house it was trying to start but I guess it wouldn't catch so the engine would start. It isn't my battery because there is power to my cd player and it jingles when my car is turned to the on position. I thought it was the distributor cap and the rotor but it wasn't after I replaced both of them. WTF can it be? Here are the specs on my car:

1995 Nissan Altima GLE
and it is a POS.

My dad was thinking it may be the ignition coil or the fuel pump but I don't think so. Any of you car guru know? Please help before I go drop 130 dollars on a ignition coil. Thanks.

Update!! My parents towed it to one of their mechanics and he is pretty sure it is the distributor. It is going to cost 400 dollars to replace. :|

 

[geno]

Uh oh...a POS Nissan? You're not gonna hear the end of it (on these forums at least) good luck!

 

[Danman]

Hehe........nah, I'm only jokin I love my car I just don't have any money to fix it.

 

[Polgara]

it was trying to start but I guess it wouldn't catch so the engine would start

Cash,

What exactly was it doing when it "wouldn't catch"?

Sarah

 

[Danman]

<< it was trying to start but I guess it wouldn't catch so the engine would start

Cash,

What exactly was it doing when it "wouldn't catch"?

Sarah >>



I guess it tries to start which means the starter works but I guess the spark plugs aren't igniting the cylinders or something.....

 

[JC]

Yes, but does it sound like it's trying to run? Or does it just crank and crank and crank....

 

[Squisher]

So it turns over just fine(and fast) but won't start running? Does it even start to run at all stutter, sputter, whatever?

 

[GrumpyMan]

Sounds fuel related, if you're sure you didn't run out of gas then it could be the fuel pump or clogged fuel filters.

 

[777joee]

How many miles on it? Does it turn over very fast? If it does then it might be a broken timingbelt. I hope not for your sake because it can be real expensive.

Good luck...........

 

[Danman]

<< Yes, but does it sound like it's trying to run? Or does it just crank and crank and crank.... >>



It is cranking, that's it.

 

[Danman]

<< How many miles on it? Does it turn over very fast? If it does then it might be a broken timingbelt. I hope not for your sake because it can be real expensive.

Good luck........... >>



It has 90k miles, and no it isn't the timing belt.

 

[Squisher]

<<and no it isn't the timing belt.>>

What do you base this on?

Is it getting any spark? Things that happen real fast like this tend to be electrical.

 

[geno]

How do you know it's not the timing belt? It could be a number of things, the cam sprocket(s) may be off a tooth or two, the spark timing may be off (had this problem before), throttle position sensor might be bad. Try pulling some codes from your car's ECU, it'll tell you what sensors or components aren't functioning properly.

 

[Danman]

<< How do you know it's not the timing belt? It could be a number of things, the cam sprocket(s) may be off a tooth or two, the spark timing may be off (had this problem before), throttle position sensor might be bad. Try pulling some codes from your car's ECU, it'll tell you what sensors or components aren't functioning properly. >>



Well, it is isn't the timing belt because the previous owner just replaced it last year with a timing chain, not a belt. What I've heard that chains last 2x more than belts so I would be really surprised if it was the timing chain.

 

[mAdD INDIAN]

it could still be your battery. That happened to me...the car wouldn't start but all the accessories would work...then I tried increaseing the load...player music loud, then turned on headlights/fogs at the same time, then turn on your heater..see what happens.

 

[Danman]

<< it could still be your battery. That happened to me...the car wouldn't start but all the accessories would work...then I tried increaseing the load...player music loud, then turned on headlights/fogs at the same time, then turn on your heater..see what happens. >>



I have the battery on a charger right now and see what it is going to do, when I was trying to start it after I replaced the cap and the rotor my dash blinked and my car lights blinked too which makes me think of this too......

 

[fastz28]

check the battery again. Just because the cd player runs doesn't mean it's got enough juice. Get someone to jump you.

 

[Squisher]

First step will be to pull off a plug wire, hold the terminal connector next to something grounded and turn over the engine, look to see if you're getting a spark.

PS-don't hold the actual electrode in your hand

 

[Danman]

<< First step will be to pull off a plug wire, hold the terminal connector next to something grounded and turn over the engine, look to see if you're getting a spark. >>



I do, but I big one.

 

[Squisher]

If you got spark, it definitely isn't timing chain.

The next step will be to look for gas. Starting to sound like injector pump, fuel pump, filter, etc.

 

[Danman]

<< If you got spark, it definitely isn't timing chain.

The next step will be to look for gas. Starting to sound like injector pump, fuel pump, filter, etc. >>



I replaced the fuel filter if that matters but you make think it may be the fuel pump? That's wierd.

 

[Danman]

ttt for the morning crowd.

 

[TheShiz]

wah

 

[Doggiedog]

I also think it could be your battery.

My car wouldn't start one day. When I turned the ignition on, it sounded like a machine gun was going off in my car. But the headlights worked, etc. I got a jump but nothing worked. A mechanic friend told me it was definitely the battery and sure enough, it was.

My car was also a 95 with 77K miles.

 

[StageLeft]

I'm gonna jump in here - I have a 93 Sentra and for the last few weeks about one out of every 5-10 starts instead of starting right away it turns for an extra few seconds before it finally catches. It has lots of gas. The battery is about 4-5 months old. Is this also fuel pump/filter related probably? Sounds like the same problem as cashman is having except in my case the car does start and this problem is only very occasional.