Car won't start, battery not dead

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Ryan
Winnipeg, MB

Mar 21, 2008
Car won't start, battery not dead

Hi guys I'm having a problem with my car, it won't start at all or even crank. The car is not dead so I don't believe it to be a battery issue. I turn it to ON and all lights come on, headlights, dash, stereo. I can hear the fuel pump prime, when I go to turn it over i can hear the relay for the starter click, but then nothing. I find it strange because it's happened to me before, but I kind of waited, and then tried again and with my foot on the clutch in neutral and it started as i put it into 1st with my foot still on the clutch.

Is there a neutral safety switch on this car? I don't believe so because I remember one time forgetting and leaving the car in gear and when I went to start it it lurched forward.

I've also had an issue with a battery light coming on sometimes very faintly, it gets brighter if there is a load on the motor (have 2 windows going up at the same time or something like that)

Could I have a bad ground somewhere that is causing this, if so how do i go about checking grounds? I see all the time "check your grounds", but i don't really now how to do it, check continuity from every ground wire to the negative terminal?

Also, my battery is in the hatch, it is secure. I'll check voltage again tonight, but I think it may be starting to die from trying to start it so many times. Voltage will give me lights and stereo but it will be amperage that cranks the motor, is there a way to test amperage to the starter as i start it?

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Erik
laval

Jun 10, 2012

change your ignition relay. Happened the exact same thing to me. It's one of the 3 relays inside the car by the fuse box. If i remember right it's the one in the middle.

 

After that check if your alternator is charging right, between 14 and 14.7 volts with engine on at idle speed. If not your voltage regulator is dying.

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Ryan
Winnipeg, MB

Mar 21, 2008

Ok I will check that as soon as I get home. Is there a way to test it? Can I jumper out 2 terminals where the relay plugs into?

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Erik
laval

Jun 10, 2012

check on the relay, there's a schematic on top . it's 4 plugs. 2 of them are a switch, the other 2 are a magnetic thing (don't know how to explain in english) that keep the circuit open when current is applied so you can start the car. or try another relay, those blue ones are common on nissan cars around those years and are easy to find.

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Ryan
Winnipeg, MB

Mar 21, 2008

Well I don't think it is the relay. There is 3 of them there like you said but I could hear it clicking when moving the key to start position. The one for the wipers works for sure so I switched the one for the wiper and the one for the ignition and the wipers still work. So all relays there work.

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Erik
laval

Jun 10, 2012

I mean I had the same symptoms that you have a few years ago. with the key at on everything was okay but when I turned it to start position every single thing electrically related lost power. that was my ignition relay that was faulty.

in your case it could be the starter relay that is going or simply your starter that is dying. does it turn slow when you crank it ? could be the brushes inside the starter that are at their end.

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London Ontario

Dec 23, 2009

Couple Options.

-Bad ground/power connection.  Check your battery to chassis ground and your trans to fram rail ground.  Check your positive battery cable connections

-Starter dead spot.  Hit the starter hard with a hammer.  Try to crank again.

-Engine Siezed.  Crank over by hand

 

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Ryan
Winnipeg, MB

Mar 21, 2008

Where is the starter relay? One thing I forgot to me it before is that in the on position all dash lights/stereo and things work. When I trun it further to start the car the stereo turns off, dash lights go off, wipers don't work etc. is this normal to happen that it is momentarily powered off as you start the car? I will give my starter a smack and see. A bad ground makes sense. that could be some/all of the issue as my battery light did come on faintly when I was driving for the past little while.

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Erik
laval

Jun 10, 2012

try the ignition relay like I told you before. looks like the same thing that happened to me. even if you hear it click at key on position doesn't mean that its working right. as far as I know there's a copper wire reel inside that create a electromagnetic field and if the wire is cracked or worn it doesn't stand it when the starter demands a high load of power so you lose all power coming from the battery.

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Ryan
Winnipeg, MB

Mar 21, 2008

I tried all 3 of those blue relays in every position. So I don't think that's it. I'll try the starter and checking grounds

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Ryan
Winnipeg, MB

Mar 21, 2008

Gave the starter a couple taps with a hammer and it started like a champ

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Ryan
Winnipeg, MB

Mar 21, 2008

Should all sr20's use the same starter? Nissan4u.com has the starter being gti-r specific, but on rock auto sentras, nx's, g20 all use the same starter. It should be mostly universal no?

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Erik
laval

Jun 10, 2012

no the casing is gtir specific. I can provide pictures and you'll see why very easily. the good news is it's rebuildable with parts from a b13 and a s13 ka24 lol

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Nicholas Chu
Vancouver

Jan 24, 2008

just pull it out and have it rebuilt

i didnt even need to tell the rebuilder the internals he just did it

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London Ontario

Dec 23, 2009

Peg_Pulsar wrote:

Gave the starter a couple taps with a hammer and it started like a champ

Nice. You probably will have a bit of trouble replacating the problem since the motor will have to be lined up in exactly the same position. But to keep yourself from getting stranded at the worst possible time just get it rebuilt.

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Nicholas Chu
Vancouver

Jan 24, 2008

Lynx wrote:

 

Peg_Pulsar wrote:

Gave the starter a couple taps with a hammer and it started like a champ

 

Nice. You probably will have a bit of trouble replacating the problem since the motor will have to be lined up in exactly the same position. But to keep yourself from getting stranded at the worst possible time just get it rebuilt.

 

this...  how many times did i have to call a friend to give me a push to bumpstart it... i dont know if its b/c of all the diffs, but the pulsar's a bitch to push

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Erik
laval

Jun 10, 2012

yup its because of the 2 oem vlsd. mine is really hard to push-start because of that and you can't do it alone.

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Ryan
Winnipeg, MB

Mar 21, 2008

Ya I'm pulling it out this weekend to get it rebuilt. I phoned the place and they said it doesn't matter what car it came from, all the internals are the same as any other nissan like it. I'm glad I took the y bracket off last time I had the motor out, it looks like it could have been nasty to get at. I'm hoping it's not too bad.

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Nicholas Chu
Vancouver

Jan 24, 2008

Pulsar666 wrote:

yup its because of the 2 oem vlsd. mine is really hard to push-start because of that and you can't do it alone.

 

try one torsen, 1 vlsd, 1 plated

 

 

anyways removing it is fairly easy with the ybracket out, i've actually removed the other braket holding up the manifold on the right as well, so mine came out within 20 mins or so

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Ryan
Winnipeg, MB

Mar 21, 2008

That's good news. Almost makes me want to do it

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Erik
laval

Jun 10, 2012

you will have to remove the oil filter to get the starter out, unless you have a relocation kit. I also had to remove my 3 inch downpipe because I couldn't get my arm through

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Ryan
Winnipeg, MB

Mar 21, 2008

I got it out with removing either of those. Took maybe 45 minutes.