Nissan - Pathfinder :: 1999 - Won't Start Smoothly - Engine Fired Very Little And Then Knocked Off
Nov 17, 2015
When cold engine starts on the first attemp 80% of the time, when warm its about 60-70%. Sometimes it take 2-3 attemps to start. But on the second to last attemp the engine will fire very little and then knock off.
So far I replaced the distributor, spark plugs and wires, boost sensor?, fuel pressure regulator, and checked the injector ohms and fuel pressure at the engine with the old pump. After replacing the fuel filter it started fine for a few days, after replacing the fuel pump it started fine for a week. Thus making me believe it's a fuel issue. So I added check valves to the fuel line at the engine, both the supply and return lines. And still few days later it's back.
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The starter cranks, fired a couple of time but will not start. Mechanic blames the key interlock ... Apparently the key contains a microchip that blocks starting... Does this sound right ?
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We have a 1995 Nissan Pathfinder (automatic) that is having trouble starting. We can't find a pattern to when it starts and when it doesn't start so we can't diagnose the problem. When it doesn't start, here's what happens: turning the key, you can hear one soft click. Then nothing. After several or many turns of the key (and the same single click), it finally "catches" and starts. Two weeks ago, the car would not start at all. Even the following day, it wouldn't start. The lights and radio did work. We tried a jump-start and it surprisingly started right up. We immediately replaced the battery, but the problems resumed. The following have been replaced since the problems began: starter, ignition switch, battery, transmission, and the horn for the alarm has been bypassed. Note: with the old battery back in, it does work.
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My 1994 Nissan Pathfinder will intermittently not start. When I get in the car and turn the ignition, the dash board lights will light up as usual, I can hear the starter solenoid click, but then nothing will happen. The power windows, stereo, headlights and air-conditioning will all work but the motor will not even churn. All I hear is the click. If I get a jump the car will start right up.
This has been going on for over a year. At first it would only happen every few months and I thought that by just disconnecting the positive from the battery and putting it back then it would start. It appeared to be doing so. When it started happening more frequently, I took it my mechanic and each time he would fuss with some wires charge me 20 bucks or not charge me at all and I would be on my way. It would be good for a week or so then once again not starting for me.
After the three times of my regular mechanic not fixing the problem and saying it was fixed I took it to a different mechanic. This man said it was my starter even though it will start with a breeze if you jump it. I went ahead and had him replace it. My car started a few more times but the next day the problem was back. After having gone to two mechanics and them misdiagnosing and me paying for service I didn't need, I borrowed a volt meter and the battery test at 11.5 volts. Some buddies said, that perhaps my battery being 14 years old was putting out enough power to power the cars electronics but not enough to turn the starter over. So I bought a brand new battery. I got four starts off of it before I experienced the problem again.
Another friend thought it might be the alternator not fully charging the battery. I believe we tested it at 12 volts but he said it should be more. Anyway, he and I pulled the alternator took it to be tested and it's fine. While we were removing it though we discovered the belt on the alternator was a little loose so maybe it wasn't charging fully. Anyway, we put it all back together and the car started five or six times, while my more knowledgeable buddy was with me. The next day of course, no start.
I probably did a bunch of stuff I didn't have to do in trying to diagnose this problem but at least I learned a lot more about my car. Anyway, ye wise car sages, What do you think is wrong with my old car, which for the most part has treated me well for all these years? Ignition? a short somewhere? If it's the ignition perhaps you can explain to me why the vehicle will start with a jump.
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Will try to sum it up: Most of the time, the thing starts like a charm, first try. Every now and then, though, I'll turn the key and either a) nothing will happen or b) it will slowly crank and eventually start. If nothing happens, I have always been able to try again seconds later and everything works OK. Have been through several batteries. Current battery checks out OK, as does starter and alternator.
A short circuit, perhaps? If so, how would I check it out? Problem with taking it to a mechanic is, most of the time all is OK. No pattern as to when the trouble will occur (has yet to happen with vehicle in the shop, of course).
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I have a a 2003 or 2004 Nissan Pathfinder (can't remember which at the moment). For the past few months, it's been having the same problem. One morning, I'll go out to start the car and the radio will have stopped working, but everything else is fine. A few days later, however, the car won't start in the morning. I'll jump it off, and the car and radio will be fine again for a few weeks. This doesn't last for long though.
Eventually, the radio will go out, and a few days later the car won't start again. I took it to my local mechanic and they tested the alternator/battery/ starter and said they were all fine, and that the battery cables just needed to be cleaned. After the cleanup, the car and radio worked fine for a few weeks...but sure enough, a few days ago, the radio went out. This morning I had to jump my car off again. What the real problem is? I'm taking it to the shop again today, but what else it could be...
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1989 Nissan pathfinder. 6cylinder - VG30i - Manual trans
Engine was misfiring (running okay but putt, putt, putting) so I pulled be plugs to check for signs. Other than wear and wide gap the plugs looked okay, but I installed new plugs as they're cheap and I was already pulling them. I replaced them one at a time so didn't mix up the wiring. I went to restart the engine and now it turns over and starts but then immediately dies. If I really slam on the pedal I can get it to rev up a couple times, but it really wants to completely die right away. It'll start but won't run
- I took the battery lead (neg) off for a few days - maybe that reset something?
- I had a very empty gas tank - so low that I thought it might be out of fuel. I put two gallons in just to make sure. Because I can slam on the gas and get it to revving I'm not sure being out of gas is the issue.
- I removed the distributor cap to check for wear but reinstalled (picture attached).
- I sprayed some Mass airflow sensor cleaner into the throttle body to clean up, the throttle body valve blade was pretty clean.
- I'm doing this test without the air filter in. The old one was so dirty I removed it and didn't bother putting it back on. Going to buy a new one today.
- It cannot pass smog due to this misfire (obviously not detonating fuel so it's polluting)
- The engine was start up readily before I started tinkering. It would seem strange that adding new plugs
- I didn't gap the plugs.
Next steps :
- Look for any wires knocked loose or hoses disconnected.
- Pull the error codes (check engine light is on cuz, it's not running)
- Check Vacuum and diagram and hoses.
- Check ignition system wires.
- Check fuel pressure.
- Check Cylinder Compression.
Ultimately I'm trying to tune it up (and fix misfire) anyway, not just change the plugs, so doing more diagnosis is okay. It's also not my primary car. I haven't worked on cars in a while so I'm a little rusty and also needing to get necessary tools to complete the tasks. But it's fun I hope I can get this car running well again soon.
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My wife's Pathfinder (a 2002) has developed a problem with slow starting. The car cranks well (even at -20F, so it's not a weak battery) but takes a long time to start. It might crank for 5 seconds before sputtering to life. After being driven and shut off, most of the time, it will start up instantly again, just like it used to before the problem started. The problem is intermittent in that it sometimes starts pretty quickly in the morning, although it's not the instant start that it used to be, it might only crank for 1 second or less. I know that sounds like a normal time for a car to crank before starting, but the Pathfinder used to start, almost literally, instantly after the key was turned. So, even 1 second is an uncharacteristically long time.
What I've done:
-- Replaced spark plugs
-- Swapped the starter relays with identical relays under hood
-- Replaced fuel filter
What I haven't done:
--Replaced fuel pump
--Replaced fuel pressure regulator
Both of these are somewhat big jobs (I think I can handle both of them) and more expensive than what I've already done, so I'd like to get some input on where the fault could lie before picking one. Or, am I completely off base thinking it's fuel system?
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Replaced battery, replaced fuse line holder by battery, checked starter w/ jumper wires, most smaller ignition related fuses are fine.Can't read the schematic for the relay box, so I didn't check that. online manufacturer manual has nothing on it. how do I test those?
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I have a 2004 Nissan Pathfinder and the front windows keep going down when the engine is off. It first happened two days ago and then last night as I removed the key from the ignition I would hear clicks like the turn signal and then the windows would just go down. I had to restart the car to roll back up. This happened for almost an hour until I could get the battery disconnected. I originally thought it was the keychain because it wasn't working and then the lights would flash and then windows would go down. We've had alot of rain in south Florida. Could this be the problem? If its electrical, is this an expensive problem?
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I have a 2001 Nissan Pathfinder. How do I get to the trouble codes & how do I remove check engine light?
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I have an 06 Pathfinder LE that was running fine earlier. got to a location and when i went to drive home it was a tough start, rough idle and lack of power. got an 0302 code so i changed out the plugs and swapped the # 2 coil for # 4. once started still ran rough as described. read code again after clearing and code still ran 0302, didn't follow coil. is the #2 coil on drivers side as i have read?
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I have a 2001 Pathfinder w/ ~190K mile on it. It has been used regularly until this past winter. It has been sitting for about 3.5 months and I'm just now getting it back on the road. The battery has been draining due to non-use but I charge it and the car will start. Today I started it and after running for about 2 minutes the engine quit. When I got in the car I noticed the strong smell of electrical burning but no smoke. I did not notice this outside of the car. Upon trying to restart the car the engine just cranks with no sign of trying to start (as if there's no spark). I suspect something (probably electrical) has failed while it was idling but what it could be.
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I have a 1999 Nissan Pathfinder. It's 4wd with a manual transmission. I was getting an intermittent problem with vibrations coming from the front passenger side wheel when driving on the highway. They recently got worse and I'd notice a slight burning smell coming from the wheel area. There would also occasionally be a metallic clicking/plonking noise coming from the wheel and a slight hissing sound. I took it into a mechanic (not my regular mechanic because he was gone for the week) and they said it has something to do with the transfer case. They said they took the front right tire off after putting it on the rack in neutral, and they couldn't get the to spin freely. They said it could be something with the drive train or transfer case, but they weren't sure without taking it apart. They said it could be something to do with the 4wd not disengaging, but again, they're not sure.
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I was driving on highway about 55MPH when I lost power suddenly. I was able to pull off, but did not have power brakes or power steering. Gas tank was near 1/4 gallon on the gauge, but sometimes my gauge is wrong, as I've run out 2x when I should have still had a few gallons in it.
At first I thought CPS, but I didn't have a spare with me to swap. Well, after an hour or so, I cranked it, and it would turn over but not even try to start. I floored the gas pedal and it fired up and I was able to get home.
During the no start issue, there was no oil pressure reading on the gauge and the tach was not moving, even though it was turning strong. There was no white smoke that I could see either.
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My engine seems to misfire when I first start out and then runs smoothly. The first mechanic got a random misfire from the diagnostic and replaced all the cylinder coils which worked for about a week. The second mechanic ran a diagnostic which said random misfire and he said it was a loose spark plug. This worked for 4 days then it started misfiring again. There's no violent shaking or backfiring. I don't know much about cars but it seems odd that it doesn't keep misfiring. It's a 2006 jeep Liberty with 87,000 miles...
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So, after driving my car around for maybe an hour without any warning lights, I turned my car off. I tried to turn it on 15 minutes later when it turned over twice, sounding much louder than usual, then nothing. Tried again and just a single click. So I fear the worst and check the oil which is low but still on the stick and the coolant is fine too. I thought maybe the battery was dead so I tried a jump and that won't turn the engine over either. I put a charged battery from another car in and nada. I tried turning cam gear and also the flywheel pulley with a cheater bar and it doesn't want to move. I'm totally screwed right? That same morning I fiddled with the purge valves for the evap system because of a trouble code which O got to disappear. The engine also sounded funny for like 2 days only during ignition. By funny, it seemed to be louder than normal but no horrible metallic sounds or anything. Is it possible for it just to seize like that for no apparent reason?
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Our 1999.5 Nissan Pathinder has about 148,000 miles on it. At the end of 2011, we replaced the struts, shocks, and brake pads. We also added a new in-dash stereo with GPS. At the end of 2011, the mechanic recommended replacing the ignition wires, cap/rotor, and spark plugs, all of which were OEM. The mechanic also recommended replacing the power steering belts and serpentine belts, which were cracking. We did not do these repairs in 2011.
At the beginning of February 2012, I drove the car for several miles and then parked for 30 minutes. When I re-started the car, the engine made a thumping sound and the whole car vibrated. The thumping sound was a dull sound (not a pinging). These symptoms occurred in Park. I drove about 100 feet down the parking lot (using both Reverse and Drive) and the thumping sound and vibration continued. I parked and re-started the car. The symptoms continued for about 1/2 mile driving and then went away.
The problem has occurred 2-3 times more. To my knowledge, the problem has only happened when the car has been driven, left standing for 15-60 minutes, and then restarted. Each time the problem goes away shortly after it begins. The third time the problem happened, the "Service Engine Soon" light went on. We took the car to a different garage. The computer showed two codes (Cylinder 2 Misfire, which had been tripped 3 times), and Engine Vibration.
The mechanic recommended doing the service that we had put off in 2011 (ignition wires, cap/rotor, spark plugs, power steering belts, and serpentine belts). The theory was that a misfiring cylinder may have caused the engine vibration. So, we had this service done. The next morning after picking up the car, and again after a short drive, a 30-minute delay, and restarting the engine, the problem happened again. So, it seems that the service did not fix it.
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This is a '96 Nissan Pathfinder with a manual transmission.
On a few occasions, sporadically, over the span of a couple months, my pathfinder wouldn't start on the first turn of the key... but it would on the second or third turn. When I say "wouldn't start," I mean I'd get a single click and that's it... it wasn't trying to turn over and failing. It wasn't cranking at all. The stereo and lights worked fine though.
Then, on two occasions about a week from each other, it failed to start (as above) right after a short drive but started again without issue a couple hours later. On these two occasions, I tried turning the lights on and starting and did not see the lights dim, which would seem to indicate no juice was getting to the start motor at all I guess?
Now, it seems to have just stopped starting altogether. The battery voltage seems fine. A little high even at 15V+ when measured with a multimeter.
Do these symptoms give any strong indications of what the problem might be? If I have a chance of fixing it myself, I'd like to do so. Otherwise, I'd like to have a good idea of what the problem is before having it towed somewhere.
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The A/C in my 2001 Nissan Pathfinder (~153,000 miles) only works on high as of this afternoon's commute. This seems like a common problem on older cars - what's the typical cause? Googling just gives me all sorts of answers and I would like to have some background before calling our mechanic.
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My car recently got a code for the camshaft sensor after my car died in the middle of street and the engine light turned on. I had gotten it replaced. In fact, I had both (left and right) camshaft sensors replaced and we changed out the crankshaft sensor as well. Then, a new problem comes up.
My car does not accelerate as strongly as it used to. In first gear (car is automatic), my car seems to struggle to get in 2nd gear. Imagine the feeling of your car when you keep it in 1st gear (in a stick-shift) and you KNOW that's the point of having to shift into 2nd, but you keep driving anyway. Then, once it does shift gears, my car jolts forward with a big drop in RPM. Imagine the feeling of finally shifting your manual transmission into 2nd gear and feeling that "relief" in the engine as it doesn't seem to struggle anymore. What's worse is that at higher speeds/gear my Pathfinder won't go beyond 4000 RPM. I'm driving at around 65 mph and the car is at 2500 RPM. When it hits 4000 RPM, the RPM just ticks before it and my car stutters back and forth as if I'm playing a beat with my car by hitting the breaks.
An example scenario, I'm driving on the highway and there's a slower car in front of me. I just want to pass the person and be on my way but as I press on the gas, my RPMs don't really increase as it normally would when applying more gas to go faster. Once I do finally get to 4000 RPM, my car starts to stutter or rock back and forth as if hitting an invisible wall. Are there tons of reasons that this could happen?
On the other hand, I tested my car, in park, to see if my engine would rev pass 4000 RPM, and it does. So, the problem presents itself only when I'm driving.
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