2002 sentra occasionally won't start

I have a Nissan Sentra 2002 that has about 31,000 miles on it. In the last few months the car once in a while will not start. The engine doesn't crank, no dimming of the cabin lights, no click, etc. This has happend about 5 times in the last few months. After several minutes it will start just fine. The problem has occured when it is damp and has occured both after the car has been sitting overnight, and also when I've been driving and then turned it off for 5 minutes or so before trying to start it. Any ideas? hello next time it does that wiggle the ignition switch if it fires right up you may of found your problem witch is a bad ignition switch. also its a good idea to clean your battery cables & terminals place them back along with a thin coating of grease. ;)

This is known problem for this vehicle. You didn't state which engine you have, 2.5 or 1.8. It could be a cold soak problem or a faulty fuel pump. The dealer has a rebuilt kit for the fuel pump. There is a TSB out there for your symptoms.

The engine is the 1.8. Of course this started happening OOW. The car is 4+ years old but only has 31K MIle

This is known problem for this vehicle. You didn't state which engine you have,

2.5 or 1.8. It could be a cold soak problem or a faulty fuel pump. The dealer has a rebuilt kit for the fuel pump. There is a TSB out there for your symptoms.

Classification: Reference: Date:

PI95-005a NTB95-120a January 10, 2003

COLD WEATHER STARTING TIPS

This bulletin supersedes PI95-005. The Service Information has been amended.

Please discard all paper copies of PI95-005

APPLIED VEHICLE(S): All models

SERVICE INFORMATION

In case a vehicle is hard to start during cold weather, we suggest the following procedure.

. These steps are a review of the procedure outlined in the Owner's Manual.

. Use these steps when the weather is cold and the engine is hard to start.

1. Press the accelerator pedal down approximately 1/3 of the way to the floor.

1. Hold the accelerator pedal in this position while cranking the engine.

2. Once the engine has started release the accelerator pedal.

NOTE: Do not race the engine while warming it up.

1. If the engine does not start within 15 seconds, stop cranking, wait at least 10 seconds.

Then repeat steps 1 through 3.

Once an engine is started in cold weather condition:

. You should keep the engine running for a minimum of 2-3 minutes before shutting it

off.

. Starting and stopping of the engine over a short period of time may make the vehicle

more difficult to restart.

. It may also adversely affect a vehicle's fuel economy.

Another factor which may affect a vehicles "startability" is the viscosity or thickness of the

oil that is used.

. SAE 5W-30 viscosity engine oil is preferred for all temperatures, all year-round for

most models.

. SAE 5W-30 viscosity oil makes it easier to start the engine and maintain a stable

idle during warm-up.

Please communicate these cold weather starting tips to your customers.

----------------------------------------------

Are there any MIL or CEL codes stored?

excuse my ignorance but how would I access the MIL or CEL codes?

If you have a local autoparts store, such as autozone or o'reilys they may be able to scan your vehicle for you. You can also purchase a generic OBDII scanner for yourself, prices vary. The codes normally give a reference point to start your diagnosisof the problem. OBDII codes are from sensors or parameters that are not within a certain parameter. It may be an indication of part failure. Also could mean that there are other problems causing the sensor to read or function outside of it's working parameters.

When you are trying to start your vehicle do you have interior electrical power? For example , does the dash lights come on will your radio work in the acccesorie position, do you have a drain on your electrical system when trying to start?

Yes, when this happens I have full electrical power otherwise in the car. Dash lights are on, cabin light is on, headlights work fine. When I turn the key the lights don't dim or anything indicating that any sort of load is on the electrical system. The only thing that happens when I turn the key is all the standard dash lights come on. 2 minutes later the car will start right up with no hesitation.

I still suspect you have a faulty fuel pump. I believe the fuel is bleeding back through the fuel pump back into the fuel tank. There are several things that could be wrong though. A faulty starter, or ignition could cause this. These are not that common for this vehicle though. Without seeing or testing the vehicle I can only give a best guess. Hope this helps.

On Fri, 19 May 2006 16:31:52 GMT, "Terry George" graced this newsgroup with:

Terry,

I don't think a faulty fuel pump would prevent the starter from engaging. This is clearly an electrical problem causing a short to the starter. (IMHO of course).

Did the OP mention if this occurs when the engine is hot or just cold or random? If it's only when it's hot, there's a good probability that there's an open contact that expands when it gets hot and once the engine cools off, the contacts touch and the engine starts.

A fuel pump has nothing to do with the car cranking or not. Your problem sounds like a faulty ignition switch, or a defective solenoid or a connection to it, in the starter motor.

If the car cranked but did not start, then you could suspect the fuel pump, but the car seems too new to have this k> Yes, when this happens I have full electrical power otherwise in the

Possible neutral start switch in the case of an automatic transmission... or the safety start switch on the clutch pedal if manual transmission.