Car won't start when it rains.
 

Howdy,

My car doesn't start when it rains. Obviously there is some moisture getting in somewhere. Anyone have any ideas on what to do?
It is going to rain this whole weekend and I have many plans...so I need my car.


Thanks,
Roman

Re: Car won't start when it rains.
 

It's an ignition related problem. Most likely your spark plug wires.

Re: Re: Car won't start when it rains.
 

this is a pretty common problem with the vg. I have had a problem with it sometimes where condensation gets into the dist. cap and I have to take it off and clean it out good before it starts.

if you do a search you will come up with others that had a little different solution to the problem.

good luck but try that and if that doesnt work do a search on it to find other possible solutions.

I had the exact same problem shortly after buying my Max, and I had to replace the distributer cap and rotor, they were all ate up.... They were the originals on there.
As soon as I did that, I had no problem whatsoever.
I also did a tune up at the time, new wires (Mine were all ****ty) plugs, the whole shabang.

Thanks for all the ideas. I'll try examining the distributor cap tomorow morning and see what i can do.


Thanks,
Roman

yeah I had the same prob in my VG try using a blow dryer to dry it off (im not sure if it does any damage so Id find out about that) I did it a couple of times

I tried finding the dist. cap. but couldn't. Can you tell me approximatley where it should be? Also...how does it look?

Thanks,
Roman

I forget where it is(havent seen a vg in a while, but im pretty sure its on the left, just follow one of your spark plug wires from the plug back to where they end and your there.

Follow all your wires, you'll see they congregate under a cover to the left side of the engine, on the side towards the firewall...
Just pop the cover off (It's very simple and does NOT require tools) and you'll see the distributer cap...
But if you have to ask where it is... Just go to Autozone, buy a cap and rotor for $14 and ask them to put it in for you... It takes 5 minutes.

My Max had the problem last week.

I changed the Dist Cap, Rotor, Wires and plugs - it was my Dist Cap - after I removed it - I found a hairline crack on the inside.

The way to diagnose the problem is to spray some water with a (windex bottle of water) over the cap or the wires and look for arching.

When I misted some water over the cap the motor died. That's how I knew I needed a new cap or even wires.

I did a full tune up since I was at Nissan buying parts.
They only thing I didn't buy (got it at Autozone) was the Nissan Wire Set (dlr price was $152) - I got Autozone Bosch Wires w/a lifetime warranty.

How much did it cost for those of you who replaced the dist. cap, rotor, and wires???



Roman

Cap and rotor was the $14 I said earlier, and I got the Bosch wires as well with the lifetime warranty, which was about $55.
So you're looking at what, $70 altogether?
It's well worth it, too.

I went with the Bosch wires, but I decided to go with genuine nissan for the cap ($55) and the rotor ($15). I guess aftermarket would work for most but I have had bad experiences with aftermarket caps fitting loosely or cracking prematurely. It all comes to personal preference and budget.

That's damn cheap. Now I just have to find the time to take it to a shop and do it.

Do it yourself - it's soooo easy to change the cap and rotor.
All you need is a philips screwdriver to remove 3 screws on the cap and one on the rotor. It just a matter of removing and install the new wires - do it one at a time and not all at once so you can keep track of which wire goes where.

If you're going to replace the cap, rotor, and wires you might as well go ahead and replace the plugs too. This is really basic simple stuff. I wouldn't pay to have it done. The cap is 3 screws the rotor has 1 screw. Very easy. Take off old put on new. Keep the wires plugged into the cap and move them one at a time after the new cap is on so they are in the right firing order. If you have a Chiltons or FSM it will give you directions. Plug wires snap on and off. The plugs would be the most difficult. You need a long extension and you don't want to cross thread them. If price is a problem you could order from Courtesy but that will take some time but you'll be sure to have the right parts. Plus as mentioned I personally have had a problem with aftermarket ignition parts. A defective Beck-Arnley rotor for a 87 Stanza started a fire!:eek: