So I've been through hell for the past three months trying every route I know to start my car and it just hasn't happened.

I have replaced the cam and crank sensors, iacv, maf and most recently a brand new ecu which has been programmed and everything.

The car is sittin in the dealership garage and they can't seem to figure it out. I have tried all the methods from older threads with similar looking problems to no avail.

Have any of you ever had such a problem or know of any solution or troubleshoot that I've missed?

 

What exactly happens when you try to start it?

How old is your..
Battery?
Alternator?
Starter?
Ignition switch?

Auto or manual?

 

You only need 3 things to start an engine, providing it has compression.

1) Air
2) Fuel
3) Spark

Which one are you missing? (chances are good it's not air)

Put a spark tester on the coil pack to verify spark.
Check fuel pressure.
Check injector pulse.

Determine which is missing. If your "dealer" can't do that, find another mechanic.

 

Was the engine swapped on this car?


But how sure of this are you?

 

Chris: everything you listed is new or has no issues whatsoever and has been checked. and it's an auto.

njmaxseltd: i have all but fuel and it's still stopping at the fpr like it has been for a while now and the bad thing is that it has been taken to the dealer as a last resort from my mechanic.

Dennis: yes the engine was swapped on this car but that was an extremely long time ago.

 

Maybe the neutral safety switch?

 

^ but with that doesn't allow it to even turn over does it? the car will crank all day but never starts like theres no fuel

 

Ah, yup. I didn't know it was cranking. Rule out the safety switch.

 

if its stopping at the FPR why not replace it?

 

Run a new ground wires, It's worth a shot.

 

ha cause that's another ridiculous expense for one and it was working perfectly fine before all this.. might have to replace it though

yea i think that's what is going to happen but i have a slew of other grounds under there.. the tech at nissan was talking about doing that yesterday.

 

sorry broski but if the fuel is stopping at the fpr your gonna have to replace it. somewhere along the lines when it was getting worked on it ****ed up =(

 

Feul pump or filter??

 

ha broski.. but yea i might do that, i just have to see if it's this security thing first

 

FPR = fuel pressure regulator

 

I'm almost sure I told you this before but the FPR is on the return side. So I don't understand how you keep saying it stops there. This is how the flow goes (fuel pump>fuel filter>front fuel rail>rear fuel rail,FPR>fuel tank).

 

^ i do remember that man i'm sorry.. i can rule that out officially my bad

 

If the car is cranking and not firing then its an electrical issue (provided u have compression sir)

I assume the dealer has checked compression of the cylinders.

Crank sensor and Camshaft sensor tell the ECU to fire the injectors. If the injectorrs arent firing u have to figure out why.

Have u tried ground wire from the negative battery terminal to the tranny housing?

 

Have you checked fuses/relays?

 

I was just gonna say.. Ignition/fuel pump relays?

 

yea all the relays and fuses are fine but we do think it's either the cam/crank sensors or that ground wire to the trans.. i'm waiting to hear back from them on that front

 

Assume nothing is fine and it will be easier to find the problem. I was helping my friend solve a starting issue, same thing would crank all day just not turn over. I asked about the plugs and the injectors and he said all almost new. Turns out it WAS his new spark plugs. They do fail, even NGK's. My mechanic friend bought 100 plugs I believe and all but 4 were bad. Just check everything

 

well thats the first thing they did when it was sent to the dealership.. atleast thats what i've been told.. i usually don't believe anything unless i do it myself ya kno

 

It just seemed so much like my friends problem. Crank all day but just wont start up. I don't know of a way to test them but the injectors you can listen to without taking anything off, at least the injectors for 2,4 and 6 and the spark plugs for the same cylinders. The odd numbered cylinders are a pain lol

 

ha yea they suck.. but i'll let em know tomorrow if they don't get it started already

biggest trouble with all this is the car is 2 hours away from me

 

bump, interested to see what they say. I have the same problem. hard starts turned into a no start. my car cranks all day but does not start

 

Def take a look at the CKPS tranny side. Add ground wire as I suggested earlier

 

yea i was wondering if i was the only one with such a problem but so far i've heard 4 or 5 folks with it so maybe when they figure it out all of it can be dealt with

 

so the dealership has done "everything in their power" to start it to no avail...

it is something electrical dealing with the ecu. my engine is a 98 but the car is 99 and the old and new ecu are from the 98 i believe

i'm thinking of doing the 95-97 swap but i have to read more into that one.. otherwise i might have a few parts for sale lol

 

Check a FSM to make sure the pins between the '98 and '99 ECUs are wired the same.

 

you have a 98 ecu in a 99 thats the problem, you need to switch the crank and cam pins because the 99 harness is different im using a 95 ecu in my 99 once you do that car should start

 

sorry guys the same 99 ecu is in there.. but i am seriously contemplating the 95 ecu swap to alleviate all this ish

 

Are you using the '99 engine harness as well?

 

i'm pretty sure.. when i called the shop that did it they said the only thing they did is swap the motor.. all of the electronics stayed on the car

 

Ok that stuff has really nothing to do with this situation, alt, ign swtch, battery! It's cranking good!

It cranks

Is there injector pulse (Noid tester)

Check for fuel at pump! You have gas? Do you have power to the pump? Run power to the pump to see if it will start then!

It won't start if it is backwards
Has anyone checked the cam timing or compression? Did you run straight power to the fuel pump yet? It's not that hard guys!

 

BUMP

wondering if the OP figured out his starting problem.

well?