This 95 has been setting with the battery out for about 6 months. Just yesterday I decided I needed to move it out of the street and get it to my shop to put air in the tires.
I jumped it with no battery installed... after just a few revolutions of the engine, it started and ran and idled just fine. I disconnected the cables... no battery in it... and drove it around the end of the block... made it about a hundred yard, just short of my destination, and it died and wouldn't fire any more. The lack of a battery in the car is NOT the cause of this issue. Don't get hung up on that.

Previously it's had an issue with the ignition doing the exact same thing... w/battery installed... where it'd start and run, for maybe a minute or minute and a half... and die. Could instantly crank it over and it'd start and run for about 5 or 10 seconds and die again, never to start again... unless I let it set for an hour or so.

Randomly, while setting in the shop... I'd start it and it'd run until I shut it off?????. Hook the OBD reader up... nothing out of the ordinary except EGR type issues.

I've changed the crank sensor, and R&R'd the cam sensor... no change. Same symptoms and outcome.

In the past, when I had ambition... I read and determined how to check to see if I was getting ignition pulses. While the engine was running, it would trigger my timing light. After the engine would die... someone turn the key to crank.... no ignition pulses. I've had a pressure gauge in the fuel line... plenty of pressure up to and after the engine dies.. then, pressure will drop.

When the engine is running, it's smooth as glass. Runs good.

I'm suspicious of the anti theft system.

I'm unsure if the anti theft could be killing the ignition, or if it's even capable of doing that.. does this old of a system just disable the ability of the key to engage the starter.... nothing to do with stopping the engine.

I've never got a firm answer one way or another... there's always some sort of gray area... "well, it's a 95, and the system may or may not be capable of that since it was the first year for it...."

Nobody that knows for sure...and I'm sure there are no technicians/mechanics at any Nissan place that have worked there long enough to be familiar with this old of vehicle to be

I've got about 2 grand in this car... and when it's running, it runs great. Nice tires, AC works... stereo blasts... the whole nine yards, but it is not reliable due to this issue. Can't trust it, so it's a "garage queen"... never moves.

I'm about ready to get rid of it and call it quits.... I sure hate to admit defeat, but there's nobody around these parts to ask that would be knowledgeable on them. Probably get $150 at the salvage yard.

 

Is it the factory security system or aftermarket?

 

it's the factory system. It was acting all sorts of crazy yesterday when it started acting up. I disconnected the battery and will let it sit there and stew in its own juices for a while see if maybe it comes out of it.. one of the crazy things it did was while I had the key turned to the start position, it would crank over for a revolution or two then the system would disable the key then it would re-enable the key and it would start cranking again.. made absolutely no sense.. the security light was blinking a type of pattern like two blanks then three blanks then two blanks then three blanks.. nothing that I had ever seen before good connection on the battery. When I got out I push the lock button on the remote and it wouldn't do anything... none of the buttons on the remote would do anything... I don't think the battery is bad in it cuz it's not even a year old yet ... and hasn't been used.

pardon the run-on sentences... I'm using talk to text and it doesn't understand it when I tell it to insert a period or a- or anything else... once in a while it does but this time it's having trouble

 

I'd start by diagnosing the ECTS per the FSM.

 

I've got the paper copy of the service manual, and I've downloaded the online stuff as well.

I think there's no hope for the thing.

IT's doing real crazy stuff today. The battery was disconnected. I lifted hood and recon. battery.

After a bit, horn starts honking, so I unlock trunk with key and stop that.

I try to start engine... is starts and sputters after a short while and dies, does the same thing once more, then crank, no start. I THINK it's got gas in it, but gas gauge is stuck on half full, for some reason. It''s not been driven any distance in a couple of years, so gas in it back then still present... but who knows.

Anyhow, I step out and close the door.... push lock button on remote and nothing happens. Push the other three buttons and nothing happens. Doors stay unlocked. I open door and alarm honks.

Buttons on remote do nothing. I go unlock trunk to stop horn. I shut door and start to walk off when I heard something on car make noise. I turned around and looked... drivers window rolled itself all the way down.... no keys in ignition...in my pocket.

Look on passenger side...front window rolled down about an inch.

Open door, horn attempts to honk.. but it's weak and disjointed...not continuous or loud... more of a beep.

ANyhow, put key in ignition to allow me to roll up windows... windows don't respond, at all. Electric locks don't work.

Try starting engine... engine cranks... during cranking, horn beeps lightly and cranking stops til horn lets up, then engine goes back to cranking.

This thing is having some mental issues.

I taped a heavy trash bag over the open drivers door window and called it a day.

After all the money I put in this $150 car, I sure hate to admit defeat.. but it's inevitable.

I'll take off the brand new alternator, the two new front tires...maybe the radiator. I had new struts and cv axles and lower control arms all put on, too.
It's a nice solid car... no rust or other body issues... but it's got electronic control issues.

 

Sounds like you may have old gummed up gas in there mucking everything up. Drain the tank of all gas and put 3+ gallons back in. If you haven't already done so, replace the fuel filter.

Also, what's the condition of the battery? Has it been tested? I once had an issue with a battery that had been deep cycled/drained too many times where the car was misfiring all the way to the store. As soon as I installed a new battery, it ran perfectly. Maybe try a different battery.

You said you key fob doesn't work. Have you replaced the batteries in that?

 

To me, it sounds like the factory alarm is malfunctioning.