Took my car in and I have the noturious starter grind most high milage 95 starters get. I tried to start this morning and it was turning over and was just hard to start with the motor sputtering. Then check engine light came on. I took it to nissan and they said it was the starter. Does a bad starter trip the engine light?

 

Mine didn't.

 

Yes it can. Did it on my 95 right before I had it changed out.

 

Mine didn't either. The starter just decided to quit without any warning..

 

Did you run the ecu diagnostic to find out what code the ecu read?

 

Two different problems. From my experience, the more common starter problem is the development of dead spots (turn the key, no cranking).

It sounds like Gumby510 had a problem where the starter was cranking, but not in a standard pattern and disrupted the normal rhythm of pulses from the crankshaft positioning sensor. See DTC 0407

 

Jay_x that is exactly what was happening to my Max. New starter fixed it right up.