Pathfinder starting problems

[felicia]

Hey guys here is my problem. I have a 2000 Nissan Pathfinder which sometimes won't start. It cranks good but won't catch, as if it is not getting any fuel. An example of what happens is this. It has been working fine for a long time, I come home from work friday and all is well, i move the truck saturday to let my wife out of the garage and all is well, i get in the truck to go to the store sunday morning and it won't start, let it sit about six hours and then it starts, try it later that night before i go to bed and it starts, get in to go to work monday morning at 6:30 and it won't start, try again at 8:30 and it starts. This happens no matter what the conditions (hot, cold, wet , dry). Are there any mechanics out there that might have an answer?

[rajabhau]

I had to recently change the battery on my 2000 Nissan pathfinder. Maybe that's what you need to do as well..

[cold iron]

If it cranks ok, the battery is fine.

The next time it fails to start, check to see if it has spark.

If it does, then you need to check to see if there is fuel pressure.

After that it gets complicated.

[mark3527]

The very first thing you should do, IMO, is replace the battery. A new battery will help you overcome many other problems, such as weak spark, slow starter or weak fuel pump. Heck, you'll spend $50 just to let a mechanic look at it, so change out the battery instead. The next step, if you need it, is to either give it a tune up, or take it to a mechanic.

[burnt_servo]

any of the ford that used a tfi ( thick film ignition ) module , this sounds just like them .

if the battery will crank the engine , it's fine , don't waste your money .

i would clean the terminals , and make sure all the grounding straps have a clean tight conection .

what you can do is take it in to a mecanic you trust , that have the PROPER scanning tools , and have it scaned . then try replacing suspect sensors yourself .

also have you changed the fuel filter lately ?

check all your fuses too , some may have not blown , but if they have gotten hot , they will be slightly melted if this has happened .

this is a long shot , but you could also try loosening your fuel cap , to normalise the pressure in the tank ....... if this works , it can mean a whole bunch of things .

[rabito11]

is the fuel pump

[felicia]

Thanks for the replys. The battery is fine, it cranks strong. I have checked every fuse in the vehicle and they are fine. I have not changed the fuel pump but on the mention of the fuel pressure i heard that the pathfinder sometimes has a problem with the right fuel/air mixture at higher elevations. I live in the canadian rockies. I just wanted some suggestion before i take it in to the shop. Thanks guys.

[Patrat]

I think your problem is either a intermitantly faulty sensor (vibration makes it quit and start working) or you have a loose, corroded connection. If you take it to a reputable mechanic he can hook a scanner to it and the component causing the problem should be revealed. However sometimes a loose connection can cause one sensor to read bad which causes another and so on. Unless you have a seasoned trustworthy mechanic his only solution will be to start changing sensors. Even if he has a lot of experience he may be just using his best guess. This can get expensive at times because once an electrical component is installed it cannot be returned, some are quite expensive and your mechanic may change a few before finding the right one. I'm speaking from past experience with a chevy, not to scare you but to warn you it might cost you over $500. Please let us know what it turns out to be and good luck.

[PJMan]

With your explanation you have ruled out most of the easy problems, I had a jeep with a crank sensor, with the exact same symptoms, had a buddy with a scanner and the code came up. 250$ got the part! Good luck!

[ghost71799]

It does sound like the battery, also it sounds like the starter solenoid sticking.

Does the starter turn the motor over?

Or does it stop turning over and you have to wait six hours?

Ghost

[cold iron]

Some of these guys throw chicken bones down to figure out things...lmao

[Twostep]

I had a jeep with a crank sensor, with the exact same symptoms

First thing I would have checked...:)

I don't own a Pathfinder, but I've had several GM autos with their corporate 3800 V6, a wonderful engine but one that's had crank sensor problems since day one. The symptoms are identical. Random non-starting that slowly gets worse over time.

Stop guessing and get it scanned. Been there; done that - occasionally you'll make a lucky guess but 95 percent of the time you'll only replace parts that had nothing wrong with them in the first place.

[Zim]

I have had this prob with other vehicles aswell and you may want to check the crank shaft and/or cam shaft position sensor....a diagnostic machine may not always read this as a prob due to that the sensor may werk sometimes and sometimes not .. this will cause you to have no spark or fuel..........just a suggestion.....

[Phottoman]

And for my .02 cents, I have a 97 Lincoln Towncar with identical problem. The starter turns, cranks beautifuly, buty on ~some~ cold mornings (below 50 degrees) it just will NOT start. Good fuel pressure, good spark, everything seems totally normal. Had mechanic out to the house several times, couldn't find any problems.

Finally was convinced to change battery, that worked for a while, but LOTS of electrical draw (did I mention this is a stretch limo?) so I was talked into having the alternator rebuilt, and I haven't had the problem since. Went from 90 Amps to 160 and this seems to have cured the problem. Like I said ...

just my .02 cents

[ghost71799]

Is the MIL, or malfunction indicator light on?

That would and could indicate a bad crank sensor.

I think that model has OBDII, or on board diagnostic generation two, which does and will turn on the MIL light (yellow light that comes on).

Ghost

[Zim]

for some reason I have come across this prob and sometimes it will not store the codes...not sure why but even the snap-on scan tool will not detect the cam or crank sensor as bad....why???dunno also I have had a bad..computer sometimes werked sometimes glitched ( would go bad for a sec and then come on) and the scan tool will not detect it....weird

[felicia]

What a response to my question. Obviously there are a lot of great people on this site. Let's see if i can keep all this straight. Patrat, I have not yet checked for corroded connections but am planning to give it a good going over on saturday, ghost7 1799, yes, the motor turns over just fine every time, Phottoman, I never even thought of the altenator but i will check into it, and back to ghost7 1799, no indicator lights come on showing any problem whatsoever. I will get the chance this weekend to pull it into my garage and give it a good look with all of your suggestions in mind and if need be take it to the shop and i do expect a sizable bill to get it taken care of. Will let you all know. Thanks.

[felicia]

Don't know if this helps but let me add that there is no ryme nor reason to this problem. It does not happen every day or every second or third day. It happens out of the blue and then things are fine for a couple of months and then happens out of the blue again. Till next time, thanks everyone.

[ghost71799]

What kind of scan tools do you got?

The Determinator or the good ole tech2?

Those are two of three.

However, if you know a good buddy who knows resistance you can use a John Fluke DVOM and trace the circuits.

Ghost

[ghost71799]

Lets kick this fun thread in the butt, while he checks it out.

A good place too always look is "ALLDATA.COM".

Yes, it is a paid site, but it werks, works every time.

Ghost

[felicia]

Hey guys, no update on my truck problems because it has been fine since i first posted. Next time it won't start i will check what all of you have said and see what happens.

[ghost71799]

Fila, Cia, how are you aR U +?

It will be dificulty?

However once upon once upon a time, THERE WAS 1

Ghost.