# 89 Nissan Sentra starter



## sentra_d (Oct 7, 2003)

Hey guys! Glad to see this thing is back up! I tried to visit since yesterday but was met with a message telling me "there seems to have been a slight problem with the database."  

Anyway... :banana: 

Yesterday, when trying to start an '89 Nissan Sentra, I turned the key and all the dash lights lit up (like normal) but nothing else happened: car wouldn't start. 

Headlights, horn, inside light, etc. work, and I checked the relatively new battery to make sure that that wasn't the problem. The car is indeed in Park so that isn't it, either.

I've never had this happened before where the car made absolutely no noise whatsoever when not starting. I've had the car not start before, but at least I heard a rough cranking noise. In this case, the car is quiet as can be when I put the ignition key in and put it in the Start position; the dash lights and radio (still in the ON position) turn on but not the rest of the car.

One mechanic (who I visited to find out how much it would cost to look into the problem [$75] :thumbdwn: and a tow truck driver [God bless the Triple A]) both said it's probably the starter. According to my records, I last had the starter replaced and/or fixed back in 1997 when the car had only 37,000 miles on it (right now, it has over 70,000).

I narrowed it down to pretty much the starter or a faulty ignition switch (according to a Haynes manual).

Now, that one mechanic wanting to charge me $75 to look into the problem (Pep Boys wanted $85  ) told me to hit the starter with a hammer while trying to start the car. Well, that did the trick: the car started! I drove it around the block a little bit and turned her off. I then turned her back on to see if it would start and it did.

Okay, forgive my ignorance here but this all means what? I've ruled out the "ignition-switch-faulty" theory based on the "hammer-on-the-starter" conclusion. Should I just go ahead and get a new starter? Pep Boys had one for $100, one year warranty, and I have to bring in the old starter; I could also get one for $150 with a lifetime warranty. How long will the car start and/or will I have to hit the damn starter with a hammer before the car completely stops starting?

Appreciate any replies and opinions from you guys with experience in this matter. :cheers:


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## WoLfFaNgZ (Nov 8, 2004)

check the starter relay and if thats good check the magnet switch terminal on the starter those come loose from my experience very easily..DONT hammer the starter thatll just damage it more


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## sentra_d (Oct 7, 2003)

WoLfFaNgZ said:


> check the starter relay and if thats good check the magnet switch terminal on the starter those come loose from my experience very easily..DONT hammer the starter thatll just damage it more


It's too late: I already "hammered" the starter.  This made the car start again. I've also been reading past articles here on this forum regarding starters (I did a search on "hammer" and "starter").

However, I will take your advice on checking the items you said I should check.

It would seem that I should just replace the starter.


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## Joro Corona (Apr 10, 2005)

Sounds like a sticking starter solonoid to me.


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## sentra_d (Oct 7, 2003)

Well, I went ahead and took out the old remanufactured starter (from Nissan, no less) and had another one put in.

$90 for the "new" remanufactured starter with a one year warranty ($45 core) and only about $42 labor to put it in. :jump: 

Weird thing happened to me today while driving to the mechanic, though: the fuel and temperature instruments stopped working. Even though I just got done putting in gasoline, the fuel instrument read EMPTY, while the temperature instrument was at its starting point (COLD).

Once I got the "new" remanufactured starter put in, everything went back to normal. :wtf:


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## minute rice sentra (Mar 21, 2003)

Your temp/fuel gauge reg. is on the fritz and isn't too hard to replace, I recommend doing that yourself because you're gonna get ripped off just like you did when you had your starter put in. I got a Reman'ed starter from Autozone a couple years ago with a lifetime warranty(about $90 altogether) because mine was doing as yours did, worked when ever it wanted to, then this starter started doing it too('bout a month ago), so I just go to autozone and say "hey my starter's dead" so I just swap it out and away I go not spending a penny, and it only takes about 10-15 minutes tops to change starters on these cars. Your voltage regulator replacement will take a little longer though.


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## sentra_d (Oct 7, 2003)

minute rice sentra said:


> Your temp/fuel gauge reg. is on the fritz and isn't too hard to replace, I recommend doing that yourself because you're gonna get ripped off just like you did when you had your starter put in.


Are you saying that you believe Autozone ripped me off ($90 for Valucraft remanufactured starter, $45 core, one-year warranty) or the mechanic who put it in for me ($42 labor)? I'm assuming you are talking about the mechanic, being that you also mentioned getting a starter from Autozone yourself.

I realize you got a $90 remanufactured starter with lifetime warranty from Autozone, but that was years ago. I could have gotten another remanufactured starter from Autozone (by Duralast) but with a lifetime warranty for $110, but being that I don't plan on having this car for another decade, I decided on the $90 one with only one-year warranty on it.

Besides, I didn't think it was that easy to bring in a dead starter to take advantage of any lifetime warranties. How does one even prove to Autozone that the starter is at fault, rather than the fault being with the mechanic who put it in or the owner of the vehicle itself? (From Autozone's warranty: policy: "Warranty excludes damage caused by misuse, abuse, other faulty parts, improper installation or off-road, commercial or marine use.")

I called several places before going to the $42 mechanic and the estimate ranged anywhere from $85 to $250+ (I kid you not). One mechanic told me it looked like it was going to be a lot of work based on a book he looked up. Meanwhile, the $42 mechanic was done in under 15 minutes. :thumbup: 

I was planning to do it myself (with the help from a Haynes manual) but it just looked too tight of a space in that area and I didn't feel up to that manual challenge. :asleep:




minute rice sentra said:


> I got a Reman'ed starter from Autozone a couple years ago with a lifetime warranty(about $90 altogether) because mine was doing as yours did, worked when ever it wanted to, then this starter started doing it too('bout a month ago), so I just go to autozone and say "hey my starter's dead" so I just swap it out and away I go not spending a penny, and it only takes about 10-15 minutes tops to change starters on these cars.


Well, the starter I just took out was a $232 Nissan remanufactured starter that lasted about 35,000 miles and was put in back in '97. I'm hoping the Valucraft one I just put in lasts me that long as well. Not that I'm planning to have the car for another couple of years or another 35,000 miles anyway.  

This also reminds me: I called up Nissan asking what kind of warranty I had on that $232 remanufactured Nissan starter. Without even looking it up in the computer, the guy said it was a one-year warranty/12,000 miles on that. I said, "Don't you even have to look it up to see which one was put in my car by you guys?" and he answered, "No, all parts are a year warranty or 12,000 miles."

Imagine that: $232 for a Nissan remanufactured starter with only a year's worth of warranty. I stopped going to Nissan for repairs and parts a long time ago: their prices for labor are ridiculous, and the cost for the great Nissan parts aren't all that, either.




minute rice sentra said:


> Your temp/fuel gauge reg. is on the fritz and isn't too hard to replace.
> 
> Your voltage regulator replacement will take a little longer though.


Is the temp/fuel gauge regulator and the voltage regulator the same? I'll go look it up in Haynes...  

Again, the weird thing is, once I got the "new" remanufactured starter put in, the temperature and fuel instruments went back to normal. I suppose if that acts up again, I will definitely take your advice and just fix all of that myself.

By the way, "Thank you!" to everybody who answered. :cheers:


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