# Help! Trouble starting my 240SX



## Lois (Mar 2, 2011)

I have a 1995 240SX with 215,000 miles. It's been a great car and very dependable until just recently. 

The gas level was 1/4 tank. On the fill up before the last one I added some Chevron fuel injector cleaner in the fuel tank. I also had a tune-up one month ago and got new ignition wires, fuel filter, spark plugs, etc.

Sunday night I took a short drive across town (about 2 miles). I parked the car and came back less than 5 minutes later and it would not start. It turned over just fine, and it would even catch and run for maybe 5 seconds before dying. When it did catch the idle was very rough. When I gave it more gas it died immediately. I let it sit for 1/2 hour and tried again with the same results.

So I called AAA for a tow and when he arrived 1/2 hour later he also tried to start it with the same results.

Towed it to my mechanic and after the tow truck driver left I tried again. It still would catch, idle briefly (and roughly, but very quietly) and then die.

So I called my mechanic in the morning and he said it started up just fine for him. The car has been there since Sunday night (Feb 27) and he's been driving it around a bit every day trying to get it to repeat the trouble, but it keeps starting fine.

Does anyone have an idea what the problem might be and how likely it is to happen again?

I am going on a long drive from California to Arizona (13 hours over two days) on April 2 and I'm worried. If this happens in the desert on the way to Arizona I'll be in big trouble.

Thanks for any assistance you can provide in advance.


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## rogoman (Dec 16, 2004)

Could be an ignition or fuel problem.

- Check each spark plug wire for a strong spark; do this by using a spare plug with a plug wire plugged into it and laying on top of the valve cover. Before cranking the engine over, remove the fuel pump fuse.

- You may have a bad fuel pressure regulator. To test the fuel pressure, tee-in a tempoarary fuel pressure gauge at the output side of the fuel filter. The readings at idle should be as follows:
* with vacuum hose connected to the fuel pressure regulator: 33 psi
* with vacuum hose disconnected from the fuel pressure regulator: 43 psi


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## Lois (Mar 2, 2011)

It finally acted up when it was with the mechanic. It seems my distributor was bad. He said it is tricky to diagnose because they can act up intermittently before they die completely.

Thanks everyone!


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