# 96 Altima GXE won't start after replacing rotor and cap



## ctwaley (Feb 3, 2007)

Okay, here's the scenario........My son took my car to work the other morning when the car suddenly died.......After checking all the fuses (which were all good), the car still wouldn't start......After he got off work, we went to the car and I checked to see if it was getting fuel from the tank and there was no problem there........We ended up towing the car to a friend's place, which wasn't very far, and had to leave it since it was dark and icy by then.......

I was finally able to get to the car today, and found the distrubutor rotor had busted inside the cap.......Apparently the set screw came out of the rotor shaft whcih allowed the rotor to slice up and, well you get the picture.....After I replaced the rotor and cap, the car still wouldn't start, although it seems to try starting.....

My question is, could the distrubutor timing be off, or the valve timing, when the rotor jammed into the distributor cap?......I realize there is no need to time the spark with the electronic ignition, but I was wondering if it is a mechanical problem like the timing chain jumped, causing misalignment, or the distrubutor shaft jumped out of alignment, somehow.......

It's getting spark and fuel, and it does try to run when cranking the starter, so all that's left is mechanical......

Any help appreciated 

---CTWaley


PS: The distributor rotor does turn when cranking the starter, so there's no broken chain.......


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## ctwaley (Feb 3, 2007)

Well, I figured out the timing is okay...........I guess the impact of the rotor against the cap doesn't have enough force to cause a jump in the valve timing, etc.....

As I already mentioned, it's getting spark to the plugs and fuel to the fuel injectors, so now I'm stumped.....

Any help greatly appreciated..... 

---CTWaley


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## KA24Tech (Feb 2, 2004)

Double check the position of the spark plug wires and the cap should be marked. You might also pull the fuel pump fuse as well as the spark plugs to clear a flooded condition.

Troy


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## ctwaley (Feb 3, 2007)

Hi Troy,

Thanks for the response...........For the plug wires, they're put back in the correct order as I usually double- and triple-check their position, but it doesn't hurt to check again........  

I'll pull pump fuse and remove the plugs, as you suggested, to see if they show signs of flooding and be sure to let you know how it turned out......The plugs themselves should still be okay since I bought platinum-4 plugs for it last year.......

Also, I left the negative battery cable disconnected for over a 24-hour period to clear the computer module (ECM) in the hopes it might self-correct.........I'm grasping at straws here :lame:, but I found the ECM controls the timing of the fuel injectors and hope by clearing it, it will resume normal operation....... 

I'm having a friend help me tow the car home, today, so I don't have to rely on others to take me to the car everyday. Also the weather has been wet lately, making it miserable to work on it out in the open....... 

Thanks again,
---Cole


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## NismoAltima95 (Feb 6, 2007)

Also make sure when you put the new rotor on that it isn't 180 degrees backwards, if I remember correctly it isn't keyed at all, just one more thing to double check.:wtf:


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## KA24Tech (Feb 2, 2004)

No offense but the Platinum 4 spark plugs have only given me problems and I am a big proponent of the simple stock NGK plugs. Maybe consider replacing those but with the plugs out try turning it over to check for spark. If possible access the ECM under the front of the console to check for codes and reset the ECM that way.

Troy


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## ctwaley (Feb 3, 2007)

NismoAltima95 said:


> Also make sure when you put the new rotor on that it isn't 180 degrees backwards, if I remember correctly it isn't keyed at all, just one more thing to double check.:wtf:


There's only one way it can go on........It isn't keyed, but where the set screw goes is a flat spot on the shaft.....


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## ctwaley (Feb 3, 2007)

KA24Tech said:


> No offense...


None taken.... 



> but the Platinum 4 spark plugs have only given me problems and I am a big proponent of the simple stock NGK plugs. Maybe consider replacing those but with the plugs out try turning it over to check for spark. If possible access the ECM under the front of the console to check for codes and reset the ECM that way.
> 
> Troy


I'll check out the plugs when I get the car home........The guy who was going to help me tow it home got sick, but a friend of my son's might be able to help out..........

I was able to get to the car last night, but it was late and too dark to pull the plugs then, but I did pull the fuel pump relay and turned it over a couple of times. When I replaced the relay, the car still wouldn't start........ 

As for clearing the ECM, there are two ways to do it, according to the book: One way is to reset it at the module by turning the adjustment clockwise, the turning it back counter-clockwise. The other way is to leave the negative battery cable disconnected for at least 24 hours, which is the method I used since I can't get to the car unless I find someone willing to take me...... But clearing it didn't help, so the next chance I get I'll pull the plugs and go from there.....

---Cole


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## ctwaley (Feb 3, 2007)

Sorry for the delay in posting, but it took a while to get the car towed home.........  

Anyway, I pulled the plugs, cleaned them up a bit (they weren't too shabby ) and tested them before putting them back in.......What I did was to attach them to it's plug wire, grounded the plug, and cranked the engine..........They were all getting spark!....

After replacing them, I cranked the engine a few times, then pulled the plugs again..........All were wet with gas, so it's getting fuel to the plugs, too.........

I guess I'll have to check the compression, although I doubt that will be a problem.........By all accounts, it should start right up........The engine ran strong before this mishap (the car was well taken care of by the previous owners, and I keep an eye on things, too), so I'm stumped  .......

Any more help would be greatly appreciated..........I'm probably overlooking something, but it's been a quite while since I last worked on a car......

Thanks,  
---ctwaley


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## MickeyKnox (Jun 17, 2006)

did you put the spark plug rods all the way in the engine. they are supposed to click.
push until click.
check your spark plug wires. resistance I mean.


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## ctwaley (Feb 3, 2007)

MickeyKnox said:


> did you put the spark plug rods all the way in the engine. they are supposed to click.
> push until click.


Yes.... 



> .....check your spark plug wires. resistance I mean.


Okay, thanks.....


BTW, I just read the ECM code through the engine check light, and the flashing was this:

```
flash--flash--flash--flash--flash---flash-flash-flash-flash-flash
```
where a single hyphen is no pause, a double hyphen (--) is a short pause, and the triple hyphen is a longer pause.....Does anyone know what this indicates?......

Thanks


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## MickeyKnox (Jun 17, 2006)

5long flashes followed by 5short ones means no erros found.
so no errors in computer.


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## ctwaley (Feb 3, 2007)

MickeyKnox said:


> 5long flashes followed by 5short ones means no erros found.
> so no errors in computer.


Well, that doesn't tell me anything.......  

The trouble codes were cleared since the negative battery cable was disconnected for some time......And before checking the codes, I tried starting it a couple of times, hoping the computer would pick up something.......I guess it didn't work..... :-/


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## MickeyKnox (Jun 17, 2006)

ctwaley said:


> Well, that doesn't tell me anything.......


WUAHAHAHAHA!!!!! I guess not!!! 



ctwaley said:


> The trouble codes were cleared since the negative battery cable was disconnected for some time......And before checking the codes, I tried starting it a couple of times, hoping the computer would pick up something.......I guess it didn't work..... :-/


sometimes you have to drive weeks to get the code on. but usually an hour.

anyway, the last resort is to private message user asleepaltima. I think he is an engine specialist. so maybe crank shaft is out of wack. but it seems so unlikely since it's a big piece of metal vs. 4 tiny wirelike rods.

most probably distributor than crankshaft. set your engine to top dead center. and the rotor should point to #1 ignition wire. if you have a manual it talks about how to set to top dead center. tdc.

and there are many links on current threads to a pdf manual. which is really good.

good luck.


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## KA24Tech (Feb 2, 2004)

Sounds like an ignition coil problem. I would measure the coil resistance across A and B of harness input terminals it should measure approx. 1.0 ohm. Then disconnect the coil ignition high tension lead and measure between pin A and the coil output this should measure approx. 10K ohms
The coil pin connector is below
---X---
*[A] 

Check that and let me know what you find.

Troy*


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## ctwaley (Feb 3, 2007)

:woowoo: ........... :woowoo: .......Celebrate, celebrate, dance to the muuusic............:banana: 

Uh, sorry, guess I got a little carried away..... ........Anyway, I tracked it down to mechanical failure.........in the distributor......



MickeyKnox said:


> ...most probably distributor than crankshaft. set your engine to top dead center. and the rotor should point to #1 ignition wire...


Good call, Mickey......I ended up ripping off the valve cover so I could verify tdc by looking at the valve cams, then got underneath and turn the crank puilley by hand (with a big wrench, of course) and set it to 20 degrees btc, which is the recommended timing for the distributor............But the rotor was not pointing to no. 1, it was closer to no. 2.........

Then I yanked out the distributor, looking it over and scratching my head, since it seemed to be alright.......I mean, I couldn't hold the rotor in one hand, the rotor shaft (at the bottom end) in the other and turn them independent of each other.................But, I tried doing it with more leverage, by using vise grips at the rotor shaft (minus the rotor) and an adjustable wrench at the bottom end, taking care not to damage it, and I was able to turn the bottom shaft while keeping the rotor stationary with the vise grips........It was real stiff, but not hard to do, so I lined up the marks at the bottom end, and turned the rotor until it was pointing to the no. 1 position, and put everything all back together........The distributor felt stiff enough to work okay for a short while, but I wouldn't want to take any long trips with it..... 

Then came the moment of truth, will it or won't it start.......Well after a few false starts, the engine finally came to life.......Yayyyyy......I then let the engine warm up a bit and threw a timing light on it..........

Now, I need to go to the parts store and get a new distributor for it........Question: Should I get a generic one from the parts store, or go for an OEM?

@MickeyKnox
I did check the resistance of the plug wires, and they were all okay.........They're ACDelco Premium Silicone wires and measure about 500 ohms per foot, which I understand is the norm for those......

@KA24Tech
Even though I got the car running before I saw your last post, I went ahead and checked out the coil, since it couldn't hurt.........It checked out okay, too.............The primay resistance was roughly 1 ohm, as far as I can tell with a cheap analog meter, and the resistance between the primary and the secondary was around 12K ohms.......

All-in-all, after poking around at the engine, I'm starting to appreciate the design of it........It seems to be a solid built engine, with a fairly simple design.........It has almost 130,000 miles on it and feels like it could easily go another 130,000........ :thumbup: 

And thank you, guys, for all your help and input........I really, really appreciate it.....  

---Cole


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## KA24Tech (Feb 2, 2004)

ctwaley said:


> Now, I need to go to the parts store and get a new distributor for it........Question: Should I get a generic one from the parts store, or go for an OEM?
> 
> ---Cole


I happy you found the problem. I guess I didn't think about that as a possibility but it must have really gotten jammed to do that.

As far as the distributor, I am biased so I recommend the Factory part because it has better quality electronics and seals but some parts stores have lifetime warranties if you don't mind replacing it. A few online Nissan dealers have a good discount on them.

Troy


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## ctwaley (Feb 3, 2007)

**** UPDATE ****

Here's an update about the distributor.......After realigning the rotor piece and the shaft bottom, I could drive it to the store and back (maybe 1-1/2 mi.) and the car would start acting up a bit........At home, I removed the distributor and noticed it was out of alignment again.......As stiff as it felt, the centrifugal force was enough to move it a bit.......

I noticed, when I first took the distributor out of the vehicle, the ignition module inside the distributor had three small bolts holding it in place.......Yet when I removed the bolts, I couldn't remove the module because the rotor shaft at the top had a flange in the way..........This is the part of the rotor where the rotor piece for the distributor was mounted.....

Yesterday, that got me thinking (something I can do occasionally  ) the rotor where the rotor part was mounted on was possibly pressed on, and maybe it needed to be pressed back into place........So I removed the distributor, removed the rotor piece and the cover for the ignition module........After aligning it again, I turned the distributor upside down, placed it on a short piece of 2x4, got a jack handle from a floor jack and place the handle with the plastic handgrip on the center of the rotor shaft (which would be the bottom of the distributor turned upside down) and used a hammer to press it into place by tapping down on the handle piece........

After that, I recheck the alignment to make sure it was okay, put the distributor back together and put it back into the vehicle, timed the distributor with a timing light, and test drove it for a short distance........This time there was no more hesitation after a bit of driving.......When I got back, I removed the distributor, recheck the rotor alignment and found it hadn't moved at all.........After reinstalling it into the vehicle again, I took it for a longer test drive, including a short drive on the freeway, checked the alignment again and it still hadn't changed a bit............In other words, it appears I fixed the distributor......

I'll still keep an eye on it, and get a backup distributor from a wrecking yard (just in case), but I think the problem is cured.......I'll check it once again after a week, unless it shows signs of acting up before that, and let you know how it turns out......


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## ctwaley (Feb 3, 2007)

*ISSUE RESOLVED*

Well, the distributor seems to be permanently fixed...........All it needed was to reseat the rotor mount tightly onto the distributor shaft...... :thumbup:

I also replaced the ECT sensor (Engine Coolant Temp), since I noticed in other posts that replacing it would help bring back lost gas mileage.......

Shortly after I bought the car, I noticed the mileage suddenly drop about 5 MPG......I replaced the fuel filter and had the injectors cleaned, but it didn't make a difference........Then when I recently came across the threads about changing the ECT sensor, I took a reading on the sensor and the resisitance was higher than what the specs called for, so I replaced it........Now, I seem to have better mileage again......I'm not sure what would be the norm for A/T models, but I'm getting around 24 MPG (combined city and freeway driving)...... 

---Cole


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