# '94 Sentra starting issues



## zachk398 (Mar 14, 2013)

I have a 1994 Sentra with starting problems. It had a dead starter, and I recently two days ago put in a brand new starter, and still no start. The solenoid on the starter is firing but no start. Any ideas of what else it could be? I also have made sure everything is hooked up correctly on three seperate occasions and have checked my battery cables. I need help bad seeing as this is my only vehicle.


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## rogoman (Dec 16, 2004)

Is the engine actually turning over but failing to fire up; if so, then there is either a fuel delivery problem or ignition problem. However if the engine fails to even turn over, then the battery may be bad, a problem with the battery cables, bad starter. Test the horn and headlights.


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## smj999smj (Jan 1, 2006)

One other possibility: locked up motor (possibly hydrolocked). Try putting a wrench on the crank bolt and turn it clockwise to make sure it turns. If it doesn't, remove the spark plugs and try it again. That said, if it's an aftermarket starter, I wouldn't be surprised if it's no good. It's best to stick with genuine Nissan starters, alternators and distributors; they are more money, but they are also more reliable and I don't enjoy fixing stuff twice!


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## zachk398 (Mar 14, 2013)

I bought a starter from O'Reillys and installed it. I don't know if that could be the issue or not


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## smj999smj (Jan 1, 2006)

It sure could be...and wouldn't be the first! You already hear your solenoid "clicking," so that means you are getting power to it. Check your battery and your battery cable connections. If you want to go the extra mile, make sure the crank turns. If all that's good, bring your starter back to O'Reilly's.


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## zachk398 (Mar 14, 2013)

I know my starter id good I've checked it with my jumper cables of my battery. I checked my Barry reads 12 volts. Starter the same. Just now dropped a new clutch inhibit relay in it cause the old one was sparking. I don't know where to begin checking for sorts. The guy at my local Nissan dealership said to check going to my starter and my grounds


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## zachk398 (Mar 14, 2013)

The guy at my local dealership said it could also be the ignition relay under the dash. Has anyone else ever had a problem with that?


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## b13er (Apr 7, 2010)

I was just having starting issues and it turned out to be ignition relay #3 located under the dash, on the passenger side, behind a kick panel. It only clicks when you turn the key to the on position, not when trying to start it, but if it's broke it will stop your car from starting. Mine still clicked, but it was a sort of muffled click.

Ignition relays 1 and 2 are under the dash, driver side, in the fuse box. You should here them click when you actually try to start the car.

If you want you can bypass the problem like I did for a temporary fix: The starter has 3 wires, battery positive and negative cables and then a third small wire that goes to a connector (that then goes to the fusebox under your hood to the clutch relay fyi), well you can attach a start button to that small wire, and attach the other end of the button to a power source(battery). NOTE: you should probably have a fuse on that new power wire. I noticed my car didn't start to clean with this method, pressing the gas a little helped.

The clutch button behind your clutch could be bad. You can unplug it, and hook a jumper wire in the plug to bypass the clutch switch. If it fixes your problem then it's that switch. Also you could check to see if the clutch relay clicks when you try and start the car.

TIP: You can hook a multimeter up to that third skinny wire on your starter: use the harness side connector, not the starter side, and hook the other end to a ground. When you try and start the car it should say 12 volts.

If none of that works let me know.


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## zachk398 (Mar 14, 2013)

Alright I'm getting clicks from my twoo relays under the drivers side and the one on the passenger side is clicking in on position. I've already checked my battery and everything else I know of. I'm thinking there's a short somewhere. Just so I know for sure the ignition relays on driver side are located to the right of my fuse box, with for straight down?

Sent from AutoGuide.com Free App


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## i r teh noobz (Apr 26, 2007)

The solenoid clicks, so relays are all but eliminated. Your problem likely lies between the battery and the starter. Did you hook the ground cable back up? It uses one of the starter mount bolts to attach to the block if I remember correctly.

12 volts even is almost dead. 12.6 is what you want to see.


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## b13er (Apr 7, 2010)

Well step one is to find out if you have current going to your starter when you try and start it. If you do, then all those relays, switches, and your ignition is fine. Unplug the starter wire and make sure to test for DC volts on the harness side not the starter side.

If you don't have a multimeter you can always try to start the starter manually like my start button idea. Just turn the car to the on position, PUT THE CAR IN NEUTRAL!!! attach a wire from the battery and touch it to where the small wire (the one with the connector) is connected to the starter, it looks like it's soldered on, touch it right there and the car will try to start. If it starts then you know it's not the starter, or engine being locked up.

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When my relay was broke it still clicked. It only takes a second to pop the hood, take out the ac relay, and swap it with ignition relay #3 (passenger side behind kick panel), and so I would do it, just to make sure. The AC relay is in the relay box on the left side of the battery (should be 6 slots total), take out the one that is the second closest to the front of the car. 

I would also do the same test but swap out the clutch relay, it's in the same fuse box next to the battery, and it's the one closest to the firewall.

Now the relays in the fuse box on the driver side would be a pain to swap out, I think the whole dash would need to come out. Looking at the field service manual, if one of those went out you would most likely loose a few features of your car, but I'm not 100% on that.

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Just looked at the wiring diagram, and it could be a bad fuse located on the right side of your battery. They are weird big fuses, but I'm pretty sure you can still pull one and check to see if it's blown.


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## b13er (Apr 7, 2010)

Well apparently it wasn't a relay, the problem came back:

I tested the signal wire going to the starter and the voltage went something like this: 12, 12, 0, 6, 1, 12, 1, 0, 3, 12

Problem solved:

I took the plastic off of the steering column (without removing the steering wheel), but the bottom piece wouldn't really come out because of the bottom half of the dash, so I just turned it to the side to make room. While doing this I saw the ignition switch move a lot, and I immediately suspected that might be the cause of the problem. It's one and only screw was loose, so I tightened it down. I then tested the signal wire and got 12 volts 20 times in a row. I should have put a new lock washer on that screw and also used some locktight, but I was in a rush so I'll do it later.


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