# 93 Sentra sporadically won't start



## brg99 (Sep 28, 2007)

I own a base '93 Nissan Sentra that I've owned for about a year and a half. She generally runs like a champ, but every so often she won't start. This had happened ~once every 4 months, but now has happened twice in the past two weeks.

Each time it will start, and then sputter and die within a few seconds. After that, it will crank over no problem, and then sputter a bit but not catch. This usually goes on for between 15-45 minutes, after which she starts up like a champ.

Today, I filled her up with gas, and went to leave the gas station. The car stalled, and admittedly I'm not sure if I stalled it or it died as I was trying to leave. I tried to restart the car to no avail. I held the pedal down and cranked it, hoping to clear a flood if that was what the problem was. This did not work. It would go through phases were it would just crank without catching, and others were it would crank, sputter, try desperately to catch but then just not be able to hold it, with or without the throttle down. Then, in the end, I was cranking the engine with WOT, and the engine wasn't even sputtering. Then it sporadically just caught and the engine raced up (I was still WOT). I quickly drove home and got my other car.

It's such an odd problem that I don't even know where to begin. It has only happened 4-5 times in the past 1.5 years, and each time it has dealt with itself within 45 minutes. Every other time, the car runs 100% perfectly. I work the engine hard, cranking it up to redline repeatedly. There are no hiccups, sputters, hesitation, or anything else even remotely out of the ordinary.

Anyone have any ideas??


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## MisterRx (Feb 8, 2006)

Maybe Fuel Pump is about to go. Costly repair. cost me$300 Canadian for new Carter fuel pump.


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## brg99 (Sep 28, 2007)

Why do you think that its the fuel pump? Wouldn't a faulty fuel pump exhibit signs of distress during regular driving, not simply upon startup??


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## Tavel (Aug 21, 2004)

I would venture either a fuel pump or injectors. bad fuel pumps take many forms. 


i would also say that maybe the coil is going bad. 

find out how to test those three items and go from there. I would hate to see you just replace perfectly good parts.


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## DA6GSR (May 5, 2005)

if you pull the bottom of the rear seat out you can hear the fuel pump when the key is turned forward. that will give you an idea if it is the fuel pump.

You could also have a bad PCV.


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## MisterRx (Feb 8, 2006)

brg99 said:


> Why do you think that its the fuel pump? Wouldn't a faulty fuel pump exhibit signs of distress during regular driving, not simply upon startup??



Read up my old post on Fuel Pump on 92 Sentra on this website. I gave good detail on what happens. I don't want to repeat everything. Sorry!

Fuel Pump is common problem with old sentra. I guess they wear out.


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## Dustin (Dec 14, 2003)

MisterRx said:


> Maybe Fuel Pump is about to go. Costly repair. cost me$300 Canadian for new Carter fuel pump.


i'm sorry, but that's absurd.

the fuel pump is simple to replace, takes all of 30 minutes for your first time, including removing the seat. I paid less than 100 dollars for a new fuel pump, and installed it while i waited on my steaks to cook.


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## MisterRx (Feb 8, 2006)

Dustin said:


> i'm sorry, but that's absurd.
> 
> the fuel pump is simple to replace, takes all of 30 minutes for your first time, including removing the seat. I paid less than 100 dollars for a new fuel pump, and installed it while i waited on my steaks to cook.



It all depends on what Brand of fuel pump you buy. Mine is CARTER. I called Canadian Tire (Major auto part shop in Canada). They didn't tell me what brand they have. So I called their sister company PartSource(large company). The listed the CARTER fuel pump at $300. I called one of the small auto part shop, they also told me $300 for CARTER fuel pump.

One of tiny auto part store told me a price of $150 for fuel pump. It was so tiny an noname brand. I said no thank you.

The fuel pump I took out was medium size. Almost the same size as CARTER fuel pump I brought. The CARTER fuel pump came with Rubber collet (tube) to take vibration. it didn't have the debris filter, so I had to use from the old fuel pump.

I could have order the CARTER fuel pump from the States. With Shipping and duty probably come out same thing. I was also in a rush to put in a new fuel pump.

I don't understand why people is State pay half price compared to Canadian with dollar value being almost same. Mind you I brought the CARTER fuel pump 1 year ago.


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## BandS13lover (Sep 27, 2007)

easy way to figure it out. when it dont start pull the fuel line off and into a jar of some sort. crank it and see if fuel come out. if there is i would look at the distributor.


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