# Sentra GXE 2002 Won't Start



## timatoman (Sep 19, 2004)

Periodically, my 2002 Sentra GXE will not start. It does not turn over. After trying to start it many times, I give up. Then, I go back later and it starts right up. The dealer can not find anything wrong. It normally happens after sitting for a couple of days. The problem is intermittent and only happens when I really need to go somewhere.


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## chimmike (Oct 17, 2002)

clean the battery terminals and put vasoline on them.

also, make sure all the recalls have been done.


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## timatoman (Sep 19, 2004)

chimmike said:


> clean the battery terminals and put vasoline on them.
> 
> also, make sure all the recalls have been done.


The battery and terminals are good. All recalls have been done. The dealer can not find anything wrong with the electrical system. Can the starter fail on an intermitten basis?


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## chimmike (Oct 17, 2002)

make sure all the recalls on the car are done before they attempt to fix anything. also you should still be under warranty?


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## BAlfson (Feb 26, 2012)

*Just bought a 2002 GXE*

Only 92k miles and in great shape. It ran great for the first week, then I couldn't get it to start. Cranked great, but just wouldn't run. After searching the internet for a week, I finally found the problem.

*It was flooded!* I fixed it by removing the fuel pump fuse and cranking the starter for 30 seconds. I replaced the fuse, and then waited 30 minutes, put in the key and, without touching the gas pedal, turned the key - it started instantly and ran smoothly.

I've only owned Toyotas for over 20 years, so I was accustomed to pumping the gas pedal once or twice before turning the key to start them. It turns out that these Nissans do that automatically; turn the key all the way on without going to the start position and you will hear it moving gasoline for two seconds.

*Always start the car without touching the acccelerator.*

Cheers - Bob


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## jdg (Aug 27, 2009)

BAlfson said:


> *Always start the car without touching the acccelerator.*
> Cheers - Bob


You mean you did what the owners manual instructs you NOT to do?
Just like practically every other vehicle equipped with a fuel injected engine made in the past 20+ years?


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## BAlfson (Feb 26, 2012)

*Yup!*



> You mean you did what the owners manual instructs you NOT to do?
> Just like practically every other vehicle equipped with a fuel injected engine made in the past 20+ years?


And, the funny part is that I read the manual as soon as I got home!

But, it's the old truth about new subjects - you don't know what you don't know, and I obviosly just scanned several sections. I moderate a technical BB, and I can't count the number of times I've told people the cardinal rule, RTFM, and here I am, hoist on my own petard! 

In fact, the eight Toyotas I've owned over the last 20+ years (my last Avalon was killed recently by a Taurus that crossed the center line on a dark and stormy night and smacked the left headlight into mine), none had the two-second prime that this Nissan has, and all started better with a little pedal action, in spite of being fuel-injected.

Cheers - Bob


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## jdg (Aug 27, 2009)

Fair enough...

But...I've got an '05 Vibe (re-badged Toyota Matrix) and I just checked the neighbor's '98 Camry. Both of them 'prime the fuel rails' when you turn the key on (without turning all the way to start), but they are a LOT harder to hear compared to both of my Nissan's.


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## BAlfson (Feb 26, 2012)

*Still learning!*

So, jdg, your last post made me curious...

I checked the Owner's Manual for my wife's 2000 Toyota Sienna. It clearly instructs you to not touch the gas pedal when starting. It also has a section on difficult starting and gives instructions when flooding is suspected: hold the pedal to the floor, crank for 15 seconds, wait for 30 seconds, and then crank again without touching the pedal.

It seems that the same would work with the 2002 Nissan, but the Nissan manual says nothing about the pedal-to-the-floor causing the fuel pump to shut off when cranking.

The Toyota manual seemed better organized and more complete, but that may be because the new Sienna would have cost a lot more than the new Sentra.

I also spoke to my M.D. daughter who drove my late 80's Camry for a school year before we got her a Jeep Grand Cherokee and me a new '96 Avalon. I knew she would have read the manual, and she confirmed what you said - the manual instructed starting without depressing the pedal.

Yeah, I guess things have changed since I rebuilt that 1941 Nash in 1965. 

Cheers - Bob


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## jdg (Aug 27, 2009)

That's the genius in computer programming for these things. They can mimic the old school carb's.
Back in the day, you'd hold it to the floor if it was flooded to actuate the "choke unloader", which opened up the choke a bit to clear it out.
These days, when you hold the throttle open past a certain point, the ECU goes into "clear flood mode" where it turns off all the fuel. Doesn't turn off the fuel pump, just quits opening the injectors.
Same thing almost applies with lower throttle positions.
Up to a certain position (depends on make, model, year, engine, blah blah), the ECU figures the throttle is at idle, and feeds the engine "starting fuel".
If you push the pedal past a certain point, you'll get a bit of extra fuel, helpful when it's butt-kickin' cold out, old gas, weak battery, etc...up until you get to that point of the "clear flood mode"...kinda sorta like a carb.
Then there's the whole "throttle follower logic". When the engine is idling and all warmed up, you can barely press on the pedal, the engine will speed up just a bit, then go back to normal idle speed as idle air control motor closes down a bit. Press a bit more, engine will speed up then go back to normal idle, again as the idle air motor closes down more. Eventually you'll hit a point where the idle air control motor can't cutoff enough air to maintain the programmed idle speed and it'll rev up to wherever you've got your foot pressed.
But that all depends on the make/model/year/etc. My '01 Dodge does it just like described above. If I'm in park, engine idling and unloaded, and I barely push the pedal, I'm either at idle (800rpm) or I get about 1200 rpm. In my '03 Chevy, when I barely press on the pedal, the ECU still controls the idle speed up to a point...i.e. it tries to match the engine rpm with my foot, until the ECU can't close the idle air control motor any more, then it reverts back to normal throttle plate rpm control.

Sounds kinda goofy. It is. But it works...

Incidentally, now you got me thinking... I've still got the manual for my '76 Blazer and '74 Malibu. Both say on normal starts to press the pedal to the floor one time, release, then crank. Clearing a flood is the same way as you describe, to the floor, crank, then release after a bit. Neither of them say anything about giving it a bit of little bit of pedal on a cold morning.

'41 Nash?!?! What did that thing have for a carb?


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## BAlfson (Feb 26, 2012)

The Nash had an in-line six with a two-barrel carb. It was easy to clean, and was one of my first projects.

One of my later projects was a reman of the starter - new brushes, clean/polish the rotor and replace the bearings. It ran like a dream on the bench, so I had a hard time figuring out why it wouldn't work in the car. The fifth time, my little brother asked if I wasn't trying to put it in upside-down. I used a few four-letter words to remind him what an idiot he was, so he left me alone. Sixth try - same problem. The seventh time, I decided to try my stupid brother's idea. It started instantly. Not sure how much later I told him, but I was spitting crow feathers for days.

Cheers - Bob
PS I just started a new thread with a question about newly-appearing exhaust smoke.


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