# 1997 nissan sentra will not start...



## jsrore (Mar 7, 2011)

1997 nissan sentra 1.6...

cranks but will not start...all 4 plugs have spark....took off fuel line at outlet of filter has good pressure...checked fuses all good....compression is 125....plugs are wet with fuel....cam shaft turns over checked through oil fill....

it started today this morning...no check engine lite came on...tried to start 5 hours later no go.

any ideas will help.

thanks

jeff :waving:


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## jdg (Aug 27, 2009)

Seems to be a common problem with the GA16DE's in the winter (or summer for that matter). If you start it, run it for a short time, like less than a minute or so, like to move it from one parking spot to another, then shut 'er down, they tend to do this thing where they basically flood out the engine for some damn reason. Don't know why, they just do.

Pull the fuel pump fuse, crank it over for awhile, let it spit and sputter if it wants to, pull the plugs, dry them off really good, put the plugs back in (or get a new set, probably gonna need 'em anyways), wait for awhile, put the fuel pump fuse back in, and crank 'er up. I'd bet money it'll start right up next time.


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## jsrore (Mar 7, 2011)

*still not working*

tried new plugs and clearing out all fuel still will not start....maybe timing belt issue?????

think i might try pulling fuse on fuel pump spraying starting fluid through air cleaner to see what happens...


thanks


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## jdg (Aug 27, 2009)

You did pull the fuse to clear out the fuel while cranking on it right? Just checkin'...

Starting fluid might help it along, not too much of it though...
Don't wanna see intake manifolds go flying thru the air.

Got fuel, got spark...
I suppose next easy-ish thing might be to pull the #1 plug out, rotate the engine around by hand until it gets to TDC (i.e. line up the timing marks on the crank pulley with the timing tab). Then pull the distributor cap off and make sure the rotor is pointing directly at the #1 spark plug wire.

Any codes from the ECU?


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## PTXer (Aug 31, 2006)

Try cranking it with the accelerator to the floor. Keep cranking. If it starts to sputter, keep cranking. It'll smoke, and eventually start if it was like mine. Mine did this twice before I learned not to start it up and shut it down without letting it warm up.


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## jdg (Aug 27, 2009)

PTXer said:


> Try cranking it with the accelerator to the floor.


....which puts the ECU into "clear flood mode", effectively shutting off the injectors, which is the same thing as pulling the fuel pump fuse, except there's no chance of your foot slipping off the pedal and the ECU restarting fuel flow without your knowledge.
Pulling the fuel pump fuse also has the advantage of letting you keep cranking the engine without worrying about fuel, pushing air through the system, helping to clear out any possible raw fuel remaining in the exhaust system itself, and preventing that possible loud KABOOM! that basically turns your muffler into shredded pieces/parts. (ask me how I know this!  BOOM! kinda funny when I think back...)


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## Alexdreamz (Jan 20, 2020)

jdg said:


> Seems to be a common problem with the GA16DE's in the winter (or summer for that matter). If you start it, run it for a short time, like less than a minute or so, like to move it from one parking spot to another, then shut 'er down, they tend to do this thing where they basically flood out the engine for some damn reason. Don't know why, they just do.
> 
> Pull the fuel pump fuse, crank it over for awhile, let it spit and sputter if it wants to, pull the plugs, dry them off really good, put the plugs back in (or get a new set, probably gonna need 'em anyways), wait for awhile, put the fuel pump fuse back in, and crank 'er up. I'd bet money it'll start right up next time.


While I totally agree with many things in your signature, the search result that resulted in my car starting again (thanks to you!!) was buried quite far down the result list. 
That being said - THANK YOU! I’m not a mechanic, not even close, so while I’d checked the fuses it would never have occurred to me to pull the fuse and crank it, as you recommended - now, if you could just tell me where that pesky wiring short is located.... 

Thanks again,
Middle-aged Mom ISO Mechanical Genius


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## smj999smj (Jan 1, 2006)

I used to see this quite often when I worked for Nissan in the early 2000's. Seems they start too rich and flood the plugs and in some cases where there is extended cranking, they can wash the cylinder walls down with fuel and cause a low compression issue, making it even harder to start. Most of the time we'd crimp off the fuel hose and keep cranking or do hold the pedal to the floor to put the ECM in flood mode. For the worst cases where compression had dropped, we would pull the fuel pump fuse, remove the plugs, disable the ignition and crank the engine to get the fuel out of the cylinders. Then, we'd add a little oil to the cylinders (about a teaspoons's worth) and install new or cleaned spark plugs, crank the engine a little bit before installing the fuel pump fuse and then try to start the engine. 
Once we got the engine started and warmed up, we would put the engine in timing set mode and check/adjust the ignition timing and base idle. Later, we would use Consult to check the IACV operation to make sure it worked; it wasn't uncommon for these to get carboned-up and require cleaning or replacement.


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## Alexdreamz (Jan 20, 2020)

Great info! Maybe you can tell me, then ?

About 40-50 miles after replacing the fuel pump fuse, my SES light came on. It’s a P0136, O2 sensor - did I ruin that sensor in the course of this weird “flood mode” or is it a coincidence? It also threw a P04**, something to do with evaporative emission control circuit (don’t remember the exact wording). 

I ask because 12 hours after we fixed the Sentra my other vehicle died unexpectedly, then the first time I drive my Sentra, I get more problems than I’ve had since I bought her. I’m beginning to believe I’ve seriously annoyed the car gods - never a smart thing to do!


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## smj999smj (Jan 1, 2006)

I can't say whether the engine being flooded caused the oxygen sensor issue or not. I would think it unlikely, however, that it would cause the rear oxygen sensor to fail and not the front sensor. It may just be that the rear oxygen sensor went bad. The good news is that the rear oxygen sensor does not affect drivability; it is only a monitoring sensor for the ECM to test catalyst efficiency. 
The evaporative emission system is the system used to store fuel tank vapors until they can later be re-introduced to the engine where they will be burned, rather than have them vent into the atmosphere. It consists of a charcoal canister with an attached vent control valve, a purge valve in the engine compartment, a pressure sensor, various hoses and check valves, the gas tank, filler neck and gas cap. Leaks, such as a loose gas cap or stuck open vent control valve, usually trigger these codes, but since I don't know what the code is, that's impossible to say.


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## Alexdreamz (Jan 20, 2020)

That’s a lot of helpful information, thank you! I don’t suppose you know as much about suburbans as you do sentras? ??

How do you know it’s the rear sensor though? By the code, I presume... front would be 0135 or whatever. 

At least I have one running vehicle - it’s not the preferred one (if there can only be one), but it’s better than nothing and it gets way better gas mileage ?


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## smj999smj (Jan 1, 2006)

P0136 is a generic code for rear oxygen sensor low circuit voltage. P0135 is a front oxygen sensor heater circuit malfunction. There are a number of codes for various oxygen sensor malfunctions.


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## vicente_do2005 (Feb 18, 2020)

Alexdreamz said:


> Great info! Maybe you can tell me, then ?
> 
> About 40-50 miles after replacing the fuel pump fuse, my SES light came on. It’s a P0136, O2 sensor - did I ruin that sensor in the course of this weird “flood mode” or is it a coincidence? It also threw a P04**, something to do with evaporative emission control circuit (don’t remember the exact wording).
> 
> I ask because 12 hours after we fixed the Sentra my other vehicle died unexpectedly, then the first time I drive my Sentra, I get more problems than I’ve had since I bought her auto clicker. I’m beginning to believe I’ve seriously annoyed the car gods - never a smart thing to do!


The good news is that the rear oxygen sensor does not affect drivability; it is only a monitoring sensor for the ECM to test catalyst efficiency.
The evaporative emission system is the system used to store fuel tank vapors until they can later be re-introduced to the engine where they will be burned, rather than have them vent into the atmosphere.


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