My 95 Nissan Altima is dead, will crank, but wont start. The mechanics are baffled :-(?

Question

yes, thats right. The best mechanics, some from the Nissan dealership say that all parts of my car are good - There is fuel pressure, the spark plugs are working, the starter is working. But the car doesnt start. The computer diagnosis tells them that the catalytic converter is bad - but my mechanic says that even if its damaged, the car should atleast start. No one at my city is able to help me. I request you all to suggest a solution for me!

Answer 1

Have your mechanic do this, There might be oil on the electrical injection signal sensor inside the distributor. remove the distributor cap then the distributor rotor next take the black plastic cover off and using brake parts cleaner wash out the distributor and follow up with compressed air to dry out the electrics. Now leave the black plastic protector off put the rotor on and distributor cap and see if washing the oil out of the distributor allows the car to start. The rubber o ring will be swelled and not usable just leave it out so oil has some where to go besides the sensor. Next reassemble with the black plastic cover. And the only way to fix this permanently is replace the distributor. At over $400 wait till after the holidays.

Answer 2

1) there would be no reason if all of those are available. Spark is the common problem, there may be a spark present but was a it powerful enough to ignite and was it timed to spark at the proper setting. 2) Catalytic converter and Oxygen sensor have nothing to do with the car starting. The car can't even tell there is something wrong with either until it cranks up and starts running. You will have serious drag in your cars performance if your cat is blocked up or has rotted out and you would have noticed this far before it stopped running. Oxygen sensors are useless and go bad all the time however, they will tell the car that something is wrong and can possibly mess up the fuel to air mixture. Since your car is a 95 and not 96 or newer, the computer will not take as much input from your sensor and relay it to performance. 3) Do you have an alarm on your car. If your alarm wiring, not your remote start, has disconnected and is directly running through your ignition system, it can have this affect. I would have another mechanic check out your spark plugs, wires, distributor/coil, and starter. Even a basic mechanic can take off the heads, put some oil/gas into a cylinder and get it to fire. If he really did his job, he would have found something. Fuel starvation, air flow, spark, or security override.

Answer 3

It'll have electronic fuel injection, so it sounds like although the plugs are firing, and there's fuel in the fuel lines, the computer simply isn't telling the injectors to squirt any fuel into the cylinders.

I can't gaurentee that this will work, but it's worth a try - disconnect the battery, leave it for an hour, then reconnect it again. Turn the key 'On', give it 30 seconds, then try it. You never know.

Answer 4

Your mechanic is wrong. I ran into a Ford Thunder-bird where both converters, on twin exhausts were completely stopped up. And it wouldn't start. I disconnected the exhaust pipes from the manifolds and she fired right up.
Of course you may have another problem. Check the power going to the injectors. Be sure the cold start injector is working.
Try spraying some starting fluid into the intake. If it starts, the problem will either be wiring, computer, or injectors, or injector fuse. Hope this helps.
Master tech 40 yrs.

Answer 5

Did they reset the computer? Is the CEL on?
How are the vacuum hoses? Did anyone remove any? If several people work on your car, there is a good chance someone will move/change something that the other won't know about.
Did you take the car to Nissan first?
Sounds weird....good luck.

Answer 6

Sounds like a fusable link (a wire that is made to burnout at a certain voltage) has blown.

All componets will be good, but they won't work together.

It will take a lot of time to trace it down.

I once did it on an italian car using an italian language manual and an italian/english dictionary.

Good luck.

Answer 7

Do you have a add on security system? If so Take it off. At least one out of four cars towed into the dealership I worked in had that exact problem, and it was the aftermarket alarm.

Answer 8

I agree with john paul for repair.

Master Nissan Technician

good luck

Answer 9

Put it out of it's misery and buy a new car.

Answer 10

fuel filter