My story starts a while back, first problem with the car was a dead battery, replaced it about 4-6 months ago and everything was fine for a while. About 2 months after replacing the battery with absolutely no previous indications the car didn't start.
It would click once while the key was turning and once the key got to the start position there was no clicks, no noise, no nothing. All lights worked, radio, everything. Lights did not dim while key was turned.
After checking on the forums it seemed that it would either be the starter or the neutral safety switch. There was 2 or 3 occaisions in the past where the car didn't start but after I pushed the shifter into park more it would click in properly and then it started fine, so I figured maybe it was the NSS.
I got it towed near my house, waited a couple days to try starting it again and nothing. Fast forward to today, got the in-laws here with tools figgering to test multiple things and possibly R&R the starter. Voila, the bugger starts just fine!
So now I'm totally confused. The battery tested at 12.44 when the car was off, when we started it it dropped to about 10.5 while cranking then immediately went to about 14.5 once it was going.
So I'm still figuring it's either the starter brushes being dinky or the switch being finicky still but I'm not sure where to go from here. Anyone have any advice as to what to test next or any sage advice as to which it may be? Muchos gracias!
Back when it first failed to start and I towed it home, it was on an incline, pointing up.
When it just recently started it was on flat ground.
We did some extra testing (still on flat ground) after it started, would test the battery, start it, wait a minute, test it, turn off, repeat. After about 3 tries the battery while running kept going up a bit and went to 13.08 so it seemed fine.
I went and re-parked the car, on an incline pointing down and .. no start, same as before initially.
So now .. NSS still? O_o
So now I'm totally confused. The battery tested at 12.44 when the car was off, when we started it it dropped to about 10.5 while cranking then immediately went to about 14.5 once it was going.
That sounds normal, battery under light load, under high load, and then charging by the alternator...
sounds like a flaky NSS, if its not even trying to crank over. dont know about the incline stuff... could possible be wiring thats being fickle too.
I remember a post a while back someone else had about their GF car doing something similar with the incline thing and they had a sketchy NSS I think so I'm hoping the incline has something to do with it, I don't need more than one problem
But like 90% of the time I park the car it's on an incline and it has never been a problem since the first time it no-started.
I'm working on getting the Chilton manual for the car to get some more information, hopefully someone else has some insight as well.
Anyone have any thoughts on possibly the starter solenoid? Someone thought the solenoid on the starter might be defective or the circuit to it might be funky .. does that make sense to anything?
This sounds exactly like what my 94 is doing except the part about not starting in neutral. Are you sure about that? Anyway, my cause is that sometimes something hangs up in the 'whatever it is' on top of the transmission where the shift cable goes in which won't let it go into park far enough to trip the NSS. Something else to check.
So after breaking down and taking it to Crappy Tire it seems the starter is pooping out, the starter is drawing very low, me and an acquaintance can R&R the starter next week but does anyone know of a good place around Vancouver to get a starter for the 1600nx pretty cheap, can be reman, used, whatever .. ? ^_^
I've gone through several remanufactured starters and alternators over the years and it's really not nice when they fail randomly on you. Canadian Tire actually carries brand new OEM Hitachi starters and alternators. And they cost almost the same as Crappy Tire's garbage remanufactured Champion ones. I put a new Hitachi starter and alternator in my car about two years ago and it's been no troubles ever since. Yes, you might be able to save $30 or $40 some where and get a crappy unreliable starter, but for my money a new OEM Hitchi is the way to go. This is the same starter that you get from the Nissan dealership, just a lot cheaper at Can Tire.
Yeah it seems like there's not that much out there that's any cheaper other than going to like a junker or something, but now I have a dilemma, ever since I got it back from Crappy Tire it's been starting fine, I let it sit for a few hours (it would normally not start after that time) and it started up, left it for another couple hours, again started, drove to pick something up (though I left it idling just in case), left it overnight and again now it starts just fine.
I think they jumped the solenoid to get it going initially so I could drive it home, I don't know if they left whatever they used to bridge the solenoid or what, going to have to call and find out though.
So I'm going to replace the starter and am just deciding on whether or not to go used, reman or new. Anyone have any comments on the brands/companies below?
Reman from Hitachi/Mitsubishi for about $170 from either Burnaby Auto Parts or Paylow Auto Parts.
Used for about $60 from either JK Japanese Parts or Nagasaki Japanese Parts, both in Richmond.
New from Crappy Tire, lifetime warranty for $232
I've never been to any of the above companies other than Crappy Tire so I'm just wondering if anyone has heard any overtly good or bad things about any of them.
There was also a reman from A-1 Starters for $140, said it was an Edmonds brand.
And a DNS brand starter from Bestway Starters for $155. Not to sure about either of those.
Well, I suppose it all depends on how long you want to keep the car. If you plan to keep it for a few years or more, and want it to start reliably, you simply can't beat a brand new starter. The original Hitachi in my car lasted 210,000km and 14 years. If you search the forums you'll find tonnes of people who've gone through large numbers of remanufactured ones. I had a remanufactured one installed in my car by a mechanic, and it stranded me in rush hour traffic about 8 months later, had to get a tow truck, etc etc, which is why I installed a brand new Hitachi after that. That's not to say you can't get a good reman one, it's just hit and miss.
For me, it's important that my car start as reliably as possible. I still take my 1993 Sentra on long road trips, and out in very bad winter weather (-20C or lower), so I really want to avoid getting stranded by a dead starter. The same goes for the alternator (I installed a new Hitachi alternator as well) You just have to decide what risk you're willing to take, and if the lower price is worth it to you.
Last edited by mrgoose : Feb 16th, 2007 at 11:59 PM.
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