Juztin

iTrader: (9)

I've been having this really weird intermittent problem. The only thread in here I could really kinda relate with was one posted by 'Jenna'. Basically it started one time in the morning when I went to go to work and the car would just turn over without 1 single hint of actually firing up. I didn't wanna burn out the starter motor so I gave up after about 10 full seconds of turning over. Keep in mind I also tried giving it gas, flooring it when turning it over.. nothing. I decided to pull the key out after some different attempts and try again, and it fired right up!

My car has never taken more than 1 second to fire up so when this occurs, I immediately notice it. It happened again a couple of days later and this time I noticed it. So I tried pulling the key out again and turning the key to the 'on' position and I heard the fuel pump sound and it fired right up.

Now it's happened quite a few times since I first noticed it, and basically what I singled out is that when it does occur, I DO NOT hear the fuel pump come on and pressurize. I have to take the keys out, put them back in and put it to the 'on' position and I have to do this like 1-15 times before the fuel pump actually comes on 'and pressurizes', but once I hear the fuel pump come on, it fires right up.

This problem is like impossible to get it to happen at the dealer (and they charge me $99 bucks to diagnose which they come back with - we can't find a problem), and it seemingly happens whenever the car just feels like being a pain in the ***. I've had it happen on cold mornings, after a long cruise, after driving around to just gas up. I've even had it happen like 3 times in one day. And now for the last couple of days the car has been fine w/ no hint of an issue.

Has anyone ever had this problem before? What really ticks me is that my warranty just ran out at 75,000 miles, and my OD is now at 75,500. What luck...

Anyhow, sorry for the long post, but it may help to put 2 & 2 together.

exinferis

I've definitely had that BS happen to me. The dealer didn't fix it because they couldn't find the problem; maybe you've found the solution. I'm taking the car in tomorrow to have it fixed, and I will tell you how it goes.

Juztin

iTrader: (9)

Welp the car has been to the shop a couple of more times. 1 thing that really set me off was they managed to get the front bumper caught on the lift while backing it off and it pretty much pulled the front bumper off and put a nice big dent in it. So now my car is going to the body shop as well arrghhhh..

Anyhow; they've been talking w/ nissan and they say that the sensor ring in the key ignition is going bad. They said that would cause the problem of the car constantly turning over just fine but not starting up at all nor a hint of it.

My dealer was seeing faults w/ the anti-theft module not recognizing the key. So they initially told me to use the newer key that I have, and I did w/ no problems for about a 2 days. Then it started happening again.

So if you have a problem w/ the car just turning over & at seemingly random times and not starting up (and no hint of it) - have your dealer check for faults w/ the anti-theft system and recognizing the key when this happens. And if they can do it across a couple of your spare keys, then it most likely is the sensor ring.

Since this car has outrun it's warranty it's a fix that'll set you back $330.

---

Now if this is the actual problem - that's still to be seen. I'll update this thread after trying the sensor ring to see if it's indeed the problem. The dealer right now is going off of what Nissan says because they can't put a finger on what is causing this problem. But the fuel pump checked out a-ok.

exinferis

Dammmn, that sucks...sorry to hear about your bumper...talk about random **** to make for a bad day. It's not really a consolation, but at least they pay for it...

As for my problem with my Z...I put it into the shop last week and they have had it a few days. Sure enough, it starts perfectly every time while they have it so they "can't" fix it. It's one of those, "I told you what it's doing, and you witnessing it will be the same as if you hadn't" sorta things. They're still going to have to look for the problem if they experience it. Bah, it's a crock of ****. So, I am picking my car up today, and they haven't done a damn thing to it. I love my car, but I am getting realllllly sick of having a lemon...first it's the tranny at 13,000 (replaced), then it's the oil dipstick or something like that at 16,000 (along with 4 new tires--I paid for 2), and this current not-starting problem has been going on since they replaced the tranny.

Oh well, for six months it will not be my problem. I'm moving for Germany on Thursday until March, so my sister can deal with it (scary thought--my 18 year old sister gets my Z)...

Oh well, best of luck. I'm just sick of dealing with it right now; I'm too busy to worry about it.

Juztin

iTrader: (9)

Have a great time in Germany! And best of luck to you to in diagnosing the problem. I had the most PITA time getting it to do it at the dealer. I had to fiddle w/ the keys.. turning them to the 'on' position and starting more than a couple of times until it'd finally do it and not want to start. The dealer of course barely got it to happen once, but I think that was just a stroke of luck that it did it rather than them really trying constantly. Sounds like you've been going on the lemon coaster as well. Definately no stranger to it here. I just love the Z too much to really give up on it at this point. But I've gone thru tranny, clutch assembly, shifter assembly, idler pulley, dead window motor, driver side rear half axle.

Luckily all that stuff hit before the warranty expired but this no starting up was alarming. I was thinking of faulty crank position sensor, etc.. And I was sure that I had it nailed to the fuel pump, but they said when I don't hear it come on audibly.. the ECU just knows that the car is primed and wont turn it back on. And my own testing has verified that w/ turning on the car when I don't hear the fuel pump. So it definately has shot down to doing it at basically random but constant intervals. I can vouch for how annoying this is to you because having to keep trying to start the car really sucks. Sometimes it'd do it to me 4 times a day.

I could somewhat duplicate the problem to the dealer by taking the keys out and putting them back in and turning them to the 'on' position and listening for the fuel pump. But this was before the dealre told me that the fuel pump aint always going to come back on because it's primed. So I just got lucky when I got it to do it there and it didn them to them once. Doing that may help you duplicate the issue, but otherwise just keep at it; i'll let you know how the sensor ring turns out.

AZ350Z

iTrader: (5)

I have also had this problem on and off for around 6 months. So it is the sensor ring? I am going to talk to my dealer and see if they will replace it.

Juztin

iTrader: (9)

UPDATE: So I've been field testing my car for about 5 days now. I have NOT been able to get the car to not want to startup since the sensor ring was replaced. I don't wanna get ahead of myself, but it does appear that this was indeed the fix. It's been happy starting since, rather than that oh-**** the car doesn't want to start feeling. But I'll let another couple of weeks go by before being content that the sensor ring was the problem.

Juztin

iTrader: (9)

Welp I hate to say this, but I've had my car not want to start twice now since the dealership replaced that sensor ring. The first time it did it I instincitvely pulled the keys out and put them back in and restarted and it fired right up since I last had the problem, but this morning it took 3 attempts to pull the keys out, reinsert them to get the car to start up. This problem is pissing me off, especially since I've already thrown in 400 bucks and the dealership said they've tested a mariad of things and worked with NNA to try and diagnose the problem, in which NNA said it was this sensor ring. Ugh, my Z enthusiasm is starting to get tested with all these constant issues, even if I get this one fixed eventually there's gonna be another one on the horizon... /rant

SPRacing

iTrader: (8)

After a few months of installing my turbo kit (cracked block). My car has been sitting in the garage for a while now. I just finish the block and installed a new clutch and flywheel. but now my car won't start up. Any ideas? It cranks

s9am_me

iTrader: (1)

yup happened to me just last week at a friends house. Its sort of like how you try to start the car while not pushing in the clutch. Anyways, I did what you did trying to listen for the fuel pump on the ON position. after about 10 tries, it finally started up. Thankfully, it has only happened about 3 or 4 times since '03

Enege

Same thing has happened to me. I took it back to the dealer they gave me bs until they couldn't start it either. They replaced the security computer and programmed all the keys three weeks ago. Everything was fine until tonight. It did it again!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Now I have to call tomorrow anda head back. At least it is still under warrantee but this is strike two. Do I smell lemons???????????????????????
I don't want to give up the Z I love it too much.
enege

AZ350Z

iTrader: (5)

Well, I still have this problem. Now it's much more frequent too. Has anybody figured this out yet?

enthusia25

any luck in fig. your prob. out yet?

Sly_Z

iTrader: (18)

I have the same problem. It's been going on for a week now. I'll try the key thing and see if that's my problem.

trehlo

Sorry to dump this into a second thread, the first being (Here) but I've yet to see anyone come up with a solution to the issue and that's just not acceptable on a new car that I spent this much money on.

I purchased an 06 about 2 months ago and before I'd even got thru the first tank of gas, my car has had issues turning over.

Roughly every few hundred miles, regardless of outside temperature, or if the engine is warm from having just been turned off, the car won't start. It cranks, makes that panting sound like it's trying to turn over, but doesn't. It takes anywhere from 2 to 4 long turns of the key before finally starting, and then it's fine for another few hundred miles.

I've already dropped it off at Nissan once, and they pretty much told me I was SOL unless I could somehow time them looking at the car to perfectly coincide with a problem that happens seemingly at random. It's going back to be looked at again tomorrow, but I don't expect them to find anything this time either.

Is the Crank Position Sensor the cause of this? I asked them to look at it the first time, but who knows if they actually did, and I'm not even sure if it's something that can be tested to see if it's working properly or not.

s9am_me

iTrader: (1)

I posted that back in October '05. My problem is similiar to you all, but my car just doesn't make any noise when I try to start it. Only a few clicks sometimes.

Update #1: I took it to the dealership on Dec. '05... they couldn't replicate the problem so nothing was done.

Update #2: I took it in to the dealership on Feb. '06 because it was happening so much that I was getting fed up. Found out it was the starter and replaced the starter motor in a few days.

Update #3: Its now May '06 and it happening again. Going to take it in for the fuel filter hose recall and try to get my starter replaced again.

The car is only 3 years old and the starter is going out? I don't even have mods on my car, pure stock. Something is goin on... it was fine for 3 years and all of a sudden this happens.

Juztin

iTrader: (9)

I still happening to me, in fact it just happened to me today. On the 4th time trying to crank it finally started up like nothing was ever wrong. I'm pretty sure my starter motor is all good because the car cranks just as fast as it did from day one, and no issues with that. It just didn't even sound like it was getting spark even once. I didnt' bother to listen for the fuel pump like before. But the technicians at the time said that wouldn't have anything to do with it. I was pretty darn sure it was the sound of the fuel pump since I was always listening and when I heard the fuel pump come on and prime up the car would start up fine. But I dont know anymore. This issue is just the biggest pain in my ***. Right now it happens so sparingly that I'll have to sit and wait for it to happen more often.

B.t.w., when I try to turn the car on, it just cranks. Doesn't putter or anything, it's just like it never gets spark at ALL. It'll turn over all day, just never sparks and fire up ( and I even try and give the gas pedal a few cycles or even just stomp the gas pedal - no good ). The only thing I could tell over time was that it seemed helped to take the keys out. I never had the car fire up without having to take the keys out of the ignition and re-inserting and retrying when this happens (and on average I'd have to try it like 3-4 times but sometimes more to the point I thought the car wouldn't ever start again).

s9am_me

iTrader: (1)

wow I can't believe its still an issue for you after all this time. aren't there lemon laws after taking it in to the dealership with the same problem more than 4 times?

Juztin

iTrader: (9)

Unfortunately I dont think my car falls under the lemon law as the actual replacement part hasn't exactly been determined yet to make sure that same part would fail atleast 3 times in order to declare it a lemon.

With that being said, I took my car in this morning to get the brake pads replaced, pulley belts retightened, fuel line recall, and the car did actually give the technician the starting problem all over again. So they put a consultant on it, but I dont know if they found anything useful. Of course once the tech came in and put the consultant on it, and then tried to fire it up it fired right up. He tried this several times and it fired up everytime. I'm hoping to hell they caught something with the consultant but we'll see. Hopefully I get a somewhat positive call this evening back from the dealer....

I'd rather have to replace my tranny (which I do anyway) than have this damn starting issue it makes the car seem like a severe piece of metal crap /rant

bailey bill

Just FYI for you guys trying to diagnose this as a fuel pump problem.

The FP does NOT come on when the key is in the ON position. The FP does not come on until the engine is cranking.

bill