FAILED TO START?

[xxrjxx]

I have a 96 pathy 5 speed, once and while ill go to try and start it up but it just cranks dosent fire, if i disconnect the battery for a couple mins the put it back on it will start right up...any ideas? guy i bought it from swore it needed a fuel pump, but i dont beileive this is fuel pump related if disconnecting the battery will make it start? seems to be elctrical, some kind of relay that controls either spark or fuel and disconnecting the battery some how resets it, any one know anything about this? thanks in advance!

[xxrjxx]

I have a 96 pathy 5 speed, once and while ill go to try and start it up but it just cranks dosent fire, if i disconnect the battery for a couple mins the put it back on it will start right up...any ideas? guy i bought it from swore it needed a fuel pump, but i dont beileive this is fuel pump related if disconnecting the battery will make it start? seems to be elctrical, some kind of relay that controls either spark or fuel and disconnecting the battery some how resets it, any one know anything about this? thanks in advance!

 

i know from experience in the old integras and civic they had a main relay that did just this, and the relay controlled the spark and fuel.. not sure if the pathfinder has something similar to this or not..

[fleurys]

i don't know for sure what it is, but I doubt is it a relay.. I mean a relay will work or not with current.. not after being without current for a while... The only thing that would make sens, for me, would be related to the ecu... this is the only thing that gets reseted when you do such a procedure....

 

I say get yourself a used ecu from another 96 and give it a shot.

S.

[xxrjxx]

i guess its worth a shot, but honestly in 10 yrs of selling used car truck and suv parts i dont recall one time i have ever sold or been asked for a ecu from a pathfinder, not sayin that its not or possibly could be the ecu, but seems like a reach, but easy try none the less

[xxrjxx]

no luck on the replacement ecu, anyone else with any ideas?

[rgallant]

I don't suppose you have a code reader ? Also do you just pop the battery terminal off and then back on or leave it off a while. I also do not believe it is an ECU problem, it could be but it is unlikely.

[xxrjxx]

I don't suppose you have a code reader ? Also do you just pop the battery terminal off and then back on or leave it off a while. I also do not believe it is an ECU problem, it could be but it is unlikely.

 

just pop it off then back on wait like 10 or 20 sec, no code reader, might have to take it into a buddys shop, thought there just might be a common prob like this that was known, i know that when the snow comes i dont wanna be relying on disconecting the battery every time it dosent start, its weird tho cause for like a week after i got it, never did it once, now all of a sudden its doing it like everytime i turn it off, so i guess it seems to come and go

[skulptr]

i would check the fuel pump relay honestly. have you tried turning the key on and off, instead of disconnecting the battery, actuating the relays?

[xxrjxx]

yes i tried a variety of different ways turning the key on and off, nothing worked...tried waiting after it wouldnt start, waited up to 15 - 20 min, cranks awsome u can easily tell that is is def spark or fuel related

[Pezzy]

When the relay for my fuel pump went, it would sometimes work, no issues at all, and other times I would have a hassle starting the truck. Sometimes it took a couple tries, others (*of course, when I was far from home) it would take a lot more tries to start. Just a suggestion.

[Timmons]

If your electrical goes completley dead and you pulled the ground cable from the battery for a minute or two which you should see your inside lights come on. Car should start up. Ok, what do you have hooked up in your car? Stereo, CB, airlifts, tow package? Check all the wires, you have a short. The increase of amperage has thrown a safety switch preventing you from cooking the ECU. This is my understanding and I'm going through it now.

 

Side note:

 

I had my pathfinder towed last night since it would not crank over which I could tell there was no spark. Interesting enough, i started the engine barely which it sputtered then died which then my entire electrical went dead.

My tech guy put it on the computer and I found that after putting a new distributor cap, wires and plugs, somehow my entire distributor (coil included) was sparking out the back through a small hole (interesting). $300 distributor replacement and it started right up. That was freaky.