cold/wet start problems

[montyman]

Hi .. newbie here ...hoping that someone can shed some light on an issue with my 1996 terrano,,its the 3300cc petrol engine vg33e i think...here goes...truck is fine during most of the year except winter...if it has been cold (5deg c) or less and a heavy dew the engine just spins over endlessly until the battery dies.(has a brand new battery now)

 

if i leave it alone for a few hours and try again i usually have success but it runs very rough for a few secs and then clears and drives fine. when it does start it throws out a cloud of strong petrol-smelling smoke for a moment..(flooding?)

 

this occurred again yesterday after a cold night and very damp dew..im trying to work out the correlation between the cold and the damp and i think that something is being affected by the dew/condensation somewhere

at the end of last year i had new plugs and rotor arm and cold air sensor(?) fitted..i thought id fixed it , but no, late for work again!!

 

any thoughts or suggestions to keep this otherwise hard working truck running ( 8 years with me now) would be very welcome

 

ps sorry in advance if posted in wrong area

 

[Rebelord]

To clarify if its just cold but dry starts fine?

 

Sent from fat fingers on S6

[montyman]

hi, yes seems (from memory) that its the damp/dewy mornings that are the problem..but definitely when its cold too..wet weather in the summer is no problem

[5523Pathfinder]

What brand of spark plug did you install?

Edited June 9, 2015 by 5523Pathfinder

[montyman]

hI, had them put in by my local Nissan dealer when they found an earth leak from my rotor arm..not sure which plugs they are..ill go and have a look

[fman]

might be worth running a multi meter over the leads and check for any resistance issues ie cracks or breaks in the leads, maybe maf related as well

[Precise1]

I'd check your dizzy cap for cracks/condensation. A quick shot of WD-40 in it will clear that up instantly, so that is a quick/easy diagnostic method. Also, when it doesn't want to start, check to see if there is spark at the plugs.

I'm thinking you have a spark issue, followed by a possible electrical connection issue (don't know which one though).

 

I recommend going to the Garage section and downloading a copy of the FSM from the thread pinned near the top. It has a decent diagnostic procedure in the EC section, starting about page 89 (might vary by year). The first column is Hard Start/No Start, and the number in front of each component is the priority of checking order, and the last column has the page number for the procedure, for example: start signal circuit, ignition circuit, etc. There is a lot of info but don't be overwhelmed, it is all just one thing at a time. I'm assuming you have a multimeter and aren't afraid to use it?

 

I assume there is no check engine light, but have you tried checking for any stored codes?

 

B

 

Also moving this to the R50 section for greater visibility...

[XPLORx4]

A hard (or no start) in cold weather could be due to a failing Engine Coolant Temp sensor or Idle Air Control Valve. There could also be a vacuum leak. Check the Factory Service Manual for more info.

[fixinto]

Strong smelling exhaust on start and not starting when damp and cold seems like electrical. I don't think it would be a plug wire, one wire shouldnt cause a no start just a miss after start. I would start with the Dizzy work that was done. Make sure the seal is good, the cap isnt cracked.

Next time it happens, dont crank it overly much if it dont fire the first few cranks. Unplug the MAF connector and see if it will fire up. It may not rev over 2k rpms but it will give you a starting place.

I think most of what i said was mentioned above.

hope you get it lined out

 

pat