Won't start!!

[don simon]

I haven't used the car for a while and took the dash out to change some bulbs and now the bugger won't start.
She turns and won't fire while draining the juice from the battery. The battery, up until now, has been perfect. The only change has been dash removal and replacement and am wondering whether I've done something here, but can't imagine what.
Is there anything that could have happened while removing and replacing the dash? But as there are just 3x block connectors I can't see what can go wrong.
I can't do anything until Sunday when i'll be able to remove the dash again and have a look.
Gracias.

 

[panelbeater]

you could charge the battery and take off the rubber from maf and whilst turning over give it a bit of easy start,it should run under compression only,short burst otherwise you could give it compression lock.if it fires but then dies it could be electrical ie stop valve not opening.or take off rubber from inlet side of intercooler so you can dribble a bit of fuel into manufold whilst turning it over again should run but if it dies again look at electrics,

 

[Lazy-Ferret]

Before you take it all apart, have a look at this thread.

http://www.nissan4x4ownersclub.com/forum/showthread.php?t=24274&highlight=start+flat+battery

 

[don simon]

So it won't jump start, but will start (maybe) if I charge the battery and try starting with the key on its own?
But it won't from a jump start battery.

 

[rustic]

So it won't jump start, but will start (maybe) if I charge the battery and try starting with the key on its own?
But it won't from a jump start battery.

Where and how are you connecting the jump start leads?
both battery posts to battery posts ?

It is best, battery positive to battery positive, then battery negative of donor car battery to a good earth on the engine block of the car you are trying to start.

As well as a shorter earth run, if you connect the earth to the engine last, and disconnect first, then you won't be creating any sparks near the battery.

It has been known for batteries to explode when a close spark ignites the hydrogen gas rich in oxygen, which increases when ever a battery is being heavily charged or heavily discharged.

I bet you didn't realise there is a correct and safe way to jump start a car lol.
We have all been lucky so far then... or been in a place of high ventilation.

Uncle Rustic.:thumb2

 

[Lazy-Ferret]

So it won't jump start, but will start (maybe) if I charge the battery and try starting with the key on its own?
But it won't from a jump start battery.

I still can't work it out... just know it worked for me, so I thought I would share...

When I worked at the University of Kent, in the electronics lab, there was a secretary there who had a Moggy Minor... One day her dad who also worked in the lab, wanted to borrow it, but could not get it to start... He rang her, and she told him he had to flick the extra switch fitted at the centre of the dash, above the gear lever. Assuming it was a crude immobiliser like people used in the day, just with the switch not very well hidden, he flicked it, and the car started...

When he went to re-start it later in the day, it would again not start, and when he called her, she told him to flick the switch again... He said he flicked it this morning, and had left it in that position, so would not need to flick it tonight... She told him it did not matter what position the switch was in, you just had to swap it to the other position to start the car from cold...

He could not understand how that would work, but sure enough, it did.....

He asked us Technicians to look into the circuit behind the switch, as he could not see how it could work, but thought it was actually quite clever...

So during our lunch hour a couple of us went to have a look, and we were even more puzzled, there were no wires on the switch!!!!

 

[don simon]

I still can't work it out... just know it worked for me, so I thought I would share...

When I worked at the University of Kent, in the electronics lab, there was a secretary there who had a Moggy Minor... One day her dad who also worked in the lab, wanted to borrow it, but could not get it to start... He rang her, and she told him he had to flick the extra switch fitted at the centre of the dash, above the gear lever. Assuming it was a crude immobiliser like people used in the day, just with the switch not very well hidden, he flicked it, and the car started...

When he went to re-start it later in the day, it would again not start, and when he called her, she told him to flick the switch again... He said he flicked it this morning, and had left it in that position, so would not need to flick it tonight... She told him it did not matter what position the switch was in, you just had to swap it to the other position to start the car from cold...

He could not understand how that would work, but sure enough, it did.....

He asked us Technicians to look into the circuit behind the switch, as he could not see how it could work, but thought it was actually quite clever...

So during our lunch hour a couple of us went to have a look, and we were even more puzzled, there were no wires on the switch!!!!

That's brilliant. :thumbs
And there was me thinking electrics were complicated. It's been magic all this time and all you "so called experts" who have been conned. :clap
All I have to do now is work out how to charge the battery, the car lives in the street outside the house with no off street parking.
The battery can't come out for radio codes and other magic that's connected to the battery, can it? Or can it?

 

[Lazy-Ferret]

[/B]
That's brilliant. :thumbs
And there was me thinking electrics were complicated. It's been magic all this time and all you "so called experts" who have been conned. :clap
All I have to do now is work out how to charge the battery, the car lives in the street outside the house with no off street parking.
The battery can't come out for radio codes and other magic that's connected to the battery, can it? Or can it?

I have removed the battery on both our T2's on many occasions, and never had any issues or needed any codes, hardest bit has been re-setting the clock, although in both of ours, the radio is the Nissan standard one. The only time I had the issue was the time in the link I posted, when I ran it flat, and tried jump starting... so yes, take the battery out, charge it up properly, in a well ventilated area away from sparks etc Blah Blah Blah, and then refit it and try again... just try it with the key on it's own, and do the slow turn on, you have then covered all your bases.

 

[don simon]

Brilliant, Cheers Clive. I'll whip it off tommorrow night and give it a charge. Council won't be too impressed as they want the cars moved for some street cleaning tomorrow. Oops!

 

[solarman216]

Since I had starter issues on my poorly maintained work horse, I changed the complete switch assembly, for one from a scrapper but did not change the drivers door lock so now have two keys on the ring, twice now it has not started on the first turn over, tried again with old key held further away from barrel and no problem, so looks like the code system is getting confused with two codes, if it does it again I will remove the red chip from redundant ignition key and all should be well, but be aware that 3 bad attemts and you will be locked out for good, when removing the dash did you disconnect or strain the code reading coil plug from the ignition barrel? if it is disconnected then even after reconnecting it you may be locked out, Rick

 

[Blocky10]

I've had mine dis-connected overnight for reasons I cant remember and all was good. It even remembered the pre-sets?

I had a friend who had an early mini that wouldn't start with the drivers door open?!:lol Close the door and fired up instantly. Was the same all the time she had it.

 

[Lazy-Ferret]

I've had mine dis-connected overnight for reasons I cant remember and all was good. It even remembered the pre-sets?

I had a friend who had an early mini that wouldn't start with the drivers door open?!:lol Close the door and fired up instantly. Was the same all the time she had it.

You just have to love the old English motors...:lol:lol

 

[rustic]

...I had a friend who had an early mini that wouldn't start with the drivers door open?!:lol Close the door and fired up instantly. Was the same all the time she had it.

Ahhh isn't she the one who used to open the driver's door to let the clutch out ? lol
:lol:lol:lol

Couldn't resist that one lol.
Rustic

 

[Blocky10]

Ahhh isn't she the one who used to open the driver's door to let the clutch out ? lol
:lol:lol:lol

Couldn't resist that one lol.
Rustic

:lol

 

[don simon]

Started on jump leads.
How long to sit here with motor running until battery charged?

 

[Banshee]

Started on jump leads.
How long to sit here with motor running until battery charged?

Just get in and go mate :thumb2 The alternator should do the rest if you're going out for a decent run

 

[don simon]

Just get in and go mate :thumb2 The alternator should do the rest if you're going out for a decent run

I can't as I'm supposed to be working and means no long runs in the Terrano until Sunday (daylight and no ancilliaries switched on). Looks like good long run of 1 hour plus, which I can't as no time today. At least I know it was a flat battery and will start off jump leads. :clap

 

[Banshee]

I can't as I'm supposed to be working and means no long runs in the Terrano until Sunday (daylight and no ancilliaries switched on). Looks like good long run of 1 hour plus, which I can't as no time today. At least I know it was a flat battery and will start off jump leads. :clap

Do you not have trickle charger?

 

[don simon]

Do you not have trickle charger?

Not yet, but I'll be testing the portable jump starter later and then buying a trickle charger if that fails. All good and thanks for all the input.
:thumbs

 

[Blocky10]

I'd check the voltage on the battery when running to make sure its charging.