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Frontier Nissan Frontier/HB/Truck Discussion Forum

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  #1  
Old 06-24-2019, 07:50 AM
jmer512 jmer512 is offline
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2006 Frontier Crew Cab
 
Join Date: Jun 2019
Posts: 4
Default Need Help with Intermittent Start/No Start

I have a 2006 Nissan Frontier, manual transmission, 4.0. For the past year or two, it would give me an intermittent start. I thought due to the battery terminals and would give them a wiggle and it would start. It didn't do this consistently and would go months without an issue sometimes. The problem became more prevalent and I realized all I had to do was open the door and hang my left leg out, right foot on the clutch, and I could get it to start easily. This worked for a while and nearly every time I did this it would start. In the last couple of weeks, it was giving me more problems and has finally not been able to start anymore.

When trying to start, many times it won't even engage the starter and only the electrical comes on. Up until recently, as soon as it would engage the starter, it would start immediately. Lately, this has changed and it will crank a few times before starting.

Right now, I can sometimes get it to crank over and it sounds like the starter wants to work, but will never turn over. I have had battery and starter checked and they are good. Swapped out terminals and spark plugs.

I had recently had a check engine light come on about catalytic converter and replaced that. My light came on again about camshaft position sensors. A mechanic had suggested those might not be acting right and not telling the engine to turn over when trying to start. I just replaced my camshaft and crankshaft sensors. Still no start, just intermittent cranking.

Has anyone experienced a starting problem like this? Any suggestions on which way to go? I have been reading about swapping out the IPDM but am wondering if this problem is related to my clutch switch not being engaged properly when trying to start. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
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  #2  
Old 06-24-2019, 09:38 AM
JRJoe JRJoe is offline
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2013 Frontier King Cab
1993 Truck
 
Join Date: Sep 2013
Posts: 172
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jmer512 View Post
I have a 2006 Nissan Frontier, manual transmission, 4.0. For the past year or two, it would give me an intermittent start. I thought due to the battery terminals and would give them a wiggle and it would start. It didn't do this consistently and would go months without an issue sometimes. The problem became more prevalent and I realized all I had to do was open the door and hang my left leg out, right foot on the clutch, and I could get it to start easily. This worked for a while and nearly every time I did this it would start. In the last couple of weeks, it was giving me more problems and has finally not been able to start anymore.

When trying to start, many times it won't even engage the starter and only the electrical comes on. Up until recently, as soon as it would engage the starter, it would start immediately. Lately, this has changed and it will crank a few times before starting.

Right now, I can sometimes get it to crank over and it sounds like the starter wants to work, but will never turn over. I have had battery and starter checked and they are good. Swapped out terminals and spark plugs.

I had recently had a check engine light come on about catalytic converter and replaced that. My light came on again about camshaft position sensors. A mechanic had suggested those might not be acting right and not telling the engine to turn over when trying to start. I just replaced my camshaft and crankshaft sensors. Still no start, just intermittent cranking.

Has anyone experienced a starting problem like this? Any suggestions on which way to go? I have been reading about swapping out the IPDM but am wondering if this problem is related to my clutch switch not being engaged properly when trying to start. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Jmer,

Have you checked the Clutch Safety Switch?

I don't have a Manual Shift to know where it's at,, but I think that I've read it is up above the Clutch Pedal. Sometime's they will look ok,, but defective, and other time's they are about to fall apart and is evident by just looking at it.

It should be evident to locate since it is operated when the Clutch Pedal is Depressed. The one's that I have seen are just a Push Plunger that when pushed in or out allow's current to the Starter. When they are defective,, sometime's they will allow current to the Starter and Sometime's they won't. On Motorcycle's, Lawn Tractor's, when they give me trouble,, I take them out use a Twist Wire connector and Throw them away, but on Auto's best to replace with a new one for Safety.

Good Luck,
__________________
2013 SVV6 KC AT 2WD Frontier, '93 4Cyl, AT, KC Hardbody(20yrs Orig Owner-Sold 174K mi.)
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  #3  
Old 06-24-2019, 09:52 AM
jmer512 jmer512 is offline
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2006 Frontier Crew Cab
 
Join Date: Jun 2019
Posts: 4
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So i just checked this and the rubber stopper that pushes the switch is damaged and missing a portion. Ordering one now to replace. However, I manually pushed this in with my thumb and turned the key, it tried to start up every time, but would not turn over. Thinking this is what caused the intermittent starting and when I used my right foot (hanging my left out of the door) I was able to push the pedal so that the rubber stopper would engage the switch. The stopper seems too damaged now to start without manually pressing the switch.

Now that I have figured out what will get the motor to crank, any ideas for what may be causing it not to start? Could the next part of the switch still be causing this or has that been ruled out now that I have figured out to get it to engage, just not get the engine turned over?
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  #4  
Old 06-24-2019, 11:11 AM
JRJoe JRJoe is offline
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2013 Frontier King Cab
1993 Truck
 
Join Date: Sep 2013
Posts: 172
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jmer512 View Post
So i just checked this and the rubber stopper that pushes the switch is damaged and missing a portion. Ordering one now to replace. However, I manually pushed this in with my thumb and turned the key, it tried to start up every time, but would not turn over. Thinking this is what caused the intermittent starting and when I used my right foot (hanging my left out of the door) I was able to push the pedal so that the rubber stopper would engage the switch. The stopper seems too damaged now to start without manually pressing the switch.

Now that I have figured out what will get the motor to crank, any ideas for what may be causing it not to start? Could the next part of the switch still be causing this or has that been ruled out now that I have figured out to get it to engage, just not get the engine turned over?
Jmer,

My guess is the Batry. Are the Cable End's at the Batry corroded? Are the Connection's Tight?

If the Terminal's and Cable End's are corroded,, mix bakeing soda and water solution and use an old Toothbrush to clean the terminals and cable end's,, but be careful not to get any of the bakeing soda solution in a Batry Cell,, as it will kill the Batry.

After you get the batry cleaned up,, tighten the Cable's and Put a Heavy Very Thick coating of Grease over the Bare Metal portion's of the Terminal's and Cable End's to prevent corrosion in the future. If you've never used grease on Terminal's it sound's sort of odd,, but it's an Old Time Proven method to prevent Terminal and Cable End Corosion. Just Wipe the Grease off,, before disconnecting the Cable's with a couple of paper towel's. I've used this method from a long time ago. Can't remember exactly when,, but by 1988 anyway.

If no corrosion and Cable end's are tight on Terminal's, (The Cable End's Must be Tight on the Batry Terminals), then I suspect Weak Batry.

Time to take it to Advance or O'rielly's and get the Batry Tested Maybe.

Regards,

Last edited by JRJoe; 06-24-2019 at 11:15 AM.
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  #5  
Old 06-24-2019, 11:21 AM
jmer512 jmer512 is offline
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2006 Frontier Crew Cab
 
Join Date: Jun 2019
Posts: 4
Default Update:

Last week I was having this problem and took the truck to advanced auto parts where I had them keep my battery overnight to run a test on it. We also cleaned up the terminals and battery, replaced the negative battery terminal (had corrosion, but the positive did not), greased up the terminals and used battery protectant. It did not see to affect the starting issue.

The issue has seemed to get worse and worse over time and now is not starting at all. A mechanic buddy of mine seemed to think the starter is wanting to work just fine so we tried jumping it to get it started thinking it was the battery. We could never get it to actually turn over. This battery is just over a year old and I had the same intermittent starting issue before with a different battery.

Once we got the battery charged and tested, we put in back in and was getting a check engine light for "camshaft position sensor." After getting it home, I have not been able to start again. Ordered and replaced the camshaft sensors and crankshaft sensor and it still won't start.

Just ordered the clutch safety switch and going to replace and try that as soon as it gets in. It seems like something electrical because once it starts it runs just fine and it seems to want to start. Something is blocking it from turning over and trying to troubleshoot what that could be.
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  #6  
Old 06-24-2019, 11:33 AM
JRJoe JRJoe is offline
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2013 Frontier King Cab
1993 Truck
 
Join Date: Sep 2013
Posts: 172
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jmer512 View Post
Last week I was having this problem and took the truck to advanced auto parts where I had them keep my battery overnight to run a test on it. We also cleaned up the terminals and battery, replaced the negative battery terminal (had corrosion, but the positive did not), greased up the terminals and used battery protectant. It did not see to affect the starting issue.

The issue has seemed to get worse and worse over time and now is not starting at all. A mechanic buddy of mine seemed to think the starter is wanting to work just fine so we tried jumping it to get it started thinking it was the battery. We could never get it to actually turn over. This battery is just over a year old and I had the same intermittent starting issue before with a different battery.

Once we got the battery charged and tested, we put in back in and was getting a check engine light for "camshaft position sensor." After getting it home, I have not been able to start again. Ordered and replaced the camshaft sensors and crankshaft sensor and it still won't start.

Just ordered the clutch safety switch and going to replace and try that as soon as it gets in. It seems like something electrical because once it starts it runs just fine and it seems to want to start. Something is blocking it from turning over and trying to troubleshoot what that could be.
Jmer,

Well if it isn't the Batry,, then if it were me,, I'd take it to Nissan and let them diagnose the problem. When it come's to Electrical on these Engine's, it can get very complicated and even though the Labor Price's at Nissan are Steep,, it might be the cheapest way to go in the Long Run.

I've read that sometime's when the Batry Cable's are loose that it can cause an Arc to occur that can damage a controller module. I hope this didn't happen but it's possible.

SMJ 999 used to be a Nissan Master Tech, so he'll probly have a couple of procedure's to try and figure out what the problem is. Sometime's he come's here to help out.

Good Luck,
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  #7  
Old 06-30-2019, 06:15 AM
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Cusser Cusser is offline
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2004 Frontier King Cab
1998 Pathfinder
1998 Frontier
 
Join Date: Jul 2007
Posts: 258
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"If" your cables and connections are all clean and tight, and you could not jump start from a vehicle, I'd look at the electrical part of the ignition switch and/or the starter.


I'd also like to know the voltage across the battery terminals when it's a few seconds into the process of trying to start.
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