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-   -   2006 Sentra - Hard Starting AGAIN! (https://x.nissanhelp.com/forums/sentra/13733-2006-sentra-hard-starting-again.html)

breaddrink 04-16-2013 12:46 AM

More of the same.
 
FWIW, the problem returned :)

Judging from everything I've read it's simply something we have to live with.
The so called 'repair-kit' seems to be a short lived answer too.

It's so interesting how almost everything that alters the fuel system at ALL seems to momentarily help the issue, causing so many various threads on what 'fixes' it.
New fuel pump. Fixes it.
New battery. Fixes it.
Repair Kit. Fixes it.
Fuel sensor replacement. Fixes it.

Only to have it return and resume it's normal nonsense weeks or months later.
7 years later and I guess like me, everyone decided to live with it and no truly definitive solution has been found.
I would really love to get rid of it, as I think it's kind of embarrassing to have what is essentially a completely healthy car sounding like crap when you start it.

So, yeah...Thanks Nissan. I love you.

breaddrink 06-22-2013 09:47 PM

One other thing to try...
 
Changing the camshaft position sensor on a 2006 Sentra - YouTube

An interesting (to me) new take on things.

nmyron 06-08-2015 09:53 PM

So, I just joined this site simply to reply to this thread. My buddy has an 06 Sentra 1.8 with an auto trans. He's had hard start problems for a while, multi-second crank times, and sometimes multiple cranks. And very recently began missing something awful.

I read this thread, and checked out a couple YouTube videos. And then began silently cursing to myself about the misery I would soon be enduring to diagnose what would from the outside seem to be a nightmare.

But then I started thinking, I've not seen anyone post results after CLEANING OFF the Crankshaft Position Sensor. So grabbed some Carb cleaner (check the label and ensure it says "safe for O2 sensors", if its safe for them its safe for any, I've used carb cleaner to clean the rear axle speed sensor on my old Durango too), popped the sensor out, sprayed down liberally, allowed to dry then reinstalled.

Wham, bam, thank ya mam. Car turns over quickly, and no misfire.

Please note that I think part of the problem is the design of the sensor housing. The top of the sensor has a grooved surface, and I believe oil is resting in the valleys and gels when sitting. I'd bet if you pulled diagnostics on that sensor you'd see mild fluctuations in readings from post-start until warmed up (crankcase temp rises, oil heats, fresh oil gets tossed at the sensor and readings are less disturbed). These sensors basically detect changes in electromagnetic fields, and are designed to pick up 'markings' on either the cam or cam-gear (some engines have a cam sensor and crank sensor, in those systems the two values are correlated) thereby determining what cylinder needs fired. After a couple oil changes, and 6k or so miles, no matter how nice your engine is, it has metal particulates in it. Facts of life. Piston rings wear, bearings wear, and the results are tiny grains of metal floating in your oil. And that metal-laden oil resting in those valleys on top of that sensor? I bet that therin lies the rub...

Newer parts (I like O'Reilly, but whatever floats your boat) like these I would bet have better results, simply because they all are smooth (aluminum, maybe, so non-magnetic) metal cylindrical housings.

MasterPro Ignition 2-96239 - Sensor | O'Reilly Auto Parts

Now this isn't gonna fix the fuel pump issue. I can buy that some of these hard starts are being caused by vaporlock due to fuel drain-back out of the rail. But if you've done the pump service... Before you just start throwing money at the problem, clean the part first. If after a few days it starts back up, replace with something like the above part from vendor of your choice. If you notice that after a couple oil changes it starts creeping back... Maybe just take that as part of your new oil change routine and every 3k miles you pop that bad boy out and spray it down.

breaddrink 06-09-2015 05:41 PM

I have a (for now) fix too..
 
My car started displaying symptoms of the fuel pump getting old, and so I tracked down an aftermarket replacement that is now available with a check valve already installed. To my knowledge, this is the only one that includes both the fuel sensor and the check valve already in place that is a direct drop in replacement.
The airtex E8502M.
The price on the thing was less than the repair kit alone, and because I needed one I went for it.

It worked immediately. The long crank problem is gone.

It would seem that this problem can display these symptoms for a few reasons, and thankfully this seems to be my reason.

Also just in finding the pump, I discovered some interesting takes on the check valve issue on the original pump through reading reviews on Amazon for this pump and more specifically the bosch pump that many seem to use (one which includes a fuel sensor and one that does not).
One guy's for me stood out, as he said you can simply take the old pump out, and clean up the iffy part that acts as a valve (which is why new cars didn't display this issue), and you effectively sidestep the problem for a while.
Morbidly fascinating for me as it proves the error nissan displayed and then didn't step up to fixing, only to have people replace the part again and again.

Only took me 7 years to fix it :)

ccw5990 06-29-2015 09:41 PM

Hi,
I just bought a Nissan Sentra n16 1.8cc year 2007,
it was fine within a year, after that it start problem where the engine difficult to start when engine warm.

My mechanic already check/change the parts like:
Fuel filter,
Fuel pump,
valve,
ignition coil (only change 1).
But still the same.

Any one please advise

breaddrink 07-05-2015 04:34 PM

Well, I believe 2007 was the flip over year to the new look and new engine design, so while I have no doubt they continued the use of the same bullshit parts, I can't confidently tell you that it has the same problem as the 06 sentra I am dealing with.
Also, the problem here surrounds the engine not starting when the weather outside is warm, not the engine. In fact the engine will start fine if still warm (for this issue) because the fuel is still in the line. It's only when it's a cold engine, warm day where it won't start. This is because the check valve in the pump isn't working properly after a time, and atmospheric pressure of a warm day will push fuel back out of the line meaning you have to crank it to prime the line adequately.

If this is the same problem, looking at the cam sensor, and the fuel pump are your best bets, and they're relatively cheap and very easy to swap out yourself.

Just be sure you're replacing the pump with one that has the issue fixed, as I mentioned above. Replacing it with a direct (the same) nissan replacement will only work temporarily. You can glean considerable information by searching amazon for reviews and hearing people own private account of what worked for them.

flemming 06-03-2016 04:40 AM

warm hard start
 
re:Breadnick post.
New battery is not the fix.If so a cold winter should show up for the worse.
My Nissan Sentra problem is in mid range temp.Always on first crank,second crank starts at once.Possibly second crank the computer goes into "failed to start"mode,and starts every time.For what it is worth,my problem started 10 years back in the lower mid-range and got progressively worse towards the upper range.Could the temp.sensor be the cause or just the indicator?.

GarenWA 04-23-2019 11:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by breaddrink (Post 96237)
My car started displaying symptoms of the fuel pump getting old, and so I tracked down an aftermarket replacement that is now available with a check valve already installed. To my knowledge, this is the only one that includes both the fuel sensor and the check valve already in place that is a direct drop in replacement.
The airtex E8502M.
The price on the thing was less than the repair kit alone, and because I needed one I went for it.

It worked immediately. The long crank problem is gone.

It would seem that this problem can display these symptoms for a few reasons, and thankfully this seems to be my reason.

Also just in finding the pump, I discovered some interesting takes on the check valve issue on the original pump through reading reviews on Amazon for this pump and more specifically the bosch pump that many seem to use (one which includes a fuel sensor and one that does not).
One guy's for me stood out, as he said you can simply take the old pump out, and clean up the iffy part that acts as a valve (which is why new cars didn't display this issue), and you effectively sidestep the problem for a while.
Morbidly fascinating for me as it proves the error nissan displayed and then didn't step up to fixing, only to have people replace the part again and again.

Only took me 7 years to fix it :)

Is it still working for you? I have a 2006 with the same symptoms and found that item on amazon, but noticed some people reporting that the unit failed after awhile or that the problem eventually returned. :(

breaddrink 05-19-2019 01:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GarenWA (Post 107469)
Is it still working for you? I have a 2006 with the same symptoms and found that item on amazon, but noticed some people reporting that the unit failed after awhile or that the problem eventually returned. :(

It is! It still starts fine after all this time.

What item specifically were you referring to? I pretty much threw every part found to cause the issue over the course of a year or so.

Oddly, I also found that I had some corroded battery terminals. It wasn't until I cleaned the terminals and replaced the connectors that everything started really working as I wanted.

I feel this was a complication though, not an overlooked cause as the terminals were fine when the whole process started.

So, fuel pump (I used that airtex brand one), mass airflow sensor (this one was the trickiest as the OEM part number in the manual was incorrect, so for me, I copied the one I replaced. The one in the manual was for the larger engine).
Cam sensor. Crank sensor.

Oh, one heads up on the fuel pump though.. Their warranty is garbage if purchased through Amazon.
I had an issue with the first one I bought, and they wouldn't honor the warranty without it going through Amazon.. Amazon subsequently said that they couldn't do anything and it was nothing to do with them as it was out of the 30 day return window.. I went back and forth explaining this to both company's a few times before I gave up. I think I actually bought another, and returned the original. :/
I didn't feel this was sneaky as the company was absolutely welching on it's lifetime warranty.

The second one is fine. Still going strong, though it does lose power when the tank grows near empty, and once in a while I get a stuck float, claiming the tank is empty when it isn't. So, yes it's a fix, but clearly not the highest quality, and a company that is a little bit sketchy.

Let me know if I can be of any further help.

*edit* You know I just checked the price on those pumps.. They're down to just over 100 dollars now. That is a no brainer.
It was three times that cost when I bought mine.

Rob.

breaddrink 05-19-2019 01:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by flemming (Post 99430)
re:Breadnick post.
New battery is not the fix.If so a cold winter should show up for the worse.
My Nissan Sentra problem is in mid range temp.Always on first crank,second crank starts at once.Possibly second crank the computer goes into "failed to start"mode,and starts every time.For what it is worth,my problem started 10 years back in the lower mid-range and got progressively worse towards the upper range.Could the temp.sensor be the cause or just the indicator?.

Not necessarily with the battery. I mean you're correct if the battery itself is at fault. It likely will be worse in the cold, but not if it's a corroded terminal issue.
It can simply weaken the connection, hot or cold.. Though as I stated, this might be just happenstance. I threw every single fix at the car that was stated as being a potential fix, and nothing solidly worked until I changed the terminal connectors..

This long winded continual hunt for the fix went on for years.. I'd replace and wait, and replace and wait, so it's possibly the corrosion occurred during the process, only to be a new thing right at the end, therefore I don't honestly think this corrosion on the terminals fixed it by itself, but.. Something certainly happened, and it was certainly a contributing aspect of just general well running that had decided to chime into the whole mess.

I guess you take enough time to fix anything, and something new happens as well as the old problem :D

I never did have the foamy blue powder corrosion issue with a regular liquid battery either, only the gel type.. Odd.

GarenWA 06-10-2019 12:14 PM

Well, last night I finally changed out my fuel pump. I'd initially looked at the Airtex one mentioned here, but saw a bunch of negative reviews, and came across one person that enthusiastically recommended the Spectrum brand one. Rockauto also listed the Spectrum part with a heart (denoting popularity) so I bought it at about $178.


Today was a hot summer day and I just went to start the car up during my lunch break, and was happy to see that it started up instantly! Usually I needed 2 tries, or needed to pressurize the system by turning the key to "ON" for a few seconds first, on a hot day.


However, as I drove the car for about 5mins and was around 25mph, I hit pressed the accelerator and the engine revved up but the car didn't accelerate.. Ugggh, never seen this one. I shifted into 2nd gear and it was fine, shifted back to Drive and it hasn't recurred yet.
I've previously changed the crankshaft and camshaft sensors, and cleaned the battery terminals. Tonight I'll clean the MaS (mass airflow sensor) and hope that does some good... Anyone else seen this new lovely problem?

breaddrink 06-10-2019 01:30 PM

Might be air in the fuel line if it was a brand new test drive?

One of those negative reviews was mine on Amazon.. Their warranty is garbage.. The fuel gage doesn't work properly, but it is still holding.

I'll be interested to hear if the fix holds for you.. Such an odd situation.

Quote:

Originally Posted by GarenWA (Post 107559)
Well, last night I finally changed out my fuel pump. I'd initially looked at the Airtex one mentioned here, but saw a bunch of negative reviews, and came across one person that enthusiastically recommended the Spectrum brand one. Rockauto also listed the Spectrum part with a heart (denoting popularity) so I bought it at about $178.


Today was a hot summer day and I just went to start the car up during my lunch break, and was happy to see that it started up instantly! Usually I needed 2 tries, or needed to pressurize the system by turning the key to "ON" for a few seconds first, on a hot day.


However, as I drove the car for about 5mins and was around 25mph, I hit pressed the accelerator and the engine revved up but the car didn't accelerate.. Ugggh, never seen this one. I shifted into 2nd gear and it was fine, shifted back to Drive and it hasn't recurred yet.
I've previously changed the crankshaft and camshaft sensors, and cleaned the battery terminals. Tonight I'll clean the MaS (mass airflow sensor) and hope that does some good... Anyone else seen this new lovely problem?


GarenWA 06-10-2019 08:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by breaddrink (Post 107560)
Might be air in the fuel line if it was a brand new test drive?

One of those negative reviews was mine on Amazon.. Their warranty is garbage.. The fuel gage doesn't work properly, but it is still holding.

I'll be interested to hear if the fix holds for you.. Such an odd situation.


It was a brand new test drive, pretty much, I hadn't driven it. One thing I probably should have done, is primed the system (off->on) several times for good measure.


How do you imagine air in the fuel line could cause something like that?



In any case, just a bit ago I finally got the g'damn MaF sensor out, cleaned it and now it's air drying after finding a T20 Star torx key to get those special snowflake nuts out.


Interestingly enough I went driving it after work, filled up the tank with gas to verify the gas gauge still works (it does) and was all ready for some kind of problem to occur, but despite trying to practically blow the doors off the car (aggressively driving and later went on the highway) it's not had any problems since.

breaddrink 06-11-2019 05:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GarenWA (Post 107562)
."How do you imagine air in the fuel line could cause something like that?"

It's a new pump.. It allows a very small amount of air into the line as you depressurize and repressirize it from the fitting.. I too remember the temporary rough run followed by smooth sailing.


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