Nissan micra automatic '06 won't start (updated title) - solved..

M

Moomoo

Hi,
I hope that someone will be able to shed some light on this and I'll try to provide the best description I can. I have a foot injury so my car is really important to me.

It is a Nissan micra 2006 reg, automatic.

Basically the key fob started to get low battery and was working intermittently. This carried on for a couple of weeks and then I located a spare and started to use that. I carried both at the same time. It seemed to work fine.

Yesterday I came back to my car and got in and it wouldn't start.

I don't know if I had used one key to open the car and another key to lock it, or whether that would make a difference. I do remember as I was leaving the car I cleaned one of the buttons (the unlock button) on the fob.

- The key fob will unlock the door, and I can put on the radio, open and shut windows, but it won't actually start the car. I can turn the ignition and it goes to ACC, past that, and to ON, but it does nothing.
- The weird thing is that it will open and lock the car from outside, but once I get in and press lock, it does nothing, it won't lock the car. That is very weird. I am pressing and pressing it (lock) and there is no noise, nothing. Yet if I get outside again and press lock it locks it.
- It seems like it isn't recognising that the key is there or something. Or it isn't synchronised right. In the past there were sometimes issues when driving with the key thing flashing that it wasn't there, but I'd just hold the key near the ignition and that would go away.

- I had a local garage I trust replace both of the batteries. It hasn't made a difference.

I am at my wits end with all of this (it doesn't help that the car is about half a mile - a mile away). I have a fairly significant foot injury and really rely on it for a lot of stuff.

Does anyone have any ideas as to what I can try? I am scared to get it taken to a garage and worried about costs. I am in Halesowen.

Thank you for reading.
 
Hi,
Thanks for your reply. Yes, that makes sense.

Update!! So I trekked back to it today (it is not on a bus route :() but thankfully it is near a small shop so I was able to get some bits of food and some toilet roll!

I don't know if it is the keys and maybe I just assumed because of the recent issues with them.

I noticed something that might be important.

It is an automatic. When I normally start it, I press down the brake and turn the ignition. Well, the brake won't go down. It feels how it does when the steering lock is on (if you twist the wheel hard to one side, it locks the wheel, I never understood the point of this feature really). When you do that you cannot depress the brake and it feels spongy. But then when you untwist it, you can press down the brake fully and then turn the ignition to start. So I cannot get the brake to go down properly.

It just feels like something doesn't want me to start the car.

I also noticed 3 lights come on - the battery light in red, the engine (it looks like... maybe in orange) and the OIL in red.

I opened the bonnet and I checked the oil, I am just going to look up some pictures of what it is meant to look like.

Maybe I am wrong and I assumed with the keys, I don't know.

To be honest it has has a lot of issues recently :( and I have put a lot of money into it, I also put £66 of petrol into it, a full tank, literally yesterday morning directly before this happened.

I just wonder as it is an 06... and it has a lot of miles on it, maybe it has come to the end of the road. I wish so much it was in my parking space, it is just on a lane (thankfully not in front of anyone's house or in a timed space though, it could be worse).

Thank you for reading.
 
Have you tried removing the negative on battery waiting a few mins not long and then re try starting.
Do that and use the key you have more confidence with.

Its probably one of the relays under the headlight but I'm unsure otherwise.
The red light is not the battery it's immobiliser.
Is that flashing on and off or solid at any point.?
I take it you have the keyless key fob these are rather problematic.

I once had no start issue after lifting the lock in the center console I thought they key was needing a new battery.
But that switch on the centre console near hand break changes some mode I don't fully understand it but I don't use it any more since I had to use the other key when that happen to me.
(I think it was not letting me lock the vehicle via the key)
 
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Hi,
I know it sounds daft but I am scared to touch it. To be completely honest I don't know very much about cars (although I am really interested in them). Can I just literally disconnect it and put it back? Scared I will electrocute myself! I am going to go back in an hour or so and I am going to try this (link - http://www.cardiagnostics.be/-now/Nissan Motor Co Consult_bestanden/NISSAN KEY FOB PROGRAMMING.htm) just in case and I will also try the battery thing and I want to check the oil again. Thank you so much for your help. Being even more brutally honest I am self employed and things aren't going well, I have really struggled for money for food at the end of the month so I am worried that if I take this to a garage I might be ripped off and actually unable to pay it. So I want to try everything myself to fix it. It is just difficult that it is about a mile away and my foot injury.
 
* because my inusrance/recovery thing says I have to take it to one of their approved garages, so I don't think I can take it to a local garage I trust :(
 
You may loosen the nut 10mm spanner and lift off the negative it will or might reset things and you might lose radio code setting if you have OEM radio.
Long as everything is turned off you won't get a shock or spark as long as you lift it clear away.
Then just wait 5 mins or so and reconnect.

I'd try the other key first if you are nervous of a shock wear a glove I used to be but have done it so many times now it's just like removing a battery from a remote control.
Provided you don't let the wires arch over its safe.
And if you still unsure ask a friend.
Try not to worry the electronics in k12 have gremlins sometimes.
 
Sorry forgot to answer your other question. The light on the key fob just appears normal. It hasn't been solid or flashing. It has only flashed when I tried to do all of the reset procedures (and failed).
 
Nope. It was running totally fine (better than ever I thought! It sounded really good). I refuelled. The previous night I had checked the tyre air pressures and put air into all four tyres. I don't think that could affect anything? Then yesterday morning I went and put the full tank in. It seemed fine. In the afternoon I took it one mile down the road. Came back to it about 30 min later and just wouldn't start. It had been in direct sunlight if that makes any difference.

It had an MOT less than a month ago and passed.

I thought everything was really good!
 
Must be just the immobiliser.
Are alot or questions and answers here in the forum.
If you don't find the solution have a look with the search bar in top right.
 
Have just had a thought.

I had been given a microwave as a gift. Because of my injury I had been hesitant to lift it, so it's still in the boot.

Does anyone know if the microwave in the boot could have interfered with anything? It's essentially a big magnet, and I had been told to keep my keys away from magnets, phones and so on.

I feel stupid as it hadn't occurred to me. I'm just wondering now.
 
That's interesting the magnets probably won't cause much of a problem unless you have them with the key like say in close proximity in the passenger footwell and the key on top maybe?
Also a microwave actually has two big magnets inside.
I can't confirm that would actually cause a problem but you could always move the item away and see if anything changes.

"I do know that a small magnet can be wound round a wire to stop interference" Maybe the opposite might happen with a microwave in the car but I can't say I've heard of anyone before claiming to have a car not start because they moved a microwave."
The power from a magnet probably looses its power at a about 20cm roughly.
I would not underestimate the power of them though I do have a few I've collected and they are wickedly powerful.
I use them to pick up metal after cutting bolts and it's very effective.

Awhile back I read that a magnet wire wrapped. could help stop interference from a dash cam with a radio for instance.
I have not tested that but am aware even the dash cam causes loss of signal for instance.
Maybe one was provided and its still in the box not sure but I do have one from another device so may test the theory.
Last thing if its in the boot then probably it maybe near to the wiring loom for the rear light, boot lock, rear screen heater and wiper.

Most will say its very unlikley to cause a problem but if it was plugged in you can bet it will. ?
Maybe it's held some power in the capacitors though. ?
 
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Hmm, so I've done some reading and apparently MRI machines can cause problems at 5-6 feet. Obviously they are a LOT bigger. But then on the day it went wrong, before I went for a small walk, I had gotten water out of the boot and drank half a bottle of fizzy water, and I think I had leant against the boot while I was drinking it, so the keys would have maybe been within 1 foot of the microwave (and magnets) :/. Yes they are very powerful ones inside a microwave.

Just wondered if it has demagnetised the keys.

Also want to add that huttojb came out to try, he was very generous with his time, but alas couldn't get it sorted. Thank you huttojb for trying!
 
The magnetic field isn't active when it's off but power can remain in capacitors for along while.
A microwave also can contain radiation if it's an old one. Probably the all do some oldies call them the nuke machine.
 
BTW I think the fuses is clear in the link I provided. Have you tried doing this yet.
You just need to remove it for 5 mins then replace.
Not sure of the location on the car I think it might be directly in front of the battery tho just look for F17.

I have only ever experienced none start once when I got my micra I see this same thing all the time but have not actually had a keyless micra version before.
As far as I recall I just needed to recharge the battery.
 
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Is the light with the key flashing or behaving differently?

Might need a nissan code reader to see what's up, I suspect there will be some NATS error logged.
 
The break should be able to move even without the car running what happens to the break on the turn of key before starting.
As far as I know in an automatic it would be slightly firmer before the key has been turned and when it has been you have to press down before moving the gear selector to Park drive neutral or reverse.

The steering wheel lock must be unlocked otherwise the key will not turn.
Is that an issue?

Trying to visualise what the gear selector is set to and the steering lock.
I'm thinking it's stuck in a gear such as D = Drive. The steering wheel lock is enabled.
Or is it stuck in P = Park?

If this is the case the car may not allow you to start the car because the gear is engaged.
I'm asking the question because if the break pedal cannot be depressed, the gear selector will be stuck on the position its set to.
 
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