What Went Wrong? Car didnt start...

[Panjabi]

Ok last night there was some **** doing fireworks near it so I had to move it a few meters... and I was angry... so I revved it hard and moved it...

This morning it didnt start... starter kept going but engine wouldnt turn over. Checked battery and it seemed fine though dad topped it up later and siad it was low.

So what was it?? Did I flood the engine?? Mate reckons its the Spark Plugs... that once they are damaged to the core blah blah you get problems...

Tested it again later and it turned over fine but it took a while... so what do you guys reckon?

Anyhelp appreciated.

 

[5ilver Micra]

You could hear the starter but it wasnt turning the engine over?
Or was it turning the Engine over Veryy slowly?

 

[Glen]

i had this problem it was my dizzy you could check that

 

[whipit]

Yeah micras tend to suffer with condensation in the distributor cap, un clip it and squirt a bit of WD40 around! I have heard of micras flooding alot from mates in the aa, could be!

 

[Panjabi]

5ilver Micra: just wouldnt start... making attempts... all you can hear is the starter motor trying but no engine firing up...

Glen: whats a dizzy? *insert embarassed face here* where do I find it? How to check it? Can I do it myself? Is it expensive to sort out?

Wrenchable: same questions... where, how, how much...

Thanks guys... well last year it was the battery but otherwise it hasnt given me problems for 4 years... always starts in the winter... and I had an underbonnet mat rivetted on... so it helps prevent condensation and makes winter starts easier...

Me thinks the coolant is due for change in all.

oh I get it... dizzy - slang for distributor right??

does my micra have one? its a 1.0 automatic... 2001 - will check...

 

[Layla]

probably just a flooded engine. mine floods all the time, ian takes the fuse for something or other out and it starts up fine again.

 

[Panjabi]

Well guys (and girl)... took it down to Hellfrauds today believing that it was the battery... thought I may as well get it replaced to be safe as it is under warranty... checked it and confirmed that it was fine... the alternator reading was weird though...

It was saying 10... what is it supposed to be 12?? On the Gunston Battery and Alternator checker it says it is fine but on the multimeter it is a differnet story...

Chaged the sparks... which were black... and had light corrosion on the surface!! So it is starting better now and not struggling but... the fault may still be there...

Dads a nut he always overfills everything... last time the oil light came on and he topped it up... I had to drain it out and got a bucket full out... then had to keep idling until the smoke went away... I gave half the road fog... neighbours were thinking it was a foggy day until they saw me... and the same with the battery... "How much battery fluid did you put in dad?" I check it and it is full to the brim!

Layla your avatar link doesnt work :.(

haha kidding

 

[Ed]

Its flooded. Take out the fuel pump fuse, give the battery a charge. Then turn the car over for a while with the foot to the floor (say 20 seconds, with the fuel pump fuse out in 5 second goes with a minute gap between then put in the fuse and try again.

 

[Antony]

mine does this if i try to start my car and dont hold it for long enough... then try to start it again..

it will stop....

then i wait and start it up again and off it goes..lol

mind you most of the time it starts instantly without even hearing the starter motor...

 

[Panjabi]

but if it wasnt turning over then how can I rev it and put the fuse back in?
the whole issue is that it didnt start and I dont want that to happen again.. never had a starting problem before bar the battery one I mentioned above... damp, rain, winter... she has always fired up...

so I'm looking into the dizzy suggestion...

i doubt it was the alternator - its only 5 yrs old but will check that too...

have yet to clean HT contacts too and might just upgrade lead...

need to grease battery terminals... forgot to do that when I wiped the previous stuff off to check it.

 

[Ed]

I must have read you post to fast as this does not make sense

"starter kept going but engine wouldnt turn over"

Can you explain what you mean by this please.

 

[whipit]

but if it wasnt turning over then how can I rev it and put the fuse back in?

Ed explained perfectly!

so I'm looking into the dizzy suggestion...

i doubt it was the alternator - its only 5 yrs old but will check that too...

5 years is long enough, more depends on conditions the alternator is put under subs, lights, miles etc. If its charging at 10volts then you need a new alternator! A good alternator will charge between 13-14.5volts. battery when not running will be 12 or over, discharged it will be 11.6 (i think) and dead will be er dead!

have yet to clean HT contacts too and might just upgrade lead...

Might as well put in new spark plug whilst there off, Densos or NGKs.

need to grease battery terminals... forgot to do that when I wiped the previous stuff off to check it.

Grease is purely there to stop corrosion, best stuff to use is petroleum jelly (vaseline).

ok?

 

[Panjabi]

These alternators cost £50-80 a pop dont they? Will get mechanic to confirm it before I part with my hard earned... is it a Bosch one? Will go to Nissan dealer...

Ed... sorry my bad... I meant the starter was struggling... you know... when you turn the key and it gives up after 3 seconds or so... just that the engine wouldnt roar into life... I know I know.... it must be the battery... or damp etc.

Conditions... well short runs... about 10 mile drive to work which takes approx. 30 mins (traffic). so the engine does have a chance to warm up properly... no sub, only use lights when driving to night shift... aftermarket stereo... Alpine 4 x 45 but dont crank it up... Infinity components up front and thats all.

Still not sure what black spark plugs mean... had a carbon kind of coat to it... sticking valve? Incorrect compression? The engine does have a chance to burn carbon off the sparks as I mentioned above... so Im stumped.

Ok Vaseline it is!!!

Thanks guys... really appreciate the help... still got to fork out my tenner and join! Been posting here a while now... oh the guilt of it all haha.

 

[Ed]

Much more likely to be the battery than alternator. Jump start the car and measure the battery voltage at a low to medium RPM. You should have around 13.5-14.3

 

[Panjabi]

thanks Ed. I dont understand... the alternator is showing 10v.

ok today I tested the batt again with engine off and it was 0-25% on the batt check, shouldnt it be 12v? i.e. 70-100%

thing is... after I started the engine and checked it when it was on.. it then showed a full charge..

Went to Hellfrauds as the battery is under warranty and they said: "It is in good condition and no fault could be found."

Now it obviously:

a) is not holding the charge
b) charging an insignificant amount... may be because of alternator?

If they keep saying it is fine on their computer then I cant claim it. Its always 0-25% with engine off and when I get there it has charged a little so shows as 100% i.e. 13.3-14v.

I cant make them replace it if they keep saying it is in good condition and that the alt is showing 10v.

Taking it to mechanic on Fri. see what he thinks...










#and we're holdin' up the by-pass woah-oh... me in my Micra... woah-oh#

 

[Gurpreet]

Had this problem once... yep the sparks did need replacing but parts were missing... there is some kind of mat which goes under the bonnet... keeps water off the engine... so I brought my own material which is thick, heat resistant, fireproof and waterproof... rivetted it on... never had a problem since... not a drop of water or consendation anywhere... I think Micras do suffer from damp start problems...

My alternator gives me readings of 12.40 volts (engine off) and 14.40 (engine on) and the battery was faulty. Hired the diagnostic computer and did it all myself... tells you a lot! It said: "Battery Boiling." Two cells on it were bubbling and fluid was coming out to the surface of the battery. This is not only dangerous but a sign that the battery will not last long... then it clicked... that I was wasting money on battery fluid (distilled water) but when I operated the battery... (engine on) with the caps off... some of the fluid turned white... and the bubbles were getting worse and worse... so took it back to Halfords and had it replaced...

What you should do... take the battery out... put a halogen bulb onto it... drain it... fill it with water... take it back and get your money or replacement!

 

[Alienfish360]

Try using a different multimeter. Your multimeter may be dodgy if you're not getting expected readings

 

[Gurpreet]

^I agree with him! The amount of excuses HF pull is unbelievable. The guy must have the multimeter set wrong on purpose... he was saying my alternator was charging at 9 volts!!! Wrong DC setting! I whipped out my one... as he was explaining: "You need a new alternator." His face went bright ****ing red! I swear he wished the ground opened and swallowed him whole. Test it on 20v DC see what it says... and shove the electrode down... dont lightly touch the surface... the positive terminal is no problem as there is a red rubber cap on it... I think it is the batt.

In future stick to Nissan parts.. they dont make a fuss and will test it on the spot.

 

[whipit]

Dont use a battery tester! A proper multimetre or voltmetre set to v dc and ensure you let the voltage settle before you take a reading!
check voltage with car not running (12-13v), start car wait a few seconds check voltage with engine running (13.5-14.5v). turn on all lights, blowers and heated rear window, check voltage (11-12.5v). report back what you find if your unsure.