2003 nissan sentra cold start problem

woodduck · #1 (**permalink**) 10-19-2008, 02:31 PM

need help ,this car turns over runs 2 seconds and quits,if you keep restarting like this and it begins to sputter and actually runs and get heat in the engine you can drive it.Once the temperature gauge begins to move you can drive it.It has new crankshaft and cam shaft sensors installed purchased from a Nissan dealer.That was suppose to fix it,according to the G.M. dealer that worked on it.Any ideas? the nissan dealer is over an hour away from here and this has got to be something simple.

woodduck · #2 (**permalink**) 10-21-2008, 05:42 PM

car is at dealer,shows cam shaft sensor code again.why would this car run when it's warm like nothing is wrong if this sensor is bad? any ideas out there?

woodduck · #3 (**permalink**) 10-25-2008, 01:35 PM

car still at the dealer.They thought it was the ecm,they changed it and the problem is still there.i can't wait to get the bill..............

bvisdabomb · #4 (**permalink**) 10-28-2008, 04:57 AM

I am having the same probem, there is a recall on the vehicle for reprogramming the ECM which your mechanic will be able to pull on ALLDATA i personally have already done everything on the recall and have also replaced the O2 sensors and my Cat still same problem. if you find anything out let me know i would really appreciate it. I know one of the other problems listed but not recalled has to do with a Fuel Pump kit. i personally just replaced it with a new fuel pump from Nissan. I think your biggest problem is it is at G.M. i would take it to Nissan whenever you get a chance let me know if any of this helped

woodduck · #5 (**permalink**) 10-28-2008, 12:10 PM

the car is at a nissan dealer right now,for a week exactly.they can't figure it out yet.the G.M dealer that is 5 miles away is really good,they have one guy who works on foreign cars.the nissan tech called them to pick up where they left off.the G.M dealer did not want to throw parts at it.They changed the crankshaft and camshaft sensors with nissan parts.they even told me before they changed them that they did'nt think that was the problem.at that time they were getting advice from another nissan dealer.when the sensor change did'nt work and there guys could'nt find the problem the service manager advised me to take it to a nissan dealer. The g.m. dealer did'nt even charge me for the 10 days they had it.now nissan dealer has it for 7 days,changed ecm and it was not corrected .I read on one of these posts about wire harnesses that run under the battery box and under the radiator that get breaks in them.it may well turn out to be something simple as that.i will keep you posted...

bvisdabomb · #6 (**permalink**) 10-28-2008, 07:33 PM

I appreciate it man. How many miles are on your car? Depending on the mileage don't let them charge you for the ECM there was a recall on the ECM to remove the insulation from around the ecm due to an overheating problem of the ecm! i dont know if you knew all of this if not let me know and i will tell you more about it. and i was just messing around about the GM thing i took mine to Nissan and they couldn't figure it out so I started taking it other places.
ALSO does your check engine light come on. mine is not well it has for some things but not for others but it is really starting to piss me off!!

woodduck · #7 (**permalink**) 10-28-2008, 10:03 PM

just called the dealer,this is funny,they are taking parts off another sentra to try and figure out what is wrong.they are going to put my ecm back in when they figure out whats wrong.the car has 134,000 on it. I never heard of this attempt to fix something,i hope it works.

bvisdabomb · #8 (**permalink**) 10-28-2008, 10:37 PM

haha they did it to my car as well

sergey85 · #9 (**permalink**) 10-29-2008, 12:55 AM

make sure they didnt place the sensors in the wrong one, sice they look alike they might have switched it up and reaplced the wrong ones. like the camshaft sensor into the crankshaft sensor and the crankshaft sensor into the camshaft sensor cause i seen a few posts where this has happend

bvisdabomb · #10 (**permalink**) 10-29-2008, 01:00 AM

sergey if i am not mistaken aren't they the same sensor? If i am wrong that would be awesome but everywhere i look it is the same sensor

woodduck · #11 (**permalink**) 10-29-2008, 08:11 PM

the service manager called,thinks he has it fixed.i did'nt speak to him so i don't know what it is yet.

medbar · #12 (**permalink**) 11-03-2008, 05:09 PM

I gave a 2003 sentra gxe 1.8 L that dies after starting it some of the time. If it dies it is harder to start the second time. But once it starts it runs fine.. Do you have a Link to the recall?

woodduck · #13 (**permalink**) 11-21-2008, 03:29 PM

It was the timing chain,they also changed the cam gear and chain.Car runs like new now.Hard to beat the gas mileage this car has.

medbar · #14 (**permalink**) 11-21-2008, 04:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by woodduck

It was the timing chain,they also changed the cam gear and chain.Car runs like new now.Hard to beat the gas mileage this car has.

Thanks for the info.. By the way I am getting 25-30 mpg. I have an automatic.