Problem Starting Car

[Ricey]

My R32 wont kick over. It started playing up a few days ago ever since my alarm screwed up. We had to jump start it etc. Last night it wouldn't start again, so we jump started it again and it started fine. Today it is doing the same thing but my brother insists its not a flat battery. We tried jump starting it again but it just wont kick over. Its not the fuel pump cause we tested that. I'm thinking some sort of ignition problem..? Does anyone have any ideas...? Need to get this sorted ASAP. Don't really want to tow it anywhere.

[kristafa]

so your engine is cranking? i know a few things:

if there's not much charge in the battery you can have problems with starting/smooth idling (even though the motor turns over)

if you have problems with your alarm (with immobiliser) then depending on how your immobiliser is setup you wont get power to various places (fuel pump, ecu, ignition, etc...)

i'd be making sure i get ecu power by checking out the led on the unit (on when key is IGN position), making sure the fuel pump is flowing fuel to the fuel rail when the motor is turning over, get the immobiliser situation sussed out by whoever installed it...

[blind_elk]

So, the starter motor turns the engine, but the engine doesn't want to fire? Have I got it right?

Nissans are VERY sensitive to voltages. A battery may start the car, but then the alternator expends so much of its output re-charging the battery that the ECU thinks there is a problem and the car runs like crap.

The other thing is that the ECU needs a minimum voltage (somewhere around 7V) to be "alive". If the starter motor drains so much voltage that the voltage available to the ECU is less than this critical value, then the engine might spin for ever, but the ECU isn't alive to fire everything off.

If you ever have troubles with starting and batteries, the usual fix is a new battery.

[Ricey]

So, the starter motor turns the engine, but the engine doesn't want to fire? Have I got it right?

spot on.

I'm going home tonight to give jumpstarting it another go. It worked last night. I'll go buy another battery asap. It's got to be something to do with the battery. My alarm went off the other night and we had to just let it sound untill it drained the battery (I didn't have the key to turn it off). And since then i've had problems.

Thanks for the advice guys I'll keep u updated.