# '08 Nissan Versa Ignition problem

**URL:** <https://community.cartalk.com/t/08-nissan-versa-ignition-problem/9184>\
**Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\
**Created:** [January 9, 2008, 6:16am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/08-nissan-versa-ignition-problem/9184 "2008-01-09T06:16:06Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![georgeyui](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3d9bf3/32.png) [@georgeyui](https://community.cartalk.com/u/georgeyui)\
**Post date:** [January 9, 2008, 6:16am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/08-nissan-versa-ignition-problem/9184/1 "2008-01-09T06:16:06Z")

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I’m not very knowledgeable in terms of cars, so please write back to me as if I was a 6 year old.  
  
  
  
 I have a 2008 Nissan Versa, and it has been having some ignition problems. Sometimes when I turn the key, it will crank, but the engine will not start. The cranking will be a couple of seconds. I would then stop, shut the car off, and turn the key again. The car would start immediately usually.  
  
  
  
 Now when I take it to get checked out, the mechanics cannot reproduce the cranking problem so they can’t do anything. It happens a different times of the day, different temperatures, and I have no idea why it does that. It is very random, but my car is literally 10 days old, so is it a faulty part, bad luck, what?  
  
  
  
 What can I suggest to my mechanic, or is there something that I can do (with very little car maintenance experience). My mechanic says that this is a situation where it will get better after it get’s worse, meaning they will know what is wrong when they see the problem for themselves.

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**Author:** ![ok4450](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e9bcb4/32.png) [@ok4450](https://community.cartalk.com/u/ok4450)\
**Post date:** [January 9, 2008, 6:30am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/08-nissan-versa-ignition-problem/9184/2 "2008-01-09T06:30:58Z")

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The next time it does this, turn the key off and back on WITHOUT cranking the engine over. Do this 4 or 5 times in a row. If the vehicle starts instantly it could be there is a problem with the check ball in the fuel pump. This maintains fuel pressure in the lines so the vehicle will start instantly.  
As an analogy, think of a water balloon. If you poke a tiny hole with a needle (leaky check ball) the balloon will lose water (fuel pressure).

I assume this mechanic is the Nissan dealer looking at this so make sure you always get a paper copy of your complaint and what, if anything, was done in the diagnosis. If this were to turn into a Lemon Law issue you will be dead in the water without a paper trail to back it up.  
This should be a warrantable problem and only a Nissan dealer should be messing around with it.

Granted, there are a number of things it could be but a leaking valve in the fuel pump is the first thing that came to me. It is odd that it would happen on a new vehicle but anything mass produced is going to have a certain amount of failures.

If it comes down to guessing, a Nissan dealer could warranty this pump and replace it. The Nissan rep will want to see the old pump (you are not involved in this process) and a creative service dept. can easily fix the original pump where it will never work again before the rep sees it. There won’t be any ifs, ands, or buts about it.