I have a problem with my 2006 Altima 4-cylinder (40K mi) and it’s been getting a little worse every month: it starts perfectly first thing in the morning/afternoon no matter the weather, but after I drive it a few miles and leave it parked a few hours, it usually cranks and cranks (up to 10 secs) until it starts. If I start it only a few minutes after parking it, it usually starts fine. The last mechanic sold me a new battery assuring me that it would probably fix the problem, but it didn’t and I was leaving for Fla the next week. Now I’m in Fla for the winter, have no idea what the problem is or to whom I should take it and don’t want to get ripped off. The repair facility closest to my development offers AAA and senior discounts, but the chain isn’t listed on this website. Any suggestions? My friend’s mechanic husband thinks it sounds like an electrical issue, maybe a spark plug issue and suggested I first try adding fuel injection cleaner to my gas tank. Thanks!
Flag · Off Topic Disagree Agree Like ·Report
Since the problem is predictable, drop the vehicle off at a shop under those conditions.
They’ll hook a scanner up to see if there’s a problem with the crank angle sensor.
Tester
" . . . friend’s mechanic husband thinks it sounds like an electrical issue, maybe a spark plug issue and suggested I first try adding fuel injection cleaner to my gas tank."
That makes no sense whatsoever
This guy says it sounds like an ignition problem, yet suggests using fuel cleaner
Huh?!
@db4690, that is truly an enigma. Maybe its someone who describes themselves as a mechanic because they know how to change the oil?
As for the question, I agree with Tester that leaving it with a real mechanic when it is expected to do this is the shortest route to a solution.
I have a 2006 Altima. I’ve owned it a little over a year now. It had to have a replacement engine because the orig. one was diagnosed with ‘combust engine blow out’. It ‘drank’ oil, but 'started’
fine and sounded like a new car; 110 thousand miles. This engine (93,000) sounds like a motor running (salvage written all over it) but doesn’t drink oil. It doesn’t start as it should. They replaced the engine crank sensor. When I crank it makes a screech sound, so I barely turn the key and it sometimes catches on the first try. It requires a new ‘flywheel’ ‘starter’ assembly. It will take at least 5 hrs. labor. …at $85. an hr. Parts $50. - $250. ($1,000. repair) The transmission has to be removed in order to get to the fly wheel. I paid $2,700. for the engine installation, a yr. ago. Mechanic told me, in 5% of cases the fly wheel doesn’t match up with the starter. I should not have accepted it and insisted he repair it correctly…I have since found a
reputable mechanic.
Disco T,I suggest having the engine Crankshaft Sensor looked at for internal short circuit.These type sensors on 2002 through 2006 model QR25 engine have been redesigned.The problem is engine oil from where the phase pickup portion rests in the block gets porous and absorbs oil into the electrical area of the sensor thus causing electrical short circuit.Note by just inspecting the engine harness connector at this sensor,the oil will be exposed on the three pins.
Check the Mechanics Files link above for a reputable mech.
The suggestion from @jackolope56 seems like a real possibility to check out. To see if this trouble is due to a fuel delivery issue try spraying a small amount of starter fluid into the air intake to see if that gets it going faster. If it does then perhaps there is a leak in the fuel check valve and fuel is back flowing into the tank when the car is parked.