CarTalk.com Best of Deals Car Reviews Repair Shops Cars A-Z Radio Show

2006 Nissan Frontier crank, not start...possible fuel issues?

Maintenance/Repairs
,
#1

I have a 2006 Nissan Frontier v6 4L 4x4
The truck ran great with no problems other then the fuel sending unit was bad so my gas guage was always wrong. I purchased a replacement sending unit and dropped the tank, removed the fuel pump, and finally replaced the bad fuel sending unit. My gas guage works now, but I noticed it took a few extra secods to start…it cranked and cranked…then finally started. This is not how is was before. I thought maybe it was due to fuel needing to run through the lines. I thought nothing of it and drove off.

Everywhere I parked…I always returned to extra cranking to get the car to start. A day later I decided to look for kinks in the lines. I thought I found one, so after dropping the tank, making sure everything was secure and routing the lines…i bolted it all back together…But now it won’t even start. The truck cranks and cranks, but there is no start. I was thinking of dropping the tank half way to make sure the electrical connector was on…outside of that I have no idea what to do, or what can be wrong.

#2

I think you’re on the right track. The pump’s connector may have gotten disconnected.
To validate it, pull the fuel line under the hood and route it into a cup while you’re starting. See if fuel comes out.

#3

That is a good idea. I didn’t think of that. I was gonna drop the tank tomorrow morning and check the realy connector to make sure it’s getting power…this gives me a chance to ensure the lines are run correctly and since it is a semi molded line that already was kinked…I might just run a new line made of sturdier materials.

living in an apartment complex makes it real hard to actually do car work.

#4

It sounds that even when it was working that the anti-drain back valve was bad. Most pumps have a one way valve that closes when the fuel pump is not pumping. This keeps the fuel system primed and ready to go, it sounds to me that your pump was allowing fuel to flow back into the tank and had to re-prime the system before it started… Bottom line is I think you got a bad part to start with… Now if this no start is related I dont know, but I think you need a new pump/sending unit…

#5

Well I can hear the fuel pump whirling once the car keys are is in the ACC position. I disconnected the fuel line from the pump and routed a little hose from the pump to a cup and found that there is gas flowing from the pump when the car is on. I wasn’t able to find a kink or pinch in the line.

Being a nursing student, and someone who is moving in a week…I ended up taking the car to the local mechanic. Sadly if I had more time and a few more tools I think I could have fixed it. Thank you all for your help. I will post the fix from the mechanic once it’s out of the shop.