# Dead nissan **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Created:** [February 16, 2008, 4:07pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/dead-nissan/10719 "2008-02-16T16:07:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![doglegright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/df788c/32.png) [@doglegright](https://community.cartalk.com/u/doglegright)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2008, 4:07pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/dead-nissan/10719/1 "2008-02-16T16:07:16Z")
Recently changed alternater, now car wont run more than 5 or 10 minutes. Acts like there is no spark.Any ideas anyone? ---
**Author:** ![Bill\_Russell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Bill\_Russell](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Bill_Russell)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2008, 4:09pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/dead-nissan/10719/2 "2008-02-16T16:09:31Z")
does the car crank and start OK? If so, the battery and alternator are probably OK. Suspect when you (or whoever) changed the alternator you knocked something lose or broke something… ---
**Author:** ![doglegright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/df788c/32.png) [@doglegright](https://community.cartalk.com/u/doglegright)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2008, 5:05pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/dead-nissan/10719/3 "2008-02-16T17:05:58Z")
Thanks for the info. The car will rollover just fine and start after sitting for awhile. Will run just like anew one and then just start bogging down then quit. engine just spins with no ignition . Any help is appreciated. ---
**Author:** ![stroker57](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f6c823/32.png) [@stroker57](https://community.cartalk.com/u/stroker57)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2008, 5:34pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/dead-nissan/10719/4 "2008-02-16T17:34:52Z")
GO HAVE THE ALTERNATOR CHECKED AT AUTOZONE.THE BEARING IN THE ALTERNATOR COULD BE BAD AND WHEN IT GETS HOT STOPS. ANYWAY HAVE IT CHECKED FIRST.ITS FREE TO CHECK THERE.LET ME KNOW IF IT WAS GOOD OR BAD THEN WE WILL GO TO THE NEXT STEP…PAUL ---
**Author:** ![wentwest](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/wentwest/32/6073_2.png) [@wentwest](https://community.cartalk.com/u/wentwest)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2008, 6:49pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/dead-nissan/10719/5 "2008-02-16T18:49:54Z")
You can check for spark by pulling out a sparkplug and holding the threaded part against something grounded well on the engine block while someone else tries to start the engine. You should see a spark. You also might get a shock. Anyway, in either case, you know you have spark. It sounds more like the cold start circuit in the fuel system is not cutting out after the engine warms up. ---
**Author:** ![ok4450](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e9bcb4/32.png) [@ok4450](https://community.cartalk.com/u/ok4450)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2008, 8:14pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/dead-nissan/10719/6 "2008-02-16T20:14:27Z")
It might help if we knew what year Nissan, model, mileage, any Check Engine Light, etc. This info can help narrow the possibilities down to a fairly manageable number. No spark could mean a faulty crank sensor. bad distributor, ignition module, coil, ignition switch, etc. ---
**Author:** ![doglegright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/df788c/32.png) [@doglegright](https://community.cartalk.com/u/doglegright)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2008, 10:21pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/dead-nissan/10719/7 "2008-02-16T22:21:14Z")
The car is a 94 sentra LE with 128000 miles. no real problem till now. Would car start and run for awhile with any of these problems? Also , this is the second alternator in 6 months. When car quit the battery and brake light had come on. Thanks all. ---
**Author:** ![ok4450](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e9bcb4/32.png) [@ok4450](https://community.cartalk.com/u/ok4450)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2008, 10:35pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/dead-nissan/10719/8 "2008-02-16T22:35:16Z")
We may have to work our way through this a step at a time. Since your car uses a single coil/distributor setup, and since you have no spark, the first step would be to use a test light or voltmeter and make sure that you have 12 volts provided to the ignition coil. The schematic shows power should be provided by the ignition switch to the coil by the black wire/white tracer. Power should be present at the coil both when the key is in the RUN position and the START position. If not present in both then the electrical part of the ignition switch is bad or there is a fuse/fusible link blown. ---
**Author:** ![Bill\_Russell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Bill\_Russell](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Bill_Russell)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2008, 10:36pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/dead-nissan/10719/9 "2008-02-16T22:36:23Z")
it’s hard to see how the battery or charging system could be bad if it starts OK, for several days. Otherwise the battery would be dead. ---
**Author:** ![doglegright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/df788c/32.png) [@doglegright](https://community.cartalk.com/u/doglegright)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2008, 9:30pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/dead-nissan/10719/10 "2008-02-18T21:30:59Z")
My thoughts are now that I got another bad alternator. Correct me if Im wrong but it goes -alternator-coil- distributer -sparkplugs . No problem till alternator was switched out .What do you think? ---
**Author:** ![doglegright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/df788c/32.png) [@doglegright](https://community.cartalk.com/u/doglegright)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2008, 5:19pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/dead-nissan/10719/11 "2008-02-27T17:19:05Z")
Well , just wanted to let u all know that the problem seems to be solved. It was the relay and fuel pump . Thanks to all who aided me when I needed it . ---
**Author:** ![hellokit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/6a8cbe/32.png) [@hellokit](https://community.cartalk.com/u/hellokit)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2008, 5:28pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/dead-nissan/10719/12 "2008-02-27T17:28:53Z")
It’s good to know that the problem seems to have been caused by the fuel system. What made you think that it, “Acts like there is no spark.”? What behavior was that? And, why wouldn’t those (unstated) symptoms apply to the fuel system? Inquiring minds, etc., etc. ---
**Author:** ![doglegright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/df788c/32.png) [@doglegright](https://community.cartalk.com/u/doglegright)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2008, 12:34am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/dead-nissan/10719/13 "2008-03-08T00:34:37Z")
It would run after sitting awhile. I just thought that if the fuel pump was bad it wouldnt run at all. When the car ran ,it would go along fine then just start bogging down till it would die then not hit at all.Im no mechanic ,but Ive had my hands in more than one 327.