Good running 2000 Altima GLE. Left trunk open - got a jump. At Auto Parts store tested battery, which needed to be replaced. When replaced, discovered connections to battery corroded -no good. Received temporary fix as no mechanics available on Sunday. End of day car won’t start. Tow man affirmed connections to battery no good. Can’t jump, must tow. Next day, mechanic reports just coincidence - real problem not getting fuel. Checks fuel pump which is in good working order. Checks fuel delivery to filters - no problem. Mechanic says could be many different problems - costly to ascertain, not worth it -advises to junk car.
Well, something is clearly screwy.
First you have to say what it was doing when it wouldn’t start. Your reference to jump starts and bad battery connections leads one to assume that you’d turn the key and get nothing (or maybe just some clicks or a very weak crank).
But this will have nothing to do with a lack of fuel. If the car was cranking over just fine then there wasn’t a problem with the battery or connections. If the car wasn’t cranking over then this cannot come from a fuel problem.
Either way - lets say that there is a power problem, but that the mechanic got it cranking but it still wouldn’t start b/c of a whole second fuel problem. These are not difficult or overly costly to figure out and are far from a reason to junk a car. Get a new mechanic.
Oi vay. Thank you so much. One last question: car has close to 200,000 miles. According to this mechanic,the fuel isn’t getting where it’s supposed to go. With us, when we started the car at first lights turned on, even radio and car just wouldn’t turn over. Then ( and yes, it was during the East Coast snow storm) when we fiddled with the battery connections, it went dead cold. Then, again, mechanic swore he changed terminal connections and still wouldn’t start. Mechanic claimed that Nissans historically experience expensive fuel injector problems - we’re afraid it could be a costly electrical problem. But you’re suggesting that it would likely be worth the $100 to tow to our trusted mechanic in the Bronx.
Again, thanks for your encouragement. Love that car and as I wrote, was working fine before the storm…
You first need to find out if the battery has a good charge to it. Also, even if the lights work ok it dosen’t mean the battery has enough charge on it to start the engine, though you would probably hear a click at least when you tried to start it. Make sure the battery connections have been cleaned up using a wire brush. If the battery has a good charge and the connections are good and the starter still doesn’t work then the starting system needs to be checked out.
Thanks, the battery as indicated in the first post was brand new. Had just needed a jump due to trunk having been left open. True, connections were corroded, but when replaced the car still wouldn’t start - i.e., deliver fuel to the engine.
Do believe this mechanic left his mental tool box at home…but is a friend of a friend who claims to have worked on race cars, having been in the auto repair biz for decades…
Mechanic claimed that Nissans historically experience expensive fuel injector problems
BS.
Total, complete, and utter BS.
Check fuses.
Heck, take a can of starting fluid, and as the engine is cranking over, spray some into the throttle body, and see if the car chuggs to life for a couple of seconds.
BC.