ben   Jul 27, 4:19 pm     show options

Newsgroups: alt.autos.nissan.altima
From: "ben" <bkoeh...@borderfree.com> - Find messages by this author
Date: 27 Jul 2005 13:19:39 -0700
Local: Wed, Jul 27 2005 4:19 pm
Subject: Help 1994 Altima Won't Start - Died While Driving
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I really need some help here and I hope someone can be gracious enough
to offer me some assitance.

I started my car and about 2 minutes later before I drove off, I had a
very dimly lit charge light come on.  I figured maybe I was having a
charging problem and that I should be able to get home like that.  As I

was driving on the high way it seemed to get a little bit brighter,
then it did get quite bright and it died.  After towooing it home I did

notice that my coolant and oil were low.  BIG MISTAKE, I know!  So now
when I try to start it the starter engages and just sort of whines,
sounds to be attempting to start but not actually turning over.  Please

help, any thoughts or advice?  Thank you in advance.

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RemcoW   Jul 27, 10:35 pm     show options

Newsgroups: alt.autos.nissan.altima
From: "RemcoW" <whyb...@yahoo.com> - Find messages by this author
Date: Wed, 27 Jul 2005 22:35:30 -0400
Local: Wed, Jul 27 2005 10:35 pm
Subject: Re: Help 1994 Altima Won't Start - Died While Driving
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"ben" <bkoeh...@borderfree.com> wrote in message

news:1122495579.760898.132890@g43g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...

So was the battery dead? In other words, was the charge light indeed
related
to the battery not charging?

What exactly do you mean by "the starter whines"? Is the starter
turning the
car over in the sense that you see the belts move, etc? If an engine is

seized and the starter is good, it will not turn over at all - the
starter
may, in attempting to start the car, burn out. Or is the starter just
spinning very quickly?
If the car is indeed turning over (you see the belts move, but the car
is
not starting), check to see if you have spark.
If you don't have spark, pull the distributor cap off and see if you
see the
thing in the middle (called the "rotor") spin. If you don't see if
spin, you
may have a broken timing chain (or belt - not sure what a 94 altima
has).
If you do see it spin, you may have a broken coil or ignitor (I think
Nissan
calls an ignitor something else, but it basically just makes/breaks a
contact, controlling the voltage to the coil - what used to be referred
to
as "points". The modern designs are electronic). There are ways of
telling
if one is bad so just tell us what you see.

Driving without oil or coolant is a very bad thing - you could have
done a
lot of damage (like seizing the engine). Can you turn the crank pulley
by
hand or maybe with a wrench? If you can, your engine is not seized.
Because
it overheated, it could still be that the head is warped or your
headgasget
may have blown. Let's hope this is not the case.

Report back with your findings -- hopefully it is something simple and
cheap.
Remco

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ben   Jul 28, 12:55 pm     hide options

Newsgroups: alt.autos.nissan.altima
From: "ben" <bkoeh...@borderfree.com> - Find messages by this author
Date: 28 Jul 2005 09:55:45 -0700
Local: Thurs, Jul 28 2005 12:55 pm
Subject: Re: Help 1994 Altima Won't Start - Died While Driving
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Thanks Remco, I appreciate it, I will be checking the things you
mentioned later this afternoon.

Battery was not dead. Starter whines, well it appears to engage and
attempt to start the motor but the motor will not turn over.  Amybe a
little quick.  Will have to check the belts for movement this
afternoon. Aslo, the timing chain had been rattling of sorts for the
last 6 months, i was told that it was just one of the guides and that
it should be fine, with this new development I am starting to suspect
as you mentioned, the timing chain.  Fingers crossed.

Again thank you for your help and insights.

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ben   Aug 15, 11:05 am     show options

Newsgroups: alt.autos.nissan.altima
From: "ben" <bkoeh...@borderfree.com> - Find messages by this author
Date: 15 Aug 2005 08:05:43 -0700
Local: Mon, Aug 15 2005 11:05 am
Subject: Re: Help 1994 Altima Won't Start - Died While Driving
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Hi Remco,

Sorry to respond so late, I had to leave on vacation and was unable to
do any checking of my car.  The belts driving the alternator do in fact

turn.  That is about as far as I have gotten and will begin to check
for spark and pull the cap.  What specifically should I be looking for
with the cap etc.  Should I attempt to start while the cap is off and
check for it spinning?  Tahnk you in advance.

ben