1991 Nissan Sinatra

Check: fuel filter, carburetor, check if the motor temperature doesn't run too high: you can have vapor locked in it. Also a dirty fuel ( - tank, -line) can clog up your supply. And then no running sinatra.

Welcome to the insanity.

Are you able to determine if your car has spark at the spark plugs when it dies? That would give you a start on diagnosing your problem. If there are 200 people that had cars that died, there will be over 100 different problems. Don't guess based on someone else's car and problem. Let us diagnose it for you. Just do the testing you are asked to do. Good luck.

Was I that wrong? Check 24 Pls. D

If my math is correct, you made 5.5 Suggestions. followed by another 6 from other people. And, the majority of posters had singled out the ignition pick up. (hall effect sensor) as the problem.

While I will readily admit that one of your suggestions was one of the things that was done to repair the Sinatra, you did miss the wires. You and I will never know weather the car needed wires, or fuel pump-filter, OR, BOTH.

And that is why I always suggest diagnosing the car's problem. It is slower, but seldom results in unneeded expenses. Thank you for contributing to this forum.

Check: fuel filter, carburetor, check if the motor temperature doesn't run too high: you can have vapor locked in it. Also a dirty fuel ( - tank, -line) can clog up your supply. And then no running sinatra.

Hi Bob, I am used to diesels and I always start with fuel analysis. Thanks for the answer.

If you stay here long enough, you will see things get over analyzed to death. So many well meaning posters that can remember what it took to fix their car. When I was in dealerships, there were many repeat problems, but not all of them were the same thing. And that was with a very narrow selection of cars. Cheers.

This is not an all-inclusive list, and it is possible under some circumstances to add or delete items. It is a basic performance testing menu.

Basic testing sequence:

Pre (cold) start attempt:

Check for proper battery voltage

Install fuel pressure gauge

Check for pressure and volume (check spec table in repair manual)

Install engine analyzer

Check for spark at a minimum of two cylinders

Check for injector pulse at a minimum of two cylinders

Pull codes

Check ECM/ECU data stream

Attempt to start: if starts and runs:

During running, recheck:

Fuel pressure/volume

Primary/secondary ignition scope traces

ECM data stream

When it shuts down, try opening fuel tank cap; if there's a big "whoosh", it could be something as simple as a clog in the vent (insect nests, for example). Any further information as to HOW it dies, and how it acts just prior to stopping, etc., could be helpful. The more we know about the problem, the more likely that someone can find you the RIGHT answer. You've gotten some good advice already on what to check; let us know results, please!

paamul

The next time it conks out you should check to see if the engine has a spark when you crank it. If it does not there is a good chance the problem is with the pickup coil under the distributor cap ( Hall Effect Sensor ). You would then need to check the sensor with a meter to see if has grounded out or is open. This problem is usually heat related. Many electronic components can become thermally sensitive with age. This is a common problem with these cars - especially high mileage older ones. Good luck edmund

I have owned several Nissans, and from my exreriance at about 10 years of service life the fuel pumps have to be replaced. what happens is that the blades on the impeller inside the pump break off and lie flat inside the housing. After running for a while the rise up and jam the impeller, after sitting for a little while it will settle back to the bottom and let the pump start working again.

Hope that helps.

What is a Nissan Sinatra? I have never heard fo one.

I know Nissan makes a "Sentra". Is that the same as a Sinatra?

Anyway your problem could be a bad fuel filter or condenser. Also check your gas lines. If this is a fuel injection system, have your injector checked and cleaned or replaced. This is an old car, you may have to check your complete fuel system.

Had the very same problem.

Its the distributor Hall-effect module (some countries call it a crank-angle sensor) failing when it reaches running temp.

Replace it and you're OK. Cheers, Stu.

I agree with this answer. I had the same exact problem and it was heat related. When the sensor got hot after the engine running for 15-20 minutes, the car would shut down. After cooling for 45+ munites, it would start right up and be okay for a while before shutting off again. The sensor is really easy to replace. It's 1 plug and a couple of screws if I recall correctly. You can pick one up at most auto supply stores for around $60-$70.

That's it!

You got it!

Stu.

You also have a Nissan Sinatra? What country do you live in?

Here in the US, I don't think we have those. I have seen a lot of Sentras.

I bought my wife one in 1992.............piece of crap! Nothing but problems since brand new. We took it to the Dealer many times and they never could fix the problems. ( Sorry out off topic) Anyway..I hope you find a solution for your Sinatra.

Maybe Nissan named a car after Frank Sinatra ! ! !

My wife's Sentra had a similar problem in reverse. She had a 1989 Nissan Sentra and around 70K miles or so when the engine was cold it would either refuse to start or if it did start it would run rough as hell. if you could keep it running long enough it would eventually run ok after it warmed up. what was eventually learned was that the distributor bearing bore in the block had worn and the bearing was wobbling in the bore. This caused the distributor angle to go all over the place until the block warmed up enough to tighten up on the bearing holding it relatively stable. it would have required a new engine block to repair, or at a minimum boring the bearing bore out and pressing in a ring to fill the gap. I decided the best thing to do was get rid of the POS (sorry Randall, but the admins would frown on the actual wording of this acronym, you understand.) and get a Toyota. Been happy as a clam ever since.

The new ones of course don't have mechanical distributors, but the symptoms seem similar. Since the crank angle sensor is the electronic equivalent of the mechanical distributor, I would agree that is the place to look.

See #7

Yeah!

Sometimes things happen in simultaneum.

S.

Maybe it's everyone except me; maybe it's me ... who misapprehended your question? Wasn't it, How do I go about asking for and purchasing diagnostics and repair without being "taken for a ride"?

This is a tough one if you think of yourself in some technician's place...but without the luxury you have of spending more that 15 to 18 minutes just to see if (he or she) can reproduce the symptom. Unless the tech has specific knowledge (experience) regarding your specific problem with your specific model, s/he is just as likely to try getting rid of you as to try ripping you off. Now, I have encountered circumstance in which I left car with mechanic for several days for him to drive until the symptom appeared...but that was wiith newly purchased car...where the dealer had something at stake; but with you older car dealer has nothing at stake until he agrees to help you and contract is signed.

The important thing in any owner-repairer situation is to be careful not to anticipate what might be wrong unless you are technicallly on very solid ground, which you are not. For unscrupulous mechanics, a common modus operandi is to listen carefully to how you describe your problem, and then sell you the fix to that, right or wrong. If you still have a problem after "repair" the mechanic needs only to suggest that "your" solution was the correct one (so you should be pleased), but that it was not the only (or was covering) an addtional problem which he will now be happy to correct...for more money. (This could be called the slight of hand repair ploy.) So it's important not to give the mechanic too much and to put the burden on him to solve the problem. One way to put mechanic on spot is to simply describe the problem you encountered (no embellishement or conjectures, or questions about what it might be) and then ask him if he knows how to fix it. This last part is important because you don't want him to be learning (or not learning) on the job at your expense -- even though you will be paying him as though he has yet to learn...that is to say, paying off flat rate table which always includes cost reimbursement for learning curve.

If the mechanic demurs with such statements as, "I'm pretty sure," or 'Yes, but no guarantees," then consider that a fudged answer (he's hoping to get lucky, but betting you won't notice you were ripped until he has your money.)

Read the work order very carefully (don't accept scribble as this is a ploy to avoid accountability) and ask what each item means and does not mean...and how each work item is necessary to the task of fixing the car. If the tech cannot make the answers clear to you, then they are probably not so clear to him, either.

Be sure, in the service contract, to leave yourself escape room (just like the repairers always do)...that is to say, points (opportunities) at which you can back out and look elsewhere. For example, part of the repair might be to perform a comprehensive system diagnosis (after which additional repairs might be added to the work order). If you sign off on the diagnostic work (and diagnostic work will almost certainly be required) you will want to be assured that the diagnostic charge will include any teardown, or that none will be done, and that the vehicle will be in the same condition (that is to say, drive-able) as when you brought it in. Never let a repairman return a car that needs work just to get it back to the condition in which it was presented. Make sure that you have all such understanding up front. Always remember to keep the burden where it belongs...with the repairman. Pay for only what is promised can be accomplished...such as diagnostics...before proceeding to next repair as needed. OH yes, if diagnostics, ask for print out of results as a condition of payment. (Otherewise you could be stuck with repeating the same work if you have to move on to new mechanic.)

Finally, if mechanic knows the lyric to Lady is a Tramp, he's probably not the one for you.

Yeah I guess we all "misapprehended" the question !!!!!!!

You said: It will go 15 to 18 miles and turn off. Then I wait 1 hour and it starts again. An then some times you make it back home and some times it stops again.

Tell me, are you in the front seat or back seat when this happens? And what's playing on the radio?

Have you discussed this with your doctor?

--Studman

SO WHAT WAS THE MALFUNCTION - THE SUSPENSE IS GUST KILLING US !!!