Help my step-daughter with a car problem...

[Doug]

She has a well worn Nissan Altima or Sentra or something, like a 2002 with 115k or so. The car seems to suddenly want to fail at times ( rain seems to make it worse ?).

Car itself would be maybe worth $4,500 ( if that ?) selling it on CL. Nissan can't figure out the problem, already charged her a few hundred, trying to fix it.

I don't know what to tell her. She's (IMO) already a bit barreled in with a mortgage, doesn't really need a car payment on top of it.

I suggest a used car, perhaps something like a Toyota 4X2 pick-up truck (used).

Any ideas ?

 

[artiesliver]

Could be the alternator? Do you know if they checked that?

 

[TTinCO]

The car seems to suddenly want to fail at times ( rain seems to make it worse ?)

That sounds like a bad rotator cap

 

[BAGIANT]

Might check the distibutor as it tends to get moisture at times! Spark plugs should always be checked!

 

[ProPokerPlayer]

Go outside at night and lift the hood with the motor running. I think its on the front left of the motor, there is a black box where the spark plug wires originate. My guess is you will see blue sparks coming from that black box or very near by. When it rains water is getting into that crack and shutting down the ignition system and if the car gets hot enough on a dry day the crack probably opens up big enough to where you get no spark at all to the plugs...
Not an expensive fix, a used 1 is just fine.
115k is not high on that car, why would you want to go buy a used car that could have the same problem tomorrow for all you know when you could bring yours to a competent mechanic and have it fixed for a few hundred? You would then have a used car that u pd a few hundred for that you know at least shouldnt have that problem for awhile........Just doesnt make sense to me..

 

[Doug]

I will forward this thread to her, of course. I first sent her to a carclub forum for Nissan owners. I've had good success with these types of specific forums to cars/trucks I own/owned. That seems to be not working well.

This is a last ditch effort ( IMO). I'm almost ready to tell her to sell it. Maybe she can chime in with specific details of the malfunction ? That probably won't happen for 24+ hours.

 

[Doug]

Go outside at night and lift the hood with the motor running. I think its on the front left of the motor, there is a black box where the spark plug wires originate. My guess is you will see blue sparks coming from that black box or very near by. When it rains water is getting into that crack and shutting down the ignition system and if the car gets hot enough on a dry day the crack probably opens up big enough to where you get no spark at all to the plugs...
Not an expensive fix, a used 1 is just fine.
115k is not high on that car, why would you want to go buy a used car that could have the same problem tomorrow for all you know when you could bring yours to a competent mechanic and have it fixed for a few hundred? You would then have a used car that u pd a few hundred for that you know at least shouldnt have that problem for awhile........Just doesnt make sense to me..

This will be presented to her.

 

[TTinCO]

Might check the distibutor as it tends to get moisture at times! Spark plugs should always be checked!

That's what I meant....distributor cap.

 

[Buster]

Might check the distibutor as it tends to get moisture at times! Spark plugs should always be checked!

ditto..

 

[Doug]

Great suggestions so far guys. She just deserves this this Nissan to run its' 200k.

 

[Doug]

That sounds like a bad rotator cap

Kind of tune-up SHIT, eh , Terry ? I just don't wan't her to get screwed. She should be able to drive this as a reliabile beater for a good 80k beyond what it has now, IMO !


TTinCo : I know very well , that we dislike each other, but I respect you. %^_

 

[tatehill2000]

ditto..

ditto ditto,,,,,,,

bad points in cap and/or 1 bad spark plug wire.

a new cap wont cost 20.00 and if you unclick the clamps to the original cap, then CAREFULLY reclick on the new cap and CAREFULLY remove each sparkplug wire and reset it in its EXACT POSITION on the new cap.

that should do it and you could do the repair just as I stated doug,,, make sure you look at wires and make sure that they are not FRAYED or cracked, if so, then you need to do the above mentioned AND replace each wire one at a time from the engine block to cap, carefully removing and replaceing 1 at a time so as not to mix upa wire,, (new wires will cost 30ish)

tater

 

[TTinCO]

Tate is right....there is nothing to this(AS LONG AS you get all the plug wires right).

If this turns out to be the problem, you should lynch whoever looked at this & didn't fix it.

Once you mentioned rain, distributor cap should be an absolute no brainer to any gearhead with half a clue.

 

[Doug]

her car needs a tune-up , is what it boils down to.

 

[barman]

This thread is useless without pics of your stepdaughter

 

[quantumleap]

This thread is useless without pics of your stepdaughter

Dammit. Beat me to it.

:toast:

 

[texansfan]

This thread is useless without pics of your stepdaughter

ope:

 

[MONDOGECKO]

I hope ur stepdaughter has a big trunk, cuz I'm about to put my bike in it.

 

[Jabow]

This thread is useless without pics of your stepdaughter

lol

 

[ProPokerPlayer]

It doesnt have a distributor cap...........