Engine, Drivetrain & Forced-Induction
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Help cranks but won't start

Old Mar 1, 2016 | 11:25 AM
  #1  
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Paul_G37
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cranks but won't start

i purchased an 09 sedan a couple of weeks ago and started to have issues with it this week.

Here’s the breakdown of events before and after the problem occurred.
1. weather is about -10C (canada eh...)
2. car sat for 16 hours (no problems before that)
3. 9am started fine and driven for 30km (highway)
4. 5pm started fine and driven for 30km (highway)
5. 9pm car started fine and moved a couple of feet (running only 10-15 seconds)
6. next morning 9am would crank but not start
7. tried to start it 5-6 times and would not start, but cranking good (battery seemed strong)
8. on the next try I pressed the gas pedal while it cranked and it started, rough at first but then settled
9. Shut it off after 10-12 seconds
10. Tried to start it and had to hit the gas pedal again
11. Went for a 20 minute drive then shut it down
12. Next morning 9 am it started fine
Is there a common issue when starting it for a short period of time? This in combination with the cold weather maybe.

On most days the car starts just fine, though I find it does take a few extra cranks to get going.

Other post here say could be injector leak problem, or MAF sensor. I find it difficult to diagnose since it’s not consistent.

any thoughts?
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Old Mar 1, 2016 | 04:54 PM
  #2  
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telcoman
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From: NJ
Originally Posted by Paul_G37
i purchased an 09 sedan a couple of weeks ago and started to have issues with it this week.

any thoughts?
Did you by chance have the vehicle inspected by an Infiniti dealer prior to the purchase?

Two items to test/check

1-Fuel pressure
2-Spark

Good luck

Telcoman
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Old Mar 1, 2016 | 06:49 PM
  #3  
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Paul_G37
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It was inspected by Nissan..

I stumbled on this in the manual...
Short start in cold = difficult to start


Edit: not sure why the attachment is sideways
Attached Thumbnails cranks but won't start-dsc_0069.jpg  
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Old Mar 2, 2016 | 05:58 AM
  #4  
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Crank sensor maybe
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Old Jan 22, 2019 | 09:24 AM
  #5  
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From: Oak Ridge, TN
"Short start" condition

Hi. Sorry for such a late response to this thread. I hope you have already diagnosed your starting problems. It sounds very much like a flooding problem. One common cause of this is caused by a “short start” condition. The “short start” is when someone starts the vehicle and turns it off before it is allowed to reach full operating temperature. The typical situation is moving the vehicle from one parking spot to another (ex: from garage to driveway). Cold weather, especially temperatures near freezing, aggravate the situation. What has happened, is the engine is still in the cold-start warm up cycle. Due to a fluke in the engine management’s fuel injection computer, if the engine is shut off during this cycle and the temperature is close to freezing, it is highly likely the engine will flood itself out the next time the engine is cranked. It does not matter whether you wait one hour or one week, the computer will wait for you the next time it’s started. Once again, this is not something that will present itself as a problem every time you short-start the car. The problem will not occur if the short-start situation is avoided and the vehicle is in good mechanical condition.
  • ALWAYS ALLOW THE VEHICLE TO REACH FULL OPERATING TEMPERATURE BEFORE TURNING ENGINE OFF. This will prevent the “short start” condition.
  • If the flooding condition occurs, you will have to actively unflood the vehicle. The engine will not unflood by itself, even if allowed to sit for long periods of time.
  • If the vehicle doesn’t start within 5 seconds of cranking it’s probably not going to start without unflooding.
  • Make sure the vehicle is outside when attempting to restart during the flooded condition. Once vehicle starts there will be excessive smoke and fumes. Do not attempt to start the vehicle in an enclosed garage.
  • When attempting to start during the flooded condition, hold the accelerator pedal completely open to allow more air into the engine. DO NOT pump the gas pedal at any time while cranking the engine. Once engine starts, quickly take foot off the accelerator pedal and allow the engine to idle.
  • There is no cure for the short start problem other than the discipline to avoid the situation.
Hope this helps!!
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Old Dec 29, 2019 | 08:03 PM
  #6  
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Torre
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Had this exact problem after moving the car a few feet on Christmas Day. Solution worked perfectly! Thanks!!
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Old Nov 28, 2020 | 03:18 PM
  #7  
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ruppster
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worked perfectly

It took 2 tried, but this worked perfectly for me - THANK YOU. I was worried it was something worse.
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Old Nov 28, 2020 | 06:49 PM
  #8  
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Conboss
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Already know this will come in handy, my brother loves to start it, move it to the road, shut it off, move his car, start mine again and move it and shut if off fast. I just warned him right now
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