WONT START!! :(

[Wootang]

I was driving all day yesterday with no problems, so no funny noises, and no odd vibrations. I'm seriously confused as to what the hell is wrong with my baby.
Last night I parked down town (victoria) and headed to some clubs, after getting bored and not wanting to deal with the BS that was going on down town I went back to my car (I only had 2 beers, so don't worry), and attempted to fire it up. It cranked over, rev'd up to 1000, then died. I sat there for 5 minutes and tried it again and I had the same result . When this happened a red light on the dash lit up which is apparently an exhaust sensor (I called a fellow member "bowes" and he informed me of what it was), and we came to a conclusion that I would disconnect the battery today in attempt to reset the car and hopefully get it home. This morning I went down and tried to crank it over in hopes that a miracle had happened and I could drive away; however, the exact opposite happend... Now it wont even crank over :'(.
It's a 1991 GTS-t with some aftermarket parts and electronics, all installed by Zensport, who re-tuned the car after all was said and done.

If any of you guys know whats wrong, or know how to fix it, I would be forever greatfull and buy you beer

Thanks in advance!

[Skym]

Could be alternator has failed and has drained battery after cranking it a few times. It would explain why engine won't crank if battery has been drained enough.

If car has the beeper behind dash, dash would start to beep when battery is low. Some take the beeper out from behind the dash, as they find it annoying when car is in reverse and it beeps. Also dash beeps when light's are left on and when battery is low, as mentioned above.

Cat overheat light acts as an engine check light. Did cat overheat light flash a DTC error code???

You'll need to find out what the DTC error code is on ECU. Nissan dealership (Consult) or Ztune (Nistune tuning software) should be able to help, as they can check for DTC error codes.

Ztune -

http://www.ztune.ca/

Or this might help with deciphering flashing code (DTC error codes), if you have to do it manually via diagnostic screw on side of engine ECU -

http://www.overflow.250x.com/diagnostics.htm

It will involve removing screws in kick panel and remove kick panel in doorway on passenger side. Then remove screws in kick panel, just under dash on passenger side and remove kick panel to access engine ECU.

If your inexperienced with cars, get Nissan dealership or Ztune to sort the problem out.

[BrianV8]

I'm with skym thinking maybe alternator. As far as the cat overheat light from my understanding all it does is trigger the light in the dash. It does not effect the ecu in any way. I've known people, myself included that has had that come on with no issue. Some just cut the sensor off and pull the bulb in the dash.

[Skym]

From what I understand cat light has 2x purposes.

1.) When exhaust temps reach 850 degrees+, exhaust temp probe in cat sends a high? voltage to engine ECU that makes engine ECU switch into limp mode (runs rich, limts revs to 3000rpm) to drop exhaust temps, protect engine from overheating and car is still driveable, so can be driven to Nissan Dealership.

2.) Cat light is linked to engine ECU, as I had cat light light up on my car when the diagnostic screw on side of engine ECU wasn't set to run properly. Nearly every time car hit a bump in the road, cat light would flash. (Flashes DTC error codes).

[BrianV8]

oh ok i was not aware, when we did my downpipe we just pulled it out and its hanging there and the light is on but it never had any effect on the car what so ever?

[Skym]

I too once thought when the cat light was on, it activated failsafe mode on engine ECU. But it only does it when cat sensor reaches around 850 degrees+ (cat gets blocked).

Earthed the cat sensor to side of exhaust with intake hose clamp on my car to stop cat light on dash lighting up. Been like that for 9 years or so without cat light on dash lighting up.

[BrianV8]

ohh ic, so the only reason mine is turning on is because its not grounded to the exhaust, that makes sence.

[Skym]

Grounded to exhaust (exhaust / engine is grounded to chassis) or chassis. Exhaust is easier.

[Wootang]

The battery is most defiantly full of charge. I can crank the engine 'till the cows come home if I wish, it just wont fire.
My exhaust still has the cat installed, with the sensor attached, so it's possible the cat is just plugged causing the engine not to turn over?

I had the car towed to my house 2 hours ago and I disconnected the fuel line to the engine and had some one press their thumb over the end as I cranked it to see if any pressure was built, but nothing hapened.. Deal fuel pump? Or would the car essentially be shutting everything off to keep it from being started?

At this point in time, I can't have the towed to the nissan dealership so they can plug the computer into it, and it's very inconvenient to go to Ztune, since I'm on the island :P.
I have a an apexi fsc neo if that helps...

Thanks for the replies!!! I really want to drive my car on this beautiful day

[love_boost]

take a test light and check for power at the plug of the pump in the trunk (remove carpet and cover plate)
can you hear the fuel pump prime? i could see it running for a few seconds until all the fuel was out of the lines.

its weird when it happens lol happend to me and afew friends it runs fine you shut it off go to start it 10 min later nothing lol.

check your valve timing, mark on the upper timing cover where CAS position and remove upper timing cover to make sure your belt didnt break/ stretch, some people say they are interference engines and others dont.

does it make a click? enything? what does the clock do when you try and turn it over? if it dims out most likely your battery is toast. like said before if your battery has nothing there could be a problem with your alternator, just fluke that the battery died after you started it up/

[Skym]

You should hear / let fuelpump prime for 5-10 seconds, then turn engine on.

I think multimeter is best for testing fuelpump, etc, as voltage regulator to fuelpump can fail (common problem) and output low voltage to fuelpump (could be the engine ECU DTC error code). If not that, then fuelpump has failed.

Disconnecting CAS can make engine crank but not start. Often done when priming oilcooler and new turbo's with oil.

Ignition module on back of motor can make engine stall when ignition module gets hot after 10 minutes of driving and engine usually can be started after letting ignition module cool down for 10 minutes.

[Wootang]

Slightly off topic, but are you a mechanic by any chance "skym"? I have done a lot of reading in the tech area and you seem to have a post in every thread with great detail about all skyline problems :P.

N00b question here, but what does CAS stand for?
I noticed that on the driver side sun visor, there is (on the left side) the exhaust sign, just like the one that came on in my dash. Has any one translated the Japanese that goes along with it? Or perhaps, knows some one who can? I am hoping that it'll say something around the lines of "a sensor has failed so your car wont start). That being the problem will cost much less than having to buy a new fuel pump!

[Skym]

I just picked up on symptoms of problems as things have failed on my Skyline, or on other people's Skylines.

CAS is Cam Angle Sensor or some call it Crank Angle Sensor, as the exhaust cam is connected to crank via timing belt and CAS takes the timing off the crank (crank rotation in degrees before ECU fires sparkplug or injects fuel). CAS basically sends 2 signals that tells ECU 1.) base ignition timing 2.) when to inject fuel. Inside CAS, there's 2 sets of slots on a disc. I think it was outer set of slots is for ignition timing and the inner set is for fuel injection timing.

From what I understand, on the back of sun visior on drivers side, it just talks about if cat light comes on, that cat has overheated and to drive car to local Nissan Dealership to get it fixed.

If you need a way to check for DTC error codes on engine ECU and clear DTC error codes, etc, try this software, cable -

http://www.blazt.biz/index.php

It allows you plug your home computer or laptop up to the car and like what was said above check, clear DTC error codes, etc.

[m_melen]

if the battery were drained the car wouldn't have started in the first place. if the alternator were no good revving the engine like he did wouldn't have killed it either, that juices up the alternator.

[BrianV8]

check for fuel, make sure fuel pump is priming
check and make sure injectors are firing with a noide light
check for spark, pull a coil shove a spark plug in it and crank the motor,