I purchased my Sunrader on 1986 Nissan D21 Hardbody chassis automatic trans, Aug 3, 2022 with 48,000 miles on it. The tires were 20 years old!? Around Dec 17 2022, I tried to start the truck at 9 am to go to Discount Tire to get the tires replaced.? I didn’t note the temp but it was cold, maybe 45 degrees.? The truck would not start, engine was trying with a normal cranking sound that comes with turning the ignition, but on and on and on and on it cranks....but the engine would not stay on where I could put it in drive and be on my way.?

I spent two days trying to get a tow truck to tow me to a 5 Yelp star mechanic who was willing to have my “8 foot RV with dually wheels on his lot? On the third day, the engine just start normally, right away, with no delayed cranking.

I drove it to that mechanic for needed repairs, including changing the fuel filter and he started the engine, trying to replicate the No Start, every day FOR A MONTH!? This included cold days that he said frost was on his car (don’t know the temps).? But it started fine every time, so we gave up.

Then Jan 20, 2023, I drove it to Tucson for an event and slept in the desert.? It would not start at 9 am 32 degrees.? But by 1 pm, it was warmer maybe 55 degrees, it started right away.? The next day it would not start again, it was 32 degrees 9 am, but did start in the afternoon.

This happened again in the Spring but it was 80 degrees.?

And again few days ago Jan 4, 2024, when it was 45 degrees outside. ??But it started fine right away the next day when it was 55 degrees.

?I am about to go to a Toyota Motorhome Rally in Quartzsite AZ.? I THINK the No Starting has to do with a fuel feeding issue maybe the fuel pump doesn’t pump enough gas to start in cold weather (even though it happened also at 80 degrees).?

Maybe it is faulty fuel injector?? How do you tell which one????Also over the last 15 months I used at least 6 bottles of Techron or other fuel injector cleaner.

What causes could this be, if I had the fuel filter replaced?? ?Would you recommend that I get a new fuel pump installed, if you think that mechanics inside pump doesn’t work well in colder weather.? If so, do you recommend I buy new instead of “remanuf”??

I am afraid to get stranded in Quartzsite AZ 150 miles away, and then cannot find a tow truck to tow it “where”.? I know of no mechanic there.??

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Julia - Scottsdale, AZ

At this point you are just guessing and you need more troubleshooting. One of the hardest problems for mechanic is to not be able to replicate the issue.
? ? This is what I would do the next time it does not start. Spray some starting fluid into the air intake and if it starts to crank up then it's definitely a fuel problem. Starting fluid can be purchased at any Walmart or auto supply store and is good to have on hand when traveling. I am also sure there's YouTube videos on it.

could be a bad pump.? ?first- the fuel pump only runs for a few seconds if the engine doesn't start so cranking a long time is useless.
? there is a valve in the pump to keep the fuel from draining back when not in use so starting will be quick.?
? cycling the key from off to on(not start) will cause the pump to run each cycle pressurizing the fuel system.? if this works to make it run- you need a new pump, or..... as i would do? ? add a momentary push switch to power the pump and use it for a few seconds before each start.
have done this to numerous vehicles for those who wouldn't? spend the money on a pump install?
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rz

While this is most likely a fuel delivery problem (which, as someone else suggested, can be verfied by spraying staring fluid into the intake during the no-start condition), the
actual issue is likely to be an electrical problem.

Gasoline engines run on gasoliine vapor. In cold conditions, extra fuel must be provided to the engine to ensure enough of it vaporizes to allow the engine to run.
For some reason, it appears the engine control computer is not always sensing the cold condition and NOT providing the extra fuel needed at cold start-up.

Unfortuately, you're going to need a fairly sharp mechanic to diagnose this. On a modern (post-1996) OBD 2 vehicle, a mechanic could hook up a scan tool
and see the data the engine computer is using. If one of the parameters is significantly out of range, that points the mechanic to the system or circuit that's
causing the trouble. On your Nissan, someone is going to have to do some old-fashioned electrical checks.

Three likely candidates for the trouble are:

1) The engine coolant temperature circuit - If the coolant temperature sensor is bad or the circuit is somehow faulty, the engine computer may not recognize
that the temperature is low and won't add the necessary extra fuel.

2) The fuel temperature sensor circuit -- I've never seen this particular device on any car I've worked on, but apparently your Nissan may have it
if it has California-compliant emmissions. I infer it might produce similar issues as the coolant temperature circuit.



3) The ECM itself. As electronic components get older, heat cycling and vibration can cause internal failures of components or solder joints
on circuit boards. Sometimes these only manifest in certain temperature ranges. Usually it's high temperatures that cause failure, but cold
can do it as well.


Good luck,

Buzz L.
Phoenix, AZ
Former '86 Dolphin, '89 HilLux and '96 Tacoma owner

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Julia - Scottsdale, AZ

开云体育

If you spray the starter fluid and it starts a little bit and then dies out that means you're getting a spark and it is just igniting the starter fluid so it is not an electrical issue.
Sounds like fuel is not getting from your gas tank to your motor to me.

The starter fluid in the intake is to see if the engine wants to start
with fuel (the starter fluid) or not. If it coughs and almost starts
the electrical part of the start system IS working. Then you know the
problem is in the fuel part of the start system. If it just cranks
with A SHOT of the starter fluid you know it's not getting the spark
it needs..

When it starts this morning you can drive it to Q & find the help you
need at the rally.
Good luck!

Rob
vwrobb@...

On Thu, Jan 18, 2024 at 10:31?PM Julia via groups.io
<jgenevy@...> wrote:

I am stranded at a gas station 30 mi east of Quartzsite AZ, where I was going to meet with Tika's Toyota Motorhome annual rally.

I turned off the engine to add gas and it won't start and the temperature is not cold 65° outside. It is 8:00 pm and I'm stuck.

I had these guys help me spray starting fluid in the air cleaner intake, while I turned the ignition. We used up the whole can and it wouldn't start or the engine doesn't stay on just keeps puttering out.

I also turned ignition to power on, but not all the way to set the fuel pump. Nothing good came out of this move.

I posted the same issue on Facebook Nissan D21 and four guys answered. One guy said it is electrical, maybe a crack in the distributor cap or coil. Another guy says maybe a faulty fuse he replaced fuses on a 97 Expedition and it solved 90% of electrical issues. Another guy said the distributor is going bad. Another guy said a critter built a nest in the exhaust or muffler.

Well about the distributor, a year ago when this happened for the first time and I could not find a tow truck for 2 days. The engine started very well and normally on the third day and immediately I drove it to a local solo mechanic near my house (not the one who started it for 30 days and didn't couldn't repeat the problem). But this mechanic listened to the engine and he said the "distributor is bad it's making grinding noises" but he didn't want to deal with Nissan trucks because he says "they're are a lot of trouble and they're not organized well you have to take off so many things to get to the distributor", and he didn't want to do it.

He said "only people who will scam you will deal with this truck because it's so much trouble and hard to work on". When I tell that to others they all say the same, yeah they're hard to work on . He wants to make easy money not deal with my Nissan truck so he told me don't bring it back to him. .

So here I am, a year later writing this while stuck at this gas station tonight, almost arriving in Quartzsite.

I think tomorrow it will start. It has always started on another day.


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Julia - Scottsdale, AZ

your fuel pump should be mounted to the frame in front of the right rear tire. if you touch it while someone turns the key to on? you can feel it operate.??
?if it doesn't, give it a whack and try again. if it now works the pump is bad.? ?the good news is it is easy to replace
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rz

Her fuel pump is inside the gas tank just like a Toyota.? Where do you guys get this stuff
Linda S

google.? 86 nissan pu
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rz

sorry. should have included d21? ? ?any how,? if there is a long funnel available, put it in the filler neck and have someone turn the key to on while listening at the funnel. if the pump and circuit are good you will hear the pump run.? ?if it does, i'd be looking at a filter
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rz

also a lttle bumping of the tank could get it to go for a bit
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rz

All Nissan Sunraders built after 1986 had the VG30 engine and all of them were 18 footers. There's one parked in my yard. Even so I have no idea what's causing her problems. Someone said the codes can't be read because it's not OBD. Not true. You count flashes just like most pre OBD vehicles. Strange thing about this Nissan is you count the flashes right off the computer which is under the passenger seat. There are instructions online
Linda S

alot of cars were that way. hondas come to mind
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rz

It could be your fuel filter is clogged up. It is located under the right side of the truck just aft of the door. You can get to it without jacking up the car. You just unscrew the filter bowl and rinse out the dirt. Gas will run out when you remove the filter bowl so you should put a bowl or a bucket to catch the gas. I had one of those trucks for a long time, a good machine. Good luck I hope this helps . ?Jeff Cardinal

No that's the filter location on a 720. Hers is a D21. Don't think a clogged filter has anything to do with it or it would start with starter fluid. Most likely a sensor and a bad sensor will throw a code. Have the codes checked please
Linda S