Lots of engine knocking, then car won't start. Please Help
crazy...@hotmail.com
'85 Nissan Kingcab pickup truck with the Z24 engine.
Frida night, I drove the pickup and noticed that the engine was knocking
very heavily, and that acceleration was poor (loss of horse power). I
figured it must be a timing problem. Saturday morning I tried to start
the truck so I can take it to our mechanic, but all I hear is the relay
click, then the starter solenoid click, then the relay clicking on off
rapidly, and then the curcuit breaker (?) click which removed the power
from the interior accessories (radio, overhead light, and blower
motor). The starter does not turn the engine over. I figure that it
must be a weak battery, but when I tried to jump start the engine, the
same thing happerns. There is power to the interior accessories, but
the starter doesn't turn and I hear the relay and solenoid. I then
tried to turn on the headlights, but when I turned the switch to the
parking light position, I hear a click (not the relay) which I believe
is coming frome the circuit breaker. Same thing with the
hazard/emergencey flashers.
I then tried to start the engine by jumping a wire from the batter's
positive post to the starter solenoid. The solenoid clickes, there is a
spark at the battery terminal, but the starter motor doesn't turn (also
with key in the on position- same thing happens.
With the key in the on position, I can hear the fuel pump pumping, and
some outher kind of pumping noise coming from the carburator area which
I don't know what it could be.
I did disconnect the wires from the alternator thinking that it might
have shorted, but nothing changed.
After trying to start the car with the key a few times, and trying the
lights again and again, the lights did come on, but went off again when
I tried to start the truck again.
The battery's voltage is at 12.6v, which has been normal for this car
because the alternator only puts out about 13 volts. Engine has always
started great at these numblers, and lights have always been bright.
This shouldn't by the problem because I tried to jump it with a known to
be very good battery.
By the way, I did notice a flickering battery light on Friday night, but
don't know how lonk it's been doing it because my dad doesn't say
anything until the car doesn't start, and then he comes asking for my
car.
I believe their might be a short somewhere, but please give me your
opinions as to where , why, how, .... I just want to get it started so
that I can drive it to my mechanic because I don't have the time to
trouble shoot it because of work and college classes.
I really appreciate any help you can give me. I do have a pretty good
knowlege of how relays, starters, alternators, etc. work (have rebuilt
some in the past), so please feel free to get technical. I also have a
test light and a Digital Multimeter so I can do any testing required.
I'm really curious if all this is just coincidental, or if the heavy
engine knocking caused this electrical nightmare.
EMAIL ADDRESS: c r a z y l a r r y @ h o t m a i l . c o m
or just to any of the above newsgroups. THANK U Very Much :-)
David A. Henley
only takes about 9 volts to crank the average engine over. It does
sound however like you seized the engine, as knocking is usually a low
oil pressure problem, and the force of the cumbustion may have kept it
turning, but the starter is not as strong. Wish I could have given
brighter news. Good luck.
crazy...@hotmail.com
Thanks for the input.
I was able to start the truck on Sunday, and will be taking it to the
mechanic on Monday for the engine knocking. The problem was not the
starter (which I found out at Pep Boy's- thanks guys), but a corroded
connection of the accessories hookup to the battery (+). It looked
great from the outside, but when taken apart.... So I cleaned that up
and the car started great. So I guess there was enough juice going
through for the radio, interior lights, etc., but not enough for the
high current draw items such as the headlights and of course, the
starter solenoid.
Now for that #$&^*!~$ engine knocking.... David A. Henley wrote:
jtjohnson
cl,
Is your engine frozen?
Jim
Joe - I wanna employ you - Agro
David Henley wrote:
> internal corrosion as a problem (probably because I rarely experience
> INTERNAL corrosion, just in plain view. Hope all works well for you in
> future.
>
> Dave
The engine knocking could be collapsed lifters. When the oil in a car
is not changed regularly it causes the lifters on some cars (tyhe ones
with lifters than CAN collapse) to collapse and then the valves knock
very loudly. I have an 1989 Sentra without a problem and it's got
almost 180,000 miles. On the other hand, my sister has an 89 sentra
with 70,000 and it's knocking, the doors are almost falling off they are
so misaligned, etc...
BTW - Anyone with a Sentra have problems with the trunk filling with
water? I drilled some drain holes and then painted them so they
wouldn't rust, but I'm sure there is a better solution.
Joe
--
Hmmm.. Oh. Here starts my sigfile! Be therefore warned.
Wanna make some cash on the side working from home in your spare time?
Ask me about my job offer.
Wanna get rid of some of that old computer / electronics / video game
equipment as a tax deduction? Ask me about G-CLIC.
David Henley
Trevor Jensen
I had a similar problem, minus the electrical stuff. I did not get my
truck home like you did. The got real bad, and the next thing I knew I
had no power, not to say that a Chevy I-6 292 has power, but I had
none. The next day the oil pan was dropped to find the better part of
my #4 cylinder wall in my oil, along with everything else. This was due
to age and poor maintenance. The knocking in that 292 was the piston
against the cylinder wall. Not your prefered answer, I know.
If you do not like that answer, pull the starter and bench test it to
see if it spins. Your starter may have been shifted loose and beat to
crap by the fly wheel. I have never heard of this happening, but hell I
know it could happen on that old mutant '63 Chevy of mine.
Trevor
tje...@mail.wsu.edu
David Henley
Joe - I wanna employ you - Agro wrote:
> is not changed regularly it causes the lifters on some cars (tyhe ones
> with lifters than CAN collapse) to collapse and then the valves knock
> very loudly. I have an 1989 Sentra without a problem and it's got
> almost 180,000 miles. On the other hand, my sister has an 89 sentra
> with 70,000 and it's knocking, the doors are almost falling off they are
> so misaligned, etc...
>
> BTW - Anyone with a Sentra have problems with the trunk filling with
> water? I drilled some drain holes and then painted them so they
> wouldn't rust, but I'm sure there is a better solution.
>
> Joe
>
> --
> Hmmm.. Oh. Here starts my sigfile! Be therefore warned.
>
> Wanna make some cash on the side working from home in your spare time?
> Ask me about my job offer.
>
> Wanna get rid of some of that old computer / electronics / video game
> equipment as a tax deduction? Ask me about G-CLIC.
in the rain. She got rid of it for this very reason.
Linda Mossman
> Thanks for the input.
>
> I was able to start the truck on Sunday, and will be taking it to the
> mechanic on Monday for the engine knocking. The problem was not the
> starter (which I found out at Pep Boy's- thanks guys), but a corroded
> connection of the accessories hookup to the battery (+). It looked
> great from the outside, but when taken apart.... So I cleaned that up
> and the car started great. So I guess there was enough juice going
> through for the radio, interior lights, etc., but not enough for the
> high current draw items such as the headlights and of course, the
> starter solenoid.
> Now for that #$&^*!~$ engine knocking.... David A. Henley wrote:
Could be your crankshaft is going going gone or your pistons gone. Is it
top end or bottom end. You have to listen. Sounds like you didn't give
your truck lots of tlc. Maybe your other current problem is your
alternator if your current is low. I work on my own car and encountered
some mishaps
Linda