Nissan PULSAR N13 Series / ASTRA LD Series. Manual - part 8

Roadside Trouble Shooting

 

(5)   Place the vent caps loosely over the cell 

apertures.

 

(6)  Connect one end of the red jumper lead to 

the  positive ( + ) battery terminal of the  booster 
battery and the other end of the red lead to the 
positive (+) battery terminal of the discharged bat- 
tery.

 

NOTE: The battery emits hydrogen gas 
which is explosive. Do not expose the battery 
to naked /lames or sparks.

 

Do not lean over the battery when con- 

necting the jumper leads.

 

Do not allow the ends of the jumper leads 

to touch one another or any part of the 
engine.

 

(7)  Connect one end of the black juniper lead to 

the negative (-) battery terminal of the booster 
battery and the other end of the black lead to a good 
earthing point on the engine of the vehicle with the 
discharged battery.

 

NOTE: Do not connect the jumper lead 
directly to the negative (-) battery terminal 
of the discharged battery.

 

(8)  Start the engine on the vehicle with the 

booster battery and run the engine at a moderate 
speed. 

(9)  Start the engine on the vehicle with the 

discharged battery. 

 

(10)  If possible, leave the engines of both vehi- 

cles running for 10 minutes. 

(11)  Disconnect the jumper leads in the reverse 

order of the sequence in which they were connected. 

2.     TO CHECK IGNITION AND ELECTRICAL 

SYSTEM

 

(1)  Switch on the ignition and check for warning 

lamp illumination on the dashboard. 

(2)  Operate the starter and check that the starter 

rotates the engine at a steady speed. 

(3)  Switch on the headlamps and check for good 

light intensity. 

Should the lamps not illuminate or the starter 

motor not turn the engine, carry out the following 
steps:

 

(a)  Remove the battery terminals and clean both 

terminals and posts. Connect the terminals and where 
applicable tighten firmly but not excessively. 

(b)  Check that the earth lead from the battery to 

the engine or body frame is not broken and that the 
connections are clean and secure. 

. (c) Check that the lead from the battery to the 

starter motor or starter solenoid is intact and has a 
clean and secure connection.

 

 

Ensure that the battery posts and terminals are clean

. 

(d) Where necessary carry out repairs to (b) and 

(c).

 

Repeat the check procedure. Should the starter 

motor still not operate, or the lamps not illuminate, 
one or more of the following faults may be the cause:

 

No starter motor operation or lamps: Battery flat 

or defective.

 

Lamps illuminate but no starter operation: Starter 

motor drive jammed in mesh with flywheel ring gear. 
Starter motor or solenoid defective. Ignition/starter 
switch faulty. On automatic transaxle models, faulty 
neutral safety switch.

 

Lamps dim and starter operation sluggish: Dis- 

charged battery or fault in starter motor. Battery flat 
due to broken fan belt or defective alternator. Faulty 
battery due to cell breakdown.

 

NOTE: Electronic ignition systems can pro- 
duce dangerously high voltages in both the 
primary and secondary circuits. For this 
reason, extreme care must be taken when 
performing these checks. When disconnect-

 

 

Securely earth the body of a test spark plug to check

for sparks at the spark plug leads. 

Roadside Trouble Shooting

 

ing the wiring from any component, ensure 
that the ignition switch is off and the 
negative battery terminal is disconnected to 
prevent damage to the solid state circuitry.

 

(4)  Open the electrode gap of a serviceable spark 

plug to 6 mm. Securely earth the plug using a jumper 
lead or by  tying the plug  to an earthed engine 
component. 

(5)  Disconnect  the  high  tension  lead   from  a 

spark plug and connect it to the test spark plug. 

(6)  Have an assistant operate the starter motor. 
(7)  Check that a spark, if any, jumps the gap on 

the test spark plug. 

If the spark is satisfactory, proceed to operation

 

(8).

 

If there is no spark, proceed as follows:

 

(a)   Check the high tension leads to ensure that

 

they are dry and that the insulation is not cracked or

 

perished. Check the ends of the leads for burning. 

Using an ohmmeter, measure the resistance in

 

each high tension lead. The resistance should be no

 

more than 15 000 ohms per lead.

 

(b)  Check the distributor cap to ensure that it is 

dry and clean. Examine both the inside and outside of 
the cap for cracks or tracking, particularly between the 
high tension lead segments.

 

Check that the carbon brush in the centre of the 

distributor cap interior face is clean and dry and 
ensure that the brush moves freely in and out of its 
locating hole.

 

(c)  Check the rotor arm for cracks, deposits and 

burning on the metal arm. 

(d)  Ensure that the high tension leads have dry. 

clean and secure connections on the distributor cap. 

(8) If the above checks result in a good spark at 

the spark plug high tension leads but the engine is still 
not operating satisfactorily, remove all the spark plugs 
and check the condition and electrode gap as de- 
scribed in the Engine Tune-up section under the 
appropriate heading.

 

3.    TO CHECK FUEL SYSTEM 

Due to the complex nature of the EFI system, it is 

recommended that should the following checks prove 
satisfactory but the engine fail to start, reference be 
made to the Fuel and Engine Management section of 
this manual or a Nissan workshop be consulted.

 

(1)  Check that the fuel tank contains a reason- 

able amount of fuel. 

(2)  Have an assistant switch the ignition on and 

off while squeezing the fuel  supply  hose with  the 
fingers. If the fuel pump is operating it should be 
possible to feel the fuel pressure increase for approx- 
imately two seconds. 

NOTE: When conducting the above test it 
should be possible to hear the fuel pump and 
ignition relays clicking when the ignition is 
switched on and off

 

If the fuel pump relay fails, power will be 

supplied to the fuel pump via the oil pressure

 

  

 

Check   the   distributor   cap   for   cracks   or   tracking 

between the terminals. 

Squeeze the fuel supply hose while the ignition is 
switched On. An increase in pressure should be felt

. 

Check the spark plug high tension leads for cracks and

burnt or corroded terminals. 

Roadside Trouble Shooting

 

35

 

  

 

View showing the location of the fuel pump fuse and 

the EGI and fuel pump relays. 

switch. When starting the engine, the fuel 
pump will not operate until the oil pressure 
is sufficient to extinguish the oil pressure 
warning lamp. Therefore it will be necessary 
to operate the starter motor for a longer 
period than usual to start the engine.

 

(3)  If the fuel pump cannot be felt operating, 

check the fuel pump fuse located in the fuse panel 
adjacent to the steering column.

 

If the fuel pump fuse is serviceable, refer to the 

Fuel and Engine Management section for detailed 
tests on the fuel pump.

 

(4)  Check that all fuel hose connections are 

secure. 

(5)  Remove the spark plugs and check for petrol 

saturation of the electrodes which indicates flooding. 
Thoroughly clean and dry the spark plugs before 
replacement. 

Fully depress the throttle pedal and turn the 

ignition switch to the start position. If the engine does 
not start, proceed as follows.

 

Check that the MAP sensor hose is not blocked or split 

and ensure that all electrical connections are clean and 

secure. 

If flooding persists, refer to the Fuel and Engine 

Management section.

 

(6)  Check that all EFI electrical wiring connec- 

tors are clean and secure. 

(7)  Check that the MAP sensor vacuum hose is 

securely connected at each end and is not split or 
blocked. 

4.    TO CHECK MECHANICAL SYSTEM 

The following check procedure assumes that the 

starter motor will rotate the engine. If not, on manual 
transaxle models, depress the clutch pedal to disen- 
gage the engine from the transaxle in case the fault lies 
within the transaxle.

 

If the starter motor will not rotate the engine, it 

will be necessary to remove the starter motor and 
attempt to turn the engine over manually. This will 
establish whether the fault lies with the starter motor, 
which could be jammed or defective, or with the 
engine, which could be seized or have broken internal 
components such as connecting rods, pistons and 
crankshafts etc.

 

If the starter motor is not at fault and the engine 

will not rotate manually, refer to the Engine Mechan- 
ical Trouble Shooting heading in the Engine section.

 

It should be noted that the only way that cylinder 

compression can be accurately tested is with a com- 
pression gauge. The method described in the following 
procedure is only intended to give a rough indication 
when checking for causes of engine breakdown,

 

( I )   When  the  engine  is  cool,  check  for  loss  of 

coolant from the cooling system.

 

If coolant loss is evident, check carefully for any 

indication of external leakage. Remove the engine oil 
dipstick and check for water contamination (emulsi- 
fication) of the oil. When oil mixes with water it will

 

Ensure that all fuel connections are securely tightened

.

36

 

Roadside Trouble Shooting

 

 

 

Check the engine oil for level and dilution on the 

dipstick. 

turn creamy. The oil level will also have increased. If 
the oil is emulsified, proceed to operation (5).

 

(2)  Remove the fusible link that is positioned 

third from the front of the fusible link connection 
block, located at the rear of the battery. Disconnect 
the coil high tension lead from the coil. 

(3)  Remove all of the spark plugs except one. 
(4)  Have an assistant operate the ignition switch 

to rotate the engine and listen to the sound made by 
the engine as it is being turned over. Move the spark 
plug to a different cylinder and repeat the lest. 

By performing the same test on all cylinders, a 

rough comparison can be made to determine if there 
is any loss of compression in any cylinder. This will be 
apparent by the different sound made by the engine as 
it is being turned over.

 

Normally, if the compression is satisfactory the 

cylinder with the spark plug installed will create a 
resistance to the rotating engine.

 

However, if the compression is low in a particular 

cylinder, the engine will turn over easily and smoothly 
when that spark plug is in place.

 

(5)  If the above checks show a loss of coolant 

which is present in the engine oil or on the spark plug, 
one or more of the following faults may be the cause:

 

Blown cylinder head gasket.

 

Cracked cylinder or cylinder head.

 

If the compression check showed any weak or 

inconsistent compressions, in addition to the above 
faults any of the following could also be the cause:

 

Broken piston{s)

 

Burnt or broken valve(s).

 

Provided the previous checks do not indicate an

 

 

View showing the location of the fusible links. 

internal leakage of coolant, proceed with the follow- 
ing:

 

(6)  Remove the distributor cap and, with the aid 

of an assistant operating the starter motor, check that 
the rotor arm rotates as the engine turns over. 

(7)  Remove the camshaft housing top cover and. 

again with an assistant operating the ignition switch, 
check that all the valves open and close as the engine 
turns over. 

If the rotor arm or valves do not operate with 

engine rotation, one of the following faults may be the 
cause:

 

Rotor arm does not turn but valves operate: 

Distributor drive shaft broken.

 

Rotor arm and valves do not operate: Broken 

camshaft drive belt. Sheared crankshaft timing gear 
drive key. Sheared camshaft liming gear drive dowel.

 

Provided that all the previous checks have been 

performed correctly and the operator is satisfied that 
none of the components are at fault, all that remains 
is for the ignition and valve timing to be checked. It 
should be noted, however, that if loss of valve timing 
proves to be the fault, the cause of this occurrence 
must be sought and rectified.

 

(8)  In order to check the valve timing it will be 

necessary to remove  the distributor cap and  the 
camshaft housing top cover and turn the engine 
clockwise via the crankshaft pulley until No. 1 piston 
is at TDC on the compression stroke. In this position 
the valves of No. 1 cylinder should be closed, the 
valves of No. 4 should be rocking and the distributor 
rotor should be pointing to the No. 1 high tension lead 
segment in the distributor cap.