20 Most Recent 1996 Nissan Altima - Page 9 Questions & Answers

check front cv axles

You don't mention if the check engine light is on or not so I will assume that it is not.Given my experiences with this model over the last little while my best GUESS and it is only a guess is that either your fuel pump is acting up or your distributer(which was always problematic on the 2.4 ) is acting up.Since this type of problem can put you into a life threatening situation I recemend you have the car looked at by a Nissan mechanic ASAP. Good luck.

http://autorepair.about.com/library/firing_orders/bl-fo-6181.htm

When your car overheats it stops? You need to get some attention to the cooling system as something is awry there.

Normal 0 false false false /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;}

The start is located underneath the intake manifold on the back side of the engine and mounted onto the transmission case. This location is the same for all basic altimas for many years during production.

i would not rule out the starter-your best bet to eliminate the starter is to have someone bang on the starter as you turn the key to start it-if it starts great get the starter replaced-it is locking up-if it starts smoking or you smell something burning
that too is a bad starter-replace it
if neither of these work then have someone check the ignition(as long as its not the battery-just cause it has power doesnt mean the battery is not bad-it may not have enough power to start the vehicle)

fuel pump

There is a disconnect for the fuel line in the engine compartment. Disconnect it at the motor and cycle the key. This will determine if your fuel pump is running. If it is not which I would assume it isnt then check the relay. If the relay is not clicking when you cycle the key then replace it. If you have low pressure then try replacing the fuel filter. This could cause low pressure and keep the vehicle from starting. If it is not fuel delivery then there is a problem with your timing or firing order.

have the AC water condensation drain checked, it is most likely plugged, it is under the car at the base of the firewall on the passenger side, what u are hearing is most likely water trapped in the AC air ducting

The knock sensor is underneath the intake manifold on the rear of the engine.
If you got an engine check code from Autozone or some other goof ball company like that go and get a full tank of the highest quality gas and see if that fixes the problem.

in the fuse panel there are 4 blue relays the bottom one is your problem swap it with another and i bet it will start working again

If the shop installed a different thermostat (there are different actuation temperatures), the normal position of your gage will change accordingly. As long as it's still in the normal range and stays at a new "normal" level, I'd say you're OK. If it is getting too close to the red, ask them to reinstall a lower temp thermostat.

wow well it sounds like you have a few things to worry about! Which ever misfire cylinder it is reading go ahead and replace the spark plugs first, if that's not it replace the wires and the distributor. The mass air flow code is what regulates the air coming in to your engine. This will prevent your car from breathing really so it is a must to change it. Coolant temp code could be lack of coolant in the radiator, the thermostat might need to be changed, or the water pump may need to be changed. I would do the cheapest first and work your way up! Hope this helps you out!

cs sensor is beside crankshaft pulley side of motor look for electrical plug. or could be inside crankshaft pulley, some are made that way, if so you'll have to pull harmonic balancer to get it out. hope i helped!!!

If you look on the front of your upper water hose going from motor toraditor, you will see a small wire and plug assy. that will be the sensor and just unscrew and replace. Good luck it is quite easy to do.
Emmett Sr.

passenger side of the car, under the dash board

1. Improper water circulation: Sometimes, eventhough you are sure that you have enough water on your radiator, your car still overheats. It might probably be that the water is cannot circulate properly, which results to improper cooling process. There are several reasons for this which you can discover by yourself. To verify if the water circulates properly, start your engine without the radiator cap. If water circulation is good, you should notice that the water pops smoothly over the top but still retains the amount. Another way to check, detach one of the ends of your radiator hose from your radiator and see if water flows continously over.
If water doesn’t circulates well, check the thermostat if it’s open. It should be open, meaning clean, and the water can pass through it.
If thermostat is clean and still the water doesn’t circulate properly, then you have to check the water pump. That’s probably where the problem is. A little leak on the pump will cause improper flow of water through the radiator system.
If you are sure that the problem is not about water circulation, another thing you can consider is check the engine oil. Very low amount of oil can cause greater friction of the mechanical system of your engine. If it’s not time to change oil yet, you can add over some amount of oil until advisable amount is reached.
While we can’t be always sure about our engine, especially if it’s not new, we should be prepared when it happens. Bringing extra gallon of water in your trunk will surely help.