1986 Other Nissan Models wont start

BWL

MEMBER
1986 NISSAN
4 CYL
FWD
AUTOMATIC
212,697 MILES

I was given an 86 Nissan Stanza Multi (Canadian wagon?) The lady said she was driving it and it stopped running and she was unable to get it to start. It will turn over, but chuggs and trys to fire intermittenly. It has started very briefly for me and rattled very bad and died again. I thought maybe one of the 2 coils was out, but now I am leaning more to the timing belt. If this is the case, and the car has repedidly been attempted to start with a bad timing belt, what are the chances this ruined the upper end? What would you replace first or where would you start you diagnostics? The timing belt is the cheapest and also the hardest the change. Thank You.

1 Reply

DURANGOSCORPIAN

MEMBER
3 POSTS

Bro, if you think it is the belt, you should check timing first, do this manually, turning the motor by hand with a cheater bar, set the timing, double check it, check the firing elements (plugs, wires, coils), the easiest being checking for spark. To your fortune, it still turns over. Pull one of the plug wires and stick a philips screwdriver where the plug would go, have someone turn the engine over, as the engine turns over move the screwdriver close to something metal, if ignition is firing the spark should be clearly visible and if strong you shoud hear it(something like an injector sounds when injecting fuel-sounds a little like a lifter too)

Hope you get it running.

Durango Scorpion