2001 Sentra crank but no start

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MFNchip
Posts: 6
Joined: Sat Jan 23, 2021 8:24 am
Car: 99 b14 autotragic rL4F03a with manual ecu in progress sr20deep + big T
96 p10 autotragic shift kitted rE4F03a + t25 rr motor so many more mods. now R.I.P
89 Ford F-150 seen 106 mph in the brick

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Also you would need to transmission controller from that year. I have never tried to mix transmission controllers between years. 91 to 99 Sentra use hydraulic transmission so if you got ecu from ser 2.0 auto, would have to get the whole transmission with it. So 94 to 96 ecu from g20 and the transmission controller with it. They use the electronic version but are almost the exact same. Almost seems worth to just get a new car at this point. 95 99 Sentra can be had for 800$


sk47
Posts: 31
Joined: Wed Dec 16, 2020 5:33 pm
Car: 2001 Nissan Sentra SE

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Hello MFNchip: Thanks for the replies. First let me update. I finally gave up on my being able to diagnose exactly what is the basic problem with the 2001 Sentra SE. Had it towed to a dealer this past Wednesday. First step will be they will let me know what what they find. May find out tomorrow (Monday) (1/25/21).
I understand what you are saying about might be time to get another car. Getting a different old Sentra is not part of the plan now. My current Sentra has been mechanically sound. No rust nor damage. Never been hit nor wrecked. Would use around 1/2 quart of oil in 3000 miles. AC and all other components were working. Drove and shifted well. Never has run hot and so forth. I do get that most any amount I spend on the car is going to be more than the car is worth. If I do let it go I will be getting a new car of some type. May consider keeping the 2001 Sentra as a project. More on that later.
Much will depend on what the trouble turns out to be. Had the codes and other evidence not indicated the immobilizer system, I would have been satisfied to hunt down the bad part or parts. I have tried to be logical about it. Since the immobilizer seemed to be tripped the next step appeared to be to get that out of the way. For what it is worth the car drove fine with no problems right up to the very first "no-start". There were no running or other signs of pending problems.
Whatever this turns out to be will be the first significant issue since I bought the car new. I have maintained it well. I have replaced normal wear items and also done preventative things such as replacing belts and hoses well before failure.

At least part of my thinking is being disgusted with the immobilizer system in general. I had always used the factory keys so did not expect any trouble from that system. Of course the final verdict is not yet in on that just yet. If the car can be reasonably fixed this time I do plan to look into what it will take to by pass that system. If the issue turns out to be the ECM I may have the car towed back to my home and start right away on bypassing that system since a new ECM will be needed anyway.

Thanks for the response. Will it be OK to write to you directly if this site allows such?

MFNchip
Posts: 6
Joined: Sat Jan 23, 2021 8:24 am
Car: 99 b14 autotragic rL4F03a with manual ecu in progress sr20deep + big T
96 p10 autotragic shift kitted rE4F03a + t25 rr motor so many more mods. now R.I.P
89 Ford F-150 seen 106 mph in the brick

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Sorry for the late response. Yes you can contact me, but I tried you and it would not let me. My email is *REDACTED*. Hope everything gets together for you. Definitely these cars are the most reliable vehicles I have come across since carbs and band adjustment Transmissions. Feel free to contact me whenever. No amount of money is too much to sink into the car you like. I dropped in turbos and poly suspension and up-kept my 96 G20 I got for $500. Probably spent close to$4000 altogether. That to me is ridiculous cheap compared to what people spend on new cars. And I had a track ready car for a fraction of the price.
Last edited by Rogue One on Wed Jan 27, 2021 8:23 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Reason: EDITED

MFNchip
Posts: 6
Joined: Sat Jan 23, 2021 8:24 am
Car: 99 b14 autotragic rL4F03a with manual ecu in progress sr20deep + big T
96 p10 autotragic shift kitted rE4F03a + t25 rr motor so many more mods. now R.I.P
89 Ford F-150 seen 106 mph in the brick

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Also for others, whatever the outcome, post it up here. Just incase someone else behind us runs into the same problem. Keep more Sentras and G20s on the road. I always browse the forums and lots of dead ends.

sk47
Posts: 31
Joined: Wed Dec 16, 2020 5:33 pm
Car: 2001 Nissan Sentra SE

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Hello; I was going to update in a day or two when I knew for sure. I reached the end of what I could do myself a little over a week ago. Well actually earlier than that but I had one more fling at trying stuff. I took out the battery and the tray under the battery. I removed all the coverings (tape and plastic boxes) surrounding the wires around the battery to have a good look. The wires looked good so I rewrapped them.
I pulled the ECM from the dash so I could look at the pins and connectors. All looked good.
Last Wednesday I had the Sentra towed to a Nissan dealer. They called yesterday to say the car is fixed. I have not yet managed to get a ride to the dealer but may have a ride tomorrow.
I printed out the notes I have been making and gave them to the dealer. The same notes I have posted here. I also printed a page telling what my best guesses were about the problem. Turns out my number one guess was correct. I was told on the phone it was the IMMU part on the steering column which was bad.
It is supposed to snow tonight and maybe tomorrow so I may have to wait a day to actually get the car back.

I intend to continue to see if there is a way to bypass the immobilized system. Had the issue been the ECM that would have already been the next goal.

More in a day or few.

sk47
Posts: 31
Joined: Wed Dec 16, 2020 5:33 pm
Car: 2001 Nissan Sentra SE

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Hello; Well it snowed but not enough to cover the roads. A friend drove me to the dealership where I picked up the car. All seems to be fine. I drove it home, about 65 miles. Parked it at home and then later started it and went to the post office.
I guess the problem can be chalked up to a failed part after 19 years. I do not have any way to judge if the weak battery had anything to do with the failure, but since the battery was weak I am suspicious. So I cannot prevent time from passing but I can replace a battery when it starts to be weak.
The IMMU on the steering column was replaced. I could have replaced it myself as I had the old one out, but the keys and the system has to be reprogramed is what I understand to be the case.

User avatar
VStar650CL
Technical Expert
Posts: 8289
Joined: Thu Nov 12, 2020 1:25 pm
Car: 2013 Nissan Altima 2.5 SL
2004 Nissan Altima 2.5 S

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sk47 wrote:
Thu Jan 28, 2021 1:56 pm
The IMMU on the steering column was replaced. I could have replaced it myself as I had the old one out, but the keys and the system has to be reprogramed is what I understand to be the case.
Chances are it just died of old age, nothing to do with the battery. The IMMU antenna works similar to an RFID reader, and since RFID requires the transmitting device (the car) to broadcast enough electrical power to remotely power the key, there's quite a bit of electric current passing through the antenna driver. In the bad IMMU's I've dissected (probably half a dozen), that was the most common cause of death. I recall only one of them died from a different ailment, a fatigued antenna wire.

sk47
Posts: 31
Joined: Wed Dec 16, 2020 5:33 pm
Car: 2001 Nissan Sentra SE

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VStar650CL wrote:
Thu Jan 28, 2021 4:05 pm
sk47 wrote:
Thu Jan 28, 2021 1:56 pm
The IMMU on the steering column was replaced. I could have replaced it myself as I had the old one out, but the keys and the system has to be reprogramed is what I understand to be the case.
Chances are it just died of old age, nothing to do with the battery. The IMMU antenna works similar to an RFID reader, and since RFID requires the transmitting device (the car) to broadcast enough electrical power to remotely power the key, there's quite a bit of electric current passing through the antenna driver. In the bad IMMU's I've dissected (probably half a dozen), that was the most common cause of death. I recall only one of them died from a different ailment, a fatigued antenna wire.
Hello; Yes old age is logical. The old battery was cranking the engine over well enough even if a bit weak. I guess since this is the first time in 19 years of a failure I should be happy about that. I have replaced normal wear items over the years but this was the first breakdown. I was also lucky in that the failure happened at my home.

sk47
Posts: 31
Joined: Wed Dec 16, 2020 5:33 pm
Car: 2001 Nissan Sentra SE

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Hello; Have made a few short trips with everything working well. Drove about 30 miles today with three stops. The engine spins and fires up quickly with the new battery.
My month of looking into the no start was not a waste. I have learned a lot while doing that. I now have a bunch of very clean grounds, a cleaned and painted battery tray and so on.

sk47
Posts: 31
Joined: Wed Dec 16, 2020 5:33 pm
Car: 2001 Nissan Sentra SE

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Hello; Things are back to "normal" with my Sentra. Been a few weeks since the repair. Starting to feel confident with the car again. Thanks for the help.

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VStar650CL
Technical Expert
Posts: 8289
Joined: Thu Nov 12, 2020 1:25 pm
Car: 2013 Nissan Altima 2.5 SL
2004 Nissan Altima 2.5 S

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Glad to hear it, thanks for the update!


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