'94 Sentra No Start GA16DE

[Sentra'94]

Hello. I just found this web site. Looks good. I have a feeling that I will be spending time here reading in the future. But right now I have an issue that is somewhat of an emergency.

1994 Nissan Sentra (US model)GA16DE4-dr sedan, a/c, automatic

Car is not mine - is my dearest friend's. Car won't start. Turn key and I don't hear anything except for a relay at the inside fuse box. It clicks but that's it. I decided to go yesterday and attempt to jump the solenoid to attempt preliminary troubleshooting and also to move the vehicle to my house so I could work on it. Car was not in a good location for repair and someone stole the cat converter while it sat there on top of everything else(!!!)

I unbolted, disconnected, removed air filter box and the piece that is on each end so that I could get to the starter. Due to bad lighting I still could not see it. I was getting pretty stressed out, lol. I was just about to try crawling under the vehicle and got a wild hair and turned the key one more time. The Sentra started right up.

Hmm...

Put things back together more or less, drove to my house - a very interesting experience with the exhaust cut off where the cat should be, btw - and drove it up onto ramps.

Looking for advice, tips, etc. Problem is, I do not know what made vehicle start. I was hoping that I would do something concrete (such as jumping solenoid) and it would THEN start, telling me either what part is bad or at least allowing me to narrow possibilities considerably. Just taking the airbox off, feeling around under the intake hoping to find the starter (lmao) and turning the key... that tells me nothing.

"I have a DVOM and I know how to use it." lol. Also a few tools and a willingness to bleed profusely. Just lack the benefit of having owned a Nissan and thus having learned things about it.

In short, I am asking for help from those who have been there.

Thanks very much in advance!

[nametakennow]

I'd start by checking the battery - including terminals, and connectors.

It's probably something simple.

Welcome to NICO!

[Sentra'94]

Battery is good. Terminals are tight.

I expect it IS something simple since it turned over (strongly) after I took the airbox off. I am assuming that there is some loose connection or broken wire or something of that nature that I bumped without realizing it. I just do not know what it could have been.

Repairing electrical problems are simple - but finding them is difficult.

Have Haynes "manual" and have downloaded '94 Sentra FSM from a web site. But most of the electrical stuff is Greek.

I used to own an '86 intercooled Buick Regal T-Type (rah!) and was able to do simple things like check sensors, adjust TPS, and such. But I had idiot-proof directions, lol.

Still clueless here.

[Sentra'94]

Pulled "INHIBIT / CLUTCH" relay located in the relay box towards the front of the engine compartment. With it removed, when I turn the key I get the same affect as the vehicle was exhibiting before I started messing with it - turn the key and everything lights up but the only other thing that happens is that the relays under the dash to the right of the fuse panel click...

I assume that I have found the "Inhibitor Relay" mentioned in the wiring diagrams in the Haynes and factory service manual?

So this leads me to guess that either there is a bad connection going to/from that relay, or perhaps the mysterious "Inhibitor Switch" pictured in Haynes is bad or has a bad connection. Or maybe it's the solenoid. Who knows.

I hate wiring/electrical stuff!

Still looking - still open to suggestions.

TIA