:help Hi! I searched all the forums but I don't see anyone with this problem. Forgive me if I don;t use the technical words for what I'm talking about--my brother is a mechanic (out of state) so I'm not totally in the dark but.... I have a 1995 240sx 4 cylinder (not an SE, just basic). About a month ago, I'm driving on highway, and the car just DIES suddenly, everything dead except hazard lites and door locks. Towed to NISSAN dealership where they kept it for 4 days, then billed me $120 for finding/replacing the fuse that had blown--later find out this was a $4 fuse----- under the hood, it's the ignition (IGN) fuse, it is 30 amp, they have no idea why it blew. I asked them is it something I can buy and replace myself if I get stranded?They give me some crap about it's bolted down, la la patronizing etc. (Not true, it's RIGHT there in the black box but I didn't know it at the time). Then they said since they can't find the problem, they thought it MIGHT be an oil leak which is dripping on the alternator, causing the fuse to blow--wanted to charge me $1200
to take apart engine, fix seal on timing cover and MAYBE that could fix it. OK that sounds like a guess and sounded pretty lame. I do have a tiny oil leak but there is NO OIL on my alternator whatsoever. not even close. Whatever. it was running. So i paid them the $120 and got it back. Drove it for a day. Exact same freakin thing happened AGAIN. but this time not on highway, just 25mph residential street, BAM! no power. (nothing in common with 1st time, not speed, not hours driving, not heater/cd, anything). This time I had it towed to a different shop. They kept it for 4 days, could only re-create the problem once after car was running all day. Showed me the fuse that was blowing. He went thru the whole electrical black box thing (?) under the hood, said he thinks it is something between ignition and alternator but it isn't the alternator itself. He couldn't figure it out. He suggested if it happened again, maybe I should up the amps# by 5 (get a 35 fuse, maybe that would help) But it was running again so I took it home as-is with a 30 fuse. (I also bought several additional fuses at AutoZonewhatever to have on hand in case I got stranded, maybe I could replace it and get out of traffic.)I drove it perfect for 12 days, including a trip home for Xmas (6 hours each way) and it was fine. Drove all over my hometown, and asked my brother (ASE/IATN mechanic) to look at it. He says yeah i have small oil leak but not on alternator. He can't find anything wrong. Says it is definitely only the ignition fuse that's blowing. Pulling other fuses doesn't have same effect. Got back to ATL, drove it all over the place, all day every day for a week, it's fine. Perfectly running. TODAY, I go run one errand, car hasn't even gotten really hot yet and BAM! no power. So i get out, look at fuse, yes it's dead. I put a new one in. Started car, and it blew new fuse immediately. CRAP!!!
Called a friend to come get me. Came back to the car an hour later. Tried putting another fuse in it. Amazingly, it starts right up and is running fine at first. Trying to get it home, she follows me in her car. We get 1/2 way home (about 3 miles) and it starts losing power, this time seems DIFFERENT than before (past times it died very suddenly with TOTAL loss power) but now it is definitely acting weird sloggy like it was about to die. I get out, look at fuse. THIS TIME, it IS NOT blown. HUH? so i wait 5 minutes, get back in, try to start it. It starts, seems OK, drive another 100 yards (maybe up to 3rd gear), it does the sloggy loss of power thing again. Gave up and got a tow. Now it's in front of my house til I find someone who can help, I don't have $1200 for the Nissan guys to guess at it again. If none of the (3+) mechanics can find the dang problem, what's a girl to do? ANY HELP, IDEAS, etc. GREATLY APPRECIATED. (Sorry story is so long). Thanks. Sara in Atlanta
