Ignition Trouble

[ParkourAndy]

Hello! I'm pretty new into the Nissan scene, more specifically, the 240sx scene. I have a 1995 240sx 5-spd KA24DE. I've been having some trouble with my ignition system. I bought the car knowing that the starter was going. My Supra did the same thing when I bought that so I swapped the starter out last weekend. After I swapped in the new starter, the car still didn't start at all. I found out that the battery was ancient (8 or so years old) and have replaced it with a battery with 700 CCAs. After we installed the battery, it still didn't start up until we noticed that the rebuilt starter was actually slightly different from the previous starter to the point where the contact on the back of the starter that has the wire to the solenoid was actually arcing to the frame and shorting it out. We covered that contact up and it fired right up. I seem to be having a similar problem now. It will start, but it still takes a few cranks to get it going. Whenever I crank it, the car does nothing. No half-assed start, nothing at all. I've already done some research on the problem and had a few ideas. For one, the keys I have for it are aftermarket and a friend said that the ignition switch might be going. I'm not quite as sure about this car as I am still trying to figure it all out and I was hoping that one of you would grace me with your Nissan knowledge!

Thanks in advance for all the help everyone!Andy

[PapaSmurf2k3]

How many times does it crank before starting?

Almost sounds like you just need a good tune up. How did you stop the starter from arcing? Just tape? You might want to check up on that fix, as well as all of your engine grounds. Also try turning the key to the "ON" position for a second before cranking it.

[ParkourAndy]

I prevented it from arcing with some tape along with a cap. I'll be jacking it up to look at it later today. Aside from that, whenever the key is turned, the car does not necessarily crank. It just does nothing. How many turns of the key it takes to start the car seems to be random. The car does nothing at all, but once the starter actually turns over (which could be after any number of key turns), the car starts right up each time and runs fine. It's just getting the starter to go at all that is the trouble. I was thinking that it might be something to do with the ignition switch, but I'm not sure. I'm running out of good ideas really quick. The only other things that I can think of aside from the ignition switch is the ignition coil or the battery cables, but I don't know if either of those would cause intermittent starting.

[vancouverbc]

I prevented it from arcing with some tape along with a cap. I'll be jacking it up to look at it later today. Aside from that, whenever the key is turned, the car does not necessarily crank. It just does nothing. How many turns of the key it takes to start the car seems to be random. The car does nothing at all, but once the starter actually turns over (which could be after any number of key turns), the car starts right up each time and runs fine. It's just getting the starter to go at all that is the trouble. I was thinking that it might be something to do with the ignition switch, but I'm not sure. I'm running out of good ideas really quick. The only other things that I can think of aside from the ignition switch is the ignition coil or the battery cables, but I don't know if either of those would cause intermittent starting.

follow the tutorial . it is definitely not the coil.

[PapaSmurf2k3]

corroded wires at the battery can and will cause intermittant starter problems. I've seen it pleanty of times. How do the wires/terminals look?