Nissan PULSAR N13 Series / ASTRA LD Series. Instruction — part 8

Roadside Trouble Shooting

(5) Place the vent caps loosely over the cell

apertures.

(6) Connect one end of the red jumper lead to

the positive ( + ) battery terminal of the booster
battery and the other end of the red lead to the
positive (+) battery terminal of the discharged bat-
tery.

NOTE: The battery emits hydrogen gas
which is explosive. Do not expose the battery
to naked /lames or sparks.

Do not lean over the battery when con-

necting the jumper leads.

Do not allow the ends of the jumper leads

to touch one another or any part of the
engine.

(7) Connect one end of the black juniper lead to

the negative (-) battery terminal of the booster
battery and the other end of the black lead to a good
earthing point on the engine of the vehicle with the
discharged battery.

NOTE: Do not connect the jumper lead
directly to the negative (-) battery terminal
of the discharged battery.

(8) Start the engine on the vehicle with the

booster battery and run the engine at a moderate
speed.

(9) Start the engine on the vehicle with the

discharged battery.

(10) If possible, leave the engines of both vehi-

cles running for 10 minutes.

(11) Disconnect the jumper leads in the reverse

order of the sequence in which they were connected.

2. TO CHECK IGNITION AND ELECTRICAL

SYSTEM

(1) Switch on the ignition and check for warning

lamp illumination on the dashboard.

(2) Operate the starter and check that the starter

rotates the engine at a steady speed.

(3) Switch on the headlamps and check for good

light intensity.

Should the lamps not illuminate or the starter

motor not turn the engine, carry out the following
steps:

(a) Remove the battery terminals and clean both

terminals and posts. Connect the terminals and where
applicable tighten firmly but not excessively.

(b) Check that the earth lead from the battery to

the engine or body frame is not broken and that the
connections are clean and secure.

. (c) Check that the lead from the battery to the

starter motor or starter solenoid is intact and has a
clean and secure connection.

Ensure that the battery posts and terminals are clean

.

(d) Where necessary carry out repairs to (b) and

(c).

Repeat the check procedure. Should the starter

motor still not operate, or the lamps not illuminate,
one or more of the following faults may be the cause:

No starter motor operation or lamps: Battery flat

or defective.

Lamps illuminate but no starter operation: Starter

motor drive jammed in mesh with flywheel ring gear.
Starter motor or solenoid defective. Ignition/starter
switch faulty. On automatic transaxle models, faulty
neutral safety switch.

Lamps dim and starter operation sluggish: Dis-

charged battery or fault in starter motor. Battery flat
due to broken fan belt or defective alternator. Faulty
battery due to cell breakdown.

NOTE: Electronic ignition systems can pro-
duce dangerously high voltages in both the
primary and secondary circuits. For this
reason, extreme care must be taken when
performing these checks. When disconnect-

Securely earth the body of a test spark plug to check

for sparks at the spark plug leads.

Roadside Trouble Shooting

ing the wiring from any component, ensure
that the ignition switch is off and the
negative battery terminal is disconnected to
prevent damage to the solid state circuitry.

(4) Open the electrode gap of a serviceable spark

plug to 6 mm. Securely earth the plug using a jumper
lead or by tying the plug to an earthed engine
component.

(5) Disconnect the high tension lead from a

spark plug and connect it to the test spark plug.

(6) Have an assistant operate the starter motor.
(7) Check that a spark, if any, jumps the gap on

the test spark plug.

If the spark is satisfactory, proceed to operation

(8).

If there is no spark, proceed as follows:

(a) Check the high tension leads to ensure that

they are dry and that the insulation is not cracked or

perished. Check the ends of the leads for burning.

Using an ohmmeter, measure the resistance in

each high tension lead. The resistance should be no

more than 15 000 ohms per lead.

(b) Check the distributor cap to ensure that it is

dry and clean. Examine both the inside and outside of
the cap for cracks or tracking, particularly between the
high tension lead segments.

Check that the carbon brush in the centre of the

distributor cap interior face is clean and dry and
ensure that the brush moves freely in and out of its
locating hole.

(c) Check the rotor arm for cracks, deposits and

burning on the metal arm.

(d) Ensure that the high tension leads have dry.

clean and secure connections on the distributor cap.

(8) If the above checks result in a good spark at

the spark plug high tension leads but the engine is still
not operating satisfactorily, remove all the spark plugs
and check the condition and electrode gap as de-
scribed in the Engine Tune-up section under the
appropriate heading.

3. TO CHECK FUEL SYSTEM

Due to the complex nature of the EFI system, it is

recommended that should the following checks prove
satisfactory but the engine fail to start, reference be
made to the Fuel and Engine Management section of
this instruction or a Nissan workshop be consulted.

(1) Check that the fuel tank contains a reason-

able amount of fuel.

(2) Have an assistant switch the ignition on and

off while squeezing the fuel supply hose with the
fingers. If the fuel pump is operating it should be
possible to feel the fuel pressure increase for approx-
imately two seconds.

NOTE: When conducting the above test it
should be possible to hear the fuel pump and
ignition relays clicking when the ignition is
switched on and off

If the fuel pump relay fails, power will be

supplied to the fuel pump via the oil pressure

Check the distributor cap for cracks or tracking

between the terminals.

Squeeze the fuel supply hose while the ignition is
switched On. An increase in pressure should be felt

.

Check the spark plug high tension leads for cracks and

burnt or corroded terminals.

Roadside Trouble Shooting

35

View showing the location of the fuel pump fuse and

the EGI and fuel pump relays.

switch. When starting the engine, the fuel
pump will not operate until the oil pressure
is sufficient to extinguish the oil pressure
warning lamp. Therefore it will be necessary
to operate the starter motor for a longer
period than usual to start the engine.

(3) If the fuel pump cannot be felt operating,

check the fuel pump fuse located in the fuse panel
adjacent to the steering column.

If the fuel pump fuse is serviceable, refer to the

Fuel and Engine Management section for detailed
tests on the fuel pump.

(4) Check that all fuel hose connections are

secure.

(5) Remove the spark plugs and check for petrol

saturation of the electrodes which indicates flooding.
Thoroughly clean and dry the spark plugs before
replacement.

Fully depress the throttle pedal and turn the

ignition switch to the start position. If the engine does
not start, proceed as follows.

Check that the MAP sensor hose is not blocked or split

and ensure that all electrical connections are clean and

secure.

If flooding persists, refer to the Fuel and Engine

Management section.

(6) Check that all EFI electrical wiring connec-

tors are clean and secure.

(7) Check that the MAP sensor vacuum hose is

securely connected at each end and is not split or
blocked.

4. TO CHECK MECHANICAL SYSTEM

The following check procedure assumes that the

starter motor will rotate the engine. If not, on instruction
transaxle models, depress the clutch pedal to disen-
gage the engine from the transaxle in case the fault lies
within the transaxle.

If the starter motor will not rotate the engine, it

will be necessary to remove the starter motor and
attempt to turn the engine over instructionly. This will
establish whether the fault lies with the starter motor,
which could be jammed or defective, or with the
engine, which could be seized or have broken internal
components such as connecting rods, pistons and
crankshafts etc.

If the starter motor is not at fault and the engine

will not rotate instructionly, refer to the Engine Mechan-
ical Trouble Shooting heading in the Engine section.

It should be noted that the only way that cylinder

compression can be accurately tested is with a com-
pression gauge. The method described in the following
procedure is only intended to give a rough indication
when checking for causes of engine breakdown,

( I ) When the engine is cool, check for loss of

coolant from the cooling system.

If coolant loss is evident, check carefully for any

indication of external leakage. Remove the engine oil
dipstick and check for water contamination (emulsi-
fication) of the oil. When oil mixes with water it will

Ensure that all fuel connections are securely tightened

.

36

Roadside Trouble Shooting

Check the engine oil for level and dilution on the

dipstick.

turn creamy. The oil level will also have increased. If
the oil is emulsified, proceed to operation (5).

(2) Remove the fusible link that is positioned

third from the front of the fusible link connection
block, located at the rear of the battery. Disconnect
the coil high tension lead from the coil.

(3) Remove all of the spark plugs except one.
(4) Have an assistant operate the ignition switch

to rotate the engine and listen to the sound made by
the engine as it is being turned over. Move the spark
plug to a different cylinder and repeat the lest.

By performing the same test on all cylinders, a

rough comparison can be made to determine if there
is any loss of compression in any cylinder. This will be
apparent by the different sound made by the engine as
it is being turned over.

Normally, if the compression is satisfactory the

cylinder with the spark plug installed will create a
resistance to the rotating engine.

However, if the compression is low in a particular

cylinder, the engine will turn over easily and smoothly
when that spark plug is in place.

(5) If the above checks show a loss of coolant

which is present in the engine oil or on the spark plug,
one or more of the following faults may be the cause:

Blown cylinder head gasket.

Cracked cylinder or cylinder head.

If the compression check showed any weak or

inconsistent compressions, in addition to the above
faults any of the following could also be the cause:

Broken piston{s)

Burnt or broken valve(s).

Provided the previous checks do not indicate an

View showing the location of the fusible links.

internal leakage of coolant, proceed with the follow-
ing:

(6) Remove the distributor cap and, with the aid

of an assistant operating the starter motor, check that
the rotor arm rotates as the engine turns over.

(7) Remove the camshaft housing top cover and.

again with an assistant operating the ignition switch,
check that all the valves open and close as the engine
turns over.

If the rotor arm or valves do not operate with

engine rotation, one of the following faults may be the
cause:

Rotor arm does not turn but valves operate:

Distributor drive shaft broken.

Rotor arm and valves do not operate: Broken

camshaft drive belt. Sheared crankshaft timing gear
drive key. Sheared camshaft liming gear drive dowel.

Provided that all the previous checks have been

performed correctly and the operator is satisfied that
none of the components are at fault, all that remains
is for the ignition and valve timing to be checked. It
should be noted, however, that if loss of valve timing
proves to be the fault, the cause of this occurrence
must be sought and rectified.

(8) In order to check the valve timing it will be

necessary to remove the distributor cap and the
camshaft housing top cover and turn the engine
clockwise via the crankshaft pulley until No. 1 piston
is at TDC on the compression stroke. In this position
the valves of No. 1 cylinder should be closed, the
valves of No. 4 should be rocking and the distributor
rotor should be pointing to the No. 1 high tension lead
segment in the distributor cap.