Hi all. Got a 55 plate Nissan Micra C+C. 1.6 engine, around 90,000 miles. Won't start and it's really baffling me. A good while back every now and again the car would cut out when idling sometimes, but it would start again - then the next time a little harder to restart but could always get it going. So not long after I had a service and it seemed to be as good as it was before the random cut outs when idling, it would start perfect every time as usual with no problems. Then it cut out a couple of times while driving - stupidly thought I'd stalled it as it turned on straight away both times, so just continued using it as normal.
Then one day took it out and it just wouldn't start at all. Got the RAC out and the guy was at it for a good hour and a half. Still no luck. We could tell the engine wanted to start, it was cranking over and it constantly sounded like it was on the edge of starting but wouldn't. RAC guy gave me a report and said that he was 99% sure it was the crankshaft position sensor. Towed it home and got a mechanic friend to come change the crank shaft position sensor as suggested - yep, RAC guy was somehow wrong, it was still not starting, but it wants to. It constantly cranks and so sounds like there's a fuel problem as if fuel isn't reaching the engine, so we changed the fuel filter, then the fuel pump, still to no avail. Engine, battery, spark plugs etc are all good.
So a good few hundred quid later and it still sounds the same - it wants to start but it won't. Any guesses on the problem? Lambda/O2 sensor potentially? We've had it running for 15 minutes and then it's cut out. Wondering if it's just something stupid that we're just not thinking of? I have a mobile mechanic coming over in a few days but it's driving me insane and am curious for any opinions.
Then one day took it out and it just wouldn't start at all. Got the RAC out and the guy was at it for a good hour and a half. Still no luck. We could tell the engine wanted to start, it was cranking over and it constantly sounded like it was on the edge of starting but wouldn't. RAC guy gave me a report and said that he was 99% sure it was the crankshaft position sensor. Towed it home and got a mechanic friend to come change the crank shaft position sensor as suggested - yep, RAC guy was somehow wrong, it was still not starting, but it wants to. It constantly cranks and so sounds like there's a fuel problem as if fuel isn't reaching the engine, so we changed the fuel filter, then the fuel pump, still to no avail. Engine, battery, spark plugs etc are all good.
So a good few hundred quid later and it still sounds the same - it wants to start but it won't. Any guesses on the problem? Lambda/O2 sensor potentially? We've had it running for 15 minutes and then it's cut out. Wondering if it's just something stupid that we're just not thinking of? I have a mobile mechanic coming over in a few days but it's driving me insane and am curious for any opinions.