I need the starter on my 1993 NISSAN D21 PICKUP L4 2.4 Liter FI
replaced. I want to have a friend install it and save some cash but I'm
wondering which is the right one to buy. I go to the Advance Auto Parts
website, click on all the right buttons identifying my vehicle and it
gives me a list of starters and prices. But some are 8-tooth, some are
9-tooth, some are 0.8kw, some are 1.2kw, some are 1.4kw. What's the
difference? Will they all fit my truck equally good? Also, how
important is it to replace the inhibitor relay? Much thanks for your
help.

Regards,
Nick

Also, when I took my truck in to get the belts replaced today the
mechanic told me he couldn't get the truck to start afterward. He said
something about bypassing the battery and running power straight to the
starter and it worked fine. What exactly did he do, and why would the
starter work that way but not through the battery? Maybe I don't need
to replace the starter if there is something less involved I can get
fixed. Thanks.

Regards,
Nick

He didn't bypass the battery, he bypassed the wiring.

There were two possibilities for what wiring he bypassed:

1, The big high-current cable that goes direct from the battery to the starter.
To check this out, take a jumper cable and run it from the + on the
battery to where the big cable attaches to the starter, then try to start it with
the key. I had a GF about 1975 with this problem on a 70ish Pinto. I forget
whether cleaning up the cable, or replacing the cable, fixed the problem.

2. The low current signal that comes from the key. There will be two wires
coming to the starter, a big one and a little. Jump from the big one to the
little one (a screwdriver will often work, but dont use one you care about).
I had a GF (later my wife) who had this problem with a '68 Firebird 400 convertible.
It was VERY intermittent, and I finally traced to a bad splice in an obscure
place done by a prior owner.

0. What makes you think it isn't the battery?



"Goldfinger7967" <goldfinger7967 (AT) yahoo (DOT) com> wrote

62 bucks later I get it installed and bupkiss, nothing, not a click,
burp, nada. I figure what are the chances I got the one battery in the
entire store that just happens to be defective and doesn't work? My
dome light and clock work, so the battery can at least fire those up.

Goldfinger7967 wrote:

engine compartment left side looking at the motor. Blue plastic with 4
wires. Goes between the key and selenoid. I have '91 pu 4cyl had the
same problem.You can bypass the relay with a wire uses blade connectors.
Buy a new one for $20 from nissan. Cut open the relay and make it
connect permanently. I bought a new one and it lasted about a year so I
fixed the old one permanently.regards.

I just want to thank you guys for the help. I'm going to try each
suggestion today and see if any of it works for me.

Regards,
Nick

Chuck Tribolet cried out

WHOA! STOP! TRYING TO GET SOMEONE KILLED!!! Running a jumper directly
form the battery driectly to a starter and not through a starter
sylenoid is going to create a very dangerous electrical arc and cause
the starterd to activate imediatley.


First of all if the car is a manual tranny put it in nuetral and set
the parking brake firmly.

To test the cabling you would want to jump from the batter to the
incomming lead on the sylednoid, try the key. If there still is no
reaction use a screwdriver to jump from the incomming ternimal on the
sylenoid to the small lug on the sylenoid. If there is a reaction there
is a fault with the either the fuse, the igntion itself or the ignition
wiring.(or clutch saftey switch if maunal tranny)

If there is still no reaction, remove the starter from the vehicle
including the sylenoid and take it to autozone or orielly to have it
tested. The current flow during starter activation is enough to kill a
person.

Rosco wrote:


???? Where do people come up with this stuff! 12volts can't kill anyone and
I seriously doubt you could even feel it unless you stick your mouth over
the wires! Go grab the battery terminals and see if the 440amps at 12V
shocks you... it won't.

To the OP, I bet the "starter relay" is the problem, not the starter.

--

Steve

http://www.atlantaracing.com

I'm the original poster and I have one more question. Before all this
happened, I started to notice quite easily that cranking the engine was
getting a bit harder. The morning before I took the truck in to get the
belts replaced I went on several errands. While trying to crank the
truck for the third time in about an hour I could tell the battery was
sluggish, like it was quickly losing juice, and the alternator belt
could be depressed about an inch. But all that aside, I find it quite
coincidental that it just stopped working all of a sudden like that
when the symptoms had been leading up to a drained battery. What could
an unscrupulous mechanic have done, that I couldn't easily see that
would cause the truck not to crank, not to click, not to do anything
when I turn the key. He would have done it from access through the hood
because he never got under it. Also, where is the starter relay on a
1993 pickup? Thanks again.

Regards,
Nick

If you can depress the belt an inch and the battery is slowly draining, the
likely problem is that belt slipping, causing the alternator to not be
running at full speed and hence, not fully charging the battery. Try
tightening the belt and see if that fixes it.


On 9/28/06 9:43 AM, in article
1159454639.858437.86890 (AT) h48g200...oglegroups.com, "Goldfinger7967"
<goldfinger7967 (AT) yahoo (DOT) com> wrote: