Car intermittently won't start

beardybrewer

01 Nissan Almera. Turn the key, starter whirs, engine tries to turn over, but no ignition. I have to keep the key and pump petal like mad until eventually (1 minute sometimes) the engine almost catches. Let go the key, stop pumping, revs dip way down, engine catches, coughs up a huge plume of smelly white smoke. Once you drive it around it bit it can behave like normal for months until one morning, it strikes again.

Anyone have any ideas? I'm wondering if it is something to do with fuel getting in there.

bear1

Until you said it drives like normal I was going to say it sounds like your timing belt has let go.
Spark plugs?
Dirty fuel?
Injectors?
Are there any leaks under the car?
Fuel pump?

Seriously, there are many issues which can cause this.
Try a diagnostics for a start as it would be the cheaper.

porsche boy

Almeras and Micras of this era suffered from intermittent hard start due to the automatic choke over fueling and flooding the engine. Your description would suggest thats what's happening here. When it happens cranking the engine over with your foot fully depressed on the accelerator will eventually get it to start, having a can of easy start in the boot wouldnt be a bad idea either. When it does catch just feather the throttle until all 4 cylinders are firing and your sorted. Rectifying the provlem would cost a few quid as, if I remember correctly, the throttle body would have to be replaced.

beardybrewer

Thanks, I've it dropped in to the shop. Still waiting to see what they come back with.

porsche boy

newkie wrote: »

Thanks, I've it dropped in to the shop. Still waiting to see what they come back with.

Do let us know what they said.

beardybrewer

They couldn't reproduce the problem and had no luck finding a fault. They replaced the spark plugs to be sure. They told me that this era Nissan are very prone to flooded engines so it could be nothing.

(It's my wife's car -- having a conversation about how she starts the car went nowhere.)