57 Plate Nissan Micra won't start

[Kayos]

This is my sisters car, it did have a finance company box that I have removed (one wire cut from the barrel, now rejoined)
It turns over fine
It's a K12 so "shouldn't" be the timing chain
It's an auto but the inhibitor stops the starter
No codes on either a very good reader or a cheap one, no eml and no immobiliser lights

All I've done is restore the wiring to standard, not checked or touched anything else

I can't hear the fuel pump prime, but it's a newish car so don't know if that's normal

Any suggestions?
I've tried "buy a proper car" but that didn't work, she also used to rave on about how the k12 is all Nissan and very reliable....

 

[e5c0rt.mk1]

Has it ever started after removing the box?

 

[MattH]

I think a better question would be, did it start before you removed the box?

 

[Kayos]

The box was removed because it died and then refused to start, was most obvious place to begin

 

[e5c0rt.mk1]

Check to see if the pump in the tank is working, a relatives citreon xsarra, did exactly what you are describing. (Cut out, wouldnt restart, no faults , no imboliser light etc) turned out the pump in the tank was worn out. Fitted a new one and its been fine since.

 

[e5c0rt.mk1]

Is it petrol or diesel?
If its petrol check to see if you have a spark

 

[Kayos]

Has a weak spark, old plugs. Seemingly not serviced for 18 months...

Tried to access fuel rail, no Schreader valve, so pulled a plug, no mist on compression stroke

Turns out she ran the tank really low, put a gallon in and 5 miles later it died, metal tank and she's done it a few times so with the lack of servicing I'm now thinking blocked fuel filter

I wish I'd known this first

 

[the snooper]

Has a weak spark, old plugs. Seemingly not serviced for 18 months...

Tried to access fuel rail, no Schreader valve, so pulled a plug, no mist on compression stroke

Turns out she ran the tank really low, put a gallon in and 5 miles later it died, metal tank and she's done it a few times so with the lack of servicing I'm now thinking blocked fuel filter

I wish I'd known this first

Fuel filters don't instantly block, you lose performance first, fuel pump is the place to start, remove a fuel line and switched ignition on if you get nothing you know it's fuel, does it have fuel in ? Don't take what the gauge says as a guarantee

 

[Kayos]

Fuel filters don't instantly block, you lose performance first, fuel pump is the place to start, remove a fuel line and switched ignition on if you get nothing you know it's fuel, does it have fuel in ? Don't take what the gauge says as a guarantee

Again I can't rely on a thing she says, "it was running then just stopped" has now become "well it nearly ran out, its been hard to start, it nearly stalled a few times"

Families.........,

 

[the snooper]

Spray some petrol into the inlet manifold you'll soon know if it's fuel

 

[The_Yellow_Ardvark]

@Kayos
My MIL had the same. the fuel pump was at fault.
The tube from the pump to the fuel line had cracked, allowing air in.

So one day it would be fine, then hard to start, easy to stall and lacking power.

One day it would not start, the garage the use took 3 days to find the fault.
Hers was 55 plate model.

 

[Kayos]

Probably no petrol in, or she's filled it with diesel? / engine oil / whatever someone in the works car park was selling "cheap"

It has 1/4 of a tank, she's bringing more, as far as I can tell it's not making it to the engine

Dry plugs, and cranking with one removed is not making mist out of the plug hole

 

[Kayos]

@Kayos
My MIL had the same. the fuel pump was at fault.
The tube from the pump to the fuel line had cracked, allowing air in.

So one day it would be fine, then hard to start, easy to stall and lacking power.

One day it would not start, the garage the use took 3 days to find the fault.
Hers was 55 plate model.

I will look at the fuel filter etc once it's been cleaned out, families are doing my head in now, could have saved weeks of hassle with a bit of truth, the finance box was obvious as we believed it just died, but it seems that's not true

 

[slim_boy_fat]

@Kayos Refer her to the garage TYA's m-i-l used, when she gets the bill it'll teach her to take more care in future.

 

[Kayos]

I'm about to burn this car

After 2 weeks of her arguing with the finance company and the garage it's looking most likely that it's her fault through a lack of maintenance, which is my fault because I couldn't fix it today, except if she had told me all the symptoms it could have been sorted weeks ago.....

**Language**ing families

 

[hunter27]

Had similar problem with wifes very reliable until then K11 Micra sometimes it just would not start and it was getting more often. My brother lent me a tester to plug into injector feed and when it wouldn't start it wasn't receiving a signal.
There was a plastic box under the bonnet with 2 identical relays in it so we swapped them about but no difference so admitting defeat we took it to a local Nissan dealer and they had it almost 2 weeks then rang me to say they had also swapped the relays early on but eventually found they were both faulty. (I think the other relay was the electric fan)
It's been fine since and they only charged me for the relays and 1 hours work as they said they should have found it a lot sooner.
Pete

 

[Bill Edwards]

Maybe find out for certain what the fault is before deciding anything.
Then if it is lack of maintenance give her a good bollocking and leave it with a 'if you have another problem in the future due to neglect I won't be helping'.

 

[Kayos]

Exactly

The current Mrs Kayos also wants a micra, we have looked at 7 in her price range but she didn't like any. She however is grateful of the help, and listens to advice so it's ok, family I have no choice over are a pain

 

[Kayos]

Maybe find out for certain what the fault is before deciding anything.
Then if it is lack of maintenance give her a good bollocking and leave it with a 'if you have another problem in the future due to neglect I won't be helping'.

100% no fuel getting to the rail, pump is getting a live at the plug so it's looking like pump or filter

I will know for definate next week

 

[dobbslc]

Leave her to it. When it costs her hundreds of pounds to sort out problems she caused through laziness she might think twice.