Q: Cranks but doesn't start

You have replaced lot’s of things on your car. I’m not sure you replaced it all trying to fix a no start or if you replaced it all out of maintenance. When we replace this many parts at once we introduce the possibility for a lot of human error. As a professional, I learned early on to verify each repair as I finish it so if it does start or run right, I know it was the last thing I did to avoid a problem. With this in mind, the biggest challenge I see is with the ECM replacement. It is easy for the replacement to be the wrong one or it may need to be programmed for to the car. Reman units have a fairly high failure rate as well.

With all these parts replaced, things have become very confusing and I don’t have a frame of reference to start from. If I were working on your car, I would begin with the basics and check for spark, fuel pressure, injector pulse, and camshaft timing.

I could interpret what you are saying as the car starts for a second then dies. If this is the case, then it is most likely your security system disabling your car. If so, I would use your ignition key to lock and unlock each door and rear hatch three times in a row. One of the doors or rear hatch will reset the alarm. If this doesn’t work, you could try disconnecting your battery, turning the ignition key to run, then reconnecting your battery.

With any repeat parts failures, I first look at the brand and quality of the part. I simply won’t install inferior parts because of low customer satisfaction. Its not worth my time. Although, cheaper price is not necessarily a cheaper quality. I do use the most cost effective replacement parts I can find.

As an example, if the parts are genuine Nissan parts, I would suspect an electrical connector issue somewhere. This could be anywhere in the circuits of the affected part. Voltage checks are not always the best method for testing. I rarely test voltage. The most reliable tests are ones that duplicate the actual conditions the vehicle experiences when it is running. Static voltage tests don’t do this in most cases.

I would recommend having a certified technician, like one from YourMechanic, come to you and diagnose your starting issue firsthand for an accurate repair.

Good luck!