20 Most Recent 1996 Nissan Altima - Page 6 Questions & Answers

If the castings of the engine happen to be able to catch and hold air pockets, it is about the only reliable way to get the air to move out of the head or block where it is trapped. Park in a manner that puts the uppermost hose on the engine at the highest point. If it happens to be the upper heater hose, you may consider adding a flushing tee. Air pockets are rather common. I have had 3 vehicles that suffered from air pockets in various locations.

Possibly a bad fuse, possibly a faulty headlight switch. If the bulb filaments glow very dimly, look for a faulty ground connection.

Check to see if distributor is loose. If it is, look for indications of where it was clamped before it moved to get it back close so you can start it and set timing.Is the fuel pump energizing? If not, look for the white wire and see where it goes. If it just goes to the frame, re-do the ground wire to a new clean location. if it is energizing replace the fuel filter. if still not running, check for spark. If you have spark, check emissions hoses and see if EGR is closed. If it is stuck open, it will lean the engine out.If it starts and runs without power, drop the exhaust, the catalytic converter and or muffler may be obstructions since it backfired. It should start even with those damaged, but it may not be able to move enough air through to run well.

check the filler neck and tank for leaks.

Lots of problems can make a car run terrible...a vacuum leak, a bad sensor somewhere, etc. You will have to check everything to make sure all is as it's supposed to be, with the engine, if the car is not throwing any engine trouble codes.It can sometimes be a long search to find out exactly is wrong.

Pull that distributor cap and watch the rotor as it is cranked. If the rotor doesn't turn the timing chain is broken and causing your problem. If it doe look at the crank position and Cam Position sensors.

The age of your vehicle guarantee's a vacuum leak. It may sound silly but the truth is rubber grommets, and hose's shrink and dry out over time and the harsh environment under the hood makes it worse. Check all vacuum lines and fittings attached to the intake manifold, valve covers (pcv valve), and be sure to check for a vacuum fitting on top of the intake just behind the throttle body. Does it fit tight in the hole? You can seal loose fittings with a high-temp RTV (Red) silicone sealant/adhesive. Several small leaks add up and your engine, heat/AC, and transmission will be all to glad to tell you about it.

When the brake light is illuminated on the dash, it may not be because the hand brake is engaged. It can also mean that your breaking system is in distress. it is possible that you have a short somewhere between the fuse panel & light assembly or it is possible that the sensor for your rear brakes has malfunctioned. I apologize that I am not as knowledgeable on Nissan products, however I had a similar situation with a Dodge Durango, only to discover that the rear brakes were not functioning. I hope this helps =)

Some fuelpumps are just sitting inside the tank but some like your clip into place. take note of the postion its in before removing it. make a mark on the pump and the tank. the model car listed here is a 1996 altima, this type car the pump should pull out after the to ring is removed, you will have to move around to remove, this avoids damage to level sensor. good day, note; this car must have alot of miles to have a bad fuel pump, these nissan pumps never go bad but maybe this one did.. good day.

if it has been a while since the last tune-up, then a set of plugs and plug wires are a good idea. if recently tuned up, then you may want to check the compression on the engine to make sure the cylinder is working properly.low compression can set the misfire code also.

Does the rotor turn? I would check that out. Take the cap off, have someone crank the engine and watch the rotor to see if it's turning. If it does then try a new cap and rotor. If it does not, I would suspect timing belt. Hope this helps, TJ

Check this diagram about (click over image for zoom)...



Fig. 2: Emissions system and engine control vacuum hose routing - Altima

Hope helps.

YOU NEED A CODE SCANNER TO ERASE CODE IF YOU MADE A REPAIR, IF CHECK ENGINE FLASHING ALL THE TIME, YOUR ECM HAS FOUND PROBLEM IN THE ENGINE CONTROL SYSTEM. YOU HAVE FAULTY SENSOR.