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1983 sentra cd17 no start!!

Posted: Thu Jan 26, 2012 10:27 am
by rylespeed
so i inherited an 83 sentra diesel from my dad. we got it from an original owner. the car is pretty clean. i went through the engine and everthings pretty top notch although one problem. It wont start on it own when cold. Starting fluid gets the job done then it will start on first crank. Any ideas??? I know its not a glow plug issue, have power there. so im thinking fuel. i will soon replace the primer cause i dont think its working well enough. I have tried everything else though... Any input would be great....

heater plugs

Posted: Wed Mar 21, 2012 9:13 pm
by bravokilo
Ryles, this is my first time to post. I just joined. I own an 88 Sentra diesel with the CD17 engine. Had this car since 1990. Bought it from my boss in the office, practically new and knew the use of this car since day 1. So this car has been with me for 22 years! I am in Manila Philippines.

I do everything myself of this car. I replaced the engine last year, usd engine from Japan.

Ok, to go to your starting problem:

1. Remove all the heater plugs and test them one by one. Hold with with a pliers, touch the head to the postivie terminal on your batt and jump a piece of wire from the neg to the body of the plug. You can put a wire and held by the pliers. Each should glow red hot. CAREFUL...it becomes glowing hot!

2. Put them back and clean the contacts on the connector joining all of them. There is a relay, in my 88 it is on the side near the hydrovac. This relay is controlled by a heater timer box under the front passenger seat.

IF YOU FOUND FAULTY HEATERS AND REPLACED IT , CHANCES ARE YOU HAD SOLVED THE PROBLEM.

3. If no problem with he heaters, jump a thick wire from the plugs directly to the + terminal of your battery. count 9 seconds, remove, then start.

IF IT SOLVED THE PROBLEM, THEN THE TROUBLE IS IN THE CONTROL BOX. In this case run a manual heater switch and you can do this by unplugging the plug to the control box. Check on all positive lines and those that are not +, try shorting to ground. One of them will click the relay. run a wire to a push switch with one lead to ground. that will be your manual "heater on" until you fix the controller.

4. If probrem persist, it is your starter. It may not be crank fast enough. bring it down, clean the commutator and put new brushes. Mine was done last Monday.

I know you told me there is power to the heater, so just check the plugs them but also see how long the plugs are energized. The controller gets a feedback from the temp sensor on the back , left side of the engine. When it is cold, ON time is longer.

You will also know when it is your starter when your push start your sentra. It starts easily.

NEVER CRANK FOR MORE THAN 15 SECONDS

bk
:)

Re: 1983 sentra cd17 no start!!

Posted: Wed May 31, 2017 11:08 pm
by bigjim5551212
We have a similar problem. We have wrecked a couple starters