Thread: intermittent starting and very low idle on a SR20DE

So this started two days ago when i went to get my oil changed. The Sentra ran great before the oil change. After the change, the mechanic started the car twice and both times it turned slower than normal, like the battery is weak but i had it tested and it's at 100% charge. Plus the battery is only four months old. So i stopped at Home Depot to buy some things to help my friend's dad with his fridge, and when i tried to start it again...nothing. No starter click no cranking. I cleaned off some corrosion off of the battery terminals, still nothing.

I pushstarted it and have been all day long that day. When we were done with the fridge, i tried to start the car and it started. It started once more that night and the next day, same nothing. I thought it was the starter, so me and my friend had it checked at Auto Zone. It works perfectly. SO we put it back. I go for a test drive, while coming to a stop i push the clutch in, the car dies. I try to start it with the key, nothing.

So i go and put on new battery terminals. It starts with the key, but dies after a few seconds. We pushstart it again, but now the idle is at 500 ~ 600 RPMs, and everytime i push in the clutch, they drop down to 100 ~ 200 and bounce back up to 600. The engine sounds really quiet and is shaking. The engine will stall after ten seconds if i start it with the key, but it won't when pushstarted.

All i hear when i try to start it with the key is the clutch relay clicking. I tried to replace it with the fog light relay, same clicks. At one point it started two times with the key, but after that nothing. Once the battery is disconnected for ten minutes or so, and i put the clamps back it will start with the key. but after that nothing again. Also, if i turn the key to start while driving, i get nothing. The lights and radio dim but no sound. Sometimes i hear the starter screech. so it's intermittent.

so i'm really stumped. I am not familiar with electric things. And i don't want to junk my car and have another SE-R rotting away on the junkyard. That would kill me, as i'm so much in love with her.

thanks for helping guys.

UPDATE: I started it today after being parked all night. It cranked slowly, like the battery is weak but it started. Everything was ok, until it warmed up and started doing the rpm thing again. It idles at 400 ~ 500 and everytime i prrss the clutch, the rpms drop to 100 ~ 200 for a second then bounce up to 500. The car drives like it did before the problem.

I parked in my work garage, tried to start it again, nothing.

could it be that for whatever reason, the clutch is not disengaging completely, and this is putting pressure on the starter/battery.

Have your alternator checked. It could be having a problem with the voltage regulator or something.

I will do that. I don't understand how that happened all of a sudden after putting the starter back. Cause the engine only has 25K now and its a jdm motor that i swapped last september. But when i pulled the starter, i notices it has a remanufactured sticker. So my guess its pretty old, since ibought this car in 2009. Last year i had the starter click all year long. And after a few key turns, it would start. Some times it would be normal.

Could it be a weak ignition coil, or the ignition switch?

First thing that came to my mind when you mentioned idle issue and oil change was the IACV seeing that it is right near the filter. But that wouldn't have anything to do with starting issues. I personally have had crappy coincidental issues though so you never know. Like my pu truck, 84 carbureted, stalled and flooded. The battery died trying to her going. In getting a jump start the starter decided that was when it wanted to spin the gear....so maybe something did just randomly decide to quit, like the ignition. Got a voltmeter to take readings? I'm curious though, if you're doing all this troubleshooting yourself, why bring it somewhere to have the oil changed?

Bohaaa,

Did you ever get this sorted out? I'm having the same issue as well. Sorry for the necro as I'm not allowed to PM another member until 15 posts.

I realize this is an old thread that's been bumped... But this ^^^ is my first thought on this kind of issue also. I have had very similar problems due to a poor connection at the water temp sensor near the oil filter.

Yeah I did. I bought a new starter and that fixed the no start problem. For whatever reason when I took the starter to get tested at autozone, it worked there, but not in my car.

The low idle we fixed when my friend connected a separated vacuum hose on the three prong connector by the driver side axle.