no crank no start.

oi, how goes it people?

So I drove my 97 200sx last night and everything worked fine, today It wont start or even try to crank. The battery is fine as all lights/locks/windows work.

I think starter, but there were no hard starts before this so makes me wonder. any ideas?

Thanks for the help.

Try to crank it with the dome light on. If the light dims, its starter related. If not, its somewhere in the solenoid circuit. Try unplugging the solenoid power wire and plugging it back in. I see a lot of Nissans with a corroded connection there.

I know this sounds kind of stupid but when you try to crank, do the lights do anything? turn off for a second and come back? I know you said the battery is fine because all the lights are working but I have had a battery connection come a little loose and the lights would work but when I tried to crank it would "short" so to speak and I would get nothing. I would Double check your battery connection and fuses first as well as the wire for your solenoid like vgames mentioned.

RaeRae, that Is very good advice, Ive heard of that before. I figured out the problem though and It was the starter having issues. Odd because there were no symptoms and after I hit it once with a wrench no problems since. Also the lights worked even when I tried to crank (this post for future reference)

Thanks for the updat. LOL - nothing like whacking something with a wrench and having it fix the issue!

:rofl:

Hopefully it won't happen again but at least you know the quick and easy fix:wink:

The wrench fix may have worked for now, but you are probably going to want to start saving for either a new starter or a rebuild as having to whack the starter to get it going indicates a bad spot or maybe more on the starter connections internally and it will probably only get worse as time goes on. Not to mention that the magnet may have been damaged from hitting it and that is also not a good thing :-p It works to get you by in a crunch, but I would get ready to fix it properly just so it doesn't leave you stranded sometime in the future.

yeah, I have the money not the time to replace the starter, but hopefully over christmas break. But as of yet it only happened the once, very odd.

If your car is automatic I had the same problem with a 97 Altima. All I had to do was put it in neutral and then put it back in park and then it started fine.

It is very likely that the starter motor brushes are worn.
By tapping the starter they may have freed up for the time being.
Your fault will reoccur again, and happen more often, as the braided copper wire to the brushes banks itself against the brush holder.
The pressure is less and a poorer contact is made with the commutator.
The resistance incresaes and less power to turn over the engine.