Alright, regarding the starting problem… I’ve googled everything and cannot come to a conclusion as to what the hell is causing the problem and I apologize for the long read… just wanted to be detailed. Car is a 1989 240sx with a KA24DE swap, if it matters.
PROBLEM 1!
Basically, the last few weeks… every time I turn the key nothing happens… I had to turn the key probably 10-15 times and it would eventually start. It seemed to get gradually worse, and now today I turned the key a good 50-100 times (as the car was stuck at my work parking lot)… no dice. All accessories come on, but when I turn the key to ‘start’ nothing happens. I hear a click from in the fuse box in the driver side kick panel, and getting my friend to try from me standing in the engine bay there is a click coming from the accessory fuse under the intake box. The starter doesn’t crank at all.
The car CAN be push started, but when it was today the car basically kept trying to stall and die out (This only happened today, before it was fine once it actually started). I had to hold gas down to keep it started… was interesting to say the least getting home.
I searched and found maybe clutch interlock? But I’ve never had to hold down the clutch in any 240sx I’ve owned to start the car, this one included… so didn’t think it could be that… checked it anyways though… I’m lost. The starter should be good, and the alternator is new just installed it (used, but working) and the battery is brand new… Please help me figure this shit out.
I found this video, and its exactly whats going on with my car (except its s14) and he said clutch interlock… but… other sources I’ve read said Canadian market 240’s dont even have it… plus I’ve never had to hold in the clutch on any 240 i’ve owned (and yes I’ve tried putting the clutch in too to start it.)
PROBLEM 2!
When I’m driving, if for any reason I shift into neutral at anything above 1300-1500 RPM… the car’s RPM’s dive and it wants to stall. Fucking annoying for coming to stop lights. If I shift into neutral from like 1100-1300 RPM’s the car sits and idles fine. I don’t have any acceleration problems… or idling problems WHEN the car is idling… just when at 1500-2000+ into neutral. Pretty much have to coast to like 15KM/h in third gear… then shift into neutral and roll to a stop lol… Not a BIG deal, but sure is fucking annoying especially with PROBLEM 1 and NOT STARTING :@
Any help you guys can give me I’d REALLY appreciate… SUPER pissed. Heh.
Yeah, at first mine was like that… then 10… then 15… then 40… and today… Yeah… fuckin left me hangin for 45 minutes turning a key til I got it push started… then DIED on yonge st in the middle of the street… CAA guy pushed me down a hill and I made it the rest of the way home lmao.
To me it feels like it could be the starter… but my starter was FINE on my old 240 this one came off of, never a problem… so I have no damn clue why it’s/somethings being a bitch in this car.
Problem 1: dude, it could be your clutch interlock, since the motor was swapped, they had probably permanently grounded the wire that goes to (-)negative when you press the clutch in, find out where that is and check it.
also check the neutral safety switch relay under the hood and bypass it, and see if that does anything…
Problem 2: sounds like your IACV needs cleaning/replacing… search the forums on how to change/clean it…
problem 2 is very common. i believe i hear a guy that replaced the IACV and had no luck with the problem. I think its a sensor. as i only notice that happen on my car when my A/F gauge reads Air. I wonder if its the O2 sensor. Try pulling it and just simply cleaning it. see if it helps.
Alright, so I’ll definitely clean the IACV tonight… see if that helps… but I won’t even be able to test it without fixing the first problem lol.
To be honest, if the first problem didn’t exist… I wouldn’t even care about the second problem so much… its the fact that my car stalls and I’m stuck there for 10 minutes trying to turn it back on… but NOW… I can’t even turn the car on at all so… that needs to be addressed first… any ideas would be appreciated. I’m gonna look into the clutch switch that _kris mentioned now too.
Alright followed the lines from the clutch switch, they look fine and then disappear into a loom of wires. Ground wire goes towards steering wheel maybe? I cant follow it any further it disappears behind ducts and into the dash somewhere.
Possibly found the problem… think its my ignition. If I turn the key regularly… slow… fast… no matter how many times I try or whatever it doesn’t turn the car on. But, I found a temporary solution. If I jiggle the key around in the ignition while holding it to start, it turns on after a couple jiggles so… yeah. Time for a push start button?
do your self a favor and check for voltage at the starter when cranking before you install a push button start and potentially create more starting issues.
Make sure you’re getting battery voltage at the big wire on the starter all the time, and battery voltage at the small wire only when cranking. If you have power at those terminals when you should have power at the respective terminals, then there is some more testing you can do.
If you do have voltage at both those terminals you need to do a voltage drop test along the starter wires.
If you don’t have voltage at the small wire when cranking, then start chasing wires in the harness or the ignition cylinder.
I really don’t recommend replacing any parts or messing with any wiring before you actually find out what the problem is.
Your second problem is 99% the Idle air control valve. Pull it off the back of the intake, clean all the carbon and oil and shit out of it and reinstall. Make sure you don’t mess the gasket up when you reinstall it.
alright, its an 89 definitely does not have a NSS or clutch switch. Your problem is definitely either at the ignition switch or wiring inbetween could even be a starter.
Here is how you check it, either buy borrow or steal a test light. Put the clamp on the negative, probe the large wire at the starter, should have full battery voltage all the time if the cable looks green at all cut and replace terminal. If that’s good, move on to the small wire on the starter, either back probe or disconnect it. Get a buddy to turn the key to the crank position, if the test light lights bright you need a starter, try tapping it with a hammer or other such persuasion device and see if it cranks now if it cranks drive to the closest parts store and grab a starter. If it doesn’t light try jiggling the key if it lights or flickers when you jiggle the key its most likely the lock cylinder, its pretty common for lock cylinders to wear out just from normal usage . If neither of the above happens, you will probably need some time and a wiring diagram trace the wires till you find the fault, id start by removing the plastic housing on the steering column and testing to see if you have anything coming out of the crank wire on the ignition switch because it could be bad too.
Your second problem… could be an IACV problem, but if you have cleaned/ replaced it. It could also be a TPS, coolant temp sensor, or EGR problem… just saying. If you need help just ask…
Thanks for the info, it’s definitely my ignition all I have to do is move the key around in the start position and it works. Still haven’t gotten around to cleaning that IACV yet, I’ll post with results when I do.
I highly doubt its the IACV but hey never hurts to clean it. I could also be the brake booster. If you have the same problem as mine it only drops as your coming to a stop but once stopped it will settle back to normal idle. So you have to give the car a little gas when coming to a stop.
I still think its a sensor of some kind though. from all the people that have complained about this problem it just sounds like a sensor that’s dirty.
And for shits and grins just make sure your EGR valve isn’t sticky. You don’t need to pull anything apart to test this. (Just push the valve up and down with your fingers.) mine is sticky maybe be that I’m dumping too much exhaust into my engine.
lmao.