bea@alice.UUCP (Bea Chambers) (08/19/85)
I have a 1981 Datsun 310GX, manual transmission. We have had intermittant starting problems since we have had the car. It does not matter if the car is cold or warm. When I turn the key, silence. Luckily, this once happened at the Datsun dealer and they replaced the starter motor ( under warantee). Well, we went through 4 starter motors, all free, but still had the problem. My clever husband figured out that if this happens, put the car in 2nd gear, and rock the car. Well, that works every time. I now have 45000 miles on the car and the starting problem is as intermittent as it ever was. Sometimes we can go for several weeks without a problem and sometimes it will happen every other day for a while. Since we can always start the car by rocking it in gear, I really don't care about getting it fixed. I am only posting this for interest....and maybe this strange fix will bail out someone else?
dennis@vrdxhq.UUCP (R. Dennis Gibbs) (08/20/85)
In article <4174@alice.UUCP>, bea@alice.UUCP (Bea Chambers) writes: > I have a 1981 Datsun 310GX, manual transmission. We have had intermittant > starting problems since we have had the car. It does not matter if the car is > cold or warm. When I turn the key, silence. Luckily, this once happened . . . I own a 1979 Datsun 310GX; although I have never experienced your problem, I suggest the next time it happens, look at the fusible link block on the pass- enger side of the engine compartment. You may have some intermittent connection at that point. You did not specify if your lights, horn, etc, work when you experience this problem, so I cannot say exactly which connections to check, but I do know that if one of the fusible links (or the connection to it) is broken, absolutely nothing will happen when you turn the key. Dennis Gibbs
josie@poseidon.UUCP (Jack Gross) (08/20/85)
>I have a 1981 Datsun 310GX, manual transmission. We have had intermittant >starting problems since we have had the car. It does not matter if the car is >cold or warm. When I turn the key, silence. Luckily, this once happened >at the Datsun dealer and they replaced the starter motor ( under warantee). >Well, we went through 4 starter motors, all free, but still had the >problem. My clever husband figured out that if this happens, put the car >in 2nd gear, and rock the car. Well, that works every time. I now have 45000 >miles on the car and the starting problem is as intermittent as it ever was. >Sometimes we can go for several weeks without a problem and sometimes it will >happen every other day for a while. Since we can always start the car by >rocking it in gear, I really don't care about getting it fixed. I am only >posting this for interest....and maybe this strange fix will bail out >someone else? This sounds like your starter safety switch is either flaky or just out of adjustment. When you rock the car you are moving the switch so the contacts close. This switch is on both automatic and manual transmissions to prevent you from start the engine in gear. Jack Gross AT&T Information Systems Lincroft, N.J. 07738 (201)576-6305
dennis@vrdxhq.UUCP (R. Dennis Gibbs) (08/22/85)
> This sounds like your starter safety switch is either flaky >or just out of adjustment. When you rock the car you are moving the >switch so the contacts close. > > This switch is on both automatic and manual transmissions >to prevent you from start the engine in gear. > > Jack Gross > AT&T Information Systems > Lincroft, N.J. 07738 > (201)576-6305 The Datsun 310 does not have a starter saftey switch such as you describe, according to both the shop manual and the fact that I can turn the engine over in my 1979 310GX with the transmission in gear. Dennis Gibbs
jrm@cbuxc.UUCP (John Miller) (09/11/85)
> I have a 1981 Datsun 310GX, manual transmission. We have had intermittant > starting problems since we have had the car. It does not matter if the car is > cold or warm. When I turn the key, silence. Luckily, this once happened > at the Datsun dealer and they replaced the starter motor ( under warantee). > Well, we went through 4 starter motors, all free, but still had the > problem. My clever husband figured out that if this happens, put the car > in 2nd gear, and rock the car. Well, that works every time. I now have 45000 > miles on the car and the starting problem is as intermittent as it ever was. > Sometimes we can go for several weeks without a problem and sometimes it will > happen every other day for a while. Since we can always start the car by > rocking it in gear, I really don't care about getting it fixed. I am only > posting this for interest....and maybe this strange fix will bail out > someone else? I had a 82 Datsun Stanza. It had a similar problem which turned out to me a corroded small wire connecting to the starter. I cleaned the terminal and the wire and it was OK. Later on in it's life I noticed that other wires were corroding too. The radiator fan would not come on, the cable connecting to the carb would sometimes open up. I decided that Datsun does not build cars for the climate I lived in and ditched the car. I suggest you look closely at all wires and connectors leading up to the starter. As far as rocking it is concerned, you are probably jiggleing the wires enough to make contact so it can be started. Someday I will tell you the story of how the local Datsun dealer mis- installed my new "factory" add-on airconditioning. As it turned out, I had to take the car over the weekend and make some changes in a wire harness because their top "mechanic (he has been to Datsun school for everything)" could not read a schematic. P.S. I traded the damn thing for a chevy
bsisrs@rruxe.UUCP (R. Schiraldi) (09/12/85)
<long horror story about Datsuns>
>P.S. I traded the damn thing for a chevy
If you traded that Jap cr*p for a Chevy piece of cr*p, next time
try a Ford piece of machinery ( :-) ).
Rich Schiraldi
rruxe!bsisrs
A former Ford owner, currently a Chevy owner, and soon to be a Ford
owner again!! :-)jrm@cbuxc.UUCP (John Miller) (09/13/85)
> <long horror story about Datsuns> > > >P.S. I traded the damn thing for a chevy > > If you traded that Jap cr*p for a Chevy piece of cr*p, next time > try a Ford piece of machinery ( :-) ). > > Rich Schiraldi > rruxe!bsisrs > > A former Ford owner, currently a Chevy owner, and soon to be a Ford > owner again!! :-) I have tried two Fords. In general, they were not too bad, BUT they had a tendency to trash their engines around 85000 miles. (No GM car I have owned has done this, I have had several). Also, the Fords tend to rust out a bit sooner. Around here, If you see a cloud of smoke ahead on the freeway, it is often a Ford in need of a ring job. In support of my statement about early rustout, compare the number of say 66~70 GM cars visible on the highway to the number of 66~70 Fords. There actually ARE GM cars on the road of that vintage, but there are damn few Fords. By the way, I change oil and filter regularly in the 4K-5K range. So it isn't a maintenance problem. One has to wonder *how* Ford is able to make an engine that actually fails at that point. I rebuilt one of them and it looked about the same inside as GM engines. I wonder how they do it?
dca@edison.UUCP (David C. Albrecht) (09/16/85)
> > If you traded that Jap cr*p for a Chevy piece of cr*p, next time > try a Ford piece of machinery ( :-) ). > No Way! If anything I consider Ford to be leading from the bottom of the heap. Mind you, this is not a decision based on the quality of their mechanicals which I imagine to be very similar to Chevy et al. but rather a judgement on their corporate ethics which are the worst in the industry. Any corporation which will save money by designing in a safety problem (Pinto) is very bad. But even worse is ignoring proven safety problems and NOT EVEN CORRECTING THEM ON NEW CARS OFF THE ASSEMBLY LINE (Pinto and transmission problems). It makes me wonder if the problem is the maniac they have running the company. It will definitely be a very cold day in hell before I buy a Ford. David Albrecht
thill@ssc-bee.UUCP (Tom Hill) (09/17/85)
> > I have tried two Fords. In general, they were not too bad, BUT they > had a tendency to trash their engines around 85000 miles. (No GM car > I have owned has done this, I have had several). Also, the Fords tend > to rust out a bit sooner. Around here, If you see a cloud of smoke > ahead on the freeway, it is often a Ford in need of a ring job. > > In support of my statement about early rustout, compare the number of > say 66~70 GM cars visible on the highway to the number of 66~70 Fords. > There actually ARE GM cars on the road of that vintage, but there are > damn few Fords. > > > By the way, I change oil and filter regularly in the 4K-5K range. So > it isn't a maintenance problem. One has to wonder *how* Ford is able > to make an engine that actually fails at that point. I rebuilt one > of them and it looked about the same inside as GM engines. I wonder > how they do it? I don't know about you but I see quite a few Ford Mustangs of that vintage running around. Fords with the old 350's in them are still around too. My dad still has a '68 Ford Station Wagon with 280000 on it. It has the original engine in it and it has only been opened once and has not been rebuilt!! As far as the rust problem goes, all 280000 miles was done in the Pacific NW and we have had no rust problem. Old Fords don't die, they just burn more oil.
nessus@nsc.UUCP (Kchula-Rrit) (09/18/85)
> I have a 1981 Datsun 310GX, manual transmission. We have had intermittant > starting problems since we have had the car. > ... > My clever husband figured out that if this happens, put the car > in 2nd gear, and rock the car. Well, that works every time. > ... I once got a Maverick to start by kicking it in the hind-end... Kchula-Rrit