2002 nissan sentra hard to start

Asked by kari_perryman Jun 15, 2011 at 08:02 PM about the 2002 Nissan Sentra GXE

Question type: Maintenance & Repair

my sentra is hard to start. new plugs and new coolant temp sensor. before i replaced the coolant temp sensor it flooded everytime i started it, now it's like it isn't getting enough gas to start. the only way to start it is to either turn it on and off with out starting several times before cranking or to pump the gas as i crank it. once it's started it runs great and idles fine

2 Answers
110

Karen answered 13 years ago

Had exactly same problem with my 2002 sentra. What you need to do is to park your car over night after driving it for 20-30 mins. Next morning, before starting the engine, pull the plugs and see if you see any fluid(coolant) in one or more cylinders. If you do, it's a bad head gasket (very common problem with sentra). Most mechanics miss this problem because they look at the car while warm the same day. Good luck.

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