1992 NISSAN SENTRA Electrical System Problems

I BOUGHT THIS CAR FOR MY 17-YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER FOR HER FIRST CAR. IT WAS IN MINT SHAPE WITH ONLY 81,000 MILES AT PURCHASE. ON THE DATE STATED SHE WENT TO START THE CAR TO GO TO WORK. UPON STARTING THE CAR SMOKE IMMEDIATELY CAME FROM UNDER THE HOOD NEAR THE FIREWALL. SHE SHUT THE CAR OFF AND OPENED THE HOOD. THERE WAS A FIRE ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE AND REAR FIREWALL WITH FLAMES AND SMOKE COMING FROM THE ENGINE WIRING HARNESS. SHE SHUT THE HOOD AND CALLED THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. WHEN THE FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVED THE CAR WAS STILL ON FIRE AND HAD CONSUMED MOST OF THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT AND HAD SPREAD THROUGH THE FIREWALL AND INTO THE DASH. THE CAR WAS COLD AND HAD NOT BEEN RUN SINCE THE PREVIOUS DAY. AFTER DOING SOME RESEARCH AFTER THE FIRE ESPECIALLY WITH REPORTS FROM THE NHTSA THERE MUST BE A DEFECT WITH THE WIRING HARNESS WITH THE SENTRAS. HAS THE NHTSA INVESTIGATED THESE CLAIMS BY OTHER PEOPLE OF SENTRA'S OF THE SAME YEAR SAME COMPONENT CATCHING FIRE? WHILE NO ONE WAS HURT IN THIS FIRE I CAN SEE HOW THIS COULD HAVE BEEN DEVASTATING. THE CAR WAS PARKED VERY CLOSE TO MY HOUSE AND COULD EASILY HAVE SPREAD TO A STRUCTURE FIRE. PLEASE INVESTIGATE THIS COMPLAINT AS WELL AS ANY OTHER COMPLAINTS FOR THIS MODEL CAR FROM OTHER OWNERS. THERE IS DEFIANTLY SOME SORT OF DEFECT WITH THE WIRING HARNESS ON THE SENTRAS OF THIS YEAR MODEL AND A RECALL SHOULD HAVE' ALREADY BEEN CALLED AFTER READING ALL THE COMPLAINTS TO THE NHTSA. *TR

Mileage: 96,000

PARKED CAR, SMOKE EMERGED FROM HOOD NEAR WIND SCREEN, THEN PAINT BUBBLED IN MIDDLE OF HOOD. SECONDS LATE, ENGINE BURST INTO FLAMES, AND CAR WAS INCINERATED. PRIOR TO THIS, CAR WAS WELL MAINTAINED, HOUSED IN GARAGE, AND HAD JUST PASSED ITS TOUGH NYC ANNUAL INSPECTION. THERE WAS NO SMELL OF GASOLINE PRIOR TO BLAZE, AND NO APPARENT PROBLEM WITH THE CAR. VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED, AND FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS UNABLE TO SAY WHAT CAUSED FIRE. *AK

Mileage: 105,000

ON 6/12/2000, WHILE MY WIFE WAS DRIVING OUR 1992 NISSAN SENTRA OUT OF HER COMPANY'S PARKING LOT, AT 5 MPH, AN ODOR STARTED COMING INTO THE CAR THROUGH ITS AIR VENT. ONE MINUTE LATER, SMOKE STARTED COMING FROM UNDER THE LEFT SIDE OF THE HOOD. WITHIN 3 MINUTES, SHE VERY QUICKLY DROVE BACK TO HER OFFICE, RAISED THE CAR'S HOOD, AND FOUND THE IGNITION WIRING ON FIRE. SHE DUMPED WATER ON THE FIRE AND PUT IT OUT. SHE THEN CALLED THE FIRE DEPT. TO COME AND MAKE SURE THE FIRE WAS OUT. THE FIRE DEPT. AND POLICE BOTH SHOWED UP. THEY INSTRUCTED HER TO HAVE THE CAR TOWED TO OUR AUTO REPAIR SHOP, AND NOT TO TURN ON THE IGNITION SWITCH. WE DID AS THEY INSTRUCTED. I CAME TO HER OFFICE AND WAITED FOR THE TOW TRUCK TO ARRIVE. OUR MECHANIC SAID THAT THERE WAS NO OUTSIDE CAUSE FOR THE WIRING TO CATCH FIRE. NOTHING WAS TOUCHING THE WIRING, NO WIRES WERE EXPOSED, THE WIRING BUNDLE WAS NOT RUBBING UP AGAINST ANYTHING, AND THE WIRING WAS IN ITS ORIGINAL WRAPPED, BUNDLED LOOM. HE SAID THAT THERE WAS NO OTHER CAUSE FOR THIS FIRE EXCEPT THE IGNITION RESISTOR CAPACITOR WAS DEFECTIVE FROM THE FACTORY, AND THAT IT FAILED, GOT HOT, AND BURST INTO FLAMES. HE TOLD ME TO REPORT THIS INCIDENT TO NHTSA AS A DEFECT IN THIS CAR'S WIRING SYSTEM. (I BOUGHT THIS CAR NEW, HAVE NEVER HAD ANY WORK DONE ON ANY WIRING, NOR THE IGNITION SYSTEM, EXCEPT TUNE-UPS. THE LAST TUNE-UP WAS DONE ON 12/15/1999, AND THE ONLY THING DONE WAS NEW SPARK PLUGS, NEW DISTRIBUTOR CAP & ROTOR, AND NEW PCV VALVE INSTALLED. THE WIRING HAS NEVER BEEN TOUCHED, AND HAD NO LOGICAL REASON TO BURST INTO FLAMES EXCEPT FOR A FACTORY DEFECT IN THE WIRING IGNITION RESISTOR CAPACITOR, AS MY MECHANIC HAS STATED, IN A LETTER TO NISSAN MOTOR CORP., P.O. BOX 191, GARDENA, CA., 90248.) NISSAN HAS AGREED TO PAY HALF OF MY REPAIR COSTS, SINCE MY CAR'S 3-YR WARRANTY HAS EXPIRED. THEY SHOULD PAY THE WHOLE COST, BECAUSE THIS PART SHOULD'VE NEVER FAILED. I FILED A FIRE REPORT WITH THEM, FILE NO. CA3175439. *AK

ON 6/12/2000, WHILE MY WIFE WAS DRIVING OUR 1992 NISSAN SENTRA OUT OF HER COMPANY'S PARKING LOT, AT 5 MPH, AN ODOR STARTED COMING INTO THE CAR THROUGH ITS AIR VENT. ONE MINUTE LATER, SMOKE STARTED COMING FROM UNDER THE LEFT SIDE OF THE HOOD. WITHIN 3 MINUTES, SHE VERY QUICKLY DROVE BACK TO HER OFFICE, RAISED THE CAR'S HOOD, AND FOUND THE IGNITION WIRING ON FIRE. SHE DUMPED WATER ON THE FIRE AND PUT IT OUT. SHE THEN CALLED THE FIRE DEPT. TO COME AND MAKE SURE THE FIRE WAS OUT. THE FIRE DEPT. AND POLICE BOTH SHOWED UP. THEY INSTRUCTED HER TO HAVE THE CAR TOWED TO OUR AUTO REPAIR SHOP, AND NOT TO TURN ON THE IGNITION SWITCH. WE DID AS THEY INSTRUCTED. I CAME TO HER OFFICE AND WAITED FOR THE TOW TRUCK TO ARRIVE. OUR MECHANIC SAID THAT THERE WAS NO OUTSIDE CAUSE FOR THE WIRING TO CATCH FIRE. NOTHING WAS TOUCHING THE WIRING, NO WIRES WERE EXPOSED, THE WIRING BUNDLE WAS NOT RUBBING UP AGAINST ANYTHING, AND THE WIRING WAS IN ITS ORIGINAL WRAPPED, BUNDLED LOOM. HE SAID THAT THERE WAS NO OTHER CAUSE FOR THIS FIRE EXCEPT THE IGNITION RESISTOR CAPACITOR WAS DEFECTIVE FROM THE FACTORY, AND THAT IT FAILED, GOT HOT, AND BURST INTO FLAMES. HE TOLD ME TO REPORT THIS CAR FIRE TO NHTSA AS A DEFECT IN THIS CAR'S WIRING SYSTEM. (I BOUGHT THIS CAR NEW, HAVE NEVER HAD ANY WORK DONE ON ANY WIRING, NOR THE IGNITION SYSTEM, EXCEPT TUNE-UPS. THE LAST TUNE-UP WAS DONE ON 12/15/1999, AND THE ONLY THING DONE WAS NEW SPARK PLUGS, NEW DISTRIBUTOR CAP & ROTOR, AND NEW PCV VALVE INSTALLED. THE WIRING HAS NEVER BEEN TOUCHED, AND HAD NO LOGICAL REASON TO BURST INTO FLAMES, EXCEPT FOR A FACTORY DEFECT IN THE WIRING IGNITION RESISTOR CAPACITOR, AS MY MECHANIC HAS STATED, IN A LETTER TO NISSAN MOTOR CORP., P.O. BOX 191, GARDENA, CA., 90248.) NISSAN HAS AGREED TO PAY HALF OF MY REPAIR COSTS, SINCE MY CAR'S 3-YR WARRANTY HAS EXPIRED. THEY SHOULD PAY THE WHOLE COST, BECAUSE THIS PART SHOULD'VE NEVER FAILED. I FILED A FIRE REPORT WITH THEM, FILE NO. CA3175439. *AK

THIS WIRING HARNESS APPEARED FAULTY FROM THE FACTORY, AND IT TOOK 44000 MILES FOR IT TO RUB THROUGH AND SHORT OUT THE WIRING, CAUSING THE FIRE AND ENGINE STOPPAGE. *AK

THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM ON MY NISSAN SENTRA NX 1600 COUPE HAS PROBLEMS AND DOES NOT OPERATE PROPERLY AND SAFELY. I HAVE NOTICED THAT MY DASHBOARD LIGHTS WOULD FLICKER FOR VARIOUS AMOUNTS OF TIME, EVEN WHILE DRIVING, AND ON A FEW OCCASSIONS IT HAS STOPPED OPERATING WHILE DRIVING. IT ALWAYS HAPPENS IN COLD WEATHER: FIVE (5) TIMES THE CAR HAS JUST STOPPED WHILE DRIVING IN TRAFFIC AND COULD NOT BE STARTED BY SHUTTING OFF THE CAR AND RESTARTING: VARIOUS TIMES THE CAR DIED WHILE AT TRAFFIC LIGHTS OR STOPPED IN TRAFFIC, AND I WAS ABLE TO RESTART THE CAR AND CONTINUE DRIVING; FIVE (5) TIMES I HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO START THE CAR, (JUMPING THE BATTERY USED TO START THE CAR), AND VARIOUS TIMES THE CAR TAKES MULTIPLE TRYS BEFORE THE ENGINE TURNS OVER AND STARTS. I REPLACED THE BATTERY ON THE RECOMMENDATION OF A MECHANIC AND UNTIL LAST NIGHT I THOUGHT THE PROBLEM WAS NOT THAT SERIOUS AND SOMEWHAT RESOLVED. INTERMITTENLY THE DASHBOARD LIGHTS WOULD GO OFF AND THEN A FEW MINUTES LATER COME BACK BUT AFTER LAST NIGHT I REALIZE THAT THERE IS A SERIOUS PROBLEM WITH THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM AND THE RAMIFICATIONS OF THE CAR JUST STOPING IN TRAFFIC WERE VERY SERIOUS. MY CAR WAS RUNNING AND I WAS DRIVING AND THREE TIMES IT JUST STOPPED. MY LIGHTS WERE STILL ON AND AFTER JUMPING THE BATTERY THE CAR STARTED BUT WHILE DRIVING HOME, IT APPEARED THAT AS I SLOWED OR HIT THE BRAKES, THE DASHBOARD LIGHTS WOULD GO OUT BUT THE ENGINE WAS STILL RUNNING AND UPON ACCELERATION, THE DASH WOULD RELIGHT BUT THEN THE CAR JUST STOPPED UPON BRAKING AT A LIGHT AND COULD NOT BE STARTED. IT IS NOW NOT STARTING AT ALL AND I'M WORRIED THAT THERE ARE MAJOR PROBLEMS WITH THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM.. THIS IS NOT THE FIRST NISSAN SENTRA THAT I HAVE HAD THIS TYPE OF PROBLEM WITH, A 1982 NISSAN SENTRA THAT I HAD, PLAGUED ME WITH THIS SORT OF STARTING PROBLEMS AND AFTER REPLACING BATTERIES/ALTERNATORS/STARTERS AND A HOST OF OTHER COMPONENETS, AFTER BEING TOWED MULTIPLE TIMES TO BAY ROYAL NISSAN I PURCHASED THE 1992 SENTRA

STARTER FAILED.

UPON STARTING, NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER HOOD, FOUND FRONT WIRING HAD BURNT APART, FOR NO APPARENT REASON. *AK

ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRE, THE ELECTRICAL WIRING FIRE AROUND THE VEHICLE BATTERY SHORTED OUT. *AK

WHILE DRIVING IN A RAIN STORM AND THROUGH STANDING WATER VEHICLE STALLED. *AK

ELECTRICAL SHORT, CAUSED FIRE. *SKD

ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRE, UNKNOWN ORIGIN. TT

WHILE PUMPING GAS, VEHICLE ENGINE CAUGHT FIRE, FIRE DEPT. SUSPECT ELECTRICAL SHORT AS CULPRIT. TT

COLD START SENSOR FAILED, PREVENTING VEHICLE FROM STARTING. *AW