car only starts with a jump

[repda916]

This is for a friend, he blew his single cam, bought another one, put it in, and now it only starts if you jump it.
what can cause this to happen. im guessing he plugged somthing in wrong. :-/

what connection would make a car do that?
thanksss

[devnull]

Need some more details. Does the dash light up? Does the starter click? Do all the lights die when you try to start it? Does the car run after you disconnect the jumper cable?

[repda916]

" the dome light turns off after i try and makes a clicking noise and all the lights die, and if i jump it and start it and disconect the battery it still doesnt run"

[cycloneskate]

check the wires for the alternator- there arent just plugins there, there's a ground too

[devnull]

Yeah sounds like alternator wiring + dead battery or bad battery cable termination.

[repda916]

would it still be the same problem if i said it still does run after the battery cable is disconected?

[devnull]

So it runs after disconnecting the jumper cables?

[steve shadows]

thsi is like car 101

Bad battery is not charging

[Ceepo]

alternator, and battery ftl :)

[chixwithtrix]

yep, check starter hookups, whether alt its charging/bad battery, and grounds.

[lflkajfj12123]

starter is fine

since his car starts up...

the battery isn't charging

bad alternator or bad connections

use a volt meter and check your lines

[cwallace12]

would it still be the same problem if i said it still does run after the battery cable is disconected?
I think I may be misreading this but are you saying you can disconnect the positive or negative terminal on the battery and the car keeps running?

[Pacman]

This is a stupid question but can you disconnect the battery with the car running? I know at Toyota we replace batteries that way so the auto features in the sunroofs and windows don't have to be reset and radio stations won't get lost. Will it blow anything with Nissans?

Get a new battery and check your connections for the grounds. Are any of the wires getting hot (as in chaging wires)? Sounds like the battery could have a dead cell and not allowing enough CCA to turn the car over.

[bo2o]

check fuse, altenator,