Nissan Repair: car wont start, crank sensor, spark plug wire

Question
I have a 1996 nissan maxima that ran hot but now will not start. I have had the heads checked to make sure they did not go bad and they checked out fine. So it was suggested that the crank sensor was not firing.Could this be problem, if so where are they located on the engine.

Answer
Hi Sonja -

First of all, are you getting a check engine light on? If not, then it is not likely to be the crank sensor.

To narrow down the cause, try checking for spark. Pull off a spark plug wire, insert a screwdriver frimly into the boot until it wedges against the terminal. Hold the screwdriver about 1/4" away from any metal surface while a helper tries to start the car (do not touch any metal surface while doing this). There should be a spark jumping between the 2 metal surfaces. If there is no spark, then the problem could be the ignition module in the distributor, or some other electrical component, not the fuel system.

Let me know -
aloha
calvin