AN A320 DEPARTS SAN AND UNABLE TO RAISE ITS NOSE GEAR; DIVERTS TO LAX; CA.

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AFTER TKOF; THE GEAR HANDLE STUCK IN THE DOWN POS. CONTINUED ON DEP AND CONTACTED DISPATCH AND A PATCH TO MAINT. HAD ECAM MESSAGE LNDG GEAR SHOCK ABSORBER FAULT. ALSO; AUTOFLT; NO AUTOTHROTTLES. NO FURTHER ECAM MESSAGE AS MENTIONED IN IRREGULARS ABOUT WHEEL. MAINT SAID IT IS POSSIBLE THE NOSE GEAR IS TURNED 90 DEGS OR MISSING. NO CIRCUIT BREAKERS WERE POPPED. DECIDED TO DIVERT TO LOS ANGELES FOR MAINT; LONGER RWY. WX IN SFO WAS IFR; FUEL CONSUMPTION WAS HIGH. ADVISED FLT ATTENDANT OF CABIN ADVISORY. DID NOT DECLARE AN EMER; BUT TWR TREATED IT AS SUCH FOR HANDLING. MADE A FLY-BY TO CHK GEAR. 2 ACFT ON TXWY CONFIRMED ALL LOOKED NORMAL. CAPT PROCEEDED TO LAND WITH NORMAL TOUCHDOWN AND ROLLOUT. TAXIED ONTO TXWY B AND SEVERAL COMPANY MECHS STOPPED US AND PLUGGED IN. SAID THEY WERE THERE TO PIN THE GEAR. AFTER A MOMENT; THEY SAID OK AND GAVE ME THE SALUTE AND RELEASE. TAXIED TO THE GATE UNEVENTFULLY. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 605286: PERFORMED WALKAROUND ON ACFT FOR EARLY MORNING DEP. I SAW NO FLAGS AND THE ACFT APPEARED NORMAL. ON TKOF; WE NOTICED A LOUDER THAN NORMAL THUMP HITTING THE 'TURTLES' ON THE CTRLINE LIGHTING SYS. WE GOT A LONG GEAR SHOCK ABSORBER FAULT ECAM FOLLOWED SHORTLY THEREAFTER BY AN AUTOFLT AUTOTHROTTLES ANGLE AT SAN. WE DECIDED TO HEAD N TO LAX WHILE WORKING WITH DISPATCH AND MAINT TO ADDRESS THE GEAR ISSUES. AFTER SHUTDOWN; MAINT TOLD US THE NOSE GEAR DID NOT REGISTER FULLY EXTENDED; SO THAT WAS WHY THE GEAR WOULD NOT RETRACT.