druethe

My 98 maxima SE has 235k miles on it. It still runs like the day I got it after doing some suspension work a few years back.


This new problem started occurring when the car warms up. When I start the car cold, it fires right up like it should. After I have driven it until warm and stop to go into a store, I come back out and most of the time (not everytime), it has a hard start where it might take a few seconds to turn over and you can hear it having trouble. Its a very weak start. After reading the forums here and elsewhere I thought and almost still do, that its the fuel pressure regulator. Once its running I have no issues with it at all. I started hitting the FPR screws with some pbblaster for a few days to help break it loose (Horrible design on those soft screws).


In the meantime, a couple days later, I went out and had about 3 stop and starts while running errands. After the third errand the car didn't start at all..no turn over at all. I ended up tapping on the starter and it fired up. (I just installed a starter about 2 years ago, so this was odd to me). I've never had this happen before or again.


The last issue that popped up all around this same time is...when I go to turn the car off, I can turn the key off like normal, but the key won't want to come out of the ignition. I can wiggle around and even start it again and turn it off again and it will eventually come out. This has happened several times now.


After these additional things happened in a short period, I thought maybe I'm wrong about the FPR and maybe these other things are all related, but I couldn't think of a way they might be unless it has something to do with the Ignition Lock Cylinder or the Ignition Switch?


Any Maxima lifers or mechanics think they have a read on this issue? Let me know if you have any other questions to help diagnosis.


I personally still think the other things might be unrelated and its still the FPR and something different for the key not coming out. Any thought?

druethe

So I tried replacing the ignition switch today to see if that would change anything. A few years ago I had trouble with the ignition switch when the car was hot. The new ignition switch did NOT change anything. Even the key still gets partially stuck sometimes when trying to turn off and remove key. I'm still not sure what is causing the issue. Being that it runs perfect once its started, I can't image its the fuel pressure regulator. Can the starter going bad cause a hard start like I referenced? I thought it either started or didn't. Has anyone had to replace the actual key/ignition part? Would that cause something like this...?

Fakie J Farkerton

iTrader: (51)

Sounds like the temperature sensor on the coolant log went south.
It's on the log in front of the starter with another sensor in front of it.
One is for the ECU and the other is for gauge display.
The flat blade connector is the gauge sensor~it's not that one..it's right behind it. I would swap that out with one from a yard or new if you're
Just don't forget some plumbers tape on the threads.

That's my guess.

I have replaced a whole ignition lock cylinder on a 4th gen..not due to this, but due it being so worn that any key could start it and you could remove it easily while it was running.

I had a starter go bad on me when it was hot and still worked when it cooled down, so that's possible too. Good times.

druethe

Thanks for the response, I had same trouble trying to start it with screwdriver from ignition switch too...so its not the ignition lock cylinder (even though I'm not sure why they key is getting hung up when trying to remove sometimes, that might be the cylinder).


I'll try to run the meter on coolant temp sensor to get some readings and also grab an extra from the yard and try it with a replace.


I thought the starter either worked or didn't work. Does a starter on the fritz have hard starting issues when warm?


You said your starter went bad on you when hot. does that mean it wouldn't start at all?

Daniel VQ30life

iTrader: (2)

a crank sensor can do this to amirite?

I love my A32

druethe

Wouldn't a crank sensor throw a code? I have had no CEL come on at all.

Fakie J Farkerton

iTrader: (51)

Most the time a sensor will throw a code right away. Sometimes it takes a few days.

Yes I did have a starter that didn't work when hot and worked fine when cool.

Daniel VQ30life

iTrader: (2)

i have hard starts in extreme hot and cold but it's been that way since i bought the car two years ago, i was always told crank sensor but it has never not started and i never get codes, never changed any sensors since it still starts, hmmmm

lucky for me tho the previous owner installed a push to start clutch bypass so for me i can hold the key forward for a few seconds in those scenarios and then when i hit the starter it fires right up

I love my A32

LWilspeed

+1 I would guess it is the starter going out.

djengr

Sounds like similar symptoms as we had on a pathfinder. Fired right up cold or hot, but wait 15 minutes or so it would have a hard time starting. It turned out to be a leaking fuel damper. Not real sure where it is on the Max, but you can pull the tubes off and see if they leak after running the fuel pump to pressurize the system Could be signs of other things like starter, or other sensors, just relaying one of my experiences.

good luck

druethe

Just to follow up on the resolution, I went and tested the starter at O'Reilly while it was on the car which came clean. A few days later, I ended up having to tap the starter again due to a no start situation (2nd time that happened).


At that point, I removed the starter and traded it in for a new one under it's lifetime warranty at O'Reilly (Only had it about 2 years). Threw the starter on and so far that seems to have fixed the issue completely. 24 hours and no hard starts.


The odd part to me was that it only did the hard starts when warm. I didn't think starters failed by doing hard starts, only no starts and especially not when just warm. Lesson of the day...


Thanks for all the responses.