MarkC

First off, thanks to all you guys who had posted comments and suggestions as to the problems that I have been experiencing. I got very useful info form this forum.

To recap: (since many of you are having the same problems I have had, this may help)

About a month ago my 88 Maxima started giving me problems starting and staying started on cold mornings (10 to 30 degs). It was suggested here that my Air Regulator needed replacement. I did so and it seemed to correct the problem, although it did run pretty rough until it was fully warmed up. I also replaced a dead battery.

Then, (new problem) it wouldn't start at all one morning and I had to have it towed. It turned out that the negative battery cable (not where it connects to the battery) had coroded. After this, it started fine but still ran rough and was getting worse. Finally, it got where it wouldn't run or idle at all without me holding down the gas pedal.

So, I took it back to a mechanic who tried to get a reading from the ECU. He got a few different readings from it but mostly it came up with code #55 with means normal operation. Well, we knew it wasn't running normal so he suggested I get a salvaged ECU from a junkyard. I found one for $75, installed it and got the same message as the other one. But, this ECU allowed the car to stay running, and running pretty good, but not as good as it should.

Next, I took the car to an electrical specialist to see if some of the wiring had coroded or shorted and I wasn't getting a proper reading from the ECU. It checked out OK so I had a fuel pressure check performed. No problem here either. (I found out that the problem with mechanics today is that they rely more on the dianostic equipment than the do on their own hunchs) Only after these expensive test were performed did the head mechanic come over and say that what he really suspected was that the secondary ignition system needed to be replaced. Wow, that sounds bad, I thought. So I asked him what that involved. He then proceeds to tel me that I needed a new distributer cap, rotor, plugs, plug wires, etc... I asked him, you mean a tune up? He said, yeah, a tune up. AAAAAAAKKKK, could this have been the problem all along????

$240 later,(for the tune-up- $130 for the system checks) it is running great. I guess it's good to know that a 15 year old car is in good shape as far as electrical and fuel systems go, so I guess it wasn't money wasted. I think the ECU was the main problem with the car at first though, so I was wondering if any of you guys thought that a bad ECU could cause other problems, such as fouling out components, to crop up.

Anyways, I'm just glad to have my old Maxima back.

GundamWZero

That much for a tune up? I would have done it myself and saved some dinero.........

MarkC

I hear ya. That did seem steep. 20 years ago I would have done it myself, but lack of time, knowledge, and resources made it easier to have it done. I am going to do my own brake pads this weekend, though...I hope it's as easy as I remember it to be.