Hello guys,
got a new car(my old one used to be a 89 se 5 spd). The new one felt pretty good when I test drove it but of course after a got it everything seems to be falling apart. Problems:
1. The "security" lights comes on and off all the time while driving. What does that mean?
2. The previous owner changed the rack an pinion(spelling?) and now there is a sound coming from the engine. It sounds like a power streering pump but the fliud level seems normal.
3. The fans are on all the time. I noticed that the AC is not spinning so the problem must be somewhere else.
4. The engine idles high when the tranny is in "N" or "P". When put in "D" it's fine but a little shaky.
5. The key release button doesn't release the key but that I can live with.
6. When the car is cold during shifting you can feel something like backpreasure. For example, when it shifts second to third it feels like I am applying the brakes a little bit. It last a second but I think it's weird. Is this normal?
7. When the car is idling there is a little vibration that is still there until 2000 rpm. Injector? What the correct the resistence on them so I know when I check this weekend.
8. Last thing. The guy said he changed the starter but there is a noise just before(or while) the engine is cranking. Is the starter bad or simply not installed correctly if possible.

What I am worried about are the mechanical issues. I have a parts car (5spd and not auto but still..)so pretty much everything I need will be free. Any ideas what might cause the mech. issues above? I really like the body of it as well as the interior so putting work into it is not a problem. Thanks in advance

 

Hi,

can you give us more detail what the model is,

is it a gxe or se,

and what year it is so we can help you more,

 

Sorry about that...I am having a really bad day so far...anyways, the car is a 91 SE Auto with 162k on it. In the morning it started without a problem. After I stopped at a place and tried to start again nothing happened-it didn't even crank. I will change the started anyways just for the hell of it but my real concerns are listed above. Thank you.

 

you went from a 5spd to an auto WHY

 

my 89 had rust holes all over it. If you drive more then 55 you can't hear anything inside the car although the engine was in perfect shape. The new one looks mint inside and out with zero rust. Since I have the parts car i can pretty much take anything I want from it. Not to mention that I sold the old one for $1200 and got the new one for $1000....

 

1 - check hood/door pin switches
2 - check to make sure there's ATF in the PS system. the pump might be dead.
3 - i'm guessing coolant temp sensor
4 - IACV?
5 - check the shifter bushing and make sure it's not loose. next time it sticks push the shifter into park a few times and see if that works.
6 - geez...tranny slipping?
7 - so many things here.
8 - more details on noise?

ok i'm done.

 

shifter bushing might be worn or something. happens on my car too. wen you put the car in park, push it up a lil and wiggle the shifter a bit. key might not be coming out with it because of that reason also.

 

First of all I would like to thank you for the responces....

On the topic...
I thought that when a tranny is slipping it will rise rpms while shifting and not feel like I am braking... Also, what is IACV?

 

if you just bought the car and having all these prob you have better gotten a great deal on it. other wise return it

 

well, I can't return the car since i got ot from a private seller plus as I said I have a whole spare car to take parts from. All I am asking you guys is to give me some guidelines for the problems listed above....Thank you once again...

 

>Also, what is IACV?

Idle Air Control Valve. It leaks air past the throttle plates to raise your idle speed when the car is cold or the engine has increased load on it.

 

Only europeans are maniac stick wavers, kick riggers... Better Let THE tranny (auto) to do the work, enjoy life.

Maybe you have never driven with maxima with a autotranny working better than u can think? Needs only trimming... TPS etc. plus possibility for the computer to function: no oxidation crimps, cramps.


----------------------------------------------------------------------------


"On the topic...
I thought that when a tranny is slipping it will rise rpms while shifting and not feel like I am braking... Also, what is IACV?"


To clean it see: http://www.cardomain.com/memberpage/748507/4
Make sure it will not leak air afterwards...

For mystical intermittent problems:
http://www.cardomain.com/memberpage/748507/14

 

the problem with the fan being on all the time...this will happen when the wire is unplugged from the temp sensor, or as jeff said, it just might need replacing. but it's definitely better that it's on all the time instead of the opposite.

 

Check out the TSB's for common maxima tranny problems, also search around for rebuild kits for your tranny (probly RE4F02A). i get your drift on the gap between gears but it doesn't feel like its braking, just letting go of the accelerator, try letting go of the throttle suddenly.. does it feel like it does between changing gears? here is a link that talks along the lines of this subject:
or: Walt's Theory on "starved" solenoid coils inside the tranny TXCHANGE

 

thank you all for the replies. I got a new water temp sensor but couldn't find it in the engine bay. I have a repair manual but they show the location for the vg30e up to 88 only(kind of behind the distributer cap). Where is it on my car(91)? Also, I noticed something else. The car starts hard in the morning. There is a little valve(I don't know how's it called) that starts moving after the car warms up. On my old max, the water temp sensor was bad so this valve was closed all the time and after the car wormed up there were problems. I was thinking that may be the situation is the same with the new one but reversed-the wrong signal from the sensor keeps this valve opened all the time and that's why the car has hard time starting in the morning. But, last night I checked that and the valve doesn't move until the car is warmed up. Does that mean that the water temp. sensor is good.....
Last night I did struts in the back and the diff is like day and night :-). Also, I checked the tranny oil and everything is withing normal-level, color, smell. This gave me some hope. Of course this morning the story was the same-kind of slow shif 2nd to 3th. The rest of the shift are fine. When the car warms up it's better and almost unnoticable. One more thing- I found a place that sells "rebuild kits" for this car. I don't have any experience working on trannies but am confident that it's something i can do. Anybody here ever fixed his own tranny(auto). Any special tools involved? Thank you once again...

 

guys, where is the water temp sensor located?

 

normally in the head

 

Lol....I thought so but still couldn't find it. Can you be more specific-lower/higher, to the left/right of something? In my repair manual the location is given only up to 88 and it's not there on my car(91)

 

I had the same situation with my car once or twice. I just did the same thing - jiggled the shifter a bit (I think the problem is that sometimes my shifter doesnt realize its in Park) If you turn off the ignition while its still in gear (D, R, N, 2, or 1) and try to start it up again, you'll notice that nothing will happen - the engine wont crank. Thats why when that problem happens when the car actually is in Park...i think the car doesnt realize its in Park and that it thinks it still may be in gear. Try jigglin the shifter, or actually shifting it into gear and back into Park like XNYC said - it worked for me.

Then again, I'm no expert...thus why I cant even begin to try suggesting solutions for your other probs.

 

As far as the tranny slipping, since your car is a 91 I'll assume you have the VG engine, you could swap the 5speed over from your 89 into it. You are the the ideal situation to do that since you have the whole car and all the parts you would need.

As far as rebuilding an auto, I've known some people to do it, but its from what I hear a hard job. IMHO you'd be better off with the 5 speed swap.

Good Luck...

 

upper radiator hose..follow it from the radiator to the engine...at the engine end you'll see an alum elbow (the spark plug wires right right by/on it). on the alum elbow you'll see 2 plugs going into it. front side plug (1 wire) is for the gauge in the dash...the back side plug (2 wires) is for the ECU. take that plug out (must pull out thin metal clip) and clean the contacts. might be a good idea to get a new sensor.