How do your fuel lines look? Trace the lines that run up to the fuel filter, and the lines that run from the fuel filter to the injectors.. sometimes those lines leak in an area that is not visible due to the upper intake plenum being in the way.

It sounds to me like there is a fuel leak coming from a line nearby and its moving over to the rear (hot) exhaust manifold, and that will ruin your day real fast if it catches fire! I doubt your exhaust manifold has fuel leaking directly out of it, unless you have a severely damaged engine block and heads.

My girlfriends 2004 Kia Optima had fuel in the radiator due to a severely blown head gasket. Somehow that car run almost 40k like that with no water/steam out the tail pipe, no weird smell.. The car ran like **** from when she bought it at 15k miles, with no power and gas mileage sucked. I got a 2006 motor (160 plus hp stock - which makes more power than the 138hp 2004 motor stock) and massaged that motor by playing with the head, and intake manifold and dropped it in with a newer tougher tranny. I felt so lame that we bought her car like that, and I didn't come to that conclusion sooner. We had to do a chemical test to make sure the head was blown. I ripped the motor apart, and it was blown in the worst spot, between 2 cylinders.. so the whole time it was running on 2-3 cylinders. And somehow I just chalked it up to a car with a weak motor; but now her car certainly moves with the 2.4 liter motor in it

 

Weird thing is it didn't have this fuel leak until I changed the injector and ran fine. DeceNt power, but it definitely had a miss. My only thoughts are the fuel injector being bad didn't let any fuel get to this cylinder if it is indeed bad. I'm at a loss. Guess I am going to have to take it somewhere and have it checked. May have to buy a motor for it. Really regretting this purchase right now.

 

My bet would be one of the rubber injector gaskets didn't sit well when it was installed. It is recommended to lightly lube them before putting them on the injector - i use a little petroleum jelly. Also, the gas hoses that run at either end of the fuel rail often fail given the heat and the slight movement of injector swaps. It sucks popping the manifold again but it may be worth a look before you call in the cavarly. Good luck.

 

Have the manifold off. Would there be gas present at injector if it wasn't seated properly, because there is not any?

 

So, here is an update. Took the injector I replaced off last night, and sure enough, one of the O rings was destroyed. Replaced the O Ring put it all back together, and it runs great now. Thank you all for your help!

 

Hi, I finally replaced my TPS after having finicky starting issues. Nothing major, just have to depress gas pedal slightly to get an instant start. Now, when driving distances, then coming to a stop, followed by a slow acceleration, the CEL comes on. Mostly the P0136 code comes on, but have had the P0130 too. Why would this happen after a TPS replacement? I set the TPS using the feeler guage method. 96 Infiniti I30

 

^ completely wrong section lol, you need the I30 section

 

Heyy guys quick question on my car.. Just Got it back after I got my license suspend for a year but I went to get on it and it seems to be a bit laggy... Say I'm in first or second(for example) and I go to floor it...it picks up but seems to not have any accerlation at all and falls on its face but when it gets into the 4 to 5 grand range then it really picks up almost like a power band(best way to describe it) and actually gets on it and throws you back in the seat...I mean maybe I need to get a new intake?? Change the plugs? I have no clue Any one can tell me how to get rid of this lag and have the power trough the whole rpm range would be much appreciated thanks.

 

old gas in the tank, still? if so, that sounds about right.
would recommend a tuneup (plugs, cap, rotor and air/fuel filter) as well as full fluids change, to make sure no stale deposits are left to ruin the engine.

 

Can't be the gas I've gone through a couple tanks already but i planned on changing the plugs but not so sure what your saying with the cap and rotor though...

 

derp ... please disregard cap and rotor. thought you had a VG

inspect coils for cracking, known to be an issue with the VE cops.

 

Haha sure thing but yea I'll check them when I get the chance thanks I'll probably be back with more questions lol

 

Havent posted in a while, but the other day had my 4 speed auto drop 3rd and 4th... It is a VG and I am in Australia but I was wondering (assuming things are similar) whether any other autos are the same from the maximas? Mine is a 1993 model... The Nissan guys here don't seem to know to much about them unfortunately.

Any other thoughts or options would be appreciated, thanks.

 

only other FWD drivetrain VG30E is Nissan Quest/Mercury Villager vans. i dont even know if those trannies are the same as a 3rd gens, but otherwise VG30E were mostly used for RWD

 

I recently had my warpspeed y-pipe, maganaflow cat & cat back bosal performance exhaust installed. Sounded like it had an exhaust leak coming from the y-pipe. Took it back to mechanic. Couldn't find a leak. Took it to inspection & everything passed. But I still hear the leak. WTF? Any help?

 

I've been a lurking member for about a year.I don't post to much on any of the forums I'm on.I'm kind of new to this Maxima thing and I have a couple questions I need to ask.I'm currently replacing the vg engine in my 90.Most of it has been a no brainer but I was wondering if there is a difference in distributors between 89-90? My car is a 90'.The engine blew, so I picked up a strong, low mileage 89' for the motor and some other parts.I just went to put the cap from my 90' on and it doesn't fit.The 89 cap is different.Is just the cap the difference or do I need to swap my distributor to the new motor.Also are ther any other differences between the 2.Thanks Gregg

 

I am not aware of any difference between Maxima motors.
Are you 100% sure the motor came from a Maxima? It's possible the motor came from any of a dozen vehicles. That would explain the differences between dizzy caps.

 

yeah 3rd gen VG30E were all the same. dizzy cap difference might be because its a VG30E out of a different vehicle (Quest/Villager etc)

 

Does anyone else have problems with wiper blades freezing over during this winter weather? My blend doors are not working, stuck on vent and just clicks when switched to defrost. Just wondering if its because I dont have defrost.

 

I honestly can't say if it's from another vehicle.The 89 Max I bought was from a guy whom owned it since new.The car had around 90k on it.It ran amazing but apent a bunch of years in Detroit giving the car a lot of rot.When I replaced the valve and oil pan gaskets, the inside of the motor is super clean.ZSo that leads me to believe the Max. is original.The cap is different in the way that the 3 holes are spaced diff.I'll have to do some resaerch.

 

New to the board here. Own a 90 maxima se edition. No questions to ask but lots of info to give if needed.

 

I did do some research and found exactly what you guys said.It should be the same.Maybe the previous owner had it changed at some point.Anyway it still answers my question.I'll just take my 90' dist. and put it in the new motor.Thanks, I'm sure I'll have more questions.

 

Hi everyone...I am having a small problem with my automatic tranny 1991 MAX SE. Here's the deal:

Rough idle bouncing 500 to 700 when in Drive, and acceleration was sluggish. (Perfect rock steady 800 idle when in Park, Reverse, or Neutral. No issues at all).

Installed new MAF and clean air filter.. The acceleration issue improved in the high gears, but still somewhat sluggish when in first gear. Idle in Drive slightly better but still rough.

Cleaned the idle air control valve. Slight improvement. But idle rpm will still bounce from 500 to almost 700 when idling in Drive.

I manually increased the idle RPM by turning the ECU screw fully clockwise, then turning the idle adjustment screw on the IACV counterclockwise. This increased the idle to about 900 to 1050 when the transmission is in Park, Reverse, or Neutral. It also helped the rough idle problem somewhat by increasing the RPM to about 800 when idling in Drive. But oftentimes the RPM still fluctuates and will drop to almost 500. The car never drops below 500rpm and hasn't stalled on me...yet.

Because of these RPM inconsistencies depending on whether the transmission is in Park, Reverse, Neutral of Drive...can I safely assume that the problem lies somewhere with a sensor or the ECU? This is my diagnosis because if the rough idle issue was due to a faulty fuel injector, sensor, vacuum leak , etc. would't the rough idle problem be noticeable regardless of whether the transmission was in Park, Reverse, Neutral or Drive?

Thanks please let me know your thoughts.

 

ive seen vacuum leaks affect vehicles only when put into drive, i would check for a leak first

 

At the moment the overhaul is looking like the best option. Havent found one in any wreckers yet and my brother in law may be able to do it at cost ($800 AU). So rather then take my chances with one from the wreckers I'll get the work done on it.

 

Hey everybody, I have this 92 max gxe vg30e auto 153k for 2 yrs been a great little car , I did all the major Maintenance (with some help from this forum) when i first got it 2 yrs ago and more ongoing as needed timing belt changed , 2 injectors, rotor /cap wires plugs, 02 sensor , fuel filter, air filter, control arm bushings oil/filter every 3 k . its been running fine until last week I noticed a very slight lagging/ hesitating sometimes while accelerating nothing that noticable, I have been using lucas injector cleaner for the past 2 yrs a couple oz in a tank of fuel but quit using it a couple months ago yesterday I thought be a good Idea to get a bottle and start using again to clean out all this ethenol/crap we get I put some in the tank and filled it from a station i always use . Last night going to work and then this am I was just coming home from work and its gotten really bad like the luicas amplified the symtoms it still seems to still idle pretty smooth . Symtoms are Idle smooth while at stop light , when I go to accelerate from a stopped postion to take off from a stop under load its hesitating really bad and some back firing now while pushing on throttle just a little. But if I just about punch it it starts to get rpms going and has the power it always had that power band feeling 3 k and up and seems to smooth out accelerate nice . then repeats when I have to come to stop and pull away trying to accelerate its bucking hesitating backfiring ALMOST stalling tiill I can get it to enough rpms. I have always had good results with lucas products seems coinecidental the symtoms got worse after using it this time. like its almost starving for fuel while accelerating idles ok doent want to stall idling , the backfiring now has me wondering if the lucas cleaner loosened up so much crap that it fouled the plugs ? or a timing issue ? or maybe the fuel pump is slowly going starving for fuel ? really has me baffled I am waiting for the motor to cool now and pull the plugs and clean/check them geez maybe a bad batch of lucas cleaner (LOL) I doubt it wish I could laugh now this is my only transportation to get to work and I need to get it going today I hate driving it while back firing I know thats not good on the motor. I always drive this car easy due to its my only transpotation any sugesstions from some of you all that have experienced something like this WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED !!!!! HOPE ITS NOT A FUEL PUMP GOING THEY ARE PROUD OF THOSE BABYS thanks again Scott in florida

 

Hey guys, I have a 93 Maxima, I have some light mods on right now, and I'm looking to take the motor out of my 00 Maxima parts car, only difference is the parts car has the 5spd whereas my car has an auto. I don't know the firsT thing on engine swaps, and I was going to be getting a trusted local shop to do the swap. I'm just wondering what all I need for the ECU and the drivetrain to complete the swap

 

the engine "fits", but requires serious modification to fit.
This is the only known fully-functional swap done with a vq into a 3rd gen.
****-ton of reading.
http://forums.maxima.org/all-motor/5...ss-thread.html
Aaron also used an auto trans, but the swap should be similar enough for a rough idea on the complexity of the project.
I wouldn't trust just any shop to do this swap, as it's a nightmare, and will be more expensive than getting a car that already out-performs the 3rd gen in stock form, then upgrading everything to make it perform better (you'll probably have some spare cash going this route, too).

 

yeah dont swap engines, it'll be a absolute nightmare. labor for a VQ35 swap vs labor to get the VG turbo'd and a VE 5spd swap would be pretty similar assuming you sell the VQ+tranny

 

UPDATE : trying what I could to get it running better to drive to work today I changed the plugs and new fuel filter, tried adjusting timing , Looked all around for any loose electrical connections and vacuum leaks. IT is still doing same thing hesitating and sometimes backfiring while trying to slowly accelerate from stopped position , if I punch it , it seems to get going in a couple seconds and power kicks in kinda like normal hitting that power band while keeping it accelerated , then repeats symptoms after I slow down or stop and try to slowly/normally accelerate , I finally have to punch it again to get going ??? ANY SUGGESTIONS WHAT WOULD BE CAUSING THIS WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED ! Thanks Scott

 

In regards to suspected vacuum leaks, I should only consider the hoses that come after the MAF...those are the ones I should carefully inspect right?

I am assuming that a leak in a hose attached to the brake booster would not really cause rough idle because the MAF doesn't calculate the air in those hoses right?

 

all vacuum lines come after the maf. this includes the brake booster.
any vacuum leak, regardless of the source is unmetered air entering the engine. all air must go through the maf (or in some other way be metered) for the engine to run properly.

 

oh ok thanks for the tip.

I guess I am just going to replace all the vacuum lines then because I can't seem to find the leak.

 

Try consulting your ECU for possible codes. There are a bunch of tests/inspections you can do: Check canister system, power balance test, fuel pressure, intake air leak test, proper installation of timing belt, intake valve deposits if it's backfiring in your intake, and check coolant if the backfire is by the exhaust.

 

Thanks for sharing your knowledge , seemed to run a little better the last drive not backfiring now after changing plugs and fuel filter will be going to a check codes and see were thst takes me I guess these 3rd gens are known for not setting off a check engine light even if a code exists will keep you posted on progress Thanks again Scott

 

I'm about to put the new motor in my 90'.Just wondering if while I'm buttoning up the new engine if there's any advantage to gasket matching th intake maifold or anything else that helps these motors out?I'm not new to porting just not on these engines.

 

I'm going to replace the y-pipe while doing the motor swap.Is the warpspeed piece really worth it?What have you guys seen as far as performance advantages?mileage?Overall satisfaction versus a stock replacement.This car is fun, just down a bit on power compared to my truck.Actually a lot.

 

worth it? lol
(yes. as soon as I get a new engine, one is going on with it.)

 

Greetings,

Just picked up a 1993 with 180,000 miles on her at an auction for $575. She is in pretty rough shape but the motor runs great and it hasn't burned a drop of oil since I started driving it a couple weeks ago...I picked it up just to drive back and forth to work (about a 40 mile trip one way) and keep miles off my baby (2007 Silverado Classic Duramax 550 RWHP :P )

When I got her she had a major electrical problem...the battery wouldn't charge, electronics would shut off while driving at random times (after I had to jump the car to start it) and random other peculiar problems. I started looking around and found the connections that led up to the positive battery terminal to be rotted away. Is this a common problem? I just cut them all off and attached a short jump wire to them, then put on a couple new battery terminals ($3.99 at O'Reilly). Nothing to complain about.

I still have a couple things, which I want to ask for advice on. First, my rear passenger side window is partially open and won't move. I know this is probably a regulator. What is the cheapest and easiest way for me to fix this problem. I wouldn't be unhappy if I could just get the window to go up and me to never be able to use it again.

The next problem will be a little more expensive, but hopefully one of you know where I can save some money. The exhaust is gone. From what I can see, everything is rotted through from the manifold back. I want to know if I would be able to find a bolt on kit, header or manifold back for cheap. I've looked online and can't seem to find anything.

I've been impressed with the little car so far. I bought it without really getting a good look at it, but other than a couple issues that are to be expected when buying a $600, 19 year old car, I haven't had a lot of complaints.

Anyway, thank you for any answers I get. I look forward to becoming a member. If I can get my camera working right I'll try to get some pictures of her up.

 

Udate I just pulled my codes and only got a 21 ignition signal can any one expand on this or send me a link to explain it better , as per my previous posts the above symtoms are going on , I have power balance check all cylnders firing , been trying to locate any vacuum leaks, check canister, seems its starving for fuel when it hesitates or the ingnition signal goes weak/ and sarts working right again when stats running ok for a few minutes really has me baffled only have this code 21 to work with now any help greatly appreciated again Scott