1990 Maxima, 99 problems and a blown motor ain't one.
 

Well, I figured rather than lurking, I might have more success if I stop being an anti-social jerk and just involve myself in the community. I've found these third gens rather nifty, so I doubt I'm going anywhere anyways. I just don't know a damn bit about em except what I've gleaned from here in the last week or so.

I recently picked up a 1990 Maxima for my girlfriend. It had sat for four or five years on a tow lot - previous owner was deported so obviously couldn't bail his car out. Best I can tell he replaced the distributor, AC compressor and alternator before this. Guy said it was fine when he brought it in. Its got 177k on the clock.... I think. Everything seems to check out, its a decent little car for how long it sat and its age. But that age and rotting comes with gremlins galore.

Now aside from chasing around random electrical gremlins, I have a few things I NEED to get taken care of on it first, and I haven't had much luck searching around.

It does run, its got 3/4 tank of old gas in it but she runs really well all things considered. Put some isoheet in it, changed the oil. Sounds like a vacuum leak somewhere (a loud hissing sound somewhere in the engine bay) and a hose I can't ID. I'll take pictures and expand as I work through getting it fixed up.

Important things first - blinkers/hazards do NOT work. No clicks, no lights, nothing. Secondly, speedo, odo, trip, these don't work. The speedometer is dodgy and the needle just bounces around 10mph, sometimes it'll go higher but seems it has a mid of its own. I haven't tested cruise control, without blinkers its kinda risky driving around, even using hand signals. Can't get it registered or insured until my days off in a couple days so I'm running around with a bill of sale, title and my motorcycle's proof of insurance. As it is, the driver's side window is temperamental, sometimes it'll go down, sometimes it won't. Always goes up though. Switch issue?

I'd rather not chance anything til I get that squared away, even though as I understand (I've never bought a private party vehicle before, so I don't know what is expected of me. With my motorcycle it was very obvious per the terms with the dealership when I bought it.) I'm following all the proper rules.

At any rate, before this gets too long-winded, any suggestions? I admit I haven't checked fuses, I work midshifts, by the time I get home its too dark to want to deal with it and I wake up last minute for work. Assuming those all check out, anything you can suggest to narrow down what I should be looking for?

If it makes any difference, I've noticed the dash clock FLIES through the time. Its fast. Like... stop watch fast. I'd say every second on a watch counts five minutes or more on that clock. Any relation to these issues? Once I can work these out I can start working ont eh common stuff - potential injectors, timing belt, other gremlins that I've read about for these little cars.

EDIT: Just realized it might help if I noted that I'm 99% sure its an SE model, its a 5-speed. There is no tagging on the car anywhere to denote GXE vs SE, but my understanding is the GXE was Automatic only.

issues--
 

Whiteface guages and black sideview mirrors instead of body color will tell you if it's an SE.

Window switches are very prone to dying on these cars. Lots of guys will have good used ones in the 3rd gen for sale section.

Aftermarket stereo in it? Whether there is or not, check to see if the hazard switch is even connected--

Remove the ashtray, unscrew the 2 screws that that reveals. Then use a small flathead screwdriver to pry out and down on the dash panel above that switch (work one side and then the other). It should tip out and pull right out of the way, if need be-- but you just want to make sure the connector is, well, connected ~heh~ to the hazard switch.


Those new items make me wonder if maybe he was throwing money at it trying to remedy the electrical issues... I'd definttely look to fuses first!

Where are you located? Welcome to the board!!

I'm currently living in big, wonderful, WINDY Wyoming. Casper, to be specific. I'm an Oregon transplant though, not sure I'll ever fully settle in here because, well, OR is a lot greener than here, and I sure miss the ocean!

Actually, the thought had occured to me that he may well have been doing so. Its hard to say without asking the guy. The stupid part is that he put in a bigger battery..... and left the flipping coolant reservoir off because the bracket wouldn't fit over it.. Great times. Gonna need a rad flush or ten BAD. And yep, fits the bill of an SE, white gauges!

It misses/idles rough (you can hear it at the exhaust, chug chug chug chug chug chug, doesn't sound smooth at all. She's keen on dying when cold cranking. I suspect injectors given what I've read about these VGs appetite for injectors, but we'll see. Its hard to say with bad gas and an old fuel filter in it. No doubt needs new plugs too, they may not even be the ones the car likes to boot, which wouldn't help.

ANYWAYS, back on track here - it does have an aftermarket sony headunit. I hadn't considered the possibility that it was disconnected. I've noticed the fog lights (bumper mounted and the squarish ones under the bumper) do not work either. Can check that plug while I"m in there. Thanks for the welcome and great suggestions!

Tomorrow is my day off so I can start digging into it, get it registered, etc. Also need to get the proper battery for it. I'm running a sidepost a buddy loaned me to get it running and the dang cables are too big to squeeze on the screw-in post adapters. Not ideal but its been working. The coolant reservoir is wedged back on and connected well enough that they stay secure. Heh, a little ghetto rigging works wonders. Once pay day rolls back around that'll be my first purchase though. Can't swing another hundred bucks just yet!

Have you checked the relays for your lights since you say there is no clicking. If not that then something may not be hooked up/ grounding out. Welcome to the org and don't let others criticism scare you away.

Rough idling--
 

Seafoam it-- I just did my 1st treatment (I'm @ 184K) and noticed an immediate difference in idle smoothness and less hesitation (I'm sure it cleaned the injectors right out)! Pour 1/2 a can in the gas tank, and pull the vac hose off your brake booster (pull it off the booster nipple and pour the other 1/2 into the hose at idle. it will want to stall if you pour too fast. Then take her for a nice ride out away from civilization, as it will smoke and smell for a bit. Then do an oil change soon, as the carbon buildup that was in your engine will be in your filter and oil pan. Also-- if you have an SE, you have a VE engine, I believe. Not a VG. Go forth and learn a bit about the difference. There are fans of both in the org, but I loves my VE!! (Should look like Maximo's in the post above, albeit not as clean, I bet.)

Hehe, one step at a time now. Seafoam, injector cleaners, etc, those will be for later.

Hokay, so I rummaged around under the dash, couldn't get the knee panel off completely but it was off enough. Some kind of push tab in the corner by the door?

Anyways, poked at the hazard plug, they work now, all bulbs are good, dash lights, clicking, whole nine yards. Still no blinkers in either direction, no response when I use the blinker arm, no lights, clicks, nothing.

So what am I looking at now? All fuses checked out, this means multi-function switch, no? Hazards run through the same circuit as I understand, is this a correct assumption? Oh yeah, is there an FSM floating around these days for the 1990? I've only had luck finding 1994s and 1992 and the like. I need to pick up a haynes/chilton's too, probably tomorrow.

CLEAN! Umm yeah:rolleyes: (not anymore/lil dirty) Gotta clean it for MAXUS. He has a VG. His is a 90 SE. VE didn't come into play until 92-94.

I believe you have a relay out as why the rest of your lights aren't responding . The Haynes should help you out with any other issues. Oh and he didn't mean a separate bottle of injct cleaner. When you pour seafoam into the gas tank it runs through the fuel lines and is misted through the injcts therefor cleaning them.

Nah, I figured. I'm familiar with the stuff. A little torn on whether seafoam/additives do anything but to each their own. I figure ill give the stuff a shot, made my mustang idle a little smoother but whose to say it wasn't placebo.

Anyways, like an oil thread, I don't think I wanna bark up the "Does injector/fuel additive do anything" tree. I've seen those threads blow up... heh.

At any rate, ill pick a haynes up tomorrow. I think I have a thread bookmarked for testing relays with a multimeter, but just to double check, what's the process y'all prefer? The Max has issues like this that I've never had to deal with before, so I'm a bit outta my element, but no time better than the present to dig in and learn on what seems a simple, easy little car!

Oh no I've never put it in my gas tank (preference). My thought is if the inj are startn to go then theres no additive that can fix. They do get clogged a bit sometimes though (then clean).

If it were me I'd turn on the lights/ blinkers and check with multimeter at light socket to see if you get any ohms. From there work towards the the switch.

Okay just so I'm clear - your hazards work, but your turn signals don't? What exactly did you do when you "poked around" with the hazard switch to get it working?

I would check the actual switch on the steering column. They're somewhat common to go bad, though it's usually manifested by either your high beams or low beams not working or one side not working or something like that. Haven't heard it affect blinkers.

If it were me I would grab a known good one and test it before going on a frustrating rabbit chase for electrical issues. 3rd gens almost never have random electrical failures/gremlins on the "internal" side of the electrical system (i.e., a switch or some other extremity may go bad but very rarely anything "deeper")

Correct, hazards work, all four blink and the dash lights indicate they are functioning. The relay clicks and all that jazz too, of course. Prior to my prodding of the connection, the hazards also did not work in any way shape or form.

All I did was stick my hand up behind the dash where the button was and press on the connector, jiggling it around a bit. Must've been loose or corroded or something and my prodding was just enough to sort it out.

I didn't unplug it or do anything beyond what I just described. I am suspecting the multifunction switch, however you mentioned that often it manifests with brights not working... in my case, brights work. Perhaps it needs to be taken apart and the contacts cleaned or bent back into place (I've read that some switches wear out because the contacts eventually lose their... springiness, for lack of a better word. Basically they eventually bend away from where they should be, so the switch can't complete the circuit.) which would sure beat shelling out 50 bucks or more for a switch.

Didn't have a chance to check on the relay for the blinkers today, simply too busy.

when I first bought my 93VE5, the hazard switch was physically cracked. I could still get the turn signals/hazards to work by messing around with it. maybe remove your hazard switch from the radio trim...I mean, mine was pretty well smashed up, id think you would notice if this was your problem..

Yeah nothing seemed damaged, I peeked around behind the dash and hadn't noticed anything that looked jury-rigged or spliced so I'm betting any electrical issues will be due to age and the like.

Gonna figure out which relay is the one I need to test and... well.. test it. Horn doesn't work either, but I didn't figure this was related. I'm betting relay on that as well, I'll worry about that later.

Actually the horn could be different. The power for the horn goes thru that white flat information tape that is wound up in the steering wheel. (clock spring) Wait yours is a 90. Nm what i just said then. Check the wire from the horn.

Whelp I've been busy so I haven't had a chance to update my thread. The blinkers now work. I was fiddling with the switch while getting gas and boom, they just started working.

Problem solved.

Next problem - I have reason to believe she DOES have a blown headgasket after all. I suspected as much when I bought the car but hoped it wasn't true. I'm noticing lots of bubbles in the radiator and reservoir, and the coolant is dark brown and nasty now. It COULD be rust and gunk from the inner passages but considering the car had no coolant reservoir attached when I first popped the hood I'm betting the deported owner from years prior likely ran it without the reservoir attached, thus blowing the headgasket when it inevitably ran dry. Hopefully NOT the heads but I've accepted that as a likely replacement candidate as well. Disappointing but you never know what you'll get with old tow-yard finds. Some are diamonds in the rough, some are total heaps. I still have faith that the Maxima isn't the latter.

Any suggestions on a next step here?

Additionally, I'm having a hard time getting into any gear while stopped, shifts fine when the engine is off. I've found that if I put it in first and hold in the clutch, the car starts rolling forward slowly. Experience with my bike's hydraulic clutch tells me this is likely an issue with the hydraulic system not disengaging the clutch fully, correct?

EDIT: I should note that it DOES have clutch fluid. At this point I'm starting to have a sinking feeling and wondering if I made an expensive mistake and should just cut my losses. it seems like a decent little car but I can't help but feel like I'm getting in over my head here for a first car for her. Didn't wanna sink a ton of money into this :(

I need some encouragement... haha

Further research leads me to believe that I need to flush the radiator much more aggressively before jumping to conclusions. I didn't consider that a basic flush is NOT going to acheiive much ona car sitting for so long, especially if it hasn't gotten nice and hot with fresh coolant to break stuff loose. Ill take it out to a buddies house and flush, flush, and then flush again. I'm betting its actually in need of more extreme flushing. Maybe with a rad flush chemical or something.

Dark dark brown dex cool. I'm an idiot, flushing again should have been my first guess, not a head gasket.

Man I need to do the same. Has the car ever over heated while you've had it?

It came close but ONLY driving up the mountain a ways here near town. Around town she sits happy and just around a third to half on the temp gauge no matter the ambient temp or how long she idles. I don't believe it pegged out, and I was quick to turn around and get back down the hill before it got out of hand. I had no heater to help, probably because the system hasn't bled out as much as I thought it had yet. Then again if its just filling up with exhaust gasses or the engine/oil are sucking up my coolant then that'd put some air gaps in the system too. Who knows, flush first, expensive worries second.

It was coming down the hill that I noted a peculiar burning electronics smell, something I'm told is what one would compare a burning clutch smell to. I was merely coasting down the mountain so it makes sense if the clutch was dragging the whole time - meaning its probably been dragging this entire time and its finally gotten so bad I can't get in gear hardly. I suppose a clutch kit should be my first step if I can rule out the hydraulics. Probably needs a new clutchand pressure plate anyways,

When your done flushing put in a new thermostat or roll without one to see if it will still overheat. Of course completely bleed the coolant after you refill.

I agree with the flush. 3rd gens are known for getting extra nasty on the coolant side if neglected. Flush, flush, thermostat..then follow the bleeding procedures, and you should be good. As for the clutch, sounds like a weak/broken spring on the pressure plate. Clutch replacement should fix that issue. Hope all works out.

Any suggestions for draining and refilling the hydraulic side of the clutch system? The fluid is pretty dark, and being old/sitting so long I might as well suck it up and drain that too, I need to do the brake and ps fluid too but I'm thinking ill need new rotors, they're pretty rusty, pull em and get em honed, see what happens.
ABS light is on as well but I can't even brake hard enough to skid, the rotors are so bad - though new brake fluid would probably make the brakes happier, id rather wait and do it all at once.

While we are on the subject of coolant, any cleaners/solvents/additives I should consider for the initial cleaning? I have no doubt this coolant system is FOUL with so many years of old dexcool in it so it might need something a little more extreme?

Prolly gonna attempt to pull the tranny this weekend if new clutch fluid and bleeding doesn't fix it.

Any advice?

Wonder if I can get away with ramps in the front and stands in the back. I hate lifting FWD cars, never a decent k-member and watching one side teeter unstably on a jackstand while I lift the other side up makes my stomach churn :laugh:

Sure you don't have a bad slave cylinder?
 

Cheap easy fix...

Care to elaborate? Not sure I get what you're referring to :P

Seal in slave cyl tend to fail thus piston doesn't extend/retract like it should. Sometimes the bleeder valve leaks (who knows). I had one go faulty on me not even a year after I bought it.

That was my theory - failing master/slave. They're pretty cheap, so I figured I might just replace em both anyways if the fluid doesn't change anything.

Basically once I'm in first it'll slowly move forward, second I can't get into when driving unless I hold the clutch and let rpms drop, third is easier, fourth and fifth like butter.... usually. Now that I think about it, they never were particularly smooth (1st thru 3rd) but just got progressively worse.

Part of me thinks maybe syncros too but I think first trying the cheapest and easiest options first makes a lot more sense than running further down the rabbit hole that necessary before I know what's going on.

Don't think I could replace syncros at home, I've heard you need a press for stuff like that and it tends to get kinda hairy keeping everything within spec when you put it back together. Not my idea of a good time.

Notably - can't downshift into ANY gear unless I get real lucky. I don't even bother if I have to drive it. I just hold in the clutch and push into first until it finally slips into gear if I'm lucky before I get stopped.

Synchros were my second guess. Thats kind of what it sounds like but I would have to drive to clarify.actually you can do a 5spd rebuild at home. A press isn't that expensive and as along as you go off the fsm you should be in spec. Looks worse thanit really is.

2 things. When was the last change, What type and how much gear oil is there in the gear box? If all is good the 2nd would definitively the synchros. Of course the parts aren't expensive but you make up for it in the work to change them out. The most you could do if you don't feel comfortable doing it yourself is getting the parts and removing the trans yourself. This way you cut cost on removal and parts (OEM only).

I wouldn't bother with the box/syncros at this stage because there is nothing in the box affecting the behavior there at all - there is obviously something wrong with the clutch actuation action/performance - either an hydraulic issue or the clutch rotating assembly has something wrong with it (clutch plate/pressure plate/clutch fork/RB partially disintegrated/fork pivot maladjusted or broken/oil leaking onto clutch assembly from rear engine seal/etc etc).

Also - mechanically its not good practice to engage 1st on the move and not many manual boxes enjoy that experience so I wouldn't use that behavior as a syncro health yardstick - shifting into 1st while on the move is bound to bite you in the *** in the long run ito box durability especially on a heavy vehicle like the 3rd gens.

If you can sit with a non-running motor and still find and shift into all the gears with the clutch depressed (even if you have to maybe rock the car slightly) go sort the clutch and its associated plumbing first

I believe when he said that he was going into 1st he was talking about down shifting. He tries all the other gears but no luck. So he works to get it into 1st and holds down the clutch til the time is right. (provided the car hasn't come to a stop already). Now I can't agree that riding the brakes is good for the car.:( But You will do what you have to to get from A to B.

Its not what I understood - I was in particular thinking of the OP's and in particular I read that meaning that the car is creeping forward because the clutch is not disengaging properly or at all.

Cant remember ever bumping into a manual box where all the syncros packed up simultaneously (unless that is other major mechanical disasters are already present in the box). Now if the lay-shaft has a lot of wear on it that is a whole different kettle of fish

To me it really sounds like a plain and simple clutch issue and nothing more, and till the creeping issue is resolved not much can be said about syncros imo

Yep, sorry I should have clarified. I have to bump into first while moving or I'll be forced to come to a complete stop, put it in gear, restart the engine and go. In traffic, this just isn't feasible. Fortunately, as it is supposed to do, it will not let me into first until I'm damn near at a crawl. If I stop, no go if its running.

At any rate we are going to flush the system, bleed it out and see what happens, maybe a new pair of cylinders will be the answer. I will do gear oil when I get it back here to my house, its at my buddy's house. I'm too close to the river to feel okay with flushing any systems and having potential runoff. His house is nowhere near a water source so I don't have to stress as much about any spillage that may occur in the process.

I'm a bit anal about chemical spills onto bare ground so its kind of a big deal to me.. haha

On top of that we will be flushing the radiator and have yet to come up with a good means with all the dexcool gunk that would have built up. I've had laundry/dish washing detergent (low suds) suggested and google seems to confirm it as a method for shops and shadetrees alike but it still sounds sketchy.

That said, it'd probably be a lot less harsh on any seals in the system than a rad cleaner. I'd hate to strip out seals in an effort to clean it up a bit and make matters worse.

Once its flushed and cleaner, I'm replacing the thermostat as well. It is prone to not warming up, then all of a sudden BAM its up to operating temp once I get the RPMs up. That t-stat is probably shot to all hell.

Well it seems that your on the right track. I think you should've done all this before hand. But better now (a lil late) than never.

Agreed, I figured I could get it done but as a chronic procrastinator I should have gently (but firmly!) redirected myself to STOP PUTTING THIS STUFF OFF AND JUST GET IT DONE!

Needless to say, however, I'm glad I waited on the coolant. Pulled the car out to start the flushing process and my buddy noticed it was dripping coolant. Started flushing, I wanted to get as much crud out as possible before we pulled the pump but finally gave up and went and got a new pump because this one simply wasn't doing a good job of moving water at ALL (a given, its leaking like a sieve.)

Water pump is kaput. Darn. Spend the next six hours trying to figure it all out, realized the Haynes manual made it sound a whole hell of a lot easier, and of course we get through and realize well hell, we have to pull the crank pulley. Thats what I get for not reading the instructions COMPLETELY first and listening to my buddy who insisted we "can probably get it off without removing the crank pulley" against better judgement.... hahaha

Needless to say we shelved it until tomorrow evening or saturday evening. Its going to kick me back to square one on flushing because I'm sure it'll start rusting up again in there with all that hose water by the time we finish but not much we can do now. Got ALOT of grime out though. Water still coming out nasty from the block, but now that we have a process (and I'm going to scrub at the grime in the water pump areas once its out) once we get it done, we can get it done quick.

I'm very glad I didn't bother with any cleaners yet because with no flow, I'd have had a MUCH larger problem on my hands trying to get caustic crap out so I can let it set for a night or two.

What a learning experience, its giving me anxiety, feel like I'm way over my head here but hell, its great fun learning all this stuff as I go. Just wish I had a more experienced person to slap me and show me easier ways of doing things. Didn't get to the clutch, unfortunately!

Bad karma for me to have put this flush off so long but honestly it would've sucked to do this earlier only to have to replace the water pump shortly after. May as well do it all, start fresh and go from there. There is a LOT of rust and grunge in there though. Doesn't seem to be any oil in the water, or vice versa, I think my headgaskets are good so far. Only time will tell!

That water pump is a piece of cake compared to the VQ's.....

Who you telling!:rolleyes: I just ordered one now and the hard part hasn't even begun. :( The VE is sort of a pain with it still in the car but the VQ... (articulation)

To be fair, I've never done a water pump (much less done anything beyond oil changes on a FWD vehicle) and I missed out on reading up on a couple of the steps involved, the crank pulley being one of them - it wasn't difficult by itself, only because I didn't RTFM entirely BEFORE getting started, and by the time we got to the stopping point it was far too late.

I'll have to deal with the Maxima when I get back from visiting family, which will be around the 28th. Decided better of draining the water out in the meantime. With the amount of rust in the block at the moment, I'm going to just bite the bullet and redo the whole mess once I get back.

A step backwards but entirely my fault for waiting last minute - to be fair I didn't really plan on a failed water pump right before my trip, much less not getting a chance to finish the job due to work scheduling issues. Compounded it by not studying the entire replacement job BEFORE starting it.

Oh well, at least that crank bolt can soak a good while longer with some PB blaster. I hear its quite a turd to remove.

Lessons learned!

Thanks for the help and patience so far guys, I've full confidence I can get the Max in great working order. She's a champ so far!

Speaking of water pumps, the Mustang needs a new one here soon, i think. Its been slowly weeping for a very long time (well over a year, in fact.) Fortunately, THAT one is VERY simple compared to the Max.

Its new ppl like you with your determination why we have a few more of these cars a year coming back. Gl! As for you never more than an oil change on fwd, you've got quite a bit ahead of you.:cool: