90 GXE (code 55) intermittently won’t start/quits running
04-21-2020, 08:10 AM
#1
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Join Date: Nov 2008
Posts: 84
90 GXE (code 55) intermittently won’t start/quits running
Hi guys, I’ve been searching posts and boy, seems like everybody’s “won’t start story” is so different/ broad. Mine starts with a string of “little things” long before engine won’t start, beginning with an engine that usually jumps to life starting to take longer (turning over more times before catching) over a period of 4-6 mo. Some occurrences may be unrelated, but I’ll try to document everything to “spark” your creative problem-solving minds. Note: all fuel injectors replaced with NEW ones 1yr. Ago. Fuel filter replaced 2yrs ago. Plug wires repl. 1yr ago.
random Occurrence #1: 10 months ago, was driving car about 30 min., then parked and shut off for 10. Car turned over, but didn’t start back up. Approx. 3 hrs later, car starts and runs fine. **This has not happened again to date**. Cleaned MAF, as routine maintenance.
Random occurrence #2: 5 months ago, cold morn., started fine, but before leaving neighborhood/still cold eng., starts running like a fuel injector is crapping out (I know this one well, haha). Checked all wires & plugs for spark. All good except #5 PLUG not firing. Color-wise, plugs were fine, but worn electrodes and too widely gapped. Replaced ALL plugs, NGK. Car starting & running smoothly again.
Random Occurrence #3: 3 months ago. While driving/warm eng., random “hiccup”/loss of power. Over 5-7 minutes, frequency increased. Made it to the house and left car idling (smooth). After 5 min, became rough and finally quit. Next day, car started right back up, idled/ran fine (though still experiencing longer turnover periods before finally catching). Did not drive car. 3 days later, took it for a drive for about 5-7 min (eng. up to temp), when “hiccups” returned (many of them and quite quickly, losing power). Would not restart, flatbed home. The next day... STARTED JUST FINE. (But too scared to drive it now).
Diagnosis: listened for fuel pump upon ignition key (it is audible, good). Running codes turned up “CODE 13: engine temp sensor circuit”. This made me recall another earlier “random occurrence” of noticing the fans kicking in when engine possibly not up to temp. Possibly unrelated and random, fans not spinning all the time. Bought both temp sensors (cheap enough insurance)
Random Occurrence #4: 1 week after, flatbed home (and starting up the very next day), engine turns over, but will not start. NEW CODE: “21, ignition signal missing in primary coil”. Planned to install temp sensors to address Code 13 (also still coming up), but held off. I did not begin troubleshooting Code 21.
Random Occurrence #5: car Not driven now for approx. 2 mos, battery dead. It would not take a charge over night. Noticed the sides of the battery were bulged outward, not good (was 4 yrs old to the day!). “Could this be the most bizarre batter failure of all time?” I’m thinking? Installed new battery. Engine cranks right up, runs fine and... CODE 55!! That’s all (no code 13 or 21, but I’m aware codes get scrubbed when battery is disconnected). I proceed to drive car semi-sporadically for 3 weeks (though still turns over much longer than usual before actually starting).
Random Occurrance #6: went to drive car this weekend... won’t start., just turns over, not even a sound like its trying to catch. AND... code 55 (returned both temp sensors to the store, did not install once I drove the car for 3 weeks, trouble free, no codes). Fuel pump still hums away when key is turned on.
This is where you guys come in. I’m sorry to be so wordy, but trying to establish patterns/timelines etc. Instead of just saying “my car won’t start and I’ve tried.....”. Thanks so much for any light you can shed on this super-random poltergeist.
random Occurrence #1: 10 months ago, was driving car about 30 min., then parked and shut off for 10. Car turned over, but didn’t start back up. Approx. 3 hrs later, car starts and runs fine. **This has not happened again to date**. Cleaned MAF, as routine maintenance.
Random occurrence #2: 5 months ago, cold morn., started fine, but before leaving neighborhood/still cold eng., starts running like a fuel injector is crapping out (I know this one well, haha). Checked all wires & plugs for spark. All good except #5 PLUG not firing. Color-wise, plugs were fine, but worn electrodes and too widely gapped. Replaced ALL plugs, NGK. Car starting & running smoothly again.
Random Occurrence #3: 3 months ago. While driving/warm eng., random “hiccup”/loss of power. Over 5-7 minutes, frequency increased. Made it to the house and left car idling (smooth). After 5 min, became rough and finally quit. Next day, car started right back up, idled/ran fine (though still experiencing longer turnover periods before finally catching). Did not drive car. 3 days later, took it for a drive for about 5-7 min (eng. up to temp), when “hiccups” returned (many of them and quite quickly, losing power). Would not restart, flatbed home. The next day... STARTED JUST FINE. (But too scared to drive it now).
Diagnosis: listened for fuel pump upon ignition key (it is audible, good). Running codes turned up “CODE 13: engine temp sensor circuit”. This made me recall another earlier “random occurrence” of noticing the fans kicking in when engine possibly not up to temp. Possibly unrelated and random, fans not spinning all the time. Bought both temp sensors (cheap enough insurance)
Random Occurrence #4: 1 week after, flatbed home (and starting up the very next day), engine turns over, but will not start. NEW CODE: “21, ignition signal missing in primary coil”. Planned to install temp sensors to address Code 13 (also still coming up), but held off. I did not begin troubleshooting Code 21.
Random Occurrence #5: car Not driven now for approx. 2 mos, battery dead. It would not take a charge over night. Noticed the sides of the battery were bulged outward, not good (was 4 yrs old to the day!). “Could this be the most bizarre batter failure of all time?” I’m thinking? Installed new battery. Engine cranks right up, runs fine and... CODE 55!! That’s all (no code 13 or 21, but I’m aware codes get scrubbed when battery is disconnected). I proceed to drive car semi-sporadically for 3 weeks (though still turns over much longer than usual before actually starting).
Random Occurrance #6: went to drive car this weekend... won’t start., just turns over, not even a sound like its trying to catch. AND... code 55 (returned both temp sensors to the store, did not install once I drove the car for 3 weeks, trouble free, no codes). Fuel pump still hums away when key is turned on.
This is where you guys come in. I’m sorry to be so wordy, but trying to establish patterns/timelines etc. Instead of just saying “my car won’t start and I’ve tried.....”. Thanks so much for any light you can shed on this super-random poltergeist.
04-21-2020, 01:36 PM
#4
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Join Date: Nov 2008
Posts: 84
I had kinda ruled it out, as you always hear it buzz when you turn the ignition to on position. So these orig. equip. pumps can sometimes die a slow, sporadic death and not just cut out entirely? Anybody else have a fuel pump story like this? Thanks for your response, MCX.
04-22-2020, 04:41 PM
#5
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Join Date: Nov 2008
Posts: 84
Sorry for the original long post gents (and maybe for a poor choice of title? I LOVE Code 55!), I think the constant here is a noticeably longer turnover time before cranking/starting. That, and the fact that it seems to only start up when it wants to (or quit when it wants to). Any success stories of a similar nature that you've had and what you found to be the culprit after all your troubleshooting? Could be entertaining...
04-25-2020, 04:34 AM
#6
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Join Date: Nov 2015
Location: Queens NY
Posts: 77
...just because you hear the pump doesn't mean it's building the needed 30 psi plus pressure...its easy enough to Install a In-line guage ... you will see if it builds and holds the correct pressure with the key on without starting...you will see the idling pressure once it's running...you can pull the fuel pressure regulator hose and see if the pressure jumps up from 30 to 38 or whatever is the Maxima spec...a lot of good Info for a almost thirty year old car.
...code 2-1 would have me checking and cleaning and testing every electrical connection on the distributor, coil, transducer, ect....you should probably replace the distributor ,as its sounding like the crank angle sensor is on its way out.
...code 2-1 would have me checking and cleaning and testing every electrical connection on the distributor, coil, transducer, ect....you should probably replace the distributor ,as its sounding like the crank angle sensor is on its way out.
04-25-2020, 07:48 AM
#7
...just because you hear the pump doesn't mean it's building the needed 30 psi plus pressure...its easy enough to Install a In-line guage ... you will see if it builds and holds the correct pressure with the key on without starting...you will see the idling pressure once it's running...you can pull the fuel pressure regulator hose and see if the pressure jumps up from 30 to 38 or whatever is the Maxima spec...a lot of good Info for a almost thirty year old car.
...code 2-1 would have me checking and cleaning and testing every electrical connection on the distributor, coil, transducer, ect....you should probably replace the distributor ,as its sounding like the crank angle sensor is on its way out.
...code 2-1 would have me checking and cleaning and testing every electrical connection on the distributor, coil, transducer, ect....you should probably replace the distributor ,as its sounding like the crank angle sensor is on its way out.
05-13-2020, 07:50 AM
#9
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Join Date: Nov 2008
Posts: 84
Hi guys, I’m sorry to have gone dark. A homeowners insurance cancellation, unauthorized tree removal and gas line issue happening... all at the same time!! And Covid 19 fallout, ugh. And the worst part... driving a 93 Camry while the Maxima sits. Oh, the shame. Please don’t hold it against me! 😀. Oh btw, I have cleaned & taped up all injector connectors when I replaced the injectors 1.5 yrs ago (somebody mentioned).
I’ve not yet put a fuel pressure gauge on it, but several more oddities to report. Drove the car about 2 weeks ago after installing new rotor and cap (I noticed things looked pretty old when I removed cap earlier to verify rotor was turning. Was thinking, could this have been a slow building issue? Could make sense. Btw, if you need these, Rockauto has both on clearance, Beck Arnley, $12 total INCL. shipping!). So, car immediately cranked up!! Drove around, got it up to temp., no problems. Drove home to park it... noticed a slight hesitation. So much for cap & rotor fix.
Here’s some new info: once home, I sat in park and slowly accelerated engine. I observed that, consistently, engine stumbled around 2200-2300 rpm and above. When I goosed the throttle quickly up to 4,000 rpm, engine stumbled all the way through (including below 22-2300 rpm this time). Sounds like fuel dept, eh? Well...
I left engine running (now idling smoothly as normal) and started poking around engine. When I came to the mass airflow sensor connector, I jiggled it and the engine stumbled! But only once, then continued to run smoothly. This connector has been taped up tight as well.
Sunday, I decided to get that fuel pressure gauge in there, but thought I’d pull codes and drive one more time. CODE 13 (again, after being “55” for weeks. I’m thinking this random temp. Sensor circuit code is an unrelated issue). Drove the car up to temp and did normal driving and quite a few hard accelerations from standstill. This car really goes (pwr mode, trans. Button ON) with the new injectors. Total fun. I really expected to replicate some kind of stumbling under hard load, but smooth as glass. Drove it probably 10-15 min., no problems. Came home and let it idle. Tried to replicate the 2200-2300 slow acceleration stumble and could not. Totally smooth. Quick throttle up to 4000 rpm was smooth also. Tried to wiggle mass airflow sensor again to make it stumble. Really bent it in all directions rather hard and never once did engine stumble like when I did it 2wks earlier. By this time, I blew my window of opportunity to hook up fuel pressure gauge, but based on this latest test drive with all the hard accelerating, I would expect normal readings, yes? I’m dreading, but could something electrical now be in question? Based on my accounts, anybody have a theory, anything I can start checking with the ol’ multimeter?
I’ve not yet put a fuel pressure gauge on it, but several more oddities to report. Drove the car about 2 weeks ago after installing new rotor and cap (I noticed things looked pretty old when I removed cap earlier to verify rotor was turning. Was thinking, could this have been a slow building issue? Could make sense. Btw, if you need these, Rockauto has both on clearance, Beck Arnley, $12 total INCL. shipping!). So, car immediately cranked up!! Drove around, got it up to temp., no problems. Drove home to park it... noticed a slight hesitation. So much for cap & rotor fix.
Here’s some new info: once home, I sat in park and slowly accelerated engine. I observed that, consistently, engine stumbled around 2200-2300 rpm and above. When I goosed the throttle quickly up to 4,000 rpm, engine stumbled all the way through (including below 22-2300 rpm this time). Sounds like fuel dept, eh? Well...
I left engine running (now idling smoothly as normal) and started poking around engine. When I came to the mass airflow sensor connector, I jiggled it and the engine stumbled! But only once, then continued to run smoothly. This connector has been taped up tight as well.
Sunday, I decided to get that fuel pressure gauge in there, but thought I’d pull codes and drive one more time. CODE 13 (again, after being “55” for weeks. I’m thinking this random temp. Sensor circuit code is an unrelated issue). Drove the car up to temp and did normal driving and quite a few hard accelerations from standstill. This car really goes (pwr mode, trans. Button ON) with the new injectors. Total fun. I really expected to replicate some kind of stumbling under hard load, but smooth as glass. Drove it probably 10-15 min., no problems. Came home and let it idle. Tried to replicate the 2200-2300 slow acceleration stumble and could not. Totally smooth. Quick throttle up to 4000 rpm was smooth also. Tried to wiggle mass airflow sensor again to make it stumble. Really bent it in all directions rather hard and never once did engine stumble like when I did it 2wks earlier. By this time, I blew my window of opportunity to hook up fuel pressure gauge, but based on this latest test drive with all the hard accelerating, I would expect normal readings, yes? I’m dreading, but could something electrical now be in question? Based on my accounts, anybody have a theory, anything I can start checking with the ol’ multimeter?
07-29-2020, 05:40 PM
#10
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Join Date: Nov 2008
Posts: 84
Hi guys,
Sorry to go missing in action. Finally had time to drop a fuel pressure gauge on the ’90 GXE. I may start a different thread “interpreting fuel pressure readings”, but not to leave this one hanging, here’s what’s transpired:
I’d not attempted to start car since mid-May (now mid July). Sidenote: “Code 13 / Temp sensor circuit” still showing. Car was once again hard to start, used starting fluid in plenum this time and nursed it to a smooth idle (warmed up for 15 min.) and proceeded to drive the car regularly for 10 minutes, no problems, as seems is usually the case. When hard accel. from standstill, noticeable stumbling/missing. This does not always happen either. When in park, it also stumbled (again) at 2200-2500rpm, then much smoother around 3500. *Sometimes, this does not happen, as well. Time to check fuel press.
*New fuel filter installed when hooking up fuel pressure gauge on fuel supply side of rubber hose after filter. Tight, no leaks.
*Key on: 47psi for 5 sec., dropping to 38.5psi (consistently). Fuel pump priming?
*Started car: 36psi at idle consistently (factory manual= 36.3psi, w/vacuum lines on/connected).
*Revving engine, quick bursts sees fuel pressure rise to 46-47psi consistently.
I measured about 4psi drop per 1 hour after I shut everything down and 0 psi overnight. Seems normal. I decided to do the fuel pressure test several times so I could clamp off “supply” & “return” lines to check fuel inj./fuel reg. leakage and fuel pump check valve leakage. These are results:
Clamp on Engine/supply side (testing fuel pump):
Car turned off & clamped: 36psi
½ hr: 37psi
1 hr: 37.5psi
1.5 hrs: 38.5psi
2 hrs: 39.5psi
*removed clamp & pressure dropped to 23psi
**Ambient outside temps were 81 rising to 87 degrees
Clamp on Return/Tanks side (testing injectors, pres. regulator):
Car turned off & clamped: 30psi
½ hr: 32.5psi
1 hr: 29.5psi
1.5 hrs: 29psi
2 hrs: 29.5psi
*removed clamp and pressure stayed at 29.5psi
**Ambient outside temps were 87 rising to 90 degrees
SIDENOTE: “Code 13” is now mysteriously gone again, showing a clean “code 55”/no codes. (probably because I went and bought both the engine temp and coolant temp sensors). Both have previously been tested and came out within spec, but it’s cheap insurance. Also, car also has new plugs, wires, cap & rotor, as well as all NEW (not reman.) injectors 1.5 yrs old.
My last check was with a vacuum pump on the fuel pressure regulator vac. line. Manifold side plugged, cold engine.
The results:
Engine idle: 46psi (*factory manual says with vac. hose OFF manifold [plugged], fuel press. should be 43.4 psi.)
5 lbs vacuum = 43.5psi
10 lbs. vacuum = 41psi
15 lbs. vacuum = 38.5psi
20 lbs vacuum = 36psi
*Because all these readings held steady vacuum for at least 5 min, each and did not move/decrease, I did not remove the other vacuum hose from the pressure regulator to see if gas came out. Seems like regulator is fine (but is 46psi ok with vac. hose off manifold /plugged)? I get a correct 36psi reading when vac. line is connected properly. Also, fuel pres. readings are decreasing about 2-2.5psi when vac. is increasing, so that’s good.
I would hate to think 1.5 yr old fuel injectors would be stuck open, but I’m not getting poor fuel economy or blackish exhaust. I also think it’d be running rough always, not just occasionally under acceleration or occasionally at 2200rpm in park. The hard start is getting more regular though.
SIDE NOTE: both new temp. sensors were installed and now fans come on immediately upon cold startup. Never did that before. More “quality” sensors from overseas? Has to be a separate issue.
I’m really hoping someone recalls a similar issue that perhaps turned out to be electrical/sensor-related (ecu? Noo!!), as I really don’t think the fuel pressure tests are revealing a fuel supply issue… unless this all is a very odd fuel pump slow fail? Can anybody make heads or tails of this and point me in the right direction? Tell me what I’ve missed? What I’m mis-interpreting? Sorry for some of the added details (ambient outside temps) that may not mean squat, but just wanted to include alongside pressures. Thanks again for your expertise!
Sorry to go missing in action. Finally had time to drop a fuel pressure gauge on the ’90 GXE. I may start a different thread “interpreting fuel pressure readings”, but not to leave this one hanging, here’s what’s transpired:
I’d not attempted to start car since mid-May (now mid July). Sidenote: “Code 13 / Temp sensor circuit” still showing. Car was once again hard to start, used starting fluid in plenum this time and nursed it to a smooth idle (warmed up for 15 min.) and proceeded to drive the car regularly for 10 minutes, no problems, as seems is usually the case. When hard accel. from standstill, noticeable stumbling/missing. This does not always happen either. When in park, it also stumbled (again) at 2200-2500rpm, then much smoother around 3500. *Sometimes, this does not happen, as well. Time to check fuel press.
*New fuel filter installed when hooking up fuel pressure gauge on fuel supply side of rubber hose after filter. Tight, no leaks.
*Key on: 47psi for 5 sec., dropping to 38.5psi (consistently). Fuel pump priming?
*Started car: 36psi at idle consistently (factory manual= 36.3psi, w/vacuum lines on/connected).
*Revving engine, quick bursts sees fuel pressure rise to 46-47psi consistently.
I measured about 4psi drop per 1 hour after I shut everything down and 0 psi overnight. Seems normal. I decided to do the fuel pressure test several times so I could clamp off “supply” & “return” lines to check fuel inj./fuel reg. leakage and fuel pump check valve leakage. These are results:
Clamp on Engine/supply side (testing fuel pump):
Car turned off & clamped: 36psi
½ hr: 37psi
1 hr: 37.5psi
1.5 hrs: 38.5psi
2 hrs: 39.5psi
*removed clamp & pressure dropped to 23psi
**Ambient outside temps were 81 rising to 87 degrees
Clamp on Return/Tanks side (testing injectors, pres. regulator):
Car turned off & clamped: 30psi
½ hr: 32.5psi
1 hr: 29.5psi
1.5 hrs: 29psi
2 hrs: 29.5psi
*removed clamp and pressure stayed at 29.5psi
**Ambient outside temps were 87 rising to 90 degrees
SIDENOTE: “Code 13” is now mysteriously gone again, showing a clean “code 55”/no codes. (probably because I went and bought both the engine temp and coolant temp sensors). Both have previously been tested and came out within spec, but it’s cheap insurance. Also, car also has new plugs, wires, cap & rotor, as well as all NEW (not reman.) injectors 1.5 yrs old.
My last check was with a vacuum pump on the fuel pressure regulator vac. line. Manifold side plugged, cold engine.
The results:
Engine idle: 46psi (*factory manual says with vac. hose OFF manifold [plugged], fuel press. should be 43.4 psi.)
5 lbs vacuum = 43.5psi
10 lbs. vacuum = 41psi
15 lbs. vacuum = 38.5psi
20 lbs vacuum = 36psi
*Because all these readings held steady vacuum for at least 5 min, each and did not move/decrease, I did not remove the other vacuum hose from the pressure regulator to see if gas came out. Seems like regulator is fine (but is 46psi ok with vac. hose off manifold /plugged)? I get a correct 36psi reading when vac. line is connected properly. Also, fuel pres. readings are decreasing about 2-2.5psi when vac. is increasing, so that’s good.
I would hate to think 1.5 yr old fuel injectors would be stuck open, but I’m not getting poor fuel economy or blackish exhaust. I also think it’d be running rough always, not just occasionally under acceleration or occasionally at 2200rpm in park. The hard start is getting more regular though.
SIDE NOTE: both new temp. sensors were installed and now fans come on immediately upon cold startup. Never did that before. More “quality” sensors from overseas? Has to be a separate issue.
I’m really hoping someone recalls a similar issue that perhaps turned out to be electrical/sensor-related (ecu? Noo!!), as I really don’t think the fuel pressure tests are revealing a fuel supply issue… unless this all is a very odd fuel pump slow fail? Can anybody make heads or tails of this and point me in the right direction? Tell me what I’ve missed? What I’m mis-interpreting? Sorry for some of the added details (ambient outside temps) that may not mean squat, but just wanted to include alongside pressures. Thanks again for your expertise!
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