Okay so my car when I started it would just die right after it was started, only when it was cold outside and the car was cold. I took it to the shop and was told it was a crank sensor. Had it replaced for $256.00 and got car back Friday all weekend long started up fine. Then always my luck when I have to go to work, I went out this morning and guess what? Yeah it died on startup. Now when they put the crank sensor in, I totally noticed a improvement in my sterring and the power my car has. But I am so sick of this dieying when it's cold and it is cold outside. I want to take it back to the shop, but worried I will be misdiagnosed again. Check engine light isnt on either. But shop said when they threw car up on the diagnostic the crank sensor was shown as bad. Any suggestions ony what could be causing my car to die on a cold start?

 

Check the codes yourself and see what else might be there.

Did you ever change the coolant temp sensor?

 

one other question when your car dies can it be restarted? Or will it just turn over....turn over....turn over....... but no fire?

 

Well the check engine light isnt on, no I never changed the coolant temp sensor, but when they put my car on the diagnostic wouldn't it have said that the temp sensor was bad, like it did with my crank sensor? No my car can be restarted..what it does is: it starts up just fine but it wont keep the idle up enough to keep the engine running. I have to rev the engine a few times, then it will stay on. I just had my starter go out, so I replaced the starter and battery. My battery was the original Nissan battery and I guess when my starter was going out it totally drained my O.G. battery...So I know its not the starter. I was reading around and alot of posts similar to my situation was the throttle body needed cleaning. I use to use Chevron gas now since in Cali gas has been outrageous, I have been using the cheap gas. Is it a possibility my throttle is messing my start up?

 

Could be the throttle body. Ouch on that price for the CPS. Take it to autozone so they could run the diagnostics and tell you what code it's throwing now, probably the engine temp sensor.

 

Well I know how to pull the codes from the car but my question is, if the check engine light isnt on then how could there be codes in the system? So would you suggest just go put the temp sensor on. I heard the temp sensor is cheap and easy to put on.

 

I misread, thought the CEL was on now, but sounds like it could be the throttle body needing a cleaning.

 

Okay how do you go about cleaning the throttle body and what stuff do you use to clean it with?

 

car cleaner from auto stores its about $1.50 a can very cheap.

How can a dirty TB cause the car to die on start up? it seems like the situation is a bit more complicated than a dirty TB,

How come fuel issues havent been brought up? I would like to think a dying fuel pump or lack of pressure in the lines, or something clogged might cause the dying. But you said you can start up fine after it dies? and its drivable then? just a little confused.

 

Didn't you have another thread about this? Everyone there told you to do it yourself as it's one of the easiest things you can do. It would've saved you $220 but you still didn't do it? Some of you have no idea about anything. It's not the throttle body, it wouldn't cause the car to die. Maybe it's the alternator, maybe it's the coolant temp sensor.

 

Correct me if I'm wrong but some ECU codes do not trip the CEL to come on? I'd say do this first, then go here (ECU decoder) to find out what the codes mean and post them here. Then we can try to help you from there. Don't assume anything when it comes to car problems. I have read so many threads regarding electrical issues in their max's and everyone assumed the fuse is ok because it didn't looked blown only to find out later (after taking it to a shop and was charged $45) that its bad fuse. Same can apply to ECU codes.

 

Most common ghost code is the knock sensor and that wouldn't cause that problem.

 

What exactly happends when you crank the engine? What happens if you start it (leave it in neutral) and floor the gas pendal? Maybe your ecu screw needs a little adjusting.

 

oooooooook, this one is new to me.

 

Okay yeah everyone told me to go out and try my temp sensor buy it and then put it in. I am a girl who knows very little about working on cars. THAT IS WHY I DID NOT DO IT MYSELF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Unlike most of you who are skilled in cars, people like me must turn to auto shops. And also I was told it wasnt the temp sensor anyways that it was a crank sensor. Only reason I said throttle body needs to be cleaned is because I was reading in other threads and posts that people were having problems with the idle dropping and they cleaned their throttle body and it fixed the problem!!!!!!!!!

 

Okay well thats what I did 2 weeks ago was check my check engine light. I do know how to check the codes and decode them, but like I said there is nothing showing up.

 

Yes, this only happens when the engine is cold or if the weather is extremley cold outside. Once the engine is warmed up I can turn car on and off with no problem. Engine drives fine once you can get the idle up.

 

You said you checked the ECU for codes 2 weeks ago, but your problem came back this morning. So logically, you'd check again right?

 

Yes I just got the car back from the shop this weekend.....Today it started up again, checked codes no codes. No check engine light either.

 

I had the same problem and replaced the engine coolant temperature sensor.. and guess what?!? It still stalls upon cold start up! I have to blip the gas a few times. I really doubt it's the throttle body because it starts up fine when the engine is warm (not sitting around for 6 hours). There is no jerking feeling upon acceleration, no CEL lighting, no codes.. and the list goes on.
I feel for you. I feel like I'm wasting money replacing sensors when there are no codes to pull.

 

Hey guys, I was experiencing this problem about two weeks ago, and finally decided it was time to take it to my mechanic. After leaving the car to him overnight he was able to find out that the IACV (idle air control valve) needed to be replaced. All the sensors were fine, and this was teh culprit. It had cost me a pretty penny (315$) to be precise, but I'm sure glad I got it fixed. Car fires right up with no hesitation what so ever. Two weeks gone, and no problem!!

Hope this helps..

later..

EDIT - btw, i have a 98

 

I can only give some thoughts, as I am no expert with Maxima EFI. But in the old days, when I had old Volvos with MFI, I had a "bible" which had flowcharts for diagnosis. Some possibilities would include cold start inject, line pressure, rest pressure, etc. There would literally be gauges to check that these pressures were within a range. For Volvo, it was very common that a motor could start from cold, but once it was shut off after warming up, it could not start again until sitting overnight.

Nissan must have some means of giving the motor a richer mixture when it starts cold. I would surmise that yours is not getting that. Maybe you can talk to someone who has done fuel injection work on a VQ and tell them your symptoms. It's a shame that someone misreading an ECU costs you $$$ and doesn't help your problem. Good luck.

 

Was your check engine light on at anytime?

 

Nope the check engine light was not on.

 

My car used to idle roughly until I cleaned the IACV. Perhaps you can clean it first, its not hard. The procedure is in the stickies. Almost forgot to mention, perhaps you need to adjust your idle speed too if your car is idling to low or too roughly.

 

You have the start of premature Ingition Coil failure. Car's Ecu is detecting a slight surge in current and the ecu is shutting off the car off for safety.


That will be 60$ please.

 

Can someone direct me to the IACV? I don't know much about this item and need to know where it is/what it does

 

Okay so everyone knows I been having problems starting the car on a cold start, well a few months ago I also posted a problem that I have been having for a year and a half now where I kept getting code 0903-Evap Canister vent control valve. I took it to 4 diffrent shops, 1 being Nissan and no one could figure out why I kept getting that code. I had a whole new Evap system replaced and I mean canister, valves anything that pertained to the evap system it has been replaced by Nissan. I also had a smoke test done for any leaks, nothing..I even went as far as having Nissan replace the Ecu and then take it out because the code came back on. Well I went to a place here in my town of Tracy, Ca and actually went in to find out about my cold start. They replaced what is called a Crank Sensor and guess what that finally cleared my code for the evap canister vent control valve. After a year and a half. I dont know what the crank sensor does but it must have something to do with the evap canister, other wise I dont see how replacing it would have cleared my code. Though still sometimes having problems with my cold start.

 

Clean the IACV, it goes hand in hand with cleaning the TB.

Woulf have saved 2kmaxima about $315.

Read the stickies for reference as to loaction of this, but it's the thing next to the trottle body that has 2 electrical connectors, one red and the other brown. Dissasembly is very simple.

Take apart, clean, dry, put back together. I do mine every 30k, or whenver I do spark plugs.

 

well in my honda i had the same problem but when the inside of my car was hot from the sun bakin it. it was the main relay was bad and needed replacement. I dont know if maximas have this cause i just got rid of my accord and into my 99 maxima a month ago. i replaced that and everything worked fine again. who knows, maybe that could be it? just tryin to help.

 

Are you still having problems with your cold start now after the crank sensor replacement?