Car is dead! Won't fire at all. Long story.
#1
2060lbs and falling...
Thread Starter
iTrader: (10)
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Madison, WI
Posts: 5,160
DEAD! Won't fire at all. Long story.
Edit: Don't waste your time reading all this because the problem was solved.
This is lengthy so bare with me. For the past three days I've been breaking in the clutch. It was fully broken in on Sunday night. I let it loose a bit and called it quits. Last night I decided to really let it loose. I spent about 15 minutes above 5K. I started off gradually because I was worried about the exhaust heating up my gas tank.
I was worried about that because I just installed a big @ss Magnaflow muffler. I don't have a 3" mandrel section to weld onto the end to point the exhaust toward the ground so it was just pointing down the tunnel at the gas tank. It is a good 14-18" from the tank. I was worried but kept an eye on it by getting out periodically to put my hand on the tank. It wasn't ever extremely hot. It was warm but certainly not boiling. I could easily hold my hand there indefinitely.
After my 15 minutes of getting real familiar with redline in second and third on some country roads I called it quits. I was headed home. Everything seemed normal. Stupidly I didn't have the Auterra in the car because it was at home charging. Anyway, I was driving normal in 4th. Out of the blue it stalls. At first I didn't realize the car had turned off(I have no power steering). I go to the gas and nothing. Then I realize the car is off. I tried to pop start it in third. Nothing. Just reved up. No ignition. I slowed down and tried it in first. Again, nothing. So now I'm coasting at a slow walk in a four lane road. I hop out before I lose all momentum and push it into a nearby parking lot. I sat for a moment thinking about it.
It stalled on me earlier that day but it started back up. So, I thought nothing of it. I tried starting. No fire. I do it again this time feathering the gas between 5 & 50%. It turns over and I get a loud backfire. I do it again except it actually starts this time. But I'm helping it by feathering throttle. It won't stay alive by itself and its running at 300RPM. After about 15 seconds I let off and let it die. I pop the hood. I had smelled gas but I didn't think much of it cause I always smell gas.
Under the hood I find a burbling hardline. I think this is a hardline that used to be connected to the charcoal cannister below the brake master cylinder. Its definitely gas burbling out and its HOT!. In fact I think it might have been steaming. I immediately go back and stick my hand on the front of the gas tank. Its warm but not more than ~100 degrees. I open the cover and cap and an @ss load of pressure releases.
I wait a minute and try to start again. It starts but I'm helping it again and it won't rev past 400. This time I get mad backfiring. Like every couple seconds. I'm worried about flooding and I let off. It dies. I wait like 10 minutes. Same thing. This goes on for about four cycles until I tell my buddy to come get me. I tried one last time before I left. It wouldn't even fire that time. This was at 11PM.
So I go home. I'm thinking it got flooded so it'll be all fine in the morning. Nope. I tried this morning before school and got no fire. Starter worked fine. I go back this evening with new plugs and tools in hand. I pull the plugs and cyls 2,3,4,6 are totally black. Not gunky but black. They didn't smell of fuel though. So I toss in some old but good plats. Exact same thing happens. Turnover but no fire. I tried it several times and got worried about flooding. I pull the fuel fuse and crank it to clear it out. I messed around and checked lots of different things. Everything is plugged in except the MAP/Baro which I removed. I've been running for 300+ miles without it with no codes. Maybe thats the issue. I also have no EGR. I have no codes except a 1605 which is 0804. That is TCM. During the swap I removed all the auto stuff to save weight. The TCM was one of those things and I cut the harness off. That code comes on the moment I crank it. When it was running I could clear the codes and wouldn't get anything else. Only when I started would the 0804 appear. So it seemed to be running fine besides the one stall earlier in the day. I'm still on the auto ECU but I have a 5Spd ECU ready to go in if needed. I'd prefer not because I wanna send it for a boost program.
Now it won't even fire. Lots of possibilities are racing through my mind. Please help. This thing has gotta run by Friday. I towed the car to my house and its currently in the garage with a trickle charger on it.
Thanks for reading this all and thanks to VQuick for finding the code online and Slimer for the fuel pump fuse.
This is lengthy so bare with me. For the past three days I've been breaking in the clutch. It was fully broken in on Sunday night. I let it loose a bit and called it quits. Last night I decided to really let it loose. I spent about 15 minutes above 5K. I started off gradually because I was worried about the exhaust heating up my gas tank.
I was worried about that because I just installed a big @ss Magnaflow muffler. I don't have a 3" mandrel section to weld onto the end to point the exhaust toward the ground so it was just pointing down the tunnel at the gas tank. It is a good 14-18" from the tank. I was worried but kept an eye on it by getting out periodically to put my hand on the tank. It wasn't ever extremely hot. It was warm but certainly not boiling. I could easily hold my hand there indefinitely.
After my 15 minutes of getting real familiar with redline in second and third on some country roads I called it quits. I was headed home. Everything seemed normal. Stupidly I didn't have the Auterra in the car because it was at home charging. Anyway, I was driving normal in 4th. Out of the blue it stalls. At first I didn't realize the car had turned off(I have no power steering). I go to the gas and nothing. Then I realize the car is off. I tried to pop start it in third. Nothing. Just reved up. No ignition. I slowed down and tried it in first. Again, nothing. So now I'm coasting at a slow walk in a four lane road. I hop out before I lose all momentum and push it into a nearby parking lot. I sat for a moment thinking about it.
It stalled on me earlier that day but it started back up. So, I thought nothing of it. I tried starting. No fire. I do it again this time feathering the gas between 5 & 50%. It turns over and I get a loud backfire. I do it again except it actually starts this time. But I'm helping it by feathering throttle. It won't stay alive by itself and its running at 300RPM. After about 15 seconds I let off and let it die. I pop the hood. I had smelled gas but I didn't think much of it cause I always smell gas.
Under the hood I find a burbling hardline. I think this is a hardline that used to be connected to the charcoal cannister below the brake master cylinder. Its definitely gas burbling out and its HOT!. In fact I think it might have been steaming. I immediately go back and stick my hand on the front of the gas tank. Its warm but not more than ~100 degrees. I open the cover and cap and an @ss load of pressure releases.
I wait a minute and try to start again. It starts but I'm helping it again and it won't rev past 400. This time I get mad backfiring. Like every couple seconds. I'm worried about flooding and I let off. It dies. I wait like 10 minutes. Same thing. This goes on for about four cycles until I tell my buddy to come get me. I tried one last time before I left. It wouldn't even fire that time. This was at 11PM.
So I go home. I'm thinking it got flooded so it'll be all fine in the morning. Nope. I tried this morning before school and got no fire. Starter worked fine. I go back this evening with new plugs and tools in hand. I pull the plugs and cyls 2,3,4,6 are totally black. Not gunky but black. They didn't smell of fuel though. So I toss in some old but good plats. Exact same thing happens. Turnover but no fire. I tried it several times and got worried about flooding. I pull the fuel fuse and crank it to clear it out. I messed around and checked lots of different things. Everything is plugged in except the MAP/Baro which I removed. I've been running for 300+ miles without it with no codes. Maybe thats the issue. I also have no EGR. I have no codes except a 1605 which is 0804. That is TCM. During the swap I removed all the auto stuff to save weight. The TCM was one of those things and I cut the harness off. That code comes on the moment I crank it. When it was running I could clear the codes and wouldn't get anything else. Only when I started would the 0804 appear. So it seemed to be running fine besides the one stall earlier in the day. I'm still on the auto ECU but I have a 5Spd ECU ready to go in if needed. I'd prefer not because I wanna send it for a boost program.
Now it won't even fire. Lots of possibilities are racing through my mind. Please help. This thing has gotta run by Friday. I towed the car to my house and its currently in the garage with a trickle charger on it.
Thanks for reading this all and thanks to VQuick for finding the code online and Slimer for the fuel pump fuse.
#4
I had symptoms very similar to what you describe at the beginning and end of your thread.
Driving my car home from the mechanic one day, my car just died while i was going about 50. I coasted to the side of the road (no power steering or brakes, almost **** my pants) and tried to restart it. The engine would only start with about 50% gas and would just die when it dropped to idle. When I looked under the hood, i saw that the mechanic had disconnected the intake and not put it back together properly, so it had slipped halfway off the throttle body. As a result, the MAF was not reading properly, and the engine was overcompensating with too much oxygen (lean mixture).
My guess is there is something wrong with your fuel system causing a lean mixture, but i don't know enough about that to pinpoint any sort of problem. Hopefully this is at least some help to you
Driving my car home from the mechanic one day, my car just died while i was going about 50. I coasted to the side of the road (no power steering or brakes, almost **** my pants) and tried to restart it. The engine would only start with about 50% gas and would just die when it dropped to idle. When I looked under the hood, i saw that the mechanic had disconnected the intake and not put it back together properly, so it had slipped halfway off the throttle body. As a result, the MAF was not reading properly, and the engine was overcompensating with too much oxygen (lean mixture).
My guess is there is something wrong with your fuel system causing a lean mixture, but i don't know enough about that to pinpoint any sort of problem. Hopefully this is at least some help to you
#5
2060lbs and falling...
Thread Starter
iTrader: (10)
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Madison, WI
Posts: 5,160
I was thinking it could be the fuel pump but there was still tons in the line. Maybe I'll pull of the in line on the rail and see if its pumping. I hope that isn't it cause my Walbro won't be here by Saturday.
Thanks big Timber but all the intake stuff is on.
Thanks big Timber but all the intake stuff is on.
#7
Originally Posted by Ninos_Maxima
Check your fuel pump fuse,
I don't think it will start at all if the fuel pump fuse is bad. Once the fuel pressure is out of the line, the motor would be getting no gas.
#8
Can't help you with your problem, but what would possess you to run for over 15 minutes straight in excess of 5,000 rpm? Are you an oil magnate? What benefit would that provide to breaking in a clutch? Makes no sense to me.
#9
Under the hood I find a burbling hardline. I think this is a hardline that used to be connected to the charcoal cannister below the brake master cylinder. Its definitely gas burbling out and its HOT!. In fact I think it might have been steaming. I immediately go back and stick my hand on the front of the gas tank. Its warm but not more than ~100 degrees. I open the cover and cap and an @ss load of pressure releases.
I think this is the clue. Your exhaust might not be heating up the tank but it might be heating up one of the lines running to/from the tank? I wonder if you damaged something in the vapor recovery line(s) or something. ECU code check might shed some light.
You have the Auterra obd II scanner available now?
I think this is the clue. Your exhaust might not be heating up the tank but it might be heating up one of the lines running to/from the tank? I wonder if you damaged something in the vapor recovery line(s) or something. ECU code check might shed some light.
You have the Auterra obd II scanner available now?
#11
2060lbs and falling...
Thread Starter
iTrader: (10)
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Madison, WI
Posts: 5,160
I feel so stupid right now. When I got home today I began by pulling the seat out. 10 minutes later I had the pump out. I held it while my buddy hard wired it to the bat. It turned on right away. I was p!ssed. I pulled the fuel fuse and sure enough. I'm p!ssed. I should have looked at it when I pulled it out yesterday. But this doesn't quite make sense to me. Why would the fuse blow in the first place? At what point did it blow? Because I could get it to start but it seemed very rich. Everything smelled of gas and I was getting mad amounts of raw gas backfiring in the exhaust. WTF? Whatever, its fixed now. I'm gonna go feel stupid for a while.
That wasn't for breaking in the clutch. That was for having fun. I have this route that I take down a country road. Its a really curvy fun section but isn't overly dangerous(no blind curves). I go down there any time I've done something new to the car. I use it as my check to make sure everything is up to snuff. I've done it so many times I know how fast I should be able to go at certain points. It felt great Monday night. Faster than ever(due to swap) and the suspension was rock solid(filled mounts and ES LCA/FSB). It takes roughly 12 minutes to do the route at the speed limit(55 for most of it). Monday night I did it in seven. Here is how it is murdoch. I mod my car so it is actually better, not just different. Its way to expensive to go to a track all the time so I test everything in a way that may be dangerous to me but won't harm anyone else. I've never seen anyone on that section of road while I've been doing a run. I usually do them at later hours.
Originally Posted by rmurdoch
Can't help you with your problem, but what would possess you to run for over 15 minutes straight in excess of 5,000 rpm? Are you an oil magnate? What benefit would that provide to breaking in a clutch? Makes no sense to me.
#14
2060lbs and falling...
Thread Starter
iTrader: (10)
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Madison, WI
Posts: 5,160
I'll show you guys the route. There are lots actually. You better have your fogs on to watch for those deer though. I saw two Monday. They were just standing looking at me as I flew by at 6K in third doing about 120db from the exhaust. If I ever get HID's this will be the main reason.
#15
Originally Posted by Broaner
Under the hood I find a burbling hardline. I think this is a hardline that used to be connected to the charcoal cannister below the brake master cylinder. Its definitely gas burbling out and its HOT!. In fact I think it might have been steaming. I immediately go back and stick my hand on the front of the gas tank. Its warm but not more than ~100 degrees. I open the cover and cap and an @ss load of pressure releases.
It was a issue with cars way back when the fuel pump used to be around the engine area instead of in the gas tank.
Good luck man,
#17
2060lbs and falling...
Thread Starter
iTrader: (10)
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Madison, WI
Posts: 5,160
Thats a nice explanation. I'll just have to be careful until I get the bend on there. I'm snagging it from DanNY next week. $23 shipped. Actually I think it happened to me again today but not to the same degree. I took a blast up an onramp. I cut it off at 90. Just by chance I shifted to nuetral. It was idling at 1500 for about 20 seconds while I was slowing down. Then it dropped back to its ~800 idle.
I filled the motor mounts with Polyurethan Shore 80A as per Ben's instructions in the How To sticky.
http://forums.maxima.org/showpost.ph...7&postcount=26
I have been riding on my stock rims all week and have no problem with wheelhop but on the 245's its bad. I might be filling the tranny mount too. I'm going to decide when its on the dyno. That way I can actually judge how much the tranny is still moving. I don't wanna do it if it isn't gonna solve it. I though for sure AGX, ES bushings and three filled mounts would take car of all wheel hop.
I filled the motor mounts with Polyurethan Shore 80A as per Ben's instructions in the How To sticky.
http://forums.maxima.org/showpost.ph...7&postcount=26
I have been riding on my stock rims all week and have no problem with wheelhop but on the 245's its bad. I might be filling the tranny mount too. I'm going to decide when its on the dyno. That way I can actually judge how much the tranny is still moving. I don't wanna do it if it isn't gonna solve it. I though for sure AGX, ES bushings and three filled mounts would take car of all wheel hop.
#20
Originally Posted by Broaner
It was idling at 1500 for about 20 seconds while I was slowing down. Then it dropped back to its ~800 idle.
#21
Originally Posted by VQuick
This is what 5-speed Maximas do when you put them in neutral. Engine hangs at 1500 for a sec or two and then drops to idle. 20 sec is clearly not normal, but just FYI.
So if I start my car up *this is when it was cold*, and It idles around 1000/1500 for about 1min, then drops to about 750/800 that's not normal?
#23
Originally Posted by Fekz
So if I start my car up *this is when it was cold*, and It idles around 1000/1500 for about 1min, then drops to about 750/800 that's not normal?
#25
Originally Posted by Broaner
LOL. Thanks mister, "I couldn't find a loose vacum line if it were a snake and bit me in the @ss."
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