All the mechanics please chime in!
 

I have a 97 se automatic and that biotch wont start. Here is what happens. When I try to start it it just cranks and cranks. I push in the gas and most of the time it will make a pop noise out fo the intake I think. After I here that it fires right up and runs great. I know its not the starter but what else could it be?

Is your cel on?

The 'pop' you hear in the intake is most likely too much fuel and there is a backfire present, iirc.

When my car acted as so, it was a 0407 code ... :run:

no check engine light! When I pull codes nothing comes up. I am stumped.

When were the spark plugs last changed and what condition are they in?

i know it says mechanics.. and clearly im no mechanic.. however ive been told that once a car specially foregin car doesnt start after 2 -3 cranks... then dont try anymroe.. cause you can cause damage in crankshaft or someportion fo the engine which will lead to 1000 worth of damage...

but since urs starts up i guess it doesnt apply rite?

my plugs are 1 month old ngk's. This has been going on for awhile now. I have tried many things like new plugs,new pcv valve but it stays the same.

Why don't you check the codes?

Dude I pulled codes and nothing came up. The CEL light isnt on either. I have nothing but symptoms. Im sure im not the only person this has happened to.

Sometimes my 97 5spd takes like 3 or 4 seconds of cranking to start up. It's weird. I just replaced my spark plugs and there is no codes on my cel. Also I know all O2 sensors were replaced < 6 months ago and I did the knock sensor 2 months ago or so.

fuel filter maybe....maybe ur getting fuel just not enough at the inital cranks

this might be the case but not sure what exactly it is... ie, fuel filter, lines, etc.. it's sorta like how my car never wants to start when the fuel level is very low.

both of my 4th gens did that....just lets me know its time to fill up without looking at the gauge.......

I think that it is a fuel thing too but ive replaced everything except the injectors and the TPS. It must have fuel because it is backfiring in the intake when I give it more gas. If the Throttle Position Sensor is bad will it throw a cel? It never did this before and I only have 60k on it.

Check your MAf and make sure you didn't blow that wire when you backfired. I myself am leaning toward a fuel problem. Being no CEL. Change the fuel filter, it is the easiest thing to do.

ive already done that

clean your throttle body.. and run some seafoam.. my car didnt have those exact symptoms.. it would sit their and crank and crank.. and then it would finally run.. but sit there and sputter.. and sometimes die if i didnt give it some gas.. i figured it was my tps.. but i didnt throw a code.. so i knew it wasnt that.. then i just cleaned the throttle body real well.. all the carbon build up around the throttle flap wont allow the engine to breath on startup.. make sure you clean all that off.. and also as much as you can reach into the throttle body itself.. try that and see if it fixes it.. you can use carburator cleaner or throttle body cleaner to do this.. either one will work the same..

Maybe instead of asking such a vague question, post exactly what you have done in order to pin point the problem. It will also reduce the number of posters since all of the above has already been done.

crank position sensor?

Thanks 97maximus I will try that. That is one thing I havent done. If anyone else has an idea Ill try it too except for advice from NmexMAX.
NmexMAX you are a complete tool!!! You probably got all of those posts from the stupid comments you post. Keep it up moron you will win an award some day!

I gave you CPS advice early on, 0407 = crank pos sensor (ref) I had the same problems. Try checking the harness to the CPS (ref) and also the resistance of the sensor itself and see if it's in spec. ..

I think if you typed what you had done, then you might not have got so many useless replies, i.e, advising items you had already addressed.



Sorry you feel that way :kiss:

Thanks NmexMAX now that you put it in those terms I get your point. :idea: Thanks for the advice ill try that too.

nmex dont worry about it the guy posted on the forum to figure out the problem and we are trying to solve the problem and all he can do is get angry and talk **** to peeps that are trying to help, well next time maybe he can go to a shop and talk to a mechanic there or go put his car in the shop at nissan and pay some guy 60 bucks an hour so that he dosent have to go through "tool's"! this kid needs to relax and realize that we are just trying to help

I am no mechanic, but i tell you what, when my car gave me similar problems, it was the fuse inside of the cabin. i'm not sure which one, but it is the starter or ign fuse. check that, who knows, i ended up replacing the starter and it wasn't even that. Good Luck.

i do recall on my 91 maxima....i had a bad injector that bled off fuel pressure and took a while to start

Leaky injector might cause that too. So :sprint: to ^^ I thought that was my problem, until I saw my CPS harness :rotz:

Nobody has mentioned the obvious candidate for this problem, a dodgy fuel pump.

how do I check for leaky injectors?

could be injectors, bad fuel pump, or bad fuse (fuel pump fuse perhaps). Im a mechanic and it sounds like a fuel problem to me. See if you can start the car by pouring some fuel into your throttle body. If so then you know what your problem is!

hey i was about to post this same problem. it happened today when i picked my car up from the dealer for an immobilizer issue. the mechanic there said it was because it was sitting there for a day. well i got the car and drove to my gfs house and tried starting the car again and the same thing happened. the car cranks but doesn't start until i press on the gas. then it starts and runs perfect the whole time. i'm going back there tommorow to figure out wtf they did to my car cuz it was fine before.

And you've done everything mentioned in this thread? Check CEL's etc? :russ:

Hard starting when cold
 

I have a 98 that starts when it's cold outside, but if I don't hold my foot on the gas for about 30 seconds, it dies. Do these cars have "cold start injectors"??? I've already put new Bosch plugs in and a new K&N air filter.

Bosh plugs are :007: IMO ... If I did that my engine would hate me esepcailly 30 seconds bouncing off 7200 RPM in park :noes:

Imo?
 

I am not holding the gas pedal down all the way... just enough to keep the engine running (about 2000 rpms). What is IMO??

IMO = in my opinion.

backfire thru intake, is usually a timing problem, as already mentioned by Nmex. Also sparks, coil packs, injectors could do it also.

When the same happened to my wife's car it was the MAF sensor. You can get someone to bang on it while you turn the enigne over. If it fires and then dies you stop banging on it, that's likely the problem. Good luck.

ALso, the immobilizer sounds like a good tip.

In IMHO, what is the damn h? I've always wondered that.

off topic, but it stands for humble

I thought it was honest? :lolrun:

As has already been mentioned, the intake backfires are being cause by a timing problem. A bad TPS will cause intermittent bursts of fuel from the injectors since the ECU thinks the throttle is moving when it really isn't. One thing i've noticed is that if the TPS is faulty/improperly adjusted there will be a buzzing sound coming from the transmission area with the key in the on position with the motor off. This is with an automatic tranny. So i would suggest checking the fuel pressure and listening for that electrical buzzing sound.