My car is dead - and i'm stumped - AGAIN. $100 offer.
 

Well, my car's been starting VERY weird lately, and I have 4 ground wires (10ga) installed to help out with that. Yesterday, the whole car shut off at a light, and i made a thread about it.

Today, I tried to fix the problem by pulling the trans, and sanding the mating surfaces of the tranny and engine, but i forgot i put a 32mm axle nut on instead of a 36mm, and all i had was a 36mm socket, so trans wasnt coming off. I sanded down as much as i could, changed out the grounds, changed out the starter, sanded down the connection from the starter to the tranny, put all 4 grounds back, even tried to splice a ground from the crank sensor harness (i have an extra one), and ground it to the chassis. I'm getting fuel, as i'm getting a fuel smell, but the car cranks, stops, cranks, stops, backfires (sometimes through the intake it seems like), stops, and cranks. It absolutely does not start.

I took a coil pack out, and tested if it had any spark. It had no spark, other than an intermittent blast when we just touched it to the valve cover, but other than that, no spark. I am completely stumped, and I doubt the mating surfaces got so corroded that the car wouldn't start at all.

Could the timing chain skip a couple of teeth out of nowhere? The car was running perfectly before, and now I couldn't start it for the life of me.

I will give $100 to anyone that starts my car, or gives me a working SOLUTION. If it works, i'll paypal you the money, or if you cme by and do it, i'll give you the money in hand.

I'm considering having my car just sit here until i wait for all the parts of my vq35 swap, which should be coming in this week.

Thanks,
-Freddy

What codes you got?

probably all of them.

how old is the alternator?

Hmmm....

1) maf sensor? check maf connection.
2) ECTS? check connection

since you were having a problem with your valvetrain, is it possible something let loose in there?

dude, its your ecu.

trust me on this. I'll pm u some details

Check both crank position sensors.
A Haynes :reading: shop manual will help you trouble shoot the car.
A shop manual costs $15 bucks and will help you time and time again. Thats a lot less then the $100 your willing to give somebody for help only once.....

The tranny mating surface sanding was a complete waste of time.

How are both of your battery cables and battery?

Maybe i'm doing something wrong, but I have the Haynes Manual, and the FSM, and i've looked alot through both of them, as to what the starter could be, I've checked all the relays, and all connections leading to the starting system. If 100 solves my problem, i'd be more than willing to take it. I think something major is broken in my car, as it just shut off, and the car cranks continuously when the crank sensor is removed, and intemittently when it's connected, leading me to believe a crank position sensor problem. I've replaced both crank sensors, the only one i havent is the crank REF sensor.

Hm... I would also check the ignition switch. Just remove the ignition covers, and see if all of the wires on the back of the key cylinder thing are still intact.

Im no expert tech, but if your engine is backfiring it sounds like your timing is off... Does the chain have proper tension? when was it last checked?

i've never checked my chain, consdering it's a ***** and a half to take everything off.

- Tend to agree.
I would put the car on a scope and look at the readings.

sounds like you have worked on the motor or the intake some time already correct. if you did. i would recommend you check the wiring harness that follows the valve cover or timing chain cover. its the big main engine harness that splits goes to the injectors and coils. i bet you have broken one of the wire that goes from the crank pulley sensor. check the harness for breaks. i have worked on 4 maxima and pulled the motor out of all of them. one of them had the same problem you had. i found out the crank pulley wires was exposed and grounding out right at the plug by the bracket. you will see it.its on the timing chain cover on the top. motor acts real erractic and cause it to drag starting, misfires, etc. i recommend anyone who have tugged or moved the engine harness to check if they pulled the wires exposing them. check real close and you will see that the harness for that sensor is pretty taut cuz of a clip holding it. just a thought guys. hope it works for ya.

my 95 GXE ecu hooked up does the same thing.

Im going with crank/cam sensors...

You might have a bad EGT harness, check the TSB sticky for more info.

This sounds viable. I'll try it. If it works, i'll give you 100 bucks.

bump..............

I had and experience when my car wouldnt start it was down for about 4 days, and I didnt know why. I was getting fuel, spark, air (obviously) crank and cam sensor all inspec, new starter. Finally I pushed my car up the hill, push started it, and the car fired up. Ran a little rough (burning off the fuel in there) after a few times around the block it was back to normal, turned off the car and she started back up. Still to this day I dont know why the car wouldnt start but that push start did something.

I tried push starting about 5 times, and nothing.

EGI harness, my bad...
http://www.jatan.net/tsbs/056841.pdf

Check that sensor that is right on the transmission. My car did this after I changed the clutch and I had forgot to plug this sensor back in. I think it called the crank angle sensor or something like that.

I hate to be captain obvious here, but have you changed the fuel filter?

actually, no i havent changed the fuel filter since i've bought the car. Do you think it could have gotten so seriously clogged that the whole car shut off?

I've never heard of a fuel filter doing that.

its happened before.

:sprint: Nismology is onto something! I'd replace that right away.

But didn't you mention that you were getting plenty of fuel?

yes, i tried it again, and i'm getting a raw fuel smell.

I pulled the codes, they are as follows:

0704 - EVAP
0804 - AT
1003 - AT
0902 - rear o2sensor (I removed it)
0213 - EVAP small leak
0407 - Crank sensor REF

The only one associated with starting would be the crank REF sensor, and i just replaced it now with my parts car one, which i KNow 100% it was working properly, and still no start.

I looked at the TSB, and perhaps I have to cut open the plastic on the wiring harness and check if something's loose or broken. The car sounds like everytime it gives a spark, it stops.

Try to ground the crank sensor directly(tap the sensor harness near the sensor and run a wire to another ground).

Yes. A clogged fuel filter will cause a no-start condition. Also, the fact that you're getting some fuel to the cylinders is no guarantee that the fuel filter isn't at least partially clogged.

Is the carcole canister full? That has to do with your emissions and it will give you a raw fuel smell when its full.

i did this yesterday, there are 4 wires on top, 3 on the bottom (2 black on top, 1 black on bottom. I tapped all the black wires one by one, and ran them to the neg battery cable. absolutely no change.

How likely is it my timing chain skipped a tooth?

I'll change out the fuel filter today, but why would the car just die out of the blue? I seriously doubt the fuel filter would get so clogged the car would turn off. Also, I checked the spark plugs, and they were soaked in gas.

if u are still not getting spark check everything that is connected to the coil packs
it seems like something is loose and that is why u are not getting spark anymore
which would explain why it just died on u it could have rattled off
basically just run the whole thing start at the alternator and run back to the plugs
also check the fuses for everything that may help

Timing chain skipping? I doubt it. Doesn't explain the Crank REF code. That is the sensor that reads the crankshaft and is on the oil pan.

Disconnect the sensor AT the sensor and keep trying to start. It might after a while. Reset ECU, plug the sensor back in and try to turn it on. Also remove the sensor and clean the small particles off of it.

Tried all of that.

Check for wire breakage anywhere? And you are sure the sensor is good?

the crank ref sensor is the sensor i mentioned. the wire coming from it may have breaks. the sensor has a lil magnet tip on it that giving you your firing order. second most common problem on maxima next to the coil causing misfire. the crank sensor mounts to the oil pan and this sensor has a tendency to get covered in oil from the top oil pan leaking. also very common on the max. but you said you changed it. usually the breaks is real close to the harness and is on the top where they plug together. if everything is still ok. then it will have to be the ecu causing you not to fire. now this is your clue on why the car may not have spark. the other codes won't cause the car not to have spark. there is a total of 3 so call crank sensor. really a cam sensor on the cover, the real crank sensor, the flywheel sensor. can't remember the last sensor real name. check all 3 sensors. but the name speaks for itself.thats all i have to give you a clue to where your problem is coming from. don't worry about the 100 bucks. i know how frustrating it gets to find out whats wrong with the car. good luck. keep us update on all the stuff you try and i will look to see if i can help. laters

I'll try that, thanks.