i got a weird starting problem going on.

what happens is when i turn the key i can here the car try to start...BUT the rpm gauge doesnt do anything, it stays at 0. after a while of trying again and again the rpm gauge will jump up like it normally does and the car starts...BUT it sounds like its running rough and having a hard time running for about 5 seconds then runs fine.

I have no problems once the car is running.

The car has been sitting for about 2 weeks in pretty cold weather...would this have anything to do with it?

oh and I replaced the starter and battery last month....the starter died on me. the replacement starter was reconditioned but it sounds like its working fine...idk.

any help will be appreciated...thanks.

 

How many miles are on the car? maybe your spark plugs need replacing? On my 97 they were worn out at 70K, although the manual says they should last longer.

 

spark plugs have been replaced in the past 5k miles. I also had the fuel filter and the injectors cleaned at the same time.

I also noticed today that there is a process I can use to make the car start.
1. try to start car
2. stop trying and keep key turned to ACC
3. try starting again might take 2 tries...this causes the rpm to fluctuate and the car starts and runs roughly.

still have no clue what could cause this.

 

Try this and tell me if it starts right up and keeps the RPM:

After sitting for several hours in the cold, or in the morning on first startup when the rpm goes weird on you lightly touch the gas, dont hit it hard, just up to 2000 rpm max. She should catch on and run normally, if not do this agaib, hit the gas lightly.

Does this happenen every winter ? have u had the car for more at least two winters ? does this ever happen in the summer ?

 

this is the first time this has happened.

also...when it ran rough i pressed the gas a little and i think i heard knocking. there was this sound that increased with the rpm. u guys think that this is related?

 

come on guys...someones gotta have an idea

 

the knocking could be related. if the knocking increased with RPMs than it could be a valve hitting the piston. and that is never fun to have to fix.

but then again, it depends what youre calling a knock. my engine kind of ticks a little bit (faintly)...but since my friends max does it too, and ive heard a coulpe other max's doing it...i figured it was just a max thing.

 

the knocking was very distinct. it was not just a minor ticking. It went away after about a minute but this leaves me wondering what could be wrong then. could my valves be stuck open?

 

Ive heard that kinda of ticking on my max as well, when i just bought her, started using 91 and its gone.

now i wanna try using 89 cause i dotn race anyone and dont go WOT. nbest of both worlds fuel economy and performance

 

Mine has done that through out it's life, even after spark plugs changed, but it's so infrequent I don't bother with it. I've got 121k on my '98, and if I leave it in the garage for a weekend without starting , it might make that noise. Running synthetic oil and not using any oil between long term changes. I 've heard it could be spark knock, it sound s like a sticking lifter in old style push rod engines, but I don't think it's that either.

 

i always use 91 octane.

do u guys think that this could be related to my starting problem? anyone have any ideas on what i could do to fix the starting problem?

 

Seeing that your tack does not move
It sounds like your crank position sensor

 

no, they recommend that you use premium gas. premium means 91 octane or higher. so it shouldnt be a problem

 

Is the engine light on, have you checked for ghost codes?

 

I saw another thread, and this is what is curious , it said it might be starter not engaging right-. I dont' want to hijack the thread, but i just found out my rear brakes need pad replacement- anyone know if you can push the piston back by c -clamp or is it a special thread in there ?

 

youre completely hijacking this thread. i should be flaming you, but im in a pretty good mood so instead ill tell you that they need to be twisted back in, not pushed...and i think u might need a tool for it...see if autozone has one for rent.

 

You can use pliers or the actual caliper piston retracting tool
you can even rent one from autozone or pepboys if you buy the brakes there.

 

how do i know if this is the problem? will a code pop up?

i just checked the codes and I got...
0304: Knock Sensor
0707: Rear O2 Sensor
1008: EVAP Canister purge control valve
None of these are new...i just havent gotten around to fixing these.


I tried starting again and it took about 10-15 tries. I asked my dad about this and he said it might be the ignition switch...any thoughts on this?

 

The timing chain tensioner is known for giving noise during "dry starts" but more like a rattle. I just replaced mine and the noises went awA y

 

None of these codes should prevent your car from starting they should only make it run rough.
The cps will determine wether or not you get the right amount of spark&fuel
The ignition switch will determine wether or not you get power to sayyyyy STARTER etc). A code wont always "pop up"There is always a possibility but i would look towards the sensors.

Sequential multiport fuel injection system
Fuel is injected into each cylinder during each engine cycle according
to the firing order. This system is used when the engine is running.

Simultaneous multiport fuel injection system
Fuel is injected simultaneously into all six cylinders twice each
engine cycle. In other words, pulse signals of the same width are
simultaneously transmitted from the ECM.
The six injectors will then receive the signals two times for each
engine cycle.
This system is used when the engine is being started and/or if the
fail-safe mode (CPU) or CRANKSHAFT POSITION SENSOR(REF) is operating. "NISSAN FSM"

 

the CPS sensor then? any way i can test this?

 

Your best bet is to download the FSM (FACTORY SERVICE MANUAL)
It has all your answers just a pain to search and read sometimes like the org

http://jime.homeip.net/files/FSM/

Once you get the fsm type crankshaft position sensor in search area and go from there.
good luck

 

ok i guess ill check on the FSM regarding the CPS.

but...i just remembered that I recently had to redo my turn signal and corner light wiring so that i could use the second filament on the corner light as a turn signal and I messed up and connected the wrong wires. when i activated the turn signals I ended up blowing a fuse and I heard a loud pop near the turn signal stalk. I think that my hard starting problem might have actually started after this happened. Maybe its coincidence, maybe not. Any thoughts on this?

I checked all the fuses and only the one for the Turn signals blew. Is there anything else i should check? there was a loud pop near the turn signal stalk...should i be worried by this?

 

anyone have any other ideas?

 

how does it sound??? cause when i changed my starter recently, the 3rd tiem was the charm. The first 2 starters from PEPBOYS were CRAP!!! 3rd time i went to napa....

Does it sound something like this?? Crank crank crank boom!....crank crank crank boom!!! Like with the boom it feels like the whole car is shaking??? If thats the case, the the starter is the problem. It's not engaging all the time. Since the starter isn't a hard thing to change and pull out. (Prob takes me about 45min from getting tools to putting tools away). I would get another one n swap it out. I had originally though that it was something else too...but it wasn't.

Also, the knocking, is it loud?? n i'm guessing the knocking started AFTER you changed the starter??

 

no boom....just crank crank crank over and over again. and about the knock...im not sure when it started but i noticed it after the problem.

 

now that i think about it...you said you heard a knocking sound...so your knock sensor code is probably due to that. so i would try to tackle whatever was knocking rather than replacing the knock sensor.

as for the starting problem, im looking into it as we speak and ill get back to you if i find something.

EDIT: does giving it gas while youre cranking it help the car start up? ( i dont think u ever answered that, just said it knocked)

 

just by curoistity, have you checked your starter signal fuse and fuel pump fuse? that was my problem for starting..

 

giving gas does nothing. still goes crank crank crank....

ive checked all fuses and all were fine except turn signal which i replaced.

 

bad ground?
clogged fuel filter..?
when were your plugs serviced? clogged air filter?

 

well ground should be fine... i added new ones last summer. plugs, air filer, fuel filter are all about 2yrs old.

the thing is that its not a hard starting...when i turn the the key the car is just cranking for like forever. no shakiness or roughness until the car starts and its got a weird and rough idle.

 

so it's either not enough fuel getting ignited or not enough spark to ignite the fuel..
when the car eventually starts, do you smell fuel?

 

no i dont smell fuel. also once it starts and runs rough for about 10 seconds...the car runs completely fine. so while running everything is fine...wouldnt this rule out fuel and spark problems?

 

k similar problem in my max, i've had almost every problem members have mentioned on 4th gen forums...
it does the same thing in my car, and have also had my starter replaced, did it happened b4 replacing the starter? i'm not sure cuz i had to replace it a week after i bought the car... normally the car starts fine and at first crank if i insert the key and twist to start all in a single fuid motion. if it doesn't work i just shake the key bak n forth while in ignition and the starter catches the signal and the car starts. mayb its the ignition switch, bad ground... and so on... but for now shaking the key while in ignition at start works... the car idle's weird, jumps from 1500rpm to 2000 sometimes more/less depending on how cold but it idle's down just below 1000x when warm, right now the knock sensor, o2 sensor need replacement, but i doubt the idle problem is sensor related, if anything its spark/coil related. but who knows i'm just a newbie...

 

That sounds EXACTLY like what is happening to me. I crank the key the first time and nothing at all happens, no clicking, no sounds at all. Then I turn the key to off and back to start and it cranks over but the rpm's jump around and it usually dies the first time if I don't give it some gas.

So you are saying replacing your starter fixed this?

 

well replacing the starter, fixed the starting problem, the old starter died, so i had to get a new one, the problem i was describing with the key n rpm is still present, the rpm could be anything, the starter not getting the signal might be the ignition switch??