Ok. I pulled the starter and going to get it tested then I will check the coolant temp sensor per the fsm. The car never overheats and the gauge always stays just below halfway.

 

Well disassembled the starter and cleaned and re greased it. Had it checked and it tested good. Put it back in the car and attempted to start it but no go. But I happened to leave the key in the on position and could hear the injectors cycling even though the engine was not running. This is prob the source of flooding. The only good that came of this was I was able to figure out my number 2 injector is dead. The bad is what could cause them to continue to cycle without the engine running?

What transpired today-

-Disassembled starter, cleaned and greased and had tested which tested good.

-Installed starter and attempted to start car, would not start.

-After cranking with no start heard injectors cycling without engine running.

-Swapped EGI relay with another one, changed nothing

- Changed ignition switch (new), changed nothing

-Note, injectors will only cycle with engine off/key on after cranking. Will not cycle with engine off/key on when initially turning key to on position.

 

So many things to be said about the starter. First off, depending on who is testing the starter determines whether you are wasting your time or not. I had a starter that cranked but didn't start the engine. Swapped the starter with my other maxima and 1st maxima started and 2nd maxima did not. Went to autozone to get another starter and they wanted to test the bad starter before they would sell me a starter. According to them, the starter was good. Out of stupidity, I put bad starter back in original car and it would not start. Took starter out, disassembled and greased, re-installed and car would not start. Swapped it to maxima # 2 and it would not start. Went to another auto parts store and bought a starter and ended up with 2 cars that started.

What was wrong with the starter? When it was cranking, I thought it sounded like the engine was cranking over more slowly than it should. If this happens, the signal from the crankshaft sensor is not as powerful as it should be. The signal needs to be 1 volt in amplitude so the ECU will recognize it. IIRD, minimum cranking speed needs to be 350 rpm. This was why Nissan increased the teeth on the starter gear from 8 to 11. Since the car starts with a push start, this is why I bring this up.

The fuel injectors cycling is interesting. Without the engine running, there is no timing signal from the crankshaft sensor. The Crankshaft sensor signal is used for spark plug firing, fuel injectors firing and to keep the fuel pump running. How certain are you that the clicking sounds were from the fuel injectors? I can't figure out how this could be happening unless the ECU is screwing up.

 

I was actually able to feel the injectors cycling by touching them, we'll except for the number 2 injector that one didn't click at all. I'm certain the starter is good because after figuring out the injectors were continuously pumping fuel into the cylinders I pulled the fuel pump fuse and cranked it and it started but died when the fuel that was in the motor burned off.

 

Ok went at it again this morning. Pulled number 2 injector to inspect for any debris or clogs. Cleaned by hand and reinstalled. Put fuel pump fuse back in and cranked car. Fired right up. Let it run up to operating temp and let the fans cycle 2-3 times. Shut the car off and checked the codes since it had a cel and got a 0205- Idle speed control. Let car sit for about 5 minutes untouched and attempted to restart it, no go. Injectors cycling and fuel pump running after failed start with key on. Pulled fuel pump fuse and cranked it. It started and before it died reinserted fuel pump fuse and once it recovered the pressure ran fine. It is definitely flooding as I am getting raw fuel out the tailpipe and black smoke when reving. Swapped injector in cylinder 2 with cylinder 4 and it followed the injector so I will pick up another injector. So end result of today's work, after initial cold start the car can only be restarted by pulling the fuel pump fuse or push starting. I will pick up another good injector and attempt the starting procedure all over again and see if the flooding problem persists. I assume it will as I don't see a dead injector causing all injectors to cycle and fuel pump to run after a failed start

 

This fuel injector "cycling" thing and the added fuel pump still running is totally not making any sense. As stated before, for the ecu to tell the fuel injectors to squirt gas, it needs the signal pulses from the crankshaft sensor. The same thing holds true for the fuel pump. For the ECU to tell the fuel pump to run, it needs the signal pulses from the crankshaft sensor.

Since the fuel injectors and the fuel pump get the command to run from the ECU, it sure points a finger at the ECU.

You need to verify these things by checking the voltages on the fuel injectors and at the fuel pump.

The fuel injectors have 2 wires on them. Every injector has a red wire that is the 12 volts from the ignition switch. If the ignition switch is off, you should not have 12 volts on the red wire. The 2nd wire on the injector is the trigger wire from the ECU. When the ECU wants to fire the injector, it connects this 2nd wire to ground. So when the injector is not firing, you will measure 12 volts on this wire also. But because the ECU only grounds this wire for a fraction of a second, the cheaper the voltmeter, the less likely you will see the 12 volts go to zero volts. When the engine is running, you might see the voltage reading jumping around. The best way to try to get a reading would be to set the voltmeter on AC Volts. You won't get a 12 volt reading, but you will get a reading of maybe 2 volts or less.

For the fuel pump, you measure for 12 volts on the wire that goes to the fuel pump. You can measure at the gas tank or on the bottom of the fuel pump relay. It is a black/yellow stripe wire.

If you can measure 12 volts on the fuel pump wire when the engine is not running, the ECU is fubar. Ditto for readings on the fuel injectors.

 

Ok so went and picked up a used good injector, an IACV valve, and a used good camshaft position sensor due to the one in it being an aftermarket one. Used one was a genuine nissan sensor. Cleaned and installed the injector, cleaned and installed the IACV, and cleaned and installed the camshaft position sensor. Turned the ignition on while checking the fuel pump and got the initial fuel pump prime but that was it, no injectors cycling. Started the car and it ran, let it warm up to operating temp and drove the car. Drove flawlessly, misfire gone. Got home turned car off. Waited about 5 minutes and tried to start but just cranked, only this time the injectors did not cycle and the fuel pump did not run due to failed start. Push started and started fine. Got a cel and pulled the codes. 0101, 0205, and 0407. I'm sure the idle speed is just due to the IACV needing to be set after cleaning as i actually heard it cycling after shutting the car off which i didnt hear before. As far as the camshaft sensor which tested good and the crankshaft sensor (ref) which tested good. I am stumped. I previously tested both sensors as well as the circuits per the fsm and all checked good. I'm gonna go through the procedures in the fsm and test both again and see what the results are. I'm just confused about the injectors cycling before after the failed start and not now. Also I'm sure it's not related but do the power locks automatically lock after driving the car for a certain amount of time? They however did not unlock when I turned the car off as some cars I have had have done in the past.

 

ok so I was messing with the car again and after a crank but no start the injectors were cycling again. I unplugged the crankshaft position sensor ( pos ) which stopped the cycling of the injectors. Would the ecu being bad be the only cause of this?

 

These cars are not designed to lock or unlock the doors from driving or whatever. The locks only work when a person causes it to happen.

This problem with the fuel injectors is not something I have ever heard anyone talk about. This is new territory. All I can say is that the ECU needs the pulses from the crankshaft sensor CKPS(POS) to tell the fuel injectors to squirt, the spark plugs to spark and the fuel pump to run.

The crankshaft sensor is a transducer, a device to pick up magnetic waves from a piece of metal moving in front of it. Without the engine running, there is nothing moving and so there should not be any signal pulses from the crankshaft sensor.

And now this latest revelation of unplugging the crankshaft sensor. I just can't make any sense of all this. My only thought is that some circuit in the ECU is breaking out in oscillations that is being used as if it were the crankshaft sensor signal. And this should not be happening.

So all i can think of is that the ECU has a problem. Without having an oscilloscope hooked up to check for signals, it's all guesswork and my guess is that it is the ECU.

 

Ok before I break down and take it to the dealer I did a little more trouble shooting. I did repair the harness to the CKPS ref harness as the wires were a little deteriorated from a previous oil leak. I have been able to get it to start with the key but very intermittently. One thing I do notice is that when I have a crank no start the tach signal is very jumpy. While researching I found that even though a starter can test good it can be to noisy which could cause an interference in either the CKPS or CPS. My last question is while cranking should the tach be steady at say 300 rpm while cranking or should it bounce around like mine does from 200-400 rpm.

 

I have never watched the tach while the engine was cranking for an excessively long time, so i can't answer that with absolute certainty. My feeling is that it should be steady and not jump around.

I had a starter on my 97 that wouldn't start the car but tested good, at least according to the morons at autozone. When I tried to start the car, it cranked slowly like the battery was half dead. If the engine doesn't crank over fast enough, the signal from the crankshaft sensor POS would not be powerful enough for the ECU to use.

I'm forgetting what you have said you have done, so bear with me. Have you replaced the starter? I don't know if your starter is bad, but maybe you might consider gambling and getting one. But I would get one from a junk yard to keep the price down.

 

When I first had the issue I picked up a starter at the junkyard out of an I30. Didn't change anything. Fixed a bunch of other issues and still would start first thing in the morning but the rest of the time was intermittent. Last week I pulled it the starter out took it apart cleaned it and re greased it and had it checked and it tested good. Still the same though. Starts up fine in the morning but intermittent the rest of the time even after letting it sit for hours. Only codes I can get it to duplicate are 0205, 0303, and 0503. I still fell like it's flooding because when I push start it after a failed start I can smell a strong odor of fuel. After 10 attempts 6 times it started right up 4 times it was an extended crank. After checking the codes again cause it tripped the cel I got a 0101, 0205, 0407, and 0503. I tested the ECT sensor circuit per the fsm and it tested good. Pulled the ECT sensor and tested it also per the FSM and it was pretty damn close to what it specified. Not far off enough to warrant replacement or suspect it's the culprit. The weird thing is if I pull the fuel pump fuse I can start the car every time and just put the fuse back in before it stalls. This definitely seems like a fuel issue to me. Not that it's not enough fuel but rather to much.

 

This is going out to anyone that would like to help me.
So i took my car into the shop because of a bad rattle that sounded like it was coming from my transmission or one of my belt pulleys, also because my car starts really rough (this got worse over the winter and im from canada so winters are pretty harsh here). My check engine light has been on but my car didnt run too bad considering it was on.

The mechanic at the shop and pulled codes po325 (knock sensor) and p1335 (crank position reference fault). They found that the knock sensor resistance was measuring too high (sensor fail) they said. Then they tested the circuit for crank position sensor, they removed components to gain access to ECM for tests they said, and they found an open circuit during testing and they repaired it. my crankshaft seal was also leaking so i told them to replace that.

So they replaced my knock sensor, i found out it was only my exhaust making the bad rattle. So i go to pick up my car and the engine light is gone, but now the car idles VERY rough, hesitates ALOT while accelerating, just seems like its not getting enough air you would think or maybe plugged injectors, i just replaced my plugs too and it didnt help at all, cleaned my air filter and it didnt help. im running injector cleaner through the car right now in hopes it will fix this problem.But before i did all that i took it back to the shop and they scanned it again and the crank position sensor said it was faulty. So before i go buy a crank position sensor or take my injectors out and clean them or completly disassemble and clean my throttle body, does anyone have a good answer for why this would be happening?

My car never used to run like this prior to having the codes cleared, always had steady pick up and pulled hard without any hesitating. at my wits end here. thanks.

 

Since you said the rattle was actually coming from the exhaust I would check the catalytic converters. It is possible for them to break apart internally and cause a restriction which could very well cause poor performance and rough idle.

 

I wonder if you have a bad FPR. Other than connect a fuel pressure gauge, there is no other way to test that. I was also thinking a leaking fuel injector, but one injector won't keep the car from starting, you would have to have multiple injectors leaking, like 3 or more. You could pull the spark plugs out after a failed start and see which ones are wet.

 

Ive got a 99 and the cruise is not working. The dash switch does light up, but the cruise does not engage. I traced the vacuum line and can not find a bad spot on the hose. What else can I check?

 

There are 2 electrical switches that are operated by the brake pedal. One is for the brake lights and the other is for the cruise control. There are rubber "bumpers" attached to the brake pedal arm that contact the switches to make them work. These bumpers harden with age and crack up and fall out. If this happens, the switch "thinks" the brake pedal is being stepped on. For the cruise control switch, this tells the cruise control to dis-engage.

 

Denis is right. The way a lot of people fix this is to glue a dime over the hole, which I did myself. It also fell out, so the next time I was at the junk yard I grabbed about 5 of those plastic buttons to put in the hole. I also got some rubber ones from a different car and used one of those and it has worked for the last 6 months. Good luck.

 

Well fuel pressure test seems pretty conclusive. After pressure gauge was hooked up turned key on and pressure shot up to about 41-42psi while pump was on. Pump shut off and pressure immediately dropped off. After I got it running at idle psi settled at about 38psi cold then dropped to about 35psi at operating temp. Pulled vacuum on the fpr with a vacuum gauge and dropped to 34psi at 25 in vacuum but as soon as vacuum bled off went up to 44psi then I noticed fuel coming out of the vacuum port in the vacuum gauge. Seems pretty cut and dry to me. Question is do I gamble with an autozone fpr or something different.

 

A little back story for a clear image. 1997 Maxima GLE 3.0l. My car has always had a delayed start, sometimes no-start problem for years, rarely just a simple click and nothing more. I didn’t pay attention being the inexperienced person I was to the delayed start so I am not exactly sure if it was always like that, if it started happening after starter replacement soon after I bought the car, or after my power steering belt broke few years later. After the belt broke, mechanic told me my knock sensor is the cause of the CEL and it just comes back after clearing. I never experienced problems through bad knock sensor so I never got it replaced. Started always sounded the way it is supposed to but the engine always had problems starting smoothly.

Past couple of months my car started having more trouble starting, longer delayed start and eventually completely stopped. Starter turns and turns but the engine won’t start. I should mention that the car runs great after starting.

Another mechanic I showed it to read the code(s), he only said that the cause of delayed/no start is the knock sensor and MAF being bad and therefore not timing the ignition right. Although it is hard to believe this theory, someone experienced might call it plausible.

I was wondering if the spark plugs were igniting at least so I took one out but left it connected to the ignition coil, crank the engine and I saw no sparks. Replaced the coil and the plug, still no spark. I replaced the MAF and no start. Only could get it to start a few times was jumping the car (even though battery test showed everything fine and fully charged) but the thing is, after that the starter sounded weak and slower every time I cranked it. Eventually the starter completely stopped working and all I get now is a click. I thought the battery died but the car has power; I tried a couple more times while jumping yet no luck. I got a replacement battery to try and still no luck. Another mechanic suggested that maybe my current starter was pulling too much voltage, which in turn didn’t leave enough power for the ECU to work and ignite the engine.

Now I am completely lost, I don’t know if it is electrical, along with now an added starter, I don’t know if replacing the starter will fix the delayed start also. Is it the starter for sure? What could be causing the delayed/no start problems I have had for years and ignored? I just need someone with high expertise to make an educated guess and comment on the mechanic diagnoses’.


Thank you in advance.

 

An autozone fpr will probably be ok as the brand they carry is sold by other auto parts stores. It is not a "made exclusively for autozone" part.

 

a knock sensor does not cause a CEL in the Nissan. It most certainly can go bad, but it will not light up the CEL. Another thing about the CEL code is that it almost always shows up with just about any other CEL code. I have never seen a good explanation as to why that is, but it does. You will see references to the CEL code being called a "ghost code". The recommended procedure is to fix all the other CEL codes and see if it goes away. 95% of the times it does. Even if the knock sensor is bad, it will not prevent the car from starting. If you can inspect the knock sensor closely and see a crack in the plastic shell, replace the knock sensor.

So what other codes does the car have? You do mention a MAF code further down, is that it?

Again, the knock sensor won't keep the car from starting. The MAF definitely can, but it has nothing to do with timing. The MAF is used to determine how much fuel gets squirted into the combustion chamber.

Not getting a spark most definitely will keep the engine from starting. But the way you tested to see if a spark was developing could have possibly been incorrect. When you take the coil and spark plug out, you have to make sure that you have the base of the spark plug (the threaded part) grounded to the engine block. The best way is with a jumper wire, but if you can insure that the base is pressed against the engine block, it will work ok.

You replaced the MAF, so it seems that the MAF is not your problem. For future reference, if the MAF were to be bad and preventing the engine from starting, unplug the wires from the MAF and the engine will start. You won't be able to drive the car like this, though. The engine will die when you give it some gas.

You probably wore out the starter with all that cranking. The first time I saw the starter for these cars, I couldn't believe that a cheap, wimpy piece of garbage like that could start the engine at all. It uses a small motor that spins at a high rpm and goes through a gear reduction to accomplish torque. If you didn't burn up the electrical contacts in the solenoid, the reduction gears probably locked up on you.

If the starter was pulling too much current when it cranked (a possibility), the battery voltage would drop and other things in the car might not work, depending on how low the voltage got. But this situation would also cause the engine to crank over slowly. I would hope you would notice this.

It's possible that the starter could be the problem. I mentioned reduction gears and in these starters the lubrication for these gears dries up. When this happens, the gears bind on their pivots and the engine cranks a little slower than it should. And as the gears wear on the pivots, they bind more and the engine cranks a little more slowly. At first you might not notice that the engine is cranking slower, but as it gets worse, eventually you would.

However, I am skeptical that a new starter will solve your problem. I'm thinking more towards the crankshaft sensor at the flywheel, the one Nissan calls CKPS(POS). This sensor is very important. It is used to generate the spark timing. If this sensor gets dirty or goes bad, you won't get any spark and the engine doesn't start. It should generate a CEL code of P0335, but it doesn't always.

There are 2 crankshaft sensors on the engine. The other sensor, CKPS(REF), is at the harmonic balancer. If this sensor is dirty or bad, the engine is slower to start, maybe 10 - 15 seconds. But the engine will start. It should generate a CEL code of P1335, but like the other sensor, it doesn't always.

 

Ok replaced the fpr. Definitely starts more consistently but I am still getting an extended crank and sometimes a failed start. After starting and driving it through a "drive cycle" it produced a 0101, 0205, and 0407. I do notice when it's a failed start the engine cranks over slower than normally. If I shut the key off and then start it again it will crank faster and eventually start. Again these are consistent codes that I have addressed and test good. I'm going to attempt to add some grounds as this is the only reason I feel the cranking could be inconsistent. Note, I can consistently start it by holding the gas pedal to the floor simulating a flooded condition. After more research I'm going to check fuel pressure again to rule out that the fuel pump check valve has not failed resulting in lack of fuel pressure during start up.

 

Slow cranking concerns me. The signal pulses from the crankshaft sensor will not be as powerful as they should. Definitely try the ground wire. But also check the battery cables where they go into the battery clamp. They have been known to corrode in there.

Are the codes you posted obtained by getting the CEL to blink? If so, 0101 is the camshaft sensor, 0205 is the IACV and 0407 is the reference crankshaft sensor, CKPS(REF), on the harmonic balancer.

 

Yeah by blinking. The 0407 seems to only trip intermittently though . The cables are good. I did change the ground battery cable as someone did a hack job on replacing the terminal. The battery is new but I'm gonna charge it anyway as I've been cranking on it quite a bit. Then I will confirm the pump is good and add a ground wire and see what the outcome is.

 

Well I added a 4 gauge ground wire from where the battery grounds to the bracket on the block to the transmission bolt just behind the crankshaft position sensor ( pos ) and the car now starts the first time everytime! I'm gonna clear the codes and drive it and hopefully that solved the codes as well! Thanks for all the help and suggestions.

 

My Sister's 95 maxima is burning oil real fast, her engine is covered in gunk. There's no oil leak from underneath the car. The pvc valve hose is also covered in gunk. She said she had a guy do a check engine light diagnostic who said she needed a knock sensor and a o2 sensor. The engine also makes a knocking sound when first started up.

 

That oil seepage around the oil filler cap makes me think that the crankcase is pressurizing. You say it is also around the pcv hose. I think that the pcv valve is plugged up, which allows the crankcase to pressurize. I would be willing to bet that the engine is also building up sludge. Replace the pcv valve and run some engine cleaner in it. Also have your sister change the oil a little more often.

The car probably does need an O2 sensor, those are regular maintenance items. But the knock sensor is probably OK. On these cars, anytime the engine has a code, the knock sensor code always accompanies it. Fix the other code and the knock sensor code will probably go away also.

 

I also just found out there is oil leaking from underneath the car. She told me there wasn't, but my garage now knows different.

 

These cars also will develop oil leaks, too. The most common is the bank 1 valve cover next to the firewall. Another oil leak is the power steering high pressure hose. This has an additional bad effect as it drips on the lower control arm and rots the rubber bushing, which then creates alignment problems.

Just some of the joys of a 20 year old car. Made by man and guaranteed to fail.

 

Thanks, is this bank one valve expensive to fix?

 

The valve cover gasket for bank 1 is rather pricey to get fixed because it requires the intake manifold to be removed. And that is a several hour job for an experienced mechanic.

While the odds are that the valve cover gasket is leaking, get your mechanic to give you a definitive appraisal/estimate. The leak could possibly be from another spot.

 

Is there a specific 02 sensor I need to buy for bank 1

 

For all practical purposes, yes.

To start with, there are 2 kinds of O2 sensors, an upstream and a downstream sensor. There is an upstream sensor in the exhaust manifold for both bank 1 and for bank 2. There is 1 downstream sensor after the catalytic converter. This is a total of 3 sensors.

The 2 upstream sensors are the same sensor, but because of the length of the wires attached to them, they have different part numbers. But if you forget the wire length thing, there are different sensors when you compare all the different auto manufacturers.

If you are going to buy the sensor and install it yourself, the check engine light code will tell you which of the 3 sensors is needed. The least expensive place to buy them is on line at rockauto.com.

http://www.rockauto.com/en/catalog/n...2)+sensor,5132

 

Hey guys, so I replaced my fuel filter and I needed to remove a few hoses to get more space to move around.

I've got this connector piece (pictured) and I dont know what goes to it. It's clean though, and I'm pretty sure I took something off of it. I dont wanna start the car with an open connection, I feel like I might break something.

Also, I have a cold air intake, a spectre.

Here's a pic, drew an arrow to the mystery connection


Further up on the tube is writing, 3h8901

 

Okay I need some help here and hopefully someone can help. I have a 97 Nissan Maxima that is experiencing stalling and dying issues. At first the CEL for ignition coils came on and we replaces the bad ignition coil. All others were good. After replacing that the CEL for the EGR came on. Took it off and there was nothing clogged and the hose connected was good. After replacing that the upstream O2 sensor code came on and we replaced that. It happens randomly and the car is a little hard to start up now and will take a few tries. Starter, Battery and connection, Plugs, and Coils are all good. Any ideas of what could be causing this? Also sorry for posting in another thread. Site logged me in under that thread instead of this one. Thanks in advance.

 

Has the fuel filter ever been changed? If not then change the filter and check the fuel pressure while doing that. A bad FPR or weak fuel pump could be your culprit. When my pump weakened out it was very hard to start and stalled after warming up.

 

Before I post this question, I'd just like to make it known, yes, I know I messed up and am completely at fault. It was hot, I was in a very bad mood, the old alternator looked more like a pile of oil than an alternator as I have a head gasket leak that I have yet to fix, and I was not thinking straight. I recently replaced my alternator, purchased it at Autozone. When I went home to install it, it wouldn't fit right, as the top mounting hole on the alternator and the one on the engine itself did not line up. Pulled it back off, went to O'Reilly and has them look up the alternator they had for my car, same part number, compared them side by side, exactly the same. Did a little research, and come to find out, there was a little bracket that went from the top alternator hole to the mounting hole on the engine that I thought was just a piece of the alternator and didn't take off, and Autozone has already shipped my core out. I've called both Autozone and O'Reilly, and neither of them have it, as it's a rare part to need. Does anybody here have any clue as to where I can find somewhere to get one online, or how I could build something reliable to replace it? I tried building one out of some scrap metal I had just laying around, and it worked for about two or three weeks, but eventually ended up snapping under pressure. At this point I'm pretty much willing to pay anything to get one. I'd hate for a short piece of metal with holes in it to be the end of this high mileage car.

 

Don't beat yourself up. It's called learning. Everyone does it, time after time after time. The ones that say they don't are just plain lying.

Something else you should learn from this is that little brackets and things like specialized curved and formed tubing are not going to be in your generic parts stores. Those are dealer only parts - and that's all car manufacturers.

You pretty much have only 2 ways to get one. Through Nissan parts, AKA the dealer, or a pick & pull junkyard.

If you choose the dealer, I think you are looking for part # 11715-31U0A, Bar-Adjusting, Alternator. List price is $8.40, some places discount. It is also possible that the dealer cannot get this kind of part anymore. You do have a 20 year old car.

Look at the parts diagram in this link, the part with code 11715

http://www.nissanpartsdeal.com/parts...r-fitting.html

The comparable part for the 3.5 engine (notice that I did not say "same") I think could also work. Nissan added another arm on it for something else to attach to.

Personally, it seems easier to get one from the dealer for $10 rather than go pull one from the junkyard, but that's me.

 

When I traded in my rear calipers years back I didn't remove the parking brake cable mounting brackets off them. The refurbished calipers didn't have them so I had to get replacements at a pick n pull JY.