I recently started driving my '97 Maxima again after buying my girlfriend a new car. I've had this car since I was in high school and have had this problem for as long as I can remember. My dad bought the car new and the tranny went out at 40k...that's really the only major problem we've ever had out of it. However, the car will occasionally not start. It will crank and crank and try to start, but just won't fire, like it's not getting any gas. Then it'll just start right up and drive/run normal.

Finally got to the point where the car wouldn't even turn over. I replaced the ignition switch and that cured the problem, but it still would do the turning over without starting thing. The only code that the car has is a po400 code. I can't possibly imagine that the EGR could cause the car to not start. Hell, I completely removed the EGR on my LS1 car and never had a problem.

The gas mileage is horrible, I'm talking less than 300 miles on a tank of gas. It seems to only act up when it's really cold out, 30 degrees or below. And it also seems to only do it when the car has sit overnight or for 6+ hours.

I've searched for a few days now on the org and it seems that EVERYONE has a completely different solution for the problem and also seem to have different symptoms, but very similar to each other. It's kinda strange.

My questions: has anyone had this problem before? Anyone know what I could possibly do to cure this? Can I just remove the EGR completely and block it off like I did on my LS1 car? I can't see how that can hurt anything. I'm not worried about the CEL, I'm more worried about the car not starting on occasion. Would a clogged fuel filter cause this? The car runs great once it's started.

Any help would be appreciated.

 

No EGR == higher CC temps. Why do you want to remove it, anyway? Just to do so?

Have you tested to see whether or not you actually have fuel pressure when it starts to act up?

CEL?

 

No, I haven't. If the pump was bad the car wouldn't run at all. Once it starts up it runs great. It also seems to flood itself when trying to start as you can smell the gas buildup. Is there something that controls the fuel that I'm overlooking and you're eluding to?

 

Not necessarily. It could be an intermittent failure.

Something is obviously causing it not to start sometimes, first thing I would check is fuel pressure during the times it won't.

Do you have a CEL?

 

No, I do not.

How would you recommend checking fuel pressure? I can only think of putting a gauge on a fuel rail. What would a lack of pressure mean since the car does great after it's started. What could cause the failure.

 

On the A32 you have to put the gauge on a t-fitting inline with the hose that goes from the filter to the fuel rail.

I know the ECM only initializes the fuel pump for a second or two to prime, unless it detects the engine running, in which case it obviously runs it full time.

If it sometimes isn't detecting engine speed properly, it won't pressurize the lines after it primes.

Do you access to an OBD-II scanner?

 

I have access to a scanner. I also had a CEL on, the EGR code, but was erased for the time being. I'm sure it'll come back on in a few days, as it always does. Just long enough to get the car inspected.

So we're pretty sure it's a fuel problem? I was thinking maybe some kinda sensor. ECTS, or cam positions, or ....?

 

Not sure of anything at this point, it's just that fuel related is where I'd start.

If you can take the scanner for a day or two, next time it decides it doesn't want to start up, hook it up and see if it's reading all the sensors correctly, i.e. CPS, both CKPS, etc.

 

open egr means ur engine is not gonna start... check the tube for clogging, i guaranty you that its solid in there... also check to see if the egr valve itself opens under quick throttle

 

I imagine he means block it off, not just plain remove it.

 

i had a similar problem...in that my car would not start after cooling off and I would crank adn crank and crank for a lonnnng time before it would start. It ended up being the coolant temperature sensor (i think thats what it called). it screws in right on top of the coolant hardline. was a cheap part from the dealership...i'd say its worth a try. was the happiest day of my life after i put that thing in...lol.

 

Of course I meant to block it off, perhaps with an expansion plug or so. The CEL still hasn't come back on since it was deleted a couple days ago.

I have thought about doing the coolant temperature sensor. I may try that.

 

http://forums.maxima.org/showthread.php?t=547220

 

Hows your battery doing? My 97 GXE used to have the same kind of starting problems for about 3 years and was serviced for starting problems like 3 times while it was my dad's. When it became mine I replaced the battery with a new one from autozone (RIP stock battery '97-'07) and it's been starting like a champ for the last year, no hint of any problems whatsoever. just saying sometimes the problem is something relatively simple (my car would still crank with old battery but took many tries to start sometimes) If there's white residue around your battery, thats usually a sign of leaking