Hard starting problem ...
 

Ok, so I know this has probably been on here before but I need some answers. I'm having a real hard starting problem. It happens hot or cold, doesn't matter. It seems to have to crank forever before it finally starts, and I need to press the gas pedal for it to really catch and pick up. Now I think I have narrowed it down some because I did spray a little fuel into the intake and it started right up with no problem. So I'm thinking it could either be fuel pressure to the rail or it could be bad injectors. Now a little background on it, I did do a motor swap on the car because the head gasket on the old one blew and pretty much destroyed the engine. The new engine I put in it is a junkyard engine so it is possible injectors and all are messed up if anything hit them. It worked fine for awhile then started having this issue. I am going to take it to a friend of mine to have him check a few things but I wanted you guys input on it as well. Thank you in advance.

It could be your fuel pump. If it was your fuel injectors your engine would barely run and you could barely accelerate. Go to pick and pull or something and try an original Nissan fuel pump. Don't ever buy any fuel pumps beside the original ones because the aftermarket fuel pumps do not work properly and do not hold pressure. Only buy an original Nissan fuel pump.

Replace fuel filter and FPR and you should be fine. If it started with starter fluid, then its a pressure problem.

Thank you for the replies. I'm going to change the fuel filter first because I know that's really old. The FPR looks kinda difficult to get to and replace.

Changed the fuel filter, no change. I'm going to be changing the pump today. I hope that does it. I'll keep everyone posted

Did the fuel pump yesterday. Same issue it seems. Im gonna wait a couple days and see if it changes. If not I guess my FPR is next

hows all your grounds?

you clean the iacv and tb before?


clean the cam and crank sensors too, prob have metal shavings on them

also, make your thread title more specific next time

Yea sry about that. Was making the thread and didn't think about it. I Havnt cleaned them before, but after grading what you posted I decided to do the iacv. Still no difference. I didn't want to do the tb until I can get the little money for the gasket. I'll also look into the cam and crank sensors

Don't forget to swap out the FPR.

So I found and fixed a little problem. I went to check the FPR to see if the diaphragm might of been punctured and tested to see if any fuel came out of the vacuum line. Well the vacuum hose going to the FPR wasnt attached for some reason so it wasn't pulling any vacuum. I hooked that back up and it functions fine. But no difference in my main problem. Oh and no leakig fuel through the vacuum line btw. But another question, I did notice the two hoses coming from the top of the evap canister aren't connected to anything. Not sure if it has anything to do with startup, but I would like to know where they go

Are you getting any engine codes? I presume that you are... Your ECU may be telling you exactly what it thinks is wrong. Test "faulty" sensors before replacing them unless you have a known working one you can just swap.

Check for a grounding problem. Better yet, just add some ground wires to your engine block (or buy a grounding kit) and see if that improves/resolves your starting situation.

If you have a grounding problem, it may not affect your starter functioning, but will wreck havoc with all of your engine sensors confusing the ECU and keeping your engine from firing up.

1) Have you ever cranked your car so long you drained a perfectly good battery?
2) Did it sometimes seem to "catch", then immediately stop?
3) Is it worse/better under certain weather conditions?

Check your grounding. There may be nothing else wrong. The definitive fix for that is to thoroughly clean the mating edges of your engine and transmission bell housing, which is the primary ground connection your engine uses. -pc

I had same symptoms, it was a bad starter. It could be a bad ground though, causing the starter to turnover slower than it should. You should post a video so we can hear how fast it turns over. Mind was like a crank for like 10-12 revoutions before slowly firing to life kinda thing.

Does the same thing no matter what weather condition, hot or cold. This is like the 4th starter I've put in. Cranks at a good 500 rpm or so. I'm going to have the alternator tested today. I know that's starting to go bad. And before you say that could be it, it was doing it before the alt started going lol. I'm going to redo all the grounds again to be sure. But the one ground in the tranny will be difficult to do. Would having extra grounds help if I can't get to that one? I'll also try to take a video when I get off of work for you guys too. I do appreciate all the feedback too. Has helped a lot. Thank you guys

Check your engine coolant temperature switch, then check your camshaft position sensor. If those check out good then check the crankshaft position sensor output voltage (the one by the tranny.).

Prior to having my bell housing cleand, I added four ground wires from my negative terminal to various locations where important sensors are connected to ensure they were getting grounded. The hard starting problem immediately went away, but I would still occasionally get codes for my egr solenoid and others. So I knew I was on the right track, and a diy grounding kit was quick and cheap. Cleaning the bell housing made all these problems disappear AND starting and idling was notably improved.

There are many things that can cause hard starting, but many of us can figure out where the issue might be just by watching a video recording. Let us see/hear what you are seeing. -pc

Ok guys. heres a video I took once I got off of work today. I actually started the car just before this and turned it off because I remembered about the video lol. so just keep that in mind when youre watching. im going to try and take another one tomorrow morning after its been sitting all night. ill do it so you can watch the engine too. it only seems to be a better start if I start it up like immediately after I shut it off. hopefully it gives you guys a better idea of whats going on.

Got the second video of the engine now

I couldn't tell so much from the first video, but the second one for sure. It's that eager starter against a complete unwillingness to fire and the occasional "catch" that sometimes leads to actual starting. Battery is good, starter is good -- you definitely got no problems there.

So either you are not getting fuel, or not getting a spark at the right time. I bet everything is working correctly, and that a grounding issue is interfering with the crank position sensor, messing up your timing during this critical starting stage. I lived with this issue for over 3 years before getting it all straightened out, and I'm betting this is what's going on here just by the sound.

Try the ground wire solution. If you want, I can tell you exactly where I put mine. When I did it, it was a last ditch experiment based on a few rare reports on this forum. My father-in-law and machinist didn't believe for a minute that it would make a difference, but lo-and-behold it started right up. I mean *right* up as if there hadn't ever been a problem.

It's the easiest thing you can try right now. Buy yourself some 12 gage stranded copper wire (or bigger) and some crimp on connectors, then pick a few bolts near sensors on the engine side to run it. Since your starter is getting plenty of power, don't worry that 12 gauge wire might not be enough. It will be plenty to help stabilize the voltage to crank position sensor. I actually ran four of these wires to different locations just to be sure. Make sure the wires don't touch the manifold or anything that's moving. I tried to run mine along existing wiring harness routes.

Stillen sells a nice ground kit for $92 (!) Others might be cheaper, but they are pretty easy to make especially if you already have the parts lying around. I think if you wanted to make a lot of money you could go around town selling grounding kits to unfortunate Maxima owners.

Here is a link to Stillen's kit:
http://www.stillen.com/products/grou...ng-kit-100090/

I hope that's the solution for you... This could be the day your luck turns around! -pc

yea, if you could tell me where you ran yours that would be a tremendous help. I'm going to go down and work on my wiring a little as of right now but would love to know the locations you put yours to stop this issue. thanks again for the help. you guys are great

Just got a chance to run out and check... Did you have any luck?

I added four ground wires attached to the negative terminal of my battery:
(facing the front of the car)
- front right bolt of front valve cover
- front right bolt of intake manifold
- bolt on left top side of engine block near sensor
- bolt on left (passenger) fender close to the engine block

I used large crimp-on connectors with large washer like terminals that allow the bolts to run through it securely.

The exact locations probably aren't that important. My approach was shotgun focusing on areas where there looked like there might be important sensors. There are likely to be better locations depending on where you may actually be having the grounding problem (if it is one).

I took photos that I might get to post sometime tomorrow. -pc

Definitely post if you find a fix.

My 95 started having this problem (albeit not always) about two months ago. I bought a new module that's on the end of the ignition cylinder, but I haven't put it in yet.

So I'm very curious what you find.

Ok, seeing as how I don't have the time, money, or resources at the moment to sand the mating surfaces of the tranny and engine block, could I run an extra ground to the tranny from the battery to help for the time being?

You can try it but don't be surprised if you get the same results

ok guys, had a friend of mine pull a couple codes that were coming up. P0150 and P0130

I believe those codes are for both Upstream O2 sensors. There is obviously an Air/Fuel mixture ratio problem if both of these codes are here. Try swapping out the MAF with an OEM one.

OK guys, so my alt finally died on me the other day, and while i was at a light with the family in the car. What an embarrassment that was :/ Well i got it switched out so thats all good. now what i noticed when i was putting it in kinda threw me off. While i was under the car working on it i noticed the two of the bolts that go through the tranny to the block werent all the way in. they were tight just not completely down. so this morning i redid those and did a little inspection. well theres two more that go on the top of the tranny into the block it looks like, AND THEY ARENT THERE!!!! im assuming this could possibly mess up the grounding between them since those bolts arent there to hold it as tight as possible to each other. I'm going to try and find those two from somewhere but wanted your guys input as well. either way i'm going to put those bolts in as soon as i can find some.

Also, if anyone can tell me the sizes of the bolts that would be amazing. I can't find anything on it