I've had a string of luck doing all repairs on my Maxima.
It seems my luck has run out.


In replacing the Front and Rear Valve Cover Gasket, both as maintenance and to address a leak in the Rear.

I came across a clogged EGR Tube, and suspect Fuel Hose.
I needed to research the EGR Tube, but figured prying a bit of the debris out wouldn't hurt. I cleared the opening and left it alone.

The Fuel Hose listed as #16441M in this image
Appeared to have some abrasions. I was quick to replace it as we have had a smell of gas that is intermittent.





Unfortunately when installing the hose onto: #2260M, the NAPA Fuel Injection hose I purchased isn't pliable, and kinked up when I bent it to install it. It wave very tough, and left a kink.


With these issues my car stalls as soon as the ignition turns on.

Questions: Trying to figure out the Culprit of Engine Stall
1. Is there a way to install the hose onto #2260M to avoid kinking it? Can #2260M be easily removed? A kinked hose from what I read can cause stall?

2. EGR Tube, that now may have some debris in it wouldn't cause any additional damage to the vehicle, would it? I mean it was basically 95% clogged before. I figure i'll ensure a clean pipe, when I replace my EGR valve. Could this cause the stall?

2. NGK Laser Iridium Gapping. I have read a bit of aback and forth about Gapping these plug. After pulling and seeing the first gap measurement fail to go between the gap. So I gapped them all. I have them gapped so thae .44 wire barely fits through. The .45 cannot. Would overgapped/ undergap cause an immediate stall? .44 or .42 gap?

 

1. Maybe your hose is too long? Cut it down some so there is no more than an inch going over both hard fuel pipes. To aid in installation, you should put a drop of oil and smear it on both hard pipes. This will make sliding the hose over the pipes a lot easier. Heat helps too.

Of course the kink could cause problems. What happens when you kink a garden hose? The water stops flowing... Only you know how bad the kink is. Maybe post pics.

2. Not causing the stall. No damage will occur.

3. No way in hell is that causing the stall. And it's 0.044, not 0.44

 

You mean 22670M right? That's the fuel pressure regulator (FPR). If it has never been replaced, just replace it.....$3 part. Chances are the issue you are having is a vacuum leak (smaller hose on the FPR) connecting to the FPR. Make sure the connection is tight when replacing it.

As for fuel hose, replace it with a shorter one with no bends and make sure it's up to spec, SAE 30R9.....it'll say so somewhere on the hose. If you look it up, SAE 30R9 is an incredibly tough hose specification.

As for the plugs, with the OEM NGK platinums, you don't gap them, so I would assume it is the same with the NGK iridiums.

When you did the valve cover job, did you use a sealant? Permatex grey is a popular choice here on the forum for the valve cover job. Make sure whatever you use is a silicone gasket sealant.

 

Thank You for the responses,

I asked a mechanic to replace it years ago. I'll start googling, but is it a quick removal? If so I think replacing it may be ideal simply to avoid kinking the new hose. Right?

Again with installation, to avoid bending the new one I should remove the FPR?

I applied some RTV sealant to hold the gasket in place before installation, and applied a generous amount of sealant to the raised corners of both Upper and Lower.

 

You've done the valve cover job, so all this will be easy as cake. Does the FPR look like its been replaced? if the metal casing is the same dirty metallic color as the rest of the metal components in the engine bay, chances are it is OEM. Replacing it with the hose reduces the chances of kinking I guess. It should be easy to install that hose. I've done my fpr and replaced some of that hose that was attached to the fuel filter before.....managed to get things connected without too much an issue of kinking


Removing the FPR may make it easier, and since you're doing that, may as well replace the fpr too.



OK then you've got that covered

 

I've searched for a bit, the FPR seems to be held on by two screws? Is that it?

 

Where do you get a FPR for 3bucks? I'm seeing prices above $50.00

 

 

Dude, you are over-thinking it. If u can do a valve cover job, you can do this. It's easy. It's been a while since I did mine.....what I vaguely recall is the most difficult part was getting at it. Once there, easy as pie. Part 22670M in the diagram, right next to the PCV valve. If memory serves me right, yes, 2 screws, a vacuum connection and the fuel line connection. That's it.

The best way to release all the fuel pressure in the system is to pull the fuel pump fuse (fusebox under your left knee while sitting in the drivers seat), leave it overnight and start the job of changing the fpr in the morning.

You are right about the price of the fpr now.......I don't remember them being THAT expensive before.

Because things are compacted so close together in modern car engine bays, you usually have to take alot of stuff out to get at some thing. With the FPR (and your fuel line) I would replace the PCV as well and clean the throttle body too. While in the neighborhood (and the fuel pressure is released) may as well do the fuel filter too. It should be changed every 15k miles to keep your car in tip top shape.

 

Thanks, it was pretty easy after I got rid of the stripped screws one of the mechanics left on.

:BACKSTORY
I remember 5 years ago picking up a FPR, and asking a mechanic to throw it on. He said he needed some anti-seize and didn't want to damage my fuel rail.

Upon inspection he stripped a screw pretty bad. I used a rubberband in between my screwdriver and the screw, and it turned like butter.

I kinda believed in this mechanic for a while, until somebody told me I was dragging something on the ground. Checked underneath and it was my 02 sensor harness. I took it back to him, and he pushed it up underneath the car, and never connected it. I was done with him at that point.

So I replaced the FPR, and installed a new hose perfectly with no kinks.
But......

The car still stalls right after it cranks. If I gas it, it stays on, but I can hear it running rough. As soon as I let off the gas, it basically dies. Sometimes with a big cough type noise at the end.

I took a small video, but it doesn't show much, just shows exactly what I said.

 

sounds like you need to retrace your steps. Perhaps a vacuum line is disconnected or a vacuum leak.

 

So I smoked a cigar and blew the smoke into a vacuum hose. Smoke came right out of my exhaust manifold. Prolly not torqued down right. So, i'm in the process of putting it on again.

Thanks... crossing fingers

 

So, the car seems to run a bit less rough, but it still stalls, and putters.

Few question.

1. Having to keep the gas pedal down in order for the car to stay on.
Does this mean a fuel supply problem?
Or does could this still be related to vacuum?

2.So now when I blow smoke into a vacuum line, I still see a very small amount of smoke around the exhaust manifold.
Is this supposed to be 100% air tight, and smoke should never appear around the exhaust manifold?
Would this cause the engine to stall?

 

Anything's possible, but the fact is, you recently did work on your car which could easily introduce a vacuum leak. Concentrate on that.

 

Leaking at the EXHAUST manifolds will cause a false reading on the o2 sensors. Your ecu will not be able to maintain a correct air/fuel ratio, and the engine will run very poorly.

Is the leak where the manifold meets the head?

 

Thanks, I think you are correct.

I blew more smoke from a cigar into a vacuum hose. It still leaked out of what appears to be the left corner of the intake manifold gasket. It's hard to see, but there is smoke there.

I started googling and I finally found the "don't reuse the intake manifold gasket"...

So I will be replacing the intake manifold gasket. Which means taking it apart again

On the flip side, I now know the connections like the back of my hand and can prolly get everything off in under 30 mins.


On another note of it running sooo rough.

Talked to my uncle, he said coughing may indicate lack of spark.
I started taking the back spark plugs out and individually visually verifying spark by laying the plug and coil on my manifold. I found a bad coil this way. No spark, No nothing...

After replacing that, it runs much better.

 

Leaking INTAKE gasket will cause a lean condition that is outside the range of correction for the ECU/EFI. This will cause a lean miss.


This will obviously cause rough running as well, good catch.

 

Just an update as this thread is starting to come to a close.

So I replaced the intake manifold gasket.
Blew some more cigar smoke into a tube.
I actually saw it leaking from the throttle body, and EGR tube area.

I figured it's gasket changing time. Gasket on throttle body was visually worn with a break.

Gasket of EGR tube was found underneath the car.


I figured I might as well really clean the EGR tube this time around and take it completly off.

I had already bought a BPT valve, wondering if I should replace the EGR valve.

Wondering if it's an unnecessary fix.
Everyone seems to clean the EGR tube, but not mess with the valve. Wondering why.

 

Because most of the time the valve is fine, it's just the tube gets clogged with carbon deposits AKA black crud and flow is disturbed or cut-off.

 

Thanks, just the info I was looking for. No guides on changing it either, so I think i'll put it back without changing the EGR valve.

 

that egr gasket is important. that small amount of leakage will make car run like crap.
when I did my valve covers in 2010 i had the gasket in there but forgot to tighten those 2 bolts. and car ran like crap. tightened em up and has run perfect since. also a good idea to replace any gaskets involved when removing and re installing parts.

 

Update:
So the car ran like a champ on my way to work, and then.... it started cutting off.
I heard a hiss when I opened up the hood, which to me indicated a vacuum leak.

Unsure where the hiss was coming from I took it to a local mechanic shop/friend. He sprayed some starter fluid by the intake manifold and it revved up.

I disclosed to him that I felt i had torqued the bolts too much.


He agreed to repair the threads with helicoils.... I agreed.

I got my car back and it runs worse. But it's not idling off. I drive it around, and sure enough in 1/2 day period it cuts off. I hear a whistle under the hood. Can't hear exactly where from. Reached behind the intake manifold and noticed the 2 back bolts missing... so I asked why, they said to help ensure the threads hold up.


Check the forums and they indicate EGR tube gasket (which I know slips off easily).

I blow some cigar smoke into a vacuum hose, but don't really see any smoke coming from anywhere, but I do hear a whistle when I blow- similar to the whistle I heard when it cut off.

I even purchased a mechanics stethoscope to try to find the whistle before disassembling again. No luck

On disassembly I find that most of my threads repaired, but the right most bolt, has no helicoil, and no threads. They cut a nut to fit underneath and screwed it to make the torque. The bolt itself can be guided through the entire upper/lower manifold and only rubs against threads.

I also found some of the small newly damaged hoses, (which were old anyways) and a PVC valve grommet ripped into pieces. About 1/3 fell into my valve cover.

Needless to say I will be repairing the hoses, but somehow the angles of damage seem to indicate dis-assembly while leaving hoses connected.

So i have a few questions.

1. No threads on the Right most bolt. But a nut.... Does this provide sufficient/correct torque?
2. PVC valve grommet... been to NAPA and autozone, any known replacements
3.What are the torque specs on the EGR tube, I want to ensure it's torqued down tight, as I have heard this is a common cause of whistle.
4.Should I request my money back from this shop? If so how much? What's fair?



I'm kinda at odds with this once friend/mechanic over this. He has refused to look at my car again, because he says it had no leaks, and they installed the threads as agreed.