hard start After NEW crank sensor install
#1
hard start After NEW crank sensor install
I recently installed a new front crank sensor on my 97 and now whenever I start the maxima it's a really hard start... only thing I can think of is the connection being loose but it seems to as tight as can be. Has this ever happened to anybody?
#4
Go return it right away. I had that sensor and It didn't work and it gave me hard starting issues and misfires to. I got a brand new oem Nissan sensor online from eBay which was only 40.00 and I was lucky enough to find it because nobody on eBay had it. It a oem Nissan sensor that made by Mitsubishi. Go to Nissan and buy it from their if you can't find it online. But for now put your old one back and get your money back. Any aftermarket sensor is incompatible with our cars and the computer does not recognize the readings it gives which causes problems.
Last edited by Maxima 97 SE; 05-15-2014 at 11:28 AM.
#6
Yes I would. But look at the millage and try to get one off the lowest millage and some of them are really oily due to crank seal leaks, so try to find a clean one if you can. Also the 2000-2001 Nissan maxima has the same sensor, and also the 2001-2002 Nissan pathfinder and the Infiniti i30 1996-2001 has the same sensor. So you have a lot to choose from.
Last edited by Maxima 97 SE; 05-15-2014 at 10:13 PM.
#7
O ok so it won't be hard to find one. My original sensor was pretty oily which is why I decided to change it but that was better than this AutoZone crap I bought. Hopefully I get a good one at the junkyard then.
#8
So it wasn't bad at all it was still good. Next time it gets dirty just clean it and put it back on. Usually these sensor don't go bad and it's pretty rare. Some people on the forum replace them thinking it will fix whatever problem there having and the chances are 50/50 with out any diagnostics. So your in luck that since you didn't have any problems in the beginning with the original one, all you will need is to get the oem sensor again. So good luck.
#11
Just replaced the sensor for a second time now. This time with a sensor from a 97 max in the junkyard it's an oem sensor. And the hard starting is still continuing smh. Should I try cleaning the wires and harness? I'm running out of ideas.
#12
When you installed the sensor did the small little point that's on the sensor did that go directly in the hole or did you just screw it back up together. Make sure it in the hole that's under the crank pully
Last edited by Maxima 97 SE; 05-17-2014 at 10:03 PM.
#13
Also check this out, by a member of the forum
Hey all,
There are a bunch of posts floating around that can be summarized like this:
Question:
"My I30/Max has a hard time starting... cranks and cranks, sometimes makes a clunking noise... but eventually sputters to life"
Response:
"You should replace your crankshaft position sensor -- the one closest to the oil filter. That one goes out and causes this condition."
For what it's worth, I was participating in this one. There's a youtube link in there to the condition described if you want to say "hey, that's my car too!"
http://forums.maxima.org/5th-generation-maxima-2000-2003/636313-starting-problem-how-determine-sensor.html
HOWEVER...
Don't go buying a new sensor JUST yet. Check this out first.
I removed the sensor (one 10mm and phillips screw for the weather covers, and 2 10mm bolts holding on the sensor. Push the green doodad IN until it clicks, then pull the sensor wire off. Remove the 2 10mm's.
If you'll all open your hymnals to chapter EC, page 521, it says you can use a multimeter to test for resistance between the two contacts. They say it should be 470-570 ohms at 68 degrees F. Also they tell you to check the little nub at the top for chipping.
So I'm sitting at my desk fiddling with my multimeter and testing the contacts, and I get 800 ohms of resistance. Still a little more than expected, but doesn't seem too tragic. If it were adjustable, maybe, but...
Then I start looking at the little nub at the top and it's completely surrounded with road gunk, greasy dirt, maybe some metal shavings, who knows what. The nub appears to be magnetic.
I took some MAF cleaner and blasted the nub, then took a junk cloth and scrubbed it clean, got my fingernails in there and cleaned the groove.
Tested it clean and I came out to an even 1000 ohms of resistance. I have to admit that I'm not sure what it means, but if it wants about 500 ohms at 68 degrees, and it's about 110 degrees everywhere outside right now, maybe there's some variance. Truth is, I have no idea what the ohms have to do with anything at this point. I've never seen an ohm anyway so I wouldn't recognize one if you handed me a bagful of them. Tell you what, ignore this whole paragraph.
After cleaning the sensor, I reinstalled it, cranked the engine, and the starting problem is GONE. It's like a brand new car all over again. No more of this three tries at 5 seconds each while people say "dude, what's up with this car?"
Of course this is only after about 20 minutes of testing and quick errand running. it may very well blow up tomorrow. I'll keep everyone posted if something fails, but no news is good news.
In the meantime, CHECK AND CLEAN the sensor before dropping 80 bones on a new one!
There are a bunch of posts floating around that can be summarized like this:
Question:
"My I30/Max has a hard time starting... cranks and cranks, sometimes makes a clunking noise... but eventually sputters to life"
Response:
"You should replace your crankshaft position sensor -- the one closest to the oil filter. That one goes out and causes this condition."
For what it's worth, I was participating in this one. There's a youtube link in there to the condition described if you want to say "hey, that's my car too!"
http://forums.maxima.org/5th-generation-maxima-2000-2003/636313-starting-problem-how-determine-sensor.html
HOWEVER...
Don't go buying a new sensor JUST yet. Check this out first.
I removed the sensor (one 10mm and phillips screw for the weather covers, and 2 10mm bolts holding on the sensor. Push the green doodad IN until it clicks, then pull the sensor wire off. Remove the 2 10mm's.
If you'll all open your hymnals to chapter EC, page 521, it says you can use a multimeter to test for resistance between the two contacts. They say it should be 470-570 ohms at 68 degrees F. Also they tell you to check the little nub at the top for chipping.
So I'm sitting at my desk fiddling with my multimeter and testing the contacts, and I get 800 ohms of resistance. Still a little more than expected, but doesn't seem too tragic. If it were adjustable, maybe, but...
Then I start looking at the little nub at the top and it's completely surrounded with road gunk, greasy dirt, maybe some metal shavings, who knows what. The nub appears to be magnetic.
I took some MAF cleaner and blasted the nub, then took a junk cloth and scrubbed it clean, got my fingernails in there and cleaned the groove.
Tested it clean and I came out to an even 1000 ohms of resistance. I have to admit that I'm not sure what it means, but if it wants about 500 ohms at 68 degrees, and it's about 110 degrees everywhere outside right now, maybe there's some variance. Truth is, I have no idea what the ohms have to do with anything at this point. I've never seen an ohm anyway so I wouldn't recognize one if you handed me a bagful of them. Tell you what, ignore this whole paragraph.
After cleaning the sensor, I reinstalled it, cranked the engine, and the starting problem is GONE. It's like a brand new car all over again. No more of this three tries at 5 seconds each while people say "dude, what's up with this car?"
Of course this is only after about 20 minutes of testing and quick errand running. it may very well blow up tomorrow. I'll keep everyone posted if something fails, but no news is good news.
In the meantime, CHECK AND CLEAN the sensor before dropping 80 bones on a new one!
#15
heres what i did today. I took my sensor off and cleaned it with isopropyl Alcohol. I just dipped the whole sensor in their and cleaned the outside and cleaned the part of the engine that the sensor connect to which was really greasy and now its clean and now it hopefully wont leak oil and i cleaned the contacts of the sesnor with q tips and for the wire i sprayed a bunch of isopropyl alcohol and cleaned out all the oil and it made a big difference in starting. It starts in a flash even though it didnt have any problems starting or with cranking it just made it seems a little smoother. I used electrical tape to tape the wire and the sensor so that it prevent the oil from seeping in to the contacts of the sesnor and the wire. For the cranking problem i know that if a maf sensor is bad it will cause that too. My maf went bad one time and it caused the car to crank about twice before starting and i put in a new updated maf that i had at home which was an oem maf and the problem was gone.
Last edited by Maxima 97 SE; 05-18-2014 at 09:59 PM.
#16
heres what i did today. I took my sensor off and cleaned it with isopropyl Alcohol. I just dipped the whole sensor in their and cleaned the outside and cleaned the part of the engine that the sensor connect to which was really greasy and now its clean and now it hopefully wont leak oil and i cleaned the contacts of the sesnor with q tips and for the wire i sprayed a bunch of isopropyl alcohol and cleaned out all the oil and it made a big difference in starting. It starts in a flash even though it didnt have any problems starting or with cranking it just made it seems a little smoother. I used electrical tape to tape the wire and the sensor so that it prevent the oil from seeping in to the contacts of the sensor and the wire. For the cranking problem i know that if a maf sensor is bad it will cause that too. My maf went bad one time and it caused the car to crank about twice before starting and i put in a new updated maf that i had at home which was an oem maf and the problem was gone.
If you ever have trouble with electrical tape losing the glue side in an oily automotive application, I've found a self fusing silicone tape that will not break down like electrical tape when exposed to heat and oil named X-Treme Tape. Basically you stretch it as you wrap wiring and it bonds to itself without using glue.
X-Treme Tape:
- Is Self-Fusing...No Adhesive
- Withstands Over 500°F (260°C) of Heat
- Remains Flexible to -85°F (-60°C)
- 700 PSI Tensile Strength
- Insulates to 8,000 Volts per Layer
- Stretches 300%
http://www.xtremetape.com/
Last edited by CS_AR; 05-19-2014 at 05:50 AM.
#19
You can get self fusing silicone tape at some auto parts stores under the name is Wrap It Repair Tape. It works good on jet and rocket engines under extreme temperatures up to 500 F and resists direct fuel and other harsh chemicals.
The orange colored silicone tape for electrical wiring wrap is more common on jet and rocket engine applications. In a pinch, you can use it for emergency hose repair.
Check out the following PDF.
http://www.industrialseal.com/pdfs/2...20July%208.pdf
The orange colored silicone tape for electrical wiring wrap is more common on jet and rocket engine applications. In a pinch, you can use it for emergency hose repair.
Check out the following PDF.
http://www.industrialseal.com/pdfs/2...20July%208.pdf
#20
So I cleaned the sensor and connector and where the sensor Bolts on the engine. Sprayed and wiped everything with MAF cleaner and the problem still persists :-( is there something I'm doing wrong? HELP MEH!
#22
Idk how to post videos or pics but here's an update... had my mechanic scan my car cuz the SEL is on and this starting problem is still ongoing. A code came up for the crank sensor.. but it's referring to sensor 2. Is it possible that me changing sensor 1 caused sensor 2 too act up?
#23
Thats the main sensor for your car to start. Its hooked on to the flywheel and it reads the flywheel when the starter cranks and tells the pistons when to fire. Go back to the junk yard and buy that and replace it and you should be good. That crank senor thats hooked to the flywheel is priority number one and the one next to the oil filter number 2. Heres how it looks. Plus get the hitachi brand because its magnet is exposed which gives a better reading I believe than the mitsubishi one which is coated with plastic. The one in the picture is hitachi.
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