joebogey

1995 Maxima Auto, purchased from an acquaintance with no history on the car for $100, 178k miles.

In 6/2014 the car had stalling issues when coming to a stop. After reading the forums I determined it was the MAF and followed instructions to solder the pins. It has been running fine since.

In 8/2014 I started to have the ignition slop issue, I know I need to fix it but if I push the key towards the driver's door as I'm turning it I have no issues.

This past Tuesday, 9/2014 I left work, started the car and pulled out of the parking space. As I was driving down the aisle it stalled out. I had to crank it for 2-3 minutes for it to start (10-15 seconds cranking, 20 seconds resting). As I was cranking it was stuttering as if it was ready to fire but wouldn't catch. It finally started and I drove again about 500 ft before it stalled out and I couldn't get it started again. Towed it home and hit here for information.

The check engine light has been on since I got the car (I know I should have looked before) and for the first couple weeks it would sometimes go off for a few minutes. For the last 2 months it's been on constant and I pulled the codes. It read out;

0302 EGR system hi/low flow
0304 knock sensor
0503 front right heated O2 sensor
0707 rear heated O2 sensor
1005 EGRC solenoid valve

I didn't think any of these would prevent starting, maybe drivability issues, but not prevent ignition.

After reading 4 or 5 hard starting threads I checked the CPS which read ~1015 ohms which is out of spec, I picked one up from AutoZone Friday night and stuck it in Saturday morning. The car cranked a little (could smell gas in the exhaust from cranking so much) and fired right up. Idle was great and it seemed to rev smoother than it had before. After 5 minutes I turned the car off and cleared the computer codes. I let the car run about 1 to 1-1/4 hours while I cleaned up. I also shut it off and started it again and each time it started right up. Sometimes I would let it run 10 minutes then shut it off and start it. Other times I would shut it off, start it, shut it off, and start again. Each time it fired right up. I let it run in park, neutral, and even in drive with the parking brake on. No issues, and the check engine light didn't come back.

I come in the house, take a shower and go to leave and it won't start. Now I start going through the rest of the listed items in the threads.

- I place a 2 gauge braided ground strap from the starter bolt to the negative battery terminal. 10 gauge from the timing cover to the chassis and from the intake manifold to the fire wall. I check from the battery + to each of the grounds and I'm seeing full battery voltage. No change.

- I checked the CKPS (POS) and I see a constant 3 volts regardless of how close the screwdriver gets to the tip. I replaced that with an AutoZone sensor, no change.

- I pulled the rear seat and can hear the fuel pump prime when the key is turned on, also reading 0.8 ohms between the two pump terminals (spec is 0.2-5.0).

- I replaced the fuel filter since the current one was of unknown origin or age. No Change.

- I checked the front 3 coil pack terminals, I'm seeing 12 volts. Also pulled the plugs all look clean. They're NGK's.

- Didn't think straight and pulled one of the injectors and took a bath in gas, there's pressure in the fuel rail. Injector looked very clean (I know this is not fully checking the injector but there was no debris).

- A friend recommended removing the gas cap and trying. When I opened the gas cap there was a vacuum, it suck air in. I tried starting it with the cap off and nothing. And I do remember this happening once or twice before when I stopped for gas, usually after a long drive.

I'm at a loss, I have a battery charger on the battery in between starting to keep it up and if the batteries fully charged the engine is spinning over pretty fast. I can't think of anything that worked when I changed out the CPS and isn't now.

Any help you can give is greatly appreciated.

MaximaFan4140

Word to the wise...I just went thru this issue with my 96...but mine threw Crankshaft position sensor(ref) and knock sensor but ill give u a tip...if ur ignition cylinder is going bad to where u have to lift up on the key at all to get it to crank...REPLACE IT IMMEDIATELY...and only use OEM sensors on this cars...I bought my sensor from Advance and it was causing the same issue...got one from a junkyard for 5 bucks and fixed my issue...once I found out my ignition cylinder was screwed...replace that cylinder and get the sensors that are OEM...not from advance or autozone.

MaximaFan4140

Also search forums on how to remove ignition switch...from there u can use a flat tip screwdriver to try and crank the car and if it fires up then u know its the key cylinder.

joebogey

Thanks for the info. Let me ask this because I just want to make sure I'm understanding everything I'm reading.

The ignition key slop is between the tang on the lock cylinder and the ignition switch. That get's fixed by wedging something (black tape, duct tape, business card, or coke can) in the slot in the ignition switch so the tang is tight in the hole.

Is that separate from the issue I'm having with pushing into the column which is the ignition switch itself?

I'm only asking because I can sit there with the engine cranking for as long as I want to hold the key.

MaximaFan4140

Yes but eventually that push or lift to have to do on the key to get it in the correct position to turn over will fail...it did on me in the process of troubleshooting my no start issue and once I just removed the ignition switch assembly from the steering column to try and crank up my car...it fired up just fine and within 2 secs...while trying to use my key car would try and crank for 5-15secs and either actually run or not lol

joebogey

OK, I pulled the ignition switch & tried with a screwdriver, no dice just cranked and cranked.

Is it possible for the switch to go, the engine to crank, but not to fire? I don't want to just throw parts at it, I know the switch is loose, but if it's been cranking fine I don't see how the CPS & CKPS both could go at the same time as the switch. Or could the CPS & CKPS both have been on the way out/bad all along and the switch was what broke on Tuesday? When the car stalled the dash was still working and all the (edit: dash) lights went on, so it wasn't like I turned the key off.

My head hurts...

joebogey

Well now I've really gone and done it. Just to be sure I went ahead and pulled each fuse individually and checked to make nothing was blown (who knows if something blew while I was futzing with everything). Now when I turn the key I get nothing. When I turn it to start I head and can feel the relay's under the dash clicking, but there's no crank.

However when I leave it in the on position I can hear an audible buzz coming from the inhibitor switch on the front of the transmission. The last 2 days I've been working on the car I did not hear this, and I had the car in the on position to check for voltage on the coil packs and for each of the CPS, & CKPS's.

Did I fack something else up?

M in KC

Joe, sorry to hear all your struggles. Sometimes you have to go backwards to go forwards. Regarding your new, no crank, symptom. I would start checking continuity from your iggy switch to the starter's trigger wire and voltage drop from the battery to the main ground and the starter's positive connection. I've chased no crank conditions twice now on my 4th gen and each time it ended up being the starter. But with a known suspect iggy switch yours may have finally failed. The no crank thing for me any way was a head scratcher as some times it would crank just fine and then others nothing. You can try forcing the starter to engage with a large screwdriver across the solenoid to confirm the starter still turns so then you would be down to continuity issues, iggy switch, starter solenoid or one of the iggy relays. There is a Youtube video of a couple of guys troubleshooting a no crank condition on a 4th gen. They are fun to watch and do get the problem solved. Hang in there.

joebogey

So I haven't been able to spend too much time on this after work this week. I went out last night and with this ignition in the on position I tracked the buzzing down to coming from the transmission pan. I got under the car and stuck my ear on it, could also feel the vibration to go along with the sound.

This car has 178k miles, now is giving me issues, and will need front a-arms (both bushings are shot), tie rods, and ball joints. Is this a symptom of something else broken, or just possibly because I've had the ignition on/of a 1000 times in the last 5 days?

I only ask because the car is not worth spending money on a transmission, if it's going as well I'm done with the car.