Hey guys I’m new here but I have a stock Nissan Maxima 1996 automatic with about 186,000 miles was running great but then it turned off on me in the streets . The mechanic said he had nothing wrong but after the shop visit it completely died on me . It cranks but won’t start .it has new spark plugs , new starter, new battery , new battery , and a new crankshaft sensor. I’ve tried everything but I haven’t had luck. I don’t want to give up on this car because it has so many sentimental value to me . If you guys can give me some tips on what might be wrong I would greatly appreciate it

 

Was an OEM (Nissan) crankshaft position sensor used? Cheap aftermarket... Chinese parts have a higher failure rate. That's the first place I'd start. Hopefully NGK spark plugs were used as well and the right ones for 4th Gen Maximas. NGK seem to work best.

 

Don’t forget … there are two (2) crankshaft position sensors.

If this were me, I’d probably replace (again) the crankshaft position sensors and the camshaft position sensor..

 

yea it was actually bought straight from dealership of nissan and the spark plugs were ngk , I used auto zone fitted thing to get the right size

 

To be honest I totally didn’t know there’s two , I only replaced the one that’s on the passenger side in the engine bay . Where would the other one be located ?

 

 

From my personal experience, all my no start issues can be narrowed down due to a bad battery, bad ignition switch, bad crankshaft sensor (labeled as 23731T from the image above), or some sensor / linkage thing on the auto trans that would not let my car properly engage into the 'P' gear (i cant recall the name of the culprit.) Granted i was in the similar place as you and had replaced the plugs, battery, starter and coils.

Before you go on and replace anything, i recommend putting your car on park, leave the keys out of the ignition (it doesnt matter if its on or not) and hop out and give the car a hard push from the trunk area. Once you gave it a good push, try cranking the car and see if that is the root of your no start. I had a no start issue at some point and turns it out it was due to the worn out sensor / linkage on the transmission, and once it was replaced, no more start issues.

If you are close to a junkyard, i highly recommend going there and picking up the OEM parts yourself, it will save you alot of money and give you exposure to work on the 4th gens.

 

I can attest that changing the crankshaft position sensor has been working for me when I get a no start, but I have had to change mine 3 times in the past 5000 miles...
Is there a reason these things go bad so often?
the first time I replaced the sensor it didnt start right away but after putting the old one back in then the new one in again it started up, so you might wanna try that Jesus

Ive been ordering them from carparts.com and advanced auto, not the cheapest ones but not oem.
now im getting some Standard Brand.

I made a thread but it hasnt been approved yet, but if you have any ideas lmk

 

you can see them both pretty easily on each side of the engine by the front wheels.
passenger side one is by the belts
driver side one is basically on the front of the engine close to the driver side wheel
Changing just one has always failed for me so far, think they have to be the same.
you dont even have to lift the car or anything, I havent changed my camshaft sensor yet but ill change them all tomorrow and see if that gets it running again

Im having a similar problem, but the car keeps no starting and has a high idle and rough start when running
runs like a charm at high speeds or above 3000rpm

 

So I have changed both crankshaft sensors and everything else listed before has already been changed . I even tried new ignition coils . Any idea what it might be?

 

Since you've replaced the rest of the usuals, it might be time to replace the ignition switch.

They are not that expensive and there are many threads and videos on how to. Also, after 26 years, it's had a good long life. And owes you nothing. Especially if the key chain was heavy with a lot of keys.

Hope this helps!

 

You’ve changed out all of the parts listed above including both crank shaft position sensors and you still have a crank-but-no-start situation … is that correct?

If that’s still the case have you determined if any DTC is generated or has been stored? If so, what’s the code?

Also, try to measure your fuel pressure while the engine is turning.

 

Did you check the camshaft position sensor that was mentioned early on? That one is easy to get to and check to see if oiled up or failing.

 

Definitely need to check the fuel pump. I agree that having the car die while driving would seem more like crank/camshaft position sensors, but if you've replaced them, then maybe it's time to check the pump. I had this happen to me on my '96. Starting and running great one day and then the next morning I went to start it, and it would crank all day with NOTHING. The original fuel pump had just had enough and completely quit. Listen very carefully when you first turn the key to the ON position. You should hear a faint "brzzzz" for about 1-2 seconds as the fuel pump spins up and pressurizes the fuel rail. To hear even better, just remove the rear seat (bottom cushion only). If it's dead quiet during that first 2 seconds after turning the key to the ON position, this is a pretty good indicator of a failed pump, but a fuel pressure test would be proof positive. The pumps are not hard to replace, and not very expensive. If it ends up being the pump, make sure and get one that comes with the filter screen as well. You'd be surprised how rusty the insides of these tanks are after 26 years. Mine has been babied and garage kept, and was still seriously UGLY. In fact, after the shop installed the new pump, it failed again within a month. I had it towed originally, since I had no idea what was wrong, and they warned me that the new pump might not last since the tank was so bad. So on the second go-around, I did the work myself. I spent quite a long time with a make shift aluminum wire and paper towels, basically performing a "dredging operation" on the tank through the access port in the back seat (good ventilation required!). New pump has been going strong now for the last 5 years. I also replaced the fuel sending unit at the same time, but not necessary if your gauge is still working. Oh, and there is an o-ring that seals between the sending unit and tank. Might consider replacing it as well, if you end up going down that route.

 

With my car I had a few issues, but not the same situation as yours sounds like it died while driving... but my first issue was installing cheap injectors, those didnt start the car just made me believe I had other issues. Before solving the cheap injector problem I replaced my crank and cam sensors with again cheap sensors. I discovered that if those sensors r cheap and/or dont work then they wont allow the fuel sensor to even kick on. Once i placed my oem sensors back in I discovered those were good all along and got my gas flowing once again. Injectors replace with good quality aftermarket from Motorman on ebay or his website. Like everyone says our car does indeed only work with certain parts, sometimes u can get lucky with an aftermarket but damn it really does seem like a shot in the dark. Good luck