Scottwax

iTrader: (8)

This was on the Chevelle I used to have. Deep knocking sound and then *boom*. I found 4 lobes of the cam, 3 pushrods, forged piston side skirts and the end cap of the rod in the oil pan, holed the block and the rod that let go was twisted 90 degrees. That is what happens when a rod lets go at 6800 rpm.

Scottwax

iTrader: (8)

It would knock at all rpms and you'd hear it from inside the car. Trust me, rod knock is pretty loud.

aksansai

iTrader: (2)

Timing chain? Severe valve lash? How many miles on your car?

JavY

iTrader: (3)

im looking for i believe the 5.5 gen.s the s.e ones. its that im willling to put the dde and clear the turn signals and all that good stuff

02SE6MT

bought it 1000 miles ago with 89k and the guy i bought it from at a kinda mom and pop dealer said they replaced the previous motor with one that had 39k because it had failed, how many posts before you can start a thread? you think it would be more helpful to start one?

02SE6MT

has anyone heard of the precat causing something like this? ive seen some people have a horrible rattle, but does it hinder performance like whats happening in my car?

example of precat failure: he actually went through haveng the vtc gears replaced ant the y pipe before he found out it was a precat.
http://forums.maxima.org/showthread.php?t=246745

aksansai

iTrader: (2)

WARNING: deep speculation based on very limited facts.

I don't think that starting a new thread would be super-beneficial at all. What would be beneficial is the "whole" picture, not just tidbits here and there.

I'm not buying the whole this engine has 39K. In fact, I'm not buying much of the story at all (unless he had a receipt certifying the motor replacement and mileage). If the receipt was presented, it might state that it has a 90-day warranty - I would definitely be checking up on the evidence of this replacement.

Considering that you said you've already been playing with your MAF... hasn't it ever occurred to you to return the car and demand your money back? I'd be severely pissed if my car had major problems within its first thousand miles of life. Oh wait... you signed an agreement saying that this car could blow up tomorrow (the day after the sale) and you're stuck with it (in other words, as-is).

These are my guesses (based on the facts presented so far) - keep in mind, they are not fact, just speculation:

1) Your 89K Maxima was sold by its original owner after beating the hell out of it for its 5 years of life. Whether or not your car has a "newer"/replacement motor does not matter. The dealership admits that the original engine was in a failure state.
2) The engine was not replaced. My guess is that he put motor honey in it to quiet things down just long enough to get the sale. Motor honey is very thick and will reduce the amount of noise from metal/metal contact (bearings, gears, lobes, etc.)
3) Your engine probably has moderate to severe internal wear. I'd run motor flush in your engine (follow the directions), and strain your oil through cheesecloth. Also, use a dark bowl (enough to hold over a gallon of oil) and inspect your oil in the sunlight. Did you see metal particles in the cheesecloth and/or suspended in the oil?
3a) Run a powerful magnet in the particles (I'm assuming they are there.. but who knows, they may not...). If you they stick to the magnet like sludge, it's iron/steel. Timing chain... steel sleeves...
3b) If they don't, aluminum - that's the majority of your block and heads.
4) Run a compression test. It will tell you about your valve-train and your seals/rings.
5) The racket is loud enough (very audible in your clips) that I would at least take it to a certified mechanic for a true diagnosis. When you get that diagnosis, I would take it back to the dealer and have a "discussion" on where to go next. He may offer to repair/replace the engine. He may tell you to go pound sand. Either way, doing nothing and getting "no" for an answer leads to the same result.

Check your local laws to see whether or not you have a mandatory warranty (highly doubtful). Lemon laws do not apply: your car was used.

This experience does not have to do with Maximas or Nissans. It has to do with cars purchased on the wholesale market and then beefed up to make a sale. The way that little dealership handles the situation (assuming the engine is in a state of disrepair) will tell you a lot about the dealership and perhaps a costly lesson as well.

02SE6MT

thanks for the reply and info i really appreciate it, ima take it to the place i bought it and tell them to fix it this really is bull, i got the car with 3 different SIZE tires on it, 200 bucks to fix that (2 new tires) 100 for the MAF that went out a radiator cap that was faulty. its really nickel and diming me and the bad thing is i got the car so i could have reliable transport to work and a week after getting the car still looking for a job it starts this...

oh, and i carfaxed it and nothing too bad, it did have frame damage in the front when the original purchaser (female- not hating, just sometimes we have different driving habits) had an accident (supposedly when they replaced the engine) and there was not a salvage or rebuilt title issued for it. just the accident.

Fang_DH

iTrader: (5)

I really appreciate it! Read through them all, looks like o2 sim is going to be my first move. It is a 0430, but the smell is rotten eggs, and its bad. It seems to come and go, and is mostly noticable when I turn on the heat, and when I'm sitting at a stoplight. Granted this could be a completely different problem, but I'm gonna guess it has to do with it since the code was thrown shortly after the smell started popping its ugly head. Unfortunatly I don't have any history of the codes the car has gotten, I just bought it recently. The only history that seemed relevant is that one of the o2 sensors was replaced to pass emisions. Not sure which one was replaced, haven't had any time to prop the car up and look. Anyways any more advice on this would be great, and thanks so much for the help.

aksansai

iTrader: (2)

Be aware - check your contract (the bill of sale and all the documentation with the car). You may not have a leg to stand on it. Sometimes it's not wise to go guns a blazing. If he tells you out of the gate to pound sand, that's when I'd escalate the frustration.

I certainly hope you got one helluva deal. If the dealership is not willing to at least get the car in a presentable condition (a 5 year old car, no less) that's had a history of having its frame stretched... I'd steer clear from it. Lessons learned.

I hope you get at least a small bit of reprieve on this though. Don't give up on your Max - the car is not what is at fault.

aksansai

iTrader: (2)

Rotten eggs from the tailpipe is sulfur that's making its way through your exhaust. It's a component of gasoline and if not completely burned will definitely contribute to catalytic converter poisoning. In other words, based on this information, I'd say that your fuel system is running very rich (excess fuel due to bad O2 sensor readings, and/or bad MAF readings, and/or poor combustion due to spark plugs or ignition coils).

It's very helpful to have all the facts when it comes to helping pinpoint your problem. Assuming the code just popped up recently (and not thousands and thousands of miles ago), your cat may be okay but, again, not capable of purging all the byproducts of gasoline combustion because of another problem. Driving for long periods of time with a ignition problem will cause your catalytic converter to fail, no doubt.

O2 simulator would just tell the computer that there is no problem. If you are in an emissions-enforced state, then this would simply hide the problem from the computer, but not the tailpipe. Now, I'm questioning if that's the route you want to go because no one here wants to run rich on premium unleaded - it's a huge waste of money.

Your checklist:

1) Check your primary O2 sensors using an OBD-II scanner to see if things measure up voltage wise and the trims. You can find the necessary specs in the FSM. You can also physically inspect the O2 sensors (by removing them and looking at the tips) and see if you find resident soot or excessive corrosion. If the openings are clogged, that will vastly degrade its ability to adjust the fuel/air mixture ratio, usually causing them to think that the system is running on the lean side, thus enriching the fuel mixture to counter it.
2) Inspect the spark plugs for gap, oil/fuel fouling, and wear. Clean/regap or replace as necessary.
3) I honestly don't know how you can inspect the ignition coils on the VQ. On a distributor system, I'd remove the spark plug and ground it - checking for how good the fire looks. Have these been replaced recently? How many miles are on your coils (if you don't know, assume they are from the factory as original).
4) Run a compression test. Use the FSM (or a Haynes manual) for the specs to ensure you have good and even compression across all six cylinders. Low compression == less fire/combustion, thus allowing more unburnt fuel to go into the exhaust system.
5) Check your EGR valve to ensure it is not stuck closed. The EGR allows your car to send some of the exhaust back as heated intake charge for a second burn cycle. This aids the combustion of byproducts.
6) Is your MAF operating normally? OBD-II scanner to see how many gm/s the ECU sees as a result of the MAF. If it is off, you need to replace it (a key component to the fuel/air mixture ratio).

Not too concerned with the historical codes. The P0430 is the one the ECU sees as a problem now, and all the other things, as far as it is concerned, are in check.

Check the connectors on the front-side of the engine (three in a row) to see if you can obviously tell a difference in age (newer, shinier plastic, for example). That's for a VQ30DE-K (I'm uncertain if the VQ35DE setup is similar). Check your FSM (available for download) or buy a Haynes manual (it sucks because it targets the 4th gen Maxima, but it can be helpful in a pinch.)

Reket

iTrader: (1)

How would you know if you have a bad coil pack? check engine light or some sort of oil on it or grey dot anything?

DasYears

unplug the coils one by one, if the engine runs equally as bad with it connected that it did before then the coil is bad. if the engine runs worse, the coil is good

02SE6MT

checked my contract and im pretty sure im gonna have to work a deal with him. he was a pretty nice guy and did tell me if i had problems with it he would get me a good deal. he had a few people looking at an 02 maj blue 6 spd with leather for a listed price of 10900 ( i ended up walkin out the door payin 10800). in texas altogether i think there were 3 at the time and i checked 500 miles the other day and there were only 2 for sale on autotrader and they were both 300+ miles away, this blue max was 6 miles away, and as soon as i made up my mind that a 02 max 6spd or an altima with a 5spd i looked at the one closest to me and ended up leaving with it a couple days later.. i love the car ran awesome for about a month. still love it although its giving me a little trouble, and i dont doubt nissan, and personally i feel the max is the perfect blend of what i want in a car (having both the 4 and 6 cyl 95 camry's) love the stick and the engine is sweet, id actually throw a whole new motor in it before i got rid of it.... mmm, like new
<<clickables

nebojsa_o

iTrader: (1)

I'm not sure if anyone remembers, but a couple of pages back, I posted about a wierd sound, and excesive wheel play in the front passenger side. I thought it was the bearing, so I started taking it apart. I took the wheel off, and got a 32mm socket for the axle nut, and as soon as I put it on there, I noticed it was loose! What would cause that to become loose? I tightened it up to specs, and the wheel play was gone right away. I took it for a drive around the crescent, and the noise was gone. Am I in the clear? What would cause the axle nut to come loose?? Maybe someone worked on it, and never tightened it up right?? Any input would be appretiated.

Scottwax

iTrader: (8)

Thin fishing line. You don't need 500 lb test or anything like that.

kwikrs

Hi, I have been lurking for awhile, but this is my first question. Has anyone replaced their inner tie rods, and how big a pita is it? I have a 2000 SE. I have searched and can't find anything

Tee00Max

iTrader: (18)

yes i wanted to kno was there anything that u can get to restore the weather strip around the wind deflector???? anything i can get at autozone or anywhere

02SE6MT

ok so i talked with dave b and we came to the conclusion that it could have been the precats failed and sucked the metal back into the engine, apparently this is a common problem with 02 and 03's, and unfortunately "ruins the engine". having heard this im asking if anyone has had this happen and what the symptoms for them were. i got an appointment with my mechanic wednesday but i would like to have a little more knowledge on my behalf before i give it to the mechanic bc after that its in his hands. if anyone can help with or without the experience having happened to them id appreciate it.

also theres a 350z performance shop in houston that said they could rebuild my engine with their current stage 1 kit for around 4400 dollars. they usually do turbo s/c setups but he said he would change the pistons to a higher compression for my n/a engine. My question is: should i put stock internals back in it, get a new engine or have them rebuild it. do you think my block will even be salvageable after metal gets sucked into it? (assuming it was the precats and such). does this look worth it: http://www.importpartspro.com/st1vqloblni3.html ?

02SE6MT

ok guys apparently i got a short in my CEL circuit. pulled the codes on my car and:
*P0650- MIL circuit fault
*P0011- IVT Cirtcuit failure bank 1
*P0430- Catylyst efficiency low - bank 2
*P0138- bank 1 sensor 2 o2 sensor


which one of these do you think is causing that problem?why are the problems on two different sides of the engine? i know about the tsb with the cam phase sensors going out but is it that or an o2 sensor? or my cat fried and my engine sucked metal up? thanks for your help all i hope in time i can return the favor

ICEMAN76

iTrader: (2)

Sorry don't have pics. Talked to Nissan 2day they told me that they couldn't just order the connector. And that they can only order the whole engine harness. Is there somewhere else that I can order the female connector for the MAF??

NmexMAX

iTrader: (22)

If you showed pics, I could probably help you more.

I've had similar problems where I needed a certain connector combo (male/female) Ended up buying an entire harness off of www.car-part.com for ~75$. I then cut and used what I needed, spliced it in, and it works like a charm now. But, having to buy an entire harness for one connector = . Although I DO have it for future use, just seems excessive having to buy the entire unit.

ICEMAN76

iTrader: (2)

I will try to get a pic or pics 2moro. I'm trying to get this done b4 the weekend so that I can get plates 4 my whip. Her plates are almost extinct. Thanx 4 da help.

aksansai

iTrader: (2)

OMG... if it were legal to do so, I'd drive that Maxima straight into the building/office of that mom and pop dealership you bought the car from.

Scottwax

iTrader: (8)

Same here. I have never figured out why some of them so willingly dump crap cars on their customers. I had a friend who owned a "buy here pay here" lot and his philosophy was that people don't make payments on cars that break down all the time. He had a full time mechanic on staff that went through each car before they went on the lot.

SoonerFan

iTrader: (5)

the person who bought the car is more responsible...you should never buy a car that you havent checked out.

my oil consumption problem didnt start until almost 2 years after i bought it. that isnt the dealerships fault...thats nissans fault. i ordered new pistons since it has to be opened up to replace the rings that are causing the problem. im talked to daveb many times about this and i still disagree with the precat thing. there are people who got headers early on and still developed oil consumption. its just bad rings on some engines.

02SE6MT

, i had autozone clear all the codes and the engine started up and remained in the safe mode where its basically running real rich and slow, but im gonna take it to the shop hoping that whantever code is in it now is whats wrong

DasYears

the precats might still go bad, but its not likely the cause of the oil consumption. i know that my precats are falling apart as we speak...

bigjoe87865

iTrader: (1)

Knocking during Idle...

My car seems to run fine... no smoke... but when im stopped at intersections... and idleing with normal temperature... i can feel knocking comming from the engine.... i know its really hard to explain sounds..... but it wasnt a ticking... or clicking... but a knock.. that i can feel... and slightly hear... its not severe or anything.. just a little nudge


when reving... i dont feel/hear it...

iv been using premium gas since i bought it..... but iv only had it for 3k miles... car is 123k old.... dont know what the previous owner did

or could it be a motormount thing?

knock sensor?...

02SE6MT

ok so i pulled the code that was in there after i cleared all the other ones and drove it a lil and its p0138 an o2 sensor. thats it, do you think this single 02 sensor could be causing my car to run crappy, it just seams to run outta steam after 3.5k rpm. and the intake sounds real throaty, ive heard about the engines going into "limp mode" and losing power. so my quiestion is do you think an o2 sensor will put the car in limp mode. the other wierd thing is there was only that code, and the CEL isnt lit, because i know i have a P0650 which is a CEL circuit failure... should i just throw a new freakin sensor in it and hope it runs? this is what IMO i think the engine is doing VVVV


but wouldnt this CAUSE the o2 sensor to go out? or will the o2 sensor put the engine into this mode. the manual does say that the A/F ratio is stoichiometrically controlled by oxygen sensor 2.

fuctkeen

what brand for spark plug wires do you guys recommend? Bosch?

NmexMAX

iTrader: (22)

NGK for the brand, and we do not have plug wires.

NmexMAX

iTrader: (22)

O2 sensor will NOT enter the ECU into limp mode or fail safe mode.

02SE6MT

thank you, i was assuming the same having previous cars run fine with the o2 sensor out. so i got 2 codes right now BOTH p0138, and the car is reeaal sluggish..alright guys well i really appreciate your help and hopefully ill get my car back soon

NmexMAX

iTrader: (22)

I think it's time for you to get out of your shell, and post a brand new THREAD about it. While creating this thread, provide all applicable information (i.e. what the problems are, what you've done to date etc)

It will make it a helluva lot easier to help you instead of posting in 5 different threads when honestly you should consolidate your problem.

It seems as if it is an extensive problem, so, it's good idea.

96SE NUH?

Jesus lord...when'd you turn white menoui? How'd this happen?

NmexMAX

iTrader: (22)

I'm still a when I need to be

Example:
http://forums.maxima.org/showpost.ph...2&postcount=23

96SE NUH?

Got worried that you lost your roots!

User 12822

iTrader: (1)

I just accidentally spun out 450 degrees in my car. I'm fine, the car is fine, I didn't hit anything. Question is though, why when I finally stopped was the engine off?

02SE6MT

because at right around the 1st 180 the cars wheels want to go in reverse?