I going to write exactly what is wrong with my car before I get started so it may be a bit lengthy. I trying to get it back and running before my spring break is up.

I have an 02 maxima with 150k+ miles on it; I brought it from a foreign car dealership about 4 months ago and the engine went from a low end knock. So I brought another engine which was an 02; so I wont have to worry about switching the knock sensor and upper oil pan, with 60k+ miles on it. In the process of preparing to drop the new motor in I swap the fly wheel from an auto to manual; and put on the clutch and pressure plate on from my old engine, the clutch was lined up perfectly also. Further, before I dropped the new motor in I sanded down both the engine block and trans to ensure contact for the grounding.

Once I got the engine and trans in; I connected my knock sensor off my old engine onto the new one (all sensors worked prior to me taking my old engine out), I reconnected my wiring harness and reconnected my four grounds which I know of which are the alternator, the injectors (which were two with 3 wires coming out of one ground and 4 coming out the other), and my trans grounds. I then reconnected my battery and everything. I filled up the engine with 5W30 full synthetic oil with Lucas oil stabilizer, coolant, brake fluid, clutch fluid (along with bleeding the line), and hand cranked the engine.

All my lights and everything seems to operate as usual, so I went to start it, there was just a clicking noise, so I figured that the battery didnt have enough current to start; so I connected some jumper cables and tried it again, I got the same clicking noise. I thought it was my starter that had finally burnt out, I brought a new starter and still got the same results. So I did a bypass of the ground connecting the positive of the jumper cables to the batter and the ground of the cables to the intake manifold, I went to start it and began to crank.

So I took of my four ground and sanded down everything just incase any grease was there and reconnected everything in its exact position, and tried it again. However, this time I got smoke coming up and it was the trans ground plastic clip that had melted. From there I dont know what else it could be or what could have caused it if everything was there before when I first tried to start it.

 

I would upload a video and Pic of the wire but I can't figure out how to on here

 

It could be a million things. You might should add a ground to the frame. All this grounding around different parts of the engine bay seems ridiculous to me every time I hear it. The best ground is to the frame. It sounds like, from the melting, a lot of current was going through it. Possibly more than is should have going through it. I would recheck all the grounds and insure the cables themselves are still good as well. Grounding is very important on the 30 and 35 engines for starting. THe clicking could be a bad starter solenoid. DId you buy a refurb? Because those are terrible. ALos check and clean your battery connectors and ensure it has a very tight fit. If its loose at all, it can drain the battery

 

The starter is brand new. But ima check the cables when I get home. But I might just try and reroute all the ground to the frame.

 

I agree. The melting of that wire makes me think that is the onl ground its getting and it isnt sufficient. Deff check the big tranny to chassis ground that also comes up to the battery. Recheck your terminals. Another thing if you have another set of jumper cables around give them a shot. There is actually a huge difference from shotty jumper cables to quality ones. Good luck.

 

can you turn the new motor manually? Maybe it is locked up.