Car cranks a lot before starting
 

I have a 2000 nissan maxima, every time I go to to strt it it cranks like crazy before it starts, I've replaced the starter with a new starter, put in a new battery, added a ground wire from negative terminal to bolt on transmission, I've also cleaned out throttle body. The only thing I could think of was that when I got the cr it already had an intake and the intake temperature sensor was just hanging next to the battery, but error codes, idk what to do with it either no place to put it, would this be causing my problem and if it is how can I fix it?, if not what is?

Your "intake temperature sensor"???? You mean the Mass air flow sensor??? Yes that will definitely make you car not start and run like crap.


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Did you check for codes? THe IAT wouldnt much matter. Most with aftermarket intake just leave it hanging

Yes, IAT. It plugs into intakes on 95-01. 02-13 are in the MAF.



Also, not necessarily about the MAF. My car drove me fine to work a few days before I replaced the MAF. It's very intermittent, but it could start up fine and take you about 55 MPH, depending on tranny type. But I digress.

The maf sensor seems to be fine car runs great, the only problem is all of the cranking before it starts. I forgot to add no codes as well. That's why I don't know what else to do crank and camshaft sensor were replaced as well when those codes came up but it still gave me the same problem.

I forgot to add that a lot of the times if I leave the key in the on position it makes a noise and it starts up better/faster, I'm ok with that but sometimes I forget and my mom tries to do it all at once as well, just thought this would be important information

the noise is probably the fuel pump priming.

That's what I thought but it's coming from engine bay

My 2000 also has this problem... even my 97 had a starting problem just as you described. It cranks and hesitates but once its going no troubles whatsoever. Ive researched the org a thousand times and no one seems to have a definite answer.

I had the same problem. Replaced my started, replaced my battery and still had the issue. The only thing that solved it, for me, was adding a ground directly from the negative battery terminal to the transmission housing. After that, boom..no problems since.

It's been going on for the past 2 years, and after searching I did the grounded wire to the transmission and still nothing, I've ran out of ideas, no trouble codes to help either. Is there anything in the engine bay that gets primes or turned on when keys in the on position?, when I leave the key in there for about 3 seconds then start it, it seems to help a lot.

How many miles? and have you thought of swapping out the fuel filter and o-ring?

It has 190,000 miles, and I was gunna do a full tune-up and change fuel filter when it gets warmer out, which o-ring? And I was talking to a buddy and he said injectors might be clogged, but that seems unlikely I always use gum out when I fill up

The o-ring that seals the fuel filter to the tank.

http://forums.maxima.org/5th-generat...up-thread.html

http://www.shiftice.com/fuel_filter.html

Not like any filter I've done before, how much should the filter and o-ring cost me?, do you think it would really fix the problem, like I said before something happens in engine bay when key is in the on position then it starts up way better.

So I found the filter for $23, but no luck on o ring keep finding o ring for injectors.

Get the filter and o ring from Nissan. Someone one here recently used an aftermarket filter and the car ran worse until they reinstalled the used OEM one.

I think this is the o-ring - 17342-01A00 - $10
I think this is the filter - 16400-2Y922 - $19

https://www.nissanpartsasap.com/nissanparts/index.cfm?bodyColor=&trimColor=&BODY=S&ENGINE=VQ30 DE&EMISSION=CAL&TRIMLVL=GLE&TRANS=AT&action=replac ement&groupid=B§ionid=172&partcode=16400Z&jointveh id=10283&makeid=25&siteid=216643&illust_seq=01&par tnumber=Part+Number&description=Keyword

So, what kind of intake do you have? If it's stock, put the IAT where it's supposed to go. If not, zip tie it near the intake.

Can you describe the noise you hear under the hood? Is it a semi vibrating buzzing sound? Any idea where it's coming from?

It's a short ram goes behind battery, idk if iac reaches back there and do j put in front of filter? It's like a whirling noise that goes on for a few seconds

Some GEN 4's had issues with the fuel pressure regulator causing starting problems. Maybe it is a possibility here?

I was thinking about that actually, but I wouldn't know which one it looks like it has 2, would it be throwing out a code as we'll? Or was there a specific one causing the issue?

I don't know 5th gens but 4th gen only had one and no it would not throw a code. I would expect 5th gen to be similar.

To those all still having problems:

When it finally starts, does it stumble a bit? (If you're old enough, you may remember the feel/sound of a carburated engine starting after being flooded) If it does, that's a good hint. Another sign that I had was a fuel line that would pulse, especially when the engine was cold. bap-bap-bap-bap! I'm not 100% sure why it would do this, but I'm guessing that since the dampener was not functioning, it would cause the fuel line to pulse against the firewall in time with the fuel pumping action.

NoPike is on the right track.
Something to check would be the fuel dampener and the fuel pressure regulator. You'll have to dig a bit to get at them, but since you've already removed the battery and the starter, you already know how to get at them.

I had the same problems you all speak of and it drove me absolutely nuts. Replaced these two parts for about $120ish and it's been flawless ever since.

does it matter if its on a cold start or warm start?

if it takes long to start no matter how long the car last ran, then I would suspect the crank sensor to be faulty. And yes, car will start without crank sensor, but it would take many revolutions of the cams to start the engine.

If the car was just started it's not to bad,and I replaced crank and can sensor last year due to some codes, and how do I know if damper is bad or if regulator is bad, sry but the budget is down for now after starter and battery.

Somewhere in this forum is a thread called something like "What is this thing under the hood." Do a search for the dampener and regulator so you can find them. Once you do, pull the rubber hose off the end of each one (near the little round donut.) It's a vacuum line so it should be filled with air. If fuel comes out, then you know the diaphragm is busted. They both can be tested that way.

Basically, the vacuum is created by the intake manifold. If the diaphragm in either unit is torn, fuel passes through the vacuum line and into the intake manifold and floods the engine, making it harder to start. (Again, think back to the carburated car trying to start when the driver pumps the gas too much. Cough cough sputter.

How do I know which line is the vacuum line on both of them?

I might be able to do both if, I can use that adjustable one on eBay that I saw some posts about when searching the forum, any opinions on the adjustable one? And does it fit, because in the title it doesn't say maxima.

The vacuum line is the thinner one coming off of the little round biscuit.
Here are some other bits of info that may help.

http://forums.maxima.org/5th-generat...ick-query.html

This is one of the 2 pressure regulator/dampeners -- one on each end of the fuel rail.
http://forums.maxima.org/7728790-post19.html

Personally I wouldn't mess with the ebay adjustable one... particularly if it isn't designed for your car. Stick with the OEM or OEM-style at least.

Just make sure you pull both vacuum lines to test. I almost fell into that trap -- pulled one, saw fuel and said "ah, there's the problem" and then later checked the other and sure enough, it was broken too. Could have been mighty frustrating.

It cranks because there is not enough fuel for it to start right away. Three things will cause this and that is either fuel pressure regulator, fuel pump not holding pressure, or bad fuel injectors leaking out pressure. Best and cheapest way to go is fuel pressure regulator because I also had this problem on my maxima and it was the fuel pressure regulator not holding any pressure.

Replace both crank sensors :| And not ****ty autozone ones. Go to at least napa or find some used good ones.

Do this before wasting ur money and test your fuel pressure with a gauge. That will tell you if you have fuel pressure.

who told you to replace starter and battery?

Where did you attach fuel gauge?

You attach the gauge to the fuel filter line on the top and start the car to see what the pressure is and the pressure should be at 36 psi and with it off it should be 43psi.

Read all of the posts..he already changed his crank sensors.

I did. Had them tested and both needed replacement.

Im going to go with a fuel issue. It is cranking fine so it seems likely. Old injectors are always a possibility but I would change out the fuel filter first. It is basic maintenance and it is cheap for those whiners who say "dont throw parts at it". Some have taken theirs out and it is so clogged they can barely blow air through it. A lack of fuel/fuel pressure will definitely give you difficulty starting the car

After doing research I think I'm gunna start at the regulator, it seems the hard starting and the regulator go hand in hand, then dampers, I will most likely do filter in summer when I do the full tune up and weather is nicer.

A lot of people have changed crank/cam sensors with no results on maximas/altimas b/c they were junk to start with (I confirmed this myself with an altima). This is the very 1st thing to test. Go to a junkyard and grab all of them and swap em out. It's a cheap and effective test.
While you're there, grab an FPR and rail.

Where is regulator?

It's this round thing under throttle body

When I got all my sensors they were brand new and I had error codes that went away after changing them, but there is a difference when you change them, even addin that ground wire helped, but symptom is still there