Nissan Maxima 2000 starting issue Catalytic converter, Cylinder misfire no. 3
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Hello,
I have Nissan Maxima 2000 with 128k miles on it. It is having an starting issue. Battery, Starter, Spark plugs, crack sensor, fule pressure are fine.
It has 2 service soon codes on it.
1. Catalytic converter.
2. Cylinder misfire no. 3
I showed it to Nissan dealership and other private repair shops but they coudnt find what exactly the problem is.
It takes 4-5 times to start sometimes much longer than that and sometimes starts in first try.
Please help me.
Thanks.
I have Nissan Maxima 2000 with 128k miles on it. It is having an starting issue. Battery, Starter, Spark plugs, crack sensor, fule pressure are fine.
It has 2 service soon codes on it.
1. Catalytic converter.
2. Cylinder misfire no. 3
I showed it to Nissan dealership and other private repair shops but they coudnt find what exactly the problem is.
It takes 4-5 times to start sometimes much longer than that and sometimes starts in first try.
Please help me.
Thanks.
Fix your CEL's first and then you can troubleshoot the hard to start issue. Also, do some research on the hard to start issue as there has been a lot of information posted about it already.
Senior Member
First of all avoid nissan stealership. Hook up your vehicle to OBD Scan tool, go to
autozone they do it for free.
Starting Issue : check or replace sparkplugs
VQ3ODE engine :sparkplug can be replaced without the removal of intake manifold.
: Clean or replaced camshaft position sensor
: Clean MAF Sensor
autozone they do it for free.
Starting Issue : check or replace sparkplugs
VQ3ODE engine :sparkplug can be replaced without the removal of intake manifold.
: Clean or replaced camshaft position sensor
: Clean MAF Sensor
I took my Car to Nissan dealership and other mechanical shops. They couldn't find out why cylinder3 is misfiring, they said ignition coils are good.
Nissan Dealership Mechanic said it is loosing grounds (I don't know what does it mean) for starting issue.
But couldn't say anything for the cylinder problem.
So I don't know what to do, what exactly wrong is with my car. Please help. ....
Nissan Dealership Mechanic said it is loosing grounds (I don't know what does it mean) for starting issue.
But couldn't say anything for the cylinder problem.
So I don't know what to do, what exactly wrong is with my car. Please help. ....
Quote:
autozone they do it for free.
Starting Issue : check or replace sparkplugs
VQ3ODE engine :sparkplug can be replaced without the removal of intake manifold.
: Clean or replaced camshaft position sensor
: Clean MAF Sensor
I changed the spark plugs, crank censor, Starter. Originally Posted by colt149
First of all avoid nissan stealership. Hook up your vehicle to OBD Scan tool, go to autozone they do it for free.
Starting Issue : check or replace sparkplugs
VQ3ODE engine :sparkplug can be replaced without the removal of intake manifold.
: Clean or replaced camshaft position sensor
: Clean MAF Sensor
But nothing worked.
1 month ago when I changed my Starter, I also changed upper intake gasket. After putting that Car was starting great. But after a little bit Starting problem came back.
Quote:
autozone they do it for free.
Starting Issue : check or replace sparkplugs
VQ3ODE engine :sparkplug can be replaced without the removal of intake manifold.
: Clean or replaced camshaft position sensor
: Clean MAF Sensor
When it is takes 5-6 sometimes more time to start. That time I can smell the bad gas.Originally Posted by colt149
First of all avoid nissan stealership. Hook up your vehicle to OBD Scan tool, go to autozone they do it for free.
Starting Issue : check or replace sparkplugs
VQ3ODE engine :sparkplug can be replaced without the removal of intake manifold.
: Clean or replaced camshaft position sensor
: Clean MAF Sensor
Other than that I never smell the bad gas.
I don't know what exactly wrong with my car.
Please help
Senior Member
I had a hard to diagnose problem a few months ago that sounds similar to the issues you describe. The dealer couldn't figure out the issue so they just declared the entire engine to be bad. Here's what the issue turned out to be for my 99 Maxima with a VQ30DE.
1) While all injectors tested good with an Ohm meter, I had two fuel injectors with broken pintle caps. The pintle caps become brittle over time and apparently break off. Without the pintle caps the injectors were dumping way too much fuel into the combustion chamber (in my case) for cylinders 2 and 5. This turned out to be the cause of problem #2.
2) Too much un-burned fuel caused the catalytic converters (both banks in my case) to become cooked/clogged -- thus obstructing exhaust flow from the engine. Have you ever tried to start a car with a potato plugged in the exhaust pipe? That is an old prank that renders a car inoperable. Clogged up cats keep an engine from breathing properly.
3) The sometimes hard to start issue was traced back to an EGR valve that would not close -- thus causing the symptoms of an intake manifold vacuum leak. Finally I started looking at the EGR valve after I received a check engine code one morning pointing to a malfunction.
Steps Taken To Resolve The Issues
1) I refurbished my injectors with new o-rings, pintle caps, and screens.
2) Installed a new y-pipe and high flow cat. The y-pipe deleted the two upstream cats. Note: This is a non-Cali federal model in a state that does not perform emission checks -- the applicability will vary by state and region.
3) Installed a new BDW Intermotor EGR valve.
1) While all injectors tested good with an Ohm meter, I had two fuel injectors with broken pintle caps. The pintle caps become brittle over time and apparently break off. Without the pintle caps the injectors were dumping way too much fuel into the combustion chamber (in my case) for cylinders 2 and 5. This turned out to be the cause of problem #2.
2) Too much un-burned fuel caused the catalytic converters (both banks in my case) to become cooked/clogged -- thus obstructing exhaust flow from the engine. Have you ever tried to start a car with a potato plugged in the exhaust pipe? That is an old prank that renders a car inoperable. Clogged up cats keep an engine from breathing properly.
3) The sometimes hard to start issue was traced back to an EGR valve that would not close -- thus causing the symptoms of an intake manifold vacuum leak. Finally I started looking at the EGR valve after I received a check engine code one morning pointing to a malfunction.
Steps Taken To Resolve The Issues
1) I refurbished my injectors with new o-rings, pintle caps, and screens.
2) Installed a new y-pipe and high flow cat. The y-pipe deleted the two upstream cats. Note: This is a non-Cali federal model in a state that does not perform emission checks -- the applicability will vary by state and region.
3) Installed a new BDW Intermotor EGR valve.
Senior Member
I am hoping that you replaced the camshaft sensor with OEM Genuine Nissan Parts or OEM aftermarket parts at rockauto. Aftermarket sensors at autozone or pepboys will erase the code but the problem persist.
Install this
http://forums.maxima.org/5th-generat...other-how.html
Install this
http://forums.maxima.org/5th-generat...other-how.html
Thanks for your reply.
But with all due respect Sir, would you mind elaborating that what exactly I need to change, I am very new to the automobile language.
But with all due respect Sir, would you mind elaborating that what exactly I need to change, I am very new to the automobile language.
Quote:
1) While all injectors tested good with an Ohm meter, I had two fuel injectors with broken pintle caps. The pintle caps become brittle over time and apparently break off. Without the pintle caps the injectors were dumping way too much fuel into the combustion chamber (in my case) for cylinders 2 and 5. This turned out to be the cause of problem #2.
2) Too much un-burned fuel caused the catalytic converters (both banks in my case) to become cooked/clogged -- thus obstructing exhaust flow from the engine. Have you ever tried to start a car with a potato plugged in the exhaust pipe? That is an old prank that renders a car inoperable. Clogged up cats keep an engine from breathing properly.
3) The sometimes hard to start issue was traced back to an EGR valve that would not close -- thus causing the symptoms of an intake manifold vacuum leak. Finally I started looking at the EGR valve after I received a check engine code one morning pointing to a malfunction.
Steps Taken To Resolve The Issues
1) I refurbished my injectors with new o-rings, pintle caps, and screens.
2) Installed a new y-pipe and high flow cat. The y-pipe deleted the two upstream cats. Note: This is a non-Cali federal model in a state that does not perform emission checks -- the applicability will vary by state and region.
3) Installed a new BDW Intermotor EGR valve.
Originally Posted by CS_AR
I had a hard to diagnose problem a few months ago that sounds similar to the issues you describe. The dealer couldn't figure out the issue so they just declared the entire engine to be bad. Here's what the issue turned out to be for my 99 Maxima with a VQ30DE. 1) While all injectors tested good with an Ohm meter, I had two fuel injectors with broken pintle caps. The pintle caps become brittle over time and apparently break off. Without the pintle caps the injectors were dumping way too much fuel into the combustion chamber (in my case) for cylinders 2 and 5. This turned out to be the cause of problem #2.
2) Too much un-burned fuel caused the catalytic converters (both banks in my case) to become cooked/clogged -- thus obstructing exhaust flow from the engine. Have you ever tried to start a car with a potato plugged in the exhaust pipe? That is an old prank that renders a car inoperable. Clogged up cats keep an engine from breathing properly.
3) The sometimes hard to start issue was traced back to an EGR valve that would not close -- thus causing the symptoms of an intake manifold vacuum leak. Finally I started looking at the EGR valve after I received a check engine code one morning pointing to a malfunction.
Steps Taken To Resolve The Issues
1) I refurbished my injectors with new o-rings, pintle caps, and screens.
2) Installed a new y-pipe and high flow cat. The y-pipe deleted the two upstream cats. Note: This is a non-Cali federal model in a state that does not perform emission checks -- the applicability will vary by state and region.
3) Installed a new BDW Intermotor EGR valve.
Thank you for your reply.
Camshaft sensor and cranck sensor are both different, right?
Camshaft sensor and cranck sensor are both different, right?
Quote:
Install this
http://forums.maxima.org/5th-generat...other-how.html
Originally Posted by colt149
I am hoping that you replaced the camshaft sensor with OEM Genuine Nissan Parts or OEM aftermarket parts at rockauto. Aftermarket sensors at autozone or pepboys will erase the code but the problem persist. Install this
http://forums.maxima.org/5th-generat...other-how.html
Senior Member
Read this
http://boredmder.com/FSMs/Nissan/Maxima/2000/EC.pdf
Camshaft position sensor: page 405
Crankshaft Position Sensor page 397
http://boredmder.com/FSMs/Nissan/Maxima/2000/EC.pdf
Camshaft position sensor: page 405
Crankshaft Position Sensor page 397