Hey guys I need some help here with this car..I have a 2001 maxima SE 25th ann edition thats been driving me up a wall...

I had the car sitting for a while and got it back on the road about a year ago..The car was running but not so great...
Not long after I got the car on the road the outter ring of the crank pulley that drives the serpentine belt fell right off the car!
I bought a new pulley and installed it...The car was running decent afterwards till one day it didnt start at all...

I had it towed to the mechanic and he told me the pulley I installed started working its way off the car..How in the world it did that is beyond me because I tightened the hell out of it..Anyway, He said it did some damage to the threads, bolt, and pulley so he put a new pulley on and managed to repair it.

He also "supposedly" installed a new camshaft sensor, crank sensor, and fuel pump..He was probably doing process of elimination..Anyway, When I got the car back it ran worse then it ever did..It didnt keep running when it first started unless I reved it up a bit to warm it up slightly and it was missing all over the place..

He told me to drive it for a bit to see if it cleared up.. I didnt..So I figured I would go ahead and replace all the plugs and coil packs..I put bosche platinum G force plugs in gapped at I think it was .043..

The car ran with a bit mnore power but I still had hesitation and the car sucks down gas like its going out of style! I filled the tank and got 150 miles to empty!

I am getting codes p1335 and p1336..So I figured maybe there was something wrong with the crank sensor he put in or maybe he didnt change it at all so I went to advance auto and bought both crank sensors..
I installed the one by the crank pulley with no change on how the car ran so I pulled it out and put the original back figuring thats not the problem.

I went and installed the second crank sensor by the pan and the car didnt run any different so I pulled that one and put the original back...You may ask why I am putting the old ones back, Its because I am just tired of spending money on parts this car does not need and plan on bringing them back to the store..

Anyway, Whats strange to me is that the car starts right up but I have to keep my foot on the gas for a few seconds for it to keep running..When I first start to drive it it feels like its missing all over the place but when it warms up its atleast 50-75% better with less missing..I also notice that sometimes when I start this car I have the Traction control, slip, and ABS lights on along with the SES light which is always on..When the other lights are on the car runs like complete crap! When they are off not so bad..

They do not come on and off while I am driving the car...If they are on when I start it, They stay on till I turn it off..If they are not on when I start it, they do not come on while driving it....I dont know what they were thinking when they made this car! Must have been some heavy drugs! You literally have to be a rocket scientist to figure out whats causing what light to come on!

I even went as far as wasting $135 bringing this car to the dealer who cant seem to figure this car out either...They told me that they think it may be the coil packs which is a $1200 job for $750 coils that I can install in 20 minutes!

If thats not the problem then they will move on to changing the crank sensor for $500, and if thats not the problem they will change the ECM for $1200! I totally wasted my time and money bring my car there for them to tell me they have to do process of elimination to figure out the problem as I would do myself...With those parts and other misc things they found they told me the total to repair everything would be $9000! A laughed so hard that I laughed myself right out the door!

They should really be ashamed of themselves for ripping people like that...Anyway, Hopefully one of you maxima experts can help me threw this..I really would apprciate any good advice

I have to get this car inspected in a few weeks and there is no way its going to pass!

Sorry for the long shpeal! Just wanted you guys to understand everything that was done to the car and what the car is doing so you have a good idea..

 

The codes indicate that there is a problem with the Crankshaft Position Sensors, both REF and POS. Since you already replaced both sensors, and since it made no difference, I would focus on possible wiring and connector problems. This could be a broken connector, or an intermittent wire/harness fault, or something like that. Using the FSM, check connectivity and resistance of the harness and connectors; wiggle the harness to detect any intermittent problems.

 

This!/\/\/\


I would definitely ask if they were replaced with oem sensors as well.... since that's what came on the car quite a few moons ago....

 

Thanks for the reply...I have no idea what REF POS or FSM is! lol..Can you please explain..Im an electrician by trade so Im good with circuitry and if its a bad connection I would be able to take care of it..The thing that gets me is that the car never had this problem before it went to the mechanic for the problem with the crankshaft pulley...Do you think it could have screwed something up inside? Also why would it run better when its warmed up?

 

The fsm(factoryservicemanual)can be found on some of these guys signatures, the ref(reference)pos(position) relates to the sensors your mechanic changed...the fsm will help you familiarize with their location....make sure he changed them with Hitachi or Mitsubishi brand....

 

The CPS (Crank Position Sensor(s)) tells the ECU about the speed and position of the crankshaft. This information is essential; it has direct impact on many events, incl. the firing of spark plugs, fuel injector timing and amount, etc. There are two sensor, REFerence and POSition, more in the FSM.

Re. the crankshaft pulley repair: Is it possible your mechanic touched/changed/damaged a wire/connector or other ?

Re. running better when warmed up: Not sure - could be a margin error, where things just get better when warm, worse when cold.

Re. FSM: Get your copy from here: http://boredmder.com/FSMs/Nissan/Maxima/ ; for P1335, see section EC-517 (that's for 2000 Max)

 

One more thing. Get yourself an inexpensive ODBC code reader, such as http://www.amazon.com/Actron-CP9125-...db+code+reader so that you can read your codes without going to the dealer.

 

I have a actron OBDII CP9175 scanner that I read the codes with..The only 2 codes Im getting are the P1335 and P1336 which defined by enginecodes.com appear to be the same code both crankshaft sensor codes or faulty wiring, igniotion, etc...

 

Im thinking there has to be some lose connection or something because some days it runs pretty well and others its a nightmare...What gets me though is the fact that when it warms up it runs better... A bad connection I wouldnt think would be affected by the temperature change?

What about the plugs I put in? I kind of cheaped out a bit with the NGK G power platinum plugs insted of the NGK platinum plugs that are with the car factory and recommended....

I swear I have never seen a car thats has such an attitude and will only be happy with a particular brand! Its like a spoiled women who only wears Prada!

 

I don't think it's the plugs i run coppers on my dek and is all good in(under) the hood.(touche)

However the plugs were loose after some time.... since i was a chicken and only tighten them the recommended 3/4 turn...

Fwiw you got some troubleshooting to do per fsm buddy...

 

Actually, quite a few things are affected by temperature: metal expands, components get tighter/looser, lubrication gets better, dielectric properties change, etc.
Check and clean the CPS sensor, harness, and connectors. Check your grounds and battery-to-starter connections. Thoroughly. Also, read this thread: https://maxima.org/forums/5th-genera...learned-4.html - there is a ton of good info there !

The SES light is on because of your P1335/1336 codes.

Re. engine missing when cold: Is it missing spark, or fuel, or getting too much fuel? Take out a spark right there and then - is it clean or fouled? Does it fire? This test should tell you a lot! .... Also, the IACV could be at fault but that's another chapter; leave it aside for a while unless you get P0505.

Re. ABS light on intermittently: Clean the ABS sensor and connector. Both sides. Any rust there?

TC and Slip light intermittent: Similar Problem, most likely dirt, rust, etc. Consult the FSM.

 

I'd start here since it sounds like classic bad coil pack and it is easy to diagnose: when car will be doing this next time park it somewhere without stopping the engine, quietly open the hood and pull coil connectors off one at a time. The one which won't make engine running worse is the culprit as it won't be working at the time anyway. Sometimes it's hard to catch as it has tendency to appear at the most inconvenient moment. If you still have your original packs laying around I bet you''ll be able to find a good one from them- as soon as you identify failed coil pack the rest is easy.

 

Check out this thread: https://maxima.org/forums/4th-genera...335-error.html
post #18 in particular. I realize it's for different generation but it sounds very similar to some of your problems. If you still have your original sensors I'd put them back, clear the codes and wait until they show up again and if they do I'd replace with OEM, one at a time. It just sounds suspicious both of them going out at the same time. Do your battery post connectors, grounds look OK?

 

That's a good point, Max_5gen. Cheap/bad parts will bite you.
Buy OEM, from Courtesy Nissan: http://www.courtesyparts.com/23731t-...957_1988_1990&
and
http://www.courtesyparts.com/23731t-...957_1988_1990& .

 

The car runs absolutely horrible when I first start it..It stalls and doesnt continue to run on its own till its warmer..Once the car is warmed up it runs 70-80% better with a lot of power till it reaches its normal operating temp then it seems to get a bit more sluggish..I read on the intenet that the coils can be tested as good when out of the car but they can actually fail in certain temperatures and loads...makes sense and definitely sounds like it could be my problem but it seems like a big coincedence that they went bad right after my mechanic worked on the car..The car was running pretty well before hand..It started right up and kept a smooth idle and had power..

It wasnt until he supposedly changed the crankshaft sensor and camshaft sensors that the car started running this way..I know a lot of people say to go with OEM parts that the aftermarket is garbage and will not work properly so is there a way to tell by looking at them if they are OEM or aftermarket?

If he indeed did change those parts Im guessing they were aftermarket because the price he charged reflects that..So if he did chage them to aftermarket I will go out and buy OEM parts giving this thing one last chance before I give up on it and put it to sleep where it belongs saving someone else a headache thats not worth it!

In the meantime I would like to do that test you mentioned disconnecting the coil packs just to be sure...I did this test already but while the car was warm..Are you saying to do it while the car is cold and stalling?

Also I did check and clean the grounds that connect to the timing chain cover on the top left of the motor and nothing changed..Are there any other grounds? Where are they?
Thanks guys!

 

The oem sensors can be tested for resistance,the fsm states their correct value, they're usually Hitachi or Mitsubishi brand...

 

I was saying do this test only when: and the engine is missing. You won't be able to pinpoint the offending pack if engine is working fine.

 

So your saying that the coil can actually have an effect on the slip, ABS, and traction control lights? I read that somewhere before but god knows where..I will try it the next time they are on....

 

faulty coil doesn't have effect on those functions- only on the lights. Beats me why they decided to do it this way. They could simply trigger normal ignition malfunction DTC or better yet- the one with cylinder # in it instead of this Christmas tree.

 

Yeah god forbid they made something that made sense!

Everyone tells me to unplug each coil pack one at a time to see if the engine runs any different..The one that does not make the engine run worse is the culprit...I understand that and it makes complete sense..Ive done this and they all make the car run worse so to me they are all good..However! This is what I read about the P1320 code on engine codes.com

"Even tough the coils may be working OK, the resistance for one or more of the coils is greater or smaller that what the Engine Control Module (ECM) is expecting. Measuring the resistance with the coil out of the vehicle may not show any failures, usually the coil fails under heavy conditions (hard acceleration) or certain temperatures"

Here is the link...
http://engine-codes.com/p1320_nissan.html

If what they say is true then there is no sure way of telling if the coil is bad unless its replaced..Is this bull@hit or not? Are the coils definitely good if the cars idle goes from smooth to rough when one is disconnected? And defitely bad if the idle does not change when one is disconnected... because Im racking my brain thinking it may still be the coils even after I did the test of unplugging each one of them and found them to be good because of reading what I have posted above..According to them the coil can still work but be bad...

I cant see how this is possible but with this car who knows!

Also I opened the hood today and noticed around the cam sensor there is a stain from what appears to be something leaking from it...I grabbed the sensor and it moves slightly..I dont know if this is supposed to move but I can rock it back and forth slightly by hand..I also disconnected it while the car was running and there was no change in how the car was running...

Any info would be appreaciated..Thanks guys!

 

I say coil packs and alternator will probably be dying soon. Abs slip tcs light are all classic examples of alternator giving out. Make sure you spend the extra money on oem coils.

 

I dont have a problem spending the money on parts it needs but to spend money on a maybe I have an issue with..If I spend $700 on new coil packs and $200 on a new alternator and it runs the same Im not going to be a happy camper at all...Isnt there a way to tell for sure? Plus I have already replaced the alternator int his car twice within 50,000 miles...

I just had a guy here who is a mechanic but doesnt have all the diagnostic tools..He started it and it ran like crap while it was cold..He disconnected a few sensor and sprayed some starting fluid around the hoses to make sure there were no vacuum leaks and there werent..

At this point the car was warm and was running much better so we took it for a ride and it was missing all over the place running like complete crap and when we parked it, it stalled..Before we drove it it was idling just fine...After we took it around the block and parked it it wouldnt idle on its own without holding the gas..

We checked the codes with my scanner and it came up with 2 mass air codes including others.. We checked the mass air sensor and the clip is a little beat up so he said it could be the clip or the mass air sensor

He went and erased 1 code for the mass air because it could not erase the other for some reason and when he started it he didnt even have to press the gas to keep it running and the car idled fine again..I went and unplugged the mass air sensor while the car was running and there was no change..It did not stall or run any different...

Any thoughts?
Thanks guys!

 

Mafs suck....!

 

Hi guys...I have a quick question. I didn't want to start a new post. I have the p1335 code. I was wondering if it's ok to go with aftermarket or oem? I know our cars can be picky. Thoughts??? Thanks in advance

 

OEM no questions asked, and yes they are 80$ a piece each x 3

if you do not use OEM, you will be back to square one with in one year.

 

Thanks alot Prophecy.....that's what i was worried about. Time to work the corner for the extra cash

 

no problem. they used to sell all 3 OEM together as a pack for the recall a bit cheaper as a group, but in the past 3-4 years are now separate and full price each.

and i went through it the hard way, in asking for OEM and getting napa equivalent and the problems came back almost a year exactly.