So first post here. Now I have been reading through the forum here for weeks on this issue of mine and cant figure this out for myself so I'm asking you all for help.


1st problem; hard starting over the course of two weeks. sometimes would take two or three times being on ignition off then ignition on again to fire up and run normal down the road.


2nd; going down the road at about 50 mph and loosing power and dies, shut it off fire it back up and runs fine for about a mile dies again, does this one more time then will run but at an idle and wont move and idles at about 200 rpm.


3rd; after about an hour of sitting try to start it on side of road and will turn over but wont fire at all. Tow it to a friends house sits for a day and try turning it over doesn't fire at all.


4th; listen for the fuel pump hear nothing turning on. do this a few times bang on the tank fresh battery charge still no power to fuel pump. Obviously check fuse and fine. I replace the fuel pump, car now starts and then dies almost the same as it did right before the fuel pump went out.


5th; pulled code for VAIS p1800 code. replace the solenoid no change but code is cleared. and hasn't come back with several turn overs and fails of mine.


I have gone through several grounds and cleaned them up, even ran an extra ground from the trans to the battery for a try no change in starting and dying. No vacuum leaks that I can figure out through thorough investigation. No codes pulling at this time. I have check the throttle body or whatever you may want to call it its clean and working properly.


However I did test the OHMs to the "throttle control"??/throttle body, anyways whatever that is I did check it and I didn't get any resistance from any combo of pins. Any input in regards to check this properly I'm open to ideas this is on an 02 first year of the electronic throttle if I'm not mistaken. But I'm wondering if this is the problem but doesn't make sense for this to go bad right after the fuel pump and at the same time. Now I am almost 100% positive the old pump was bad but I guess I could be mistaken. Ive checked the relay for the engine control module and in working order.


I have considered the crank sensors but given the fuel pump issue ive disregarded at this time because of not pulling the codes either.


ECM? fried I havnt checked but it shouldn't fire at all correct?


I'm at a loss guys I maybe forgetting something its getting late and ive been under the hood of this thing for like 4 hrs and getting frustrated. So please give me some pointers I would appreciate it a lot and any follow up questions that you guys may have ill get back to you asap, but I'm going to bed and I work in the morning but this will be getting worked on tomorrow night and ill give a lot of things a shot or better way to trouble shoot than what I have done. I understand that I'm not an expert but ill do my best. So if I don't get back to any of you right away please check back tomorrow night it means a lot!!


thanks all!! sorry I didn't get a rep before posting but here I am and this car is putting me at my end.


Shes an 02 3.5 with about 172k miles, gls I believe. Ex investigator/police car for my city and I have almost all service records from day one.


Again thanks,
Fritter

 

Did you try checking the fuel pump relay?

 

Pump relay is good. Cycling the key and the pump builds pressure every time

 

I was running one of my cars with a failing fuel pump. Ended up stressing the relay.
ordered both the pump and relay in the mail. Fuel pump came in first ,so I put it in.
Also switched one of the relays since the other completely failed.
Was using the horn relay(which was also intermittent) in the meantime.
Fuel primed everytime but after driving at idle the car wanted to die.
Once the relay came in the mail two effin weeks later,
put it and havn't had a problem since.
Test your relay with an OHM meter. These things can be intermittent,especially after driving where everything heats up.
The car will throw random codes as well due to the fuel problem.
Le us know,

 

Excellent I will do this tonight. Wish me luck that its that simple. Thanks much!!

 

Good luck man!

 

Update:


Pump relay is good. I took off the FPR from the fuel rail and no gas at all coming from there. Took that off also from the junction block on the fire wall no fuel pressure there either. So I took the sending unit out and apart again. Seems to me that the return, I'm going to call "valve" is sticking either shut or open. When I took that piece off I tried to blow through it with no luck then banged on it a little now its open. I have not yet put anything back together to try it but I will in the next day or two. Also I will be testing the power to the pump from the harness that plugs into the sending unit. Any other input as always is appreciated.

 

Hmm I was hoping it was that relay. Was the fuel pump new ?
The whole assembly or just the fuel pump motor was replaced?

 

The fuel pump is new. however it is a little bit different than the original one. In the box with the new pump it came with a completely different way to connect to the sending unit. In this one originally has a nipple with a rubber grommet that goes into the sending unit/ fuel filter. The kit came with a rubber hose with two clamps like a GM one where there is space between the top of the unit to the bottom. But on the Nissan that space is filled with the fuel filter. So I just swapped the two different pieces from the old one to the new one and its a good fit but not original fit.


So I did go to Nissan dealer and ordered a over flow regulator that I believe is stuck closed thus not allowing fuel pressure out of the top of the sending unit. makes sense why the old pump burnt up. That part comes in tomorrow and ill replace that.


I also may note that everything I look up on the internet is not the correct anything in the sending unit from what I can find. They say there is a o ring that is on top of the fuel filter to seat and this one does not have that. And its a little different from what I can see my filter does not have the ability to have the o ring because one side is flush with the rest of it so it couldn't go around and seat.


So I'm am turning this thread into a sort of trouble shooting how to. and I should upload some pics and a more detailed in series of what I did and how ect.


And question for wellshii19, is this forum really not being used much or just the 5.5 gen? Also do you or anyone else think it would be worth me doing a write up on this for the forum. Because if not I wont take the time to do so, but if any wants or think it would benefit anyone I will take the time.


Thanks, Fritter

 

Those things shouldnt go out. Wonder if it got clogged up.
On the car I was talking about,04 Rio,same thing. The unit was different where it belonged on a car with the outside filter.not in tank. I just replaced the motor itself.
But to answer,yea write ups are always helpful. Even it helps only one person.
I hope it fixes the problem man.

 

I agree that's an odd part to fail but ill give it a shot I guess. Also I'm going to make sure that the fuel pump is seating properly before replacing this part just incase since I swapped out the old rubber grommets. Next day or so should have some positive results.....

 

On my first maxima, same symptoms, it was the MAF...remove it and try some MAF cleaner.

I was able to find a replacement in a local scrap yard.

 

So problem finally solved.


Moral of the story is I replaced that recirculate valve. When I put the pump and sending unit fuel filter all together I did find that I had to assemble in this order....


recirc valve on fuel filter make sure the o ring is good.


install fuel filter into sending unit with fuel pump plug inside


connect fuel pump harness and make sure if you are using an after market pump that the rubber grommet is from the old pump because the new kit does not come with the correct one. Nissan dealer will have the correct one for $10. Place pump into fuel filter inlet fit should be really tight. when I put the pump in the filter pushed up a bit further than the clips allowed so I pulled the filter back into the clips.


Fuel sock and another rubber grommet is on the end of the pump again aftermarket grommet will not be the correct one so use old one or buy new from Nissan directly. the fit is not exact on the new pump but with some effort it will seat. Now for a difficult description but in short you need to put the bottom pump grommet and bottom sending cap and fuel sock on at the same time. if you put the grommet on first I couldn't get it to come together correctly so an extra hand or two is ideal I did it by myself. Sorry for I cant describe that any better than that but when you are putting it together yourself it should make sense. I put it together originally different and that could have been part of my problem too so to be same I made sure it was perfect this time.


With everything back together I primed the line with the pressure regulator off till gas spirt at the fire wall then reinstalled the regulator. Turn key on and off twice then turned it over and it fired right up problem solved. I didn't need to bleed the fuel rail. I didn't even look if you can but anyways no air in line problems with this process.


So all in all I'm not for sure whether it was the way I originally put the sending unit back together or if it actually was the recirc valve but it is now repaired and from what I can tell done right.


Food for thought if you are going with the much cheaper aftermarket pump for 5.5 gen order the two grommets from Nissan if yours are compromised in the least. As far as the recirc valve I wouldn't replace it or consider it actually the problem even in my case. I believe it was my error initially in reinstalling the sending unit. But I may never know... Sorry for the half *** write up but I didn't take any photos and honestly by the time I got this far yesterday I was a bit under the influence and in a hurry to get it back together and I didn't take the time.


Hope this helps someone some day. Forums are dieing and people doing their own work on vehicles seems to be getting more and more rare. Especially people working on cars that do it right and not hacked together like a 16 year old with a 2nd gen eclipse.
Sorry for the poor linguistic and writing skills.


SAVE THE FORUMS!!


Thanks, Fritter

 

I agree and I did check it and make sure that it was working properly and clean.

 

Awesome that you found the problem.
A lot of guys here have problems after ,always make sure to check your work.
Those assemblies are something else man. When I did the fuel filter, I made sure not even to get an o-ring upside down. Cars are like women,
have to get them right or you ain't getting no where! Only thing with a car you get more chances. Well usually.