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...but not without a couple of glaring issues. Wondering if I could get some opinions and/ or suggestions here. I'll discuss these one at a time...
1. First issue is overheating. Temp gauge climbs up to about 3/4 max after about 8-10 minutes of driving. It never topped out but is definitely not holding where it should. BUT, it is not throwing any CEL codes. First thing I thought was a stuck thermostat (which probably wouldn't trigger a code), but when I got back home after the test drive I noticed a significant dripping coming from the bottom of the car. Started out as a smallish puddle which didn't concern me too much:
But then it kept drip drip dripping and grew to this:
I did not have the AC on anytime (in fact I had the heater on to draw heat away from the engine.) But it ONLY appears to be water... I dipped my finger in it and took a whiff and no odor at all. I took a look under the car and saw that it was dripping from this metal rail here:
I took a look up further into that area (basically up in that cavity behind those first and second control arm bolts) and I find this piece with a hose attached:
What is that thing?? It seemed to be wet when I first saw it so I wondered if the fluid was coming from there and running down that metal brace and dripping to the floor. Does this seem like a reasonable conclusion to anyone?
2. Another thing I noticed while I was up under there was that it seems I still have a bit of an oil leak on this hose here:
Is that the oil cooler line? If so would you determine the hose is leaky, or a bad O-ring on the cooler itself?
3. The car will not idle properly-- it never stalled at idle but it acts like it has a BAD midfire which every time it happens seems to be accompanied by a "ticking" sound from underneath the car (not from the engine, although I can't be sure.) Once I get going it doesn't seem to have any trouble getting up to speed, and runs just fine-- it's only at idle. Any thoughts on that?
Thanks once again to everyone for any assistance you can lend helping me get this project driveable!
Last edited by chop_sooie; 05-25-2019 at 08:49 PM.
Needs to be properly bled of air and looks like you were running AC. I suspect maf or big vac leak for idle issue. This is why you keep spare mafs laying around lol.
The rubber hose is coolant. You'll probably have to degrease the whole are and see where it starts from.
Needs to be properly bled of air and looks like you were running AC. I suspect maf or big vac leak for idle issue. This is why you keep spare mafs laying around lol.
The rubber hose is coolant. You'll probably have to degrease the whole are and see where it starts from.
Thx- do you mean the hose I was asking about in #2 is for coolant (it's not oil?) If so do you know what that hose is or what it is connected to?
Also yes, I think you are correct I actually DID have AC on I suppose (this is the automatic climate control system and I DID have it set to AUTO-- just had the temp setting turned all the way up.)
What makes you think MAF sensor for my troubles? (Remember the car is NOT throwing a CEL.)
One other thing-- could any of this be water pump related? Reason I ask is because I am getting an occasional belt squeal from somewhere, but it's not all the time (and really only when I accelerate from a stop.) I tried adjusting the tension on the belt that goes around the compressor and the alternator but it didn't really make any difference.
Last edited by chop_sooie; 05-25-2019 at 09:59 PM.
OK after watching a few videos and doing a little research I'm almost positive now that I have a bad or leaky water pump... there's just so many signs that point to it. The overheating but no CEL, and that continual leak I discussed earlier after I parked the car, plus the whole area of that engine (around the lower part of the timing belt cover) was covered in grime... I thought it was oil but now I'm wondering if it was coolant.
Since the water pump on this car is driven off the timing chain, I wonder now if it's causing the idle issue- cause it's like my idle jumps around a few hundred RPMs when it's doing the rough idle thing.
For question #2: The oil cooler most likely has a bad O-ring gasket. If I remember correctly, the oil cooler line has 2 small rubber hoses and they both have coolant running through them, not oil. Replace the O-ring gasket and If those hoses look old or cracked, I'd also replace both those rubber hoses on the oil cooler line whenever you decide to drain the coolant.
Thank u for the input! I do now recall seeing a video on youtube discussing replacing the oil cooler O-ring gasket. That definitely looks like where that might be coming from.
Also I re-read child uv korns comment above yours where he mentioned bleeding the cooling system, that is something I didn't think about but when I bought this car the coolant overflow tank was cracked wide open on top... I just went and got a new one from the salvage yard and refilled it, I didn't even think about bleeding it. Is there a bleeder valve for the cooling system on this car or do I just crack the radiator cap open and keep filling until no more bubbles?
I work overnight so I'll check the coolant level in the radiator when I get home this morning and report back what I find.
So first things first-- I discovered I completely left off the hose that goes from the drivers side of the front valve cover over to the air intake...
Now that that is corrected it definitely idles much better, however very occasionally it still does this sudden 1-2 second drop of idle speed and it seems to coincide with the AC compressor being on...along with still the occasional belt squeal.
Anyway my bigger concern at the moment is that it is still overheating. I tried bleeding air out through the radiator cap and a few bubbles came out but I am pretty convinced there is no air in the system. But I noticed that radiator fan 2 never kicked on the entire time I was letting the car run (a good half hour or so.) I tried swapping the relay for that fan with a known good one and it didn't make any difference. So my question is, would a stuck thermostat cause that fan not to kick on, or is it an elexctronic temp control sensor I should be looking at?
(P.S. There still is no CEL so whatever it is I have to completely guess.)
Oh and one more related question- is there a coolant bleeder valve anywhere on this car that could have been left in the open position? I looked around but could not find anything that looked like that.
To properly bleed it you need to elevate the front (pretty high on a jack) and use a big funnel that seals in the radiator. Run engine and once it's pretty warm have the funnel about half full. Oscillate RPM (say up to 4k) with bouts of steady RPM at about 3k. With pauses in between you should easily be able to see bubbles every time. You have to do this until not a single tiny bubble appears.
You clearly have a bad fan motor. You will overheat while running A/C for sure that way. Just replace the assembly. Last I saw, there's a TYC available for cheap.
I figured you forgot a hose LOL. MAFs don't throw codes until they're ****ed. You could try cleaning it and the throttle body (do NOT move the butterfly valve manually).
That coolant hose is for oil cooler/warmer.
A leaking water pump wouldn't make it overheat (unless you ran low on coolant) and it would weeping from above alternator between it and T-stat housing. T-stat could fail closed, but it's usually air when someone has started from a dry engine.
Other **** is nothing. Tighten the belt a little. And you pointed to the tranny breather hose.
Last edited by Child_uv_KoRn; 05-26-2019 at 06:23 PM.
So you're saying the side of the engine being open like that (and the oil pooling inside) is nothing to worry about?
And you are certain my theromstat is functioning properly? I did not start the engine dry- there has been coolant in the system as long as I've had the car. How can you be certain it is a bad fan and not the thermostat?
When I bled the system I didn't have the front end jacked up so that may make a difference... but I did alternate leaving the radiator fill neck open while letting the engine idle, and covering it with a rubber seal when I revved the engine-- biascally the asme thing the funnel would do,. I never saw any bubbles-- I am pretty confident there is no air in the system.
Also, even after replacing that valve cover hose there is still an occasional mysterious drop in idle accompanied by some ticking sounds-- just what you would expect with a major misfire. But again there is no CEL so I am at a loss.
Last edited by chop_sooie; 05-26-2019 at 06:46 PM.
PLEASE SOMEONE HELP ME WITH THIS CAR.
I have narrowed the overheating problem down to a bad fan as child uv korn suggested was the problem (since the other fan was working I simply unplugged the wire harness going to that fan and plugged it into the non-working fan, to elimnate pretty much everything upstream from the fan itself, and it still did not come on, so I think it's safe to say it's the fan.)
BUT when I put everything back together and then tried to start the car, it was harder to start than it had been recently (turned over several times before starting) and when it did start my TCS OFF, SLIP and Service Engine lights are all on now and it won't hardly idle at all!!!
What the hell happened??? I didn't do anything except unplug the fan wiring harness! Could this have something to do with my aforementioned idle problem and it finally got bad enough to the point where I can barely start the car, and what's up with those lights being on???? Could all this potentially be the replacement alternator I got is faulty (and causing the belt squeal as well???)
PLEASE SOMEONE HELP ME WITH THIS CAR.
I have narrowed the overheating problem down to a bad fan as child uv korn suggested was the problem (since the other fan was working I simply unplugged the wire harness going to that fan and plugged it into the non-working fan, to elimnate pretty much everything upstream from the fan itself, and it still did not come on, so I think it's safe to say it's the fan.)
BUT when I put everything back together and then tried to start the car, it was harder to start than it had been recently (turned over several times before starting) and when it did start my TCS OFF, SLIP and Service Engine lights are all on now and it won't hardly idle at all!!!
What the hell happened??? I didn't do anything except unplug the fan wiring harness! Could this have something to do with my aforementioned idle problem and it finally got bad enough to the point where I can barely start the car, and what's up with those lights being on???? Could all this potentially be the replacement alternator I got is faulty (and causing the belt squeal as well???)
PLEASE HELP!!!
Idle problem can be crank sensor related and will cause starting issues. Code scan will probably confirm.
Last edited by Child_uv_KoRn; 05-27-2019 at 05:21 AM.
Idle problem can be crank sensor related and will cause starting issues. Code scan will probably confirm.
Why would that have just suddenly gone bad?? It was starting absolutely fine just hours before, and yeah it always had that hiccup when idling but it wasn't this bad! Again all I did was unplug the harness going to the fans!
This TCS-OFF and SLIP lightsdon't make any sense either--what the hell is going on????
And the belt continues to squeal like god forsaken crazy, no matter how tight or loose I set it it squeals like mad when I start the car and then againI when I kick the AC on-- I still haven't been able to explain that!
Why would that have just suddenly gone bad?? It was starting absolutely fine just hours before, and yeah it always had that hiccup when idling but it wasn't this bad! Again all I did was unplug the harness going to the fans!
This TCS-OFF and SLIP lightsdon't make any sense either--what the hell is going on????
And the belt continues to squeal like god forsaken crazy, no matter how tight or loose I set it it squeals like mad when I start the car and then againI when I kick the AC on-- I still haven't been able to explain that!
Those will disable with bad crank/cam sensor. Is it an old belt and/or did you get coolant all over it by chance?
Those will disable with bad crank/cam sensor. Is it an old belt and/or did you get coolant all over it by chance?
Yeah its still the same belt that was on car when I bought it, it looked fine but I'll replace it and see if the squeal goes away.
And yes I think you are correct in reference to a bad camshaft position sensor, I just had the codes read at autozone 3 came up - I don't remember the actual code numbers but they were for:
1. Camshaft position sensor bank 2 (front bank) -- and now that I think about it that makes sense because the plug on that one looked bad, like it was broken- I'll post a pic in a minute.
2. Air intake temperature sensor - as I understand it this is part of the MAF sensor on these cars- I didn't mess with that at all other than unplugging it last night when taking the air intake off. However I DID move the throttle plate by hand to clean around it, then I saw earlier where you posted not to do that so I am wondering if I did something there? Anyway I bought some MAF cleaner at autozone, don't know it if will do any good or not but as long as it doesn't hurt it I'm OK trying that.
3. Coolant temperature sensor- already tested this yesterday in a pot of heating up water and resistance on it steadily declined (plus the other fan is working fine and as far as I can tell they are both triggered off the same sensor) so I don't think it's that, I think i have a bad fan.
Thoughts? Thanks for all the help
Last edited by chop_sooie; 05-27-2019 at 11:48 AM.
Non only that but one of the pins inside the actual sensor was bent completely down, I straightened it back out and plugged it back in and my starting issues and the lights on the dash are now off (except for the service engine light still.)
However this did not fix my chugging at idle issue but now I am wondering if that could be caused by that bad plug... maybe signal is shorting out inside it?
Non only that but one of the pins inside the actual sensor was bent completely down, I straightened it back out and plugged it back in and my starting issues and the lights on the dash are now off (except for the service engine light still.)
However this did not fix my chugging at idle issue but now I am wondering if that could be caused by that bad plug... maybe signal is shorting out inside it?
I already installed new plugs-- and I ordered and installed replacement (used but genuine Nissan Hanshin) coils I got off of ebay as I mentioned earlier in the thread.
Also in every misfire I've ever encountered on my 99 or on my 02 it always threw a code- I am not getting one now.
However if I did not consider bad plugs or coils as a possibility, I'd be guily of the exact same thing I called out another forum member for in the 4th gen forum, so I won't dismiss that as a reason for the idle chugging.
Last edited by chop_sooie; 05-27-2019 at 06:13 PM.
I already installed new plugs-- and I ordered and installed replacement (used but genuine Nissan Hanshin) coils I got off of ebay as I mentioned earlier in the thread.
Also in every misfire I've ever encountered on my 99 or on my 02 it always threw a code- I am not getting one now.
However if I did not consider bad plugs or coils as a possibility, I'd be guily of the exact same thing I called out another forum member for in the 4th gen forum, so I won't dismiss that as a reason for the idle chugging.
But now I'm replacing back 3 plugs coils and idle sensor my problem is at 2300 it surges hard .. this the first maxima for me it's a 2003 . Loved it when I first got it , but I'm a lot driver and not home alot.. have ya tried sea foam spray .
But now I'm replacing back 3 plugs coils and idle sensor my problem is at 2300 it surges hard .. this the first maxima for me it's a 2003 . Loved it when I first got it , but I'm a lot driver and not home alot.. have ya tried sea foam spray .
And put a bottle in tank fill with high test might do it for ya
Sorry, I was away for a couple of days. You must have caught child in a good mood, you didn't get any flak from him for the tranny vent lol
Based on my limited knowledge and experience with this car:
Put a new crankshaft position sensor in it. I've got 5k mi on my $45 Auto Zone sensor with no issues because I've been too lazy to install the OEM sensor that's been sitting in a box for two months. CKP sensor is super easy to replace.
Your camshaft sensor plugs look like ****e, and I have good plugs from my old engine harness if you want them. I'll send them out for shipping.
New radiator fan assemblies on ebay are numerous and cheap.
Your tiny puddle is evap coil condensate as child noted. Your auto controls will run AC with heat to dehumidify, a very common function.
Your other small misc. oil leaks near the cooler and in the valley between the banks wouldn't concern me. Burning oil would.
ECTS is cheap and super easy to replace, so why not? I have a spare OEM sensor I can send with cam sensor plugs if you want it. One more item to rule out if you have an overheating problem, and it's near the top of the list in the FSM. The FSM is invaluable and free. Once you start to familiarize yourself with it, you'll ask fewer questions because the info within it is so comprehensive. It's when you've exhausted the FSM and still have a problem that you're really up the creek!
Thanks for the suggestions and offers-
As I noted above I fixed the camshaft position sensor (it had a bent pin inside it) and that fixed the lights on the dash. (The check engine light is still on but that's most likely cause I haven't gotten the codes cleared yet.) I went to the salvage yard today to pull some parts and I went ahead and snipped the cam sensor wire plug harness off another car there, I am going to try soldering that to my harness to replace my bad plug and see if that makes any difference (although again the car is no longer throwing any codes-- but it still seems like it's missing like crazy especially at idle.)
Why a new crankshaft position sensor? The car never threw any codes for that. Plus doesn't a bad one of those cause starting issues more than anything? Car starts just fine once I got the cam sensor fixed.
Why wouldn't you be worried about oil pooling up between the cylinder banks? I'm pretty sure oil is not supposed to be there! Plus I went to the salvage yard today, while there I noticed sure enough there is supposed to be a plate bolted to the top of that square pedestal that goes across that valley, really surprised no one mentioned this! I don't know what its purpose is but it's supposed to be there so I want to go back and get the one off the car at the yard (I didn't have the tools to pull the manifold today.)
The car at the yard had both fans working so I pulled the shroud and installed it on my car this afternoon- and no difference. Both fans come on now but the car still overheats when I drive it. I appreciate the suggestion about the ECTS but again please read above where I tested mine in a pot of heating water and it seems to be fine. Plus if it wasn't working wouldn't the fans not come on at all?? Another reason to go back to the yard- want to grab the t-stat off that car and see if it makes any difference as that's pretty much the last thing I can think of to cause this overheating issue before I decide it's something catastrophic like the head gasket.
Last edited by chop_sooie; 05-28-2019 at 09:40 PM.
CKP is cheap insurance. It's an old car and who's to say it isn't failing intermittently? Good data from a CKP is very important. I learned this the hard way.
ECTS is easily accessible and cheap. It's an old car, it will respond well to little things like this.
I tell you what-- since you keep insisting I replace parts that show no sign of being bad, buy these parts for me and send them to me. If they fix any issues with the car, I'll reimburse you the money plus shipping plus another $20.
Originally Posted by User1
Glad you got new cam sensor plugs. You may have fixed yours but it still looks like it's caked with dielectric grease or something, is melted, and whatever else. I wouldn't have reused it. Solder new, dry plugs. Pull the sensors and spray out really good with WD40 electrical cleaner.
You are getting the sensor and the plugs mixed up. I fixed the SENSOR. The PLUG looks melted (it was only the front bank BTW, not both- I only got one new one from the yard.) I am soldering it on tomorrow. I will also pull and spray the sensors.
Originally Posted by User1
Head gasket: What do your exhaust fumes smell like? Any burning oil or coolant? You're on the right track considering your first major issue is an overheating one. Who knows how hot and for how long it was run previously. Child will probably know better, but I wouldn't say a warped head would let oil escape in the amounts you're seeing, even over time. I'm not sure how the galleries are routed in the VQ35 though. I still think it looks like what it would look like with a DC'd vacuum hose over time or something, not blow-out from a head. It's too diffuse. But I don't know.
It is not showing any signs of burning any oil or coolant that I can see. No smoke at all coming from the tailpipe (which surprisingly, is more than I can say for both the 99 and 02 Maximas I owned, each of which smoked out the exhaust but ran fine!)
Originally Posted by User1
Fan control is dependent on all kinds of data, not just ECTS. Read through the overheat condition section in the FSM.
I've read it. Can you please point out to me where it discusses fan control and what data triggers it other than from the ECTS? I can't find it.
Originally Posted by User1
T-stat is an easy test: Is the upper hose hot after the engine reaches operating temp? My fans come on at 205F. My cluster gauge needle rests at the fourth mark up.
Yes my upper radiator hose gets hot. My concern is more that the t-stat is getting stuck somewhere halfway between open and closed, i.e. opening enough to allow some coolant through but not enough. obviously that is a guess- I would actually have to visually inspect it to see if that is the case.
Originally Posted by User1
The parts replacements I suggest are for good reason. I don't know what your time is worth, but for me, if I am going to spend the time to remove a thermostat, ECTS, or any other inexpensive part (both are $20 or so, depending on source) It makes no sense to replace it with an old part, whether it tests out or not. Remove as much doubt as possible. But I get it, budget car. Nothing wrong with testing old parts especially if you have the time. So far, you have had a few bugs. Nothing atypical. Just need some time to sort them out.
I have to disagree that it's "just a few bugs." The car does not run right- it sputters at idle, it overheats, and on my last test drive it started acting like it was missing shift points. Turning the AC on makes everything worse. Something I haven't mentioned before but I am starting to agree with is a friend's assessment that I have a major exhaust leak. The "sputtering miss" at idle is accompanied by a kind of ticking sound-- not like the faint "pop" you hear with a cylinder misfire, but more of a "T-T-T-T-T-T" sound coming from under the car. But I don't think that's the cause of all my problems.
Last edited by chop_sooie; 05-29-2019 at 12:50 AM.
Cooling fan control info is irrelevant since the fans work. My overheating problems lie elsewhere.
Why would I ohm out my crank sensor??
No I am not in limp mode.
Yes I received and installed the coils I ordered.
It makes the same sound whenever it stumbles whether at idle or during driving. It is just more noticeable at idle.
Last edited by chop_sooie; 05-29-2019 at 03:05 AM.
i might have found an issue-- I took another look at the FSM under camshaft position sensor section. On the last page of that section (EC330) it discusses checking the resistance between the pins on the sensor (step #5 in the diagram below):
Am I reading this correctly that I should see resistance reading (except 0 or infinity) between any two pins? The reason I ask is because when I check resistance between the pins I get a reading between pins 1 and 2, but when I check for resistance between pins 1 and 3, or between pins 2 and 3, I don't get anything.
Last edited by chop_sooie; 05-29-2019 at 04:27 PM.
I am getting a "1" reading when testing between pins 1 and 3 or between pins 2 and 3 on my non-auto-ranging multimeter (i.e. infinite resistance) and it does not matter what range I have it set on. It SURE looks like the FSM is saying that is not correct even though the video you posted clearly says I should only be getting resistance between pins 1 & 2. In other words the video and the FSM seem to be completely at odds with each other.
Please explain THOROUGHLY. It would save me a LOT of time if I'd just have it spelled out for me.
You DO need resistance between the referenced pins. The range, from what I've read about the sensors before I did my swap, varies greatly, as in hundreds of ohms to thousands, but I don't know what the values for ours are, and they are not stated in the FSM. Understanding that, if you have no resistance or infinite resistance, you have a bad sensor.
The hall IC uses induction from the rotating magnet to cause a voltage potential within the sensor. This voltage is sensed by the ECU. If the voltage is not created, or is outside parameters, the ECU gets no/bad data and you now have a bad sensor and a confused, unhappy ECU.
OK. I see autozone has Hitachi cam sensors for this car- are those OEM? I suppose what I might do is take my multimeter over there and ask if I can check the readings on the pins of a brand new one to compare before buying. The resistance may vary between sensors but I find it hard to believe that NONE of my range settings (200 up to 200k ohms) would have shown a reading unless the sensors are bad.
The video included a visualization of concepts applicable to the testing of your sensors. It was not to be construed as an exact representation of the test procedure for your specific sensor. Get with the program, man.
Stop posting videos that fly in the face of the FSM and we won't have a problem!
What is your opinion that the bent pin inside that cam sensor could have caused more problems throughout the system (i.e. the ECU connector getting fried and not ever be able to read or put out correct signal for the sensors?)
ECU's are cheap and plentiful should you need one. Pull one from a yard or keep your eye on the forum and ebay. I got my ECU and harness from the same car from a member here. Good guy, good deal.
Yes but they aren't simply plug and play. Not sure there's a dealer in my area willing to reprogram one for me, or if they are I guarantee it will cost me an arm and a leg. That's the way the dealerships are around here.
Not hard to get to, but not as easy as accessing an SSD in your tower either.
I don't buy into all that newfangled tech mumbo jumbo, the world was just fine the way it was 40 years ago before planned obsolescence and unleashing half-functional tech on the public and saying just wait for the update just to get it on the market.
You're jumping the gun anyway. Did you sort out your T-stat?
No I haven't gotten a chance to look into that yet, that was the plan for tomorrow but I really want to do a couple more checks before going through the trouble of pulling it- like watching for coolant flow at the radiator filler neck when the t-stat is supposed to open, or checking the temps on the t-stat housing and the radiator hose coming off it. Both radiator hoses seem to get hot so I'm not entirely convinced it's the issue.
You're still under a grand for a car. It's to be expected that it would need a few things. You found a pretty knowledgeable group with this forum to help you keep the cost down.
I'll have to disagree with this. Some members notwithstanding, this forum generally seems FAR more interested in go-fast look-cool parts spending and guessing about issues with these cars and short 3-word answers that don't really spell out a solution. It's really one of the worse car boards I've been on with regard to logical thought process and reasoning.
I for one prefer to think out a problem and try to come up with a logical answer for why something is wrong through common sense, reasonable deduction and testing. This is not the norm on here.
Car is running great now.
Solution? I figured out that like an idiot I was trying all this time to adjust the belt tensioner with the pulley nut tightened so the belt was loose all this time and why it still squealed no matter what I did. Once I got the belt tight no more squeal and car runs smooth and no miss. Also CEL completely disappeared.
Only issue now is the car is still overheating a bit when driving (temp gauge fluctuates up and down)-- but I think I figured that one out too as I finally discovered I have a hairline crack in the top of the radiator.
05-25-2019, 08:32 PM
