Hey guys, recently busted my radiator in my 04 maxima 6 speed and the engine blew. So I swapped it with a newer 3.5 car starts and runs strong I've been driving it for a couple months with the new motor but before every start it will whirl for a good 30 seconds give or take. The strange thing is when I'm rollin the car over there is a fast whirl and a slow whirl you have to keep trying until you hear the fast whirl only then will it start anything you guys could tell me to help diagnose this would be greatly appreciated thanks.

 

what you do mean by "whirl"? if it sounds like the starters turning but not turning the engine over then it suddenly kicks in and you get a "fast whirl" that starts the engine, sounds like maybe loose/corroded starter connections from the swap or the starters on its way out

check/clean your battery cables/connectors, check the hot wire from the starter to battery + for loose connections and corrosion, and check the solenoid plugin on your starter. if those are all good, next time it wont turn the engine over have someone tap the starter (metal part, not the plastic parts) with a metal wrench/pry bar or whatever while you crank it. if it suddenly starts, i'd say its the starter.

 

It rolls the over no matter which sound it's making but that being said there was a sensor on the solenoid which had a separate plug in I wonder if I switched it if it would help

 

I agree with chrome91 check both that battery and starter. ya don't wanna try swaping sensor plugs and next thing ya know ya fry out a 900 dollar computer

 

what year 3.5 did you swap in? 7th gen? i would be pulling wiring diagrams for the donor models year and your year to see what the differences in the solenoid connectors are before you fry something or start welding contacts

 

If he used a 7th gen than as long as he used the 6th gen sensors and engine management system he should be good there. My sister had this problem on her Saturn was a lazy starter solenoid. Lucky for us our starters is easy to change