[I posted here rather than in the 4th gen section b/c the issue seems to be complex.]

Background: The car is supercharged. About a month after upgrading to z32 injectors & maf, jwt ecu, and a 2.87 in pulley, it began having trouble starting and would take lots of cranks. Within a week after the starting issues began, black smoke started coming out of the tailpipe during start up (rich condition -- probably bad injector(s) or o-rings) and the car would take 20+ seconds of cranking to start. Sometimes the plugs would need to be dried before the car would turn over. During this time, my brother thought the starter may be bad, so he replaced it with an aftermarket one--which he admits was a bad diagnosis.

The day my brother had time to take the car to a shop to have the injector(s) replaced, it started w/in 5 cranks. "Great," he thought, so he shut the car off and tried again to make sure it wasn't a fluke. When he tried starting it again, the car wouldn't even crank.

My brother no longer had time to work on the car, so off to the shop it went (where it has been for ~4 weeks). Before bringing it to the shop, he tried my OEM ECU (to make sure the JWT wasn't fried) and still had no crank. I recently gave the shop a ring and was told the following:

1) Relays and fuses all seem OK
2) No signal from MAFs to ECU
3) Due to #1 and 2, he thinks its a wiring problem.
[I assume the shop bench tested the starter, but I will verify.]

I suggested that he test the z32 MAF since I bought it used. In addition to that, he plans on running through all the wiring in search of the problem.

Questions:
1) Would no signal from the MAF prevent the car from cranking?
2) In what direction should I point him as far as tracking down a potential electrical issue? (I was thinking crankshaft and camshaft position sensors--anything else?)
3) And most importantly, aside from a wiring issue, what are probable causes for my no crank issue, especially in light of the background provided?

Thanks in advance for your help!

 

I probably wont be of much help but I'll spit a few things out here.
I thought the car would start and run in limp mode without the maf even being plugged in. I want to say I had a maf problem once and when I tried this the car would not run right, but it DID crank IIRC.
Another thing I always have to suspect in the case of odd starting problems is that damn Coolant Temperature Sensor. Mine was out and the car would start fine from a cold start but give me hell if the car cooled off to a certain temperature. Tons of cranking and I'd usually have to rev it up to keep it running. Probably not your problem but...its a thought, and a cheap part as well.
I'll step aside for the more knowledgeable folks on here, no signal from the MAF doesnt sound like a good thing.

 

Well, the first thing I would do if it won't even attempt to crank, is check the wiring to the starter. Next, make sure the starter isn't dead, jump it manually to see if it cranks.

If it does, check all fuses and relays, clutch switch, ignition switch.

FWIW, I believe it should crank just fine without an ECU in at all.

 

pmohr--those are all good points. Thank you.

Just called the shop, and they actually haven't even bench tested the starter...

I think that you're right about it cranking w/o an ECU--I remember not being able to turn over another Maxima (though it cranked) and then realizing that the ECU was unplugged.

I'm having second thoughts about sending the car to a shop. The individual I've been working with seems very knowledgeable and understanding but short on staff (hence the little progress in 4 weeks). The fact that I'm 3000 miles away and can't drop in to check on their progress makes things worse.