Hey everyone! Long time no see. I hope you can help me out.

When I try and start my car lately, it seems to struggle quite a bit. It will start to turn over and then will stop. I then have to turn the key again and it usually starts, but there is still hesitation.

Things I know:
1) The oil has been changed very recently
2) The spark plugs probably have 60-70K on them and should be changed

I don't know if any of the above mean anything, but I thought I would throw it out there.

Any thoughts or suggestions would be great! I am thinking my alternator may be dying? Could I be so lucky as to have it be a battery problem? That may be the cheapest huh?

UGH!

Thanks everyone!

 

I got this problem too on my '01 I30T.. happens once in a blue moon.

 

mine does this on occasion as well. So far I can tell you that it is not the starter or the battery or the fuel filter as I have replaced those and I still experience this issue from time to time... I am thinking either ignition switch or the fuel pump...I think there was a 4th gen guy that replaced his ignition switch and the problem went away.

 

a solution i read about was that before you turn the key all the way... turn the key to the "ON" position for a second, maybe 2, then start the engine... supposedly when the key is in "ON" position, the fuel filter starts first... it's supposed to help especially during really cold winter days. i do this now, i try not to turn the key in one swift motion, but instead try to let the key rest for a second before turning the engine over... reason i say "try" is it's just habit to turn it all in one motion...

try this and let me know if it helps any..

 

ok, found out that when you let the key stay on "ON," it primes the fuel pump (for all fuel injected cars you're supposed to do this procedure)... this guy says do it for five seconds... which i guess can't be a bad thing... here's the link:

http://www.stretcher.com/stories/02/02jan21m.cfm

 

oh my god, i was just about to make a thread asking about this problem but someone beat me to it. i guess it's a common problem, huh?
except when it happens to me, it's a little different : i turn the key, the engine starts, pauses as if it's going to die and then starts up again (i don't turn the key back to the original position, i just keep on turning it forward).
my car only has about 26k miles on it, too.
it's happened three time already (once last week, once last night and today).
i'll have to try that "on" trick to see if it helps.
scared the hell out of me when it happened though.

 

paulfromchicago: Yeah, Mine does that as well. It is very random! This is starting to happen every time I try and start my car.

I have tried the turn the key half way for a few and then start the car thingy and it worked nicely, but I was not having trouble starting the car when i was trying that trick. Now, i try it and it doesn't help me. This sucks! I just want my old reliable I30 to be feeling alright again.

 

Yeah, before I did the "ON trick" it would also give me the pausing then turning over.... and a few times it absolutely didnt turnover at all. Only after I applied some gas pedal it fired up... now I'm doing the ON trick everytime... at least five seconds, or until the OD light goes off.

 

i think i'm doing the "on" trick wrong 'cuz none of my gauge lights come on (or maybe i'm not in the "on" position).
heh, the first couple of times i got into my car, i forgot that i was going to see if the "on" trick worked :P
i get into my car, turn the key like i normally do and then think, "oh, crap. i forgot to try it. okay okay, next time." and then the next time rolls around and i forget to try again.

 

The car should not have to be "primed' or left in the "on" position. My guess would be battery getting old, alternator not charging the battery, or starter getting weak. You guys don't sound to mechanically inclined so I would suggest gettting an electircal test done next time you have the car in, should not cost more than $30. They will test the battery, alternator, and starter. If they recomend replacement of one of those ask to see print out from the machine, it will give them the voltage each item is at. That way they are not just recomending replacement on a guess

 

I30tMikeD: That electrical test thing sounds like a great idea. I may have them do that when the car is in the shop for the stupid Axle work! LOL Thanks for the idea. I will post after getting this done and let you know what they say. It may be about 1 month though because I am busy with house stuff right now.

Talk to you soon.!

 

Monkey & Paul, I see that Monkey's is about the same year as mine and probably near the same mileage. Paul's is newer, I see, but anyway, here's what fixed mine when it was doing the same thing....

I took it to the Stealership and they said instantly from the same description you guys gave, that it needed a throttle body cleaning.

Now...believe me, I'm not a fan of letting someone "clean" a part on my car and charge me for it but I figured what the heck, they probably know what they're talking about (and besides, I'm gonna get a free G35 to play with for the day!).

I don't know...maybe they just threw in a bottle of STP gas treatment and set the timing, but the problem was gone and 30K miles later has not returned.

I'm hesitant to go with fuel pump as I just don't hear too much from others about having to replace them and it fixing anything like is being described.

Oh yeah....In case I'm missing the symptoms like rLx77 described, if the motor isn't turning over occasionally (as opposed to not starting), it may actually be the starter. Earlier models than his 2001 are notorious for having to replace the starter. I have a post from a year ago or so and there are a LOT of others in the archives here that will support the starter as a possible culprit.

 

'01 I30 36k:
I have the same problem, only happens occasionally. I think it only happens when I insert and turn the key too fast, and always starts up on the second try.

I've noticed that it happend more often when i used to use regular gas. Now that I use premium it only happens maybe once or twice a month.

From now on I'm going to put the key into the on position for a couple of seconds before starting.

 

I wanted ot add something about my symptoms. I noticed that when it is raining or damp out, the car has even more of a hard time starting? WTF? I use the premium gas and have for years, I actually think I had the throttle body cleaned out 2 years ago, and I just have no idea why my baby is acting up. I am going to try that electrical test, and I think I may throw in a bottle of some engine cleaner and gas treatment this weekend and see if that helps.

Damn, I am seeing $$$$ over the next months or so going into my car and NON of it is for fun stuff!!!!!

 

Don't sweat the starter. It being a damp-only situation further indicates (to me that) it's a starter thing. There's just not much else I'm aware of that causes this sort of thing in these cars.

Battery? Maybe, but you'll find that a battery going dead will only give you a few additional starts on a cooler morning before it's totally gone.

However, I'm getting varied symptoms from y'all on this.

...Let me make sure of something ....if you're turning the key to crank or "start", you're all saying that NOTHING happens until after a couple of tries (I mean no engine noises, no nothing...) then it's probably the starter. If this is the case, forget the idea of the battery or type of gas you're using as the problem.

The Starter is not a terribly expensive fix, but it is a common problem on this car. If you look through some previous posts, you'll find a how to to replace it yourself and save a bundle with regular tools, a little patience and some time. And it will probably work fine for another 100K miles.

(I have a good career and less time so) I can't speak from experience on how easy it is to change (I let the dealer have it) but through this forum, I've since learned it probably wasn't a very difficult or long process.

The real issue is going to be ....where are you when the starter finally quits for good?

The 5-speed guys will have this one licked with a good push until it can be fixed, but the Auto-tranny guys with starters crapping out are going to be walking.

Now...if the starter is turning the engine over fine and just not "firing up" as quickly as it did before, there's a broader range of problems and solutions.

 

I have replaced the starter. I have replaced the battery. I have cleaned throttle body. The problem of it either 1) taking longer than usual to start OR 2) cranking the starter for about 10 sec or so until I finally give up and try again (at which point it fires right up) still occurs from time to time. It could be an alternator problem, it could be a pump problem, it could even be an injector problem...

According to posts in the 4th gen forum the problem of turning the key to crank the motor and absolutely nothing happening at all appears to be the cause of a faulty ignition switch...

 

I30ds, thanks for the refresh on what you've done to date. (Sorry if i missed it before.) Interesting...situation. Thanks also for looking around in the Max. sections.

(Now I'm stumped and unfortunately tossing up stuff)

I'm still using the original pulg wires & though I have no issues like you have, I wonder if you have changed yours and if you went back to OEM for them.

Next I'm wondering about additional circumstances that go along with your situation. For example, if it doesn't start right away, is it always cold (first thing in the morning)?

OR...

Does it not matter. For example, even if you just turned it off a minute ago, it can happen at any time?

The next thing I'm wondering is if it happens at any fuel level remaining in the tank or has it happened at random (from full, to half, to near empty) also.

 

OK maybe this will better describe my symptoms. Seems to happen more often when its damp or wet out, but still happens no matter the weather or temp.

Symptoms:

Chug chug chug chug almost starts, then nothing

Try again:

Chug chug chug chug chug chug ***** starts up and runs fine.

Did that help? LOL What the hell could this be?

Thanks!

 

Monkey & i30ds,

I'm wondering about a couple of things in addition to the questions I posed to i30ds.

Can you tell me if in addition to the starting problem, you also notice that when accelerating slowly, the shift to second gear seems to come on too soon? For example, as it shifts to second, and you still accelerate lightly, the tranny will "lurch" into second or sort of "thud", while other gears shift more smoothly?

If so, this would indicate to me that you may need to have the throttle position sensor adjusted. (It may also be the reason for the start hesitation.)

I'm still interested to know if it will still hesitate to start once the engine is already warm....

 

Damn, I thought I was the only one. When it first happen I thought it was the charging system. I did a electrial check and everything was fine. Now I am thinking it could be a fuel pressure problem.

 

Double E: For me, the tranny always seems to thud into 2nd gear for the first 10 minutes or so after I first turn the car on. It has done this for ever and always goes away after about 10 minutes or so.

This starting problem has just started for me in the last month and I have never experienced it before.

With regards to the start after the engine has warmed up, yes, mine still does this.

Please help my baby is going down hill...........

 

the weather does not have any affect on the problem. It seems to occur most often when the car has been driven and allowed to cool for about 2-4 hours. The problem does not occur when the engine has been recently operated, like less than 1 hour, or the when the engine has been sitting for a long time, like over night.

There is no problem with my tranny shifts. I am thinking that this problem is most definately related to something with the fuel delivery.

 

i30ds,
In Boulder, the elevation is about a mile up and your hesitation to start would be more pronounced when the engine is cold if the timing were off just a but. Once it cranks, it probably runs fine (and it self-adjusts for the elevation correctly) but when the timing needs some adjustment, It seems logical that you have to keep the starter on awhile longer until it fires. Ask the dealer to set the timing to "spec" (preferrably on warmest day you can predict, based on forecasts.) Your fuel mileage may also improve a bit.

One additional note is that your description of: "cranking the starter for about 10 sec or so until I finally give up and try again (at which point it fires right up)" is dead-on for a timing adjustment needed. It sounds pretty far out from what it should be and I wonder if the last time it was done, it was done correctly or under unusual circumstances. When you have the timing adjusted, have a tank of 93 octane in it too and if you can do it when the engine is hasn't been run hard all day, that's even better.

That it doesn't do it when "dead-cold" but does when a little warmed up is likely because of the "rich" fuel/air mix the computer automatically provides and is just "masking" the cranking problem due to timing. When it's a little more warmed up like after a couple of hours, the air/fuel mixture won't be quite as rich and the problem becomes more evident.

Dr. Monkey,
I feel pretty good that you need to have the TPS adjusted. This will almost certainly fix the tranny thud and if it's been going on for that long, it may also help with the starting issue. The tendancy to take longer to start in wet weather is another curiosity and I'm not sure about it. Tell me about your plug wires: New/Original?


On the fuel management possibility, I'm not saying it isn't that but...there's little history on these threads about fuel management issues and I think that if it were fuel delivery/management issue related, you'd have other problems in addition to "long-crank time to fire" problems. In any case, I would try the above adjustments before going after fuel management possibilities.

 

On the A32, you can only check the ignition timing as the timing is not adjustable. If the timing is off then either 1) you must replace the IACV-ACC valve, or 2) replace the IACV-ACC valve harness or 3) replace the ECM, which is rarely the case.

As outlined in the FSM, I checked the idle speed, ignition timing, and the idle mixture ratio... All checked out, so it can be ruled out.

 

Double E: WOW! You sounds like you may be a mechanic? if so, that's great, because I don't know much about under the hood stuff. So bare with me on this next ? What is the TPS? YOu think that adjusting it will take care of the thud from forst to 2nd gear for the first ten minutes of driving? If so, that would be great!!!

My plugs and wires are probably all original with 155K on them. I am embarassed to even say that, but I have been thinking about changing the plugs and wires out lately, I just have not had a second to do it.

Thanks again!

 

Must not be a Nissan mechanic or he would know that a 4th gen maxima does not have manual adjustable timing. It is all ECU controlled.

You also don't have wires, you have coil packs.

 

Mine has started having problems lately with turning over and immediately falling in RPMS and dying unless i give it some gas to level the RPMs out for a second. Every car I've had has had this problem as they get older, eventually turning into a hard-starting car, every car I've had has had this problem with is remedied by a new or remanufactured starter.

 

So I see that the starter is the main issue....I'm sure it wasn't a big surprise to us both. But it is good news.

To address (moderator) MikeD; True. I don't get paid to turn wrenches. Mostly I'm just lucky with what I can do (and sometimes what I know). It's my error for not noting that the timing is not traditionally adjustable ( i.e.: with a timing light and mechanical adjustment), however the timing it can be set/adjusted to factory specs through the "Consult" interface that the dealer utilizes. A quick call to your local dealer will provide more information on the Consult if you like.

Mike has more knowledge than I have on such topics, no question. Thanks for keeping us on our toes.

Throttle Positioning Sensor is the TPS. No promise of a fix from this being adjusted but it solved the similar issue I had with shifts from 1st to 2nd. (Even after having the starter replaced, I would ask that this be done.)

Changing spark plugs is a pretty easy job if you prefer to save some $, even for a non-mechanic to do. Looking at the engine, the spark plugs sit under the Infiniti logo cover that also has the black cap for where you put the oil in. The cover removes with a few Allen head bolts. You'll see 3 sets of coil packs under the cover. The other 3 spark pulgs are parallel to the front set, on the back side of the engine.

Disconnect each one from its coil pack and pull each plug connector unit out of the hole to reveal the spark plug. You'll need a deep socket & extension to remove the plug. They make them specifically for spark plugs.

If you want more info on doing the job yourself, let me know as I don't want to go on with the process of you're don't think you're capable of it. (There are ways to screw it up that could result in a very expensive repair.)

The coil packs are what you can think of as "plug wires" on this car. They don't have a recommended change interval and should be considered if other things (like a new starter & proper timing adjustment) have not fixed a starting & running
issue. (I understand that there are very few issues with them though.)

 

Double E. THanks for the info. I really do appreciate everyones help on here. If you would like to email me the how to for changing my spark plugs, I would love to have this and try it sometime soon. Any tips would be appreciated youc an email me to drmonkey1313@***.net

So you think I should have the shop adjust the TPS while it is in there? This may help the hard shif from 1st to 2nd while the car is still warming up? If it doesn't cost me an arm and a leg, then I might as well have then do it. I will see if they can and how much it will cost.

Thanks for the info again and have a great day!

 

Adjusting the TPS is as simple as a wrench and a mulitmeter. I could see a shop charging way to much for something like that.

 

I dont think you change the timing with the consult tool either.

 

Too high of initial timing causes hard starting & yes, the timing can be set.

The 1-2 shifting thing (depending on how sensitive you are to it) may be a characteristic common to the car, but those two requests from the dealer (tining and adjusting TPS) probably aren't more than $50-60.

Call to confirm all of the above before you go, so you know what to expect.

 

Thanks Double E. I will call before going in.

 

It cannot be set! Not even consult!

 

Ok I'm open to being corrected concerning timing so I'll start a new thread on the topic.

 

I have had the same Problem and i let it be and this month the car wouldn't start and it would take 20mins to 2hrs to get it started. Very annoying and embarassing. HTe problem for me was the ignition switch i replaced it and i haven't had any problems yet