Ok so i had a thread last week where this came up. But it still isnt fixed. I drive a 1999 Nissan Maxima GXE. 50k/miles. SO last week i changed the fuel filter. I put the new one on. Put the fuse back in, and proceeded to try to start the car. No go. 50 attmepts, and a dead battery later the car still hadnt started. Heres what i know:

Checked the fuse - not blown
Loosened and re-tightened all clamps taken loose, making sure not to overtighen.
Took new filter off, put old one back on
Fuel pump IS coming on.
Computer is fine (pulled by my mechanic)
NO PULSE going to the Injectors. <<<<<--------
Camshaft sensor has current going to it.
Mechanic is goign to try and test the Crank Sensors (both of them). I told him where they were just 20 min ago.

Ok this is where you guys come in. WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH MY CAR!!! My mechanic is running out of ideas. Logically there is no reason the car shouldnt start. Whats above, is pretty much everthing i know. What would cause no pulse to go to the injectors? I dont know. I'm really starting to fret here. Any ideas you guys have, i'll throw em at my mechanic. I told him i'd ask around and call him with any ideas. So lets here it. Throw out your ideas. Thanks alot in advance.

 

when you were changing ur fuel filter, were you leaning over ur engine bay? the MAF is kinda in the path, they are pretty fragile things. Maybe you damaged it?

 

99s came with Starter Kill from the factory, didn't they? Think that could have anything to do with it? Just a guess... seems like it could be viable since everything else seems to be okay

 

I'll have him check the MAF sensor, and the starter kill to see if its messed up. I hope its not the MAf. Those are expensive arent they? Anyways thanks for the replies. I'd like to get a few more so i can give him a nice list of things to check when i call him.

 

Get any check engine lights? If the MAF failed it would trigger a CEL. Also another crazy idea I had , Did you install the fuel filter backwards? The filter wont work right if its installed backwards.

 

No i didnt install it backwards. This was verified by my mechanic. I put the old one back in the same way it was when it came out. Hes gonna try and get the PCM to flash some codes to see if theres anything there.

 

Oh ok, well you get get the ECU codes yourself. Just use search on here and you will find the procedure to get the ECU codes. My guess is something is disconnected or was damaged when you changed the fuel filter, but until you get ECU codes there is no definite answer to your problem.

 

I would but the cars at the my mechanica shop. Cant do much but wait i guess.

 

you say the injectors aren't working???


maybe a bad wire harness. i believe i heard the mechanics at my dealer saying the 99's had a problem with the wire harness.

 

About a yr. ago, we drove our 99 maxima to my son's school to see a play. Car drove perfectly, no signs of anything wrong. After the play, we get in the car and it will not start. Cranks over just fine but just wouldn't start.

To make a long story short.. it turned out that something tripped the car's security system. Dealer had to reprogram system and keys . cost us about $120 which included the towing.

Dealer could not explain why the car's security system would not allow
the car to start....total mystery.

 

as much as finding ecu codes yourself has helped, OBDII scanners will pick up ghost codes, such as knock sensors, etc.

 

Well you can goto an Autozone store and they can use a OBDII scanner on your car for free. No need to pay a mechanic or stealership to retrieve the codes for you. (unless your car is stuck at the repair shop then thats a different story)

 

Maybe its the Chip inside your key? It happend to me once

 

Thanks for all the replies guys. As for the scanning. I didnt try to flash the codes when i had the car at the house. I had it towed to my mechanics last week. Hes the one whos gonna try and flash the codes. Also i dont have a security system so it cant be that. I dont think the key is the problem. The car tries to crank, it just wont turn over.

 

overlooking simplicity?.. there is gas in the car, right?

 

lol, yea there was a little under half a tank when i did the filter.

 

When you try to turn the car over...take us specifically thru the noises you hear comming from the engine bay?

Please keep us posted if you find a fix.

 

Did you verify how the car would sound with a malfunctioning security
chip? Get a hold of an FSM at the dealer if you don't have one and
look into the schematics of the wiring. Seems to me that the answer
must surely be there. Check youf vacuum lines and connection to the
FPR. Did you recheck all the click-in connections for the various
sensors that you may have removed in the process of replacing the
fuel filter? Did you have the battery disconnected while working on
the fuel filter? Just some additional things to (re)consider.

 

It's either your cam sensor of one of the crank sensors.
(No pulse to coil packs points to these sensors)


It's seems common that they don't throw codes if they die after your car is turned off.

 

lol @ confused...

 

It won't necessarily throw any codes. I had a MAFS go bad and it didn't set off the CEL.
It is very easy to test the MAFS all you need is a voltmeter or multimeter to check the voltage while engine is off and key is at "ON" position. You'll need to backprobe terminal one (left most connector) on the plug. It should be less than 1.0 volt. With the engine idling at operating temp is should be 1.0-1.7 volts. With the engine running at ~2,500rpm it should be 1.5-2.1 volts. You should observe a linear voltage rise in response to increses in engine rpm up to about 4k. If voltage is within spec you can also check the power and ground circuits.

 

what about starter

 

The car will start with a bad MAF but wount rev past 2500 PRM's. The MAF is not what's causing his No Start condition. Don't waste your time checking it.

 

Actually its a non-linear line there is a slight curve to it. All thermistors have a non-liner line when there resistance vs. temperature is plotted.

 

I agree completely with the MAF assessment. The car will run without the lead to the MAF even being plugged in! Did you bump anything else when doing the job - like wiring harnesses or anything on that side of the engine bay? If not, disconnect the output of the filter and see if you are getting pressure and fuel flow. I think you said you were getting gas, but if that new filter is blocked in any way you won't be getting enough pressure to push the injectors. Did you change the fuel lines when changing the filter? If so...did you use the high pressure type?

 

Ok here we go:

Fuel is getting all the way up, the injectors just arent pulsing.
Camshaft sensor has current going to it.
Mechanic was goign to check the 2 crank sensors.
I didnt replace any lines.
I'm sure i bumped into alot of stuff doing the job. My mechanic has looked and doesnt see anything loose, or out of place.

Did you verify how the car would sound with a malfunctioning security
chip?

The only thing "security" related i have is this blinking red light to the left of the sttering wheel. Right next to the cruise control. It flashes when the car is locked. And goes off when you open the door/start the car. I cant remember really. I never payed much attention to it. Its basically just a dummy light as far as i can tell. I dont think it has any relation to a kill switch or anything that would keep the car from starting.

Also, i didnt remove any sensors to get the filter out.

Ok i think i aswered all your questions. Thanks for all your help guys. I really appreciate it. This is just super frustrating. Last time I EVER work on my own car. I just have way too much bad luck with them. Any other suggestions or ideas please share them. If you couldnt tell already, i'm getting kinda desperate. I have a feeling its gonna be at least a week without my car. So thats a rental car fee plus the repair bill. Looks like i'll be working some overtime this week. Thanks again.


When you try to turn the car over...take us specifically thru the noises you hear comming from the engine bay?

It cranks like it normally would. The fuel pump kicks on, the battery turns all the dash lights on, and the starter engages. It just doesent turn over.

 

what was the problem

 

read the first page.....

anyway, my car still ran with a bad MAF. It would die when you put it into gear....
Look into nissan's immobilizer thing...i'm thinking that might help.

 

Ok heres a small update. Basically it has been ruled to NOT be a fuel problem. It is an electrical issue. Heres the kicker. The scanner isnt picking up any codes. The ECM wont flash any codes either. What does this mean? The fuel injectors arent pulsing because nothing is telling them too, and the ECM isnt showing codes at all. Is my computer dead? And if so, how the #@%$@$#$!%$@#$!@ did that happen? Also, how much is a new computer going to cost, if that turns out to be the problem?

 

Sure sounds like the problem I had. (Please c earlier post in thread). My original nissan mechanic was pulling his hair out trying to determine what was wrong. He 2 thought the ecu was dead and that I needed a new one. But after some more troubleshooting and consulting with a local nissan dealer, they discovered the security chip in the keys had to be re-programmed to the computer in the car.

Hope this helps.