On Saturday i took my 95 GLE to a friends garage. We replace the PCV valve, Serpentine belt, front brakes and air filter.
We read in the hanes manual that to change the fuel filter they recommeded pulling the fuse to the fuel pump starting the car and letting it run out of gas. So we had the stock aribox out (For easy access to the fuel filter). Started the car, and it ran out of gas as planned. We replaced the fuel filter and cleaned the butterfly plate while we had the aribox off (with carb cleaner). put everyting back together and car no longer starts. Turns over just fine, but refuses to start. Checked fuel pressure at fuel rails and it was good. Checked plugs for signal, that was fine. What could we have missed?? We pulled the airbox back off and checked everything we could have jostled. Sprayed starter fluid in, still wont start. Anyone with any ideas please!!!!!! I dont want to tow this to the dealer !!! :-(

 

MAF sensor plug...I'd double check the fuse for the fuel pump too.

Just out of curiosity, where did you spray the starter fluid in? The TB?

 

Fuel pump fuse is fine, both in checking the fuse and it verfiying fule pressure.
starter fluid was sprayed in where the butterfly plate is.
What do you recommend i do with the MAF sensor, car started and ran without it hooked up (when we depressuized the fuel line). Replace?

 

Well...the car usually starts w/o the MAF connected...but when you give it gas, it will choke and stall.

I just mentioned it because I have forgotten it a few times when I had my intake tract off.

Are you 100% sure that you put the fuel filter in the right way?

I've also experienced a similar problem the last time my tranny was off for a while. I thought it wouldn't start, but I kept the starter going for about 30 cranks and it finally kicked in. Dunno whether I flooded it (somehow?) or what, but it eventually started.

If you have double checked everything, I'd say let the starter turn it over for a little bit and see if it starts.

Are you throwing a CEL?

 

Car wont start to see if the Check Engine light stays on. We double checked the fuel filter for correct install/direction. Would a sensor or CEL code keep the car from starting???

 

No, a CEL wouldn't keep the car from starting, but it could lead you to the cause of your problem.

You don't need to start the car to check the ECU for codes. Go here and get your codes...if any:
http://forums.maxima.org/showthread.php?t=104931

Not sure if anything will show up, since the car hasn't been started since the problem began.

I can't think of anything else you may have missed. Try turning the key to 'on' for a few (~15) seconds before attempting to start it...

 

I'll try and pull the codes. Maybe they'll point me in the right direction. Is there anything else that can be attempted? (I've tried turining the key to on and waiting a minute, then try starting, it didnt work)

 

How long are you letting it turn over before killing the starter?

 

10-20 seconds


New info: Checked for CEL codes, there were none, reset it just in case, still wont start. Fuel pressure test showed that pressure went to 43psi, then tapered off. Is that bad/normal and would it cause the car not to start?
Driveway mechanics are telling me to replace the fuel pump (even though it works) and the fuel pressure regulator (have no idea where that is and how much it costs). Somehow I highly doubt that these things need to be replaced. And i doubt it's a fuel issue. I pulled the car in the garage, did the few minor maintenance items and 2 hours later it wont start. Anyone with any thoughts/ideas. I cant be the only one that's had a hard time starting the car after chaning the fuel filter and cleaning the butterfly plate.

 

You shouldn't have to replace any of those things...

As stupid as this sounds, go back and double check everything...it's probably something simple.

How long did you have everything apart?

What did you use to clean the TB?

You replaced the serpentine belt...does the starter seem to be having trouble turning over the engine? Are you sure the engine is turning over? Have someone watch the belt as you try to start it.

I just re-read your initial post. You said that it 'ran out of gas'...IIRC, the Haynes book says to run the car until it stalls out, not runs out of gas...do you have gas in this thing?

 

lol, yes it has a half tank of gas, the engine is turning over, belt looked fine during starting process. Everything was apart for an hour or so, carb cleaner for cleaining the butterfly

 

Ok...let's break this down...

Components that were apart:

a) Coilpack failure would throw a CEL...rule this out
b) Unplugged MAF should still start...hoses are optional too...rule this out
c) Belt is turning what needs to be turned...rule this out.
d) PCV valve only fits one way (IIRC), so rule this out.
e) Fuel filter...maybe you have a defective filter...might want to try putting the old one back in for diagnostics
f) Fuel pump fuse...maybe try a different fuse?
g) Air filter....did you remove the plastic bag the filter came in
h) Fuel rails...how did you check these, and are you sure they are back the way they should be?

 

Didnt remove the fuel rails, used the haynes recommended fuel pressure test spot which is the hose on the driver side of the engine between the two fuel rails.
IF the pcv valve was defectve (stuck etc...) could that cause this?
I can try the old filter but it think it's already chucked, maybe i'll just bypass the filter instead?
Air filter didnt come in plastic bag

 

The PCV valve shouldn't cause this...even if it is stuck.

As for bypassing the filter, you could do that if you could find a fitting to connect the two hoses. I wouldn't run very long with this setup

You could try resetting the ECU. I believe you can do this by disconnecting the battery terminals and touching them together....don't quote me on that, though.

 

I'm at the end of ideas and i really dont think throwing money at new parts (that havent failed) is going to fix anything, but that's what everyone besides the .org is telling me.

I could tow it to the dealer but i think they'll just throw parts at it anyways, not to mention that the car has a zillion miles and the last time they had it (when i was at 150,000 miles) they really really really wanted me to buy a new engine from them (rather than replacing a 70 dollar sensor). :-(

 

Your Belts Could Be Too Tight

 

Really? What would that do? Why would that cause it not to start?

 

You replaced the serpentine belt. So you worked near the camshaft position sensor. If this gismo if disconnected, the engine will crank forever but will never start. Anyone with a 1995 model and later can experience this: disconnect the camshaft position sensor, and the engine will never start.

Check if this sensor is properly connected. Next check the resistance across the 2 terminals of the sensor. Should be between 1440 ohm and 1760 ohm (Hitachi) or between 2090 - 2550 ohm (Mitsubishi). I hope for you this is it.

 

Well now that's an interesting issue. My camshaft position sensor ,if i'm thinking of the right one, it's on the side of the timing cover towards the front (bumper) of the engine. It shows some kind of oil seepage around it and our plan was to eventually fix it, but since we had no issue with it already we were going to let it be. We did order the O ring for it from the dealer and expect it sometime this week. I'll see if we can wiggle it / test it etc... I really really hope that's it since i think the entire sensor isnt much more than 70 bucks from the dealer.

 

Well we checked the camshaft position sensor plug, and wiring, it seemed ok. We are not getting a check engine light, would a faulty sensor generate a code? Even if we cant get the engine started? Maybe we'll pull the plug, clean it off and reinstall it.

 

Camshaft and crankshaft position sensors are 2 different ones. I was talking about the camshaft, but the crankshaft could be acting the same.

The camshaft is located on the timing chain cover, near the very top, about halway between the right bank and the left bank of the camshafts. You cannot miss it.

 

i think your car is flooded. pull the fuel pump fuse and crank it for 10-15 seconds at a time. try pumping the pedal at the same time.

 

All the plugs were wet when we pulled them, then we turned it over and let the cyl's and plugs dry out overnight. Car make a whir whir, chug, whir, whir, chug. with the chug the sound like it wants to start. Too bad i cant type the noise as we hear it

 

Sounds reasonable...I'd give this a shot.

 

Well we tried pulling the fuel pump fuse, then we cranked it for a couple minutes to clear out whatever may be in there, put the fuse back in and the car sounded like it really wanted to start but never would. Any more ideas??!!!!!!

 

if you have access to a DMM beep out all your fuses.

it is so much faster using an ohm meter than pulling out each one individually.

i had a no start on my brothers old 95 max gle and after troubleshooting it i found out there was a short on the motor mount electronic sensor that was blowing a certain fuse. disconnected the sensor and swapped in a new fuse and it started right up.

good luck

 

Does anyone know if the ECU needs a start to throw codes?

To elaborate the question:

If I pull a coilpack, along with my fuel pump fuse and attempt to start the engine, will I get a missfire code, or does the ECU need at least 1 real start to process and throw a code?

 

IF your engine is flooded, if i recall correctly, hit the gas while you start the car. Try it and see what happens. I also think that it is your crankor camshaft pos sensor

 

I talked to a tech at a nissan dealership. He said if the camshaft position sensor is malfunctioning/bad then the plugs wouldnt be sparking (since that sensor tells the computer when they spark apparently) And he said it would likely throw an engine code. and there are no CEL codes and the plugs are sparking.

 

Where is the motormount electronic sensor you are talking about, I'd like to check it.

 

Anyone know where that motormount electronic sensor he was talking about is???

 

i sent you a pm through yahoo messenger

 

New Info:

http://forums.maxima.org/showthread.php?t=286067