Hi ppl, a few days ago the RPM gauge stopped working on my 02 maxima. Soon as that happened the car has a hard time starting up...I have to crank it for like 15 seconds straight for it to catch and start up. Anyone have any ideas as to what might have went wrong? Thanks in advance!

 

So im reading teh other threads about crank sensors and issues with starting the car.....are the rpms also determined by that sensor??? Please help.

 

The ECU determines engine rpm based on the crank sensor and sends a signal to the tachometer, a dead tachometer says there is no signal from the crank sensor. Since the engine does run, the crank sensor is working at least somewhat. If you follow the FSM, test the voltage between pin 16 of the gauge cluster and ground. (pin 16 is in the connector behind the gas gauge.) Check the voltage at idle and at 2000 rpms. The FSM does not give actual voltage values, it just says the voltage will read highter with higher rpm. If you have changing voltage at pin 16 then the gauge cluster is bad.

 

Thanks for the detailed explenation. So is it possible that the crank sensor is good but the cluster guage is bad and thats why the car does not want to start normally? Meaning the ECU knows there is a problem with the rpm guage and therefor its not working properly??? I

 

Cps is bad. Just had the same problem.

 

Or the cps harness

 

The crank sensor is very possibly the cause of your starting problem. Some people have luck with cleaning the crank sensors, but most don't. Get the starting problem taken care of and maybe with a stronger signal, the tachometer will be working.

If you haven't read this thread already, do it. It has dome interesting pieces of information.

http://forums.maxima.org/5th-generat...n-learned.html

 

Thank you guys...will try that out.