okay..after searching the thread I see that quite a few others have had the same problem. It seems the problem/solution can be narrowed down to (forgive my car ignorance) some sort of sensor problem or mating surface issues between the trans and engine.

I'm dealing with this problem right now..here's my issue. I have a 98 automatic maxima GLE with 186k on it.

About a couple months ago I had noticed the car would take a bit longer to crank than usual but it would start up and run fine. Then 2 weeks ago, I cold started the car went to the laundromat put in the loads then went to lowes (2 starts no problem) after about 20 minutes came out of lowes and cranked the car (3rd start)...no start. Lot of whirring but nothing. after about 10 minutes it started right up and no problem since then..until yesterday (6/5)

That time I cold started the car no problem, dropped my mother off at her workshop got in the car to start again (2nd start) lotta crank sounds but nothing.. again waited about 10 minutes it started right up so I took it STRAIGHT to my mechanic. We both tried to recreate the issue by turning off and on the car but it would start up no problem so he suggested replacing the ground wire with 5 volt power supply. The car started up a few times after that no problem.

Today I did the same routine, cold started the car dropped mom off got back in it took two turns on the ignition to start but it did..I was on my way to work..turn a soft corner and the engine DIES..lights on the dash light up and its hard to steer. I drift to the shoulder and the car will crank but not start. This time it takes a 20-30 minute wait to start the car.

Now my mechanic suggested a total intake system clean: His written suggestion: CLEAN INTAKE - RUN INTAKE CLEANER THRU INTAKE - CLEAN THROTTLE BODY - REMOVE INTAKE DUCT AND SPRAY CLEAN THROTTLE BODY. SPRAY CHEMICAL. Also he wants to hold the car for 2 days to see if he can catch the issue as it happens.

My question is has anyone who has the same issue definitively solved what this problem is? I don't have a lot of money for what amounts to exploratory surgery.

Any help greatly appreciated.

 

I do not agree with your Mechanics assessment and recommendations at all.

Warm start problems can be many things. I'd look at the ECTS (Engine Coolant Temperature sensor), a $30 part and will take your Mechanic no more than 30 minutes to replace, if determined to be bad. Have your mechanic use his multimeter and test it and see if it's within OEM specs. What you described happened to me about a year ago. It was my ECTS sensor.

As far as the tranny ground which you eluded to in the first part of your post, run two new grounds off the tranny bellhousing. Any cheap wire (even cheap 50 cents speaker wire) would do the trick for testing purposes.

 

The mating surfaces issue tends to happen to cars with manual transmissions because clutch replacement involves dis-connecting the tranny from the engine.

Your car is automatic, and I assume it has never had its tranny opened, so the mating surfaces issue probably does not apply to you.

Your problem is way easier to fix than that, fortunately. Try what Wizard suggests.

 

thanx for the quick reply.. The ECTS seems to be the most consistent point of issue with problem. The thing that got me was, yesterday I asked specifically if the car would conk on me on the street and he said nope. And today it did.

Tomorrow I'm gonna do the sensor check. I love this car but I'm really getting to the end of my rope with it..I try to keep it up but is this the beginning of some sort of systemic issue where fixing one thing means something else is gonna go bad shortly and the nickle and diming begins?

Anyone else have any thoughts?

that takes a load off my mind SERIOUSLY..THANK YOU!!!

 

True, but do we and the OP know ALL the history of repairs on this car? Maybe the tranny has been worked on at some point. Plus, the solution is basically free and only takes minutes to do.

 

This.

 

so I should get the tranny connection checked even tho its a automatic?

 

I don't buy the transmission connection issue, logically it makes no sense at all. There is no way you can tell me that the huge bolts that connect the trans, bell housing to the engine block don't provide adequate continuity, even if the surface is dirty. Doesn't make any sense.

There are many things that can cause a no start condition. You need 3 things to start an engine, air, fuel and ignition. When a no start condition happens, determine which one of the 3 or actually 2 (air should be a given) you don't have, then troubleshoot that system.

 

Would take that long with 3 fingers and you other arm duct taped to your back.

 

Most definitely. His point wasn't auto vs manual, just the fact that most automatic transmissions don't get worked on as often as manuals. Point being, this problem happens to automatics too.

The following story happened about 5 years ago on my friends Maxima. My friend had his auto transmission worked on...About 2 months after the work, starting issues started occurring and his Max ultimately stopped starting one day. After taking it to 3 different Nissan dealers, and 3 reputable shops, no one could figure it out. After a thousand dollars was spent between diagnosing the problem and throwing money at random parts over the course of a year, it all boiled down to grounding the tranny bellhousing properly. He found some old crappy thin speaker wire laying around in the garage, hooked it up, and BOOM, the Max started right up and has been fine the last 5 years with that same crappy cheap wire. Since the starting problem started 2 months after the work was done, we didn't put two and two together and realize that the original repair shop was the cause of this problem. Turns out, the first shop didn't clean the bellhousing properly/sufficiently.

It's pretty well documented now on the org that the transmission needs to be properly grounded.

 

LOL. True. I felt like being generous for the sake of the mechanic

 

just to give some recent history... last year I had a new starter installed. Earlier this year a new alternator..a new section of tail pipe and right rear brake and caliper done with the inspection.

You guys said it could be many things...if its not the ECTS and/or tranny bell housing issue.. what else could be suspected?

just an idea of what to be on the look out for?

 

piggy backing but might be good info for the OP. Also this may be a DUMB question.

When using a test ground or extra grounds in general are you all just running a wire from the bell housing to the frame somewhere? or do you have to route it back to the negative terminal?

 

The starter bolts are the crucial ones, make sure those are clean and in tightly, left em loose on my last 6mt swap, took me forever to figure it out, even sometimes the starter would grind.

 

Did he clean your battery terminals and all the existing grounds (including the one under the battery tray)? That's pretty basic, but you didn't mention it, and the fact that it died suggests you might have a bad connection somewhere in there.

 

yeah that was done but the problem persisted that is until....


FOLLOW UP

The cam shaft position sensor was the culprit. it was replaced on june 7 and as of july 8 the car as been running totally normal.


I guess that can be added to the list of possible reasons for warm start issues.

thanx fellas for your suggestions it really helped!

 

This issue I have been aware of in the 5th gen forums which had the same symptoms but was the Camshaft sensors causing them.

 

Thread title is misleading. I just had my camshaft position sensor replaced while on a road trip. The car started dying while i was driving it--like the ECU just cut fuel. I could not restart the engine until it cooled for 10 minutes. At first I thought it was overheating because we were driving in the desert, but no. Stealership pulled CPS code and said it was totally bad. However, I have had the warm start problem for years and this did not change at all after replacing the CPS. It's not a big deal, but annoying: car starts fine when hot or cold, but when warm (after sitting for 30 minutes to 2-3 hours) it takes 2 cranks to get going. This is the infamous warm start problem. Search for other threads on this topic in the 4th gen forum: I think a couple of components have been linked to this problem, but it seems to me that CPS is unlikely to cause it (though of course it can cause the car not to crank at all).

 

It should be the ECTS.

 

FOLLOW UP TO THE FOLLOW UP

Its been a month since the last report and the car is still going strong...you can say whatever you want but since replacing the cam shaft position sensor I haven't had a problem (thank G-d)..