Hello .Org,

So I'm helping a friend with his 5.5 gen Maxima and we have a crank/no start issue.

Per our traditional testing of fuel air spark this is what I have so far.

Fuel pump primes.
Injectors are clicking.
We do NOT have spark.
Car cranks but doesn't fire.
Codes: P0221.
Fuses, relays, sensors are good, connected correctly.

Any help would be greatly appreciated, thank you.

 

You can test the throttle body to see if it opens. Just turn the ignition to the ON position...put the car into gear, and put something on the gas pedal to hold it down. With the intake tubing off, see if the butterfly opens. If it doesn't then you have a problem there.

Hooking up a code reader could also help you, because chances are the car will throw a code after trying to crank so many times without success.

You also might want to make sure the transponder system is working properly. If the security light comes on, then that's no good. If the car has a remote starter installed into it, then that's also a good place to look.

 

We'll be testing the TB tonight using that method.

I did not see the security light come on.

Anything else I can check?

 

Check in the FSM, see my signature. The throttle body valve will open/close when you turn the ignition ON, so get someone to listen under the hood when the ignition is turned ON.

Going from there I'm afraid you'll have to start electrical component testing. Again, the FSM will have all the relevant information. I would start with ignition switch and work your way to the engine.

 

My TB/one injector messed up too but car starts... My symptoms are high rpm and I have a service engine light on...

if car is cranking but no start couldn't that be issue with the starter?

 

Okay. Thank you.

No.

 

How could it be the starter if the starter is working?

^^^^ how could it be starter if starter is working?

 

are you 100% sure you are getting spark?

from what i can tell spark is what usually is cut first if there is a issue with sensors/ no singal.

have you tried starting fluid? if your getting spark n no fuel itll run on starting fluid for a sec or so


unplug the brake booster hose and see if it runs, that will help with a "air" issue.



back story on the car? one morning this happened? or i was modding the car and now it wont run..

 

OK Update so the TB is working.

Darren thank you for your input. Car has been sitting for awhile and refusing to fire. It has fresh gasoline (half tank). We haven't put a scanner to it yet.

In all honesty I do not think it has spark. We will be looking at that closer once I can see some pending codes.

 

I was having problems with my car dying at start/idle. Would stay running after i stomped gas a little. It was fixed when I put the new NWP TB on. TB was obviously the problem as the old one was dirty inside. made me feel like a tard as I tolerated the idle issue for over a year.

 

MAF sensor? Of all the times I have had a bad MAF, only about half the times a code came for it.

 

yeah if thats the case then you can about guarantee no spark. most likely cam sensor issue, or something else cutting the spark off in the ecu.

 

Update.

Only code P0221, after speaking with a knowledgeable .Org member he had suggested for me to replace the accelerator pedal sensor/gas pedal. I will be replacing this today.

The car does NOT have spark. The TB motor is doing a full cycle once you turn the key to the off position, however it is NOT responding to the gas pedal when the car is in gear. It will not respond to any relearns.

Does anybody have additional information on the TB circuitry and how it affects spark if at all? I have had two reputable sources tell me yes, and SurraTT has advised me that it doesn't.

The camshaft and crankshaft sensors were cleaned and tested for resistance and they test fine per the procedures and specifications in the FSM.

 

I'm fairly certain the TB we replaced is DOA. My friend moved the butterfly valve before we installed it, and it is not responding to inputs when the key is ON and the car is in gear. Still have code P0221 after clearing it comes right back.

In other news I have checked the following.

Coilpacks are getting +12v power, continuity to ground, and signal while cranking.
Cam sensors & crank sensor are getting +12v power, continuity to ground, and signal while cranking.
Fuses and relays are good.

The most confusing thing about this is, the coilpacks are getting voltage and signal, however when I test for spark by grounding a plug against the body of the car, there is no spark.

I am getting another TB to try.

 

Bump. Anybody have any suggestions on this?

 

Morning Maxima.org,

The issue has been resolved, for some reason, the UTEC was killing spark.

It was hardwired to the ECU, so I disconnected the UTEC and hooked the factory ECU back up, and the car fired up.

Fixed the P0221 and the e-gas is operational.

Thank you everybody for your help.

 

plug and play is the only way to go. dont hardwire in !

 

Stupid question, what's the utec? I have a 2000 maxima with a 3.0 engine. I have very little spark or fuel/gas. I changed the cam and crank sensors and still nothing. Now i have no fuel at all, I don't hear the fuel pump and i don't hear the fuel pump relay click. Now i get one single spark when I crank the engine trying to start the car.

The way i checked for spark was by disconnecting the spark plug wire from the spark plug and grounding the spark plug wire with a screw driver to metal.

Could this be the ecu that's bad. To what I've heard the ecu controls both the fuel pump and spark. Also heard that the imobilizer ( security ) cuts off both fuel and spark, but the security light shuts off when i turn the key in the ignition. So I'm lost and would love some insight of what it could be.

 

To clarify, i have very little spark and no fuel... never had fuel.

 

Have you checked your fuses? A bad injector fuse will kill the signal going to the fuel pump.

After you crank on the car for awhile, can you remove a spark plug and see if it smells like fuel?

You only get one spark? Which crank sensor did you change? The 2000-01 models have one by the crankshaft pulley (pass. side) and one in the transmission.