Hi guys. Back with my 92 gxe giving me more tough love.


I'll try to keep this story short.


1. Car was idling loud and rough (heavy vibration while at a stop light).


2. Installed a new plenum gasket while changing the fuel injector that was dead.


3. Installed all new spark plugs, spark plug wires, and a new rotor tip (other one had black marks on the tip).





Immediately after putting on the new spark plug wires, the car is running like a dream.

I drive for about 2 minutes, stop at the atm for 1 minute, get back in the car, and she won't start. Lights all come on and seatbelt pulls on, but no cranking. I get out and wiggle the spark plug wires to make sure they are all in tight, get back in, and she starts up. BUT. She's not riding as well as she just was. She's still quiet, and the vibration is low, but i had a taste of what she was like running perfect, and now she's back to how she was before the fuel injector change.


When driving, it definitely is a slow start-up. I'll update you when shifting times but i can say that if i try to press the gas mid/heavy, the tachometer will almost stick as it rises higher and higher. It will stick,rise,stick,rise over and over until it reaches whatever speed.

Can we post videos here?



Anyways here are my questions. I'm dull so please bare with me.



1. How do i know if i (still) have a misfire?


2. How do i know if i installed the spark plugs correctly?(i don't believe in myself)


3. Anyone know why my acceleration is still sucky? I'm not trying to be speed racer or anything, but i know what my max is putting out now is just ridiculous.


thanks guise

 

-next time it wont even crank, put it in neutral and try to start it. could be the shifter bushing, when mine completely gave out i couldnt crank it in park because it wouldnt recognize the shifter being in park. hard to start it in neutral

-spark plugs are hard to screw up, put them hand tight and thats it. did you for sure route the spark plug wires correctly? if you misconnect 1 it will still run but like ***** from the misfire

-should do all the injectors at once on these preferably with new ones if money allows

does the trans feel like its one constant speed and not shifting? if so that could be the torque converter locking 3rd gear

 

Unscrewed spark plugs and re-did them hand tight. Spark plug wires all lined up accordingly and in the rotor snug and deep.

Gonna drive it again and see how how it feels soon.

 

for giggles check that your distributor cap is tight and undamaged as well, had that on my Supra where i changed the cap and it ran like complete ***** a few weeks later. turned out the cap was cracked on the back side and causing it

 

Also just checked the gaping on the plugs. Set them at.039 inches. I thought i heard .044 from somewhere on this site but the book i had told me .039 so i narrowed the gap.

The best way i think i can describe it is that the tachometer is ticking like a cheap mechanical watch instead of "flowing" like an expensive automatic watch.


The car shifts from first probably at 1250, can really feel it vibrate and struggle here.


Then shifts from second probably at 2125. No shaking, but you can feel it "rock"(can't think of a better word) back and forth slightly.

Same thing going into third.


One other quick note; When i'm parked and i rev the engine (no higher then 4000) it is smooth except for when around 1250-1500. When it's up in the 2000s and 3000s, but when it falls back down to 1000 i can hear and feel a small vibration around 1250 until it hits 1000 flat.

Thanks for the replies guies. Gonna check the distributor cap today, that might need to be the next thing i change.

 

As Chrome said spark plugs are a little hard to mess up. Just gotta make sure you dont cranks em down too tight and snap one but if you did the injector yourself on the other hand they can be a little more challenging then changing the plugs. Make sure the injector you changed is seated properly. If its not it can allow to much fuel to leak into the cylinder making it a little harder to crank over and can cause a misfire aswell. I noticed you put in brackets i don't believe in myself. Believe in yourself and have some confidense It's a learning curve and things can be fixed. Everyone makes a mistake every once in awhile besides we all wouldn't be on here asking one another for advise and helping each other out if we were all perfect.

 

new cap is the next cheapest place to go

 

Is there excess shaft play in the distributor? Perhaps the coil is on its way out. Could be a number of things. Assuming the gauge isn't faulty, I'd continue on diagnosing the ignition system.

 

Thanks acgap

Short story that may be related to the problem. When me and my coworker were putting in the fuel injector we couldn't get it to straight POP(reverse suction idk) IN, so he took the injector cover and put it over it and screwed the two screws in so the force pushed it down. (sorry if i described this terribly)


Took a quick 10 minute drive to get something to eat last night and while waiting in the drive thru my (door open. Driver window doesnt work) i noticed how loud my car was squeaking. Cut it off; turned overdrive off to see if there'd be a difference, cut it back on really quick and car won't start!

To be more specific the lights all worked but when i try to crank her up i hear no cranking, just a single CLICK and nothing else.


1. Last time this happened i gave the spark plug wires a wiggle and that worked. Tried that and got nothing.

2. Tried to put the car in neutral and start, and in drive and start. Neither worked.

3. Was raining lightly so i checked the distibutor cap for any moisture (lost one of the three screws holding it down last week) or cracks in the cap and it looks brand new. The new rotor tip does look a little burnt on one side though.

Turned off the radio and checked the battery to see if the two wires were loose and they were TIGHT. Got back in and she started up with no problem.

Could you elaborate a little more mrgone. The rotor tip does not wiggle when the car is off but it does rotate left to right a very small amount. (NOTHING like this-https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GX9rb_qW03M)


I did notice last night that when i took the dist. cap off that the rotor tip was pointing towards the right instead of straight. Isn't it always supposed to be pointing straight when the car is off?

Right now mine is pointing more towards spark plug #3.

 

If all your other windows work pull the door panel off of the drivers side and replace the window regulator and motor. Sounds like when you checked your connection on the battery the car started so even though they seemed tight when you checked them make sure you are getting a proper connection. Take a socket and tighten em down.

 

Will do. Should have mentioned that the window hasn't worked since i got the car

 

I recorded this video yesterday messing with the fuel rail(is that what it's called?) and the spark plug wires.


I may be crazy but @0:12 seconds when wiggling the fuel rail wire i heard a smidgen of change in the engine noise.

Is it possible that there is a short in that wire and it is causing the acceleration problems? You can notice @0:46 that the black rubber covering the wires has dry cracked, so i covered them with electrical tape.

I also pulled the spark plug wires and they all do the "engine gets quieter when a wire is disconnected" thing. Does that contradict the "might be a short" theory, or would those two be unrelated?

 

Pulling the wires one at a time is definitely going to change the idle. Same goes for pulling injector plugs but by wiggling the injector wires a little shouldn't really do anything but you have to remember our harnesses are over 20 yrs old and get corroded. Check the connectors to see if they're a little green on the prongs. Sounds like you have the 89-92 injector connectors. Use the search bar and look for the 93-94 connector upgrade thread. They are a much better connector. I have the same issue and am debating whether to do the upgrade or go all out and order a completely new engine room harness.

 

If i could keep this thread alive a little bit more i think i've found a better way to describe the vertex of the problem in a simple way.



When i'm driving the car and accelerating; the car will get stuck at a certain point and won't shift upwards for a couple seconds.


For example; when essentially "flooring it" the tachometer will get stuck around 2150rpm, and although it will SOUND like its flooring it, and the mph will keep rising, the rpm will stick at one spot until i press it harder and it will immediately jump up to around 3250rpm

 

so it feels like the transmission is slipping?

 

I'm not sure. I looked through this thread and i'm suspecting that it IS slipping.

https://maxima.org/forums/3rd-genera...ing-issue.html



Will post a video in 1st, 2nd, drive and O/D off if you guys aren't tired of me yet.



I suppose in the mean-time i'll go pick up a bottle of that lucas non-slip transmission stuff :/

 

nevermind guys. Pulled the plugs again and found out i have another misfire. Welp!

 

Ray try checking courtesy nissan online. I believe the sub harness for the front 3 injectors 2,4 and 6 is still available. I was able to get one at my local dealer for 80 cdn. That should atleast look after your change with wiggling the connectors at the injector problem as i had the same issue and the new harness definately helped. That sub harness for the front 3 injectors is plug and play. If you take your time you can get the connector on/off of the injector that's under the intake manifold without having to remove the intake manifold.