|3ourne

Hey guys, I could really use some help here. In the past couple of weeks or so , my 97 GLE has one three separate occassions , refused to start. The third time , it never came back on. So right now its sitting at a gas station near my work.

It goes through the normal starting sequence , where you crank the engine and you hear the starter whir and catch. But nothing after that . Its almost as if the engine is starved for fuel. A couple of friends told me that its the fuel pump gone bad. But I need your advice. Anyone has had the same experience ? In between these occurances , it started just fine .

Help me out here guys !!

Snypa

iTrader: (35)

This could be about anything,However Your buddies might just be right. Has the pump ever been changed.? How many miles on the car.? Try blowing through the fuel filter and check if the pump failed.

|3ourne

the fuel filter is fairly new. Like about 10000 miles on it. The car has a total of 125k miles on it. I bought it used , so I have no idea whether it has been replaced or not. One of my friends say that it might be moisture under the distributor cap or something. I honestly have no clue about whether thats true or not. But are you supposed to hear your fuel pump priming up when you twist the key into on position ? Like not crank the engine but just let the car be in on.

Also I have had a CEL for a couple of weeks now but its for the MAF. Already checked the codes. Could that cause something like this ?

cedric

Please disconnect MAF sensor and try starting. if it doesnt start try the following assuming that no MIL is shown. Also I assume that the engine compression is OK (i.e. not an oil burner or smoker). Also check if you have fuel in the tank.
1. Check the battery by using another to jump start the car. If the battery is weak it will not provide enough current for all the systems to function while the starter is operating. If this solves the problem replace the battery and check charging system. Next step -
2. Check the fuel pressure when the engine has been stopped for some time. Easy way to do this is to switch on the ignition, then wait for about 5 seconds, switch it off then repeat this a few times (say 5), then start the engine. You should also be able to here the fuel pump coming on for a about a couple of seconds. Also once the engine has started switch off and Immediately crank again. If it starts without a problem you may have a leaky fuel line or an issue with the fuel pump or fuel pump relay. Next step -
3. Crank the engine while the throttle is pressed 1/3 way in. If this solves the problem please check the throttle opener unit and wiring. This supplies extra air for starting. Next step -
3. Put the transmission in Neutral (assuming that this is an auto gearbox) and move the gear lever a little and start it. If this solves the issue you may have to adjust the linkage and check and replace the Park/Neutral position switch. Next step -
5. If none of these solves the problem the Crank position sensor and other related sensor malfunctions could cause the problem. However these should show a MIL. So check if the MIL lamp is working.All the best and hope this helps?

Max Noob

iTrader: (5)

i had my first bad starter at about 110k. second one went bad at around 170k.

whether or not its the maf, you should fix that soon. my maf went dead at around 150k and it was hell on the freeway. the maf would do dumb stuff on me while cruising and my engine would sputter. my car sputtered all the way home.

|3ourne

the starter is less than 5000 miles old . I don't think the MAF can cause the car to just not start at all. Battery is a new one as well. I cannot hear the fuel pump come on. How loud is the noise ? and for how long ?

sureal00

iTrader: (2)

i had that problem and found out it was the evap canister

2da mizzax

iTrader: (4)

need more details. a bad MAF can cause buildup which in turn can cause poor/no starting. Easy to tell if it is the fuel pump or not. disconnect the line and turn the ingition to on. see a squirt? pump is good (should be anyhow).

So just to be clear, the starter engages and cranks the motor but no fire? That would eliminate the starter. pull out one of the front plugs (all 3 would be better) and look into the cylinder to see whats in there. When is the last time you changed your plugs? or checked them?

|3ourne

the plugs were changed about 20k miles ago. Haven't checked them since then. They are the NGK coppers. The MAF has been throwing a CEL only for the past couple of weeks. Yes the starter kicks in just fine , normal routine there. Its just the motor thats not catching on. What am i looking for inside the cylinder ? And how do I tell if the spark plugs need replacing ? Whats throwing me off is that other than the above stated cases , the engine cranks on absolutely fine . Good start and idle. Im close to tearing my hair out !

Thanx alot for everyone who has been trying to help. Really appreciate it guys !

ltpacct

Your problem seemed like what I got just a couple of weeks ago. Look up your CEL again. You could have a bad crank or cam position sensor. Just for the heck of it, remove the cam position sensor (the easiest to remove), clean, reinstall, and see what happen.

alset2

iTrader: (1)

I know it was mentioned befor but check to see if your fuel pump is comming on...befor you pull your hair out.

alset2

iTrader: (1)

if its quiet you might hear the fuel pump run for about 5 seconds after you turn the key to the start position, if you can get someone in the center of the back seat to listen it might help. you could also stick your head up under the side of the car under the fuel tank while someone turns the key ,there you should be able to hear the fuel pump come on...its sounds like a hummmmm.
another thing is to put your hand on the fuel pump relay to see if its working. you will feel and hear it "click" with no problem if tis working.this can cause intermitent problems.
hope this helps

|3ourne

alright , so get this. I went back to gas station where my car was parked. Got in and the car fired up in the first go !!! This is weird. So when its warm i.e. if I drove somewhere , parked for like a few mins and turned it on , it doesnt seem to work. However after sitting and cooling down for a while , it fires right up ??? Warm start issues ? And if so , what in the world could be causing this ?

alset2

iTrader: (1)

the fuel pump relay or the actual fuel pump could be the culprit. next time it wont start check to see if the relay is working.
also could be the ignition switch maybe. maybe try turning the key a little harder or even wiggling back and forht as you're trying to start it.
another thing to check is to see if it is getting spark when ever it wont start.
also you can check to see if the injectors are working.
seems like a lot of stuff but when ever it wont start these are the things you need to find out to isolate where the problem lies.
I actually start with checking for spark when I have a "engine cranks /wont start " issue.
hope this helps

Armelius

I would start by looking at the computer codes. Evap cannister sounds like a maybe. I would also check your intake and make sure everything is hooked up and connected properly.

AustinTX63

|3ourne (and other Maxima gurus)

Did you figure out the problem with your Maxima?

I have a 1998 with the exact same warm start issue. I've had the fuel pump itself and temp sensor changed. Also, I had the fuel pressure regulator done.

When my mechanic had it, he was able to reproduce the problem once... he did have fuel pressure (as measured by a gauge) but was not getting spark... Eventually (with cranking on it) spark returned and the car started and ran fine.

The car runs great, starts great in the cold every morning, runs great on the highway.

However, sometimes, if I start the car, drive it, shut it off and return 5 minutes later... You can crank the engine forever without so much as a sputter. Sometimes I can wait about 15 minutes, try again, and miraculously, it will start.

I could really use the help, because I love the car, but it is becoming a liability for me.

The car is throwing no codes. The MAF is the original, but I can't see how it would cause these symptoms (again, if it is running, it runs like a top, it just has problems with warm starts... sometimes).

Could the crank sensor cause this? I thought the fuel pump relay was a good idea, but since the mechanic is getting fuel pressure while the car is symptomatic... it would seem that it is an issue with spark.

d1max2nv

iTrader: (5)

Sounds to me like the starter. I know you said you replaced it, but the ones from discount or autozone go out really quick. I had the same problem mines sounded like the starter was fine, and the car would crack and crack and crack but not start replaced the starter and never had a problem again.

AustinTX63

Thanks for the reply.

However, the starter works fine... The engine turns over, however it will not run when it is having its warm start issue.

Thanks again.

AustinTX63

Well... This thread got bumped today and it looks very similar to my problem. I'm going to give the ground wires a shot and repost.

http://forums.maxima.org/4th-generat...verything.html

They should make that thread a sticky (even if it doesn't fix my problem... it has upwards of 400 posts).

CMax03

iTrader: (3)

check for fuel, spark and air...... Are you getting a spark?

Hobhob26

iTrader: (3)

good luck man