Saddles

iTrader: (2)

So I am not sure I should start a new thread, I've been absent from the forums for a long time and there seem to be a ton of stickies about thread control - necessary I understand

Just purchased the 95 and had this thread going: http://forums.maxima.org/4th-generat...g-4th-gen.html and now I must move on to the fix it part.

Diagnosing the beast:

Car starts up immediately, usually rpms are low for a moment - 500 or so, and then the car will come to an idle at 800. The exhaust seems to come out as a puff puff puff, no smoke. Working the accelerator the car does rev up and seems to "lag" (watching tach and while driving).

I have some comments in that thread about codes, I am starting fresh as I hadn't considered that I most likely caused the maf code I saw when I was unplugging the maf to test.

I put new spark plugs in the car today as well as a new fuel filter. Nice burnt plugs and nice orange gas/ particulate in the filter. While I had all the tools out and was at it I unplugged each coil one by one. Only 3 of the coils seemed to have an effect on the way the car was running. I have not looked up which is cylinder one, so I will describe the cylinders as you look under the hood from the front of the car. The 2 passenger side cylinders on the front of the motor, when their coils were unplugged, there was no effect on the way the motor ran. Also, the 1st cylinder on the passenger side on the rear of the motor had no effect. Unplugging coils from all other cylinders nearly killed the car. I swapped coils between a cylinder that seemed to be firing and one that did not. The symptoms did not change. The same cylinders had impact on the running of the car when unplugged as before changing the coil positions. This was a bit..disappointing. Should I move injectors position to position to see if they have any impact?

I have began receiving a CEL. I have replicated two codes twice by clearing the ECU and allow the car to run until CEL was relit. They are 0304 - Knock Sensor and 0701 - Multiple Cylinder Misfire. I should also note that I have a little stretch of driveway and I've been taking the car to get my mail lol to get fluids flowing around again as it has been sitting 5-6 months and the CEL will blink on and off at random times. Sometimes on immediately off, sometimes on for a bit, then off, back on, etc.

Off to research the .Org some more!

EDIT: I ran down the A/T transmission code retrieval per the FSM and I received the code for the VSS.

ShocknAwe

iTrader: (3)

multiple cylinder code could be quite a few things such as:
1)improper spark plug
2)insufficient compression
3)incorrect fuel pressure
4)EGR valve
5)injector circuit is open or shorted
6)Injectors
7)intake air leaks
8)ignition secondary circuit is open or shorted
9)lack of fuel
10)Magnetized signal plate(flywheel)

So check all of the things you can. Im doing the same thing at the moment but im beginning to think I have a leaky EGR dating back to the spacer install. I dropped a bolt and had to use a different one lol. GL

Saddles

iTrader: (2)

Thanks ShocknAwe!

Straight from the FSM! Now I know why its referenced to as the "bible" around here. I located the procedure and I will run through as much as I can tomorrow night after work. Took Friday off, it was 80 degrees here today and suppost to be then too. (Record highs) I'll definately get something going then.

DennisMik

iTrader: (2)

If you need to download a FSM, go here:

http://boredmder.com/FSMs/Nissan/Maxima

Saddles

iTrader: (2)

Today I am not getting the code though conditions haven't changed much, car seems like it's fighting to run right. Almost seems to smooth out for just seconds at a time.

I am working through the procedures in the FSM on EC180-183, I have to get some guages and research the EGR system as I haven't had to play with one before.

1) Spark plugs are new, cheap ones, but NGK from Oreilly...
2) No way to check compression yet
3) No way to check fuel pressure yet
4) Researching EGR to see how to properly test / clean
5) Front injectors testing good
6) Listened to injectors with a screw driver and heard a click click click, unplugging them I still hear it? Wrong click?
7) Sprayed carb cleaner lightly along intake and vaccuum lines and did not notice any change in idle. There is a loud air noise, sounds like my old 4th gen with a CAI on it through the stock airbox. Loudest in middle of intake near the rear. Spraying here had no effect.
8) At one point today I received blink code 2 -1 for the Ignition Circuit. Still researching.
9) Need to pull an injector still
10) Hope I don't make it this far.

So I didn't make it through a ton of stuff. But I did verify spark on the cylinders that unplugging coils didn't seem to effect.

Also, letting the car idle...I turned the A/C on just to see what would happen under a load like this. The car of course dropped in RPMs...it sputtered between 400 and 800 for quite a while and eventually died. Checking codes retrieved blink code 8-1 for EVAP canister purge control valve/solenoid valve.

I didn't think EvAP could cause issues like this? Maybe I just have mutiple things going on here. EVAP is at top of procedure I suppose anyway so I am going to focus here.

Saddles

iTrader: (2)

I feel kinda stupid...

In testing the injectors (just tested front 3 since unplugging 2/3 front cylinders had no impact on car idling) All I could get out of the injectors was say 139.5 then to "1" or if I went to a higher setting (200k) I got 0.32 0.07 0.07 left to right across the front bank of injectors.

Am I doing something wrong here? Or is that one injector for sure out of tolerance?

It is one of the cylinders that I suspect is misfiring but the middle one is also...

Saddles

iTrader: (2)

Nothing is in spec. From that my guess is that the fuel injectors are causing the issue, cylinder 1 in the rear probably isn't firing. The coils are failing but probably are all firing?

Unplugging cylinder 2 in the front of the motor now affects the idle, this makes sense because the car is running better now than when I picked it up, probably fiddling with it has allowed the injector to work at least some what.

All testing was done with multimeter set on mega ohm range. Leads showed 1 when not connected to anything and -0.00 when leads were directly touched together.

maxtrax

I had a similar problem. All of a sudden one day I got rough idle. It seemed to run OK, except for rough idle. I kept driving it, then I could see white smoke out the back window. I noticed the muffler had that puff puff sound. To make a long story short. The injector closest to the passenger side was filling the piston chamber with to much fuel. So much that the spark would not ignite. Luckily the car never caught on fire. The injectors have a green pintle(cap). This cap also serves to keep the o-ring seal in position. With time the cap becomes brittle, crack and fall into the engine. Two other symptoms I had were the smell of fuel when you stuck your head as far as you can between the firewall and engine. While the engine was on, you could smell fuel. So I shut off the car, lifted the front and got under. Had someone turn on the car I could see fuel seeping from where the manifold and y-pipe bolt up. I replace all the injectors on the back side. Eventually that coil pack when bad. If you can remove the injectors and check to see if you have the green cap or not. Good luck

Saddles

iTrader: (2)

So you must remove the injector from the rail to see this cap? All I can see is the red injector body itself after removing the metal plate with two screws in it. I do not believe these injectors are leaking at all. I am just thinking the ones with 0 ohms resistance are bad, may be functioning somewhat. The one that does not have a reading or 1 I believe is not working what so ever. I am thinking its time to order 6 injectors - just hoped someone could confirm this from the data I had in the chart above.

I am thinking that if after the injectors there are still issues it will be coil time since they seem out of spec as well.

I am just unsure of myself when it comes to voltages lol so I was hoping for someone to just kinda say hey yeah stupid the datas right in front of you, do what your thinking is right

Thanks for writing maxtrax!

EDIT: Are these okay? http://www.ebay.com/itm/OEM-Fuel-Inj...c97c59&vxp=mtr

Saddles

iTrader: (2)

Update: Verified injector pulse today, good pulse to all injectors. Injectors actually giving a reading other than 0 or 1 have completely different values today. And completely different values when warm as well. I am thinking all this leads to injector failure. When I began, I only had, presumed, 3 cylinders running. I now have one additionally working with no parts exchanges. I can tell this because unplugging coil/injector on a cylinder that previously didn't impact the running of the engine now does.

maxtrax

[QUOTE=Saddles;8404770]So you must remove the injector from the rail to see this cap?]

That is one way. But I would recommend, unbolting the fuel rail. This would involve having the intake manifold off. No need to remove the fuel hoses. Once it is unbolted, swing the rail to the drivers side. that is how you will see if the green cap has fallen off. If you find that one is missing, you might just find it in the lower part of the intake plenum.

Saddles

iTrader: (2)

Checked compression today...just trying to rule out everything before spending money.

105 93 94
98 93 93

Kinda low? But its low across the board?

Fuel guage I got didn't have a T fitting and I cant find where we have a service port so I guess I'm holding off on that for now.

ShocknAwe

iTrader: (3)

wow those compression numbers are scary low. Are you sure you did it right? the minimum compression for a vq30, IIRC, is 145 and 185 is normal.

Saddles

iTrader: (2)

I am sure I did it wrong now....new results taken with more intelligence:

170 110 110
170 165 170

I am scared of 3 and 5 there. Oddly enough, 1 and 2 are the cylinders not working...

I suspect I have bad injectors on 1 and 2 and something going wrong on 3 and 5 :/ Valve issues it would seem. Though, that is what I am looking up now.


At least this project has forced me to learn things I've remained ignorant of up until now. Just have to make sure I call this one wisely so it doesn't eat up the pocket big time.

ShocknAwe

iTrader: (3)

yea those 110 numbers are wacky. Something is amiss....

Saddles

iTrader: (2)

Just bumping to say car is running great! Traded a guy labor, repair his PC for injector install, just picked it up today and its running excellent! No CEL again so far. I'll recheck compression after cars been driven a bit. May not be perfect...but shes running fine after 6 new injectors and a knock sensor.

GF drove it home and she said she obtained 4th gear on the short pavement distance back to the house. But I did notice the O/D light blink 16 times. I am searching this now.

I successfully pulled codes from the TCM before and the code was from the VSS from what I could gather. I will probably reset the TCM and drive it again and repull codes... Speedo seems to work okay.

Thanks for everyones help!