95 Maxima no spark no start. Cranks fine

[ulremember]

Hello to all.
I am working on a friends Maxima which decide to die in his driveway. I first ASSUMED it was the fuel pump. So we changed it. Duh, I should have checked for spark first. When I did, I pulled the coil pack and grounded it with a screwdriver. No spark.

In the past he has had a problem with a "sputter" on take off on when turning a corner in second gear (manual trans.). I hear the new fuel pump spinning nicely where as the old one did not sound as robust.

I am going to check the Crank Sensor next. Now what are the chances that the ECU died.. Someone has tried to pull codes and could not communicate with the ECU. They recommended replacing it for the sputter. Could not find one.

Does anyone have any knowledge as to what could be going on?

Any suggestions are welcomed!
Blessings to all who have read!

Chuck Butler Jr.

[Nahkapohjola]

Originally Posted by ulremember

Hello to all.
I am working on a friends Maxima which decide to die in his driveway. I first ASSUMED it was the fuel pump. So we changed it. Duh, I should have checked for spark first. When I did, I pulled the coil pack and grounded it with a screwdriver. No spark.

In the past he has had a problem with a "sputter" on take off on when turning a corner in second gear (manual trans.). I hear the new fuel pump spinning nicely where as the old one did not sound as robust.

I am going to check the Crank Sensor next. Now what are the chances that the ECU died.. Someone has tried to pull codes and could not communicate with the ECU. They recommended replacing it for the sputter. Could not find one.

Does anyone have any knowledge as to what could be going on?

Any suggestions are welcomed!
Blessings to all who have read!

Chuck Butler Jr.

Thks for the blessings...

Check out that ECU has +12V /and/ GND at its connecor. Maybe Acc is lost on route: ign switch is a common place for failure - try bypassing it.

Fuses have to be measured or swapped...

Rotating crank sensor when ign ON will result in injector click. Listen. If u can hear, that tells that ECU is at least partly alive, gets power.
edit: On the other hand, crank is already enabled by ECU, so it has to get power: start is enabled via inhibit relay (relay box under hood) if alarm, clutch or A/T selector, brk -switches are ON.

Nospark measurement: One or more coilpacks can be semi-dead ("They recommended replacing it for the sputter."), common VQ-engine problem, never heard all six go simultaneously. Use old plug in the test, ground it on engine, test on multiple coilpacks.

Connectors, broken harness? See link for connector cleanup etc.

[ulremember]

Thank you Nahkapohjola! I had thought about the ign switch. I had to change one a while ago now that you mention it! Thanks again
Blessings!

[ulremember]

Well Happy New Years and I am back on The Ol Nissan Maxima. I have tried the diagnostic "turning of the Screw" on ECU. There are no lights lighting. I see the window, but no lights. I removed covers and saw no sign of shorts or "burnouts". I had worked on a Max where the heater core had leaked in side and shorted it.
But I have read a lot of your post regarding similar problems (you are a very helpful person Thank You!), and you mentioned the ECCS Relay. I cannot find the bugger. Any ideas as to where it is?
SECONDLY!!!! Alarm had been doing weird things like "going off" in the early mornings. I now see that the "security light" is flashing with doors closed and key out. If you put the key in and put in run position, light goes off. No start no spark. The lock cylinder has been changed a long time ago. Do not know if key has chip in it. One Grey and One Black.

As always, any help is GREATLY APPRECIATED!

Blessings

Chuck aka ulremember

[ulremember]

Also, will check cam sensor (EASY)! Any other suggestions?
Blessings

[Nahkapohjola]

Originally Posted by ulremember

Also, will check cam sensor (EASY)! Any other suggestions?
Blessings

Relay boxes: near battery plus another on the other side... First there has to be some life in ECU. Check the +12V supply voltage and GND up to ECU connector. Check all fuses (swap or measure each one with multimeter).

The alarm can inhibit the relay from delivering power to starter circuit (still there should be pwr in the ECU when ign ON). Note that starter solenoid can be energized directly with xtra bypass wire from batt... but cranking wont help as long as no juice in ECU (=no spark).

(As far as I know, no chips in keys before 2k. But I am no authority in this issue...)

Cam sensor check: When power is delivered, rotating cam sensor by hand produces audible clicks from the injectors.

I sent mail to your account , check

[ulremember]

Thank you Nahkapohjola!!!!!!!!!
Will Check !!!!

[Nahkapohjola]

Originally Posted by ulremember

Thank you Nahkapohjola!!!!!!!!!
Will Check !!!!

Thks for thks

Power Polarity Safety Relay

Not knowing the history, I want to remind of the safety feature which may be broken and inhibit ECU power supply: there is a relay guarding against wrong battery polarity which can 'jam' as any other relay.

For myriad reasons the car battery has to be changed. If in the installation someone installs the battery the wrong way, causing +plus pole to be connected to ground etc - this will burn 'all electronics' in the vehicle. To guard this, there is the safety relay.

In -93 3rd gen Maxima, this relay is located in the trunk, rear panel, beside drivers side lamp - under the panel. Actually there are two; the other is for the fuel pump.

I've never heard anyone complaining about this; but if there is no pwr in ECU ... through this is one ctrl point the ECU supply pwr is delivered... I guess all other functions are still ok when this relay fails.

[ulremember]

Thank you! Here at the "scene of confusion", here is what I have just Nah (if I may?).
For one thing, There are NO LED'S in this ecu/computer. Took the cover off and verified.

Now, I checked with voltmeter eccs and eccs2 fuses. I did notice eccs2 fuse is 7.5 amps ( 10 req.). I did have voltage across both terminals.

I removed the connector from the ecu and checked for voltage at pin no's: 49;58;59 and 108. My first test did not have voltage on pin 58. I thought back to some forum posts I had read @ Maxima.org.

That is when I checked at fuse 58 underhood. Had voltage.

Back probed a blue relay labeled "EGI" which had (2) wht/grn wires and (1) wht/blk and (1) red. But JUST realized that I was looking for blu/wht! Had read that the eccs realay has (2) blu/wht (1) wht/blk and (1) org/grn. Duh.

Oh yeah, pins 4 and 16 for voltage and I had 12.3v
Had read if there was power there, ecu should have power and if i did not, it would be eccs relay or "power transistor"? They also mentioned fusible link somewhere.

I checked all of the fuses with a test light and had voltage on all.

I unplugged the MAF to test for a short causing shut down.
Also. car had a stumble upon acceleration sometimes. Would idle down way low and sometimes shut down. I also read that a shorted coil pack could cause both of those conditions. Owner sitting here just reminded me. If so, you know I pray that it is the FRONT BANK! LOL

I really appreciate your time and assistance!
God's Blessings to You and the Family.

Chuck aka ulremember

[ulremember]

May be on to something. I just realized that when I first checked for the leds on the ecu, the check engine light flashed a couple of codes I believe. first on 3 slow and 8 fast. Second, 8 fast 4 slow. I turned the screw to the middle position. when I turn a solenoid or stepper motor is activating. When I turn the screw to the clockwise most position CEL is off. Full counter clockwise, steady on.
I hope this helps!
Blessings

[Nahkapohjola]

Originally Posted by ulremember

Thank you! Here at the "scene of confusion", here is what I have just Nah (if I may?).
For one thing, There are NO LED'S in this ecu/computer. Took the cover off and verified.

Now, I checked with voltmeter eccs and eccs2 fuses. I did notice eccs2 fuse is 7.5 amps ( 10 req.). I did have voltage across both terminals.

I removed the connector from the ecu and checked for voltage at pin no's: 49;58;59 and 108. My first test did not have voltage on pin 58. I thought back to some forum posts I had read @ Maxima.org. ...

Note that Nissan models differ in various aspects; my CDomain pages concentrate on 3gen (89 -to- 94 plus some) models. Many control features are exactly similar with 4th gen - ECU and engine are NOT. (Sixth gen they dont sell any more in EU...)
Thus the 3gen ECU-leds and their status code lists depicted in my CDomain pages are not relevant in your -95 4th gen maxima... However, you are running the diagnostics with your switch; CEL light sequence is the coded 'output'.

As long as the fuses wont burn, size doesnt matter. However, the too small fuses tend to burn - at midnight when u are in the middle of nowhere (thus the size REALLY matters).

So u have got the manual with electronics diagram. The manual has also a list for each pin and relevant status when everything is ok. And codes for the ECU diagnostics... I did pic out (from the manual text) all the signals for my 3gen, and made the easy-to-follow -lists on my CDomain page (alas, wont help you).

ECU seems to be alive up to a point...

Questions:
Is there any 'life' while cranking? Have u tested for spark? Not one cylinder fires? Swapped plugs? Fuel good and plenty? Cranking for longer time, no startup, u should smell gas as all injectors inject simultaneously at startup. This causes wet plugs -syndrome (= 'ensures' no startup).

Once in a lifetime:
- All plugs (Bosch) died simultaneously. Never use Bosch, every time misfiring engines, which have Bosch, 'start a new life' with any other plugs...
- Once timing chain jumped when engine was normally stopped. This will cause reverse airflow (plastic bag on exahust pipe should always become filled, never sucked)

[ulremember]

Thank you!
We do smell fuel while cranking. We do not crank too long as to not burn up the starter. I have pulled ONE spark plug and had no fire.
My concern is the sound of the cranking. IT MAY HAVE JUMPED TIMING! sounds like low compression. I do not have a compression tester and plugs are to deep for my finger to plug hole.

I thought that year has a chain? It is very possible it jumped.

But the chief complaint was the car just stopped and would not start. It would stall and start up after a while which led me to fuel pump and or filter, both of which were changed.

What I will do, is check the "static timing" by checking crank timing maker and position of Number one cam.

Dag Gum it!!!!!!

Will keep you posted Nah!!
Thank you soooo much for you help and TIME!!!!!

Blessings!!!!

[Nahkapohjola]

Originally Posted by ulremember

...We do not crank too long as to not burn up the starter... I have pulled ONE spark plug and had no fire. ...

My guess is that u may start continuously 3-5min, then wait for starter to cool.

First thing is to get spark; view/test with spare plug, ground it on engine and crank. U need always healthy spark... ECU gives the ctrl 'pulses' to coilpacks (cant believe 6 coilpacks die simultaneously). If it has no spark, get another ECU; possibly only its coilpack driver circuitry is dead.
First go after the spark; then verify spark-timing is ok with a 30$ timing lamp and using a spark-extension wire.

Gas smell means gas pump/injectors/ECU ctrl works up to a point.

Yes it has a chain. I have never heard Nissan chain to jump, but I guess it can happen like in any car... using a chain. This is the last thing to check
As said, put a plastic bag on exhaust pipe and crank: if engine cam-timing is mechanically sound (up to a point), cranking will FILL THE BAG with air.

Compression tester, 15$...