1999 Maxima WONT START NEED HELP PLEASE :(

[drshottest718]

The problem began about a month ago. I went on vacation shortly after it occured and just got back to trying to fix it.

I drove the car all morning, parked it up and around 5pm when i went to turn it on, it turned on and died down about 1 second afterwards. I tried to turn it back on and about 3 times later after doing the same thing, it just cranks endlessly. it does not turn over.

I have replaced:

spark plugsFuel pump

I have checked:

spark in all injectorsfuel filter fuel pump is priming battery is good.MAF is clean and functioning

NO CELS

I was told it might be the main fuel relay and i checked that as well today. I replaced it with a similar relay for the horn, and it still would not turn on.

When i was troubleshooting a couple weeks back i purchased fuel additive spray and i sprayed it into the intake mani and when i did so the car would turn on, as long as the spray was going into the mani. This leads me to believe that maybe the motor isnt getting enough fuel PRESSURE. Although i have never heard of a FPR going bad. The motor is definitely getting fuel because i hear the pump prime and i also checked the fuel line going into the filter and when i removed it, tons of fuel came out.

Any insight would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance guys.

horrible update.

After towing the car via rope and tow hook to a nearby shop, the mechanic asks me to try to turn it on.

I hear a slight clicking/knocking noise.

I get out of the car and ask my brother to crank it so i can hear where its coming from. Sure enough there is a noise coming from the timing chain cover/housing. At that point i'm all like WTF?!

He told me he'd check what the noise is...then he starts trying to tell me if its not 'worth' fixing he can sell and install a replacement motor he has for 1k$

I dont know HOW THE f*** that noise came to be because i've never heard it before. The timing chain wouldnt have fallen off the teeth while the car was parked in my lot.
Modified by drshottest718 at 1:59 PM 7/23/2009

[maxhopper]

Sounds like you're on the right track. The next thing to do would be to hook a fuel pressure gauge in line between the fuel filter and the fuel rail and monitor the pressure. With the pump priming the system, but the engine off, the pressure should be 43psi. With the engine running at idle, the pressure should be 34psi. If your reading are low, try replacing the fuel filter, or check the pressure before the filter to make sure the pump is putting out the correct flow. If the readings look good, then I would look at the fpr and injectors.

[drshottest718]

Sounds like you're on the right track. The next thing to do would be to hook a fuel pressure gauge in line between the fuel filter and the fuel rail and monitor the pressure. With the pump priming the system, but the engine off, the pressure should be 43psi. With the engine running at idle, the pressure should be 34psi. If your reading are low, try replacing the fuel filter, or check the pressure before the filter to make sure the pump is putting out the correct flow. If the readings look good, then I would look at the fpr and injectors.

Thanks I have to buy a gauge tomorrow i guess to run these diagnostics. I wouldnt be able to get the engine idle reading because it doesnt turn on though. The injectors wouldnt be the problem i assume, the motor would run on 5 or even 4 cylinders if some injectors went bad. There is no way all 6 went out in the span of 3 hrs parked. I've also never heard of an FPR going bad but thanks for the advice.

Any other input would be greatly appreciated.

[NutriaforBreakfast]

Is the throttle body plate open to let air in?

[drshottest718]

horrible update.

After towing the car via rope and tow hook to a nearby shop, the mechanic asks me to try to turn it on.

I hear a slight clicking/knocking noise.

I get out of the car and ask my brother to crank it so i can hear where its coming from. Sure enough there is a noise coming from the timing chain cover/housing. At that point i'm all like WTF?!

He told me he'd check what the noise is...then he starts trying to tell me if its not 'worth' fixing he can sell and install a replacement motor he has for 1k$

I dont know HOW THE F that noise came to be because i've never heard it before. The timing chain wouldnt have fallen off the teeth while the car was parked in my lot.

[drshottest718]

anyoneee?

[MinisterofDOOM]

If it was a timing failure, there could be a lot of internal damage. Not uncommon for mechanics to recommend replacing the engine when labor gets that extreme. Sometimes it's quicker, cheaper, and easier to put another motor in than to fix the one you've got. Just make sure that, if you go ahead with replacing the motor, the one he chooses to put in is in good enough shape to warrant the effort and money. Don't want to put another crappy motor in.

$1k is REALLY cheap for an engine swap (especially if that includes the motor) assuming the motor is a decent one, so I wouldn't feel too horrible if that's what you end up having to do.

Can/did the mechanic give any more details on why it's not worth fixing?

[drshottest718]

If it was a timing failure, there could be a lot of internal damage. Not uncommon for mechanics to recommend replacing the engine when labor gets that extreme. Sometimes it's quicker, cheaper, and easier to put another motor in than to fix the one you've got. Just make sure that, if you go ahead with replacing the motor, the one he chooses to put in is in good enough shape to warrant the effort and money. Don't want to put another crappy motor in.

$1k is REALLY cheap for an engine swap (especially if that includes the motor) assuming the motor is a decent one, so I wouldn't feel too horrible if that's what you end up having to do.

Can/did the mechanic give any more details on why it's not worth fixing?

He was going to open it up and see more in depth what was wrong. How could it have been a timing failure though? I literally drove it, parked it and it never turned on again. Then when i PUSHED it to the shop it started making that awful noise.

Yes the 1k$ includes the motor as well.

[drshottest718]

Update.

Well he didnt even open up the motor/timing housing. He basically told me if he has to open it and check its just gonna be a waste of my $. He basically told me just put the new motor in, i hate to follow the advice of the mechanic being that i feel i'm just another dollar to him but i have no choice really.

[FreeEnergy]

It is really uncommon that the timing chain broken. How many mileages of the engine now?

And if you don't want to spend that much money to swap an engine, why not rebuilt it yourself? Though 1k is a fair price.

[NutriaforBreakfast]

If the timing chain is bad, then maybe the timing is bad. Haveyou checked the timing?

[NutriaforBreakfast]

I assumed the engine was running in your first post, but if it isntit might be impossible to check the timing.

[drshottest718]

154xxx miles on the motor.

I havent checked the timing myself, ive never opened up such a big motor. i come from owning hondas and 4cylinders where it was simple, its so confusing to me looking at this engine bay.

[maxhopper]

It could be possible that there was a chain tensioner issue, or the chain jumped a couple teeth...but It's not a common thing with these engines. Even if the timing is off 1 tooth it will usually still start; so it would have to be off quite a bit. And if it is off that much, the valves are probably toast. See if your mechaninc has a boroscope that he can get into the spark plug holes and see what's going on.

$1000 for the motor swap isn't a bad price (depending on the other engine's mileage).