car runs without MAF hooked up, but not with it

[silviasgp06]

car runs without MAF hooked up, as soon as you plus it in and try to start it wont.the wires are all correct.

any one?

[Joe]

replace the maf

[rb25drag]

Run a Chassis ground directly to the MAF and try that first, I had the same problem and found my ground to be bad in the harness.

[silviasgp06]

rb25drag: im petty sure i tried the chassis ground, but i will try again.

kamin: ive tried other mafs with the same results

[blurrbosi]

Check for leaks in your piping.

[silviasgp06]

_blurrbosi_ car runs on limp mode, and shuts off when maf is hooked.

everyone else:im hopeing its just something to do with a bad maf cause as soon as i hook one to is my SAFC read 5.15volts from it which is max airflow,which is the reason it wont do more that crank and die. I even tried my old KA maf to see and it also reads 5.15v when hooked up, what are the chances of my ka MAF going bad on me while it was out of my car...? all things look like a ecu problem. hope its not.

current SUMMARY:

Car runs on limp mode, when when hooked up car will fire one round of pistons or less and die.

MAFs get 5.15 when hooked up and read volts from safc signal check.

im so lost, and really hope i dont have to buy another ECU cause that would be the 3rd one

anyone?

[blurrbosi]

If you dont mind me asking... has this car ever ran b4?

What was wrong with your previous ecu's?

If you know anyone with a 96-2001 maxima, you could hook theirs up quickly for a test.

Consider buying one... 60 bux

[silviasgp06]

no this is the first time in a s14, the current ecu came off of a car that was running before(i hope) and that guy is now using a aem ecu. the original ecu came in dead on arrival due to corrosion.

i am currently using a 4th gen maxima maf that i just got.

the maf came with a 90day warranty so i guess theres no harm in using someone else's but i dont know anyone that has a 4th gen altima.

[blurrbosi]

I would assume maf or leakage before ecu. Try cleaning the mafs with something that wont damage it. Im not sure what... but I wouold try that and if no... send it back.

Is there like raw fuel blackish smoke coming out of the exhaust when it runs?

[neonbomb]

clean it with isopropyl alcohol aka rubbing alcohol if you're gonna try that approach

[silviasgp06]

i dont see how cleaning it will help if its not working at all, ide understand maybe if it was intermittently working how that would effect it but not like this, but ill try it out i guess

[chibich]

bump for having the same problem... car will run for a like 15-20 seconds with the maf plugged in and then die. If you unplug the maf it runs, but is not smooth. Do you have to cover the wires that you extend for the maf, like the metal stuff that is in there stock? could that be throwing off the signal?

[silviasgp06]

shielding is not important to run but it will be once you start driving it.

but as far as the dieing issue goes, have you set the Idle and timing yet? And if so do you have all your vac lines hooked up or capped off? If there are any vac leaks the car will not idle right or at all.

[chibich]

vacuum lines are fine. I am going to recheck the timing when I go home this weekend. What did you use to shield the wires for the maf? did you get it figured out yet?

[silviasgp06]

i used the shielded wire off of one of my old KA harnesses, but if you dont have an old harness to hack up, it would be better just to go buy shielded wire. The signal and ground need to be shielded but not the power wire. So buy something with two wires that are shielded together as a pair.

[Bluefire]

The only reason why the car will not start with the maf connected is either a bad maf or bad wiring... check both

[silviasgp06]

thanks bluefire but my issue has been solved and my car now runs fine, the current issue were talking about was another guy who had similar issues so he posted in my question thread. thanks for trying to help though.

chibich: any luck?

[chibich]

I didn't really have any time to mess with the car when I went back. I tried to find shielded wire (lowes, radioshack, autoparts store) and nobody had any or had any idea where to find it. So I probably will not be back till this semester is over (end of april), and then I'll go to the junk yard and get some wiring and a new maf, and recheck timing.

What ended up being the problem with your car?