Engine Light Issue with 3rd Gen Maxima

[PBfrEAk]

Alright.

I took my car to the car wash to give her a good once over. She was just a little about E. (My next stop was the gas station).

After washing her I TRIED to start her up. Nothing. Turned over...but nothing.

After a few tries I'd get a little fire and then dead. Then I got it to run (after running the throttle a little) but it might as well have had a high performance cam in it the way it ran. After it died again...I tried one more time....fired up...ran rough.

After filling it up...plus some injector cleaner for good measure she ran fine (I assume that problem was some moister got into the wiring somewhere).

It ran fine all night...but I just went to start her up and now it immediately drops idle to about 400 rpm's and the check engine light blinks in a series of 1 through 5 over and over (1 blink, 1-2 blinks, 1-2-3 blinks, 1-2-3-4 blinks, 1-2-3-4-5 blinks, and back to 1)

What does this mean?? I assume this is a type of code or something?? Has anyone had this issue??

Thanks

[mtcookson]

Well that's strange... that series of blinking usually means the screw has been turned on the ECU to get into diagnostics mode. Just to be for sure, make sure that screw is turned all of the way counter clockwise.

I'd start there... I don't see how that screw could possibly have moved but hopefully that is the case otherwise I'd fear something wrong with the ECU.

[PBfrEAk]

Alright...dumb question...where is the ECU located??

If you could...jump on AIM...it would make this easier lol

Edit:...or not... damn I was too late.

[mtcookson]

Sorry about that, I'm always going on and offline especially because I'm a bit sick at the moment.

Anyway... the ECU is behind the center console and can be accessed by the passenger side, inner kick panel.

[PBfrEAk]

Its ok...yea I figured that out...I opened my FSM I had buried on my comp.

Damn I wish you were sooner...I have about half of my driver side dash tore apart....well...I was about to give up...but now I'll go check it out...be back in a sec lol

EDIT: I just brought by roommates laptop out to the car...Off hand do you know what all has to come off??

Is it the flat black piece in the back??? Is that what you mean by inner kick panel??

[PBfrEAk]

OK...its turned completely clockwise...and was before I touched it.

Infact the plastic was still on the damn ecu...I had to break it open to get to it.

So now its pretty much set that my ECU has **** the bed then??

[mtcookson]

That's definitely very strange. First, I'd run the diagnostics.

With the key in the on position:

Turn the screw clockwiseWait for 3 flashesTurn screw counter clockwiseRecord flashes

If you have a red and green they'll alternate, first being the 10's and second being the 1's. So... if the first light flashes 3 times then the next light flashes 4 times that code 34.

If there is only one light they'll be fast and slow flashes. First set being, again, the 10's and second being the 1's.

If you get a code 55, it doesn't have any codes stored and I'm not sure what the problem would be.

There is an issue that I've heard of where the heater core dies and dumps coolant on the ECU killing it, but you'd likely have already noticed that if that had happened. Lets start with the codes and go from there.

[PBfrEAk]

Ok.

I'll have to do that tomorrow morning.

For some reason right now its running fine.

Here is a thought tho.

This morning when I woke up I was uber pissed cause of the car. So I popped the hood and started looking for anything out of the ordinary.

The tube going into my intake for the IACV seemed to be out a bit. I popped it out and put it back in. (Remember I have the custom intake that is more and more becoming a pain in my ***)

After I did that I went and started it...it fired right up.

Haven't had a problem since.

Could the tube being loose cause that much of a problem??

I know tomorrow I'm gonna take some silicon an seal the piece that the tube is actually on to make sure it doesn't do that again.

I'm still gonna check the codes tomorrow...just to make sure.

Thanks again!!!

[mtcookson]

If the IACV is allowing un-metered air in it could definitely cause some major idling issues. I'd definitely get that thing sealed as well as possible.