1997 Maxima with MAJOR unidentifiable problem(s)

Since the first shop already held you up for a computer, I would say you have already been robbed blind. At least the dealer will probably know how fix it.

No, actually they refunded the cost of the computer in full.

Don't count on that last part. Some dealers have some good wiring guys and some don't. Where do you live? Ask around and find out who's good.

-jim

I have a strange feeling that something has gone amiss with the electronics of the alarm, and its wreaking havoc with the rest of your electrical system. Perhaps its a simple ground issue, maybe not, but chances are that it's probably quite difficult to find. I would remove the alarm completely and see how it goes. I bet the alarm even fried your injectors.

CD

I think you're right CD. My next question is who do I get to take the alarm out? The place that put it in IS an "authorized" installer of AutoPage. I'm in the Philadelphia area.

I'm sensing that this is going to get worse before better...

These guys are IDIOTS. This "needs to dry out" is the dumbest line of BS I've ever heard!

You've already been robbed and been without your car for 3 months to boot!! :-)

I'd get my car away from those morons before they total your car out and get it to either a dealer or someone with a brain in their head.

An alarm isn't going to fry injectors.. My guess is, since it didn't fix the car, the injectors weren't the problem. I've NEVER seen an injector stick wide open much less 2 of them do it at the same time. The people working on his car are clueless..

I know, but it may cause 1 electrical problem which causes another which would then cause the feul injectors to be fried. How do you like your injectors, crispy or well done?:)

CD

How are injectors going to "Get fried"? What is going to send more than the system 12V that they operate at? And how would anything electrical make them stick wide open? (Which isn't going to happen anyway) He got screwed paying for the injectors to get replaced as obviously the car is going the exact same thing afterwards, or do you think they were right saying it "Just needs to dry out"??

I wasn't trying to say that the alarm caused the feul injectors to fail. I'm saying that the alarm simply screwed up his system, and may be even his feul injector failure was a false assessment.

Case in point: I let the spark plugs in my 96 altima stay in for way too long. I started experiencing drivability problems and knew that I had to do the plugs, but I got lazy and let them stay. The drivability problems got so severe that the car started missfiring. One day while driving up a hill, it was mis-firing so bad and something happened that made the car feel like it was running on 3 cylinders, and the check engine light came on. When I got home I opened the hood and found that one spark plug wires had popped off of a plug, so I was running on 3 cylinders:) I did a diagnostic on the check engine light and got a host of codes: miss-fire, cylinder 3 and 2, distributor problem and, get this: feul injection system failure. Had I gone to a Nissan dealer thay would have robbed me blind on all those codes. I changed the plugs and all the codes dis-appeared. The car's been running great ever since. And I change the plugs now every 30K miles:)

Lesson learned was that a simple delayed spark plug change really messed with the ECU. Imagine what a badly installed alarm could do. It could even fry the ECU.

CD

I am so seriously about to set this car on fire and call it a day!!!!!

The electrical place said it was absolutely the alarm that is causing all of these problems because it should NEVER have been wired through the ECU. However, they won't remove it. They said to take it back to who installed it and have them un-install it.

Now why would I take it back to the idiots who installed it (obviously wrong) and trust them to un-install it properly????

I picked the car up from the shop last Tuesday (7/13) since they have officially given up on it - since everyone thinks it's the alarm. NOW GET THIS - how about the stupid thing ran FINE for about 4 days. Started with the same problems again (the "hard starting") on Saturday, and now (Monday) will not start at all. It cranks, but won't turn over. So now it's sitting in front of my house, where it will remain until I hit the lottery so I can afford to take it to a dealer where, at this point, I think is the ONLY place I'm really going to get to the bottom of all of this...

The moral of the story is - NEVER have an after market alarm installed in your vehicle.

Dusty

-If- they are right about it being the alarm or if it is in fact wired into the ECU. I highly doubt either of these places have a clue as to what is realy going on. Anyone with a brain could remove an alarm and wire the car back like it was. Might not be cheap but it could be done. The fact the it ran fine and now doesn't tell me:

A) There was nothing wrong with your old injectors. B) It isn't likely a "wiring harness" problem.

You are right, don't take it back to the place that did the alarm. Have you looked around for a place the specializes in your car? A nissan specific repair shop should be able to deal with this if you are this paranoid to go to the dealer.

Steve, you're exactly right. Neither of these places seem to be able to identify what is wrong, but are absolutely positive that the alarm is the cause. I don't really understand how one can determine a cause of a problem if one can't determine the actual problem, but hey, what do I know...

As for taking it to the dealer, it's not a matter of being paranoid, it's a matter of $$$$$$$$$$$$. I was wondering if I should look into a "foreign car" shop or a shop that specializes in Nissan. Do you think that would still be cheaper than taking it to the dealer?

I'll tell you this much, if I do end up taking it to the dealer, spending a small fortune to have it fixed and it's STILL not right, the car may come in violent contact with the alarm place!!!

Oh wait, I just had another thought - how about if I take it to the dealer and they can absolutely guarantee that the alarm is the cause of all of this, that may put me in a pretty good position to have the alarm shop pay for all of this...???

Eh ?

An alarm/remote start has to touch factory wiring..period. Touching the ECU is another question. If it is remote start, it has to get the tach pulse and the only way to do it within reasonable sense is to hit the ECU. If not, go and hit the ignition coils..which can be cumbersome.

It looks like every place you are taking this car to has peoople who like to "guess" I guess it is the alarm, I guess it is the computer etc. etc.

The electrical place just does not want the liability for working on a mess..understandable. They also don't do a good job of explaining the issue..just passing the blame..

The Nissan maxima has a history of bad fuel injector design. Look all the way back to 87-88 2nd gen maxima's when they caught fire in the engine bay and they had to issue a recall.. 3rd gen 89-94 and 4th gen

95-99 all have fuel injection problems. Add electroic gremlins such as Mass airflow, fuel pump's, fuel pressure regulator's and bad grounding points to the list..Don't forget the favorite o2 sensor and evap canister codes...

Try something simple. put the car in valet mode where it disables the alarm and try to drive it/start it...

No spark can be a Camshaft sensor issue. another notorious issue with maxima's. Have a shop check the cam sensor and the transistor unit that goes along with it..

Other things to lookout for..

• Fuel pump and Fuel pump relay (fuse/relay box)

• ECU relay (green colored relay in fuse/relay box)

• Coolant temp sensor (wrong/failed readings throw off engine ECU)

the only common issues that I have seen working with maxima's and alarms/starter is the failure to integrate the aftermarket alarm with the factory alarm..and failure to properly wire with diodes/relays the lock/unlock circuit to the doorlock timer, thus blowing it sky high due to alternating resistance in the lock/unlock circuit.

I own 2 maxima's and an infiniti J30 Good cars..can be stubborn to fix when they act up..

Check out

and forums.maxima.org

Good luck and keep us posted.

Dusty21271 wrote:

You're right. Until you find/diagnose the problem you don't know what the problem is. IMHO they are passing the buck because they can't figure out what is going on.

Think about it, you've already been taken by these guys, it took monthst without your car to do it and your car is still screwed up.

Probably would be if you can find someone sharp enough to find the real problem.

Probably have to take them to small claims court, might take that first shop there as well since they replaced your injectors and you still had the exact same problem?

I don't intend to hijack here, but what is the transistor unit with the CmPS? I just ran the FSM troubleshooting procedure for the CmPS and I don't recall seeing anything with a transistor unit.

Dave

I checked out that forums.maxima.org site (briefly while at work), and it seems incredibly useful!!

I did do the "put the car in valet mode" suggestion and it seemed to work

- initially. I've actually disconnected the alarm brain (at least I think I did) so that the alarm shouldn't be sending any signals anywhere, but it's back to the cranking and not starting at all.

It seems that if I fiddle with a few things (disconnect and then reconnect sensors), I can get it to start, but I am by no means any mechanic and really don't know what I'm doing and dont' want to mess this up more than it already is. Not to mention it's extremely aggrevating and no guarantee that it WILL start.

I truly believe at this point that a dealer is the only way to go - at least to identify what is going on.

Thanks so much for all of your input and I most definately will keep you posted!!

Dusty

. . . . . . Ummm, no way do 95-99 Maximas have feul injection problems.

Agreed . . sortof. You just have to pick a very very good installer who knows his way around your car.

CD

Yes I agree with CD...there is no way it can be fuel injector problems...and that you are still gettin' the same problem after it is changed....that mech is bull-crapping you.

Anyhow, my deal here in Canada are no thief so if something like this major, they are the best source...at least they know Nissan very well. I know I can trust my dealer...but then I started to fix the Maxima up myself now that it is reaching its age...but it still runs bitter-sweet.

Look out for MIL light...my Maxima always acts up with this light...but there ought to be something going on everytime the MIL light comes on

Tedson