hard to start and loss of power

Any service engine light on soon or check engine light?

These guides will help us fix the problem

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/engine-cranks-excessively-before-starting

and

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/checking-a-service-engine-soon-or-check-engine-light-on-or-flashing

Please run down these guides and report back.

No

Have the Mass air flow sensor checked because it is an easy check. If no debri or build up is found on the hot film wires then is sound like an electrical issue. If there is build up then clean the sensor with an aerosol spray that is designed to clean mass air flow sensors. If this does not help then you may just need a professional to diagnose it.

Hello,

I have a 2004 nissan maxima se and for the past week it has been giving me problems starting. It will turn over with no problem, but it is like it is not getting gas. Especially after I stop to go to the store or if it has been shut off for a short period of time it is worse to where I have to keep cranking it for 5-10 minutes (not continuous) before it will finally turn over. If it has been sitting for the night or the 8-9 hours I'm at work it will usually start on the first crank. I was told it was the mass air flow sensor, so I changed that out, but still no better. It has 140,000 miles and the plugs have not been changed....could that be the issue? HELP!

Lets start by taking it to a auto parts store like auto zone and have them scan your car for codes.Let me know the exact code numbers you have not code descriptions if you have any.

More likely to be an ECT or knock sensor problem. Let us have the codes.

Spark plugs will not do that. A coolant temp sensor might but will have to be tested when its not starting. Getting codes is the best place to start

Two moderators have already said that now lol.

I got the codes and there are 2. One is P0340 which states the camshaft position sensor (CMP) circuit. The other says 02 sensor Bank 1. Are these an easy fix? Where are they located? Thanks

Trouble codes does not necessarily mean the component is/are faulty so it is best to test and confirm the part is bad. Loose or contaminated wiring connectors are common causes for trouble codes. A faulty PCM can cause the same so if you are to replace parts first, be prepared for eventualities. The camsensor code is rather troublesome as quite often replacing the sensor does not work.


O2 sensor bank 1 is located on front exhaust tube assy.
For P0340, the testing procedures are rather lenghty so would you be able to perform the tests with a DVOM?

Camshaft sensors (PHASE) are located at end of cylinder head, one on each head.

during rutine intown driving conditions, between40 and 50 mph there seems to be a gurggling sound. sounds like low octaine. we have 95k miles on it. recently replaced plugs with oem, ran a tank with sea foam, ran a tank of 93 oct gas, with no change. average mpg is 23. also noticed a few times it seems to turnover more than normal when starting.

It is not easy to understand noises over the net so unless you can be very specific about the noise and its occurrence under specific conditions, it would not be easy for us to help you.

Is the Check Engine Light indicating and have you tried to retrive for trouble codes?

Some trouble codes do not trigger the CEL and does not have any freeze frame data so it is best to get the scan done with a scan tool plugged in.

okay, i will try to explain it better. when slowly accelerating from 45 to 50 i hear what sounds like a low octaine gurgle or pinging. this happens no other time through out the driving range. seems to idel smoothly and has plently of power. the only other sound i can relate it to is the sound a diesel engine make when it is at idel. i am working on having a scan done, will let you know the results.

When the knock sensor fails, it can emit abnormal noises and this sensor does not trigger the MIL. Wil be waiting for your results of the scan.

well i am not sure if i should be happy or not the scan results returned that everything is operating within normal ranges....sigh

It could be a mechanical problem and since you are not able to detect it, guess it is time to get professional on the spot advice as it is not possible to detect noises online.

update. this afternoon the car shutoff while pulling out of a parking spot. put it in park, started it, and proceeded to leave the parking lot when again it shut off. repeated the above and drove it to next destination aprox. 6 miles with it still producing the gurggle sound mentioned before. any ideas?

The engine stalling could be due to a dirty throttle body, IAAC and IACV. GEtting them cleaning should solve the problem of the stalling.

As to the gurgling noise, it would have to depend on where it is coming from.

update, threw a code that the canshaft sensor (bank2). where is bank2, left or right, front or back? i see both sensors one on each cam, not sure how to locate which one is bank1 and bank2.

Bank 2 is the one in front of vehicle.

okay now the camshaft sensor replaced the car runs, although it seems after starting the car idels rough for a few seconds.....sigh

If you have not cleaned the IACV and throttle body, get them cleaned and problem should be solved.

cleaned IACV, problems resolved. Thankyou!!!!

You're welcome.

I have a nice 02 Maxima, that i really like but lately it has problems starting. It cranks over for like 30 seconds before firing. Some times it starts right away but more and more it takes a while to fire. It seems to run just fine afterward, not noticing anything else. But I'm getting worse gas mileage than normal as well lately. Concerned as to what this might be. The battery is fine and cranks strong it just doesn't start right away. Runs smooth and no issues idling once started. Wonder if it needs a tune up?? What are some things to look into? Does Nissan have any particular things that seem to need changed at 100,000 plus that might just been worn out and effecting performance? Thanks

Hi there,

I would start with a full tune up and you are over due for a timing belt, normally a tune will rectify this type of problem, make suer that the fuel filter is replaced and have Iridium spark plugs fitted as well, they cost a bit more but are well worth it with better economy and power.

Mark (mhpautos)

Just replaced motor in my 2002 nissan maxima. Now car is hard to start and rpm hand doesnt work anymore. Went to dealer and they said change cam and crank sensors. I did that and still no change! I even changed fuel pump. What is really the problem and how can i get this fixed before i go broke???

recheck your install first you may have a pinched wire someplace or one not connectied. check all connections as well. if it worked before its something you have done. check fuses as well one may have blown

Ok, so for a number of months, I've noticed an occasional difficulty getting the engine to run while cranking (turning the key). It would sometimes turn over a few times and then start right up, but other times it may just turn and turn without running. I also see it occasionally try to kick on and immediately die or give up. But usually upon a repeated attempt, the car starts. Once it's started, It runs fine. I hear no strange noises or knocking. It doesn't sound as if it is misfiring. I recently had to replace my alternator. The battery has been tested recently also as my starter went out. I just put a new starter in because it stopped turning. But I still have had the issue with the car taking a while to start up. It may start up fine, or it may turn and turn and do nothing. I'm posting this because the problem is occurring more and more frequently. Almost every day. And also, because I haven't got the finances to purchase a lot of tools to test certain components with. I'm planning on putting new plugs in, but I wanted to check with you guys and see what the most likely culprit is. Sorry for the book, thanks in advance.

All "crank, no start" conditions are approached in the same way. Every engine requires certain functions to be able to run. Some of these functions rely on specific components to work and some components are part of more than one function so it is important to see the whole picture to be able to conclude anything about what may have failed. Also, these functions can ONLY be tested during the failure. Any other time and they will simply test good because the problem isn't present at the moment.
If you approach this in any other way, you are merely guessing and that only serves to replace unnecessary parts and wastes money.



Every engine requires spark, fuel and compression to run. That's what we have to look for.

These are the basics that need to be tested and will give us the info required to isolate a cause.

1) Test for spark at the plug end of the wire using a spark tester. If none found, check for power supply on the + terminal of the coil with the key on.


2) Test for injector pulse using a small bulb called a noid light. If none found, check for power supply at one side of the injector with the key on.


3) Use a fuel pressure gauge to test for correct fuel pressure, also noticing if the pressure holds when key is shut off.


Once you have determined which of these functions has dropped out,
you will know which system is having the problem.

Thanks for the quick reply. So here is what I've done and also some other details which I somehow omitted when I pasted the first post.
I checked spark at all plugs, all seems fine there. I replaced plugs anyway since I was inspecting them (this did not affect the issue it seems). I convinced a parts store to check the fuel pressure before starting, while running and after shut off. They said the numbers were acceptable. I cleaned the throttle body assembly thoroughly and checked vacuum lines for leaks by spraying starting fluid around the area. I've tried spraying cleaner into the intake to achieve a quick start, but it seems to have no effect. So on to the previous details I left out. The CEL has been delivering a P0420 since I got the car over a year ago. I've never had issues with starting the car until the last few months. During the cold mornings, the exhaust would rattle when cranking, but that has ceased now. The only other symptom could be a rare idle problem when it is really hot outside. For the first few minutes of driving my car may try to idle very high in neutral, sometimes over 4000 rpm. But If in gear, I hold the brake. Also during this time, the tach could wobble up and down between 1000 and 1500 rpm in gear. When I drive around and get the motor "warmed up", the problem goes away. This is an uncommon occurrence and isn't going on right now. But in case it is related, I put it there. So as it stands, I have a fuel pump that supposedly works, a clean throttle body and working spark plugs and coils. I'm lost what next?

If you read the instructions, it clearly stated that the only way these tests will matter is if they are performed while the problem is present.

Recently, when I go start the car, sometimes it labors or takes a moment to turn over and start. Sometimes I have to retry, but rarely. Then when I'm driving, going mainly at slow speeds, after driving on the highway, I hear what sounds like a fan noise. It is subtle. But it sounds as if I can hear it turning, or turning more slowly, like around and around and my car is a bit louder recently. No overheating. Is this just a battery going bad, and wear and year on an old vehicle or should I be concerned something... or two things are going out?

This could be a failing battery, bad battery cables or just bad connections on the cables. I would have the whole charging system tested and make sure they test your grounds to the body, motor and frame.

As for the fan noise, could you maybe get the car as quiet as possible and record it with you phone and upload it so I can hear it?

Rich

Okay. I will try to get the recording done tomorrow. I'll upload it when i'm done. I'll also have the whole charging system tested, battery, grounds to the body, motor and frame tested ASAP.

This guide can help you test the battery:

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/car-battery-load-test

Please run down this guide and report back.