- #57 of 106
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Re: Nissan Maxima 2000 cold start problem [dmaljunk]
by div2
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Dec 26, 2005 (9:48 am)
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Replying to: dmaljunk (Dec 23, 2005 8:28 pm)
HFM=Hot Film Mass Sensor=Air Flow Meter
Check every hose connection between the HFM and the cylinder head. The ECU bases its computations on the air flow as measured by the HFM. Any unmetered air downstream from the HFM throws off the computations.
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- #58 of 106
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neon makes strange noises
by monkey7312
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Jan 01, 2006 (8:40 pm)
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My '99 neon has an engine knock (fairly loud) when I start it up when it's cold. Sometimes it does it when it's been sitting over night and isn't very cold. It has 110,000 miles on it and I'm wondering if this means that it's about to die or if it's something I shouldn't really worry about. Otherwise the car seems fine for it's age...
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- #59 of 106
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Re: neon makes strange noises [monkey7312]
by Mr_Shiftright HOST
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Jan 02, 2006 (10:47 am)
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Replying to: monkey7312 (Jan 01, 2006 8:40 pm)
If it's a real "knock", that's a pretty "heavy" sound---not a tick, tick.
But if it is actually knocking, then the end is near, yes, unless you are just talking about a faint "piston slap" which could linger on for a while longer. Also wrist pin noises sound worse than they might be....but really, any knocking sound is not a good sign for the future----so plan for the worst.
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- #60 of 106
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Re: neon makes strange noises [Mr_Shiftright]
by monkey7312
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Jan 02, 2006 (9:23 pm)
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Replying to: Mr_Shiftright (Jan 02, 2006 10:47 am)
Thanks for the response and being honest even though it's not what I'd like to hear.
I'm not really sure how to describe the sound, but it is pretty loud. From what I hear about first generation neons I don't really think it's a minor problem. I also don't expect much from a car with so many miles on it.
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- #61 of 106
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Re: neon makes strange noises [monkey7312]
by Mr_Shiftright HOST
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Jan 03, 2006 (8:57 am)
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Replying to: monkey7312 (Jan 02, 2006 9:23 pm)
If the rest of the car is nice you could always consider a good low miles used engine.
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- #62 of 106
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Re: Nissan Maxima 2000 cold start problem [div2]
by dmaljunk
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Jan 05, 2006 (8:53 am)
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Replying to: div2 (Dec 26, 2005 9:48 am)
thanks div2. No, I do not see any air leaks in the hoses. I went to a knowledgeable mechanic. He noticed that when the car is warming up, the voltage being sent from throttle position sensor to the computer keeps changing, it starts at 0.60 and then drops to 0.46 by itself. He suggested that the computer needs to be reprogrammed. He says that when they put in a new computer they never reprogrammed it and therefore I have this problem. When you press the gas the voltage on the throttle position sensor climbs up, so the sensor itself seems to be working properly. That sounded reasonable and I went to the dealer to reprogram the computer but this morning the car was shaking a bit again. It wasn't that cold so i have to wait for a colder morning but it didn't seem to help. What's your opinion on this TPS thing? Thanks
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- #63 of 106
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Re: Nissan Maxima 2000 cold start problem [dmaljunk]
by div2
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Jan 06, 2006 (6:37 am)
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Replying to: dmaljunk (Jan 05, 2006 8:53 am)
It would be nice if you could switch the TPS out with a known good one; failing that, I'd like to know just what the dealer's "reprogramming" is supposed to accomplish. If the TPS voltage is fluctuating at idle it sounds like the problem is the TPS.
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- #64 of 106
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Re: Nissan Maxima 2000 cold start problem [div2]
by dmaljunk
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Jan 06, 2006 (7:28 am)
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Replying to: div2 (Jan 06, 2006 6:37 am)
well, I just got the computer reprogrammed. As with all previous repairs, it seemed to improve cold start up but not 100%. Reprogramming the computer seems to be a common thing for Maxima. I think they upload the latest software onto the computer, it's like upgrading BIOS on your PC motherboard. There are technical service bulletins released by Nissan where reprogramming is listed as the solution for certain problems, one of those bulletins talks about car stalling or idling bad in the morning when temp is below 40F and when you put it in drive and reprogramming is required. Well, it kind of sounds like my problem except for the fact that the car also idles bad in park as well... I have to wait for the really cold morning, so far it hasn't stalled on me and idled better but it was 38F outside, I usually get problems when it's 33F or below...
As far as TPS the mechanic showed me that when he presses the gas the voltage climbs up on the TPS and therefore he concluded that the sensor itself is fine...
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- #65 of 106
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Re: Nissan Maxima 2000 cold start problem [div2]
by dmaljunk
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Jan 06, 2006 (7:40 am)
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Replying to: div2 (Jan 06, 2006 6:37 am)
div2, I got an advise on another forum that I need to replace my thermostat. It kind of seems to be in the right area - cooling but I don't experience any problems related to thermostat, like bad heating or temp guage climbing up too slow, all of that is fine. I do get a suspicious noise only when the car warms up on cold mornings - when the rpms drop I hear a rattling noise or water-going-down-the-drain noise on the passenger side of the engine and then the noise goes away when the car is warm. Can that be the thermostat struggling to open or close? Will a lazy thermostat cause my cold whether bad idling problems? Thanks
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- #66 of 106
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Re: Nissan Maxima 2000 cold start problem [dmaljunk]
by div2
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Jan 07, 2006 (8:27 pm)
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Replying to: dmaljunk (Jan 06, 2006 7:40 am)
If the thermostat is stuck open or is opening too soon then the car would take a long time to reach operating temperature-if it reached it at all. However, have you checked to make sure that all the air has been bled out of the cooling system? That could be the source of the noises.
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