Asking for more car help from CCS

[Les Grossman]

Yeah, if you aren't getting a check engine light, it's most likely a fuel not getting to the engine problem.

 

[MDB111™]

So would you agree that the fuel injector and the heet won't resolve the issue when this tank of gas gets all used up?

no all that won't hurt but it wont repair a bad relay or pump. get your owners manual and find out the pressure range for your fuel pump to operate properly. Then put a gauge on the line. If it's way lower than the range, that's likely the issue. With a mechanic a new one and labor should be about 400.00 bucks. If the fuel pressure is still within range tell your mechanic to **** off when he says to replace the pump anyway just because its old. Also hook the computer up to code reader and see if it can pull a relay code for you. Like I said before, sometimes it's just that inertia switch or a new 14 dollar relay. Hell, you could unplug and plug a new relay right? Most cars have the relay legend right there at the box. You can also google your fuel reset switch's location. Many times its underneath the dash on the passenger side.

 

[Urblock]

Good advice MB. Is this your trade or are you a car guy like me?

 

[hckypro19ja]

brett

honda tried to rape you.

150,000 miles?


gotta be fuel pump, or fuel pump relay. I'd put money on it

Agreed

 

[1COBearsfan]

Replace the filter as well if that hasn't been done, or if it's been a while since it was done last. And use a factory filter, they're built better

 

[1COBearsfan]

Wait, only use a factory filter if there is a vacuum element built into it to regulate the fuel pressure. If not then use whatever.

I worked on a car last week that didn't start. The owner said he replaced a bunch of shit that didn't really need to be replaced. One of them was the fuel filter so I dismissed that as a potential cause. It didn't have any fuel pressure so in went a pump and relay. It still didn't start after that and still didn't have any fuel pressure. I replaced the filter with a factory one and voila! It fired right up

 

[MDB111™]

Good advice MB. Is this your trade or are you a car guy like me?

I just like to mess with stuff. I'd rather screw my own car up then have have the 19 yr old master mechanic tell me at jiffy lube what's wrong. Truth is most mechanics get by with murder. I had this same problem in one of my vehicles. But my buddy is a mechanic, my father in law is a master mechanic and at life so that helped. I just really like DIY. I like learning. With the internet, knowledge is free. It aint rocket surgery!

 

[Les Grossman]

Yeah, you can diagnose 90% of car troubles just by search car forums. It's great.

 

[brett05]

It died five times on my last ten miles of my 45 mile drive home. The best was it dying as I pulled into the mechanic's shop. I'll let you know

 

[brett05]

Mass Air Intake Sensor. $400

 

[Crystallas]

Your MAF is $400? Hell, I would just put a universal on there, if at all possible.

 

[JosMin]

I'm finding MAFs all day for a '98 Maxima for $120-150, Brett. Lemme' know if you need help sourcing the part.

 

[1COBearsfan]

I know that's a hefty pill to swallow but don't use a cheap auto zone MAF sensor. All the cars with cheap auto zone MAF's I've seen have only lasted for a month then they took a shit and the owner had to buy another one. You can buy the same stuff as factory just buy directly from the vendor. It's a little cheaper.

 

[Crystallas]

I hope you didn't insinuate that I am suggesting someone use a shitty MAF. I agree, don't use a shitty universal MAF. But you'll discover that nearly all MAFs of the era were 2-3-4 wire, same signals and resistance, ect. Just different wires and housing(reuse old housing, insert new sensor.)

MAFs are easy to build too. Anyone that has turboed a NA car knows(unless they just went for a kit), and the Frankenstein MAFs are AWESOME with a little knowledge. (as pointed out before, google, bam.)

 

[R_Mac_1]

I got a maf sensor at a junkyard for like $20 for my Bonneville. Might be with checking out.

...Tapatalking

 

[1COBearsfan]

I hope you didn't insinuate that I am suggesting someone use a shitty MAF. I agree, don't use a shitty universal MAF. But you'll discover that nearly all MAFs of the era were 2-3-4 wire, same signals and resistance, ect. Just different wires and housing(reuse old housing, insert new sensor.)

MAFs are easy to build too. Anyone that has turboed a NA car knows(unless they just went for a kit), and the Frankenstein MAFs are AWESOME with a little knowledge. (as pointed out before, google, bam.)

No, that's not what I intended. I'm trying to save Brett the headache of more car troubles. I know there are a lot of cheap MAF fixes that are very reliable but I have no idea how handy he is. I also understand the temptation to use really cheap parts over expensive ones.

This is to anyone on this board who might read it. Remember, you get what you pay for. Not only on parts but also on labor, in this situation. I'm not saying I think that his mech is bad or stupid. I'm saying if a shop does really cheap work, they're doing really shitty work a lot of times. I'm also not talking up the dealership. The dealership is expensive because they have to recoup the expense of being a licensed dealership and the expense of factory service requirements. But that doesn't mean you can't get terrible service work done there

 

[brett05]

The issue isn't. The part. Its the hours of troubleshooting as I've been told the sensor is awful on th e 98


I actually think this is one I could handle if I knew.

Going go forward I am going to make a bimonthly autzone visit

Thanks everyone. I owe you all

 

[1COBearsfan]

Was your check engine light on? If not then there's really nothing you could have done. And there's nothing your mech could have done besides just start replacing parts that are common fixes. But that's not a good idea either because there's no true guarantee the problem is getting fixed. As frustrating as it sounds you did the right thing by just waiting until the car was consistently failing.

 

[MDB111™]

damn brett, 400 includes labor too though? I would try and ask for a guarantee. But I def. agree it is a very heavy trouble shooting problem. You have the main problem in your motor is either A. not taking in fuel properly b. not reading taking in fuel properly. To be honest this issue made me sell the vehicle I had the same problem in. It was too much of a risk to tow my clunker, get it diagnosed(which I already did twice with failure), and then pay for it efficiently. SO I used the repair money on a down payment on a new ride.

When you say the car cut off ten times though, that is confusing me. Normally a fuel sensor or switch is a either or kind of thing. If you can get the motor the fuel sensor bad or not, it will run you to point A. It shouldn't cut off to point A. Then when you try and start it for point B, you have no luck until the motor cools. Lets us know. And I would rather buy 5 MAF sensors from a junkyard then have my mechanic call NAPA know how or Carquest and install the same shit you can buy at autozome to fail with. Cheap Japanese knock off parts. So def. Get the problem ans buy the parts your self at a caryard. Good luck.