Ack! What's going on with my engine...?

Thread view:

Enable EMail Alerts

Start New Thread

Thread rating:

filesiteguy - 28 Dec 2004 23:43 GMT

For the past several months, I've been noticing that my '98 GXE will have a
rough time starting in the morning. It will start, but almost immediately
die. If I kick the accelerator, it will start up okay. If the car is warm,
it starts fine. Driving, I notice no issues...

I took it into a fairly reliable shop today. He diagnosed it and tore the
engine apart. He said it wasn't throwing a code. Anyway, when he got into
the engine, he says the valve cover gasket is shot and leaking oil. The
coils are getting oil on them and (I'm paraphrasing from my notes here.)
the fuel injectors are getting dirty.

He recommends replacing the valve cover gasket, the coil, the injectors,
and the plugs. The plugs were just replaced about six months ago during my
60K service, so I'm annoyed by that.

What are your opinions? I'm taking the car home today, cause I don't have
time to leave it this week. I plan to do something by next Monday.

He says total will be $1039 for the repairs and he'll need the car for a
day or two.

It's a '98 GXE with 74,800 miles.

Signature

kai - filesiteguy at yahoo dot com
www.perfectreign.com || www.filesite.org
"i believe in what i'm doing but what is it i'm doing here?"

Reply to this Message

JimV - 28 Dec 2004 23:56 GMT

> For the past several months, I've been noticing that my '98 GXE will have a
> rough time starting in the morning. It will start, but almost immediately
[quoted text clipped - 18 lines]
>
> It's a '98 GXE with 74,800 miles.

I'd stay away from that mechanic. Misfiring (coils) would produce a
code, injectors at 74K is very unlikely and would also produce a code,
and your plugs are likely fine. Besides, any of those would effect warm
running too. I would suspect your temp sensor is bad. You may need a
valve cover gasket, but that's cheap. Either buy the shop manual and fix
it yourself, or take it to someone that knows what he's doing and is
honest (if you can find one).

Reply to this Message

filesiteguy - 29 Dec 2004 13:06 GMT

> I'd stay away from that mechanic. Misfiring (coils) would produce a
> code, injectors at 74K is very unlikely and would also produce a code,
[quoted text clipped - 3 lines]
> it yourself, or take it to someone that knows what he's doing and is
> honest (if you can find one).

Thanks for the tip - I planned (and still plan) to run it by this other guy.
Of course, my wife is now thinking, "04 Maxima..."

Signature

kai
www.filesite.org
"i believe in what i'm doing, but what is it i'm doing here"

Reply to this Message

Steve T - 29 Dec 2004 17:18 GMT

>> He recommends replacing the valve cover gasket, the coil, the injectors,
>> and the plugs. The plugs were just replaced about six months ago during
[quoted text clipped - 9 lines]
>
> I'd stay away from that mechanic.

I agree with this, sounds like he's just guessing. American cars have more
problems with "dirty injectors" than foreign cars due to their injector
design.

> Misfiring (coils) would produce a
> code,

Sometimes.

> injectors at 74K is very unlikely and would also produce a code,

I doubt they would produce a code. Not every possible problem on the engine
produces a code in the ECU.

> and your plugs are likely fine.

Unless someone put some BS plugs in it like Bosch platinums, that could be
the whole problem!

>You may need a
> valve cover gasket, but that's cheap.

have you ever replaced them on these cars? It's not "cheap" or real easy to
do, lots of stuff is in the way. Maybe on an altima it's "cheap" but not on
a maxima.

> Either buy the shop manual and fix
> it yourself,

And or tear the car up trying. :-)

IMHO it sound like it may just needs a good throttle body cleaning for the
running problem, an out of spec temp sensor would set a code. <G>

Signature

Steve

http://www.atlantaracing.com

Reply to this Message