Maxima 94 Fuel Injector Problem

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Muhammad Ahsan - 24 Mar 2004 20:37 GMT

Hi,

Recently my Nissan Maxima 94 started showing check engine light, when
the check engine light comes up (which happens on and off) the engine
shakes and acceleration becomes difficult. Took it to a mechanic and
he changed spark plugs and wires but that didn't fix the problem. So
then he further investigated and concluded that Fuel Injector No. 1 is
blocked or not working (he didn't know that problem goes away too).
The wire going to that fuel injector has current. He showed me that by
removing the other wires going into other fuel injectors the engine
rpm slowed down but removing the wire from fuel injector 1 and putting
it back again didn't make any change and the engine wasn't smooth. He
suggested to get the fuel injector changed. I brought the car home and
drove it for a while and suddenly everything started working fine. No
check engine light no shaking in the engine the car became very
smooth. But then next morning check engine light appeared for a while
and then the same shaking of engine however it vanished quickly.
Problem now appears for a while and then goes away.

I want to know if its possible to get the fuel injector cleaned by
something? 'cuz if the injector is completely blocked or not
functioning then the engine should never become smooth. Is it a good
idea to get fuel injector changed?

Thanks
Ahsan

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Warner Crump - 24 Mar 2004 22:28 GMT

Try buying some fuel injector cleaner at Walmart or Auto Zone. Its not a
bad idea to run this stuff through a tank of gas every time you get your oil
changed. If you need to get an injector replaced do all of them at the same
time if you can. Hope the cleaner works.

> Hi,
>
[quoted text clipped - 22 lines]
> Thanks
> Ahsan

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Bill G - 25 Mar 2004 05:21 GMT

What '94 Max do you have? I'm assuming it's the GXE.
The SE and GXE in '94 had different engines.

First off, run some injector cleaner through the engine. It
may just be a clogged injector. The rough-running engine
is more of a nuisance than anything else. You won't damage
the engine (it's very well balanced), but you may fix the
problem for cheap.

Do you know what Check Engine code you got? I have a '91 SE
(same engine as '94 GXE) and had an ECU code of 51
- "Injector Ciruitry".
Basically, I had the same symptoms you do, the engine ran
very rough. And it was also somewhat sporadic, until it
finally failed completely, then ran rough all the time.

I ended up replacing all 6 of my injectors, and it's run
perfectly ever since (duh). It's possible to replace just 1,
but you have to make sure that it matches the other 5.
Injectors will have a dot on them (blue or red, I think),
and they all have to match or you'll have fuel mixture
problems. The O2 sensor and ECU will try to adjust the flow,
but the different injector's flow won't match the others.

If you do the work yourself, 1 injector replacement might
make sense, but if you're paying someone else, then think
about replacing all 6. You'll be looking at $400+ in labor
for either 1 or 6.

Doing the replacement yourself isn't really that difficult.
It takes some time, and patience, but I had no trouble at
all. I have both a Chilton's and a Haynes service manual,
and they got me thru it very well.

If you do all 6, the parts will be about $650-$700.
$550-$600 for the injectors, and about $75 in other parts and tools
(gaskets, gasket removal goo, a 6mm hex socket).
You'll also need a torque wrench. Do NOT attempt this repair
without one!!! And don't get refurbished injectors. This
part is too important. Remember, this car will run forever,
so if you like it and plan on keeping it, it's a worthwhile
repair.

If you decide to do this repair yourself, I'd be happy to
help you with whatever questions you might have.

Keep us posted.

Bill G
'91 SE Auto
164K miles

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