# No start after engine swap



## Leggz1 (Oct 5, 2019)

I took my 2008 Titan to a licensed repair shop and had a low mileage engine installed. Mechanic called and said they cant get it started. He says there is fuel in the fuel rail, but its not getting through the injectors. He said he replaced the ECU relay but that didn't fix it. I called a local Nissan dealer to price a fuel pump relay, but was told you cant just buy that relay, you have to buy the whole new IPDM. I called a different local Nissan dealership and they said the fuel pump relay is $5. What else could it be other than either of these relays?? I'm at a loss!! HELP ME PLEASE!!!


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## rogoman (Dec 16, 2004)

Please state model, year, engine, transmission of your vehicle. Explain the reason for the engine replacement. Also did you use the original engine accessories and the original ECU? Any time an engine is replaced due to mechanical problems, the original accessories should always be used; this eliminates new problems due to possible problems with a new accessory. I'll assume you were able to start the old engine with no problem.


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## Leggz1 (Oct 5, 2019)

rogoman said:


> Please state model, year, engine, transmission of your vehicle. Explain the reason for the engine replacement. Also did you use the original engine accessories and the original ECU? Any time an engine is replaced due to mechanical problems, the original accessories should always be used; this eliminates new problems due to possible problems with a new accessory. I'll assume you were able to start the old engine with no problem.


My truck is an 08 Titan LE, it had the 5.6L V8 UNLEADED GASOLINE engine. The reason for the engine replacement being done was due to the radiator having been improperly repaired previously to my purchasing the truck. The radiator lost all the water, which caused the engine to severely overheat and quit. I was told by the person who came to tow my truck home, that there was water in the oil (oil cap had a milky content) and that the motor would need to be replaced. I spent Monday and Tuesday shopping around, both online and by phone, for a quality USED engine for an 08 Nissan Titan, and I found a shop, one that specializes in IMPORT AUTO PARTS, here in Oklahoma City, that said he "could get me one, with 93k miles & a 6 month warranty". On Wednesday, I went to the shop and paid for the engine,, and was told "it would be delivered to my mechanic's shop in Midwest City, on Friday". On Friday, I was notified that the engine had been delivered to my mechanic's shop, so that afternoon I took to the mechanic's shop myself, the following new parts to be installed along with the engine, a NEW WATER PUMP, THERMOSTAT, OIL & FILTER & COOLANT. On Wed. morning, my mechanic called to say he would also be needing NEW INTAKE & EXHAUST MANIFOLD GASKETS & NEW SPARK PLUGS. I purchased these items and delivered them to him on Thurs. On Fri morning, he called to say the radiator was not repairable and I needed to get a new one, so I went and bought a NEW RADIATOR and delivered it to him that afternoon. The next week went by without hearing from the mechanic. The following Monday, the mechanic called me to say the engine was installed, BUT he could NOT get it to start and run. On,Tuesday, I went to the shop to inquire on the progress made, and to try some troubleshooting items I had found on this and a couple other Nissan forums, and found my truck sitting in the parking lot, with a dead battery, making anything I was going to attempt impossible to try out. I then removed my dead battery
and took it to Auto Zone to have it fully charged and tested. I picked up my battery on Friday, fully charged and I was told the battery tested GOOD. I took the battery back to the mechanic's shop and put it back in my truck, and proceeded to try the things that I had found for troubleshooting the possible problem. I tried RESETTING THE ECU steps, I tried RESETTING THE IMMOBILIZER steps for the Alarm System, I tried the RETRAINING THE THROTTLE POSITION steps, I tried everything I found online, still nothing worked, the engine would only turn over but would not start. Then last Friday, marked a whole month that my truck had been at this shop, and was still not running. I called the guy I got the engine from to clarify exactly what year model that engine came out of and was told, for the first time, the engine I had been sold, came out of a 2010 Infinity QX56, NOT A 2008 NISSAN TITAN!! I immediately went on the Nissan forums to ask if these two engines were indeed the SAME and if they could interchanged and would be operable. The answer I received back was "yes they are mechanically the same, both are the 5.6L unleaded gasoline V8 engine BUT they are WIRED DIFFERENTLY, so they WOULD NOT just swap out, and run." I then called the guy I bought the engine from back, and told him what I had learned, and he argued with me, still insisting they are the "SAME ENGINE, AND WERE NOT WIRED DIFFERENTLY." He said he would call the mechanic and talk with him about it. He then called me back at 5:15pm, and said that the mechanic told him he thought that if they were the same engines, that it was going to have to be a COMPUTER ISSUE, so the guy I bought the engine from said that he was ordering in an ECU for my truck, and would deliver it to him on Monday. On Monday he did deliver another ECU to the mechanic, the mechanic installed the replacement ECU, but the engine still would NOT start!! Now the mechanic is calling me, telling me he is out of options, has tried everything he knows of, and that the only thing left that it could possibly be, is that the ECU he installed "NEEDS TO BE PROGRAMMED BY A NISSAN DEALERSHIP IN ORDER TO START THE TRUCK." 
So now, I need to know the following: 
1. Both the Nissan Titan and Infinity QX56 are 5.6L V8 unleaded gasoline engines, BUT are they wired differently? And what does "wired differently" mean? The ECU wiring? The IPDM wiring?
2. Do both vehicles have the SAME ECU in them? 
3. Do both vehicles have the SAME IPDM BOARD in them, or do they need to be swapped too?
4. If they are WIRED DIFFERENTLY, would the ECU AND IPDM BOARD from the Nissan work with the Infinity engine or would they too need to be swapped from the Infinity also? 
5. Is having the replacement ECU "programmed by a Nissan dealership" really necessary OR can the 'reprogramming the ECU' steps I found in the troubleshooting portion of this forum, be done by me or my mechanic instead?


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## rogoman (Dec 16, 2004)

Both the Nissan Titan and Infiniti QX56 use the VK56DE 5.6L engine. The differences are as follows:


YearsModelPower outputTorque2004–2015Nissan Titan305 to 317 hp (227 to 236 kW)52.5 to 53.2 kg⋅m (515 to 522 N⋅m; 380 to 385 lbf⋅ft)2004–2010Infiniti QX56315 to 320 hp (235 to 239 kW)54 to 54.4 kg⋅m (530 to 533 N⋅m; 391 to 393 lbf⋅ft)

Both engines are mechanically identical and since the old engine was running OK prior to the overheating, there is *NO NEED* to swap any engine accessories, wiring, sensors, ECU, and IPDM. The differences seem to be in power output/torque which might be due to CR and cam profile duration and overlap.

What I find troubling about your mechanic's diagnostic procedure is that did he determine if the "no start" was an ignition or fuel delivery problem.

One of the first things he should've done is perform an ECU code readout with a portable scan tool to see if any fault codes are set. Post the actual codes here on the forum so that we may be able to help you further. If there is one or more fault codes set, they can help point to the malfunction.

At this point he should have determined if there's an ignition or fuel delivery problem. Here are some diagnostic steps to perform:

* Testing fuel delivery:
An easy way to test the fuel pump and filter is to disconnect the fuel feed hose from the fuel rail and connect it to a long length of spare hose with the other end draped over the fender going into a catch can placed on the ground. Now turn the ignition key to the run position but DO NOT START THE ENGINE. You should see fuel going into the can at a good rate for several seconds. 

Tee-in a temporary fuel pressure gauge between the fuel feed hose and the fuel rail. If the engine is unable to start, turn the ignition key to the *RUN* position but *DO NOT TRY TO START THE ENGINE*. The fuel pressure reading should be around 51 psi which would be a static reading. Once you get the engine started, the reading at idle should be around 51 psi.

The fuel injectors may not be firing. This can be tested with a "*noid*" light probe for each injector harness connector.

* Testing ignition:
Pull several coil packs to test; use a spare spark plug in the coil pack to test; ground the plug base with a jumper wire to the engine block; see if you're getting a spark while trying to start the engine. 

* The cam timing may be incorrect:
Check for a broken chain guide. See if it's broken or it may be cracked and has skipped some teeth.

* There may be a major intake system vacuum leak:
To check the intake system for a vacuum leak, attach a vacuum gauge to a full vacuum source. With the engine fully warmed up, the reading at idle should be 18 - 20 InHg. At 3,000 RPM, it should be 21 InHg.

If readings are under 18 InHg, check the intake manifold nuts to make sure they are tight. The gasket may have failed; spray a water mist at the gasket to see if the gauge reading changes. Also check the intake plenum bellows at the throttle valve and at the MAF for cracks or loose clamps.


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## Leggz1 (Oct 5, 2019)

Thank you very much for all the info I'll be sure to pass it along to my mechanic today. The main issue is however, the truck will not start at all, it only turns over. He says that it's getting fuel from the fuel pump through the fuel rail, but not through the injectors. He then switched from that idea to it needs another computer, so the guy I purchased the engine from the first place brought a computer to him for it and he installed it, and still no start oh, now the mechanic says that it needs to be taken to a Nissan dealership to be reprogrammed. The stories keep changing the excuses keep coming oh, and still I have no truck. I've been reading on these forums that the two engines are different as far as the wiring goes, and that the Infiniti QX56 engine the engine guy delivered, and my mechanic installed, will not just interchange and startup because of a wiring issue. Is this true? Will this engine require an ECU or IPDM for the QX56 engine instead of the ones for the Titan? Manic Panic is at a loss and has given up I will not work on it any further without my first paying him for his labor on the first swap, and the engine guy is trying to insist that the engines are the same and it's something that the mechanic has done wrong, I don't know either way all I know is I still don't have a truck and I'm not paying anybody anymore money until my truck is running!!! Where do I turn next??


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## Leggz1 (Oct 5, 2019)

Well my mechanic said that he did the code thing and it did not show any codes. He seems to think it's a fuel delivery problem, the fuel pump is pumping the fuel through the fuel rail but not through to the injectors. He has since change that to it needs another computer, its a computer issue. So on Monday of this week the guy I got the engine from originally, delivered to my mechanic, another ECU for a Nissan Titan which my mechanic switched out with the one in the truck oh, but the truck still would not start so my mechanic told me yesterday, but now the truck needs to be taken to a Nissan dealership to be reprogrammed. Is this a fact?? The issue here is the truck will not start period. It's not an issue of how it's running or whether it's running badly or not, it's it won't run at all, how to get it started is the problem.


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## rogoman (Dec 16, 2004)

The fuel injectors may not be firing. This can be tested with a "*noid*" light probe for each injector harness connector. Did your mechanic determine that there is no signal pulse to the injectors. Make sure the other wire to each injector has a constant 12v.

Most of the time the ECU is not at fault. There are two sensors that provide engine timing to the ECU; that being the camshaft position sensor and the crankshaft position sensor. If one or both of them are defective, the ECU will not generate a timing pulse to the injectors; likewise the same thing happens to the ignition coil packs. If you plan to replace sensors, replace both of them. Use only *Nissan OEM sensors*, not aftermarket components.


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