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Service Engine Soon light flashed - No stored trouble codes


colinnwn
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Hi,

 

 

Last night coming home my Service Engine Soon light flashed about 10 times. At the same time the engine seemed to be running a little rough. The light quit flashing and the engine smoothed out. I didn't have time to check it right then. But this morning I went out and checked for trouble codes using my ScanGauge2.

 

It is saying there are no stored codes. Has anyone had the SES light flash and not have a stored code? You don't have to have a Nissan Consult to check them do you?

 

 

Thanks.

 

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Flashing SES light means it's detecting a misfire. Misfires could cause damage to the catalytic converters. You should check the spark plugs and replace if they're worn, and consider seafoaming the throttle body, running some fuel injector cleaner in the tank, replacing the air filter and fuel filter if those haven't been serviced in a while.

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So it did it again this evening and I immediately pulled the code and got a P1320. This seems to be the infamous primary ignition random misfire code, that is frequently, but not always fixed by replacing all the coils. I have no problem doing this, but I'll be disappointed if it doesn't fix it.

The spark plugs are about 60k miles old. When I last replaced them at 150k miles pre-emptively they were well worn but in reasonable shape. It would suck to do all the work to replace them, and have to dig back in if it didn't fix the problem to do the coils.

 

I'll run a can of injector cleaner. I'm not sure how to seafoam the throttle body. I've only done that to a carbureted vehicle. Is it really the same, just pour slowly in the intake after removing the air filter?

 

The air filter looks clean and is only about 20k miles old. But I dust it out every 5k. The fuel filter was also replaced at 60k, but I will do that as well.

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So the misfire could be due to the coil packs if your plugs are in OK condition and other filters have been serviced or are relatively new/clean. To SeaFoam the intake, you can follow the instructions here:

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I replaced the air filter because it was a little dirty. I put a can of Seafoam in the gas, and sprayed a can through the intake. I haven't had time to replace the fuel filter yet. I drove it after that. It is running considerably worse, and the SES light is staying on, but no additional codes. I doubt the fuel filter will magically fix this. But I am going to replace it while I wait on the additional parts.

 

I don't have the time to do the plugs, and if that doesn't fix it, tear the intake off again to do the coils. I guess I'm going to order the Hitachi coils from Parts Geek for about $350, and do the plugs and coils together. I really hope this fixes it. It will be disappointing to spend $400 on it if it isn't fixed. I hate throwing parts at problems. But I also don't have the time to do the diagnosis properly.

 

Oh, Seafoam needs to work on that spray cleaner system more. I thought I was going to get carpal tunnel before it ran out. I couldn't tell it was done because the aerosol ran out before the contents did. And even with me trying to hold the straw on the nozzle, it popped off about 6 times. I have that spray all over the engine compartment, and on my arms and in my face and...

Edited by colinnwn
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Are you getting a specific cylinder misfire code? Why don't you at least check the plugs first? It's certainly a lot cheaper than replacing all the coil packs, especially if that's not actually the problem. If the plugs are good, then you might be able to isolate which coil pack is bad by disconnecting each one in turn to see if the engine runs rougher or stays the same.

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No I only get P1320, no other codes.

 

I remember replacing the spark plugs about 6 years ago. I used genuine NGK from Courtesy Nissan. Unless one was defective, they should be only about 60% through their life. I only put about 10k on my truck per year.

 

Replacing the plugs was a 4 hour ordeal. So I only have time and patience to do this once as far as gaining access to the plugs and coils. Otherwise it will have to go to the shop. My wife is already trying to convince me to just take it to the local hole in the wall shop once the parts do get here.

 

For a half second I thought about trying to unplug coils to find the defective one, or by taking the time to order and use the low amp probe with oscilloscope method. But I don't see how to unplug individual coils without pulling off the intake and replacing it for each coil until I find the defective one. There is absolutely no way I would do that. Am I missing something? Is there an easy way to unplug individual coils?

 

And from what I've read that the chances of more coils going out once the first one does are very high. If I actually do have a bad coil, I don't have any problem with the $400 to replace them all. I'll just be really upset with myself if it turns out to be something entirely different.

 

 

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I remember the last time I changed the fuel filter it was miserable. But I forgot how obscenely unpleasant it was. I hope the Nissan Engineer that put it there got demoted to shop helper, and spends his retirement destitute begging on the street. I don't have enough vile 4 letter words for him.

 

I've been working on it for 90 minutes, had my chest and arms covered in gas 3 times. I'm so nauseated from the smell I'm about to throw up. And I'm still not done. This next part was my fault. The new hose clamps I had left over from the last fuel filter change were apparently the bigger of the 2 sizes in the package and were too large. Now I have to get some smaller ones, then take the hoses off again to swap the clamps.

 

I'm not sure how I'll get to the train station tomorrow to go to work.

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I'm not sure how I'll get to the train station tomorrow to go to work.

 

Sorry to hear that it's been so difficult for you to repair your vehicle. If time is a commodity you lack, it might be more prudent to just take it to a shop. Hopefully you can find a way to work. Uber?

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Yeah either I'll have to take a couple hours off work tomorrow to align my schedule with my wife's, or Uber is a good idea. It is all a tradeoff, money or time, but I was trying to avoid a $1000 bill.

 

The frustrating part to me is that I feel like on the Pathfinder, Nissan made things hard that didn't need to be hard. I know with every new model in general that becomes more true with cars for both cost savings and servicing revenue. I never felt truly frustrated working on my 1990 Maxima.

 

I understand in the VQ engine why changing the spark plugs are a bear. But they could move pigtail connections out, create test points, sell a consumer version of the Consult 2 for a reasonable price, etc. to make diagnosing and repairing easier. But there was really no reason they didn't do some easy and extremely cheap things to make replacing the fuel filter easier.

 

 

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After some considerable additional pain - a major victory.

 

The only other thing I did was replace the fuel filter and cleared the code. I haven't replaced the spark plugs, or coils. The Pathfinder is running smoother than it has in about a year, and the code hasn't come back. I noticed when I removed the filter, some of the gas that poured out of it on me looked slightly brown. I guess I got some bad gas.

 

Thanks XPLORx4 for encouraging me to do the simpler and cheaper stuff first!

 

I can return the coils to PartsGeek, they have a return policy for unopened items. They'll be the first place I look for parts now because of it.

 

For the past week, I left the fuel intake hose on the new filter with the too large hose clamp finger loose. Somehow in that time, the hose had glued itself onto the new filter tighter than even the 6 year old filter. I tried to twist the hose to break the seal with rag covered pliers, but it wouldn't budge. I tried to wiggle and pull the hose off so hard that the hose was stretching like a rubber band. Doing that I bent the metal filter bracket to where it no longer holds the filter tight. I finally had to use the pliers in one hand, and my other thumb between it and the filter casing to wiggle and lever the hose off. It took me another hour to get a single stupid hose off. Total time to replace a fuel filter - 2.5 hours.

 

I'm not sure that the next time I will be able to get it off without damaging the hose. And Nissan made it to where you have to DROP the fuel tank to replace that hose !!! I'll be so mad when I have to either do that, or pay to have it done.

 

There really isn't enough vulgar words for the Nissan Engineers involved in this.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Well the P1320 code came back twice in the past 2 weeks, with no other codes, and I cleared it each time. The last time the truck seemed to be running a little rough.

 

I'm unsure whether to replace the fuel filter again, in case there was still some sludge in the tank. Or if I should try replacing the spark plugs next. My current plugs have about 60k on them. They were the recommend plus straight from a Nissan dealer. So theoretically they should have another 40k of life.

 

Sent from my Nexus 5X using Tapatalk

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And Nissan made it to where you have to DROP the fuel tank to replace that hose !!! I'll be so mad when I have to either do that, or pay to have it done.

 

 

If you have to cut the hose end off just cut it back a little more and get a metal fuel line the same size from the local parts store and splice it in-between the line from the tank and a new piece of hose to the filter.

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On rubber hoses if they are stuck on it helps to put something, like a tiny flat blade screwdriver, in there and run it around to break the seal between the hose and whatever it is clamped on. Vaccum lines, coolant hoses, works on all of them and is a lot easier on the hose than putting pliers on the outside and trying to twist it.

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On rubber hoses if they are stuck on it helps to put something, like a tiny flat blade screwdriver, in there and run it around to break the seal between the hose and whatever it is clamped on. Vaccum lines, coolant hoses, works on all of them and is a lot easier on the hose than putting pliers on the outside and trying to twist it.

I don't see how you can do that on a fuel filter without tearing the hose, since the case of the fuel filter is so much larger than the hose barb.

 

Sent from my Nexus 5X using Tapatalk

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If you have to cut the hose end off just cut it back a little more and get a metal fuel line the same size from the local parts store and splice it in-between the line from the tank and a new piece of hose to the filter.

That's a good idea. That area on the Pathfinder has very little extra hose slack before it goes above the tank though. You'd have to be careful in how you plan your cuts.

 

Sent from my Nexus 5X using Tapatalk

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I don't see how you can do that on a fuel filter without tearing the hose, since the case of the fuel filter is so much larger than the hose barb.

 

Sent from my Nexus 5X using Tapatalk

Just a suggestion. Use when you can, don't when you can't.

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I haven't had time to replace the fuel filter again yet. But some days it is running fine and some days it runs poorly.

 

I did finally get another code, P0303, cylinder 3 misfire.

 

After I replace the fuel filter again, if the misfire comes back I'm thinking of replacing all the spark plugs and the #3 coil.

 

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  • 2 weeks later...

Work continues on my truck to get it reliable again, but it actually ran an entire week without throwing the error code or running rough. I made some interesting findings, and ran into more issues.

 

I decided not to replace the fuel filter a 2nd time, and launch straight into replacing the spark plugs and coils. I actually found my 2009 post on this forum, from the last time I did the spark plug replacement that I forgot I posted. I actually said it wasn't that bad except for #4. And it hasn't been bad, if not for old brittle rubber. It hasn't been anything like what I thought I remembered from 7 years ago.

 

Bank 1/3/5 requires taking off a couple brackets and can be done quick, with some knuckle scraping. Bank 2/4/6 requires taking the airbox/MAF/snorkle out. 4 in particular also requires removing the throttle body. A guy on YouTube thought it was easier to leave the airbox in. I think he's crazy. The bottom 2 connecting bolts of the MAF to the airbox would be a bear to remove and install.

 

When I got in there, I discovered that the mechanic who replaced my valve cover gaskets used silver liquid gasket and made a mess. There was liquid gasket down in the spark plug holes, and on the spark plug boots. I don't think enough to cause misfire, and it ran fine for a while after the replacement. But I was disappointed. I hope he also used a legit gasket, and there isn't so much extra in the engine that it is plugging up oil passageways.

 

Incidentally the valve gasket replacement made a big difference in the smell of hot oil, and also my oil consumption. I still have a little of both, that I need to explore further or take to someone with a lift to see if there are any remaining leaks. Hopefully the liquid gasket holds. I paid too much money for it to fail in a couple years like it frequently does.

 

When I got the plugs out, I found they were NKG Iridium LFR5AIX-11. These are apparently 60k sparkplugs, and they lasted 80k. They were well worn, and all wore to one side of the electrode. I don't remember using cheap plugs at all. I always go for the factory recommended plugs. Something must have happened. Anyway I decided to go ahead and replace all 6 coils, that I'm sure I don't need at this time. But they aren't the revised coils with the dot on them, so I figure it is a miracle they lasted this long and could give out any day. I'm also replacing the ignition condenser. I saw on Youtube that they don't last forever and can cause misfires.

 

While removing the airbox I discovered the snorkle is cracked at the throttle body entrance. I'm going to replace that. I was also replacing some very cracked 5/32" vacuum lines. I found one pipe without a vacuum hose on it. I'm still not sure where that is supposed to go, or if it supposed to be capped. The mechanic broke the nipple off the vacuum tank and epoxied it back on with the crap vacuum line. So of course when I tried to replace the line, the nipple broke again and is fairly unrepairable. I'm ordering a new vacuum tank.

 

I discovered the mechanic cracked the 5/8" vacuum hose that goes from the valve cover to the snorkle, and repaired it with electric tape. I can't find any vacuum hose that big online. So I assume it has to be harder and preformed. I'll be ordering that. It also looks like he replaced a hose of similar size coming from underneath the intake manifold going to the valve cover on the front of the engine with generic coolant hose. It has no hose clamp on it, so I bet it is a vacuum line too and it looks slightly crushed.

 

I think that's everything. One other interesting discovery was half of the can of Seafoam intake spray poured out of my resonator when I removed the airbox. I know I had that straw as far back against the plate as I could. Hopefully it didn't get on the MAF sensor or hurt it. Not gonna use that stuff again.

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  • 2 years later...
On 3/8/2017 at 11:39 PM, Citron said:

Just a suggestion. Use when you can, don't when you can't.

So, I'm about 2 years late to party, but I thought I'd share.

 

I bought a tool that's designed to remove hoses.   It's a long, thin pick, but it's bent like a hook.

You use it to get under a hose (like the radiator hose), and free it from the barb or nozzle that it's connected to.

 

This little tool has worked wonders... it was so hard to get a small screw driver or anything else in there.

The tool does it's job.

 

Attached is a photo I got off of amazon.  They call it a "hose hook pick".

 

FYI, in case anyone needs it.

hose hook3.jpg

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