Slartibartfast

Some people see their lives flash before their eyes. Others see their truck's maintenance history and known faults.

If it's not throwing catalyst efficiency codes, I wouldn't worry about the cats for now. I wouldn't expect a clogged cat to cause a misfire on one cylinder only. I would however expect the misfire to damage the cats eventually. New plugs might clear it up. They wear over time, and foul if the mixture is too rich. If that doesn't do it, try swapping the coil on the misfiring cylinder with one of the others to see if the fault follows the coil (says the coil is bad), or stays where it is (says something else on that cylinder is bad--either compression or fuel). Fuel could be an injector. The color of the old spark plug may tell you what's going on here--white is lean, black is rich. You can buy or borrow a compression tester that screws in place of the spark plug to see if that cylinder is down on compression. The service manual should have a target pressure and a maximum % allowable difference between cylinders. Download the service manual here and have a look at the EC section. It should have a list of things to check to resolve your code. It assumes you've got the special Consult scan tool the dealers had, but there's usually a workaround.

Nicoclub has the US-spec service manuals here. Hopefully they're similar enough to what you're working with. The EL section should have what you need. If the R50 is wired like the WD21, the tail lights, front corner lights, dash lights, and license plate lights are all on the same circuit. If you've been into any of that recently, or if any of the lights aren't working, start there. When mine popped, it was because the wiring I'd recently modified for the license plate light had shorted out (the cheap heat shrink slid off a joint, which is why I use better heat shrink with glue in it now). If you have no leads to follow, check the exterior bulbs. Look for corroded sockets, loose wiring, or defective bulbs. If you have a trailer harness, check that too.

No worries! And yeah, that's a hell of a writeup.

In Mr. 510's VG34 build thread, he found that a camshaft retainer bolt had somehow backed out and allowed the cam to walk forward, which he figured was the cause of the weird tick he'd been hearing. Something to look for when you get the valve cover off. I don't know that this would explain the popping, but if the cam journal is gnawing on the lifter, maybe that could be hanging up the valve and intermittently preventing it from closing properly, causing what I assume is a backfire. Only popping when it's heat soaked still has me thinking it's got a sticky valve, but that's not a failure I've chased before so I don't know how common/likely it would be, and I don't know that it would explain the racket in the video. Too bad the snake oil didn't help. If you suspect the injectors, check the spark plugs, see if they're all about the same color on the business end. (The #6 plug is a notorious PITA, but is possible to remove with the right combination of extension/U joint/swearing, or the factory tool kit that may still be under your back seat. Blow out around them first if you can, dirt and mouse crap tend to settle in there.) If they all look about the same, I doubt it's the injectors. Wouldn't explain the tapping, either. If you do need an injector, avoid the cheap ones. Cuong Nguyen tried some and wasn't impressed. Black soot could be leaky injectors, but it could also be a bad temp sensor telling the computer it's colder outside than it is. Condensation on cold starts is normal. I doubt it's the cat. The cat on my friend's Blazer failed and all it did was rattle. We cut it open after replacing it and found that the honeycomb had broken free of the can, bounced around inside, and gradually beat itself smaller so it rattled more and more. I don't think it ever threw a code, it just sounded like something was gonna fall off. Long shot, when it's running, try pressing on that heat shield over the exhaust manifold with a long screwdriver or prybar. If the noise suddenly stops, the heat shield is loose. It doesn't sound like a heat shield to me, but they can make a hell of a racket when they break loose. I once drove back from the coast convinced that something in the drivetrain was about to fail, only to discover that I had a loose exhaust clamp. Wasn't nearly as regular as your noise, though, and didn't match engine RPM like yours is doing. Long shot, have you tried running it with the drive belts off? Not for long (it'll overheat if run too long with no water pump), but if you crank it up and the noise is gone, could be a bearing going. My alt sounded pretty ominous when it started to go. Your noise sure does sound like it's in the engine, but it doesn't hurt to rule out the cheap stuff first.

So that one code means an electrical fault, the coupling (clutch?), or apparently also the computer. Well, that narrows it down, huh? I don't know crap about R52s, or where they go wrong. I would start by checking the circuit, then if that checks out, drain the fluid and look for wear material. A drain and fill did wonders for the transfer in my '95, but of course that's an entirely different beast. Good luck!

Your best bet is to download the service manual for your year from Nicoclub, look up that code, and see what steps the manual recommends to troubleshoot it. The later manuals assume you have the dealer scan tools, but sometimes you'll get lucky and find a "without CONSULT" option, or at least a description of what conditions trigger that code. There is a service bulletin out for that code as well. Looks like they think it's a computer fault. They don't mention a noise, though.

Is it losing oil or coolant? Is the noise louder under load, right after startup, or when the engine is cold? The exhaust popping has me thinking you might have a valvetrain issue, possibly a valve hanging up. I would be tempted to try a Berryman's or Seafoam intake treatment on it, see if that cleans up some crud from the offending valve stem and gets it moving properly again. Maybe add a little ATF to the oil to clean it out from the inside, without the risk of dislodging an oil-passage-clogging glob of schmoo with a harsher crankcase flush. You could also remove the valve cover and dig around for anything obviously visually wrong, but that's a bit of an undertaking on the driver's side because of how the plenum lays over the driver's side head. These are known for exhaust studs snapping and causing leaks at the manifold. Mine's got at least one busted stud and has leaked there for at least as long as I've had it. It mostly makes noise when it's cold and/or under load. If your noise is consistent regardless of engine temp or load, then I doubt it's an exhaust leak. And, yeah, hopefully the last guys who had it apart last used better-quality studs than Nissan did. That said, exhaust leaks can be deceptive. My friend installed an exhaust manifold gasket backwards in his Blazer once, and it sounded like a much more expensive problem than it ended up being. I thought it had a collapsed lifter until I noticed the gasket was sticking out where it shouldn't have been. I also doubt it's the bottom end, but you can test that by unplugging each spark plug lead, one at a time, with the engine running. No spark means no fire, which means much less load on the bottom end. So if you pull a plug lead, and the noise stops, then you know it's bottom end, and you know which cylinder has the problem. This helped my dad diagnose a bottom end issue in his friend's Triumph (which turned out to be a bad small-end conrod bearing). This is also an easy way to zap yourself on the ignition system, so, fair warning there. If you track the noise to one cylinder head, and the snake oil doesn't clear it up, you could just pull the one bad head and either swap it for a used/reman head, or take the old head to a machine shop to see if they can sort it out. Rockauto lists reman heads, looks like they only have the passenger's side in stock though. Swapping a head is a fairly major engine surgery, but I'd expect it to be cheaper and easier than replacing the whole engine.

I hadn't thought about the pinion angle with the lift. That would make sense. Before dumping fluids, you could try loading up the back of the truck to compress the suspension a little, see if that calms the noise. If it does, then you know it's not the diff.

No worries man, let me know if you get hung up somewhere.

LOL, the computer's too old to replace the CV axles? I didn't mean to write a novel, but, well, here's the novel. It's been a while since I did my CVs, so hopefully some of this is right. Like I said before, you'll need a 12mm 12-point. Make sure it's impact rated. Use an impact if you can. If you have to use hand tools, put the transfer in low range 4x, with the other front wheel on the ground, to stop the axle from turning when you go to loosen the bolts. You'll need a 6mm Allen (and possibly a torch) to get the hubs off, and some snap ring pliers to get the snap ring off the CV. (Technically you're supposed to measure the endplay of the axle in the hub and select a snap ring of appropriate thickness to dial it in. I didn't bother, and I don't imagine most people do. The instructions and specs are in the service manual if you want to do it properly.) Wouldn't be a bad idea to replace the inner hub seals (seals against the CV to protect the front wheel bearing) while you're in there. You may need to unbolt the shock for access to the CV bolts, though this may not be needed if you're taking the whole knuckle off anyway. The ball joints unbolt from the arms, but you'll need pullers to get them out of the knuckles. I think I used a puller of this style, but a pickle fork would probably do the job. I picked up one of these for tie rod ends and it's great. Shouldn't need anything special for the sway bar links, but I remember screwing around with a jack or a ratchet strap or something trying to get the second side close enough to get the nut started. You may need some wiggle room for those, so get one side started, then get the other side started before tightening anything down. If the old ones are stubborn, it may be quicker to break or cut them out, assuming the kit comes with new hardware. Do you have a torque wrench? I wouldn't bother with it on the sway bar links, but it's a good idea for suspension work in general. I shoot for the low end of spec on castle nuts, then tighten more as needed to get the cotter pin hole to line up. Otherwise, shoot for the middle. IIRC the axle bolts don't have a torque spec in the manual, so I did mine to German spec with the impact. If you're rebooting, there's a special plier for putting the boot clamps on, though I think I brute-forced it with normal pliers. You'll also need a vise to hold the axles, and a big punch (preferably brass). And some gloves. And a lot of paper towels. You'll need an alignment after replacing steering/suspension components. I aligned mine myself because I wouldn't trust the guys at the Les Schwab to put training wheels on a bicycle. I checked camber with a digital angle finder and a piece of flat steel laid across the rim (while parked on flat ground, obviously). I haven't found an easy way to check caster yet, and didn't have room to adjust it anyway. Both are adjusted by adding or removing shims behind the upper control arm spindles. You may not need to mess with these if you're not changing the ride height. You can get the toe somewhere close by measuring the existing tie rod assembly, then adjusting the new assembly to the same length before installing it, but it'll still need adjustment afterwards. My go-to method for setting toe uses a tape measure and two lengths of angle iron (bedframe). With the truck parked on flat ground, not on a jack, set the angle iron on jackstands, tight against the front wheel sidewalls so it's parallel with the wheels. The usual method is to measure in front of the wheels, then behind, and the difference is your toe. I measure in front, and then the tires' diameter in front of that, because there isn't a truck in the way. Either way, I try to get the front measurement 1/16-1/8" shorter than the back. Adjust to where it looks about right, drive it around the block to let it settle in, then re-check and readjust as needed. You'll probably end up doing this several times before you're happy with it. If you're only replacing one tie rod end, start by adjusting only that one side. If the alignment was good beforehand, and the other work you did didn't change the geometry enough to matter, then you should be able to get the toe right and the steering wheel straight by adjusting just that one side. Make sure you've got a good set of jackstands, and use them. I slide a wheel under the truck as well, so if it falls off the stands, it has something other than me to land on. Do one side at a time so you can check the other side if you forget how something goes together. If the new joints have zerks, grease them. And clean out out the wheel arches before you get in there so you're not constantly showered in dirt while you're working. Provided nothing fights you--no broken bolts, nothing seized, no surprises--a couple of days should be easily doable. But have a plan B in case something does fight you or a part doesn't fit like it should. Speaking of parts not fitting--the tie rod ends aren't all the same for these. The taper size changed for some reason in '92. Probably July of '92. Check the date on the sticker in your doorjamb before ordering parts. I got burned on that once, and still have a '92 knuckle in the corner that I had 90% installed before discovering that my tie rod end was too big for it. Also make sure you get the correct thread--inner and outer TREs are threaded opposite where they go into the adjuster, and there's no guarantee the existing assembly is installed the right way around. There is a difference in the CV axles in four-cylinder vs V6 trucks, but they bolt up the same and take the same boots--I know because I have one of each on mine. Just don't get the early (two-door) 27-spline axles, those won't work with your 28-spline hubs.

Nope, no brake interlock on the starter. Just the park/neutral relay (auto) or clutch relay (manual). SC-12 in the '03 manual shows the starter circuit, and there isn't much to it.

Yeah, those fill the arches better. Given that 33x10.50 mostly fits at stock height, you should be good with that lift, so long as the offset on the Yota rims isn't too crazy. Normally I'm not a fan of modern rims, but those ain't bad--especially for the price!

Always fun tracking down intermittent issues. Is it fixed or is it hiding again? Hopefully the new inhibitor relay keeps it happy.

The thunking before the oil change makes me think the previous change might've been done without the LSD additive. I've heard that makes the clutches chatter, which can lead to them breaking up. If clutch chunks escaped and got into the bearings, that could be your problem right there. Checking the temp isn't a bad idea, but I wouldn't expect to see much unless the rear end was absolutely shredding itself. You could drop the oil and see if any chunks come out with it. If you do end up diff shopping, look into the 3rd member from an early Xterra. Same 33-spline H233B, but they packed the LSD a little tighter than they did in the R50s. If you've gotta swap it out, might as well upgrade, right? If you want to really dig into it, Hawairish did a great writeup on repacking the LSD up to WD21 spec or better. Life expectancy for these should be pretty good. I haven't heard of many H233Bs outright failing, though the clutch-type LSD will wear out eventually. Mine's done over 250k miles and it's showing no signs of weakness, though I suspect it's had a pretty easy life.

Sounds like an easy place to start. I wonder if the starter itself could be causing this--something wrong with the contacts maybe. Does it make a click noise when you turn the key, or is there no response at all? You could run a wire up from the starter, taking the key switch out of the circuit entirely, and see if you still get the hesitation when basically hotwiring the starter. If it still acts up, then you'll know the key switch circuit isn't the problem.

The symptoms sound like the rear end (worn bearings messing up the gear mesh), which makes sense given the rear end was giving you issues before. Could be the new control arm bushings are a little stiffer than the old ones and transfer the noise better. The loose bearing is interesting/worrying. If I'm reading that right, the wheel is rocking up and down? Like a front wheel with a loose ball joint? I don't know how a solid axle would do that unless multiple things were pretty borked. The length of the axle shaft means it would take a lot of play at one end or the other. I assume you've ruled out loose lug nuts, spacers, junk on the mating surfaces?

Had a look at my parts car as the shifter's out already, and it looks like the same 194 bulb that's in the cluster and front parking lights.

I had a similar thought when I had my front end to bits. I didn't have a press at the time, I didn't want to open a can of worms, and the old bushings really didn't look that bad. I gave the spindle a couple half-hearted whacks with a hammer to see if it would move easily (it didn't), decided the old bushings were fine, and then put them back on. I have a press now, so that would be my go-to. Otherwise, unless you can rig up something like a press, you're probably stuck burning them out.

Nicely done! I like the low profile. How's the quality on the Hazard Fright rack?

You can get the service manual here--the AT section will be your friend. I would start by checking that there's no obvious damage to the shifter or the shifter cable. If the shifter's position doesn't match what's going on at the trans, that would explain the positions being offset, and why the shift interlock (park/neutral safety) is giving you trouble. Maybe someone tried to yank it out of park when the shift lock was on and tweaked something? Might have to pull the console out to inspect the shifter mechanism. Also check that the position switch on the side of the transmission isn't obviously damaged or messed with and checks out electrically, and that the wiring isn't obviously hacked anywhere. I doubt the service manual has a troubleshooting procedure for exactly this issue, but there should be some electrical checks and hopefully an adjustment procedure to get the shifter and trans synced up properly once you've dealt with whatever the damage is. Good luck and let us know what you find.

Good work finding it before throwing parts at something else! Figures it was the security system acting up. And thanks! It's been sitting for a while now, I need to get back on it.

I'm not familiar with that scanner, but anything that'll read OBDII codes should be fine. No codes is also a result--just means the computer doesn't know what's wrong either. If you've got carb cleaner, that works too. Which engine do you have? In the US, an '04 would have the VQ35DE, which has a timing chain. Earlier R50s have the VG33E, which has a timing belt. There should be a data plate in the engine bay (the one with the vin #) that'll list what engine it's got if you're not sure. And yes, slipped timing would absolutely cause a crank/no-start. It could also cause valve damage, so hopefully that's not what happened.

Service manuals for the US models are here, hopefully the same/similar equipment to what you're working with. I doubt the line is clogged. Injectors clog, but it would have to be all six. More likely there's an electrical problem, or the computer isn't getting the data it needs to know when to fire them. Does it run on starting fluid? Any trouble codes? Your description of running like the timing is off before not running at all has me thinking a crank sensor might've gone. Hopefully it's not the valve timing. Haven't heard of a VQ doing that, though again I'm assuming yours has the same engine as the US model of that year.

That's gonna need some welding. Kinda scary to think that was holding the tire carrier on.