ORCGuide

Took it out and rat bagged it around town in the snow. 2High is kinda scary with these Vanderbilt all season radials. 4High is F'n awesome. F#$% I love this thing. So, yeah anyway a half teaspoon of isopropanol, a couple of q-tips and about a half hour of my time seems to have cured my mystery miss. Clean MAF's are good Either that or it was the fasteners that I fabbed up for the air cleaner. Not very scientific of me to change two things at once. . .

My bad, I keep forgetting that not everyone has a sexy Path like mine.

Relay your headlights. . . either build or buy a wiring harness that draws power directly from the alternator or battery to the bulbs. Your bulbs are dim because all of the current for the lights runs through the wiring harness, through the switch to the bulbs. Way too much current drop running through all that 18 (IIRC) gauge wire.

It'll be below freezing again on Saturday. I'll have to go for a drive then and see. Then I can move on to the fun stuff like reindexing my torsion bars and replacing broken exhaust manifold studs. . . whee! Thanks much for pointing me in the right direction.

I'll know for sure when it gets cold again but I think cleaning the MAF cured it.

Hasn't thrown a code since the new coil and power transistor/ignition module was replaced. I checked this morning when I got home from my little trip. 55, everything is fine. Distributor shaft has no perceptible play front to back, side to side or up and down. Rotational. . . not sure, a few degrees at least. I can estimate from the crank sensor but I would have to tear it apart again. Cylinder Head Temp Sensor. that would be the one hiding behind the timing belt cover directly below the distributor . . .yes? Looks like a PITA to change. Cleaned my MAF. Got my nipples crossed. . .

Heh, I've had just about every connector under the hood apart and they all look like they haven't seen the sun since 1987. Surprisingly clean, no evidence of corrosion. Will check the MAF connector tomorrow. Actually, screw that, I'll pull the MAF and clean it tonight. . . I'm leaning towards a worn distributor drive gear. The paranoid part of my lizard brain says check the timing belt. . . even if the teeth on the belt aren't worn enough to slip, they could be allowing enough play in the camshaft that I can turn my rotor a couple of degrees back and forth when its cold. . . haven't checked it hot... hmmm Then again, I was going through the papers in the glove box. . . new starter in April, 2012. . . $105 receipt for pulling codes and checking fuel pressure in February with a $2200 quote to R&R the MPFI??? um, I might be a little slow but I'm pretty sure it has a throttle body. But that points me toward fuel issues. . . And this is why I'm asking for other people's experiences and knowledge. . . It might just keep my wallet from becoming bulemic, . .

When I figure out what parts I actually need, I may just have to order from him. Hope customs doesn't sit on my package forever. . . again.

Plugs are NGK. Plug wires are ProSpark Platinum 8mm hi-temp silicon from NAPA. Coil, Cap and Rotor are Intermotor. Power transistor/ignition control module is BDW (? I think). The local Nissan dealership doesn't seem to want my money They don't carry any parts for my truck and are reluctant to order parts for me. If its older than their showroom, they can't be bothered. So, I'm stuck with aftermarket. I still have the Yazaki wires that came with the truck. I might try them out and see if there is any improvement. The miss or detonation was the reason for my changing plugs, wires, cap and rotor in the first place. It wasn't until I changed the coil and power transistor/ignition module that I finally cured the code 21. . . but the symptoms persist. . . It's no worse with the new parts so I think I might be barking up the wrong tree. . . krmiller: It's not so much that I like to twist wrenches and bash knuckles at night, more like the wife and kids were still asleep and I could not sleep (every time I lay down I cough my lungs out. . . thanks to my little plague monkeys. . .) so I went for a drive under conditions that I knew would result in the symptoms being apparent. I will fire it up again this evening and look for sparks though. It's an intermittent problem. It only does it when it's cold out. If the temperature is below freezing it runs like crap (in the video it's not too bad really; it's been a lot worse) for the first 20-30 minutes and then it will clear up. Or run it for 15-20 minutes and then let it sit for a while. . . then it's fine. Above freezing it's not an issue. When it's really cold out it's really bad. Like fear and loathing . . . bad. And the symptoms do not get better. . .

More information and video. I picked up a timing light. Timing is set where the sticker on the hood indicates it should be, mostly between the second large mark on the crank pulley and the next small tick to the right of it. But it jumps randomly between the second and third large mark on the crank pulley intermittently . . . I am inclined to hope that simply changing the distributor will fix it. Getting tired of throwing money at it and hoping I fix it by chance. Anyway, couldn't sleep this morning so I stuck my GoPro on the drivers side window pointing at the tach and went for a little drive. Apologies for the poor video quality, low light performance is not the Hero 1080's strong point. . . Miss occurs at 4:28. and intermittently until I shut cruise off and turned off the highway.Under 2500 RPM, no problem. Cruising between 2500 and 3000 RPM misfire or detonation? Just for laughs I checked the codes when I got home. . . 55 all good. IIRC RF600 had a similar issue. Would be interest to know if it had been resolved and how? Anybody else have any input?

TL/DR distributor or timing belt? 1988 Pathfinder SE- V6 auto 176606 km on the odometer. (that'd be about 110 000 miles) Has a new throttle body (from the Dealership before I bought it), new starter (also from the dealership before I bought it). Previous owner was a little old Italian grandma. This was her grocery getter. It lived a very comfortable indoor life, scrupulously maintained at the dealership until she went into "the home" and her husband decided to get rid of it. That's the story I heard and I'm inclined to believe it. Low miles, little rust around the wheel wells and no evidence of collision damage or abuse. No mickey mouse wiring, everything was pretty much as it came from the factory. Factory Clarion deck, amp and speakers. . . sweet! The only problem to be corrected during the insurance inspection in . . .June? was the horn relay needed replacement. Ran great for the summer, got 20mpg (12L/km IIRC). And then two of the blades on my fan went missing. . . $75 later I had a used fan and fan clutch. . . no big deal. Then winter came and ruined my fun. When it's cold it runs like crap. It starts fine, idles up idles down just like it should. Get the temp gauge up to operating temperature and roll out of the driveway no problem. Stick your foot into it and between 2500 and 3000 RPM it bucks and stumbles. Both during acceleration and just cruising. . . srsly wtf? Every 5-10 seconds it feels like the motor will die, the RPMs drop below 2500 and everything is fine again for a few seconds. After 20 minutes or so of driving the symptoms would disappear and it would run just fine like it did all summer for me. After 15 minutes of driving and then sitting in a parking lot for half or three quarters of an hour, no symptoms on the way home. wtf? So I checked the codes. Had a code 11 - crank angle sensor. A little bit or reading in the FSM, found the CAS in the distributor. Tore the top part of the distributor down and cleaned the CAS with a little isopropanol and a kimwipe, blew some little flakes of schmutz out with compressed air. Yay no more code 11. But, it started throwing . . . Code 21 - ignition. Well, the cap and rotor were pretty manky so I replaced them. Symptoms and code 21 persisted. So, I replaced the plugs and wires. Symptoms and codes persisted. . . srsly? Changed the power transistor (AKA ignition control module) and coil. NO more codes. . . But the symptoms persisted. . . It feels like a fuel starvation issue but all of the codes pointed to the ignition. . . wtf? So I was thinking maybe a clogged fuel filter. . . changed that, no difference. Water in the gas? Half a liter of 99% isopropyl alcohol in a quarter tank of gas works so much better than the little bottles of gas line antifreeze (methanol). . . burned through that and filled up with regular. Next morning. . . same symptoms, buck and stumble until it warms up completely. . . srsly? wtf? So I asked the mechanic at work about it. He says ignition timing. I haven't touched the timing since I got the truck and that doesn't seem like the kind of adjustment that just goes out on its own. And how would that be affected by how warm the motor is anyway? So he says, "distributor". . . Now, when I had the cap and rotor off to change them, I did notice some play. . . a few degrees in the distributor shaft. Side to side, front to back, up and down are nice and tight but there's maybe 5 degrees of rotational slop . . . "Yeah," he says, " you get randomly variable ignition timing until things warm up and expand enough that it tightens up and things run great again." Hmmm, makes sense. . . so I'm sourcing a new (reman) distributor. Local stealership wants $7-800. Not so local stealership will get me one for $626 + $90 core charge + tax and shipping. Local Nissan/Infinity (only, thats all they do!) wants $125 for a used one. Local Pick-a-part might have one used for $50. They open back up in a couple of days, I may have to go for a walk. . . I even found reman dizzys all over the interwebs for as little as $162 (CDN even. . . but after taxes shipping and a $20 core charge I'm still looking at $235). Enter the squealing belt. . . as if I don't have enough symptoms to deal with. . . So, down to NAPA for new power steering and alternator belts. But they still squeal? Replace the broken alternator tensioning bolt (that the head sheared off?). Still squealing! A little bit of bar soap (regular bar of hand soap, you know. . . applied to the sides of the belt). Still squealing. . . Hey wait a minute. . . what if its not the belts? What if its the timing belt tensioner? And if the tensioner is going south, how is the belt? So, long story short: Is it the distributor? the timing belt? or is there something else that I am overlooking? Anyone have any insight?

My personal favorite: Cracked Heads Every Valve Rattles Oil Leaks Every Time

1987. . . I had two vehicles at that time: a 1981 Honda CX500 Custom and a 1973 (? IIRC) Honda Civic Cvcc. The bike was my first taste of vehicular freedom. The Cvcc was f'n awesome. The 1.17L four banger would positively scream at WOT. And that little 5 speed transaxle was what I learned to drive stick with. Too bad they tended to warp the head and blow gasses back and forth between #2 and #3 cylinders. . . identical to the orange car in this link http://www.netcarshow.com/honda/1975-civic_cvcc/

Swapped in a new Intermotor coil and BDW Ignition Control Module. Hasn't thrown a 21 since and runs much better on the highway. Now to see if the problem is solved when the temperature drops tonight. . .

Ordered a new coil and power transistor (aka ignition control module). Got my nipples crossed that the code 21 and (poopy) performance on the highway will be a thing of the past. Feels like a fuel starvation issue but OBD1 insists its an ignition issue. . .

Changed the Power steering and alternator belts. Figured out which one was squealing and why. . . tensioner bolt on the alternator was broken. . .

WD21 is superior for the following reasons: 1. Shocks and springs => not struts. I learned to despise McPherson struts about a quarter century ago. 2. Full frame => unibody is for cars, not trucks. . . 3. No ABS 4. No Traction control 5. No Airbags The last three are personal preference. I don't like bandaid solutions for problems that don't exist Oh, and 6. No daytime running lights. . .

Replaced the cap and rotor yesterday. Hasn't thrown a code since. And I did all of the stuff that was provoking it; start up and go without waiting for it to warm up, jackrabbit starts, using cruise on the highway. . . just driving it. Runs like a mutha f'n top. NOw to find a 9004 male plug so I can finish the headlight harness. . .

Took apart my distributor, cleaned the CAS with some isopropanol on a kim wipe and then took it for a bit of a run on the highway. Didn't throw any new codes. Now to track down the DTC 21. . .

That's more like it. $125 or $158 + $30 shipping and who knows what for duty and another 5% for the feds. . . Probably pretty close to the $262.80 from Elbonian tire. . .

Local Nissan dealership wants me to buy a whole new distributor for $7-800. NAPA wants $378. Seriously? Isn't this a $20 part?

'88 SE V6 Auto She's dead sexy and not diggin the cold. Keeps throwing DTC 11 Crank angle sensor. Start the truck, wait until the idle drops from 1750 down to 1000 and the temp gauge starts to move. Then drive slowly out of the driveway and more or less idle it the two blocks to the highway. At the highway, it's a left turn into a 70 km/h (46? mph) zone with fairly heavy traffic. POWER switch on, hammer the gas and. . . bog on launch. Or, walk into it and suffer mild detonation; feels like an intermittent miss. It'll do that all the way into the city 13 km (~8 miles) and usually while I'm going wherever. After stopping and doing whatever, the truck will usually run perfectly after that. for the rest of the day. Srsly wtf? Whatever, all of the signs and symptoms point to the Crank angle sensor. I tried blowing and vacuuming debris out to the distributor under the plate under the rotor. That seemed to help a bit but it still does it. Is the CAS a repairable item? Is it just a matter of reflowing a couple of cold soldered joints and getting another 24 years out of the truck? Or does it really need to be replaced? I can't really afford to get one from Autozone. $320!! I'll see what NAPA and the stealership want for one on Monday. And maybe visit the local NIssan friendly wreckers (not wallet friendly though. . .) Any input anyone?

Bought plugs, wires and a fuel filter. Cap and rotor will have to wait until next payday. . . maybe the one after. . . I hate playing catch up. Priced out a timing belt, tensioner and water pump. I should be good for another 25k km before I need to change that out. While I was standing at the cashier, staring at the wall of bulbs, it occurred to me that sockets for a 9004 bulb might come in handy when I get around to rewiring my headlights. . . so I bought them too. now to get everybody to leave me alone for the rest of the weekend so I can do something I want to do (instead of all the things I am voluntold to do). . . oh, and my local stealership fully rots. They suggested I go to NAPA rather than deal with them.

Pulled my cap and rotor to get at the crank angle sensor. Blew out the little flake of schmutz that occasionally blocked on of the holes in the plate. Cleaned up the rotor tip and contacts in the cap with 600 grit sand paper. Buh-bye DTC 11. . . Also figured out why I like driving it so much: No ABS, no traction control, no airbags. . . that and parts are meant to be repaired, not just replaced

Found a replacement rad fan and clutch. Replaced that, now repairing a broken tail light lense. Next on the list, replace door and rear speakers and hack into the wiring connector for the factory Clarion amp to hook up the rear speakers. Then I'll move on to the important stuff: procuring exhaust manifold studs, bypassing the tranny cooler and taking care of the rust before it gets out of hand.