Mr_Reverse
-
Posts
651 -
Joined
-
Last visited
-
Days Won
34
Content Type
Profiles
Forums
Calendar
Posts posted by Mr_Reverse
-
-
Want to have some real fun, get a Suzuki Equator.
It makes everyone scratch their heads. The Ranger was a very honest truck and I liked it just because of that. The new ones are interesting, but I simply don't care for turbos in a 4x4. That is just me, but forced induction in an off pavement truck is limited to high RPM work like dune blasting. Gas turbos and mudholes or water crossing just seems like asking for problems. But I did have my cat in my Pathfinder break about 6 months after buying my truck. I got stuck in a waterhole with the water up to the tops of my tires (31" back then) and made the mistake of turning off the engine. When that 60°f water hit the ceramic matrix that was well heated from a couple hours of vigorous mud play, it did not go well. I can only imagine dunking some well heated turbos in cold water would not be a good thing. I do use thermo shock a lot at work to get stubborn fasteners to concede.
-
Strange problem, but I am inclined to suspect the ignition switch as the problem. I know the ignition switches from that era suffers from old age and wear. It is about the only thing I can think of since the 97 didn't use a chipped key that I know of. In the several remote start systems I have installed, once the ignition key is moved to run, the system essentially turns off. Some of the units I installed had a timed run function, but you had to press the start button while the engine is running and then without touching the brake, turn the key to off. Generally then the system would keep the engine running for 10 min then shut down. One thing they all had in common, the ignition had to be in run position before touching the brake, or the system would turn off the engine.
With the key in run, the system is completely bypassed, so it stands to reason that if the problem never happened before the install, it would be likely that the pulling on the wires to the ignition switch caused the contacts in the switch to move slightly. One thing to try would be to wiggle the wiring harness to the switch while the engine is running and see if anything happens.
-
I recall the 3 years I worked for Nissan, I did a lot of recall work. Nissan had a pretty big one for the ABS module in the Maxima and Murano. Those were something like the 16-19 model years. Did a lot of reprogramming on various systems over a larger year range, with one of the most common on the airbags in the Frontier, Xterra, and Titan. Oddly, the R51 Pathfinder and Armada didn't have the problem the other trucks had. Apparently, if the truck is tilted to the side sufficiently and hit a bump just right, the SRS ECU would panic and fire all the airbags and pretensioners. Had a very modified Xterra there for having that happen about the time the recall came out. Made the day on the trail very exciting apparently.
Had a tech there for almost a year that was a long time Toyota tech. He loved pointing out issues like the strawberry milkshake that was a problem for a few years in the Frontier, Xterra, Pathfinder. I cheerfully pointed out that the frames didn't have the rust out issues the Toyota had. It was all in fun.
My 2010 had 3 recalls I think in the first year I had it, with one of them being to check and adjust the pressure in the spare tire. Apparently some of them were over inflated and exploded in the the heat of summer.
For me, I have no qualms about Nissans up to 19-20 model years. I have determined that I don't like some of the changes in some and no matter the brand, avoid the first 2 years of new or redesigned models. For a full sized truck, the Titan is the best bang for the buck. For the compact, up to 2020, the Frontier is a great value iny opinion, but that is because I is essentially unchanged from 2006 so they are debugged and I, unlike the reviewers, like the styling and simple interior. People complain about the simple instrument cluster and small screen of the stereo. I figure if you need a big bright distraction while driving, it is pretty simple to put an aftermarket unit in since it is only the stereo unlike a multi function interface like many new cars.
Research any manufacturer, and you will find an amazing range of recalls on them.
-
1
-
-
Oh, one thing to try, crank the engine normally for a couple seconds. Stop and while holding the throttle at wide open, crank the engine again. It should start easier since holding the throttle at WOT while cranking puts it into flood clearing mode, and shuts off the injectors. If the engine starts, releasing the key to run position puts things back to normal.
Is the MAF and O2 sensors giving correct readings to the ECU?
-
I wonder if it has the correct injectors.
Something else to look at is using a scan tool, look at the engine coolant temperature. If it is a cold start, it should be at ambiant temperature. If the sensor is telling the ECU the engine is very cold, it will give your symptoms. My 93 had a TSB for hard starting at high altitude cold starting. The solution was to replace the temperature sensor with a revised unit.
So hard to diagnose when I can't see the data and perform the tests myself.
-
Yep, my 93 didn't have me hold the handle up like several of my old Datsuns did. Not having or living with a Nissan truck that was 87-92, didn't realize that was a change for the 93 model year. The 1979 Datsun King Cab my mom had, you had to use the key to lock it. The door had to be shut to allow the lock to be pressed down into the lock position. She bought the truck new and the manual said that it was made that way to prevent locking the key in the truck.
-
Most of the times in my experience, a P0420 and or P0430 has been catalyst failure. I have had a bad sensor set the code once. I do a simple test that works well to determine if the catalyst is working. Using a noncontact (IR) thermometer, with the engine warmed up to operating temperature, hold the RPMs at about 2000 for a minute. Then measure the temperature at both ends of the catalyst. With a healthy cat, the outlet temperature will be 150°f+ higher than the inlet. If the temperature at the outlet is less than 100°f higher than the inlet, the catalyst is failing. If it is the nearly the same on both ends, the cat has died. If it is hotter on the inlet than the outlet, that indicates a restriction in the catalyst.
Years ago, I would have a couple of failed cats in a year. A few years after the E10 mandate, started seeing more failures. In the last few years, I have been seeing an average of 2-3 cars and light trucks with failed cats per month.
To me, the common factor is the fuel, though Honda's and Subarus seem to have been the worst for it. I believe the Ethanol is why I have seen an increase in catalyst failure. My mom was a Chemical engineer and said ethanol made no sense in our gasoline. With my 1993 Pathfinder, I have observed that my fuel economy runs about 18 mph highway with gasoline and about 14 mph highway with E10. Since I do my emissions testing, I have noticed that when I am running E10, my HC and CO numbers are a bit higher than when I am running straight gasoline. That is telling me that I am not getting as complete burn with the ethanol. Makes sense since my O2 sensor and ECU maps were made for gasoline rather than E10. My truck is seeing too much O2 in the exhaust and thinks it is running too lean, so it is always running a bit rich and that is causing the cat to work harder. Plus the lower energy density requires more fuel to get the same work.
No, I am not a fan of ethanol for fuel in our gasoline engines. But what do I know, I am just the monkey that works on them and I don't get subsidies from the federal government like the ethanol industry does.
-
With your 13, you will want to get the auxiliary trans cooler installed before you start towing. Also recommend changing the trans fluid every 15-20k miles. The CVT is sensitive to degraded fluid and high temperature.
With rear suspension for the added load, might want to replace the springs with some heavier duty ones or consider some air bags or air shocks to carry the extra load.
-
Sounds like the compressor isn't working anymore if the pressure is similar on both and close to the static pressure. You might want to have a shop evac the system and make sure that you have a full charge. Just to eliminate the possibility of a leak causing poor performance.
-
Wild. Usually the complaints with our old trucks is that they self lock the doors when closed. Mine does it when the weather gets cool. Curious how the power locks are operating with the battery disconnected.
Wish you were near, would be interesting to look at. Most interesting thing I had at work today was an 01 Mustang Cobra SVT that got towed in. Owner said it overheated and now won't start. Found he cooked the engine, found coolant in the intake tube, dripping out the throttle body. 3 cylinders on each bank only 70-80 psi on compression test. One cyl on each bank gave 110-120 psi. He says has a warranty on the engine, put it in a year ago I guess. I say good luck and hope the tow truck comes early to haul it away.
-
It does sound like a bad regulator on the cluster.
Tests you can do is turn the key on, engine off and see what the gauges do. If they max out again, unplug the sender for the temp gauge and see if it drops. Do the same for the oil pressure. If they drop, odds are pretty good the regulator has failed.
-
2
-
-
First, your truck thinks the key is in the ignition. That is why it is unlocking the doors when you try to lock then close a front door. If you take the steering column cover off you will see 2 wires I believe are red with blue stripe connected to the ignition lock cylinder near the front. If you follow those wires back a short distance, you will find where they plug into the harness. Unplug them and retest your locks. If you can lock the door then close it and they stay locked, the problem is the switch in the lock is stuck.
The push button on the master switch that is lock when pushed down is for the power windows. When it is in lock, the window switches for the rear and passenger doors are disabled.
Have you tried using the key in the door lock to lock the doors? It should lock all 5 doors when the doors are shut and you use the key in the door lock.
-
It does sound like the rear diff needs to be looked at. It is possible that the gear lube is low. The 4wd system Nissan uses on your car is a bit odd (to me anyway) in that the driveline to the rear is always turning when the car is moving. There is no differential in the transfer case, it is a direct drive unit. There is an electronic controlled clutch mounted to the front of the differential that actually connects the driveline to the differential. This clutch is where the front and rear slippage takes place to prevent drivetrain binding. It is possible the clutch unit is the problem. I think I have seen similar problems on a couple Rogues that was the clutch unit while I was working at the dealership.
-
See if the hinge will unbolt (often the nuts will sieze on the stud) and put a thin layer of silicone sealant or mastic between the hinge and the surface where it is leaking and snug the mounting nuts down.
Same thing with the light. Thin foam tape should work as well, that is usually what Nissan uses to seal around mounting holes.
-
Not sure about the brass spacer, don't recall seeing any on mine. Try installing without the spacer and see how much end play you have with the snap-ring installed.
-
I would go back to the basics. I would do fuel pressure checks. That includes checking to see if the system holds pressure.
Spark check on all 6.
Compression test all 6
Put a noid light on the injector connector and check for injector pulse.
Check the oil. Your truck symptoms are for flooding, making me think the fuel system control is where the issue is. A few weeks ago, I had a Charger with the 2.7L that had a similar issue. It had flooded so bad that fuel was leaking out the exhaust pipes and the oil level was pushed 2" above the full line. I pulled the valve covers and found damage on the cams and lifters from running with the contaminated oil. Never chased down the problem since I stopped when I found the fuel tank empty and engine damage. A replacement engine was more that the car was worth and the owner had it towed away.
Moral of the story, don't let your oil be contaminated with fuel unless it is a 2 cycle, it gets expensive.
-
The WD21 doesn't have lower A arms like the newer Nissan trucks that use coil over front springs. So in order to do a newer front end like the Titan has, would require redesigning the front 3 feet or so of the frame.
Like FirstGenFreak said, pretty limited on what can be done. A couple choices on the upper control arms, find an old Trail Master lift, or full on custom fab. When you go there, a solid axle swap is likely to be easiest and least expensive route. A good custom shop might be able to make a functional frame swap using a 2nd gen Xterra or Frontier frame, but that would be expensive as well.
-
The big question, is the lockdown doing anything good? Sorry, but I am cynical about how the world is reacting to whole Covid 19 virus.
It seems to me that it's real danger is more political than an actual health hazard. I am very glad I live in a mostly free state and country and don't have to put up with the restrictions others do.
-
3
-
-
Good to know. However, was the dust red or grey in there? That part of the distributor is supposed to be sealed and grey or red "dust" is usually an indicator that the shaft bearings are starting to fail. A problem I have seen several times in R50 distributors, though I haven't seen it in WD21's that I can recall.
-
Completely different and impractical to adapt suspension parts from a Titan to your WD21. Same with later Frontiers, Xterras, and Pathfinders. When they did away with the torsion bars, everything got redesigned and is completely different.
-
1
-
-
Entire cluster died, or just some of the gauges? It is possible to make the 95 work, but doubt it is plug and play.
-
You will need to have the system evacuated. Then you can replace the expansion valve. It is simply remove the old and install the new. Though getting to it can be a bit harder than the instructions make it seem. I haven't done it with an R50, so don't have any tips there. Nissan doesn't use an orifice tube. The orifice tube and expansion valve do the same thing, they meter the liquid refrigerant into the evaporator, they just do it in different ways. The orifice is a fixed size and the flow is primarily controlled by cycling the compressor on and off. This is how American systems generally are. The expansion valve is located near the evaporator and works like a thermostat. It changes the flow rate according to the temperature of the evaporator.
Usually it is a good idea to replace the dryer anytime the system is opened and parts replaced, but for something minor like an expansion valve I don't worry about it. Pulling a vacuum for about 15 min on the system before recharge works well enough to dry it out.
As for the compressor, if it isn't making odd noises, I don't worry about it too much. With the engine off, I turn the hub by hand and if it turns with light resistance it should be fine.
-
Is the compressor hub actually turning with the AC on? 100 psi is pretty close to what I see for static pressure when the engine is off.
It does seem like the expansion valve is open too much to give the needed pressure differential needed to work.
Yep, dirty cabin filters are something that sneaks up and prevents the HVAC from working well, but usually the complaints I get where the filter caused troubles was low air flow from the vents.
-
Yep, very rarely do the cables require adjustment. Usually it is the parking brake shoes themselves that have either worn down, or had the friction material delaminate from the shoe.
I suggest starting with an inspection of the parking brake shoes to make sure that they are ok. If so, you want to turn the adjuster wheel to where the shoes are just barely away from the drum.
Hard/Rough Start
in 96-2004 R50 Pathfinders
Posted
Simple test for leaking injectors is to connect a pressure gauge at the fuel rail inlet. Observe the pressure rise when you turn the key to on without cranking the engine. It should go over 35 psi. Then turn the ignition off and watch the gauge. It should hold pressure for a while. A drop of 5 psi or less in 5 min indicates it is ok and no leaks. A rapid drop in pressure indicates a leak somewhere. Could be the check valve in the pump assembly, the pressure regulator, or an injector. Plugging the return line will test if it is the regulator. Putting in a valve between the fuel supply line and the gauge will let you see if the pressure loss is the pump or injectors. When the system is pressurized you close the valve and watch for the pressure to drop. (my fuel pressure test kit has a 1/4" ball valve I got from a hardware store that I added so I could shut off the line and hold pressure in the injectors)