BobLoblaw
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Posts posted by BobLoblaw
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is your car idles and revs when engine is cold? and if it happens when it is warm, this is possibly caused by oxygen sensors. if there is rich gasoline smell at exhaust this is another proof.
It idles fine all the time. It revs fine for about 5-10 secs after initial startup, then begins to do this stall-out when the gas is pushed until the engine is warm. Funny you should mention that (the rich smell), because I have been getting about 200km per tank these days; I was getting 350km before winter/this idle problem. I expect to lose some fuel economy in winter and using 4wd but that is ridiculous. I replace the water temp sensor so I know it's not that. I hoping to attempt a code retrieval after New Years when it is supposed to get warmer. Car problems are killing me right now; I have a Maxima that is screwing with me too!
Happy New Year Everyone!
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CEL is check engine light.
Did you ever check the resistance between the two contacts of the regulator?
I am all about hitting things to try to get them to work. Just dont hit the plastic part too hard lol.
indigent.
No, I haven yet. My bad. the holiday season is so busy. Here is the volt meter I am looking at:
http://www.canadiantire.ca/browse/product_...fromSearch=true
If there is a better one, please let me know, especially if it is cheaper! This might sound daft but once a get this meter, how do I properly test the current. I want to at least do it properly!!
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Thermostats come with temperature ratings. The rating will tell you when it opens up. If you drive in the desert, you're going to want one that opens up lower. If you drive in snow 36 days a year you want one that will open up at a higher temp so that your heat will get hotter. I'm from Washington DC suburbs so i have one at a middle temp range. Just pick one based on driving habits and it should have a gasket with it and if not the parts store should have one. Pick up a chiltons manual, it should lay out everything I told you alot beter than I could.
Good luck.
By the way, MAXIMA.ORG has some very knowledgable people on it. It seems that us nissan people have to become a little knowledgable and inventive due to lack of aftermarket support for our cars. I have a maxima buddy on that site with a supercharged max who knows all kinds of stuff about maximas that you wouldn't believe
Well, thanks for the help guys. Do you guys know how to bleed the heating/cooling system? I might try this before I make the thermostat change but I think I'm going to try to change the thermostat tomorrow because it will only be -5C. It has been -25 --35C for about 3 weeks; I'm not doing car repairs in that temp with no garage! But if you know how to bleed a system, please let me know. I only want to change the thermostat if I have to.
Are there any standard steps to follow when changing a themostat? Should the car be cold? I've never done one before but I can't image it would be that hard.
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One thing that really bothers me about the ECU in these things is that not all sensors and electronics are part of the CEL routine. The idle air control valve and regulator are among those. Two pretty important parts, but not monitored for failure at all.
BTW that is a good point; did you run through ECU diagnostics?
indigent.
No I did not - I've never done it before. As soon as the temp gets a little warmer, I'll try it with the instructions in the 'garage' forum.
BTW, what is 'CEL'? Is there a chance the IACV is just stuck and needs a good whack to loosen it up?
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You will definitely need a multimeter. Hopefully the attached pic will help you. It is on the driver's side of the plenum. It almost looks like a little cone sticking up with a wire harness attached to the top of it.
Check www.phatg20.net for a copy of the FSM. It is very handy to have around.
Remember, this could very well not be what's wrong. I would start with the multimeter and check the regulator out electrically.
hope this helps.
indigent.
I really appreciate your help man. Thanks for the pic.
I found it but haven't taken it off yet. It's pretty busy around here these days! As a update of sorts, I let the Pathy run until it got warm and the stalling went away. I had the hood open and just kept revving it a little and eventually it was just like normal. It's sounds like it probably is the part you said, indigent. At autozone these IACV-air regulators are $130-160 US!! Maybe someone here has a spare working one.....or this one could be fixed! Does this part only function in the extreme cold?
Oh yeah, and the phatg20.net site doesn't work for me. Did it move? Is the manual a .pdf file you could send me?
Thanks again. Merry Christmas.
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From the FSM EF & EC-14:
"The IACV-air regulator provides an air by-pass when the engine is cold for a fast idle during warm up."
I had that problem a while back. It is pretty easy to check. Take the cable off and check the resistance across the two contacts of the regulator. It should be between 70-80 ohms. Even if it checks out OK, it could still be clogged. It is held in with two 10mm bolts that are fairly easy to get to (no plenum removal required), and then one of those stupid Nissan hose clamps that can be a moderate pain. There is an O-ring that seals it to the plenum that can wear out (don't remember the diameter).
All said, it should take you no more than about 30 minutes to pull the regulator and test it out. I am always about testing the cheapest things first, and as this will not *cost* anything to check, it can't hurt.
Hope this helps,
indigent.
Thanks for your help!
Do you have any pics of the location of this regulator, or a precise description of where it is? I'm not going to be able to find this on my own.
Do I need a volt meter to do this? I don't have one.....yet. Will any generic o-ring do? Does anyone know the diameter? This problem is a crippling blow to me at this time of the year; I'm stranded!!!
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I started my 94 Pathy XE this morning to warm it up; leaving it in neutral. Everything seemed alright. 10 mins later, I went to back it out (in 4WH) and it stalled. When I tried to restart it, it wouldn't go. I popped the hood, checked to see if anything was leaking or any smells - none. Then I tried to start it again, it fired up - blowing a huge cloud of dark smoke out the exhaust. I was so happy that it started as I had to get to work.....until I tried to back it out again. STALL. Left it for a few mins / started it / tried to drive it forward back into my parking spot - STALL. So it will idle, but stall if regular gas pedal pressure is given, or alternatively, will almost stall then rev very high if I just stomp on the gas while trying to move forward or backward.
I went behind the truck and pushed it back into the spot. That's when I noticed a gas smell; either gas ot some very rich exhaust (it was belching smoke after all). It seemed to be coming from the back end somewhere. It has been really cold here for a couple weeks (-20 -30 C). What does this problem sound like to you? My first guess was fuel pump, but I'm not sure.
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ok me (and you) have found a tangent lol that asside I donnot think that izz the problem. lol
we could state our views all day but I'd like to find this guys sollution. ( which I'm not full of ideas for since my heat worked better immediately after changing themostat)
Thanks for everyone's help!
Okay, I did a bleeding of the system it didn't appear to change anything significantly. I hope to replace the thermostat soon and I'll let you know how that goes. Do I need some liquid gasket to do this job properly? Is so, is there a certain kind that is best?
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Hey guys,
I posted this problem at another Nissan site, but you guys are more reliable so I thought I'd ask here too.
My 1990 Maxima does not seem to be pumping out heat the way I want it too. [Definitely nowhere near as hot as my Pathy!] Is there anything I can do to fix this? What could be wrong?
I should also mention that the Maxima has auto climate controls and they seemed to work fine in the summer with the A/C. Now that it's cold, I turn it up to 32C (which is max heat), and it just comes out moderately warm. Please help!
Yup, the temp gauge is fine. It's pretty frustrating. It's getting colder and I'm driving with minimal heat now!
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Hey guys,
I posted this problem at another Nissan site, but you guys are more reliable so I thought I'd ask here too.
My 1990 Maxima does not seem to be pumping out heat the way I want it too. [Definitely nowhere near as hot as my Pathy!] Is there anything I can do to fix this? What could be wrong?
I should also mention that the Maxima has auto climate controls and they seemed to work fine in the summer with the A/C. Now that it's cold, I turn it up to 32C (which is max heat), and it just comes out moderately warm. Please help!
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Im going to agree with this statement! you have the exact same problem my 86 nissan 300zx had. I ended up bridged the lights off of the otherside that worked. Has worked great since and have not had any problems with wires getting to warm and melting so it should be save to say its a good fix unless you have really high powered headlights. I have the best silverstars i can get here but they arent anything special.
I'm just too scared to do anything with the actual wiring. I'm bound to F it up and then I won't have any lights!!! I guess I'll just try taking the headlight switch apart. So just to be sure, I take the switch apart and make sure those contacts are firmly touching each other (do I bend them a bit?)
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Sounds like the headlight switch. There is a contact for each beam. A common issue with our Pathys.
A search of Headlight switch will bring up a ton of threads on this. Like the others have said, a sodder break in the DRL will result in the passenger side light out.
I saw many of those posts, but honestly, there were too many! Is there a definitive headlight switch/DRL module repair topic somewhere?
I also noticed today that turning my highbeams on causes the left light to go out as well. I assume this is b/c of the switch too.
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Okay, great. So you think that part is the problem?
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Sounds like a wiring issue
The problem is, is that I'm completely useless when it comes to wiring problems. Why would this start now? I've changed nothing in the truck. Where should I check first? And where is this elusive DRL module? I can't find it.
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post a pic just to be clear... I may have spares
Sorry for the delay. Here's a pic. It's a cell phone pic but you'll see where it is. The thread pokes out from the steel part of the hatch, and the nut goes on it. How can I fix this?
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Hey guys,
I've got a headlight issue. First off, my daytime running lights only work on my left side. That's not such a big deal. 75% of the Pathy's I drive by are "winking" at me too. I heard that there is some kind of module (I haven't located it yet) that is the cause for this problem. Is this correct? Will a good cleaning of this module fix it?
Here's where the real problem begins. Recently, when turning my low-beams on, the left light has not come on. Usually, if I flip my lights on/off a few times and the both come on normally but it's a little troubling. Sometimes, I'll hit a speed bump and the left one will go out. It usually comes on if I hit another bump. What's going on with this headlight system? How do I fix this low-beam problem?
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I just finished replacing my rear hatch!!
I was soooo happy. My XE now has a near mint SE hatch with the cool LED brake light and a working wiper. So awesome. Anyway, I was finishing up and tightening the 2 dome nuts that hold the strut that holds the rear window up, when SNAP!!! It busted off. It was the lower of the 2 nuts on the right side. It was the only F#@$ up of the 5 hour project (other than some linkage issues - if you've done this you know what I mean). I was crushed! 
Will this broken bolt/nut effect anything that much? How does one fix a break like this - the thread is sticking out of the hatch and the dome nut screws onto it. Is it expensive?
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Anyways getting back to the topic, it sounds kind of fishy. Most jobs like this would provide you with the van, or at least help you with the purchase price. Same goes for fuel costs.
Well what you really should do is find out what kind of mileage (kilometerage?) a van of that size gets. From there figure out how much you should expect to spend on diesel (most cube vans are diesel). How prolific is bio-diesel where you are? If it isn't used much you could make your own bio-diesel and save a lot (there are a number of companies that sell make it yourself bio-diesel kits). If a lot of people use it though chances are any sources of used vegetable oil are already taken.
Just did some google research and it looks like most newer box vans get between 10 and 20 mpg. Apparently the Dodge Sprinter vans get better mileage than most...
So I did some quick math for you (this is all miles and US dollars you'll have to convert this all to Canadian dollars and kilometers yourself):
90 miles per day at 15 mpg = 6 gallons of gas
Diesel is currently around $5 a gallon here so you're looking at about $30 in fuel a day, or $150 a week.
And based upon eBay listings you're looking at around $8,000 - $10,000 for the van itself (assuming you want a van from this century).
Biodiesel just got here but it's rare. There's nothing fishy about the job. You are an owner operator for a package delivery company. Essentially it's your own business. You work a particular 'route'. This particular route requires 130-145kms a day - which to me sounded like a lot. The company gives you about $18 buck a day to help with gas. My question was exactly what you stated: What are the gas mileage (KM's) of a diesel cube van? Thanks for your google results tho. I want to be able to do the math and figure out if it is worth while buying a van and maintaining it for the money they are offering (roughly $60-63K). The price of gas makes me worried as it could go up to astronomical heights.
I was hoping that someone here would have experience with these vans, and be able to tell the maintainence costs and the fuel economy (they calculate the new fuel economy in an empty van, which is completely different from what I'd be driving).
also, the vans for around $10000 are high KM's and not as fuel efficient as the ones you mentioned in the tests. I do appreciate all your help tho. Keep it coming if you find out more. It's a pretty big decision for me.
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Hey guys,
I have never had to remove the ceiling panel of my Pathy before. What is the best, and easiest way to remove it without breaking anything? Is the ceiling panel 2 pieces? Keeping in mind that I really just need the back of the panel removed.
Also, not ceiling panel related, what is a good adhesive to use on the rear hatch's main hinges? When I removed the donor hatch from the wrecked Pathy, I noticed that there was adhesive sticking the hinge to the truck as well as the 2boltsx2hinge fastening it to the truck.
Thanks
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Hey guys. Recent a 'route' came open near my home town for a package delivery service. They require me to buy and paint a 14-16' cube van. The job seems to pay fairly well, but with gas ever on the rise, and team that with repairs, it could make the profits much smaller. What kind of gas mileage does a 14-16' cub van have? The route requires up to 130-145KM's a day. Is propane a better alternative if available?
I've never been an owner operator or owned a cube van, so anything anyone could tell me about the job or the van (especially) would be appreciated.
Thanks
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Hey guys,
I own a '94 XE Pathy. I have 2 SE donar hatches that I'm using to replace my rusted out one (gotta move a few parts over from the green hatch to the wanted black hatch). Anyway, There seems to be alot of motors and keyless entry stuff on the SE hatches that might not be on the XE hatch (my gf has taken it out for the next few hours so I can;t check). Can any of this be removed? Have any of you done this before? I just finished snaking a good wiring harness into the new black hatch - that was a kick to groin, but it's done! Any advice or tips would be appreciated for the rest of the process. I'm going to have to reconnect all those metal tube pieces that open and lock hatch/glass too.
When my gf gets home, I'm going to try to switch locks and install the 2 latches (glass and hatch). Is this easy? I just don't want to F$@# anything up too bad to start the week off. Any help is appreciated.
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The 31x10.50's on my 89 do not make the speedometer off at all according to my GPS at speeds up to 70mph, but then it came with them from the factory.
Now my Altima, that is a different story, it is off by 4mph at all speeds.
Tom
Is it faster or slower by 4mph?
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31's will decrease your fuel economy but you have no way to really check it being that your speedo and odo are now off...but they wont be off by much I think at like 55+ it'll be close to 3 or 4 mph...ride and handling dont really change (well I guess it depends on the tires you put on) i put dunlop mudrovers on and they handled well on and off road (they were a softer rubber than my radials and had a lot more grip on dry pavement) some people said they were crap on wet pavement but I didnt notice any difference between the old and new tires..
Is that 3 or 4 mph (so 5 or 6 kph in my case then right?) faster than normal or slower than normal on the speedo? How is the odometer affected?
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Here'a another noob question: How do bigger tires (I'm going from P235/75/R15 -> 31"/10.5"/R15)(not a big change) change the ride/handling/fuel economy of the Pathy? If they do at all.
My Pathy stalls when gas pedal is pressed
in 90-95 WD21 Pathfinders
Posted · Edited by BobLoblaw
Once the pathy is warm, it doesn't hesitate anymore. It drives regularly, except it is too rich (does feel like 'limp' mode once it's warm). Could it still be a MAS? Are those relatively easy to replace?
Also, are you talking about removing the Mass air flow sensor and cleaning it with brake cleaner or the IACV?