vanuatoo Posted February 23, 2012 Share Posted February 23, 2012 Hello I've got 2003 Nissan Pathfinder SE 4x4 Automatic. Car is working fine, no problems, no MIL. Car starts from the first time when engine is cold. But when engine is warm and I shut it off, If I start it after 5 minutes it starts, then tachometer gauge goes down to 500 rpm and stalls. If I help a GAS pedal it does not stall. It does not happen all the time. It started a month ago and initially tachometer was going down and somehow managed to not stall. I'm using Mobil 1 5w-30 oil and Premium oil. I have this car for 4 years now and did not change spark plugs. Air filter was changed 6 months ago. Fuel filter was changed 6 months ago. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
918pathy Posted February 23, 2012 Share Posted February 23, 2012 Is the Check engine light on, if so see what your codes are. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon Posted February 23, 2012 Share Posted February 23, 2012 He said no MIL (Same as CEL) Out of curiosity, if you turn it off, and start it right away, does the problem still happen? Or only after waiting a few minutes, and restarting while it's still warm? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pathfounder Posted February 23, 2012 Share Posted February 23, 2012 It is going to be the Idle Air control. It is probably not working and in the closed position. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fleurys Posted February 23, 2012 Share Posted February 23, 2012 or the coolant temp sensor if you can smell a strong odor of fuel when you try to start it... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vanuatoo Posted February 23, 2012 Author Share Posted February 23, 2012 He said no MIL (Same as CEL) Out of curiosity, if you turn it off, and start it right away, does the problem still happen? Or only after waiting a few minutes, and restarting while it's still warm? I tested this a week ago and it did it right away I started it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vanuatoo Posted February 23, 2012 Author Share Posted February 23, 2012 It is going to be the Idle Air control. It is probably not working and in the closed position. Where is it located and is it possible to diagnose its condition? BTW I've changed coolant last summer, just drained and refilled it with one gallon of Genuine Nissan Antifreeze. Level is OK when I check it in the morning. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Towncivilian Posted February 23, 2012 Share Posted February 23, 2012 (edited) Was the anti-freeze pre-mixed with distilled water? The idle air control valve is the black sensor located underneath the throttle body. Remove and clean it. Clean the throttle body too while you have the intake tube off. Use throttle body cleaner only to prevent damage to any coating that may be on the throttle plate. Edited February 23, 2012 by Towncivilian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WOT Posted February 24, 2012 Share Posted February 24, 2012 My car had the exact problem. On a cold start, would fire strong and jump to 1300 rpm and gradually come down as it warmed up. But if the car was hot, when I started it, it would idle at like 400ish rpm or just die out unless you gave it some gas. Cleaned the MAF, problem solved. Id try that if you havent done it recently Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vanuatoo Posted February 24, 2012 Author Share Posted February 24, 2012 My car had the exact problem. On a cold start, would fire strong and jump to 1300 rpm and gradually come down as it warmed up. But if the car was hot, when I started it, it would idle at like 400ish rpm or just die out unless you gave it some gas. Cleaned the MAF, problem solved. Id try that if you havent done it recently Could you please tell me exactly how to do that? Which cleaner have you used? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Towncivilian Posted February 24, 2012 Share Posted February 24, 2012 (edited) The MAF is held on by 2 tamper-resistant T20 Torx screws. Disconnect the battery, then disconnect the MAF's wiring harness, then remove the screws and the MAF will come out. Spray the MAF's wire like so using a MAF sensor cleaner: Edited February 24, 2012 by Towncivilian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pathfounder Posted February 24, 2012 Share Posted February 24, 2012 .......when I started it, it would idle at like 400ish rpm or just die out unless you gave it some gas. We should never let the engine idle much below normal. There is not enough oil pressure down there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vanuatoo Posted February 24, 2012 Author Share Posted February 24, 2012 Is it OK to use this product? http://www.amazon.com/CRC-05110-Mass-Sensor-Cleaner/dp/B000J19XSA/ref=sr_1_1?s=automotive&ie=UTF8&qid=1330064784&sr=1-1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Towncivilian Posted February 24, 2012 Share Posted February 24, 2012 Yep, that's fine. I've used it before without issue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vanuatoo Posted February 24, 2012 Author Share Posted February 24, 2012 Yep, that's fine. I've used it before without issue. I'm also going to buy this http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0041X9RO2/ref=ox_sc_act_title_2?ie=UTF8&m=A2FYHGC4NSM6WF And to finalize I will: 1. Disconnect negative cable 2. Unplug this harness 3. Unscrew two bolts 4. Remove MAF (I will also memorize the direction, don't know if it matters) 5. Spray the cleaner to the upper part from some distance as shown in the picture. 6. Wait 10-20 seconds and assemble everything with back order. Please confirm. Is it also good idea to clean the throttle body? Car has only 69000 miles. I change air filter every oil change (Usually 6-8 months) but it's too dusty and I have to change it more frequently I guess. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Towncivilian Posted February 24, 2012 Share Posted February 24, 2012 Yes, that is the correct procedure. It's also a good idea to clean the throttle body, yes. I think you might be changing the air filter too often. All filters get more efficient as they load up with contaminants, so changing your air filter so frequently might be allowing more contaminants through, as well as any contamination that might result from the act of changing the air filter (i.e. dust or sand falling into the airbox, etc). Just because the air filter looks dirty doesn't mean it's not working. You might benefit from an air filter restriction gauge to tell you when it's time to replace it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WOT Posted February 24, 2012 Share Posted February 24, 2012 Are you sure your car needs the torx bits with the security hole?? My screws were just regular torx bits, and you can buy a set of those for $5 Orientation of the sensor does matter but it can only go in one way I dont think I would disconnect the battery just to clean the MAF though Also, if this is the first time in a while youve taken the MAF out, its snug as hell in there, so you need a very thin flat tipped screwdriver to pry it up enough to where you can wiggle it out. The plastic around it is very weak and marks/chips easily. A teflon tool would be a good idea if you care about this sort of thing. Cheers! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Towncivilian Posted February 25, 2012 Share Posted February 25, 2012 (edited) Mine is secured by security Torx screws. It is also simple to remove, no prying required. Edited February 25, 2012 by Towncivilian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WOT Posted February 25, 2012 Share Posted February 25, 2012 No prying!?! Heck, I would swear mine was pressed into that tube Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pathfounder Posted February 25, 2012 Share Posted February 25, 2012 I'm also going to buy this http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0041X9RO2/ref=ox_sc_act_title_2?ie=UTF8&m=A2FYHGC4NSM6WF Are you going to buy from Amazon.com? I would think that shipping to საქართველო is very expensive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vanuatoo Posted February 25, 2012 Author Share Posted February 25, 2012 Are you going to buy from Amazon.com? I would think that shipping to საქართველო is very expensive. I'm shipping to US Address, that is a courier service to Georgia and it will be shipped to my home in about 2 weeks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vanuatoo Posted October 8, 2012 Author Share Posted October 8, 2012 I've cleaned MAF today. Just used ordinary Torx (not Tamper-Proof) T20 and 1/4 ratchet. The hardest part was to remove MAF from the housing, I've used small flat screwdriver. I've not sprayed the cleaner on the upper 2 wires, just the bottom one and it looked clean before procedure. Problem is not solved. Car still has the same symptoms as WOT described. What else should I try next? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vanuatoo Posted November 15, 2012 Author Share Posted November 15, 2012 What fluid should I use to clean IACV? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Towncivilian Posted November 15, 2012 Share Posted November 15, 2012 Throttle body cleaner spray. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vanuatoo Posted October 8, 2014 Author Share Posted October 8, 2014 I'm going to clean the throttle body. Is it a good idea to disconnect battery negative cable before doing this? Also should I do ECU lelearn procedure after that? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now