98 Pathfinder - won't start - Codes P0300, 0325, 1444

[MJCommando]

Hello everyone, I was directed over here from Pirate. Also posted this on another nissan forum and was told it could be the timing belt. I'm gonna check that today, but thought I'd come here and cover all my bases.

 

I'm trying to help my neighbor with his 98' Pathfinder. Its got a 3.3L IIRC, 120K on the ticker and was running very well. Its a decent little ride. But it just up and quit the other day, now it won't start at all.

 

Its throwing 3 codes: p0325 the knock sensor, which I don't believe would cause a no start condition. P1444, Evap Purge and P0300 multiple misfires. I think the evap code is due to the misfire code. I was with him when he bought it and the only code it gave was the knock sensor. The other two are new and they happened suddenly.

 

Its getting good fuel pressure, has good spark although its probably time for a new cap and rotor. There's no air issues that I can see.

 

It just turns over and doesn't even try to fire up, as if it was completely out of gas but that's not the case.

 

From what I've read the CPS in the nissan doesn't actually control the timing but is for diagnostics. But could a CPS failure cause a no start condition?

 

TPS perhaps, but it should at least try to start.

 

Even though its getting good spark at the plugs could it simply be a faulty distributor? Or perhaps the coil? Isn't the coil under the cap? And can it be replaced?

 

Is there another test I can perform on the distributor to determine if its at fault before I start throwing parts at it?

 

I'm following the procedures listed in the service manual but I can't find what's wrong. http://www.********.com/FSM/pathfind...hfinder/ec.pdf

 

I'm a Jeep guy and if I was working on a 4.0L in a Jeep I'd be all over this. But I'm a little stumped any advise would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!

[devonianwalk]

I figured out my timing jumped a couple of teeth by loosening the dizzy and slowly twisting it back and forth. The motor ran like crap but it did attempt to run better when ever I "advanced" the timing. I had a long list of codes as well.

[Alkorahil]

The knock sensor code is probably a bad connector at the sensor, since it has been around for awhile on the vehicle it could have finally gave up the ghost.

You have spark at the plugs then it is not a fusible link issue.

 

But It does sounds like a distributor/timing issue is what you are dealing with. I would hook it up to a timing light and see what it says. You could have jumped a tooth or the distributor could have moved (rotated) out of place by a few degrees.

You may also be dealing with at bad pick up sensor in the distributor which will lead to a no start situation and the P0300 code.

[MJCommando]

Okay, I got it running good again. Spent the entire morning busting my knuckles.

 

I couldn't find the timing mark on the pulley so I just pulled the number one plug and did a compression test. I figured if timing belt jumped it should lose compression, right, if the valves are off?

 

Anyway it looked like the PO never changed the plugs. They were just worn down to nothing! No Bueno. I couldn't even get a socket on the right bank of plugs because the plug wells were so full of gunk under the manifold. Plus, after reading how hard it was to get to the #6 plug. I just decided to yank the upper manifold and clean everything up. But after fiddling with all the vacuum hoses and two very stuck coolant hose that were hidden behind the manifold I wish I hadn't. Anyway a new set of plugs, a new dizzy cap and rotor and a bit of fowl language, she's running again. I cleared the codes and put about 10 miles on it, got it up to temp and then checked for leaks. Everything seems to be fine now, no codes. Even the knock sensor code hasn't come back on.

 

Thanks for chiming in fellas!

 

[MJCommando]

Cool site BTW!

[Slartibartfast]

Good to hear it wasn't the timing belt!

[Alkorahil]

Good that it turned out to be something relateively simple and inexpensive. Sounds like it needed plugs and a new cap years ago!

[MJCommando]

Yeah, we'll see in a couple of days if the codes come back or if one of the hoses were cracked upon reassembly. I'm not one to do work on a rig and say sayanara, If she's still running good and not leaking in a week or so then I'll be happy.

[devonianwalk]

Thanks for the feedback. I can't believe how much crap builds up in the spark plug wells either.