WD21 newb needs help

[bluemonster]

Hi all,

 

Just picked up an 88 XE 4x4 that had been sitting for two years. PO indicated that her son moved away and before that it was a DD / mudtruck... It starts but misses and stumbles terribly. Gets worse as it warms up. After that, once you rev it up too much, it will eventually big out and die, almost as if its getting too much fuel and not enough air. There are no CES lights on. I did put about 3 gallons of 93 octane in it with Techron and Seafoam. Also put on a new fuel filter. Redoing some vac hoses tomorrow. Can you think of anything else I need to check? Any help is much appreciated.

 

Also looking for a cheap push bar for the front if you know of any...

 

Thanx

 

Bryan

[Towncivilian]

Welcome to NPORA.

 

Don't bother with anything higher than 87 octane, the engine won't make use of it as it can't advance timing enough. Also, why both Techron and Seafoam? Techron alone will suffice.

 

Download the 1989 FSM here: http://www.nicoclub.com/FSM/hardbody/d21_truck_1989.pdf

(right click -> save as, it's 112MB)

 

Try pulling codes from the ECU, there might be a code even if the CEL isn't lit: http://www.nissanpathfinders.net/forum/topic/21-ecu-self-diagnostics-for-87-95-pathfinder/

[Leo94]

Smell your dipstick for fuel and check if the level is too high. If both questions answer yes then your engine might be dumping fuel in which causes it to stumble and eventually the fuel gets past the rings and into the sump. The same thing happened to my 89. You can also try cleaning your maf sensor. Check out my post it might help you in which direction to go.

[Alkorahil]

for the stubmling symptoms, Check the codes as mentioned above. As stated it can store codes and not trip the CEL.

 

Based on the symptoms you are giving and that it has been sitting up for awhile, replace the engine coolant temperature sensor, clean or replace the Mass Air FLow Sensor and replace the O2 sensor..in that order. One or more of those would give the promels you are having.

[bluemonster]

OK, cleaned the MAF with correct cleaner, a little better, but now showing a CES light that wasn't before. Car idles perfect, but as it warms up and I keep throttling it will eventually begin bogging. You can hear air sucking thru the TB, like its not getting enough fuel. If you try to drive and put it under load, its even worse, but idle stays perfect. Gonna check the codes today and see what I have.

The oil does have a fuel smell to it.

Any other ideas?

[Slartibartfast]

Check the coolant temperature sensor. When it goes bad it causes all kinds of trouble.

[Alkorahil]

Check the coolant temperature sensor. When it goes bad it causes all kinds of trouble.

 

Agreed

[nismopathy93]

My cousins pathy had those symptoms once and it took me a bit to nail it down but when I swapped in my spare distributor she ran like a whole new rig the bearing likes to seize up some when they warm up when they are going out. you can just replace the bearing with a bit of work!

[Sim]

I was thinking timing... So if all the sensors look fine and have been cleaned or replaced and it's still playing up..... it could be that someone has had the dizzie out and put it back in wrong (a tooth or two out can make a massive difference).
Probably worth marking it's position, loosening it off and get the vehicle idling fine then adjust the distributor a little in each direction, see if it idles better and if it does try revving it a 'little' to see if it's made any difference, if it has you can adjust a little further to see if it makes a bigger difference. (or just check with a timing light and see if it all seems fine - it's a cheap old school way to check stuff.. and if you don't advance/retard too far and leave it like that then it shouldn't hurt anything....

 

(off topic bit)

It seems that computer systems running engines take away all the 'old school' skills, tips and tricks for fixing problems - I had a 1973 HQ Holden Ute with a 202 (3.3 litre) straight 6 cylinder engine (proper old school type engine before the Buick V6 that went in the Commodores). I could TUNE that engine to be almost perfect with nothing other than a screw driver, a spanner and a very large screw driver (or a 1/2 inch extension bar). That was simply by sitting in the engine bay with the engine running, loosening off the distributor and sticking the small screw driver into the mixture screw.. the extension bar was placed against the head of the engine and I put my ear up against the end of it and pushed the ear closed so the engine vibration ran through the bar and into the skin on the outside of my ear, I could then hear the finest of changes in the engine noise/vibration.. I could adjust my timing and mixture and get the engine to run smooooooooth just like that. (often checked later with a timing light and vacuum gauge and found to be all good!) Anyway..