Hi, I'm new in this forum. I own a 95 Nissan pickup hardbody, manual transmission, 4 Cyl, 2.4 lit, 195,000 miles, and its engine light started to went On and Off in sporadic ocassions, mostly when I was driving over 50mph for long periods. Last year I replaced the EGR sensor because one of its wires was broken. On about January this year, the truck showed the engine light On as I told before, and I took it for scan. The code that showed up was p32.

Since then, I tried to clean up the two EGR valves but I made the mistake of letting the cleaner solvent to get inside them in great quantities, so I decided to replace them. After the replacement, the RPM niddle went from over 2 to under 1, as it was before when the truck was new. But, the engine light still coming On in several ocassions.

I tried to test the EGR solenoid, and I made a mistake -again- of forcing the tubes to come out the valve pipes and one plastic pipe cracked. To me, was no necessary to test this EGR solenoid anymore, so I replaced it. Before I replace it, I noticed that the engine light didn't come On anymore for two or three days but once and for one or two seconds, but later the engine light went to its routine of going ON and Off again.

When I replaced the EGR solenoid with a new one, the engine light didn't show up for two days again, I was happy thinking that the problem was finally solved, but the engine light started to come On and Off again after driving for long periods of time.

To resume my long posting, I can say that all the components of the EGR system are practically new, they are Nissan OEM. The hoses between valves and more have been also replaced by new ones to discard any leaks.

I'm not a mechanic, just an owner of this wonderful truck that still strong and can run over 90mph without problems. Can somebody give me help telling me what I must do next? The emission test will be on July, but I want to fix this problem not for the test alone but because this truck deserves to work properly at all times.

Your suggestions and tips will be greatly appreciated.

That's strange indeed. I'm going to move this over to the trucks side of things and see if someone has any ideas.

Welcome to NICO!

Thank you for transfering my posting to the truck section. However, I thought that the problem with the EGR system was mechanical or perhaps electrical, and I guess that really requires the advice of a mechanic, for that reason I posted it in the other section ("technical, ask a mechanic").

But if you think that the EGR problems can better be discussed in this section where most of postings are about cosmetic...well you know better, I'm just new here and ignore a lot about car mechanics.

I'll hope somebody here can give me a hand with my truck. By the way, in addition to the symptoms, I also have noticed that the sound of the truck has changed, before it used to sound like a light 4 cylinder truck or car, but now it sounds like a heavy 6 to 8 cylinder truck. The performance still the same, I have checked the vacuum of the EGR valve and is fine (stalls when vacuum is applied) but we (me and my children) love the new sound of it, be aware that is not the exhaust pipe, but the motor itself, now sounds like a strong vehicle... (hopping that this is not a sign three days before going to the junk..)

It's not so much the fact that the EGR problem is better discussed here, it's that it's a truck and the guys here have more experience with trucks.

First off 95 is my favorite year, it seemed to be the best year of the HB before they started stripping it down and cheaping out on parts starting in 96. As for your problem you say the engine light is still flashing, have you pulled the current codes that are stored yet? Is the truck running good at this time? I guess we will have to see what the ECM is trying to tell you before we can tell you what to do next. The ECM is under the passenger seat. There is a knob on it that can be turned with a small screwdriver, that will put it in diagnostic mode. Check out www.nicoclub.com/FSM for a copy of your trucks service manual, it's hidden inside the 1995 Pathfinder service manual.

The truck is running great, since I bought it new I have replaced the clutch once, and no other big mechanical problem has happened, only the radiator's plastic top that broke sometime ago, and the EGR sensor wire broken as well last year, I guess the motor grease cleaner used every year might contributed to its weakneness, I don't know.

I will read carefuly the instructions from the link given by you and check the ECM. I'm not to "smart" but I'm sure I will figure it out.

So far, you seem to be a good troubleshooter, by re-doing a scan test again before continuing guessing what can I do next.

Thanks.

Reverend D21,

I followed the instructions, the flashing lights were three red and two green, I guess is the same code 32. By the way, I also did turn the mode selector clockwise again waiting the four flashes to clear up memory.

I think that my first posting was misunderstood somehow, when the engine light comes On it it won't flush but will stay that way for a while, later -for example- when I brake for a light and start going again, the light goes Off.

My son took the truck to work right after I made the test, and I didn't have time to test it again going for a while on a highway, but I will ask him if he noticed the engine light coming On again.

3/28/11 UPDATE, the engine light still coming On in sporadic ocassions.

I have followed the instructions given to repair the 32 code in what electrical is concerned, and I did check the wiring and connectors. Actually, "this is my thing", I have been in house electrical business for 20 years and my speciality is troubleshooting. So, I found out in the online manual link given by you the step by step procedure. I wasn't easy...it wasn't hard.

I think the female disconnects of the block going to the EGR solenoid had loose contact, I tried to adjust them with my pliers but was unsuccessful. I tried to buy the same kind of female discoonect .110 but no store had them. I ended buying the standard ones on eBay. After replacing the female discconects and adapted them to fit in the block connector, the truck has not given the engine light warning for a few days, but it came once for a few seconds.

I have checked all the terminals, connectors and wires, they seem to be ok.

Surfing around, I found this "tip" from a web page, it is about the EGR failure.

Often, an inoperable EGR system or check engine light referring to the EGR system is caused by a defective exhaust manifold, muffler, catalytic converter or rusted exhaust pipes. They all work together and must all be in good shape.

Is the above a true statement?

In case the engine light still coming On in the future, how can I check the "exhaust manifold"? Where in the shop manual are the steps to check it? So far, the muffler is in excellent condition because I replaced it three years ago, and I have checked it for leaks again. Only the catalyc converter was not replaced.

Thanks in advance.

I guess that here many of the participants are as ignorant as I am about fixing cars, but are as "experts" as I am replacing parts like crazy to make their vehicles be working properly.

The check engine light still coming On when I drive over 50 mph or when I speed hard. My guess now is to clean up the intake manifold, as I saw in several videos posted in youtube.

I asked for some information about the location of the exhaust manifold, but apparently no mechanics are passing by or just don't want to help.

In these forums I saw the changing of a hardbody intake manifold by a 240xs or similar, I will use the instructions given over there to remove the intake manifold. I just bought the gasket in advance.

My guess is that carbon storaged in the intake manifold and pipes related to it may be clogging it, and the emission syastem fails with the effort made by speeding. I'm not an expert, but this is my guess based on the tips posted in another site.

Thank you Reverend D21 for the link you gave me sometime ago, because I know now how to check the truck's system without the need of a OBD1 scan tool. However, the problem with my truck appears to be beyond the "book/manual" and I must continue dissasembling and assembling back parts around until is fixed.

I will be very careful doing this task...I just took out all the electrical connectors and rubber hoses, the valves and sensors, the fuel filter and other easy to remove parts...now the job will get serious...arghhh!...I knew it...now it comes the hard part...I can't remove this bolt...where is my damn sledgehammer?!!!...

A BFH can be handy at times. Really no one knows where the exhaust manifold is? So you plan is to do an intake cleaning? It can't hurt since the truck is 16 years old and could be fouled up with some serious nastiness in there. I am surprised that the manual doesn't give you a clear way to attack this problem, I tend to find that books like Chiltons and Haynes have people throwing parts at their trucks before actually fixing them.

Carlos I feel your frustration. I had an EGR code last year on my 97. Turned out that the valve itself was working fine, just one of the passages was clogged. (The small pencil sized pipe that has a vacuum line attached) Not sure how many miles you have on yours, but after about 100,000 miles the top end is considerably looser, which means carbon build up is a matter of fact. Im pretty sure I didnt help things by using a combination of cheap gas, and beating on the truck. Im now using 89 Chevron, and babying her until properly warmed up. Just keep at it. It took me almost 2 weeks of fiddling with it to get the CEL to stay off. Like Reverend said, its a matter of time before before I gotta pull my intake, and give it a good cleaning. This site has some Invaluable DYI write-ups.

MilkMan wrote:Carlos I feel your frustration. I had an EGR code last year on my 97. Turned out that the valve itself was working fine, just one of the passages was clogged. (The small pencil sized pipe that has a vacuum line attached) Not sure how many miles you have on yours, but after about 100,000 miles the top end is considerably looser, which means carbon build up is a matter of fact. Im pretty sure I didnt help things by using a combination of cheap gas, and beating on the truck. Im now using 89 Chevron, and babying her until properly warmed up. Just keep at it. It took me almost 2 weeks of fiddling with it to get the CEL to stay off. Like Reverend said, its a matter of time before before I gotta pull my intake, and give it a good cleaning. This site has some Invaluable DYI write-ups.

Frustrated? ... Me?!!!

Do you know that finally I'm a graduated mechanic? Yes, I did stop guessing and I think I have found what the problem was...it is a long story...everything started with my Jewish grandmother getting married with a German man from Berlin... just jocking...

Some months ago, the pulley for the steering wheel stop rotating (was jammed) and in the middle of the highway the belt started to burn itself because was still circulating with one pulley in motion only. The belt can't handle anymore and broke apart. I managed to return home with the steering wheel hard to move because no pump was moving the fluid inside this system. I removed the residuals of the belt and replaced the pulley. That was the end of the story.

Days later, the engine checl light started to come On and later going Off when I used to speed up. As you can see, there is not a single relationship between the incident with the steering wheel with the EGR system.

Well, I started to do what an amateur does to fix the problem, I cleaned up the valves, but I wasn't careful enough to avoid the cleaner fluid to wet the diapragms inside the valves, so I opted for their replacement. When I tried to check the Solenoid valve I broke one of its pipes and I had to replace it. Still, the light was coming On and Off sporadically. I replaced the little hoses between valves and from all the surrounding area of the EGR system. The long hoses going to the far away solenoid and the carbon canister did look ok, so I didn't touch them. I also followed the instructions of the manual to verify the electrical connections and replaced to wire terminals. Still the engine light was coming On sometimes.

Today, I really started to put marks on the connectors, in order to clean up the intake manifold...I pulled the air filter...




And I saw that the job was going to be big, so, I decided to replace all the hoses before doing such a big task "as a just in case measurement". When I was in the store trying to buy 15 feet of the hose, I changed my mind and I only bought a 6 foot long hose. I pulled the hose bettwen a tube down on the manifold, and that goes to the carbon canister, and I was surprised with what I found


Apparently, when the steering wheel belt got broken, in its way also destroyed the side of the little hose, but I can't see it because was at the botton side, and the location of the damage cannot be perceived at all but only by removing the hose.

I replaced the hose, and rised up the bench seat to set the ECM and check the history -the usual 32- later to erase such a record, and tested again, and it game me the perfect 55. I installed everything back in place and made the road test.

I traveled in a highway for a while at different speeds and the engine light didn't show up. I'll hope the problem has been fixed, because I really was thinking to use a sledge hammer to speed up the removal of the intake manifold....

The truck passed the emission inspection...I think it's time to buy a new bench seat ...

or you could have the old one reupholstered

Well, it happens that in the house were two boys -now adults- who never stop drinking milk, and when they were over 10 years old, they still were having chocolate milk several times a day...and they did fart like crazy, in the house, in the cars, in the truck...I have washed the seat bench every Summer, but still smelling like fart...perhaps this year I will try to use clorox to wash it completely and after that the use of fabric color paint...in case that works, I will keep the original bench seat, otherwise I might invest $500.00 in a new one I saw online...I won't buy a used one unless its cover is leather...

On the other hand, I told the now adults to stop drinking too much milk, and they stop farting a lot right after that...

febreeze. buy a can and use the whole thing, let it sit in, then rent one of those carpet cleaners with the hose attachment from wal-mart and clean the seat. It'll look and smell brand new... and slightly like febreeze.

I did that to my bucket seats when I bought the truck. The guy I bought it from was an avid fisherman and construction worker. Had to fight through a few layers of sweat and bait smell but my seats came out pretty good.

So the issue was damaged line to the charcoal canister? I'm having similar issues/ nightmare with mine, see hardbody nightmare thread.

Need to pass emissions but several monitors redecorating, which in turn is causing codes to show up. Anyone have knowledge on how the monitor system works and why maybe monitors aren't clearing within drive cycles?