hi

i have a 98 infiniti i30. got this SES light on...when diagnosed i got these OBD2 codes:

P1320P0325

i replaced all 6 coils..and the SES light is still on. does it mean that knock sensor is bad?

before i replaced the coils there was significant knocking from engine..after replacing i still feel a little bit of knocking. also the RPM indicator seems to go up to 3 and then drop...

can someone help.


Modified by infii30guy at 2:29 PM 7/7/2009

Your car is running in 'limp' mode which limits engine speed to 2800 RPM. DTC code 325 indicates excessive high/low voltage detected by Knock Sensor circuit. However, the KS will not trigger the SES light. So your problem is still with the Ignition Signal Primary. Since you have replaced all the coils and assuming they were done correctly, then the problem maybe with harness/connector, condenser or crankshaft position signal.

Download a copy of the FSM (Factory Service Manual) and go to EC (Engine Control System) chapter to get additional info on how to diagnose your problem.

hi loystock

i got those coils on ebay..pretty cheap like $30 each..maybe they aren't good.

i work in san jose. if you are mechanic, can i bring this down to you? pl email me at [email protected]

thanks

by replacing coils, i just removed old ones, dropped the new ones in. should anything special be done.

No, I'm not a mechanic. I'm an Electronics Engineer by training and worked in the airline for 18 years then semiconductor.

It's to detailed to discuss the troubleshooting procedure. Please download a copy of the FSM. (available in this site). It tells you how to check the coils, condenser and signal from crankshaft position sensor, etc.

FSM for the your car can be found here and you want to look to the "EC" section for coil info.

while replacing knock sensor, i broke the connector that connects between wire that ends with red thing and knock sensor!!! i tried for like 10mins to get it out but the latch was soo tight. why didn't theyt make it bit easy?? anyways, where do i find this part number or buy this part? pl let me know. did little bit of googling and i didn't find anyhing. went thru FSM as well.

thanks
Modified by infii30guy at 9:46 PM 7/10/2009

Just a reminder, the Knock Sensor will not turn on the SES light but will store a code in the ECU. Since the SES light is still ON, per your info, you still have a problem with your ignition system.

I'm assuming you broke the connector on the harness side of the Knock Sensor. If so, you have 3 choices - buy an Infiniti Terminal Repair Kit, P/N: 38751-95INF (expensive and may be an overkill); buy the harness from dealer or used car parts store; or pull out same harness from an Infiniti/Nissan car in a junk yard. There are at least two of them near you - Pick N Pull at 1065 Commercial St (off Berryessa Rd) in San Jose (Ph:(408) 452-1274) and Pick Your Parts at 595 Trade Zone Blvd, Milpitas (Ph: (408) 262-4500). You have to bring your own tools to get the required harness. Look for a 96-99 I30 or 95-99 Maxima and the harness should be an exact fit. The same knock sensor is used in other Infiniti/Nissan vehicles below so the connector may be the same but the harness length may be different.

1991-1998 NISSAN 200SX , SE, SE-R, LE L4 2.0L & 2.4L 1989-1996 NISSAN 300ZX V6 3.0L 1993-1999 NISSAN ALTIMA GLE, GXE, SE. XE L4 2.4L 1990-1993 NISSAN D21 PICKUP, SE V6 3.0L 1998-1999 NISSAN FRONTIER L4 2.4L 1992-1999 NISSAN MAXIMA GLE, GXE, SE V6 3.0L 1991-1993 NISSAN NX L4 2.0L 1992-1999 NISSAN PATHFINDER LE, SE, XE V6 3.0L & 3.3L 1994-1996 NISSAN PICKUP, KING CAB XE, SE V6 3.0L 1993-1998 NISSAN QUEST GXE, XE V6 3.0L 1991-1999 NISSAN SENTRA GXE, SE-R, LE, SE, XE, CLASSIC L4 1.6L & 2.0L 1990-2001 INFINITI J30 & Q45 ALL 1991-1996 INFINITI G20 ALL 1997-2000 INFINITI QX4 ALL

hi loystick

appreciate your help on this.

i found the part number for this harness to be 24079-31u01. got it from hayward nissan. i replaced that whole wire/connector today. just did a little test drive and i felt that engine is "smooth" but i still see rpm indicator drop when it hits 2500. does it mean something else is still bad?

is there anyone who can reset the SES light. i'll see if it comes back on.

thanks

You can go to AutoZone and they can hook-up an OBD II scanner, for free, to get the stored DTC (Diagnostic Trouble Code) from your ECU. Or you can refer to the FSM or the "Maxima/I30/I35 FAQ" sticky on this forum on how to extract and interpret DTC codes.

Your car is still in 'limp' mode. Again, the FSM should be able to help you in troubleshooting this problem - condenser, crankshaft position sensor, ignition wiring harness or maybe one or more of the coil packs.

after replacing knock sensor and its harness, P0325 code is gone. aamco diagnosed it without any charge. now it has p1320 ("primary ignition signal failure"). they cleared the code but it came right back on as soon as i started the car. since it came back on, they said they'll need atleast 2 hours of work to dig more.

they looked at spark plugs and they confirmed they are good.

5 of the coils are what i got from ebay for $25 each. coil # 5 is bought for $90 from local store. should i be suspecting those $25 coils or is it something else?

or is better if i just drop it off any some infiniti dealer and prepare to get ripped off (

appreciate your help.

Just now aamco guy called me and said that spark plugs aren't those that matches factory spec and he suggests putting factory ones that run at $25 each. am not sure if that will clear this.
Modified by infii30guy at 3:36 PM 7/14/2009

could it really be spark plugs? i know last time (for 60K mileage) i used PFR5G-11. this time (120K) i used same NGK brand but not same part#. these ones only cost me $2.99 per plug at kragen. looks like kragen also has PFR5G-11 at about $10 per plug. let me try them...

Basically we're back to where we started because you did not provide enough info about your problem. At least, the KS issue is out of the way.

So you have new coil packs of questionable quality and out-of-spec spark plugs. And I'm assuming the problem started after replacing those components.

Spark plugs have different gaps and heat rating (Hot-5/Int-6/Cold-7), depending on the application. The spark plug, aside from igniting the fuel-air mixture in the combustion chamber also serves as a 'heat-sink' - absorbing the heat from the combustion chamber and transferring it to the engine body which is then water cooled. Installing out-of-spec plugs will lead to misfire (pre-ignition or spark plug fouling). The I30/4th Gen Maxima calls for a 'Hot' (5) spark plug, that is, a large area of the spark plug nose is exposed to heat from combustion chamber to 'burn off' carbon and other deposits. Using a cold plug (7) will cause deposit build up on the plug tip (fouling) and thus misfire. The spark plug gap affects the plug tip temperature and the voltage required for ignition. So you MUST install the correct spark plugs. In addition, you have to make sure that you use anti-seize compound and torque them correctly (@ 18 ft-lbs, please verify). Under-torquing will reduce heat transfer (leading to pre-ignition) while over-torquing can damage the spark plugs and threads. NOTE: Persistent pre-ignition WILL damage your engine so if possible, avoid driving the car until the problem is resolved

Since you now have a copy of the FSM, the DTC P1320 is covered in 'EC' chapter, pages EC-412 to EC-420. This section gives you info about your problem, wiring diagram of the ignition system and diagnostic procedure. The diagnostics will tell you the various test points and how to check the harness, coil packs and condenser.

loystock

i checked NGK site for i-30 and everything they had there was heat-rating 5. even the basic one that sell for $3 is heat-rating 5. unless my spark plugs have gone bad i'm not sure if replacing them would help. is there a way to know if they've gone bad? i won't mind spending time/money replacing them if they are bad.

thanks

You may have the same heat rating but the gap may be different. The gap size requires a certain voltage to fire properly. It's possible that your coil pack output voltage does not match with the plug gap causing the misfire.

I just checked the I30 plug spec: 5 is Standard, 4 is Hot and 6 is cold. Do you know the plug part number that you have installed? How many miles have you driven since you installed the new plugs?

For the 98I30, the DTC P1320 is actually covered in pages EC-329 to EC-335 (my mistake, as I used my 99 I30 FSM). The last 2 pages, EC-334 and EC-335. are for Diagnosis. If you have a multimeter, check the ignition system components and if they are Ok, then you have no choice but replace the plugs.

loystick,

y'day the guys at aamco pulled a plug out but i didn't check its model. Its probably BKR5ES-11 or BKR5EGP. I probably put 2-3K (yes, just 2-3k) on these plugs.

i still have my old OEM infiniti coils around. by replacing front 3 coils (close to radiator) with new ones (from ebay) I don't see any difference.

i don't have any of the tools you are talking about to check resistance etc. am into software and haven't mucked around with anything under the hood until this incident

am very inclined to get those PFR5G-11s and try them. i know they worked for me last. when my car started knocking heavily few months ago, guy down the street said change spark plugs and thats when i changed them. i thought maybe its time as my car just crossed 120K. now it has 124K. maybe that is the root cause for all this.

loystick,

went to kragen and found out what i had put in there. this is what i have

http://shop.oreillyauto.com/pr...Set=A

its autolite double platinum plugs...part# APP3924. not ngk. Double Platinum Spark Plug: OE Style; Gap .044

also do i also need to replace spark plug wires?? at 60K i just replaced plugs, not wires. just now autozone guys suggested me to replace spark plug wires too!

thanks

The PFR5g-11 also has a gap of 0.044. So as far as heat range and gap, looks like your Autolite APP3924 is similar, but not necessarily identical. I don't know much about the Autolite spark plug but I know in the Q45, an OEM-equivalent plugs from Bosch can cause a lot of problems. That's why I stick to OEM pl;ugs.

As for the recommendation from Autozone, I believe they don't know your car. Older cars have one ignition coil, a distributor that distributes the sparks to the spark plugs thru spark plug wires. The I30 ignition system uses DIS (Distributorless Ignition System). You don't have spark plug wires. The ECM (Engine Control Module (also referred as ECU) sends low-voltage signal to each coil pack (like an ignition coil with its own power transistor) which then amplifies the signal to fire the spark plug. There is also a condenser (capacitor) in DIS.

Please check the condition of you coil pack, condenser and the continuity of your harness (between ECM and coil pack).

got some this morning and replaced 3 spark plugs in front (close to radiator)..still have original coils at front. don't see any change in RPM..max is 2500 when i drive at 70. i still sense little bit of knocking at low speeds. maybe the ones close to the driver are those that went bad.

also when i replaced front 3, i found that spark plugs weren't tight. i didn't have to put any pressure to unwind them..

will replace other 3 also and see.

how do i check the harness between ECM and coils?

it seems to be suckin up lot of gas...not getting good mileage. during april i made a trip to reno and i got 28-30mpg on this.

thanks

If you're consuming a lot of gas, you are running 'rich' fuel-air mixture and that can damage your catalytic converter (very expensive).

I thought you replaced all the coils. How come you are now saying you have the original coils at the front? Having loose plugs reduces heat transfer and may even cause the plug to take off like a rocket ship. Please torque them to 18 ft-lbs (spec is 14-22 ft-lbs).

Before you do anything else, run the engine and then wiggle the main harness while revving (not too much) the engine up-and-down and see if the problem goes away. Maybe you just have loose connections in the main harness (not uncommon on I30/4th Gen Maxima).

As for testing the harness, you have to locate the ECM first and then disconnect the connectors. The ECM is behind the center console, to the right of the gas pedal, behind a plastic panel. The 98 I30 EC chapter, DTC 1320 section shows you the wiring diagram, color-coding and number and which pin in the ECM goes to which coil pack. The 6 coil packs are connected to pins 1,2,3,7,8,9 of the ECM. YOu have to test them one at a time. Aside from a multi-meter, you will need an extension wire to run from the ECM area to the coil pack.

I always use dielectric grease on connectors pins to reduce oxidation (corrosion) of contacts. You can buy this at AutoZone. It would also be a good idea to clean the ground wire contacts of the ignition system (bolted to the engine frame)

BTW, Infiniti generally recommends replacing all the coil packs and spark plugs whenever there is a major misfire problem.

Have you checked the maf? Don't they usually have a 2.5k rev limit when they have issues?

whats MAF? how do i check it?

thanks

MAF (Mass Air Flow) sensor monitors the volume and density of air going into the intake manifold and used by the ECM (together with other sensors) to meter the fuel going into the injectors. Indirectly, it also affects ignition timing and transmission shifting.

The MAF sensor is located in the intake manifold and is just downstream of the Air Filter box. You can remove that portion of the air intake duct so you can clean the MAF sensor. You need a residue-free Contact Cleaner @ $10 or less (available from Fry's Electronics or Radio Shack). DO NOT touch the actual sensing element and never use engine degreaser.

As a preventive maintenance for me, I clean the Throttle Body and MAF sensor every two years, together with ATF and Brake Flushes and P/S fluid replenishment (plus gear oil drain and refill in M35 and Q45s).

The actions above will improve the performance of your car but you still have to address your ignition problem.

Sure sounds like MAF problems. You can check the voltage and theresistance of this item. This thing ran me about $350 when minewent out.

i'll check that...i was wondering whether this low mileage could be due to this poor coil/ignition system.

replaced all 6 spark plugs (autolite) with NGK double platinum ones. problem still remains. won't go beyond 2500 RPM. also i feel some knocking at < 10mph.

looks like my new 3 front coils weren't right...they shipped me wrong ones 22448-31U05 instead of 22448-31U06. am getting new ones today..hope they are correct ones.

right now i swapped my wrong coils with OEM ones. to test if my originals were gone bad, while engine was ON, i removed one by one. when i took a coil out, engine was shaking more. when i put the coil back it was as before (not shaking). does it mean that those coils are good?

was looking for other possibilities as mentioned in this thread...is condenser A/C related? my A/C is just working fine as before. so condenser couldn't be bad.

other thing is crank shaft position sensor...don't know if that could be bad.

i put the new coils in...i think the response is better. the coils shipped seems to be original ones..i see Nissan label on all of them. the ones in the back aren't nissan ones.

will see if I get RPM > 2500

i'll have the light cleared and see if it comes back.

somehow i have a feeling that if i put all Nissan coils only then the issue may go away.

hi

now i have 6 brand new coils (5 of them seem to be genuine Nissan coils) and new NGK double platinums. response is much better..how many miles should i drive before i clear the code. or can i go ahead and clear it right away?

hope it doesn't come back.

finally i got the code cleared and it didn't show up again!!

i drove only like 20 miles since it is cleared. during this last month, i cleared it twice and it came right back on. i hope it won't come back now.

but still car isn't as good as it was an year ago. the guy who looked at it today suggested its time that timing chain should be changed. i remember talking to some dealer a while ago and he said i don't need to much around with timing chain on this one.

it has 125K now...i feel some slight shaking at low speeds and at 70s. would a good 120K service at dealer could get my car in good shape? thanks for your help.

Timing chain in Nissan/Infiniti cars last for a long time. Better setup a 120K Service with Beshoff Infiniti-San Jose, corner of Capitol and Tully, near Eastridge, phone (408) 531-3003. Their service and pricing are much better than Frontier or Peninsula. Insist on Schedule 1 only (Premium Service is expensive). You can get a free loaner car on any major service, provided you reserve in advance. You can also go to their web site to get an idea about Service pricing.

http://www.beshoffinfiniti.com/index.htm

You can also try Yip's Auto Shop at 1335 Minnis Circle, MIlpitas (behind the Milpitas Police Department. Call Duke (Duc), (408) 262-8878 and tell him Rod sent you. Duc specializes in Japanese cars. Of course, there is no loaner car.