I've had many issues with the engine not acting right with my S-13 KA24DE and finally got them pretty much nailed down.So I'm listing how to fix these common issues that drives people crazy.

1. Car won't accelerate under heavy throttle or medium throttle.

A. Check the spark plugs. Bad, Fouled (Dirty) and BOSCH Platium 2+, 4+ spark plugs can't handle large amount of air and gas under throttle. Fouled spark plugs will NOT have clean firing nodes and grounds.

A. Check for PVC air hoses and Crank Case air hoses going back into the intake. Leaks can cause loss of air already metered by MAFS and make the car run rich. Rich fuel fouls spark plugs easily.

2. The engine sputter randomly under acceleration and idle when warmed up considerably.

A. Check the battery connection. Some battery connectors are thin and can expand under heat. This causes battery power loss and ignition power loss.

3. The engine sputters randomly cold or warm. The car have over-heated once before.

A. Replace the Knock Sensor on the side of the engine cylinder blocks. It is made of plastic case and will crack under extreme heat. Bad Knock Sensor sends false signals to the ECU and causes loss of fuel from injectors.

To replace the Knock Sensor while the engine is inside the car you will need 12mm socket and extensions for at least 14".

Removing the Knock Sensor is easy so long as the bolt does not fall off the socket. The best idea is to keep the bolt in place by holding the knock sensor pressed against the socket. Use a strong wire hook for this.

Putting the Knock Sensor back in is the reverse of removal. It is easier to remove and install the Knock Sensor if the engine is outside or the emission system on the 240SX KA24DE engine are removed.

This is the cracked Knock Sensor.

Replacement Knock Sensors can be obtained cheaply and easily by pulling some from 89-up Nissan Maxima, Sentra, Altima, 300ZX, 240SX, 200SX and Infinity G20, J30 etc. Check with your local junkyard.

Some sensor may have different connection wires but the actual sensor plug are the same.

Hella good info! I have to check mine cuz the code is pulled up and now that you mentioned it I have had a random sputter, i just let off the throttle and when i came back on it it was fine so i never thought about it again.

PROBLEM: CAR WILL NOT START / FLOODS.... OR.... WHEN STARTED, IT IDLES LIKE CRAP, WHEN YOU TRY TO BLIP THE THROTTLE IT NEARLY DIES / BLACK SMOKE COMES OUT THE TAIL PIPE = RICH FUEL MIXTURE...

(A) SOLUTION:

Check the Water Temperature sensor off the main coolant hose. The contacts that tell the engine whether or not the coolant is hot or not, letting in the right amount of fuel depending on the temperature. In my case the computer was constantly told by this sensor that the cars coolant temperature was cold, which led to a very rich fuel mixture. I removed the sensor and saw that the contact points were corroded. 1 spray of carb cleaner on it, and a little use of your fingernails as scrapers, and wa-la, you have a brand new sensor.

The engine fired right up afterwards, and i have not had any problems from it since.