drivabilty issues!(runs bad, wont run, etc.)

[s13sr20chris]

driveablity issues!many nissans get old and have drivability issues. the no 1 issue is prob rough idle. no 2 is prob running rich. many times i have seen cars with both complaints caused by the same issue. here is a nissan specific quick check that you can go through when trying to fix your car. if you do all of this and have the results on hand, let me know and we will go from there.

1)wiggle test-yank on the wiring harness to see if anything changes. many electrical connectors are prone to rotting and get loose. ie. obd 1 cars with rotten ect, maf, and iac connections.

2)sniff test-sniff your exhaust(carefully!) and see what it smells like. raw fuel? burnt fuel? coolant? oil? rotten eggs? chemicaly stuff?

2a)smells like fuel and cranks kind of funny? may be flooded. hold gas pedal down and crank for a long time.

3)maint test-have you taken care of the car(i dont mean did you get plugs, wires, and dist cap from auto zone to try to fix the prob either)?

4)aftermarket parts test-does the car have cheap plug wires(maybe they are arcing), dist cap+rotor, non-ngk plugs, different colored fuel injectors, aftermarket alternators, or other stuff like that? it matters.

5)grounds test-this is a little more involved. nissan has always had a prob with grounds. nissan always grounds too many things in the same place. a voltage drop of .2 volts on the maf ground will make a nissan run pig rich. so many older nissans just need a new ground wire for the maf sensor to run great. i have also seen starters not turn due to bad grounds.

6)power test-you checked all the fuses in the underhood fuse box right? there may be one in front of the drivers left knee as well. did you also check the fusible links? they may just look like wires that are plugged into the bat pos terminal or big plastic cased fuses with larger numbers(like 80 or 100) on them.

7)unplug test-many nissans have a failsafe mode for most important engine sensors. this is a feature mostly found on newer obd2 equipped vehicles. try unplugging the maf, ect, and o2 sensors one at a time with 30 secs of batt disconnect in between. note the changes in how she runs(or does not run) with the stuff disconnected.

8)vehicle history test-has it been flooded? your in for some surprises!

9)mechanical check-just hope she passes this one! any funny noises? fluids ok? motor turns over ok(you can put a 27mm socket on the crankshaft bolt to turn it over, vq30 has a 17mm or 19mm bolt)?

donts!1)dont run out and get plugs, wires, cap, and rotor because she wont turn over! same goes for fuel filters, air filters, and other maint you neglected! it may be the prob but do a little research first to avoid wasting money. also, dont get the cheap stuff. go oem for most parts. if you dont know if you should get a particular part oem then try to err on the side of safety and get oem.

2)dont go overboard on the additives. any oil additive is overboard(with very few exceptions), fuel additives are ok if you go with good stuff and its not a z31 or u11, some coolant additives are ok(know what your doing from something other than the bottles instructions), etc.

3)dont take stuff apart if you dont know what it is. this is ok if its a "parts car" and you dont need it to run.

[s13sr20chris]

feel free to add to this and i will modify it to reflect replys that i think are accurate.when photopost is up and running i will post the revised tps adjustment procedure.

[180fan]

Right on Chris. I just thought I should add that alot of fuel system cleaners suck. The only two that I've used that made a noticable difference were Greased Lightining and the Redline stuff.

[navysnail]

i agree with the cleaners, and even the good ones are really only effective (ive found) when used regularly

also like to add that if you have trouble with a 240sx, a good place to start is the self diagnostic mode on the ecu, i may do a write up procedure from the fsm on that one day soon

[s13sr20chris]

i agree with the cleaners, and even the good ones are really only effective (ive found) when used regularly

also like to add that if you have trouble with a 240sx, a good place to start is the self diagnostic mode on the ecu, i may do a write up procedure from the fsm on that one day soon

word. how usefull is the "basic inspection"!

[PalmerWMD]

As for cleaners, there is a good consesnus about the BG44k.

The active ingredient of Techron fuel system cleaner (some 2 or 3%, ..I forgot) is the main ingredient of BG44k.

Use with some care, but T3 and similiar blue-chip shops use it, as well, as many Infiniti dealers.

[s13sr20chris]

yeah, i use bg 44k whenever i happen to stumble on a free can. never done me wrong. the probs come when homebody gets some "xxx" super cleaner/engine fixer solvent can and dumps it in with a quarter tank of gas.

[MAKAKO]

i was wondering what you think about lucas fuel system treatment? customers at my store ( advanced auto parts) like lucas products. also seafoam..about intake manifolds. i've seen people run custom intake manifolds i was wondering what i could do to make my intake alot cleaner and easier to work with. i removed the egr and blocked off that portion of the intake. i also removed the heating lines to the throttle body and the back of the intake plenum. should i leave the aav valve on the manifold? willing to be open for input. i also have removed the entire a/c system. and power steering. i'm jsut trying to make this motor and car smple to work with.. 91 twin cam into 89 se chassis

http://members.cardomain.com/arubamakako1

Modified by MAKAKO at 11:35 AM 12/31/2004

Modified by MAKAKO at 11:36 AM 12/31/2004
Modified by MAKAKO at 11:30 AM 1/26/2005

[s13sr20chris]

that sounds like a good setup. i say keep the aac. also, i have no experience with lucas products.

[PalmerWMD]

Makako: Sorry to say but..

Lucas oil treament like nearly every other oil treatment does not work as advertised.

[MAKAKO]

really.. oh.. i'm just going by what i've herd..

[Florida240sx]

Lucas isn't good?My cousin had a 50-55 gallon drum of lucas oil in arkansas.We would add a gallon to each of the power units.Beleive they held 5 gallons. or maybe it was 3.5....But his geo tracker smoked and burned oil like crazy.We started to add lucas to it and it ran so much quieter and stopped smoking completely.

[deken915]

i was wondering about the diagnostics test on the ecu. I have some quistions about my car getting to much gas which is making it spit and sputter when i push the gas and it doesnt want to idol iv already changed the spark plugs and wires fuel injectors etc. if anybody can help me please do
Modified by deken915 at 11:07 AM 7/2/2005

[s13sr20chris]

check out 240sx.orgthere is a long thing on how to read codes on our ecms

[Shift_Tommy]

http://www.ka24development.com/ecu_codes.html

[sean8564]

What do you guys think about marvel mystery oil.

[NISTECH]

Its a way to prolong and hide the inevitable.

[streetracer]

I think that the Marvel mystery oil sucks, do to that I used it once and it says it suppose to stop ticing noise and it only worked for 2 days and then it just gave up for some reason.

[Chezedik]

Maybe your problem was one that it wasn't designed to work with. Better living through chemistry is limited to small (very) issues. If you have a rod knock or broken ring, don't expect an additive to do it. If you have a radiator or water pump leak, don't add Alumaseal, replace the f-ing bad part.

[greenthumb]

car has a little smoke coming fromunder the hood, there was low low fuel when this occured. Noticed a little smoke trailing out ogf the left side of engine.

[greenthumb]

1994 q45t

[NISTECH]

Welcome to NICO Brett

Try making a new thread in infiniti online mechanic asking your question. Also if you use the search function you may find some useful info in there regarding your specific situation. When you post in infiniti online mechanic put your model and yr in your thread topic and in your post try to include as much maint info and any repairs you have had done recently. Also include any abnormal conditions that may have occured with the cars drivability recently. That info is priceless in getting a good response to your concern.