Anyone....? help me please??

[s13girlygirl]

Hey guys! So I need a little help. I recently got a '93 240sx fastback. It was sitting outback of my boyfriends work for about a month and the guy he works with who owned it was told he had to get it off the property or it was going to get towed. Pretty much the guy didn't want to deal with it anymore so he said that who ever wants it can have it. Lucky me getting a free 240! Well i'm running into a few issues. I've got to keep a tarp over it because the trunk leaks and the windows leak also. I've read that the reason the trunk leaks is because of something to do with the tail lights and it leaking?.. and then with the windows, I got new weather strips so that should solve the leaking problem with that right?. hopefully! The next thing... When I got the car, I put about $10 worth of gas in it. I've ran the car alot but it's just sitting and idling when i do. .I don't think enough to make it run out of gas already.. and when a car is out of gas, it doesnt start up does it?... That's the thing i'm puzzled about... my car starts up and stays on until I try to rev it up. It just starts to putter and then shuts off =[ Could it possibly be a bad fuel pump?. or am I just stupid and I'm out of gas? haha. Next time I get a chance, I'm going to put more gas in it and see what happens. Also, it has a little exhaust leak. I've seen kits in stores that would seal it up but It doesn't seem too promising and I know it would only solve the problem for a little while. Any ideas other than getting a whole new exhaust???? I absolutely love this car and I'm getting sooooo impatient. Since the weather is getting colder, my boyfriend hasn't got much motivation to get outside and work on it. So i'm taking matters into my own hands and i'm going to try to figure everything out on my own I want to put it on the road so badly before the weather starts getting worse so It doesnt sit all thru winter. So if anyone could help me, i would greatly appreciate it!

[martins_240sx]

The fuel problem could be the fuel filter or mass air flow sensor. as for the taillights, autozone/kragen/napa, they have stuff for windows but its damn near the same tar that is used for the tails. just pull them off and remove the tar and install the new stuff.

[H8tred]

Just pointing out, that jumbled mess of text would be much easier to read and understand with proper structure. Anyway, welcome to Nico.

Is it an SE, if it is and has a foam spoiler on the back, that's most likely the cause of your trunk leak, if not, you'll have to get yourself the Factory Service Manual (FSM), and pull the tail lights out and seal them with your choice of gasket material.

As for the cutting off when revving, it could be the fuel pump, or it could be the Mass Air Flow Sensor (MAFS). We would really need more detail into how it's acting and so forth to make a real attempt at helping you trouble shoot it.

The exhaust, I would suggest that you at least get a budget crush bent one made up at your local muffler shop. Skip all the band aid fixes if you can.

[Kaleo55]

What engine is in that car? The MAF is a common culprit especially with 240's. I would go ahead and source a new one. Take your time girly, these car are s**t in the winter and wouldn't suggest driving it in the rain let alone snow. Do as much as you can to it this winter so it really drivable in the spring and summer. I'd also go ahead get a e-bay cat back stainless steel unit.

[bassboost]

Agreed..Ebay exhaust of some sort...

Fuel problem..if it starts up and runs, but as soon as you give it throttle it dies..most likely out of fuel. Whats the gas gauge say?

[BLKTOPS14SR]

I've had no problem with mine in the rain or snow. LOL.

Clean the maf first before throwing down more $$$. CRC makes a MAF cleaner that you can get at any NAPA, Autozone, Advanced Auto or O'Rielly Auto parts. Try cleaning it first. Don't use carb cleaner or starting fluid. If it has set for a while crap in the tank and lines could be clogging up the filter after its settled. Always try the easier and cheaper methods first. G/L!!!

[s13girlygirl]

Agreed..Ebay exhaust of some sort...

Fuel problem..if it starts up and runs, but as soon as you give it throttle it dies..most likely out of fuel. Whats the gas gauge say?

Lets see, the gas gauge is broken so I've gotta get a new one of those.

[s13girlygirl]

What engine is in that car? The MAF is a common culprit especially with 240's. I would go ahead and source a new one. Take your time girly, these car are s**t in the winter and wouldn't suggest driving it in the rain let alone snow. Do as much as you can to it this winter so it really drivable in the spring and summer. I'd also go ahead get a e-bay cat back stainless steel unit.

I have a ka20 in it and I wouldn't mind waiting until spring to put it on the road, but I don't have a garage or anything to keep it in, so It's sitting outside under neath a tarp and it's going to be sooo cold working on it during the winter lol.

[StandardProspect]

93 hatch eh? sweet me too.

my hatch was leaking when i got it as well. a trip to walmart and $5 later got me silicone rtv sealant. took about 20 minutes to reseal them.

[s13girlygirl]

Just pointing out, that jumbled mess of text would be much easier to read and understand with proper structure. Anyway, welcome to Nico.

Is it an SE, if it is and has a foam spoiler on the back, that's most likely the cause of your trunk leak, if not, you'll have to get yourself the Factory Service Manual (FSM), and pull the tail lights out and seal them with your choice of gasket material.

As for the cutting off when revving, it could be the fuel pump, or it could be the Mass Air Flow Sensor (MAFS). We would really need more detail into how it's acting and so forth to make a real attempt at helping you trouble shoot it.

The exhaust, I would suggest that you at least get a budget crush bent one made up at your local muffler shop. Skip all the band aid fixes if you can.

Sorry for the jumbled mess of text lol. I'm new to this, trying to get everything figured out. The car is a SE and does have a spoiler on the back. So any advice on how to fix the leaking if it's from that?

[LeroyBrown]

Just pointing out, that jumbled mess of text would be much easier to read and understand with proper structure.

i know for real lol. It looks like all these guys answered your question. So welcome to nico, enjoy your stay.

one other thing tell your lazy boyfriend to help you with the car. i would help my girlfriend especially if she had a 240.

[H8tred]

Sorry for the jumbled mess of text lol. I'm new to this, trying to get everything figured out. The car is a SE and does have a spoiler on the back. So any advice on how to fix the leaking if it's from that?

Look and lightly lift around the edges, chances are there are large rust holes on the rear top near the third brake light, and on the top on either far side. If that is the case, unless you have body work skills, I would say try to find a base hatch with no spoiler. You're not going to get a deal from a body shop by being a lady, but you might get one on here haha. Look/ask around. Could be anywhere from 50-300 for a whole new hatch.

I did a bunch of work on my hatch only to find out that my lights were leaking just as bad, so it may be a good idea to just go ahead and reseal them too.

[ca18detgabby]

lol @ all the people blaming the maf. pull the maf plug off and do the same thing, it will go into limp mode and still stall. the maf is not the issue, if it was it would either be an issue at idle or not run at all.

I would start with plugs and plug wires. it sounds like an ignition issue. Assuming the thottle cable is hooked up and there is no vac leaks(something worth looking into).........

sitting for a month could be bad gas, I would also be checking the oil and radiator fluid(specially if it is cold to make sure it isnt frozen solid).

if you could find out what was the cause of it originally breaking down(likely the spuddering and stalling) it is easier to diagnose.

[H8tred]

lol @ all the people blaming the maf. pull the maf plug off and do the same thing, it will go into limp mode and still stall. the maf is not the issue, if it was it would either be an issue at idle or not run at all.

Wanna bet? Mine did the same thing. However it started when I was actually going down the road. So it was like no power after 2.5k. I got to where I was going and let it idle, and it had a very slight surge, nothing terrible. Mafs off my other car fixed her right up.

Being that it has sat for a while, a complete tune up is in order, but I'm willing to bet that it's a fuel or sensor issue as to why it's dying.

[neverlookback]

I had the same issue with my 95 it ran fine till i hit the gas while driving and at stop lights if i tried to accl. to hard it would die...MAF. contrary to popular belife ive found though exp. that the car will even idle with out the damn thing plugged in lol had my s14 sit for almost a year and it stared right up without fresh gas so i wouldnt bet on the gas issue after such a short time. check the fuel level first dont make things more difficult then they need to be. my money is on the MAF. that MAF cleaner is deffinately your first option 50/50 shot it will fix it...make sure you clean the small sensor attached to the air box too not just the main unit.

[ca18detgabby]

Wanna bet? Mine did the same thing. However it started when I was actually going down the road. So it was like no power after 2.5k. I got to where I was going and let it idle, and it had a very slight surge, nothing terrible. Mafs off my other car fixed her right up.

Being that it has sat for a while, a complete tune up is in order, but I'm willing to bet that it's a fuel or sensor issue as to why it's dying.

any idea what limp mode is hunny?

I would bet your plug came loose and infact your Maf was good..... just not getting proper connection.

[ca18detgabby]

I had the same issue with my 95 it ran fine till i hit the gas while driving and at stop lights if i tried to accl. to hard it would die...MAF. contrary to popular belife ive found though exp. that the car will even idle with out the damn thing plugged in lol had my s14 sit for almost a year and it stared right up without fresh gas so i wouldnt bet on the gas issue after such a short time. check the fuel level first dont make things more difficult then they need to be. my money is on the MAF. that MAF cleaner is deffinately your first option 50/50 shot it will fix it...make sure you clean the small sensor attached to the air box too not just the main unit.

you can run without a maf........ it throws the ECU into limp mode.

the MAFS is really not some godly component, just a meter to tell the ECU how much air is being sucked in per TB, a Vac leak beyond that MAF will give a real ugly and irratic idle and can stall out even in park(believe me) as you have too much fuel and not enough 02 to burn properly.

when it idles properly that means the MAF is getting proper perameters to meet the fuel in the combustion chamber at idle. as your accelerate you add more fuel and the MAF meters the amount of air being drawn in..... should the idle be fine then under load or thottle it should be fine as well.

you can cook a MAF and short it out and it will stop the car from running period. running it unplugged however just makes the ECU go into limp mode and dump fuel to protect the motor from killing itself so you can limp it home or to a safe place.

[breadbox]

"Some things you might want for a tune-up"

New NGK spark plugsNew Spark plug wiresNew Distributor capNew rotor buttonNew oil filterNew oilwrench for filler bolt on trans and diff1/2 drive socket wrench for drain plugNew transmission oilNew gear oil for the diffNew Fuel filterNew gasoline

[hbpignosePA]

i vote for a fuel issue... MAF could be dirty, do a tune up with new cap rotor plugs and oil change (02 sensor as well) and you it should run better....

look for partout threads for a new hatch, and it wouldnt hurt to reseal your tails....

check the regional forums to the right of your screen, theres alot of MD owners who could probably help you out. (hopefully your bf wouldnt get mad)

on another note i love how no one flames her for asking relatively common questions... nico never changes lol

[Dittoz7]

I Wanna Free 240sx...

;_;

[H8tred]

any idea what limp mode is hunny?

I would bet your plug came loose and infact your Maf was good..... just not getting proper connection.

Yes ma'm, I am fully aware of limp mode, though it is a term more often used by Honda owners . You have to give me a little more credit than that, if the plug was loose, I would have found it immediately. I even went as far as testing it with my DMM.

The odd thing though is that I could cut the car off, start it again, and it would sometimes run fine for a little under a mile. I've found that Nissan mafs are not a clean cut good and bad diagnostics issue. It can be very intermittent and frustrating to figure out. I have a lot of experience with the headache from the 91 SER we used to own. It's one of those "If in doubt, swap it out" parts.

[Marenta]

Damnit Gabby, why don't you post in my thread, don't you know that I have the hots for you?

[ca18detgabby]

Yes ma'm, I am fully aware of limp mode, though it is a term more often used by Honda owners . You have to give me a little more credit than that, if the plug was loose, I would have found it immediately. I even went as far as testing it with my DMM.

The odd thing though is that I could cut the car off, start it again, and it would sometimes run fine for a little under a mile. I've found that Nissan mafs are not a clean cut good and bad diagnostics issue. It can be very intermittent and frustrating to figure out. I have a lot of experience with the headache from the 91 SER we used to own. It's one of those "If in doubt, swap it out" parts.

I would still bet on a loose connection(maybe within the maf). from EVERYTHING I have experiened has been a clean cut either good, Ditry, or bad..... less the person had a harness related issue, which happens with alot of 1/2 assed swapped.

Limp mode is a honda thing? mazda guys, ford guys, and every nissan guy who has every called said condition......... LIMP MODE. What do you perfer to call it, "protecting your @ss from nuking your SHlT box mode"

Damnit Gabby, why don't you post in my thread, don't you know that I have the hots for you?

better get in line.

btw I have no idea what you are talking about. maybe Im not around here enough.
Modified by ca18detgabby at 11:39 PM 12/10/2008

[H8tred]

See, I was trying to be civil about it. You're going to sit here and assume that I'm some ricer fanboy that can't turn a wrench. News, I have never paid a soul to do anything to my car other than tow it. Any of them. I've been turning wrenches since before you kicked the barbies.

While I do appreciate constructive criticism, you have no idea. While you can read and learn how to sound smart, hands on gives to the power to be smart. Like I said, I tested with my 350 dollar Matco digital multimeter (on par with the high end Fluke Dmms). It wasn't a bad connection, it wasn't a bad harness, it was a dead might I repeat DEAD MAFS that continued to somehow act right for short spurts of time. I wasn't stuck in any mode, and the common "If it runs better with it unplugged then it's bad" theology did not shine true.

This girl can do exactly like I did and do an entire ignition tune up and waste her money.

[MastaYu]

i want a free s13 too.

[C3Sierra_S2000]

To the OP I have to say good for you for trying to fix it yourself. If your b/f won't help you then you need to find a new b/f as well LOL. Don't get discouraged by your lack of knowledge on cars. The forums are a great tool for info just disregard all the negative stuff that people seem to want to add from time to time. An engine needs three basic things, fuel, air, and spark to run. On an EFI engine it gets more complex than that but with an older car that you don't know the history on I would recommend starting with a complete tune up which would consist of plugs, wires, changing fuel filter and all the fluids as well as the air cleaner. If it still doesn't run get a Haynes manual or something similar and start troubleshooting it. Sounds like the MAF and the fuel pump could be good candidates. Good luck with getting it running and hang in there.

[pj]

in my oppinion, since the cars been sitting for a hot minute, id give it a tune up( fuel filter too), check for vacuum leaks, change the oil. maybe even a fuel pump, and put some good gas in it and see what it does. these are things you'd have to do anyway with a new vehicle so its not wasted time nor money.if its still giving you problems, change the MAFS.

[simmode1]

I must say, I am very proud of NICO right now... for being really help to the OP, and most of all for keeping the leghumping to a minimum

[ca18detgabby]

See, I was trying to be civil about it. You're going to sit here and assume that I'm some ricer fanboy that can't turn a wrench. News, I have never paid a soul to do anything to my car other than tow it. Any of them. I've been turning wrenches since before you kicked the barbies.

While I do appreciate constructive criticism, you have no idea. While you can read and learn how to sound smart, hands on gives to the power to be smart. Like I said, I tested with my 350 dollar Matco digital multimeter (on par with the high end Fluke Dmms). It wasn't a bad connection, it wasn't a bad harness, it was a dead might I repeat DEAD MAFS that continued to somehow act right for short spurts of time. I wasn't stuck in any mode, and the common "If it runs better with it unplugged then it's bad" theology did not shine true.

This girl can do exactly like I did and do an entire ignition tune up and waste her money.

i didnt assume anything......... looked at it as logicly as I could based on the small discription I was given. Infact you were the one who was in such a hurry to say....... wel honda people say that. As if it were derogatory. I never called you a ricer did I?

btw you have been turning wrenchs for how long now? Ive been Turning wrenchs since I was 10 and...... and that would make for 11 YEARS now. Ive helped build twin 9 sec regals, a 8 sec GNX, and right now the GMC sprint in the garage is running 9.99 on a 100 shot. I didnt play with barbies as a kid, I was riding horses and going on archeological digs with my father.

think about what your explianation is...... "dead, but SOMEHOW works sometimes" very percise. hell you could have had a bad filiment(or w/e they call the actuall sensing mechanicsm) that was broken slightly and jiggled in and out of connection. YOU EVEN SAID w/o the maf plugged in it still wasnt correcting itself. Sounds like there was def a loose connection somewhere. either that or you have the only MAF on earth with regeneration powers.

btw these KAs, as ugly as they are........ are very simple creatures. making them out to be something complex is silly. Im not saying your a ricer, but being that you still to this day dont have a decent diagnosis (somehow is not a reason)...... I would say you are the one that needs to keep learning to sound smart.

Ps I dont know of 1 240sx I have ever seen that wouldnt benifited from an ignition tune up.........

[pj]

lol this is great! seems gabby sure is'nt shy when it comes to a pissin contest is she