Engine problems, stumped need help fast

[OklahomaS14]

ok I have a 95 240 with about 130,000 miles on it. Today I was driving home and it started acting funny. First off when i took off it would stutter then after 2000rpm would be ok. Then it started dying but would start back up. When I got home it died again and hasnt started since. Now I'm pretty mechanicly inclined but I am stumped on this one. I checked fuses first, all ok, then pulled the fuel line off the NEW filter, cranked it over gas shot out, fuel pump is fine, checked dist cap, rotor and all the spark plugs, everything is getting fire...So I have no clue..Any suggestion? Oh I also pulled the ECU did the self diagnostic check. Both of my O2 sensors(front and back) are bad. Could that be the problem? But since the car wouldnt start afterward couldnt check for more probs since I erased the code memory on the ECU. One other thing after I erased the ECU code(55) the car started and idled just fine, and when reved up slowly was fine, but pushing the gas down fast killed it. I'm open for any suggestion.....
Modified by OklahomaS14 at 6:47 PM 1/6/2005

[yoozef]

Hmmm, i got a 96 240sx 5spd with 120k miles on it and i hope it wont happen to me, but just today when i started it (it wasnt really cold or anything) it would stutter, and then as you said after going over 2k-2.3k rmps it would be fine. I have no clue what it might be, but i'll check that thread again just in case... Hope you'll get to solve your problem, later

[OklahomaS14]

I thought I was a pretty decent mechanic but wow this has got me good..I am just completely sick of not knowing..

[midnightsliding]

im one the same boat as you guys, mine dose it off and on, sometimes it dosent do it and drives fine, and then agine somethimes its dose it at around 1400rpms.

[All_Motor_KA]

Check your chain tensioner.

[OklahomaS14]

hey listen my car still wont start people someone has to know what the problem is. I checked my tensioner its fine. If the EGR valve is bad, could that keep it from starting? Come on I dont wanna have to take it to an.........dum dum dum Auto Mechanic

[Fabrizo]

Have you checked your MAF sensor? My friend had something simular happen to his 240 and thats what it ended up being.

[guyaverage]

^^^ Agreed. Have someone try to start it as you jiggle or hold the MAF connector plug and see it makes the problem go away. If it does, pull the plug, clean the connections, bend the contacts slightly to make better contact and you'll be set (unless the MAF itself is bad and not just the connector).

[OklahomaS14]

Thanks for the suggestion but holding, and wiggling the MAF didnt help any. It's really starting to piss me off that I cant figure it out. This tuesday I am taking it to a mechanic my boss knows thats going to run the diognostic on for only $25, and if its something I can fix thats all i gotta pay him. Its better thatn the local Nissan dealership that was gonna charge $65. So I guess I'll find out(hopefully) in a few days...BUt if there is any more suggestions that you guys can think of let me know.Thanks for everything

[andrave]

most of the stuff suggested wouldn't cause the car to run. O2 sensors, EGR, and other emissions crap may cause the ECU to change running modes but it won't shut the car down. Check your timing with a timing gun, and your compression with a compression tester. I think the sputtering at midrange might be a bad mafs, but it could be a problem with ignition or even the butterflies in your manifold. Even a bad mafs won't shut the car off. It will just run poorly and not rev above 3500 rpm....

[andrave]

this may sound stupid, but... you have enough gas right?

[OklahomaS14]

Yes i have enough gas, half a tank. Well I took it to a mech. and they cant hook it to a diognostic comp., cause its the OBD-1(1995), and all they can is OBD-II. So that sucks they lied to me on the phone so I pulled it on a trailer almost 50 miles for nothing. Whats weird is i was getting fire outta the plugs, but the shop said they werent. I talked to another guy today who said to check the timing again too. If its the timing, I will have to do the whole timing chain replacement huh? I heard that is a pain in the *** to do yourself and exspensive to have someone else do it..Well back to the same spot I started from. A lotta good a mechanic is...Well anyone else have any suggestions? Oh does anyone wanna buy the car, I am tired of ****ing with it. I'll sell it for what i owe the bank, a little under $1300. Everything else is in great shape, except it just wont start...

[SMoKeM240]

ive been cranking my motor for two days now, checked everything so many times, then out of no where, mine started today...so keep trying

[andrave]

me too, same **** happened to me. how old is the gas? might want to add some fresh gas in.use a timing light, that will check if the dist. is firing. it will also check your timing. if you pull a spark plug and turn it over and fuel shoots up, then your injectors are firing.

mine took a long long time to start...

[IanS]

yah, same deal, somtimes the KAs are finiky, my ecu coolant temp sensor was causing the same problems somtimes it would start somtimes it wouldnt just keep messin with it, have you checked compression?

[p00t]

Another quick way to diagnose a maf failure is to actually unplug the maf. When you turn the car on the car will switch to limp mode and will run on preset values. It will run crappy and have an rpm limit of 2500rpm or so. But it will run, drive, and start consistantly. If unplugging the maf works, then your maf is at fault.

If the shop claimed they didnt get any spark check it again, bad power transisters and coils run intermittently when they fail.

Good luck!

[Chezedik]

These guys are right in that an MAF can cause this problem, if any of you have a FSM you will note that the Nissan ECU has a provision in it for a safe mode. However, there are 2 others that will set this sort of fault. First is throttle position sensor, second is Knock sensor. You will be able to find out by running codes on your ECU. I had this happen, and my car spent 6 mos down, mine, as you will find most peoples are, was MAF. But these are others that will run in the safe mode. I will take a stab at the system, you can barely get the engine to move above 2K, except for fluttering the pedal. When you do, and get it up to 2.5K, it will want to act like it is flooding out, until it falls back down in RPM, then you get to do it all again.

[ddgsxr504]

I have a 95 as well and it has over 150,000 miles on it. Lately it has been stalling when I come to a stop at a light or stop sign. Does you check engine light come on still, if it does shoot me the code and i can tell you what it is. It is most likely your tps or knock sensor, it could be your timing but I have a S*&T load of miles and my chain and timing are still good it is almost always a stupid sensor or electrical problem.

[OklahomaS14]

Well after 3 differant mechanics and nearly a month of running diognostics on it, i finally took it to a competent Nissan Dealership, guess what it is? It's the freaking distributor, and they told me in about 2 hours. Well the Dealership no suprise wanted to charge me almost 900 dollars to do the job. hahaha. Well Oreilly's has a dist. for $166 and I can change that myself. Apperantly it didnt just go completely out, it slowly went down hill. So anyway thanks guys for all the suggestions..So if you have the same problem just choke up the $75 or so dollars for a Nissan dealership to run a diog. check, then fix it yourself.

[OklahomaS14]

OMG I AM SO FREAKING PISSED!! OK CHANGED MY DIST.(found one at a salvage yard)THE PLUGS ARE FIRING BUT THE WIRES ARE IN BAD SHAPE, BUT STILL NO F***ING START...AND I DID NOTICE FUEL SHOOTING OUT(INJECTORS ARE FINE). WHY WOULD A CERITFIED NISSAN DEALERSHIP TELL ME BAD DISTR., WIRES, AND PLUGS AND THE MOTHERFU**ER STILL WONT START!!!!!!!! WHHHHHHHYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY PLEASE WTF IS WRONG WITH MY CAR???????

[hbrown]

Just in case you haven't checked- try the fuel pressure regulator- or the fuel pump. You could be getting almost, but not quite enough gas- and it would appear to be getting it- once mine kicked me around for a couple of days before I realized what it was. Otherwise, get a FSM and start the trobleshooting dance. I feel your pain.

[OklahomaS14]

HAHAHA SHES ALIVE!! AFTER STOPPING AND THINKING FOR A SEC. MAYBE ITS FLOODED. it was, started and almost stayed running(timing is probably off) but it started,,,, Man I feel stupid, but I dont care SHE ran!!!

[OklahomaS14]

OH yeah the batt. went dead so I will have to wait till tomorrow cause I gotta go to work so its bedtime, but damn I am pumped and cant sleep....HAHA Hey guys thanks for everyting, all the help!!!!!

[ddgsxr504]

Congrats bro, I know how you feel when you can't get the B*%&$ to start. My car died on me this weekend at the car wash probably because I got some water in the distributor while spraying the engine bay down, but it pissed me off when it wouldn't start. Anyway We're all glad you got her tunning again!

[OklahomaS14]

Hell yeah i had to wait for my NGK wires which came today, and run down to NAPA to get the plugs tomorrow, but still gotta find someone who has a timing light, then she will be 100% again.Damn did I miss her