help...my engine is stuttering ( kinda like sometimes running on 3 )

[datsunboy]

all the way through the rev range!It was perfectly fine one day......then a few days later when I drove it next.....that started happening!have no idea why.I have 440cc injectors and a standard ECU.....so it is running rich.but it ran fine for a few days before that?cleaned all the plugs ( black as hell )....started it up....and it ran fine untill I gave it a rev.....then back to the same problem

Is this problem likely to be:boost/vacumn leak?screwed plugs ( even tho they are pretty much brand new....about 30km's on them )maybe a stuffed coil pack?

I tired unpluging all the coils one by one......and they all made a change in the running of the motor....but number 3 didn't make as much change?( the plugs were more than likely black again when I tested this.....so could be part of it )

anything else it could be?****ty earth somewhere?low voltage to something?any sensors cause this if they were dead?

I'm getting a UV eraser in a couple of days.....so I will be able to re-write my ECU to suit the injectors, and stop it from running rich.

cheers for any help guys.

[djmace]

O2 sensor..check that..prolly **** same thing happened on my friends motor the other day.. checked o2 and o2 was it

[iliketocrash]

if it's a ****ty o2 sensor then will it show up that its bad if you do the ECU self diagnostic thingy? or is it possible that the ECU wouldn't throw the code for a bad o2 but the o2 still be bad?

[datsunboy]

Yeah, forgot to add that I have done a ECU check multiple times......always comes up fine with no errors!

hmmm.....so it does sound like a O2 sensor?I didn't think they played a major role in the running?thought they were only there for the ECU to check what it had calculated, then adjust accordingly?

I'll see if I can find another one to borrow off a mate to check it out.

[Dattebayo]

Maybe you need to replace your distributor cap & rotor.

I worked on a mazda last night that had a "shaking stutter" and the rotor had just all of a sudden shed a large piece of metal right off it's striking surface.

The plugs got pretty fouled up too because the fuel was not ignitingcompletely. And all the plugs wouldnt be black if it was just one chamber either...

[float_6969]

Maybe you need to replace your distributor cap & rotor.

I worked on a mazda last night that had a "shaking stutter" and the rotor had just all of a sudden shed a large piece of metal right off it's striking surface.

The plugs got pretty fouled up too because the fuel was not ignitingcompletely. And all the plugs wouldnt be black if it was just one chamber either...

The CA doesn't have a cap, or a rotor, or plug wires, or one coil either. It's a direct ignition setup up. It uses a Crank Angle Sensor to determine the timing of the motor and then sends a signal to each of the 4 coils that sit directly on top of the spark plugs. Pretty cool, huh?

[Dattebayo]

Very kind of you sir to not yell at me for being a dumbas$.

[RMiller]

Car will run like crap without or with a bad o2 sensor. Just try unplugging it! Not good, runs super duper rich.

[boost_boy]

all the way through the rev range!It was perfectly fine one day......then a few days later when I drove it next.....that started happening!have no idea why.I have 440cc injectors and a standard ECU.....so it is running rich.but it ran fine for a few days before that?cleaned all the plugs ( black as hell )....started it up....and it ran fine untill I gave it a rev.....then back to the same problem

Is this problem likely to be:boost/vacumn leak?screwed plugs ( even tho they are pretty much brand new....about 30km's on them )maybe a stuffed coil pack?

I tired unpluging all the coils one by one......and they all made a change in the running of the motor....but number 3 didn't make as much change?( the plugs were more than likely black again when I tested this.....so could be part of it )

anything else it could be?****ty earth somewhere?low voltage to something?any sensors cause this if they were dead?

I'm getting a UV eraser in a couple of days.....so I will be able to re-write my ECU to suit the injectors, and stop it from running rich.

cheers for any help guys.

More than likely your #3 coilpack is leaking spark. But if your plugs are fouled, you're bound to get the same effect as well. I encourage you like I encourage all, check your wiring to your AFM and also change your water temperature sensor as it could be slightly out of range causing a rich condition. Also check for leaks. If your system is rigged (notice I didn't say ghetto), would be a good time to go over all the temporary patch-work. Hope this helps a bit...............

Dee

[datsunboy]

I'll clean the plugs and check again later 2day....the wiring to the MAF hasn't been touched....it's factory S13 harness and MAF.

[datsunboy]

ok....friend brought round some RB coil packs today for me to try.....wired them in, and cleaned the plugs at the same time.

Seems to be running better now....but still kinda mucks around....It wont boost over 4psi

ECU is still telling me code 55tried unplugging the O2 sensor....and it didn't change noticebly.any new idea's?.....I haven't tried anything with the water sensor yet.

[datsunboy]

ok.....managed to bleed the brakes up and take it for a drive 2night.....it's boosting to 5psi now ( I forgot they shouldn't boost much when they arent in gear! ).

It's still pissing around....much slower than the first time I drove it!

I chucked the boost gauge on the other side of the cooler, to see if it was leaking anywhere......but could only hook it to the turbo itself......gave it a quick rev, and it managed to pull 16psi not in gear ( before I let go.....wasn't excpecting it to go that high )

so that means that it's main problem is when it is under load.

any further suggestions?....could it still be worth buying a new water temp sensor?.....is it likely to be that?

[gore]

your symptons are all over the place, but I'm really toasted =\

[boost_boy]

ok.....managed to bleed the brakes up and take it for a drive 2night.....it's boosting to 5psi now ( I forgot they shouldn't boost much when they arent in gear! ).

It's still pissing around....much slower than the first time I drove it!

I chucked the boost gauge on the other side of the cooler, to see if it was leaking anywhere......but could only hook it to the turbo itself......gave it a quick rev, and it managed to pull 16psi not in gear ( before I let go.....wasn't excpecting it to go that high )

so that means that it's main problem is when it is under load.

any further suggestions?....could it still be worth buying a new water temp sensor?.....is it likely to be that?

Did you retrieve the codes off the computer? I would personally purchase a new water temperature sensor. But please let the computer attempt to tell you where the car's problem is at.

Dee

[iliketocrash]

My car kind of has the same problem but i was wondering about the water temp sensor. I know this is real dumb... but are there two different ones? cause my last car had one for the ecu and one that just ran the temp gauge in my dash cluster.

[boost_boy]

My car kind of has the same problem but i was wondering about the water temp sensor. I know this is real dumb... but are there two different ones? cause my last car had one for the ecu and one that just ran the temp gauge in my dash cluster.

It's not dumb man, you just need clarification. The single wire thinga-majiggy is called a water temperature sensor and of course the square pulg with two wires in it is called the water temperature sensor.

Dee

[datsunboy]

Yes, I have taken the codes from the ECU, as I have said earlier.....it only tells me code 55.I will ring Nissan 2day, and find out if I can get a new water temp sensor.

"iliketocrash" the single wire sensor is for your dash, and the other one goes to the ECU

[iliketocrash]

thanks

[datsunboy]

what does it mean if the (green...I think) light flashes/turns on whilst the engine is running?

[datsunboy]

ok.....update.pulled everything to bits today, and checked it all. everything was ok ( going by the way the FSM tells you to check it ).the only 2 problems I found were......spark plug #1 had a crack in the porcelin ( at the top.....not the sparking end ).and that according to the FSM tests.....my Ignitor is screwed!it only has continuity between the "d and b,c,e,and f" pins.....nothing accross the ignitor at all!

But, this confuses me......why would my engine still run half good.....( ran fine sometimes, with the occasional blip/stutter ) if the ignitor was as dead as it looks?and why didn't the ECU tell me a code for it?

any ideas?

[RMiller]

I don't think there's a code for a bad ignitor, I'm thinking the ignitor is for output only, no input to ecu.

Check your ignitor again, I remember something about being confused about how to check first and thinking mine was bad when it definitely was not.

[datsunboy]

wierd...I have tested it multiple times.....all the same way though.But there is definately NO continuity accross the Ignitor at all.What other Ignitors will work with the CA18DET???I'm happy to re-wire new plugs if needed.

[RMiller]

Q45 ignitor works. There's a CA ignitor and a Q45 ignitor on ebay right now, search for "nissan ignitor" but would be better to borrow someone's to save yourself the money in case it really isn't bad.

Maybe an injector is clogged?

[datsunboy]

yeah, I'm in New Zealand tho....so would prefer o buy something from here...or perhaps Aus.Q45.....wouldn't they be more expensive?If not.....do you just not wire up 4 of the terminals?got any links to a Q45 wiring diagram? ( I assume this would be with the VH45DE engine? )

[float_6969]

I think the Q45 batch fires and therefore only needs 4 terminals. I could also be completely full of shizit. That's been known to happen more often than not. Regardless, the Q45 ignitor will work. Also, did you guys not have a CA16DE powered Nissan Pulsar? If you did, the ignitor from one of those will also work.

[datsunboy]

cheers, will look into it.I just bought a compression tester.....and got 151, 115, 90, 120 !! sounds like the rings or gasket might be gone?

Knowing that know....am I still right that I need a new ignitor too?

[Fester]

spark plug #1 had a crack in the porcelin ( at the top.....not the sparking end ).

Very interesting, I'm not the only one to have had this happen then.

I had 3 plugs crack at the ceramic just as you have described. Not long afterwards I discovered that the no.4 element in my factory igniter had died, and not long after that I found no. 4's compression was 45... so if you think 90's bad, think again!

I suspect, but I cannot prove, that igniter failures and poor compression, i.e. worn bores or rings, are linked. Its a bit of a chicken-and-egg problem too; does the igniter dying cause the cylinder wear (through fuel washing out the bore), or does the poor compression cause the igniter to die? My guess is that its a bit of both.

Your problems sound very similar to my old ones - all the symptoms are about right. My solution to the stuffed engine (45 compression hehe didn't run too well...) was to replace it with a nice fresh one (170 or so on all 4 ). My solution to the ignition failures was to get rid of that horrible arrangement that I'm sure Nissan designed to help sell more overpriced coils and replace it with an M&W igniter and a coilpack from a Holden Commodore. I have had no further ignition problems.

[datsunboy]

hmm...yeah, Mine were pretty much brand new spark plugs too....

So you reckon....strip the motor down this weekend, and replace the rings? and the valve seals?I got a good price on a full rebuild from repco ( inc all gasjets/seals and rings ) for $447....thats not that bad?so I might just rebuild it anyway.....I have built engines before.....but have never opened up a CA ( or any twin cam turbo )....is there anything else I should do whilst I'm in there? ( I don't want to have to pull the crank out....if I dont have to )

[datsunboy]

OK.....just borrowed a CA16DE ignitor....but it has different plugs to the CA18DET......the guy didn't have any plugs to fit it either is there any write up on how to re-wire? ( I'm sure I could figure it out myself....but it'd be easier to just copy someone else.....lol )