J30 1994 infiniti

[fatalymadesicc]

Ok I have search and search and couldd not find a POST with all the problems im having in one so Im posting a new.

Problem started very mild and has progressed and gotten worse. 1st I noticed it would hesitate from slow speed or from a stop for a good 3 or 4 seconds before acually responding with any kinda power, regardless how much throttle I apply.

couple weeks later I noticed the RPM fluxuating a bit on the freeway. then it started doing it to me at startup and having hard time starting and staying started without pumping the throttle and after start ill let it idle by itself but the RPMs goes crazy up and down. up to lil over 3 sometimes and drop all the way to 0 almost instantly and if it dont die it will pop back up to 3. nver staying in one spot for long. When it goes to zero I have to use the throttle and ill try to hold it at 1 rpm very steady with my foot not moving at all and the RPM will not stay. it bounces all over the place. seems like when I turn on the heater or AC it will help hold RPMs a little higher. But it wont last before the IRRATIC behavior of the RPMs and fluxuation with the fuel reaching its destination takes over and kills the car. So its IRRATIC idleing, stalling out either because its not getting enough fuel or too much... seems like just before the car starts acting stupid ill smell raw unburnt gas inside the car pretty storng at time. If the car is running smooth I dont smell the gas at all.. Now it will run good for a week, or couple day, or hours, and even minutes before it wants to start MESSING up again. Its very random and without warning. It has even stalled out doing 40mph coming off the freeway couple time but wasnt giving much throttle, only coasting with small amount of throttle applied and it died going that fast, not just at low RPMs. Sometimes on the freeway it will start jerking while im maintaining a steady speed holding the throttle steady. Feels like the transmission is dissingaging and rengaging and jerking forward not violently but it definatly cant be healthy for my motor or transmission.

I have replaced the ECU coolant temp sensor. after reading all the forums it sounds like it might be the MAF.

It started and progressed over the last 5 months and during that time I have had some other strange issues. The alarm going off by its self with no one around it and sometimes it will go off but it wont sound the normal car alarm sound it will be a steady horn sound with all the lights stuck on. the only way to turn it off is to disconnect the battery cable. It has went off while i was driving down the street, not the normal alarm but the stuck horn and lights on. also while driving the emergency 4-way flashers will come on by them selves, except they dont flash they stay on steady without flashing and again the only way to turn it off is to disconnect the battery. one last thing the door locks, while driving one day the locks kept locking every minute it would click, click, click as if someone was hitting the button.

None of the electrical problems has happend to me in the last 2 weeks but I know the cars idleing and starting is getting worse. All the test I see require the car to be idleing or at running tempature. But if I dont get in the car start it and drive away with one foot on the gas and one on the break its very difficult to keep it started and idling.

PLEASE HELP

[300ZXttZMAN]

Welcome!

Someone should be able to help you shortly.

Keep in mind a wall of text is normally frowned upon.

[driverdriver]

Have you pulled codes from the ECU? There is a "stuck" item on how to do this on J30 forum main page. It will help us narrow down the cause, otherwise its a crapshoot.

Do you have an aftermarket alarm installed on the vehicle or an aftermarket headunit(installed improperly)?

Do you have an aftermarket alternator installed on the vehicle? Non OEM Nissan alternators have been traced back to all sorts of weird electrical issues in the car.

The door locking unlocking issue is the lock actuator. A very common age related failed component.

[fatalymadesicc]

Sorry about the wall of text, was just trying to eliminate back and forth text and give as much info about as many issues as I could think of.... Never post anywhere besides facebook. Sorry.

No I have not pulled the codes ill check out how to do that. I bought the car a almost year ago and im not sure whats stock or not. Is there anything I can look for to see? Im pretty sure it has te stock alarm though. If it was the alternator wouldnt it have acted up when I first bought it instead of couple months ago?

So I looked at the forum tellin how to get the codes. So the first number is gonna flash slow then how many flashes is ur #? & the shorter flashes are ur second number? Just wanna be sure I understand. And what happens if there are more then one code??

[fatalymadesicc]

Finally got around to the code from the box and it reads 34. Knock sensor.

[yodawill2000]

That will retard the Timing to avoid knock but wont cause any of the electrical weirdness you have.
Bizarre stuff there.
Driver is right about non-OEM alternators doing some weird stuff.
Or a oem one that is failing.

[fatalymadesicc]

So any suggestions about my code 34? I am going to do everything I possibly can myself. I dont have 1or2k to drop on a sensor just because its difficult to get to.. I just spent $800 on tune-up, breaks, and timing belt.

It seems to be getting worse when its acting up. But runs great when it wants, for as long as it feels like it.

the other day on the freeway I felt the idle change in the pedal and the throttle seemed like it was slowly dropping, resulting in very small loss of speed (about 4mph) as I held the gas peddle at a steady position the entire time. Suddenly the car would feel as if it would just coast (like in nuetral) for a second the violently jerk forward as if it was shifting back in gear. It done that about a dozen times before stopping with only a second or two tops between jerks.

[fatalymadesicc]

I am gonna clean the MAF then check the wires and plugs see if they are OEM along with the alternator. Ill drive it a day and see if cleaning the MAF changes much. Please help, I would really appreciate any suggestions or anything helpful..

[fatalymadesicc]

Nothing? Not one suggestion?? How many knock sensors are there? Im tryin to locate the plug to track it down but kinda lost... I found 2 other sensor looking things that have some sticker black stuff covering the bolt in the center, one is clean....and the other one is filthy looks like leak of some kind..

[jdurrty]

This sounds like exactly what happened to me when my MAF went out. I replaced a million parts (or so it seemed) and the only way I realized it was my MAF was when I unplugged the MAF by accident and it ran exactly the same way as it did plugged in. So that's what I would recommend trying to diagnose your problem. As for the knock sensor there is a thread on here about relocating the knock sensor to the top of your engine, but I just went to RadioShack and soldered up 660 ohms worth of resistors into the knock sensor plug and called it a day. I would not recommend my method for many reasons, but it saved me a lot of time and money. Good luck

[fourdrinie]

I agree, sounds like your MAF..might be well beyond cleaning...clean it first, if it doesnt get better, replace....
and there are pages here devoted to relocation of the knock sensor that I have done and it seems to work....the problem is finding the right length bolt...you need 100mm length...

[fatalymadesicc]

Yes I have seen the Knock sensor thread thank you... wanna try few other idle irratic troubleshooting before I decide that cause I would try to replace in original position by myself before relocating.... Just hadnt found walk-throughs on that at all yet.....

So I cleaner the MAF & used some fuel system & injector cleaner in it yesturday with a little more than a quarter of a tank a gas. At first it just seemed better but then it started idling perfect in one steady position w/out dieing & it had alot more power. I let it idle by itself for over 30 minutes & that was the first time in over 4 months it idled & stayed running for longer than 2-5 minutes by itself.... Ran it till it was almost empty but before I filled it up it started acting up again just not as bad...... MAF still?? Or objectors or TPS?

I thought I fixed it by cleaning the MAF cause it ran SO GOOD for a quarter of a tank before getting to the last notch on the fuel gauge then it started fouling up again just milder...

EDIT: Just a reminder: I was told when I purchased it just over a year ago that the car sat for 4 or 5 years (straight? i dont know).. But it had about a half tank of gas in the car when I first got it.. Could crap have built up in the fuel tank from old sitting gas like that? SOMETIMES it seems to foul up more often when its getting lower on fuel. But at the same time it happens with full tank of gas 2 so IDK!! I had a fuel pressure test and the guy said it was good..

[J30tChumpCar]

Sitting can make the fuel pump go bad, a fuel pressure check can confirm but it HAS to be screwing up during the fuel pressure test to identify properly, oh low fuel pressure usually will feel boggy or sluggish but idle fine .. OR A bad MAF will drive you absolutely crazy, locate a used one and swap it, there is no faster way to decide... If it aint the maf , resell the one you bought(ebay) to offset your purchase.

As for 34, buy a sensor and pigtail and relocate the thing, or do what I did, wander the u pick junk yards regularly and wait to find a J with a head off (common enough when a t-belt snaps and half a checkout is done)and steal it+ pigtail from that car.

[fatalymadesicc]

Well it back to its messed up self.... Died on me today turning off main road doing 20mph. Isles better but sputters like a hic up but not enough to kill it like before. I had the oil changes about 4 months ago (supposedly) today I done a change myself and only a quart or little less came it.... But I have no oil spots in my driveway. There was evidence of a leak but couldnt tell there from so I cleaned all around the best I could and check in a few days...

[fatalymadesicc]

K, the car has been doing the same thing just idleing a little better. Lastnight driving home as I was giving it gas on residential 25mph street and through the gas peddle I feel the throttle go out like it does when it dies. Except, the car was still running so I try the peddle a few times each time giving it a little more gas then before and ABSOLUTLY no response to the engine at all, NOTHING; Yet the motor was still ruinning and idleing real low. I coasted to the stop sign, just before I stop the CHECK ENGINE light comes on. I tried the throttle agtain I heard a POP from under the hood, I tried the throttle again and it was working but very sluggish and irratic from my throttle porition. I turned the car off to see if the check engine light would go off, it did and ran fine the rest of the way home. Went to the store about a hour later and it done it to me again......

[J30tChumpCar]

Engine light? Great! Go check codes!

The pop was a lean backfire, a bad MAF will do this as will low fuel pressure but from everything you type go fetch a MAF, all the fiddling and fuel injector cleaner in the world will only make you more aggravated until you try a replacement MAF.