I'm starting this section as a Do-It-Yourself (DIY) "stuck" Section for repair/diagnostic/upgrade work That can be done to J30's. So please post your directions with or without pics.

I would like to quickly give some "thank you's" out to the following regular contributors on this forum for making this section what it is. Thank you for offering up your technical advice, being level-headed, showing newbies around and welcoming newbies into our J30 family. If I missed you, don't feel bad. Like P. Diddy says in all those award speechs "Don't blame my heart, blame my mind."

Thank you (in no particular order):

gr8scott7295-J30ttelanyodawill2000Defiantelwessoq45techcarlosknowlogy (www.fuzzycats.com)VimyJNismoChiDominickJ30

All right now lets post up some J30 DIY articles (I may edit your threads for readability, searchability, spelling or grammer).

I'll post the first DIY article (courtesy of gr8scott72)

Changing the fuel filter

Fuel filter is located on the passenger side of the engine inbetween the engine and the shock tower.

Steps:1. Unscrew the clamp that hold the filter in place.2. Unscrew the two hose clamps, one on each end of the filter.3. Remove hose from both ends of filter.4. Installation is opposite of removal. Make sure filter is oriented the right way when installing.

To change the fuel filter, the fuel pressure should be released first. I would include those steps before actually removing the pump for safety reasons and to prevent an avoidable mess.

Releasing fuel pressure:1. remove the fuel pump fuse, located under the hood towards the front of the car on the passenger side - the fuses were labeled.2. start the car and let it run until it stalls.3. Turn the engine off.4. clamp the line coming from the gas tank / fuel pump (when I replaced mine I still had fuel running out the line and it was easy enough to just clamp the line.)

fuel filter Steps (from above):1. Unscrew the clamp that hold the filter in place.2. Unscrew the two hose clamps, one on each end of the filter.3. Remove hose from both ends of filter.4. Installation is opposite of removal. Make sure filter is oriented the right way when installing.

final couple steps:1. remove extra clamp from fuel line (if used in the begining to prevent run off as I did)2. Replace fuel pump fuse

That's all I can think of

Modified by puck at 2:59 PM 6/10/2007
Modified by puck at 3:00 PM 6/10/2007

Maybe vent the gas cap as well if you dont clamp the fuel line.Good point Puck.
Modified by yodawill2000 at 9:02 AM 6/10/2007

I have a 1994 Infinity and the brake lights will not shut off.. need help

Just bought a 1997 J30. Looking for information on how to tune it up. Have never changed the coil-over type plugs. Also need to know the gap for the plugs. Also looking for how-to info for setting the timing. Used to do it years ago on a VW beetle by turning the distributor. How do you retard and advance the timing on these things? THANKS-Anybody that can help or steer me somewhere.TC/Mechanicsville, VA

mechanicsvillej30 there is nothing special about changing the coil over plugs. Here is the sequence

- Disconnect the wiring from the coil - unscrew the coil - pull it out gently - unscrew the plug, you will need a wrench with a long extension to reach the plugs. - put everything back in the opposite order.

you do not need to know the gap as you never adjust it given you use recommended NGK Double Platinum which is stock and they pretty last their life of 60kmiles. The use of others is not recommended as people report problems. Though I was using Denso Iridium in mine - they were working OK. NGK DP are about 18 CDN retail in Canada and 12USD in the US per piece.

Thanks!TC

I have been using bosch platinium 4s, in my j30 for about 6 months now. they seem to do just fine.

If you ever need a write up of how to replace the alternator, in a j30 i could do that, i have had mine in and out probably 5 times. The first time was hard but, now i can do it rather quickly.

Also a high preasure power steering hose is a common problem, yet somewhat difficult to remove and reinstall. yet it is possible to do with little or no tools.

The real thing about the j30s is they alway leave just enough room to do things on the j30. you may have to wiggle the part in, and turn in around 20 times before you find the perfect combination of angles. but there is a way.

Here is a How to on the drivers door control panel Bulbs http://home.cfl.rr.com/dandgsystems/J30.htm

And the Passenger door bulbs are basically the same Just turn the switch overand remove the bulb holder with a pair of tweezers, it is replaced similar tothe instructions above just a longer post.

Here is a how to for the bulbs in the heated seat switches http://home.cfl.rr.com/dandgsy...t.htm

hey do you think you can send me a copy the fuse box diagram?...the one below the steering wheel

j3097inf wrote:hey do you think you can send me a copy the fuse box diagram?...the one below the steering wheel

YHEM

Hi Puck,

Thanks for the posting the instruction on how to replace the fuel filter. I tried replacing my old fuel filter (1997 Nissan Sentra) but could not remove the old fuel filter from the tubes that attach to it. Do you have any idea on what i should do? My friend suggested that I cut the tube and replace it with a new one. What do you think? Any help is greatly appreciated. Thankss!!

Those lines were next to impossible to pull off. I think I did eventually pull one off. I decided it wasn't worth the effort on the opposite side so I used a razor to put a slit in the side of the line. That loosened the line enough to easily pull the filter out. I just cut off the part of the line I put the slit in. There was plenty of extra line on each side to do this on my J30. I can't speak for a Sentra, however.

umm, changing your parking lights. I made powerpoint on how to do it, but I dont know how to upload it onto NICO

Headlight relay repair.

Just purchased 1996 J30 (great condition, low mileage). entire passenger ligths were out. Did some research, told me the headlight relay was probably dead. Looked for relay for approx. 45 minutes, it is not in the relay/fuse compartment on the passenger side inside the engine compartment. It is located inside the drivesr side engine compartment by the firewall, secured by 1 11mm screw. Once I found it, it took only about 5 minutes to get it out, very tight fit. It has 2 locked plugs, which can easily be removed with a slotted screwdriver. Once you have the relay out, gently remove the bottom cover, I had to break some of the lip to get it separated. The bottom then slides out and you have a small circuit board with 4 relays on it. Resolder all relay connection (mine had one bad connection on the main RH light relay). I plugged the relay back in and tried all the lightsm before I put the circuit board back into the top, snap the bottom back, then seal the bttom with any waterproof seal. Getting the relay back into postion was a little harder, since the wires are about 2 inches to short to make re install easy, but it can be done. Be sure, the 2 plugs snap securely into place and re mount the relay.Good luck!

This is an easy maintainence job which can be performed alone or with a buddy to keep you company.

Difficultly level is comparable to an oil change.

Time is 30 minutes to 2 hours depending on skill level and if you chose to waste time being angry.

Have all items ready before starting.

TOOLS:

Eye Protection & Gloves are a good idea4" C-clamp (6" is ok also)Jack (& Stands if you gott'em)Wheel Blocks (Brick works ok)Lug-Wrench14mm sockethammer or malet may come in handyBungy Cord

PARTS:Brake Pads ($25-$35 aftermarket)Some Brake Lube (not a live or die item, but a good idea $3)Maybe brake fluid ($3)

STEPS:1:Make sure you're on a level surface

2:Block the rear wheels

3:Remove center caps from wheels

4:Before jacking up, break the lug nuts loose using a star pattern (start with any one, then go to the next one in order as if you're drawing a star)

5:Properly place jack and raise car. (If you have them place stands now, if not, once you remove the tire, place it under car, without removing jack, as a emergency catcher)

6:Completely remove lug nuts and wheel

7:Inspect and remember how this looks for replacement later. There should be a large "device" at 2 O'clock on the rotor, this is your caliper and your pads are held by this assembly.

8: Find and remove the two 14mm bolts which are accessed on the back of the caliper. You'll know you have the right ones because of their size and they should have a rubber boot connected to them. When you do the top bolt, there is a hose, attached, LEAVE IT ATTACHED, just move it gently out of your way. Once bolts are out, leave caliper for now. (Bolt removal may require a few taps with the hammer to your ratchet, to break them free)

9:Wrap the bungy cord around the springs on shocks, leave some slack, you'll use this to help hold the caliper for you while you work

10:Now remove caliper. If the caliper doesn't remove easily, tap it LIGHTLY with the hammer and then remove it.

11:Hook the bungy threw the bolt holes on calipers.

12: Open hood and loosen brake fluid lid. You will have some brake fluid over flow when you compress the pistons, this is normal. Remember to re-tighten lid before using brakes.

13:On the caliper, you'll see 2 pistons. Using the C-clamp, do one piston at a time. Place the stationary end of the C-clamp on the back of the caliper and the moving end on the end of the piston. Now compress the piston (tighten C-clamp) until it stops completely. The reason you do this is because the piston has self adjusted to compensate for the worn out pads, the new pads will be thicker and unless you re-compress the pistons, you'll never get the assembly back together.

14: Now wiggle the pads free and place them on the ground in a way which gives you a clue as to how and where they came off from. When you wiggle them free, just use common sense to not damage anything. You'll kinda tilt the outside pad and bring it out, the back pads seems to come almost straight out. remember the angles that get them out so you can reverse that to re-install the new pads.

15:Blow away any pieces of crud and excessive dust

16: Follow lube instruction if you're using it.

***DO NOT LUBE THE PAD ITSELF OR THE ROTOR!!! Brakes require friction to works--of course--and lube reduces friction.***

17: Replace pads, the back pad has the clip/tit/nipple thing but you already know that because you remembered how they came out

18: Replace caliper. If caliper doesn't go on fairly easy, something is wrong, most likely the pistons need compressed further. Once caliper is in place, bolts should thread easily and be tightened tightly, but not stripped.

19: re tighten brake fluid lid

20: Without getting in the car, open the door, turn it on, press brake peddle with your hand to do a preliminary test before replacing wheels. Pump it a few times, once it has full pressure you may notice that the peddle doesn't go down as far = thicker pads require less travel.

21: Put the wheels back on, then using the star pattern -- hand tighten the lug nuts as tight as your hand will do. You will need to wiggle the wheel a little to get it snug as you go. Once the wheel can't wiggle anymore and the lugs are very hand tight. Slowly lower the car. Once it's on the ground finish tightening the lugs with your lug wrench. Leave center caps OFF.

22:Carefully/slowly drive and test brakes. If they fail you will calmly USE YOUR E-BRAKE peddle to stop -- just as you would if your brakes failed any other time.

23: re-check the lug nuts to make sure they're all tight and replace center cap

24:Put away all your tools in order and clean up any mess. (Make this a habit )

25:Pat yourself on the back, this is when you have your beer.

Consider a few things...

Are the old pads you took off NISSAN brand? If so, this may indicate the previous owner preferred factory service and/or parts. GOOD

Did you notice how the rotor shifted in place once you stared taking this apart? Well, only 2 more bolts -- located on the back side of brake assembly and it FALLS off in your hands. Not to hard to replace rotors now that you've been in there.
Modified by Listof7 at 9:24 PM 2/9/2008

Some nice informative write up guys. I'm very impressed. Keep em coming.

naladude911, do you just have a simple write up regarding changing parking lights? Let me know and I'll fire you off an email.

The J30 has two PCV valves. One is located on each side of the intake manifold, located about halfway back, and screws directly into the plenum.

This is a simple job that requires a little muscle. You will need a 19mm deep socket, a 4" extender, a socket wrench, a large blade flathead screwdriver, and two PCV valves. An optional tool is a 45-degree needle nose pliers for the hose clamps.

Three basic problems are that the PCV valves tend to stick fast in the plenum and take some muscle to break loose; the flexible PCV house at the rear ends of the valves are short and hard to get on and off; and the PCV valve on the drivers side cannot be removed without freeing the adjacent wiring harness from the three clips that hold it in place.

Important things to remember before finishing the job:1) Reconnect the ground cable on the drivers side,2) Reconnect the wiring harness clips on the drivers side.

Loosen the hose clamp behind the valve and slide back.Inspect hose for dryrot.Use the side of the flathead blade to slide the hose off the valve. Unscrew the valve, trying to get the wrench action behind the trailing edge of the manifold. On the passenger side, mind that you don't bang the lines in that area.Replace the PCV valve.Reattach the hose and reseat the clamp.Proceed to the other side and repeat.

Note that the thread body will not screw all the way into the plenum, and should not be forced.

Note that nothing should ever be screwed into or unscrewed from a hot piece of metal.

im trying to figure out how to replace the alternator V belt, but i cant figure out how to, any help or advice appreciated.

Belt Replacement:

I will try and explain as best I can since I just did this a week ago.

You will have to start by removing the intake tubing, and the two radiator hoses. This will open up the top of the engine and allow you to work.

There are three belts on the car, and of course the one you want to replace is the hardest to get to. You will need to loosen up and remove all the belts. The compressor belt has a tension pully on it. You will need to loosen the nut on the face of that pully, then loosen the bolt pointing down, and that will loosen the compressor belt.

The power steering belt will be removed by loosening the pump itself. In similar fasion, there is a bolt on the lower side of the pump that will need to be loosened. There is a nut on the back side that locks the tension bolt that will need to be loosened, then loosen the tension bolt. You may have to loosen a bolt on the top side of the pump to get it to swivle.

Next you will do the same to the alternator. Loosen the nut on the back side of the tension bolt, then loosen the bolt. I also had to loosen a mounting bolt above the alternator to get it to swivle as well. Once you have the alternator belt loose, you can remove the fan by removing the four bolts on the face. I just was able to get it out the top and out of the way. I don't know if there is an easier way or not, but be very carefull when doing so as not to damage some wires or the timing belt housing. You might even consider loosening the alternator belt first so that you can get the fan out of the way as one of the first steps.

Replace the belts. Would be a good idea to inspect the other ones too since you will have them off. They're not that expensive. Reassemble in reverse order. Just be sure that the alternator belt is the last one you tighten since you will have to replace the fan. It took me about 2 hours to complete the job, but I went into it blindly since I just bought the car.

I found this link in another post and found much of it useful. Just thought I would share. Lots of DIY stuff and diagrams.

http://www.fuzzycats.com/j30.htm

thanks for the work and help you are given us

that answers a lot of my questions

thanks glad i found this section

looking for any tips on ease of extraction for the o2 sensor on a 94. why couldnt nissan have put it on the passenger side exhaust, there is so much more room on that side.

mad1sdaddy wrote:looking for any tips on ease of extraction for the o2 sensor on a 94. why couldnt nissan have put it on the passenger side exhaust, there is so much more room on that side.

There is one on the passenger side

Soak the threads with PB Blaster for a couple of hours + invest 10 bucks on a O2 sensor socket, I did them a while back so I do not recall the exact procedure.SEARCH it is posted here somewhere.

thanks a lot for all the info, replacing that belt is a b***h, but it should be a lot easier now that i have somewhat of an idea of what im doing.

I have 2 questons:

1) Does anyone know how to disconnect the alarm system or bypass the system?

2) My J-30 1995 cranks but dosn't start. The Sparks are good, and fuel pressure is good also. Where can I go from here. I think it might have something to due with the alarm . I get no siren or horn on the security system.

Try replacing the fuses, and check the coils, water in the distibutor, etc.

thanks so much guys