I've inspected all my ignition coils... but I dont see any cracks, there are some light scrapes... how hard is it to see the cracks? can they be too small to see with the naked eye?
my coils all ohmed out at 11.2, across the board... and none had any visible cracks - i'm trying to work out the old bucking/stalling/dying issue.
tom

 

If/As they're like cracks on the distr cap, theyre invisble until they grow visible. I bet a layer of good lacquer would not hurt... or a test with wrapping dry cloth around.

How about KS?

 

thanks wiking, i wrapped them in electrical tape, but it didnt help at all.
i've tested all the coils, fuel injectors, maf (replaced), relays (engine and ignition coil) (replaced), TPS, vacuum lines, replaced plugs and fuel filter.

KS is the next step. I know that it can be tested with an ohmmeter at the harness, but I do no know where that is... could someone lead me to the right spot to test it out, I just took the intake manifold off to replace a fuel injector. maybe now twice in 3 days! man, this sucks.

on the side - my other large problem: my autotrans constantly disengages the gear i am travelling in and then re-engages it. it as annoying as you can imagine and possibly more.

oh - and neither problem surfaces until the engine is warm

tom

ps- do you really drive on a lake? that sounds like fun

 

Most probably coils are then ok. KS has a connector, in VE KS is located between cyl banks, try to find its wire, and follow it to the connector. Install a bypass 0.5Mohm resistor for testing (fill with high octane first). The resistance meas might not tell the truth while engine revving...

Tranny prbl could be mech gear linkage wear, or electronics: low voltage at TCU, connector oxidation problem. Check out my web pages to get the idea although the tranny itself is different.

If engine has trouble only after warmup, that points to O2 which then takes over from TPS. TPS is still used by tranny, that could be a problem source... clean or replace. clic on http://www.cardomain.com/memberpage/748507/6

On the Lakes: Summertime its somewhat problematic , its better to do it on full frozen lake, ten inches minimum. Most fun is when 4" snow, speed 60mph or over, swing car to 45%angle and keep going, swing to other side, keep going. Speeding endlessly, bigger than airfields... (btw, thats the only fun here beside taxes. Oh. forgot maxima)

 

Do you have a VE or a VG?

If you have a VE read, on. If you have a VG, I can't help you.

The cracks I had on my center front coil pack were easy to spot, running up and down in a straight line.

My problem was one of the rear coil packs. When I replaced it, all of the bucking/stalling went away. I don't have a tester, so I just replaced all three rears with ones I bought from an .org member that wrecked his car (engine was fine when he crashed). I have those same good coil packs on ebay right now if you are interested. (posted in for sale forum). I also have a spare Cam Position Sensor that I would probably sell, along with a JDM Cam Position Sensor. I have no idea if it works the same or not, but it looks different.

I don't think wrapping coil packs in electrical tape will help a whole lot. I tried it and it didn't stop the bucking problems I was having. It did seem to smooth out my rought idle some, but I replaced the cracked coil pack that I had taped.

Have you replaced your o2 sensor? That is another thing that I recall some people replacing to cure some bucking problems.

If you do a search, there is a very large thread about the bucking/stalling occurance on the VE. There are several different solutions and possible solutions.

 

thanks guys! i have both a VG and a VE, but this is about the VE, the VG has never given me any problems. matt i read that thread a few times, even have it bookmarked! its helped me get this far, but there wasn't much talk about the O2 sensor being the culprit.

I took out the O2 sensor, and... it looks like the top was torn off. it resembles a spark plug top now instead of the split top dome. if i unplug it.... will that allow me to test for the hesitation, the "vuh vuh vuh vuh vuh vroooooom" problem? or will it aggravate it?

the bung hole is all messed up... not sure what to do about that. its too big to rethread as far as i've seen. i have a spare y-pipe from my VG, not sure if it fits though.

as far as the resistor goes, i have never done that, i'll have to learn how. maybe you could tell me if you have the time -
how does you install a bypass resistor? i do this test with the engine warm and running? i'll go locate the connection now... can i buy the resistor at pep boys or some crappy store like that?
tom

ps - yea that picture of the maxima looking longlingly at the lake... wishing, had me cracked up

 

The tranny problem sounds like an easy fix, its definitly you linkage bushings that need to be replaced (they break and fall of the car), there is one at both ends. $5

 

Yeah and the coil packs, regular electrical tape will not do anything. Regular vinyl electrical tape only works up to 600V, rubber electrical tape is higher but still not enough (also its too thick to fit, I've tried). I'm using Kapton tape, which works at 10kV and above and its very thin. I don't know what our coils are rated at, but its at least 20-40kV.

 

Test your MAFS, if you haven't already.

 

i replaced one of the bushings, the easy one under the shifter - the other i can't locate the part # or where it goes, in order to see if it is still there. i think my coil packs are fine... but will look for that tape in case i go back to them as the culprit,
thanks for all the posting and advice everyone, i hope i can resolve this

tom

 

The other one is above the cat convertor heat shield, use ramps, a jack kinda gets in the way. Un screw the heat shield and slide it back, that is the one that fell off on my max. Any nissan dealer should be able to find it, its like twice the size of the one in the front (just so they don't try to sell you the wrong one).

 

no no, thats the easy one... or thought it was. its the one in the front i'm not sure is there or not.
as for the O2 sensor. i'm guessing.... mmm... well... ok ded.

blasted!

 

holy eruption !

 

let me guess.........OEM

 

I'd say with that ugly O2 replacement you are well on your way. That thing is toast!

 

My question is how does an O2 sensor--that just sits in the exhaust stream--get into that kind of condition?

 

- oh boy, nice O twoooo [dont try to repair; buy better one]
- weld some more stuff there, rethread
- coilpacks can be tst sealed with tape, std tape will keep the 15KV in for a tst duration if well taped... as mentioned, dry cloth is better in tst. Buy lacquer and spray to keep them going.
- resistor: take KS connector off, insert resistor into ECU side. I had 1Mohm resistors, just paired to get 0.5Mohm. The resistance value is vague, no need to be exact. clic on: http://www.cardomain.com/memberpage/748507/9

- any electronics shop will have resistors plenty... 5cents apiece, 5 dollars per 1000
- note: t-here has been 'some' heated discussion 'how to destroy' your engine without KS; (the tingie is used in retarding ign in case of knocking eg. premature ignition.) Ruining engine is possible wit KS bypass using low octane gas, --->as with any too advanced ignition setting. Anyways, long ago I took the KS off (immediate response) and have not been using it since. I can only get 95 octane here (BUT: smbdy said some US 91 octane is the same as we have here 95RON, dunno...)
- VE compression rate 9:1 versus VG 8:1 makes this KS bypass issue more acute on VE, but still its basically question of ign timing.

 

age, contaminents (sp?).

 

ok i had to replace to y-pipe with one i had lying around due to its extreme wear.... the new exhaust sensor will go in that.
my last issue, before i go to knock sensor. can anyone describe where exactly, or have a picture of where the second bushing is on the shift linkage, the one closer to the transmission. I couldnt find it in my FSM
tom

 

follow the cable to tranny, the bushing sits right where the loop from the cable connects to the tranny. its a white nylon bushing.

In effect remove the cable from the tranny if there is no bushing, then its gone.


Wiking, on a VE you cannot wrap the coil several times, the gap between the coil and the head is 1/4 inch (or less probably 1/8 inch).

 

...that seems to be pretty tight; then one tape might not be enough to tst high voltage leak as u said.

On caps I've found pretty good the engine plastics lacquer.

 

where can one get kapton tape? I went to schucks, radio shack, and baxter autoparts, none had it or heard of it.....do i need to go to home depot or lowes or something?

 

ebay of course

also search for polyimide (same thing).

 

is it to the right of the green dot, under the cotter pin? damn... its still there if that's it. a solid white plastic bushing.

dont know where to go now... shouldnt touch the linkage adjustment nuts if i recall correctly.

 

would you believe that 02 sensor was working correctly?! the replacement didnt change a thing! i'd stab this car but its made of metal

 

I will not.

The stub u have is not a sensor, but piece of horses burnt appendix... Still it might have some kind resistance towards ECU, and ECU is easily hoaxed.

The signal level (los STUPIDOS!) on that is 0,5V. Oxidized connector and wiring easily creates losses on such long wirey of 1-3volts. So where's the beef for ECU??? Whole car computer enviro sucks... and luckily of those sucks we have got maxima.

http://www.cardomain.com/memberpage/748507/14

 

Yes, to the right of the green dot.

"i'm trying to work out the old bucking/stalling/dying issue." if its crapping out at idle, then you might wanna clean out the IACV. I have a method that I use where the air intake tube running to the IACV, I insert the extension from a can of carb cleaner (or intake maifold cleaner) between the rubber and 90* elbow, then with the car running I spray in the cleaner. works very well. Make sure you spray in the direction of the IACV and not the MAFS. The first time I did this my idle went up over 150-200rpm, over the years the carbon build up is pretty significant, get intake manifold cleaner instead of carb cleaner, carb cleaner can ruin some of the coatings on our aluminum.

edit: also only spary in short bursts otherwise the engine will stall.

 

Now that is good info. Even though both of my cars idle and run good, I will do this as I was trying to find a way of cleaning the IACV w/out removing it.

 

thanks eric, i'll give that a shot. it does die while driving too though, even at a decent rpm. it cuts silently and the needle just glides back down to zero.
wont be for a day or two, i have it at AAMCO right now, letting those guys try to figure out the downshift issue, but they've had it for 2 days and no word. ha! they can't figure it out. makes me feel better about me at the least.
guess i'll have to go to the dealership for that one.
t

 

so you insert the red plastic extension from the can, inside the hose on the bottom side of the metal "U" shaped pipe with 2 90* elbow?
do you remove a hose at all? the hose i think you are referring to starts off at top of TB and turns into metal tube, 90* angle down, then 90* angle left, then rubber tube...tube is least 1/2 to 3/4inch in diameter...is that the right one?

 

Not at the top of the TB, I guess its right after the MAFS, around 1.5" diameter, and turns down to the IACV.

Remove the hose from its elbow, insert the red extension, then partially reconnect (as best you can), then attach the can to the tube

 

ah ok thanks...so that big hose that goes from the intake elbow and dow underneath to the iacv is the one i spray to?...wouldn't the suction going to the upper intake have a reverse affect or does that hose have suction too?

 

yes thats the hose.
when you are idling, the throttle plate is closed, air is taken in through the IACV (air is also taken in through the PCV) and there is a strong vacuum.

 

Now thats the easiest IACV clean operation I've heard so far. Makes life too easy...

gREAT TRick!

 

haha! 1 week at AAMCO now, they are still clueless. got one guy on it with 40 years of trans. experience and he's gettin nowhere fast.