ok ive got a 92 se auto (ve30)max(kinda a project but stock+and real clean) and it has the stupid low power when really warmed up(temp gauge in middle) .but not since its been real cold out.,and it really only does it after going up hill or like getting on freeway(more in summer) after@ 30-40minutes of driving and if i pull over and shut off for like 5 minutes itll be fine for a good while agian ,on one real hot day this summer i pulled over in the shade popped the hood and saw the tube from the egr to the exh manifold glowing red hot at the manifold end ?but its always smooth and quiet and no vtc ticks +EVERYTHING ELSE SEEMS GOOD(my guess'es range from)
1.i re used upper+lower intake manifold gaskets w\a lil goop(but it never runs rough or hesitates just low power sometimes otherwise like a new car
2.hopefully not knock $ensor(cause id prob finally get new intake gaskets and would nt know what fixed what 300 later)
3.ive noticed when i work the throttle by hand , my egr diaphram sometimes
lifts and falls or lifts late or not at all can any one tell me how it should act?
after i wrote all this i realized i should compare this egr action to my 91 vg\5
but ill post it any way for others with this wierd problem

 

The egr valve should move everytime you feather the throttle iirc...I would remove/clean the egr with carb cleaner,also check the egr tube for soot buildup,it may be clogged up...

I don't think your low power issue is due to the egr though,it sounds like a bad knock sensor to me..

 

3.ive noticed when i work the throttle by hand , my egr diaphram sometimes
lifts and falls or lifts late or not at all can any one tell me how it should act?
after i wrote all this i realized i should compare this egr action to my 91 vg\5
but ill post it any way for others with this wierd problem[/QUOTE]qoute

it looks like my egr is ok on both my cars
if you give it part to like half throttle the egr diaphram lifts and falls
if i give it like full throttle it doesnt move or move much
so after all i guess this is normal???

i think ill pull it and check the metal tube and valve out and clean em
and next i might try the intake gaskets $$
i cant afford a knock sensor right now

 

If the exhaust manifold is running that hot, I would check out the O2 sensor. This sounds like the mix is too rich.

 

that was once on like a 97 degree day and it was acting up but i wanted to make it home and i only noticed cause i parked in the shade to cool it which is why i was thinking egr then i thought the valve movement was funny but guess not

 

Lol, because you can't afford a knock sensor then it must not be the problem? It sounds exactly like the KS to me. Use the resistor trick if you want.

 

If you have a problem with the EGR valve sticking or what not, then it will act as a huge vacuum leak. If the valve is bad, you would have a bad idle in neutral and in drive. It would give you a rich mix but you would notice it in all conditions. Does the car tend to want to stall ever?

 

[QUOTE= Does the car tend to want to stall ever?[/QUOTE]

not at all and since its colder outside its been driving fine

 

. Use the resistor trick if you want.[/QUOTE]

ill have to search that
can you sum up how this resistor trick is installed?please

 

I have the ol resistor trick going right now. You basicly just unplug the knock sensor plug and stick a couple of resistors in there I don't remember exactly what rating it was I'm sure someone else could tell you. Just be carefull to listen for knocking on warmer days, of course we won't be having any of those for a while here in washington. To make it easier to regulate you can also hook a switch up to it in case it starts knocking so that you dont have to get out of the car to take them out.

 

It does sound like a bad knock sensor. When those go bad, your low end power really BLOWS. The ECU drastically retards the timing when it senses a faulty KS.

I would first check your ECU codes. Make sure you are getting code 55 (which means things are good).

After that, you can go to Radio Shack and buy a 470K ohm resistor. You only need one. Unplug your KS subharness connector. Plug the resistor in the female end of the connector. Fold the ends of the resistor so it fits tight. Now both sides of the resistor will be plugged into seperate holes of the connector. Leave the subharness connector unplugged.

Now your ECU sees the correct voltage due to you having the resistor in there. The KS is no longer doing anything.

Drive your car around and roll the windows up, turn the radio down and listen carefully for any pinging! If you hear any kind of slight rattling going on, instantly let off the throttle! Detonation will blow a motor faster than anything else! If you do not know what detonation sounds like, you do NOT need to be trying this resistor trick!

Now, if your car is faster and your problem is cured with the resistor, then you definitely have a faulty KS. Knock sensors are VERY common to go bad in Maximas over 100K miles. If it goes bad enough, it will give you a code in the ECU when you run them. But just b/c you don't get a KS code, doesn't mean it's not bad!

Disclaimer: Don't come whining at me when you blow your motor b/c of this resistor KS bypass! You better know what you are doing before you do this.

 

somedays the EGR works sometimes it just sits idle how can i fix the damn thing?

 

I am not sure of your problem. If the EGR doesn't open when you rev the motor, then it is sticking. Try cleaning it. If that doesn't work, I'll sell you a known working EGR valve in great condition for $20 plus shipping.

 

ya its sticking.. so i just remove the screws/tubes holding it on and spray it?

 

Yeah. I'd remove it and hose it down with brake cleaner. But it's probably rusted up. If it gunked up, then the brake cleaner will solve that problem right away. Don't spray it in the vacuum port of the EGR valve. If it's siezed, then that tiny metal shaft might be rusted or gunked up. Hit it with a wire brush and see if that helps.

But before you remove it from your car, with the motor off, try pushing up on the diaphram with your thumb. You should be able to move it with a little force. It won't be that easy to move. If you move it, then crank the car back up and see if it's still sticking when you blip the throttle up to 4K rpm.

If it's still sticking, then use brake cleaner on that thing and see if it helps.

If not, shoot me an email and send money via Paypal and your part will be shipped via 2 day USPS Priority Mail either the same day or day after I receive payment.

Or if you're fed up with EGR problems, just block it off and remove the EGR all together if emissions aren't a problem. I can send you ALL the parts you need.

 

the cheapest way will be the way im selling it to a friend what i really need is a transmission shift cable atm since mine has a inch of slack

 

I'm a little late to wade into this discussion, but I had the same problems you are experiencing. I thought it was EGR, KS, and all - in the end it was the O2 sensor that was pooched.

There is a simple test to see if it's the sensor - if you can find a place where you get the sluggishness to happen everytime (like a climb up a hill) - unplug the O2 sensor and try it again. If you can't get it to happen again, it's the o2 sensor...

m

 

I'm pretty sure that EGR valve is electronically controlled. So it won't move while revving the motor when its cold. Right?

 

is there a "resistor trick" that works on my single cam? my knock sensor only has one wire, and it looks like your trick includes a 2 prong plug. ive got sluggish! new timing belt, plugs, coil, wires. egr clean and working as is iacv. ive got a miss on #6 that wont go away too.

 

The miss on #6 is most likely a bad injector...

 

my manual doenst show a test for injectors. i had some fuel in that cylinder when i ran a compression test without pulling the fuel pump fuse. when they quit, do they just get a bad pattern, work intermittantly or quit all together?

and for us 3rd gen folks, i worked on a friend's 4th gen with alot less miles on it than mine a few weeks ago. her egr, intake and throttle were dirty and cleaned! mine last week were very clean and flowing good. it gave me a nice little boost and made me love my car even more.

 

injectors are tested by measuring the resistance between the 2 terminals

 

***UPDATE*** i ve figured its not egr related for some time now
and am currently trying the knock sensor bypass resistor for the win...
for the now...ive got a pack of 470 k ohm resistors from radio shagg
(1\2 watt 5% tolerance?)what ever this means?i was told the gold band
goes at the end of the current flow?
so far its running fine im running 15-16 on timing and 92 octane and in
my 1st tankful i added octane boost i dont hear obvious "knocking"
like the kind i hear when people lug a stick shift and it goes clank clank clank
but sometimes when my ve auto kicks down i hear a quik lite rattlesnake sound like a flutter is this knocking?also in the years ive been reading on this board ive never heard any body with bad piston rings or knock related breakdowns and lets not forget this is my 500. car

 

I done the resistor bypass over 100,000 miles ago with no sign of problems yet.. I ALWAYS USE PREMIUM FUEL!!! ....I am quite certain this is the only reason i haven't had major problems from the resistor bypass..

I still do not recommend anyone do this to their car..

 

and you are running the stock timing too.

 

Advanced to 17...

 

 

It's been advanced since 2003/190,000 miles,and you also rode in it/seen how it drove?

 

I thought that pinging was pebbles hitting the car

 

 

I just call em as I hear em.

 

You heard teh vtc's clackin yO..

 

that's why it got louder when you lugged teh motor?

 

Internetautomart

 

mygreenmax

 

so you guys think my lite rattlesnake like flutter at downshift is
knocky or no knocky? its not real loud and doesnt always do it so...

also i WILL be sure to get a new knock sensor someday this by pass is temp.
and i need to put 2-3 hundy in my vg-5 before i roll that more

and what causes knock its not like im bypassing a knock preventer
and what does knock do?hurt piston rings?break valves?sound crappy?

 

you ARE bypassing a knock preventer,the knock sensor "listens" for detonation[knock] then relays this info to the ecu,the ecu will retard the timing to stop detonation...

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Engine_knocking

 

i know how it works i just mean a knock sensor does not keep knock from happening it just responds to it i wonder why my motor would be knocking
if it even is

 

It's probably not detonation you are hearing...

Does it only happen when driving,or can this noise be heard at when the car is not in motion?