cardana24

iTrader: (81)

Well I passed inspection this morning in my 92 SE. I was on my way to get some breakfast and when I was accelerating up an on ramp the car hesitated really bad and several times. It was like I had complete loss of power (engine power not electrical power) for a second then it would go find, then it would loose power, then it would go fine. It did this 3-4 times. I made it to the place where I got breakfast, then drove another 10 miles to work and it never did it again. Any ideas on what would cause this? It would have been very dangerous if someone would have been behind me during the hesitation because the car fell on its face. What would this point to? I did some reading in the other guys thread that was having similar problems and I will check my coils for cracks, though I think if they were the problem it would not have gone away. What about the cam sensor? When I did my engine swap I used the cam sensor that was on my US engine and put it on my JDM engine, but I did not calibrate anything, I just took it off and put it on the new eingine. Does this sensor need to be calibrated?

I have not really noticed any symptoms of anything going wrong with the car at this point, but I also have only driven it less than 150 miles. When I cold start it in the morning the rpm's go up 2k and then fluctuate between 1800 and 2000, and then stabalize. Once the car is warm it idles very smooth. As for mods I really don't have anything too crazy. I have a CAI, and NWP spacers, so TB coolant is bypassed and the EGR is blocked off, and a Y-pipe. As I have stated before I am still in the break in period of my clutch so I really don't rev it over 3.5k but the car feels sluggish compared to my 4th gens....is this a common feeling of VE owners?

Greeny

iTrader: (43)

nice work..

Greeny

iTrader: (43)

moved

internetautomar

iTrader: (30)

have you pulled codes?
see if you can get someone with a snapon scanner to help you pull the sensor data to see if there is a sensor reading wrong.
is the KS good?
how do the coils look?

Greeny

iTrader: (43)

+1 sounds like a bad coil/s

cardana24

iTrader: (81)

The KS is a new nissan sensor, but I don't think that would cause full power loss even if it is bad. I know in fourth gens it will pull timing, but it will not cause a full power loss. I don't know anyone with a snap on scanner, and I am not at the point where I feel like paying a shop to scan it. I have not looked at the coils but I will do that.

PMAX08

sounds likes coils to me as well, i had the same issues, intermittent to, drove me crazy, i bought a good used set from a wrecker for 50 or 60 bucks, i still have 6, let me know if you need some, i can test mine and see which ones are good to go

cardana24

iTrader: (81)

Sure let me know which ones are good. Also what method do you use to test the coils?

PMAX08

ill use a ohm reader to test them i believe they she read around 11 ohms, i could be wrong tho, im sure one of the big dogs will chime in soon with a correction tho

Greeny

iTrader: (43)

They should start around the 1 ohm mark, they steadily move up to around 1.5/2 ohms as you hold the ohm meter poles to them.

cardana24

iTrader: (81)

If they are bad what will they read? I assume you test them with the ignition switched on but not running?

Greeny

iTrader: (43)

Doesn't matter about the ignition switch, you test across the male coil poles, so you have to unplug the coil harness to access the poles..

internetautomar

iTrader: (30)

the VE has no bottom end power when the KS is bad, whereas the 4th gen has no top end power. The KS doesn't affect the 4th gen much because it's just not as advanced a motor.

cardana24

iTrader: (81)

would a failing knock sensor show up as a CEL? Because my light is not on, and it does work. I know if the fourth gen it's usually a ghost code.

internetautomar

iTrader: (30)

CEL on a 3rd gen
you can be running on 3 cylinders in a third gen and you won't get a CEL (been there, done that)

cardana24

iTrader: (81)

Didn't know that. So will the codes show up at all if scanned? Or are you saying it will not even store a code if something is wrong?

internetautomar

iTrader: (30)

if scanned you may see a code as they are stored for something like 1000 ignition cycles.
You can try to pull it using the method mentioned in the stickies, but no guarantees.

Greeny

iTrader: (43)

My bad(cracked all to shiet) k/s stored a ghost code...

user 61971208

I just came across your dilemma. Check out the great writeup in 5th gen forum on testing ignition coils. I think it's a couple years old, but the best I've seen. Definitely a coil issue though from my experience the last couple weeks. I got rid of that "stumbling" issue when driving, now have just an intermittent misfire when: engine warm, stopped, in gear. A different coil... I think.
Post back results when fixed. That's what is lacking in the majority of threads------resolution! It would really help everyone from reinventing the wheel.

cardana24

iTrader: (81)

Thanks for suggesting that, I am working on some other stuff right now, so I will check into that when this other stuff is wrapped up.

Also I check all three front ignition coils the other night for cracks and none of them are cracked.

maximaman1313

Maybe also fuel filter? ignition coils like the others said are a good place to look

also the coils can have a very fine hair thin crack and cause the problem.

92maxima92

I had the exact same problem with my car. It ended up being the ignition coils. I got a used set of this site and car runs like a beauty. I would say look for cracks in the front ones.

cardana24

iTrader: (81)

I checked my front coils the other night and I did not see any cracks in them.

I had this hesitation once more about 2 days ago. This time when it happened I let off the gas then pushed it again and it did not do it multiple times like before when I kept my foot on the gas. Don't know if this is just by chance or something else.

cardana24

iTrader: (81)

I am still having this problem, and I have not done anything to try to fix it yet. I looked for VE coils at the junkyard this weekend, but there was only one VE maxima in both junk yards and the engine was already gone. None of my coils are cracked so I need to check them. This problem only seems to show up every once in a while under load. I pulled out in traffic yesterday and it started doing it, it was very dangerous, someone almost rear ended me. Are you guys still thinking this is my coils? Anyone have some coils to sell?

internetautomar

iTrader: (30)

your symptoms are consistent with bad coils. which you were told back in january.

cardana24

iTrader: (81)

I am aware of that, and I was just posting this saying that I am still having the probem and I am having trouble finding used coils.

Greeny

iTrader: (43)

+1 It's getting harder and harder to find good used coils for these cars, it might be best if you just sprung for a new set of front coils, as these are the ones that usually fail due to heat damage from being directly inside the valve covers, vs. the rears being outside of the v/c..

Advanced auto parts has the fronts for $63 with a 1 year warranty..

cardana24

iTrader: (81)

true....but I am getting married in less than two weeks. I don't have ~200 extra right now.

James92SE

iTrader: (31)

First of all how in the world did you pass inspection with the EGR blocked off?

cardana24

iTrader: (81)

I guess they did not look for that, and the CEL is not on....so that's how.

James92SE

iTrader: (31)

Oh, you must not have to do emissions testing. My car fails emissions every single year and it's always a big hassle to get it to pass

cardana24

iTrader: (81)

yeah, we only have visual emissions, we do not get the sniffer in the tail pipe. If we have a main cat, and the CEL is not on you should pass.

cardana24

iTrader: (81)

Okay I have finally be able to get some new front coils (I have not put them in yet, but I will tonight). I just wanted to give a little update before I do. Last night the car actually stalled for the first time while having the hesitation. It is becoming more regular, like every time I drive the car now. I pulled my front coils again last night to see that two of them do in fact have small cracks now. I saw in the FSM it says that it gives a ohm reading of ~.8. Well I check all of mine, including the cracked ones and they all had the same ohm reading of .9. Is there a way of testing the coils with a test meter that will point to a bad coil? I don't just want to trash a coil with out knowing if it is bad or not. I will look for the write up in the 5th gen section too that was mentioned in this thread.

Greeny

iTrader: (43)

The VE coils almost always fail under load(acceleration), yet will test fine out of the car..So no, their isn't any good way to test the coils..The cracked coils are usually the culprits of the missing/stumbling issue..

cardana24

iTrader: (81)

well hopefully I have enough coils to make a decent set. Is there any truth to the RTV trick working or is that just snake oil? Does anyone have proof that this has actually cured a screwed up coil?

Greeny

iTrader: (43)

I've got it to work for quite a few, in most cases though it's not a permanent fix..Or maybe it's that the coil is failing internally, not sure which one..