p1320, pd1320 OBD code and identify bad coil in minutes
07-09-2014, 11:26 AM
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p1320, pd1320 OBD code and identify bad coil in minutes
Note this is for people who are getting p1320 only, no secondary code 0301, 0302, 0303, 0304, 0305, 0306 that accompany the p1320. If you also have 03xx codes, ecm already pinpoint the bad coil for you. And you most likely will have a rough running engine to go with these 03xx codes. The method outlined below is for people with a smooth running engine that throws a p1320 code that just won’t go away:
This is the gist of my method, here it is spelled out for people don’t want to read all the way to the end to find out how I come to this:
Reset / erase the p1320 code, and verify that your check engine light is off.
Drive around until your check engine light comes on,
Right away while engine is still HOT, you should not be able to touch engine without latex glove, leave the engine idling and back probe the signal wire of each coil to see if any of them is greater than .2volt. These are the bad coils that cause p1320 code to come on.
This is the story on how I got this method:
I got a 99 i30 with 130k. My brother got a 97 maxima with 330k. he is getting ready to do the early vehicle retirement and get $1k for it. I can take any parts off the 97 max as long as we can drive it to the junk yard. This is perfect timing because I got the biannual inspection coming up in a few month. And I got this nagging p 1320 code that will not go away.
the i30 has being giving me p1320 for about 2months. as I receive the maxima, I was getting a p0301, however, no p1320 code, as I drive around I don't feel much stumble. after maybe 1 to 1 hrs of driving the 0301 will come on and I start to get some rough idle and misses. right away I swapped all the coils with 97 max. however, i30 still gives me p1320 in less than 10min of driving. but I get no light from maxima. then after read tons of posts on this site, I swapped the cps right by the crank, then the capacitor, then the cps near flywheel, then the cam sensor. nothing works. each time I swap, I reset code, the p1320 code comes on in less than 10min of driving. and the max does not give me light what so ever. both car are smooth and max give me hesitation occasionally after 1 hr driving.
i30 is not giving me the p0301 with max coil. I swapped all the coils back. then the max gives me the 0301. but no p1320 code. this was pretty much driving me crazy. for 5 days straight, I got up at 3-4am and trouble shoot this. and I am even writing a journal to track changes and I read on this site that the 99 coils goes back quicker. but after working on these two cars, I am thinking that 99 ecm is probably calibrated differently than the 97. since the same coil in 97 will give a 0301 code and a miss. but in the 99 i30 will just give p1320 but i30 runs perfect.
then I ran across this on harness breakage:
http://www.lyberty.com/car/Maxima_A3...NTB98-008b.pdf
http://www.scribd.com/doc/60291413/95-99-Nissan-Maxima-Wire-Harness-Breakage
I grab the harness where it is shown in the pic and give it some hard wiggle, just arm strength, didn't put my body weight into it. then I got some rough idle and miss on the 99 i30 right away. checked the code and saw 1320 and 0304. I swapped coil 2 and 4, and still get the 0304 code. I figure the wiggle has broken some wire in the harness. at first I got worried, never tear into a harness before. and looking at the color charts. I can't tell what exactly the color code means. but as I start to open up the harness, I see the problem. The site above said the problem wire will be on outside of wire bundle. In my case, I can see the color of signal wire leaving the coil 4 connector is gray. I just look for the wire with same color in the harness. and I see it as I peel away the corrugated tubing, and I actually see tape residue on this gray wire. The insulation tape has glued this wire to the harness. the wire is not free to slide inside the harness. it must have strained the wire. because after I cut away enough tape. I see the gray wire actually broke in half. I repaired the wire. and right away the roughness and code 0304 is gone. but 1320 comes back in 10min.
I was almost going to give up and call it quit.
I started to measure the resistance of coil. both of them are done at about 40 deg F see below, Coils for both cars are original factory coils.
I30:
#1 #2 #3 #4 #5 #6
+1,-2 1.41 1.45 1.49 1.45 1.5 1.6
+1,-3 2.5M 2.51M 2.53M 2.5M 2.5M 2.4M
-1,+2 1.4 1.48 1.5 1.45 1.5 1.6
-1,+3 I I I I I I
-2,+3 I I I I I I
+2,-3 2.5M 2.57M 2.5M 2.5M 2.5M 2.4M
maxima:
#1 #2 #3 #4 #5 #6
+1,-2 1.47 1.67 1.44 1.51 1.53 1.3
+1,-3 2.51M 2.42M 2.51M 2.46M 2.49M 2.5M
-1,+2 1.48 1.67 1.44 1.51 1.54 1.3
-1,+3 I I I I I I
-2,+3 I I I I I I
+2,-3 2.51M 2.42M 2.51M 2.46M 2.48M 2.5M
it is not obvious which one is bad. I swapped out 1.6Mohm. 1320 comes back. Then I tried to go for similar resistance. meaning all coils about 1.5Mohm. still 1320 comes back.
I thought maybe the engine movement causes the harness to misbehave, so I step the brake and give it gas in both drive and reverse. this does not cause the engine light to come on.
I tried to back probe each of the signal connector on coil, they are all less than .2volt. I did this with cold engine. a few days later. I notice I can drive further without the p1302 coming on if I don't make frequent stops-, ie get on freeway as soon as I start driving with cold engine. then it occurs to me that it is the heat from the engine that triggered it. When I measure coils for resistance, they are all done cold. and I did the connector back probe measurement with the engine just fired up. I clearly remember I wanted to do back probe measurement with engine cold so i don't burn my hands. then I decided to turn the check eng light off, drive around until the engine light comes on. then jump out and back probe the connectors, then I saw two coils 2 and 6 gives .5volts. this tells me these two are bad. I swapped these two with the 97max. and the 1320 finally goes away. the weird thing is this does not trigger 1320 code in the max.
Here there is some guy that has the same wire broken as me, and some more info on backprobing the coil connector:
http://x.nissanhelp.com/forums/maxima/9813-2000-nissan-maxima-p1320-code-2.html
so there you have it, folks. The heat causes the coils to misbehave. as I measure the coil resistance cold, problem does not surface. after you get the check engine light, that is when the engine gets hot enough to have the coil change resistance and triggers the light.
hopefully my experience can help others diagnose p1320 quicker.
And it has been half a year that I am running with 4 99 i30 coils (140k on these factory coils) and 2 97 coils (330k on these factory coils). And car is still good, no 1320 code so far.
This is the gist of my method, here it is spelled out for people don’t want to read all the way to the end to find out how I come to this:
Reset / erase the p1320 code, and verify that your check engine light is off.
Drive around until your check engine light comes on,
Right away while engine is still HOT, you should not be able to touch engine without latex glove, leave the engine idling and back probe the signal wire of each coil to see if any of them is greater than .2volt. These are the bad coils that cause p1320 code to come on.
This is the story on how I got this method:
I got a 99 i30 with 130k. My brother got a 97 maxima with 330k. he is getting ready to do the early vehicle retirement and get $1k for it. I can take any parts off the 97 max as long as we can drive it to the junk yard. This is perfect timing because I got the biannual inspection coming up in a few month. And I got this nagging p 1320 code that will not go away.
the i30 has being giving me p1320 for about 2months. as I receive the maxima, I was getting a p0301, however, no p1320 code, as I drive around I don't feel much stumble. after maybe 1 to 1 hrs of driving the 0301 will come on and I start to get some rough idle and misses. right away I swapped all the coils with 97 max. however, i30 still gives me p1320 in less than 10min of driving. but I get no light from maxima. then after read tons of posts on this site, I swapped the cps right by the crank, then the capacitor, then the cps near flywheel, then the cam sensor. nothing works. each time I swap, I reset code, the p1320 code comes on in less than 10min of driving. and the max does not give me light what so ever. both car are smooth and max give me hesitation occasionally after 1 hr driving.
i30 is not giving me the p0301 with max coil. I swapped all the coils back. then the max gives me the 0301. but no p1320 code. this was pretty much driving me crazy. for 5 days straight, I got up at 3-4am and trouble shoot this. and I am even writing a journal to track changes and I read on this site that the 99 coils goes back quicker. but after working on these two cars, I am thinking that 99 ecm is probably calibrated differently than the 97. since the same coil in 97 will give a 0301 code and a miss. but in the 99 i30 will just give p1320 but i30 runs perfect.
then I ran across this on harness breakage:
http://www.lyberty.com/car/Maxima_A3...NTB98-008b.pdf
http://www.scribd.com/doc/60291413/95-99-Nissan-Maxima-Wire-Harness-Breakage
I grab the harness where it is shown in the pic and give it some hard wiggle, just arm strength, didn't put my body weight into it. then I got some rough idle and miss on the 99 i30 right away. checked the code and saw 1320 and 0304. I swapped coil 2 and 4, and still get the 0304 code. I figure the wiggle has broken some wire in the harness. at first I got worried, never tear into a harness before. and looking at the color charts. I can't tell what exactly the color code means. but as I start to open up the harness, I see the problem. The site above said the problem wire will be on outside of wire bundle. In my case, I can see the color of signal wire leaving the coil 4 connector is gray. I just look for the wire with same color in the harness. and I see it as I peel away the corrugated tubing, and I actually see tape residue on this gray wire. The insulation tape has glued this wire to the harness. the wire is not free to slide inside the harness. it must have strained the wire. because after I cut away enough tape. I see the gray wire actually broke in half. I repaired the wire. and right away the roughness and code 0304 is gone. but 1320 comes back in 10min.
I was almost going to give up and call it quit.
I started to measure the resistance of coil. both of them are done at about 40 deg F see below, Coils for both cars are original factory coils.
I30:
#1 #2 #3 #4 #5 #6
+1,-2 1.41 1.45 1.49 1.45 1.5 1.6
+1,-3 2.5M 2.51M 2.53M 2.5M 2.5M 2.4M
-1,+2 1.4 1.48 1.5 1.45 1.5 1.6
-1,+3 I I I I I I
-2,+3 I I I I I I
+2,-3 2.5M 2.57M 2.5M 2.5M 2.5M 2.4M
maxima:
#1 #2 #3 #4 #5 #6
+1,-2 1.47 1.67 1.44 1.51 1.53 1.3
+1,-3 2.51M 2.42M 2.51M 2.46M 2.49M 2.5M
-1,+2 1.48 1.67 1.44 1.51 1.54 1.3
-1,+3 I I I I I I
-2,+3 I I I I I I
+2,-3 2.51M 2.42M 2.51M 2.46M 2.48M 2.5M
it is not obvious which one is bad. I swapped out 1.6Mohm. 1320 comes back. Then I tried to go for similar resistance. meaning all coils about 1.5Mohm. still 1320 comes back.
I thought maybe the engine movement causes the harness to misbehave, so I step the brake and give it gas in both drive and reverse. this does not cause the engine light to come on.
I tried to back probe each of the signal connector on coil, they are all less than .2volt. I did this with cold engine. a few days later. I notice I can drive further without the p1302 coming on if I don't make frequent stops-, ie get on freeway as soon as I start driving with cold engine. then it occurs to me that it is the heat from the engine that triggered it. When I measure coils for resistance, they are all done cold. and I did the connector back probe measurement with the engine just fired up. I clearly remember I wanted to do back probe measurement with engine cold so i don't burn my hands. then I decided to turn the check eng light off, drive around until the engine light comes on. then jump out and back probe the connectors, then I saw two coils 2 and 6 gives .5volts. this tells me these two are bad. I swapped these two with the 97max. and the 1320 finally goes away. the weird thing is this does not trigger 1320 code in the max.
Here there is some guy that has the same wire broken as me, and some more info on backprobing the coil connector:
http://x.nissanhelp.com/forums/maxima/9813-2000-nissan-maxima-p1320-code-2.html
so there you have it, folks. The heat causes the coils to misbehave. as I measure the coil resistance cold, problem does not surface. after you get the check engine light, that is when the engine gets hot enough to have the coil change resistance and triggers the light.
hopefully my experience can help others diagnose p1320 quicker.
And it has been half a year that I am running with 4 99 i30 coils (140k on these factory coils) and 2 97 coils (330k on these factory coils). And car is still good, no 1320 code so far.
Last edited by 2000i30ca; 07-10-2014 at 09:20 AM.
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