Author Topic: Distributor problems (soon to be "WTF, how do I fix the timing???" :) )  (Read 31479 times)

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Offline slim

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So, in the end I bit the bullet and took it to my local mechanic, to get it out of my hair.

$123 later, and the distributor has all new seals and the timing's been set.

I am now happy. :D

Just realised i payed $150 more for the same service. + a tune, ECU reset and inspection/service of ignition system
Still i would go back there again, there a bloody great shop.
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Offline Jono

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I took the seal and bearing in to CBC bearings and walked out with new ones for $7.50 total. May or may not have been trade price, dad did most of the talking while I browsed the shop.
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Offline greenbird

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Nice! At least you don't have to go to Nissan to get them then.
Cheers Jono.
Dan.
93 U13 Bluebird
5 spd
Finer Filter, Hi-Flow cat & 2.25" exhaust
17X7 Concept 5 wheels
2 inch lowered King Springs

Offline csimpson

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Fucking hell.

It happened again on the way to a mate's house this weekend - stuttered, lost power, died. Started fine 5min later and I haven't had a problem since.

I don't know what else to do, I'm at the end of my tether. I'll run a tank of 98 octane this week, I'll get new spark plug leads. New plugs are already in there.

Help meeeeee! :( :( :( :(

Offline Jono

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Fuel pump?

Next time it dies, whack something up against the fuel tank and see if it starts.
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Offline csimpson

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Shouldn't be the fuel pump, it's got a Walbro one in there, only a few months old. :(

Offline greenbird

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Check the power transistor. It's the little grey thing that is bolted to the top of the metal framework right next to your air box. It has a plug on it which can be disconnected and has 3 (i think....) wires going into it.
As a bit of trouble shooting, remove the transistor, clean underneath it and then screw it back down with some heat sink compound underneath, to help it keep cool..... Clean the electrical contacts with some contact cleaner also.....
Dan.
93 U13 Bluebird
5 spd
Finer Filter, Hi-Flow cat & 2.25" exhaust
17X7 Concept 5 wheels
2 inch lowered King Springs

Offline csimpson

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I'll do that.

In the dizzy cap, the #4cyl and ignition sockets are very dirty. Could this be causing problems? (Dirty as in, sooty [i think]).

I think to help eliminate problems I may get new spark plug leads and a new dizzy cap.

Offline greenbird

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Yep, it can't hurt.
When i bought a new dizzy cap & rotor, the only place i could get them from was Nissan. No aftermarket mobs made them, so you may be stuck with going to Nissan.
I recommend that you replace the rotor at the same time.

A word of warning on aftermarket ignition leads:
I bought a brand new set Bosch leads and put them on the car. They had a little rubber seal on the bottom of the lead, which just fits down the spark plug hole (quite a firm fit) and over the top of the plug. After only a month or 2, i couldn't get the leads off. It turns out that these little rubber seals had caked themselves onto the edges of the spark plug holes and basically glued themselves in there. The result was that when the mechanics went to take the head off my car after the head gasket blew, the leads broke and ripped in half as they tried to remove them. They were stuck in that tight!
Luckily enough I took them back to where I bought them and the Bosch rep was kind enough to replace them for me, as it really was a shitty design on their part. So on the new leads, i immediately ripped off the rubber seals on the bottom (they were just glued on). Now the leads can't get stuck and i haven't had any drama's with them in the last 3 or 4 years, however long it has been....
Dan.
93 U13 Bluebird
5 spd
Finer Filter, Hi-Flow cat & 2.25" exhaust
17X7 Concept 5 wheels
2 inch lowered King Springs

Offline csimpson

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Hmmmn.

New rotor button from Nee-san - $27.15 (didn't get a new cap though, and the guy said they were ~$60), and a good clean-out of the dizzy cap sockets with contact cleaner & WD40. Car seems to run great now. I'll see how it goes over the weekend, got a 1.5hr drive on which I can baby it and cane it to see if it falters :)

Offline csimpson

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 :( :( :( :( :( :( :(

Happened again!

FFS.

Time to get new dizzy cap and leads, methinks.


Offline Budgie

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Damn U13's and their ignition systems!
dont piss me off with your pillarless shit captain snappy wrist

Offline csimpson

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Damn them indeed. I seriously have no clue as to what it would be. Should I get a new dizzy cap and spark plug leads? Or should I just let the mechanic sort it out (it's booked for Tuesday) I'm very much over this, and I don't mind throwing money at it to make it go away :)

Offline greenbird

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Replace the dizzy cap and spark plug leads first.....
Did you check / clean the power transistor like i said to? This can also fail, it will usually happen after the transistor gets too hot... So it generally won't fail until you have been driving for a while.

Does your car stop dead shortly after starting it in the morning, or only after it has been running for a while?

93 U13 Bluebird
5 spd
Finer Filter, Hi-Flow cat & 2.25" exhaust
17X7 Concept 5 wheels
2 inch lowered King Springs

Offline csimpson

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Aight, I'll get a dizzy cap and leads tomorrow.

If the transistor is the three-pin plug thing that sits on the metal bracket right next to the airbox - yeah, I took it off and put some thermal compound between it and the bracket.

There's no consistency to it. Sometimes it stops after an hour of driving, sometimes it stops after 500m of sedate driving, sometimes it just doesn't start. :(

Offline greenbird

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Yeah, that sucks... Makes it hard to fault find.
Have you checked the ECU for any fault codes? The Factory Service Manual will tell you how to do it....
Dan.
93 U13 Bluebird
5 spd
Finer Filter, Hi-Flow cat & 2.25" exhaust
17X7 Concept 5 wheels
2 inch lowered King Springs

Offline csimpson

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That, I haven't done. I wasn't aware there was a way to check it without an OBD reader. I'll see what there is...

If, say, the leads and 'cap aren't the problem, what else could theoretically cause this? Is the power transistor a reasonably likely culprit? Alternator? Battery? Driver?  :D

Offline csimpson

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Hmm, can't find any way to get it into Diag mode, in the FSM. Anyone know off the top of their head? :)

Offline wicked

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Are you in Brisbane?

Offline csimpson

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Nah, stupid ol' Sydney :)

Offline slim

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Hmm, can't find any way to get it into Diag mode, in the FSM. Anyone know off the top of their head? :)

Some pages that might be of help.
EC-34 has Erasing Diagnostic Trouble Code
EC-36 Switching Diagnostic modes
If not see if someone in Sydney can give you a hand with the Consult
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Offline wicked

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Pretty much like what Slim said. I've sent you a copy of the FSM (EC) I'm using to your gmail. Look at page 172. The ECU is located between the driver and passenger footwell. You'll need a small flat head screw driver and basically follow the instructions in the manual to read the blinks on the dash. Try to follow the symptoms through the whole diagnostic document. It'll save you a heaps of money than changing parts randomly. :) Electronics in car can be a real pain. I last time I had idling and misfiring problems, I took it to Nissan for diagnostics and it cost me $99 and the problem was not solved. I had to do the diagnostics myself. Do update your progress. :)

Offline csimpson

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Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm. I'll do that, definitely. I'll also check the leads for proper resistance, too - Alister said to me on another forum that he thought they were probably the culprit :)

Offline wicked

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There was an occasion where I fix my bluey misfiring by pressing the top, centre bit of the spark plug cable firmly onto the sparkplug. U never know. :)

Offline csimpson

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O hay, so, when my car is running, the lead that runs from the coil (?) to the ignition socket of the dizzy cap, gives me a massive zap if I touch it.

Taking that plug off (the shortest one of the five, if you still don't know which I mean), you can see that there's a hole in the rubber coating up the top (more of a tear, but you can see it if you manipulate the rubber).

I believe this might be the cause of all my problems - what does everyone else think?

Offline JelloBello

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If you weren't touching a metal part of the lead and you got a zap I would be very worried! This means that the bit you were touching could be grounding out on any metal part of the engine/chasis while in motion and causing all your problems!


and holy cow, I'm pretty sure ignition coils run very high voltage = ouchies
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Offline csimpson

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So, I've established that it's probably good to get a new ignition lead.

FURTHER to all this, my fkn alternator has died (I think.) When the car is running and the headlights/blinkers/hi-beams are on, the battery light stays on. :( :( :( :( :( One of those battery-test things says that the battery is above 10V, but it doesn't say that the alternator is 'good', or that the battery is 'fully charged'.

Anyone know where and how much for a replacement alternator? (New is probably unneccessary, reco or second hand would be good). Can we use the same alternator as SR20DE Pulsars?

Offline csimpson

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Or do I just need a new battery?  ??? I have a spare battery here, I'll see what happens when using it.

Offline Jono

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That coil lead could well be the problem. Sometimes the spark finds another track to ground through dust and all sorts of other gunk that's built up on your ignition system. Replace the lead and see if it fixes it, even if it doesn't fix it the lead needed replacing anyway :)

I haven't been hit by a car ignition coil yet (touch wood) but I have literally seen stars after being zapped by the spark plug on a motorbike. Not pleasant!

And to answer your question, if your battery warning light is on, there is a problem with your charging system. Usually not your battery. If it's on intermittently it could well be a broken wire in your wiring loom.
« Last Edit: Oct 30, 2007, 11:11PM by Jono »
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Offline csimpson

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Alrighty.

Alternator's now at an auto-elec being reconditioned, and the ignition lead's probably going to be replaced  :)