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Nissan Quest/Mercury Villager problems
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Comments
In the past I took my cars to a different garage, and they always wanted to repack and put new boots on the old axles. By the time the labor was done it cost nearly the same as a reman.
If you are feeling really adventurous, you could try taking out the axle and replacing it yourself. I know people on the Yahoo Villager/Quest list have written about doing this, and they make it sound pretty easy.
I'm not that adventurous any more, but my hat's off to anyone who is willing to do it.
Dave
Steve, Host
Thanks,
My question is,is there a common problem causing restriction of oil pressure to the heads that I should be looking for?Thanks in advance,John Koning.Hamilton Ontario,Canada.
Thanks,
nissan-techinfo.com
Steve, Host
Tim
I have the opportunity to buy a '99 Villager (base) with 79k for a rather attractive price. I haven't had a chance to drive the car yet, but I've given it the once-over in the parking lot... so far, it fits the bill. No signs of paint work or frame repair, fairly clean, non-smoker, one owner, ... just a pretty nice van.
Until I got to the oil filler cap. With some cars, you can't tell much because of all the baffles, but with others, you can really look at the valve train and see whether the oil was changed as required.
The 3.0 in the Villager/Quest is different from anything I've ever seen. You CAN look into the head, but all you see is black. It's as if there were another complete lid over the valves, the top of which you can see through the oil filler. It appears to be the same material as the valve cover itself, i.e. black painted steel. Is this true?
Secondly, there is a thin layer of black slime covering everything in there that I can reach. This is not a good sign, but I don't really know if it means anything, since this area does not appear to need any lubrication anyway. So if a film of oil just sits there, of course it's going to turn to sludge.
When I pull the dip stick, the oil is old alright, but there is no waxy buildup on the stick or any other signs of crud. It just looks like it's high time for an oil change.
If I buy this puppy, I'll have it checked out properly for engine wear. But I'd like to know what the heck I'm looking at. After 15 years of looking at used cars, I was under the impression I knew what to look for... but this thing has me stumped.
Thanks in advance for any light y'all might be able to shed on this,
-Mathias
Steve, Host
Also since TPS switch was changed there is a rough shifting as van goes into higher gear. Nissan says the old switch was causing overlap of gears so they appeared to shift smoothly but with new TPS the gears shift right away hence apparent jerking.
Is this true?
Having said that, I think the Nissan mechanics may be trying to avoid some work. If the belts are making noise it is quite likely they are adjusted too tightly. The problem with this is, on this engine, if the belts are too tight your crankshaft can break.
If I were you, I'd take your van back to the dealer that did the work and let them know that you aware of the potential of crankshaft breakage, and that they should readjust the belt tension so they don't have to pay for a new engine for you. Believe me, they are aware of this issue, and I'm surprised that they would suggest the belt would get quieter with age. Did your van make this noise when it was brand new? No. I just had my timing and serpentine belts replaced and they don't make noise.
Regarding the TPS, it needs to be adjusted correctly or it will cause jerky shifting. There is a procedure listed in the service manual for this, but it takes some finesse to get it right. The explanation they are giving you on this is incorrect as well. I think you need to have a serious discussion with the service manager.
Good luck, hope this helps.
Dave
Steve, Host
It's still running great with about 128,000 miles. Does have a few things that need attention though. A couple of the instrument lights are burned out (but the speedometer is still legible, thus the procrastination) and the washer fluid warning light is permanently on.
I will probably fix the washer light situation once the weather warms up. The fix is to replace the washer fluid tank, the sensor is bad and can't be purchased separately. I told my wife "I don't think I want you to get used to driving the van with one of the idiot lights on. If the temperature or oil light came on you might not notice it". She gave me a strange look and said "Are you calling me an idiot?"
I'm not sure I was able to convince her that is what they are called.
Dave
Check out this link:
http://home.earthlink.net/~vqfaq/
Click on SUBTOPICS and you will find instructions complete with photographs of how to fix it, if you are so inclined.
Dave
Steve, Host
Probably the end of summer/fall I will have to get rid of the Mazda 626 I've had the last couple of years. Decent looking car, got it for a great price, but it's been in the shop way too much for my taste. Hope to get a new Honda Accord, and it will probably come with a nice payment book.
WTD, thanks for the advice. I'll give that a try.
Dave
Cordelia
Hope it goes well.
Dave
Does the Quest have a serpentine belt. I can say for sure that a 98 Villager doesn't. I find it odd that the Quest would have a serp belt considering these vehicles are mechanical copies.
I have a 99 villager and the problems occured in this order over a span of a couple of months:
tachometer stuck, no longer works
fuel gauge stuck on full (low fuel indicator also does not work)
thermostat gauge stuck in middle
I am not sure were problem is, but mercury dealer wanted $250 to take off instrument cluster just to check and said that it could cost as much as $425 if whole cluster needed to be replaced.
Any ideas where I could start so I could repair myself? Thanks for any info!
Steve, Host
Kudos to my wife for taking it easy on the brakes!
On a different note, my flip down screen decided to call it quits. Apparently it costs over $1000 to replace the unit, but the guys and my service center took a flyer on trying repair it themselves. None of them had ever taken one of these units apart, so it was unchartered territory for them. Once inside, they discovered two wires that appear to have been designed to stretch had failed. They spliced in a couple segments, put it back together and it worked!!
Thank goodness, because I'm taking the family on trip to Florida for Easter and the absence of that screen would have made for a painful journey (Madison, WI to Englewood, FL).
What is this?
The Ford list says its an alternator code.
Steve, Host
Steve, Host
Congratulations on your axle replacement. I had the pleasure once; it's easy. IF you can get to it, and IF the bolts come undone as they should, and IF you don't have to bust the ball joints etc. apart just to get the maneuvering done. Ugh.
While you're on a roll, would you mind peering through your oil filler cap and sticking you pinky in and telling me if there's a layer of sticky goo in there? Pretty please?
I'm still interested in the Villager I posted about a couple weeks ago, and I'd like to know if the peculiar design of the valve cover makes oil appear sludgy.
I'm starting with the assumption, of course, that you've done the proper oil changes :-)
TIA,
-Mathias
The only IF that bugged us was that the part didn't arrive by UPS until 3 hours before I had to take my mechanic friend (and his tools) to the airport.
On my way out to the garage just now, I told my wife that I was certain that I'd find goo on the cap. But I didn't - nor is there any that I can see or feel on the top of the engine through the filler hole. I must be thinking of our old Voyager. It always had a whitish, oft frothy goo in the filler cap (it liked to eat head gaskets too).
So maybe I'm expecting whitish goo instead of some sort of oil film or shellac? Yours looked like old thick oil? Anyone else care to go exploring with their pinkies in their oil filler and report back?
I change the oil every 7,500 miles on the Quest (as the manual says) and I'm about due for one - my last one was done in August '04.
Steve, Host
Thanks a bundle. Saved me the heartache to have the van checked out for $70 or so, only to find that I don't want it.
I really appreciate it.
-Mathias
Steve, Host
It's not "my" goo... it's a van I'd like to buy, but when I checked it out, I could tell the oil wasn't in very good shape.
My Sienna is fine, and likely to stay that way... with all the baffling on the Toyota 3.0, though, there is no chance to tell if something is wrong. The only way is to remove the valve cover and look at the valve train directly. Not something a private seller will likely let you do in his driveway. If you look into the filler, you will always see some black, crusty, dry crud sitting on top of the baffle. It's the residue that just sits there after you put oil in. Looks bad. But they all do that. Really.
Back to the Villager/Quest; the one I'm looking at (99 w/ 80k mi) has an all-black valve cover, making it hard to see inside. Even with a flashlight, though, what you see is the top of *another* cover, rather than the cams and lifters, as you would on a Ford, say. This cover is also black; painted steel or anodized Al; I assume the former.
Anyway, in this particular van, there is a 1/8 or 1/16" layer of black gooey slime covering the metal surfaces you can reach from the oil filler cap. Not a confidence builder. When you pull the dipstick, the oil is still, uh, liquid, but it looks pitch black. The longest I've ever let one of my cars go was 6k, and it sure didn't look anything like that.
I was just curious if the design of the valve cover made some oil just sit on top and gel. IOW, I wanted to know whether "they all do that".
Apparerently not.
Thanks again,
-Mathias
THE COOLANT LOSS IS VERY MINIMAL. BUT I COULD SMELL ANTIFREEZE EVERY TIME.
Good Luck!
I have a 96 Villager. The light bulb in the climate control buttons went out. Can anybody tell me how to remove the panel surrounding the controls to change the bulb?
Thanks NJ_JC