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Villager/Quest Knock Sensor

2

Comments

  • bobh3625bobh3625 Member Posts: 2
    Have a 95 van with 160 k and when it gets warm it bucks and downshifts into third gear and the engine of course revs up. Had it in and they got it to do it and a knock sensor code came up. He said it would be like 160 for the part and like 5.5 hours to replace....and than he said he could not be sure that is what it is so after reading here I am not sure niether where would be a good place to start could i disconnect these sensor to test them any suggestion at alll HELP
  • graham66graham66 Member Posts: 13
    Your problem definetly sounds like the Throttle position sensor, I have done a lot of reading about problems on these vans and that seems to be the problem that the TPS solves.
    I think the part is about $45 at most parts stores, and it is only 2 , 8 mm screws that hold it on, make sure you line up the flat part on the shaft, I read where someone else goofed that part up and had to do it a second time.
    There is an idle adjustment before you fully tighten it up,and you may need to back probe the wires with a volt meter, I am having some problem when my van engine compartment gets hot and I may be replacing mine, just because the part is fairly cheap and I guess it can cause many drivability problems if it is gong bad.
    I had a similar problem last year but mine was losing power after warm and the timing was getting all screwed up, that was the distributor. I have read that you can clean the optics, but mine was not dirty. I found a rebuilt on Ebay for
    $105
    Right now I have some intermittent problem where my van get warm, and shuts off, When I try and restart the check engine light is on,,,,,,,
    Let it set over night the check engine light is gone.. and the van runs fine again.
    Last night i ran it in the driveway for 2 hours and it did not quit...... I need to do this several more times to see if the problem comes back, this van it not on the road and needs a full brake job, and I am hesitating doing the brakes until I solve this quitting problem. this will be a third a car for my kid to drive, and I have to make sure it does not just shut off while he is driving it....
    If I can 't figure it out in the next couple weeks, I will be junking it........hate to do that because when its running it runs very well.
    Definetly read forum 52 with the header of 1995 Villager Knock Sensor/TPS Sensor
    this describes a very similar problem that you have...... TPS solved it.
  • efitzgeraldefitzgerald Member Posts: 62
    I agree with Graham. Do not change your knock sensor! That is just a symptom rather than the problem. I spent about a grand changing my sensor, made no differance!! I spend about 2 thousand changing parts trying to fix the same problem your describing. I finally took it to a competant tech at the (Nissan dealer) who found it to be a distributor problem. Do not take your vehicle to a Ford Dealer! they dont or may not understand the problem your experiencing. I agree with graham, change your throttle sensor first,if your still having your problem, pay a good nissan dealer a diagonistic on your engine. It may cost $100, but its cheaper than playing - ( change the sensor game) . I just recently starting to have the similar problem with my van, bought a second hand distributor form the local wreckers and the van runs fine now. hope this helps.
  • bobh3625bobh3625 Member Posts: 2
    had a mechanic change the TPS Van ran good for one week and than started doing the same thing.....racing engine, downshifting etc....so not good today the check engine light came on and stayed on than a while later after shutting van off the light was off so what would be the next step here ty bob
  • graham66graham66 Member Posts: 13
    Bob,
    One thing you may want to check it to verify all of the Grounds from your battery look good. One other person on this forum have a loose ground connection that was causing some problems ,,,
    See if there is a stored code....

    Now I think it might be time to go to a Nissan Dealer...Maybe go and tell them the very specific problem and see if they have any suggestions. Give them as much deteiled information that you can get.. EX, Van runs good until warm.... ETC
    See if they have a set price on doing the diagnostics....And again, the Knock sensor code is usually a result of something else causing the engine to run bad and to cause it to knock...The component replacement guessing game gets to be frustrating. Sorry the TPS sensor was not the home run, but I think it was the most logical try with the problems you described.

    Right now I have a similar problem with my van, I'm kind of stuck because It is not currently on the road, was going to be a third vehicle for my teenager, and needs brakes. I do not want to put all of the brakes on until I find the problem with the engine. My nearest Nissan dealer is over 30 miles away
    The problem I have is whe the van first runs. it runs great.. if I run it for about 1 hour, it shuts off, and then will not start, runs very rough, like the timing is not good, Check engine light is on...
    After it cools down the check engine light is gone, and it runs fine again.
    Pulled codes I think one was the knock sensor....
    The other was Ignition, problem...... Can't remember the exact code.
    I just purchased a third vehicle and the Van it too good to just junk.... and I will not sell it to someone else knowing it has a problem with running after it is warm....SO right now It just parked until I have the time and patience to go at it again.

    So if you do end up going to the Nissan dealer or figure this out, Please post any solutions.
    I will pick up on trying to solve my problem this week. My next step was to verify all of the grounds were ok. Some of the things I have done....
    Replaced the battery, because the other one went bad..had to jump sart van.
    Not sure if the jump start or new battery has caused something else to fail??
    Right after that got some driveability problems.
    Isolated those problems to a bad distributor,
    Replaced that along with the module in front of the distributor.
    This seemed to have solved all of my problems....Van was still sitting, waiting for the brake job and teen to get liscence.
    Now van tuns very good when it is cold, and still runs good when at operating temp.....ocassionally will shut off after running for several hours....
    When I restart.. it runs rough, and Since it has no brakes on it. my guess is it would buck and sputter if i tried to drive it.
    The problem I have is definely Heat related...my guess is I will eventually find a simple fuseable link, or another simple component that is causing all of this. The problem for me is it goes away once the van starts to cool down....Defintely needs to be hooked to a scanner when it happens.

    Our problems may not be the same, but if you are able to solve it it may help me to isolate a component too.
  • efitzgeraldefitzgerald Member Posts: 62
    I have a sneaky suspicion that it is your distributor. These distrutors cause a lot of strange symptoms, such as knocksensor codes, ecm concerns, transmissions causes, rpm dancing, . Do yourself a favor and pay a tech at the nissan dealer for a diagnostic, do not go to the ford dealer, as they dont understand the problem, its not a ford engine. If it is your distributor, get a used one from the wreckers as a new one is about 600 bucks plus labour. HOPE THIS HELPS.
  • graham66graham66 Member Posts: 13
    I got a rebuilt distrubutor from Ebay.... $ 105 warented for 1 year.
    No core charge, I can look for the vendor I think his name is Partsbookie out of california.....
    If I junk my van I will be selling this part.... If you live in upstate NY, You can try the one I have !!!!!!
  • villagerdrivervillagerdriver Member Posts: 3
    I recently had a similar problem w/ my 2000 villager (lack of power up hills). I had the front CAT replaced. It was $1600 for the job. It seems to have fixed the problem.
  • tangster1tangster1 Member Posts: 1
    I have a 1996 villager and it slosh back and forth when I turn. Water came into the passenger floor on a hard brake.
    I removed the black cover right under the wipers. It exposed a well from the engine and the dash board. I could see the dirty rain water in the well. wear a glove and put your hand in the left of the well and clean out the leaves and goop it built up through the years. All you have to do is push it down through a hole in the well for the purpose of draining rain water. Once the hole is cleared, the water in the well will drain. Water went into the passenger side is because it has a opening on top of the well. Why, I don't know. It took about 30 minutes and all you need is a screw driver.
  • dsolterodsoltero Member Posts: 7
    Anyone have the rod that is attached from your IGNITION CYLINDER KEY LOCK to the IGNITION SWITCH break in half.
    The dealer here in Vegas has to call the Manufactuer for the price & part#
    Anyone know how to install it (I'm thinking thru STEERING WHEEL)
  • amyhallamyhall Member Posts: 1
    i have a 2001 mercury villager, runs great but for awhile now its been stalling when warmed up,or going to stop, even in neutrol it stalls, no engine lights come on. fine when cold,diaystics came up with 2 error codes 1. knock sensor 2. buzz trans line. does any body have any ideas if its really the knock sensor?
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    It's not much of a data point, but when the knock sensor went on my '99 Quest, my check engine light came on. It ran ragged too, but wouldn't quite stall out. I wound up replacing it and 3 injectors. Not a cheap fix either - the knock sensor is buried pretty good and takes a lot of labor to get to it.
  • ckent724ckent724 Member Posts: 5
    ignore the knock sensor code... That code is appearing because of the detonation in the engine as it begins to shutter and stall. the knock sensor monitors the engine for any detonations. If a detonation occurs the knock sensor sends a code to the computer. Also when the knock sensor recognizes a detonation and sends a signal to the computer, the computer will then try to adjust timing, etc...Need more info on the "buzz trans line" never heard of that before...Do you have the actual codes? Need more info...
  • lisa2009lisa2009 Member Posts: 1
    I have a 2000 mercury villager estate and need to change EGR valve can you please tell me what line is supposed to connect to the very top of the gold piece?
  • radennisradennis Member Posts: 3
    my 99 villager doesn't stall but surges at a stop but not all the time some times turning on the a/c makes it stop but not all the time changed the plugs, plug wires, tps,disributor cap and rotor, had the codes checked only knock sensor came up but was reset fine now but van still surging runs fine when given gas and seems to shift ok, we also had to replace some motor mounts. any suggestions
  • svess6652svess6652 Member Posts: 2
    Ours was the fuel injectors?
  • efitzgeraldefitzgerald Member Posts: 62
    May i suggest reading back 2 years worth of comments, there is a differance between symptoms and causes. Villagers and Quests (older ones) are nortorius for bad distributors as they age. Read past posts.
  • joeallanjoeallan Member Posts: 1
    Hi All,

    We are having troubles with our 1999 Mercury Villager. It hesitates and bogs at acceleration, idles roughly while in gear and sometimes dies at intersections, and when in park has overall intermittent high idle. My husband has tested the KS sub-harness and believes that it is running at too high of voltage according to previous posts. The van is also using more fuel than it should. It is running a Knock Sensor/Circuit Fault code, which we have had cleared three times to check for reliability of the code. We are aware that the Knock Sensor code most often is not the actual problem.

    We have change the O2 sensors (both), the air filter, the fuel filter, the distributor, the rotor and cap, and the spark plugs and wires, if I'm not forgetting anything. We purchased the Haynes book, but nothing is really standing out right now as to the main issue could be.

    Right now we are considering checking grounds off of the computer, but are not sure where they would be located. We are also considering changing the negative battery cable. Any other leads or suggestions would be greatly appreciated!
  • radennisradennis Member Posts: 3
    we have the same van for the last three months we've had very similar problems had a knock sensor code also. ours never died but started acting like it was'nt going to start would never do the surging or rough idle when we got to the shop almost as if it new what we were trying to do. we did how ever find out that it was the EGR valve. that it was sticking wide open when it got warm. the dealer no longer makes this part they do have some like at auto zone for about $167.00
    we also changed fuel filter,plugs,plug wires, cleaned the throttle body and replaced the Throttle position sensor.
    the guy thats going to fix the egr valve said it could have also been the fuel injectors or the fuel injectors needed to be cleaned and o rings replaced this is not the case with our van but that was his first possible diagnosis.
    if you go to church you might find someone with a mechanic shop or some one who can help. our church has a car ministry with mechanics that often do some side work which is a blessing. hope this helps
  • snorkelbobbysnorkelbobby Member Posts: 19
    Do not ever replace a knock sensor. They can not cause any driveability problems. Other things cause the sesnor code to set
  • amb7amb7 Member Posts: 1
    snorkelbobby can you help or anyone else? I just purchased a knock sensor at Checkers for my 2000 Mercury Villager. I started having problems yesterday when the traffic was backed up. Lots of stalling, the van dieing on me, lots of hiccups and etc. I immed drove it to Goodyear and they ran a diagnostic and told me it was the knock sensor and that the intake manifold needs to be resealed, and a new valve cover gasket?
    I drove it again today and the van died six times and took a few attempts to start just driving a 1/4 mile. In between all of that I had a lot of close calls with it dieing. Like I said this all really began yesterday but for the past couple of weeks we would have a slight hestitation every now and then when driving.
  • ttiedettiede Member Posts: 1
    k so my van is the 95 villeger. it boggs out like it is running out of gas with a full tank all of this happens at normal running temp and some time i can get it to start back up while im moveing but more often than not it comepletely dies and when trying to start it will start then bog out shortly after it is giving me a big head ache i would like to take it to the salt flats to blow it ski high any suggetions?
  • andyheb02andyheb02 Member Posts: 2
    Hey guys, I had the exact same issue with my '99 Villager. It would run fine at cold start up but as soon as it would warm up a bit, it would misfire, and chug at idle. It would smooth out somewhat under acceleration but the problem was always there. I tried a new cap, rotor, plugs, cleaned the optical sensor inside the distributor, new EGR valve, a couple of fuel injectors and it didn't help. At times, it would generate a check engine light (random miltiple misfire code) and when I would clear it, sometimes it wouldn't even generate a code for a while, however it would akways run rough. Anyway, it turned out to be the distributor! I pulled out the distributor and there were shavings all over the gear. I did some research and apparently they are known for failing. The heat tends to take a toll on the coil and knock sensor (which are both inside the distributor) and combined with the gear wear, it can cause a misfire code due to excess play. I put in a new distributor and the problem is finally gone and It runs good now! This problem plagued me for a couple of years and even a couple of dealerships couldn't find the problem. Buy one on eBay, because they are not cheap. It sounds like that is your problem as well.
  • pcsbobpcsbob Member Posts: 5
    I am looking for advice on how to replace the knock sensor on a 2001 Quest. I am hoping that someone can tell me how to replace it without removing the intake manifold.
  • graham66graham66 Member Posts: 13
    Please look into this Further, normally you do not have to replace this part. This knock sensor is like a microphone...and is hard to get to and is on the block behind the intake maifold.. that detects detonation.
    If you have detonation it is caused by something else. I had similar problems with my 95 villager and it ended up being my distributor assembly, and there was no code for that. I saw another post saying the knock sensor was part of the distributor assembly, On my van it is not... it is a seperate sensor.
    I have read a bunch of these forums that say similar things. The knock sensor code is usually tripped by another problem. And by itself does not cuase you van to run bad.
  • ckent724ckent724 Member Posts: 5
    You should not have to replace the knock sensor at all. 1 in a million go bad. Also there is no way to replace the sensor without removing the intake. It is mounted on the top side of the block under the lower intake manifold. Something is causing the knock sensor to trigger. When a code for the sensor is posted it is because the sensor was triggered, not because it was bad... There could be multiple areas that could cause this. Read through this topic and start to eliminate the possibilities.
  • pcsbobpcsbob Member Posts: 5
    Thanks for the reply on the knock sensor.

    The van is actually running fine. I have not noticed any missing, surging or stalling. I have noticed that my gas mileage has dropped a bit. The only known issue is the P0325 code that I have when a scanner is connected. This code will keep me from passing the local emissions test.

    Still think i should look beyond the actual sensor?

    Bob
  • tester1tester1 Member Posts: 33
    Has 99 villager, runs great! until lately. Check engine light on. and noticable lower MPG. Went to shop for checking: replaced Oxygen and Knock sensors based on codes.
    Two weeks later, car runs rough at reverse gear and when you hit a brake.
    Any advice?
  • ckent724ckent724 Member Posts: 5
    Thats a tough one. When the car is in reverse do you have your foot on the brake? If so the underlying issue is when the brakes are applied you get the rough idle. If the answer to my beginning question I would pursue a vacuum leak. The power booster sucks alot of vacuum. I first would look at the vacuum hose from the booster to the intake manifold. If that appears OK I would get a can of carb cleaner. With the vehicle running, spray all vacuum hoses. Be sure to get the vacuum hoses on the back of the motor. What you want to look for is a surge in the idle. Pay attention to where and what you spray. If you hit a hose with the cleaner and it surges that vacuum line has a leak. Dont forget to spray around the intake as well. Hope that finds it for you....
  • tester1tester1 Member Posts: 33
    Thanks for the detail information ckent724!
    Some update from me.
    I opened up the air-filter compartment and used the air-cleaner-can try to blow clean the MAF sensor. Afterward, drove the car and feel (without brake) in reverse gear. Car was running rough. drive for ~6 miles and check-engine-light is on.
    Plan to read the obdii code today.
    Regards,
  • tester1tester1 Member Posts: 33
    Got the code P0304 Cylinder#4 Misfiring.
    Will first try to replace the spark plug, then wire.
  • haughhaugh Member Posts: 12
    I had that problem (99 Villager Sport). My learning experience was placing my hand on the distributor and got a nice shock. I took a test lead cable with an alligator clip mounted to ground and placed the lead over each cap point. The one bad cable threw a spark across to the test lead. Replaced the entire set.

    My Villager also had rough idle problems (also showing knock sensor code) and after replacing distributor cap, spark plugs, checking cat, O2 sensor, vacuum leaks, it turned out to be the distributor (ordered on eBay from California). I also changed the fuel filter which also helped smooth hesitation and low RPM surging problems.
  • andyheb02andyheb02 Member Posts: 2
    Hey guys, I had the same lingering issue with my Villager. I posted earlier that I ended up replacing the entire distributor even though that was a major problem but not entirely it. The distributor gear was worn but what it also turned out to be was the fuel injectors! Because I was getting cylinder #5 or #4 misfire, the check engine light would come on occassionally. Also don't be fooled by the knock sensor code. It's just telling you it's knocking because the fuel mixture is off. So I took it to a mechanic and he figured it out. The injectors were working but what I didn't realize is they were running too rich. The van would run great when it was cold, but as soon as it would warm up, it would idle rough, chug, and buck at lower speeds (around 25-35 mph especially when letting off the throttle). It would smooth out when I touch the gas but it would always return to a rough idle. The long and short of it is, check your injectors. The easiest way is to check (the front ones since you can get at them) with an ohm meter when it is cold. Then check them when it's warm after leting it run about 5-10 minutes. They should read 12-14 ohms warm or cold. If not, they're not functioning properly. Mine were all over the place, 6-18 ohms. They were dumping too much fuel and the computer kept trying to lean it out. My fuel trim was at the lowest level possible but still couldn't lean it enough. I have a strong suspicion, this is the same issue with yours. I guess these are notorious for bad injectors. It goes undiagnosed because the injectors work..just not properly. It runs better when it is cold because it is in closed loop status, when it gets to open loop status, that is when the PCM notices the issue and the misfire returns. I put three new injectors in the front, and the van runs awesome. I finally get better gas mileage and no more rough idle or chugging. The best deal on injectors is to buy them through RockAuto.com They have rebuilds for 1/3 the price and they work good.
  • jrvillagerjrvillager Member Posts: 8
    Hey pcsbob,

    I'm wondering what you did to fix the P0325 code. I've got the same thing plus an oxygen sensor code on my 2002 Villager. Actually the check engine light has been on for a couple of years, with no difference in performance of the engine, which is why I never bothered to fix it. Now I have to pass the emissions test, so it has to be fixed. I'm about to tear into it to replace the Knock Sensor, but I'm seeing differing info on this site and others that say that the sensor might not be the real problem. Took the van to a mechanic, and he wanted to replace both sensors, at a pretty high cost. I'd hate to do all this work myself and have it not really fix the problem. I did just replace plugs, wires, dist. cap and rotor. Plugs looked good except one was black. Van has 98,000 miles.
  • pcsbobpcsbob Member Posts: 5
    Not sure i can offer much help. My guess is that your probllems are more involved than mine. My check engine light was never on.

    I took a 1000 mile trip during which the car ran fine. Not the greatest gas milege, but no performance issues. When I reutnred, I removed the air filter and sprayed carb cleaner in throught the opening . this provided some cleaning of the air mass screen. I then checked for codes again. Everything was cleared. Maybe I am jsut lucky

    I have a new knock sensor that was never installed. I would be happy to sell it to you at a great price if you need one. Let me know!

    Bob
  • jrvillagerjrvillager Member Posts: 8
    Thanks for the offer, Bob. I picked one up yesterday so I'm all set. Guess I'll proceed with tearing apart the engine this weekend to change the sensor. I just have this foreboding feeling that I'll go to all this work and the problem won't get fixed. I'll also replace the timing belt, water pump, belts, and whatever else looks like it should be replaced at 100K miles, so hopefully whatever is causing the error codes will get fixed. I'll test the knock sensor just to see if it really is bad.
    Thanks again.
  • jrvillagerjrvillager Member Posts: 8
    Well I completed all the work; replaced the knock sensor, oxygen sensor, and other previously mentioned parts (2002 Villager). When I was done, I started up the van and the check engine light was off! Went to get the emissions checked and got a block down the street and the CEL came back on. Boy was I bummed. I did some more research on the net and found something that said that in order to clear the codes, you were supposed to unhook the battery and turn on the headlight switch for 10 minutes. I thought, oh sure, like that's really gonna work! But I did it anyway, while I was replacing the front motor mounts. Afterwards, when I went for a test drive, no CEL. I kept waiting for it to come on, but it didn't. And yesterday I took it for emissions testing, and it passed! So now I can renew the plates. Hopefully it's fixed for good. I had tested the KS before I removed it by applying AC voltage and tapping on the block, but I'm not sure I did it right, but the important thing is that now it works, and with all the work I did, I saved over $1600 in labor by doing it myself. Thanks to everyone who takes the time to post to this site.
  • rjg4rjg4 Member Posts: 1
    How expensive is it to replace the Oxygen Sensor for a 1996 Mercury Villager?
  • jrvillagerjrvillager Member Posts: 8
    On my 2002, the garage estimated $265.16 for parts and labor.
    I did it myself for $60.15. I think I priced the part at another store for around $120, so it pays to shop around.
    It's not difficult to replace yourself, you just have to crawl under the car. The hardest part was finding it. I replaced the aft OS, which is closer to the front than the rear (I expected it to be toward the rear of the vehicle).
  • 97villager197villager1 Member Posts: 1
    Have a '97 Villager with 193,000 on it. One of the many problems we're having lately - when running it in high heat conditions (start/stop with AC on in summer heat), it will suddenly just cut off. Many times it will crank right back up, but missing out badly. If you give it about 5-10 minutes, it will crank back up and run fine - though you have to nurse it through the same environment without using AC.

    Recently, we have replaced the fuel pump, fuel filter, EGR Valve - O2 Sensor (twice), cleaned out the EGR flow tubes, and it's still doing the same thing. It seems that every time we hook it up for the "Check Engine" light, we get a new story (like now it shows the apparently infamous knock sensor code - no - I won't replace that).

    After reading a little bit on some of these forums, I'm starting to think that it might be the distributor. Would buying a cap be the answer, or should we a whole new distributor. OR - should we just drive this thing off into a lake and forget about it. It's getting too expensive to drive!
  • rudophbuchelrudophbuchel Member Posts: 8
    1995 villager, 280k+ miles. Rough idle in drive, not so much in P, N or R. Idle seems slightly worse with A/C on and on hot days 100deg+. Does not stall, accelerates okay, gas mileage 20-21 highway, 15/19 city, have not noticed any recent changes in gas mileage. Tuned up within six months, (cap, rotor, iridium plugs), timing +12BTDC, cleaned EGR valve recently (passed TX emissions test July), EGR works fine, replaced vacuum lines, visually inspected distributer, bearing and optical window, visually and electrically checked MAF. In 2007 had some engine power problems (not idle), problem source turned out to be the keyway on the crank damaged due to key turning sideways. Replace key with larger, better fitting key and, my personal favorite, JB Weld (also replaced idler, timing belt, seals and water pump).
    At wits end with the idle problem. Any suggestions?
  • cookiegettercookiegetter Member Posts: 2
    I've had the throttle sensor replaced, trannie rebuilt, all belts changed, computer changed, motor mounts & trannie mount replaced....to no avail...still bucks & jumps, dies at intersections, loses power around 60-65 mph, gets crappy gas milage. Any suggestions? My mechanic is getting tired of seeing me....I believe he will ban me from his shop!
  • rudophbuchelrudophbuchel Member Posts: 8
    Hi, I'm not a mechanic, but do all the work on my Villager. I hope this helps.
    Three years ago my Villager had similar problems, rough running, lack of power, etc. I did the usual, plugs, dist. cap and rotor, check for vacuum leaks, I even replaced six studs on my exhaust manifolds that broke, thanks to J.B. Weld (quieter but no change in performance). Anyway, when I checked the timing, I noticed it was retarded badly, so I advanced the timing all to no avail. I decided to change the timing belt, idler and water pump. Well, I pulled off the crank sprocket and found my problem; the woodruff key turned between the sprocket and crank shaft and destroyed that keyway in the crank. I bought a new key from Mercury and realized the problem, OEM Villager Woodruff keys are not tall enough. There is about an 1/8th inch gap between the top of the key and the key channel in the sprocket, hence the key can ride up about an 1/8th inch in the keyway. I suppose this isn’t usually a problem for newer vans, however mine had 250K miles at the time and the tolerances were probably getting a little loose. Anyway, I went to the local hardware store and got the proper size metric woodruff key. It was much taller than the OEM key and fit much better. Obviously, the keyway had real problems, so, thanks again J.B. Weld. The van has 286k miles now without a reoccurrence.
    As to "bucking" from a stop, mine did it for about a year, I just thought it was the transmission and figured it would go soon. Anyway, when I was changing the timing belt (above), I noticed that the driver side front motor mount was broken so I replaced all four motor and transmission mounts – bucking problem solved. Apparently, my neighbor had a similar problem. He saw me working on my Villager and stopped by to introduce himself and mentioned that he just had the transmission replaced ($2100.00). I told him about my experience with the motor mounts and we looked at his, the front two mounts were brand new without any charges for motor mounts on his invoice. He obviously thinks the tyranny was probably alright.
  • cookiegettercookiegetter Member Posts: 2
    Thanks, I'll pass that info to my mechanic. I'm not about to climb under and work on it, I would rather set fire to it! But, I felt pleased when the mechanic rode w/me so that I could show him HOW it ran, bucked, jumped, died...he said I could drive anything if I could drive that for over a year with it doing the way it is doing! I know when to get off the gas to let it shift, and I can have it cranked back up in under 5 seconds when it decides to die. I've got 189K miles on it, I don't want to get rid of it, but dang it's rough on the wallet!
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    Wow, for someone who proclaims they aren't a mechanic, that's an impressive bit of detective work. My '99 Quest is running fine but the mpg is slipping so I think my tolerances are creeping up there too (mine's only got 150,000 miles though).

    Steve, visiting host
  • rudophbuchelrudophbuchel Member Posts: 8
    Thanks for the compliment, no not a mechanic, just cheap.

    I’m afraid I’ve never really been in a position to track my mileage regularly, in town one day and on the road the next, but my very best mileage recently has been 20.4MPG: it’s a '95. 3.0L with just under 300k miles; something to compare with yours.
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    edited October 2010
    I'm in the middle of a road trip and my load isn't too bad. Ordinarily I'd be getting 26 to 29 mpg, but this trip I'm only getting 24ish or worse. It's been a while since the knock sensor code came up for me. ;)
  • marked1marked1 Member Posts: 15
    originally had knock sensor code and misfire in cylinder #4 code p0304 on villager 2000 w/96k. totally agree- knock sensor code means nothing. replaced spark
    plugs, distributor cap and rotor just in case (looked worn out). also looked at distributor internal components- looked clean- no sign of apparent wear. it helped only with knock sensor code. misfire in cylinder 4 remained. swapping ignition wire #4 between cylinders didn't make any difference. compared the internal resistance between fuel injectors - injector #4 resistance @59ohm. other 2 injectors in front bank showed 12-14ohm. found it a little hard to replace the injector. soaked the injector assembly w/pb blaster for a wheek. i used wise grips to turn long phillips screwdriver to remove fuel injector cap screws. i used needle nose stile wise grips to get a hold of fuel injector- flush and just above fuel injector bore. i twisted fuel injector as it moved inside the bore just a little bit and started moving it side to side while pulling it up and it popped out. i recomend using very fine sandpaper to clean rusty fuel injector bore. clean it up and use engine oil to lubricate fuel injector o-rings and inside the bore before installing new one. not sure what those nissan tech's do, but it worked for me.
  • extrodinaireextrodinaire Member Posts: 2
    Hi. I own a villager and it appears that a couple of exhaust manifold studs have broken/not there. Would you please explain how you replaced the studs on your vehicle.

    E
  • rudophbuchelrudophbuchel Member Posts: 8
    Sure, you’re in for a trip. This is one of those projects that if you’re not committed, don’t attempt it. I replaced mine because the exhaust leaks made a ton of noise going down the alleys between my neighbor’s houses. I was really, really loud. Replacing the studs didn’t do anything for performance or gas mileage.

    First thing to mention is that on my Villager, I could see 3 broken studs with the upper part missing, but when I got working on it, five more were cracked that just hadn’t yet fallen off, so I actually had 8 broken studs. Oh, if you’re wondering, every stud broke in the same place, right at the head so there was no chance to get a grip on it with vice grips locking pliers. .

    The special tools I used for the extractions were: 1. good brand of penetrating oil (Wal-Mart); 2. a good fine file (Wal-Mart, Harbor Freight, Sears); 3. a good hard small point center punch and an automatic center punch, the spring loaded type of punch (Harbor Freight, Sears); 4. a good right angle drill (I have a 19.2 volt Craftsman that DID NOT do the job, I purchased an A/C electric one from Home Depot (Harbor Freight, Sears, Home Depot); 5. left twist drill bit set, probably two or three sets (Harbor Freight, Sears); 6. stud extractor set (Harbor Freight, Sears); 7. Replacement studs (I replaced all of the suds, even the ones that weren’t broken, I can’t remember the size, they are metric, get the grade 8 metric equivalent) (NAPA Auto Parts); 8. high temp anti-seize compound (on-line eBay, NAPA, AutoZone); 9. a good light with an aim-able beam (I have a Craftsman 19.2 volt flashlight that worked great); 10. an adjustable, telescoping mirror (Wal-Mart, Harbor Freight, Sears); 12. J. B. Weld epoxy (Wal-Mart); and a treaded tap set (Harbor Freight, Sears). Be prepared to buy thread repair inserts and appropriate taps and drills if things go really bad. All of this stuff is much cheaper online if you’ve got time. Harbor Freight is next best for price if you have one local, maybe Northern Tools, some place that sells cheap Chinese one-time use tools (hopefully you’ll never do it again).

    Fair Warning, on mine I attempted to drill out the studs with the exhaust manifolds in place. Some folks may be more talented than me, but in my case, I made the project much worse by not removing the manifolds before attempting the extract the studs. The studs are Hard, Hard, but the head is soft. If the bit spins off the stud and onto the head, you’ll have a hole, I did. I suggest you take the exhaust manifolds off the heads to extract the studs, HUGE PAIN IN THE [non-permissible content removed]. You’ll also need to remove the radiator.

    If you’ve ever removed a broken stud, it’s really straight forward. First, make a punch mark in the EXACT center of the broken stud. Drill with a left twist bit into the punch mark EXACTLY parallel with the stud. If you’re lucky, the stud spins out with the left turning bit. If not, you insert the bolt extractor and break the stud free. HOWEVER, where you are going to be working there is absolutely no space.

    Before starting the project, I suggest you liberally spray all the studs with penetrating oil, each day for a couple days before you intend to start the project. Jack the van up and get the rear (right) head studs good too. Because the studs break across the thread line, they never break flat, so it’s usually difficult to start a drill on the broken stud without a good punch mark. Getting a good punch mark on the broken stud is really difficult because of the angle you’ll be at and the lack of space. This is the toughest part. Whereever I had space to work, I used a small, fine file to polish flat some the broken studs to get a good punch mark. Use the mirror to verify the punch marks are exactly centered. This is a lot tougher that it sounds due to the space restrictions. Then, I used the right angle drill with left twist bits on the punch mark. DRILL EXACTLY PARALLEL WITH THE STUD ON THE MARK. If a bit dulls, un-[non-permissible content removed] it and get another, dull bits will kill you here. This is really difficult, again because of the space. Start with a small bit and drill out with a larger one until the hole sized is sufficient to get an extractor in. Be careful, it’s really tough getting broken bits out of the studs.

    Okay, the good news, every stud that I didn’t screw up by attempting the drill out with the manifolds on, and even some that I did, came out with the drill. No extracting was necessary. If you drill into the head, all bets are off, and it is a lot more difficult getting the stud out. If you are good, just apply the anti-seize compound on the studs and replace them. If you’re not, and I wasn’t, you’ll need to re-tap the threads, maybe install repair threads, and fill the gaps with J. B. Weld. Believe me, that J. B. Weldstuff works, I have two gosh-awful holes that I got studs in and torqued.

    I did this because I don’t give up on anything. My van had 260k+ mile when I did this. In retrospect, if I had it to do over again I’d probably buy a good low-milage used engine, replace the seals, valve cover gaskets, timing belt, idler, water and oil pumps and all of the exhaust manifold studs, and maybe the injectors, and switch motors. It would be more expensive but not take any more time that what I went through.

    Good luck,
    Rudy
    r.buchel@buchel-ip.com
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