Nissan Quest/Mercury Villager problems

dhoff · January 2004

Yes, sorry. The throttle position sensor. It's a lot harder to misspell TPS!

Dave

juwu2000 · January 2004

Recently, my 96 villager has a liquid/water noise coming from the under radio/storage box whenever a
gas is pressed. It seems like air in some pipes
making the noise. I took out radio/storage box, cannot figure out where/which pipe making the
noise. Does anybody have the similar problem
before? Only when the gas pedal is pressed, the
liquid noise will come out. Thanks.

tcdenver · January 2004

My 96 Quest had a sudden RPM jump to 3500 during normal highway driving (NO AC) at 50 mph twice in two weeks. What are the possible reasons for such jump? The car is running fine otherwise.

Any thought? Thanks.

usma82 · January 2004

Sounds like a Transmission issue. When you say RPM jump I assume you don't mean the transmission is slipping. If so, then I think you might have a wiring problem related to the transmission. The Transmission has an electronic overdrive that can be turned On and OFF via a switch on the shift lever. I think there may be an electical problem that is turning the overdrive Off.

arlingtonva · January 2004

We have a 1995 Nissan Quest which needs another tire replacement w/in a few thousand miles.

The orig. tires were Goodyear Eagle "H"-rated size 215/70R15 (97H). This van had larger tires because it had the optional towing pkg. - not that we needed it - it was just a left-over '95 model at years end. Most of these Quest vans did not have H-rated tires; most tire charts do not even show it as an option when I was looking for the first replacement tires.

In any event, at 45K miles the Goodyears had to be replaced. Installed Michelin MXV4, same size but V-rated (97V). The only "H" rated we could get was the Goodyear again. Even one Goodyear store did not have a high opinion of them and they were more expensive than Michelins!

After about 40K miles and 5 years on the Michelins, they are due for replacement soon. Is there any reason to replace with an H or V-rated tire for this van? We do haul things in it occasionally, but not more than 500 lbs.

When we were getting the last set, some tire stores recommended an S or T-rated tire; others would not install anything less than an H-rated tire. Even the Nissan dealer was not sure - more or less said should buy a H-rated tire. The other day, a tire dealer said that if I had bought an S or T-rated Michelin, it would still be good for another 30K miles rather than needing replacement now.

This van does not need an H or V-rated for speed. Lucky if we can get up to 70mph in 2 minutes.

Even so, it has been a good van and serves its purpose and is not worth anything on a trade or resale.

I would appreciate any thoughts on this matter. I am at a dead-end on this. Hope that some of you have this type van w/ the larger tires. Did not get much response in the tires forum.

Thanks,
Henry

usma82 · January 2004

Any tire listed in your owners manual would be an acceptable replacement. It sounds like you already know about the speed ratings of tires so I wont go into why the H speed rating isn't required for your van.

I just got a set of tires for my 2000 Villager. I used the following web site which had a very good rating system,(http://www.tirerack.com/). I ended up getting Yokohama Avid Touring tires which were the top rated tire for my van. So far I have been very happy with them. They cost about $45 each.

m6che · January 2004

Just wanted to mention that I used the link for the radio display fix (See msg # 1399) http://www.shareamemory.com/radio/index.htm) about a year ago on my 99 Quest when the display went dead.

I paid for the detailed info and tried fixing the solder connections on the power supply board myself. Couldn't get it to work, so I sent the board in for a repaired board, credited for the money I'd already paid, then sent my old board back in the same box.

I'm very happy and the display has worked fine for a year now. You know, even though it's a relatively trivial problem, it's the most annoying thing since it stares you in the face every time you get in the van!

Disclaimer: I have nothing to do with the website or individual running it; just confirming it worked for me.

dhoff · January 2004

I had to go back and look, sure enough, I posted that link. I'm glad it worked for you. Sounds like the exchange program is the way to go. Though, I hope I never have to use it!

Dave

kzookzoo · February 2004

Could you teach me how pop the interior door trim?
I want to change side mirror of my van,
but I could not find out the way to pop the door panel of driver side.

stever · February 2004

What year is your Quest?

Mine's a '99. On it, you have to remove a screw in the door handle where the power window switches are, and then gently pop the panel out by popping the clips. Start at the bottom, and use something like a putty knife on the first two or three. The top of the panel slides down into the window glass channel area, so after you pop the clips you lift the panel up and out.

There's a trianglar plastic panel opposite the mirror that also comes off (one screw?). You have to remove the door light connection at the bottom of the door too. The mirror itself attaches to the door with three bolts (plus the wiring harness), iirc.

If you break a clip, Home Depot supposedly has replacements.

Why are you replacing your driver side mirror? Did you drop a canoe on it? (j/k).

Steve, Host

johnwng · February 2004

I am wondering if anyone knows the socket size for the brake caliber of Quest '99. I am trying to replace the front brake pads but do not have the right wrench set.

dhoff · February 2004

Johnwng-

The socket for the brake caliper is a Torx T40. Buy a good quality one, or a couple of cheap ones, I've heard it is easy to break then taking the bolts out.

Dave

rbudn83510 · March 2004

hi..i have the sticking gas pedal problem. I read back in alot of the posts but cant find any detailed instructions on how to repair it. Is this a job a novice can do? I would appreciate anybodys help on this. Thank you!

stever · March 2004

Here's a post on how to clean it:

dhoff Jan 24, 2001 4:54pm

For more, search for "throttle body."

And yes, you can d-i-y without much difficulty.

Steve, Host

devs01 · March 2004

Does anyone know where I can get instructions on programming a keyless remote for a 1999 Quest?
Thanks.

stever · March 2004

Here's a link for programming an older Quest. It's the same as the instuctions I have for my '99 Quest. Let me know if it doesn't make sense and I'll quote more from my factory manual.

Steve, Host

devs01 · March 2004

Steve - Thank you very much for the link. I will give it a try.

jhetfieldmetal · March 2004

last year around this time i inherited a 93 villager from my parents (it had about 90,000 miles at the time), the car is in mint condition, it had a oil change every 3,000 miles, new tires, new timeing belt, tune up around 80,000. as time went on my gas mileage dramticly decreased, im now getting around 12-13 miles a gallon city wise. I've tried gas cleaners, putting premium into the car, cleaning the air filter frequently but nothing has worked. i think it could be the injectors but im not sure. has anyone had this problem and can anyone provide helpful tips on improving my gas mileage?

stever · March 2004

Dragging brake pads is all that comes to me off-hand. Sure sounds like it's something not so simple. Maybe the O2 sensors or similar?

Try asking in Got a Quick, Technical Question? too. Some of the mechanics hang out there and not in the vehicle specific discussions.

Steve, Host

kymike · March 2004

Since this is a '93 and I did not see any mention of replacement of broken exhaust manifold bolts, I would add this to the list of possible causes for the reduced mileage. This also generally results in reduced power as well.

stever · March 2004

I did wonder about that, but didn't see anything in the manifold stuff I looked at about mpg.

There is this old post though:

ksywu "Mercury Villager Manifold Exhaust Bolts" Feb 2, 2001 6:02am

Let's hope it's something simpler!

Steve, Host

mevande · April 2004

Hello everyone,
I am sure some of you with this model received some legal paperwork re: Nissans neglagance re: the design of the throttle assembly leading to the gas pedal "sticking". Nissan agreed to pay for repairs that customers had done, however we had to contact Nissan with paperwork etc. just to make it happen. Has anyone here received any compensation on this issue. Also, our Quest is doing it again! Just 10,000 miles after the last time and they indicate that because it is older than 5 years (ours is by one month) we have to pay 80.00 to get it fixed! I think Nissan should be taken to court again and fined. This is a complete disgrace. Anyone on this board having similar problems??. Perhaps we can start another "suit" with more teeth.

stever · April 2004

I just clean the throttle body myself. It's not that difficult for a d-i-y project.

And I never paid to have the dealer do it, so I didn't send in a claim form (not to mention the paperwork got buried on my desk <g>).

Steve, Host

m6che · April 2004

I got fed up waiting for some action on Nissan's part on this problem for our 1999 Quest. My wife got tired of the randomly sticking accelerator. (Definitely a safety problem.)

Anyway, here's what I did successfully to clean the throttle body -- Buy a can of spray throttle body cleaner, one safe for oxygen sensors and fuel injection. Do this with the engine cold. Use a screwdriver to loosen the plastic air hose clamp from the air filter housing to the throttle body intake and a couple of other hose clamps, enough to pull it off the throttle body and move it aside. You don't actually have to take it all off. Space is little tight, but if you're patient, it's easy enough to do without dismantling everything.

Spray a decent amount of cleaner into the throttle body. Use a toothbrush to scrub around the edge of the throttle body plate, opening it to clean around the inside of the throttle body where the plate contacts the inside wall when the throttle is closed. (This is the position in which it sticks when you take your foot off the gas at a stop.) Spray some more cleaner into the throttle body when you're done scrubbing.

You can start the engine and make sure it runs. It may be rough for a few seconds. Shut off the engine and reattach the plastic hose to/from the air cleaner, reconnect the other hoses and make sure everything is secure. Recheck the engine compartment and test drive.

I did this after the sticking throttle problem had gotten BAD, probably every third stop, the accelerator would stick. The throttle is working fine now -- you don't realize how smoothly it is supposed to work until you clean it!

BTW - saw someplace that overfilling the crankcase oil can contribute to this problem -- something I hadn't heard before. Hope this helps.
Mitch

zhang · April 2004

My 97 quest got an a/c problem yesterday. It worked fine first and all of a sudden it didn't blow out cold air. I check the fuse in the fuse box and it is ok. When open the hood, there is no change after I push the a/c button. Seems the compressor doesn't work at all. I am wandering if there is another a/c fuse under the hood?
Any suggestions? Thanks.
Zhang

shohjwh · April 2004

Hey, Guys.
My car(nissan quest 99 gxe) has been problem of opening windows(both left and right). Couple of months ago, left window open switch in drive seat had problem. When I opened left window, it's O.K. but when closing, it didn't work, then I pull up softly and worked again. Next month, left window had problem too. Opening is O.K. but when closing, I had to pull up in force rather than softly (right window). Finally, yesterday this problem was worth and worth. More softly until it worked for right window and forcedly almost broke the switch for left window to close. Today, I tried to fix and when I opened drive seat window switch area(sorry I have no idea what to call) I thought window open switch didn't work well. I saw the number in that part (XF52 14540 DBBHAS) Small black box which has two window switch, window lock switch, one more window open and close switch. Can I fix this problem just change part? if possible, can I order and change myself? It looks simple frankly I already took off to check. What is real? name of this part. I cannot find internet.
Thanks

Diamonddvd

stickguy · April 2004

the window switch is a common problem. You should be good to go if you replace the part. You can get it from the dealer for about $60 IIRC. If you already took it apart, you can certainly change it out yourself.

dhoff · April 2004

I replaced the window switch in our 99 Quest a while back. It's easy to do but the part is a bit costly, stickguy I think your estimate is about right.

I did try taking the old one apart out of curiosity, and I was surprised at all the electronics and circuit boards contained within. Must be one smart switch. The new one works great, it's nice to be able to close the windows as well as open them.

Dave

robcor151 · April 2004

I own a 94 Merc Villager with 264000 kliks.The check engine light has been coming on intermittently for about 3 years now.Just this week the tranny would slip in and out of overdrive while driving at highway speeds but only once in a while.At the tranny shop the mechanic did a code scan and told me the problem was a egr solenoid problem and not a tranny problem,(code 32). By the way he couldn't believe how well the old girl ran with so much mileage.Anyway,I'm no mechanic but how would the egr valve solenoid cause tranny problems. Any body out there have similar problems?

stever · April 2004

I'm no mechanic either, but apparently the EGR valve (or maybe the EGR system) can cause tranny problems. See:

docgb "Honda Odyssey Transmission Problems" Sep 11, 2003 7:04pm

and this link under Ailments:

http://www.autosite.com/garage/encyclop/ency08g.asp

No manifold bolt issues? Great odometer reading, even if it is in kms :-)

Steve, Host

robcor151 · April 2004

As a matter of fact we do have a broken manifold bolt or two.The problem only arises in the summer when the temperature gets over 50 degrees or so.As I live in Manitoba this only happens for a couple of months a year.The actual mileage of the old girl is 267,299 kilometers as I've been told by the old lady.We bought the van in 1999 with 124000 K's and other than tierod ends and CV boots she hasn't cost us anything in repairs.Probably one of the best vehicles I've ever owned.I wouldn't hesitate to buy another one if the right deal came along.But the way she's running I'll probably be driving her another couple of years.Well,gotta run.Gotta change an Egr valve and the oil.Thanks

stever · April 2004

Short summer? Sounds like Winterpeg. I guess everyone is sick of that pun by now. :-)

We've driven across Manitoba a few times, including once in the Quest in '99 - some great country up that way.

My UPS driver has a '94 Villager and his mechanic managed to break 3 bolts replacing the manifold gasket a few years ago. So he got those replaced at no additional charge.

Now he has tranny issues from towing a trailer over a pass lots of weekends without a tranny cooler. Pretty much cooked it I think. But he likes the van so much he fixes stuff instead of trading.

Steve, Host

bonrea · April 2004

Hey waynerp in your post 1409 you said that you fix/solved the windshield washer lamp problem. Could you give us a short description of what steps you took to fix the windshield washer lamp problem. You said that you removed it from the tank but what exactly did you have to do?

devs01 · April 2004

I have a '99 Quest with 53,000 miles and the Service Engine Soon light has just come on. This occurred when the van was just a couple months old back in 1999 and the Dealer said it was due to a loose gas cap. My fear is that this time I'll be told the problem is more severe since the van is out of warranty. Has anyone experienced this light coming on and if so, what caused it and how was it fixed. Thanks in advance.

kymike · April 2004

I had the same problem. There are a couple of solutions -

1)replace the sensor in the washer fluid bottle
2)unplug the sensor in the washer fluid bottle.

I chose option # 2 as it was the inexpensive route. Either way, in order to get to the sensor to remove or unplug it, you need to -
a)raise the front end of the vehicle;
b)remove the passenger-side front tire;
c)remove the plastic wheel well liner (or at least the front portion of it);

Once the wheel well liner is removed, you can see where a wire plugs in at the bottom of the washer fluid tank. Unplug this and the light problem goes away (but you no longer have a low-fluid warning) I taped over the end of the plug to keep dirt out in case I ever want to go back in and replace the sensor and reattach the plug. To finish up, reinstall the liner and replace the wheel.

chibuya · May 2004

I have a 96 quest with a blown head gasket. I noticed a very old post listed as a silent recall due to 96 Quest engine problems but I can't find anymore information regarding that.

budda1 · May 2004

I also have a question on gas mileage. I have a 1998 Villager and whenever I fillup, I get about 280 miles of highway driving per fillup. My question is how big is the tank? I recently have my fuelpump replaced (The one inside the gas tank) It was making that hmmmmming noice that is driving me nuts. Cost me $250 to replace. is that a good price?
One last question, yesterday I was driving on the highway and all of a sudden my ABS light came on and then went back off after 15 minutes. Should I be concern about it. I just had my breaks done about 1 month ago.

Thanks in advance.

angelweezy · June 2004

I WAS OFFERED TO BUY A 1999 NISSAN QUEST TODAY AND OF COARSE I KNOW NOTHING ABOUT THE NISSAN QUEST OTHER THAN IT LOOKS GREAT AND DID DRIVE GREAT. I HOPE THAT YOU CAN HELP ME DECIDE IF THIS IS THE VAN FOR ME. PLEASE EMAIL ME AND TELL ME ALL YOU CAN ( PRO/CON ) OF THE 1999 NISSAN QUEST. THANK YOU IN ADVANCE. MY E-MAIL IS DUNN680@COMCAST.NET ANGELWEEZY

angelweezy · June 2004

THIS IS ANGELWEEZY AGAIN, I FORGOT TO TELL YOU THAT THE VAN HAS 64,000 MILES AND THEY ARE ASKING 10,500 ON THE PRICE. ALSO HOW LONG WAS THE WARRANTY ON THE 1999 QUEST AND CAN I STILL GET AN EXTENDED WARRANTY ON IT. THANKS SO MUCH, ANGELWEEZY----DUNN680@COMCAST.NET

stever · June 2004

Please, no caps - shouting is hard to read.

Check the Used Car Appraiser link for pricing info.

The drivetrain warranty was 5 years/60,000 miles on the '99.

Skim back in here for problem spots, like balky power windows.

Steve, Host

300zx · June 2004

Yes, Kel I had a same problem with my 2001 quest. It happens to all the models from 1998 through 2002. Friend of mine just had his done on the 2000 quest.

300zx · June 2004

known issues with all Nissan Quest models 1998 through 2002. At around 35K through 60K most folks will experience the sensor failure. Nissan will deny the fact that there is a problem and will charge over $300 to fix this nuisance. I know you may think its no big deal and who cares however this is another bad design and poor quality that needs to be addressed? Have I mentioned the engine lights????

bsmith · June 2004

Had a similar problem on my 97 Villager. The dealer wanted $900 for 4 new hoses because they identified a leak in one of the hoses that wind there way under the frame and drivers seat to the rear unit. I took it to a radiator shop here in surburban Detroit to get a second opinion. They found the leak, cut and spliced in a compression fitting , recharged the unit and... bingo... $150 later I had a.c. The rear unit will not work and was diagnosed with a problem in the head unit. (in the dash) It has been fixed for 2 years now and works fine. Good Luck

shohjwh · June 2004

Hey, guys.
I have a nissan quset gxe 1999 with~83Kmilage.Recently, I can feel a little strange sound?. When mission was changed, especially when I stopped to press accellarator then I felt "Kung". I'm sorry for bad expression and I changed transmission oil at 60k. Please help me to solve this problem.
Thanks.

kcrnmale · June 2004

My 2001 Villager has poor A/C. It wouldn't blow cold air, only cool air for a long time and then no cool air. I took it to the dealer (under warranty) and they "fixed" it-leaking rear A/C lines. Now cool air again and after 1/2 hour of driving the air finally feels cold again. Any suggestions?

stever · June 2004

There's some trouble-shooting tips in this article:

Tech Center - Air Conditioning

Steve, Host

charles15 · June 2004

I have 78K on my 99 Quest and see that the timing belt is not due for change until 105K. That seems like a lot to me for a timing belt on an interference type engine which the Quest is. Anyone changing the belts earlier. I am thinking about 80K.

stever · June 2004

I think Ford specifically requested that the engine in the Villager/Quests be modified so they aren't interference type engines (although the Pathfinder variation may be).

I'm at 93,000 miles on my '99 Quest's original timing belt.

Steve, Host

questioner · June 2004

I was planning to flush the tranny on my 96 quest recently But the service consultant at local Nissan dealer suggests me to do a tranny service (drop oil pan and change filter) instead of a tranny flush because he thinks my Quest with 100K miles is a little dangerous to have a tranny flush. While my tranny flush still looks pink and doesn't smell burnt. What's your guys opinion on this? Should I go with a flush or just a service?

stever · June 2004

Food for thought:

dustyk "Chrysler minivans transmission problems" Jun 3, 2004 6:37pm

Steve, Host

Nissan Quest/Mercury Villager problems

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