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Nissan Quest/Mercury Villager problems
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Comments
So I pulled two trouble codes out: speed sensor and knock sensor
I replaced the speed sensor had the OBD reset and still getting CEL on all the time and OD flashing upon starts. There is no knocking in the engine at all with any grade of gas.
I am trying to find out if there is a short in the system, because someone told me that the same exact symptoms showed up in his wife’s 99 Villager and it was a short in the Knock sensor wires and that they had to remove the dash to get to it.
I have a Haynes manual and it shows the schematics but it doesn’t clearly show me where the ECM is. Now I think I have located it on the left side of engine compartment near the manifold, a black rectangular box with wires going into it from both sides and when I undid the 10mm screw on the front of it and pulled off one of the plastic covers I found it had numbers corresponding to the wires.
The problem is I can’t tell which number corresponds to the knock sensor cuz the Haynes Manual doesn’t tell me!! Does anyone know if I am really looking at the ECM and which wire number corresponds to the knock sensor in my 99 Quest. If I remember correctly there are 42 numbers/wires in all.
Does anyone know exactly where the wire comes out of the manifold for the knock sensor? We are currently checking the right hand side and we think we may have located it but can’t find the harness it should go into.
Also are there better manuals out there for this vehicle other than the $210.00 CD-Rom (printed is $275.00) from Nissan themselves for the shop/service manual?
Thanks any advice is appreciated and I am fearful that this is going to cost me minimum $500-1000 to fix.
Jenn
I apologize if this info is located somewhere on the list already but I can’t seem to locate it.
So other than the speedometer and the cruise not working I haven’t had any major issues until today today the van worked fine on the way into work but when I left I got back on the highway and it started smoothly lurching almost like major hesitation, no backfiring, and then it wouldn’t go more than 30 mph with the pedal to the floor on the highway. And after full stops it wont accelerate very quickly if I try to “push it” it get very sluggish response. I looked at the throttle cable and cruise cable and both seem ok, the throttle cable is a bit loose. SO I am thinking it was/is the knock sensor which makes me very unhappy.
If you have a multimeter, check the voltage coming out of the TPS. I don't remember for sure, but I think it is supposed to be between 0.4vdc - 0.5vdc. You adjust it by loosening the TPS screws and rotating the TPS slightly. Also, check that the other connector (TP switch) is shorted at idle. This is how I fixed my TPS - I never replaced it. NOTE: Somehow the TPS position moved the first time, so I had to do it twice, so don't worry if the error comes back - check the TPS again. ALSO, if you decide to replace the TPS, you will still have to do the adjustment. Finally: you will know if your TPS is not adjust right - you will notice the idle speed is high. Good luck, I would be interested to know how you make out.
I have the factory manual for my '99 Quest. In one place it says that the ECM can be viewed after removing the instrument panel; in another place it says the ECM is located behind the instrument lower cover; it looks to be underneath/behind the glove compartment in the dash. In one diagram there looks to be a wire bundle on one side (right side facing the dash?) and a relay on the back of the unit (a longish rectangle). Another diagram shows the wiring harness on the front of the box with wires going in and out from the center.
Confused? I am - the manual is probably making it worse!
The ECM terminal reference table says the knock sensor terminal no. is 64 and the wire is white. The DC voltage should be approximately 2.5V at idle.
Usual disclaimers - I'm not a wrench turner and much of the stuff in the manual is way over my head.
Steve, Host
I can't believe the Haynes manual said it was in the engine compartment next to the manifold!! I am very UNhappy with the Haynes manual it really doesn't tell you much. I am praying it is not the $1000.00 buried under everything elusive knock sensor... although that is better than the trani needing to be replaced. But I have to say all in all I love my minivan and if its needs to go to the Dr...then I will just have to suck it up :sick:
Jenn
robert
Thanks again, Spike59
Thanks,
Mike
How effective is the front A/C working only when temp. are so high with young kids "cooking" in the back?
Thanks for your prompt feedback folks! :confuse:
also have same problem with front seat belts same year 95 villager.
i can get them to move from 'b to a' by pushing down on the red button near the park brake, with the door open.
closing the door returns them to the b,position where they stay!
what is my-our problem
My belts were stuck for one day. After several trips and many attempts to get them to work in the driveway, they still would not budge! Then, my wife returned from the library the next day and said they were working. And they have worked perfectly ever since. Sorry that I can't help.
Mark
nshaukat
I actually removed the bottom cap of the switch box, and then I carefully pried the circuit board out. It comes out, but as steve said, each of the black switch caps have in them a white doohickey, and that doohickey is then latched onto a white base with hinge bumps on either side (just like the caps are held onto their black bases). The white base is then snapped to the circuit board with press tabs. I think the board must have also had a bit of glue holding it in, but it didn't seem like much.
So, you have to basically pry around the board (carefully, but firmly) until it pops off each of the switches. Took me a bit to work it loose. When it does come loose, some of the switches will likely come off of their rocker bumps - don't drop any of the switches as they come free, as there is a spring and a small white headpiece that you need, in each.
Once the board was free, I could see all of those white bases on the top side. I pried off the one for the bad switch, took out the metal rockers in there, and could see that the base connections were pretty bad. I cleaned those using a small wire brush. I then cleaned the rockers and put those back. I put the white base back on, and put the circuit board back in, and put the bottom cap back on. Then I could push each switch back into it's slot. The only thing that I couldn't get put back right was the child window lock, which I really didn't try hard to put back (we don't use it).
Took me maybe a bit more than an hour all-told, and saved myself $80. My van has 110,000 and it still looks very sharp. Have replaced an oxygen sensor, two ball joints, and a power steering box...I think that's it...
Hope that's helpful.
sparky
Mine seem to still be working fine btw.
Steve, Host
I pulled the distributor, and right away there was the problem. The metal contact arm had broken off the top of the rotor, thus no spark, no inginition.
The problem I have now is that I can't get the rotor off. I found & removed the screw on the back of the rotor, but it still wont come off. Am I missing something? I tried to pry it off, but ended up busting the back half of the rotor. I just want to be sure before I start to pry again, as I'd hate to break out the whole distributor, - quite costly.
Mike
Please help.
Steve
The knock sensor was tied to the misfire and turned out to be malfunctioning fuel injector. It seeped fuel into the combustion chamber causing a rich mixture and misfire.
I bought my own ODBII scanner and determined the upstream O2 sensor was not working. Changed it and got immediate improvement.
In the course of fooling around, I did change the cap and rotor before the O2 sensor and experienced no change.
Changing the cap and rotor is relatively easy but if you;ve never done it before, buy a manual and proceed methodically, don't mix up the firing order. You can change the O2 senser too, requires working under the front of the car, proper tools, anti seize compoud and in my case, ( the connectors didn't match ) I had to splice the old connector to the new sensor wire.The sensor was an after market unit.
Try to find a manual better than Haynes.
good luck Ed
Thanks again...
Steve
Steve, Host
Thanks,
Jason
Steve
You need to replace the front heater a/c control. Ernie
ClaireS, Host
Coupes & Convertibles | Vans & Minivans
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I understand this isn't always possible in town...
-Mathias
I struggle to get better than 21 MPG on the road and 17 MPG in town. Still on the original shocks/struts - about time to consider replacing them. I have found this vehicle to be very reliable and a pretty good value.
By the way, I used offical dealer parts and they were expensive. However, the fit was perfect which made the installation a breeze.
It is in pretty good shape, and I like it well enough - except for just
2 things - I am used to a smaller, less thirsty vehicle....but that is
just a fact - my question is about the 2nd thing - the central locks
work, but the driver's door lock cylinder is jammed, maybe with a
broken key fragment inside, so, my question:
Would someone tell me where the relay lives that controls the
locks when the lock/unlock button is pressed ?
I have a nifty little remote unit I would like to wire in so I don't
have to take apart the driver's door OR always unlock the
passenger's door to get in each time.....
Thanks !
mark
My question is. If I have no braking with my rear brakes wouldn't my brake warning light go on
whenever I pressed on the brake pedal? The brake warning light does come on and then
goes off when I start the car. I did some research today on the function and how the hydraulic proportioning valve works. From what I understand, the valve doesn't stop hydraulic fluid from going
to the back brakes, only limits the amount of fluid going to rear brakes during hard braking to prevent the rear brakes from locking up.
Is the service department trying to rip me off? What are your opinions?
Thanks John
Any ideas would be greatly appreciated! I really don't want to take it somewhere and get totally ripped off if it's something small I can fix myself (or honestly so my husband can fix it!).
Thanks!
The problem (at least on mine, I think it was fixed in later models) is that the high current line for the fan power goes through a PC board trace in the control unit. The trace just isn't large enough to reliably handle that much power. If you pull the control unit (dash) you'll probably find a burned trace. The fix is to just replace this with a soldered in wire. I think the fix on later models was to change this signal to control an additional relay that switched the high current.
So I tried isolating the problem by putting the vechicle from a dead start and put the transmission on D1 and shift to D2 and to D. The van accelerate fine by maual shifting. Can this be a problem in the transmission or a cable need adjustment?
Thank you,
Tony
P.S. The van was purchased in 1998 with 65K, now has 177K. No other major problems. We've only replaced the compressor for the a/c in addition to regular maintanence.
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