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Nissan Quest/Mercury Villager problems
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Did you ever find the problem?
So, after some time and reading on this board and finally getting to talk to my dad's Mechanic and allowing me to take a look at all the manuals in dealing with this van. My dad's Mechanic said the only thing that really comes to mind, due to all the crazy sensor codes that would come up, is that it has to be a ground issue. OK, I copied off the wiring diagram and in looking at it with the mechanic discovered that the ECT and TPS Sensor shared the same spliced ground wire. These were the 2 most common sensor errors that the OBDII was kicking out all the time. With this information a friend of mine and I went to work first making sure that all main hard grounds were intact and have no issues. Then we made a quick jumper from the ECT Sensor Ground wire to the TPS Sensor Ground Wire and then grounded the wire to the Main Ground. (You can ground this anywhere on the engine if you like). Guess What all my problems went away.
What I suspect is that the ground wires for the ECT and TPS Sensor that run all the way back to the PCM through the firewall must have cut through or disrupted the connection in some way. So, if anyone else runs into this issue with some crazy sensor readings it will more in likely be a ground issue and then the fun begins. I feel I was lucky, but I hope my information will help someone else.
I feel weird posting to a forum where everyone seems to know what they are talking about. I know nothing about engines but here goes. I have a 1996 villager with about 66,000 miles on it. Recently my ex replaced several belts and the water pump. About a month ago the check engine light came on. The van does not seem to drive any differently to me but I want to make sure I am not hurting it by driving. I am disabled and do not drive that much and I can't afford expensive repairs. Especially when I have no clue if the mechanic is telling me the truth or not . One other thing. The batter has come up dead several times over the past month. Once jumped it ran ok. The battery was replaced but it is still happening. I make sure everything is off..doors closed etc when leaving. Any ideas?
Thanks so much.
You generally will not harm the engine by driving with the light on, but I would get it checked out and fix the problem versus ignoring it.
Autozone can also check out the battery for you - usually at no cost.
Keep us informed and we can let you know if proposed repair costs appear to be reasonably priced.
But the next time we reached 65 on the highway we had the horrible rattle you described, and when we pulled off the highway we could smell the brakes.
After reading your post and the other follow up entries, I began to suspect a problem with the ABS computer, so we nursed our Quest home at 55 MPH so I could have my mechanic look at it.
He confirmed that the computer may need resetting after a brake job, although he said I could probably have done that myself by disconnecting the battery (although he says this doesn't work on newer VWs, which have to be reset manually with computer equipment).
When he hooked up the computer scanner he couldn't find anything needing resetting in the ABS system. So he opened the rear brakes and found that they hadn't been cleaned after all, and that the ABS system was covered with an accumulation of metal filings, which was throwing off the sensor.
It looks like our problem is solved by now. I think ours is.
The tires were fantastic Firestone Supreme Si 225/60/16 with about 40,000 miles and a lot of tread dept remaining. I replaced the fronts with a pair of Goodyear Assurance 80,000 mile tires. They weren't my first choice, but the blow out happened just blocks from a Goodyear dealer - so, when in Rome....
I dropped off the van and picked it up after work. On my way to the car I noticed that the dealer had not reinstalled the driver's side hub cap. Foolishly, I assumed that they left it in the back of the van. Thinking I would just install it at home, I drove off. When I arrived home, my wife immediately noticed the missing hub cap and asked what happened. I said it was in the back and that I would install it immediately. She went to open the rear liftgate only to discover that it would only open half way. I went back so see what was wrong and discovered that one my tailgate struts was bent like a hockey stick.
I confronted the service station this morning about the issue. They denied everything, going so far as to state that they have no idea how that could have happened given the strength of most tailgate struts. After a short lesson on the multiplying power of a lever the guy agreed to get a new strut.
Has anybody else had their tailgate struts fail or bend? Just curious.
the 91-94' set should be right for a 93-98 Quest?Villager.
If not, then perhaps what year of Maxima they used for parts lookup?
However the battery is still being drained somehow even with the new battery installed. Which is really a bummer expecially when living alone. Plus I do not want to be out late somewhere and not be able to get the van started. So maybe the battery is getting drained by something?
What is the best way to get this checked? Basically I want to find out what and how much the repair is going to cost..because I need to make sure I have the cash to get it fixed. Can I take it to a garage and ask them to see what is wrong and let me know before putting in new stuff? I only have about 300 dollars put back and I am sure engine repairs are more than this. My ex works at a ac delco supply store and could probably get parts for me..will a mechanic let me bring parts to him or do I have to buy the parts from the garage? LOL I have no clue ! I appreciate everyone taking the time to read this..thanks so much.
Nancy :confuse:
Does anyone of you encounter this problem? Any suggestions? The van rides very nicely at 68k. Had the timing belt, brakes (front, rear), hoses replaced last month at the dealer. Appreciate your comments very much.
Nissan Quest GXE 1999, bought new in Dec. 1998
I managed to scrape our two cars together on the driveway last month (ouch!). My 2005 Acrua TL took $1100 to fix. We decided to leave the Villager alone - not worth the cost. It isn't all that noticable because of the two-tone paint....
The Villager has had relatively few problems over the years. It runs good and burns no oil. We had to have the exhaust manifold bolts fixed at about 150K miles (a common problem). The Nissan engine and transaxle have been flawless. Most problems have come from the Ford side:
- Ignition switch disintegrated a year or two ago and had to be replaced
- Rear AC blower used to take about 5 minutes to start, now doesn't work at all
- O/D light sometimes flickers on/off while driving (with corresponding up/downshifts), wiggling the shifter sometimes stops it. Dirty contact in there somewhere.
- Paint is a bit chalky, noticably crappy relative to other cars I've owned
- Interior is still in quite good shape, we use mats on the floor and have had a dash cover on until recently
- Bad CV joints, we had the full axles and joints replaced at about 175K
We are close to getting rid of it for an Odyssey (which I wish was a bit smaller), my scrape probably dropped the value from about $1000 to a few hundred. We might donate it instead. However, we might wait 6 months so we can make it to 200K!
My 1995 Villager has developed an odd problem - the front heat/ac fan will work only on the highest setting. When it is set to one of the lower settings, it does not work at all. Is there a fix for this short of buying an entire new control unit? Let me know. Thanks.
Thanks!
Thanks.
After that, look for the little stuff, switches, rattles and things of that nature.
Just keep up with the usual oil changes, drive belts, bulbs, and you will have many more miles out of this Villager. We have two Villagers, a 93 and a 98. and find that they have most of the same parts between the two, and are mostly pretty easy to repair. Some of the others on this forum may have a few other suggestions. Good Luck! Let us know how you do. Earl
We're trying to figure out: Given the possibility of stud replacement costs ($250-1000 just for this, according to my mechanic), is it worth replacing the exhaust manifold? Clearly we need to repair it if we're going to keep the van, but we're wondering if a liquid crack filler might do the job so we can buy time on this & still safely use the vehicle. Any opinions? What experience have other MV owners here had with replacing the exhaust manifold &/or using a liquid crack filler?
I'm making my way through the message archives, but would appreciate new input too. Thanks!
Zoe & Dan
Villagers have a common problem with the fuel rail - rubber hose connections lostening up over time. The fuel rail is located just under the intake manifold on top of the engine. The rubber hose is connected to the steel fuel rail tubing using a small hose clamp. Take a phillips screwdriver, and snug up the screws in teh hose clamps on each end of the fuel rail.
I did this each winter for about 3 winters when the fuel smell would recurr. Now, it has been about 4 years with no fuel smell. !!
Found this fix on a Villager/Quest web site about 6 years ago.
Hope it works!
SoobieGuy
Earl :sick:
If this doesn't work or is not clear, post back and I will pull out my manual.
I have a 2000 Quest SE. It has the following problems:
1) Radio display off. Due to a poor soldering job on the power supply board. I had it fixed twice at the cost of $100. The repaires were re-soldering the PCB.
2) Back Windshield wipper motor failed.
3) Low Windshield cleaner lite always on.
4) Noise front tires. Sears told me to replace all shocks and related parts for about $1000.
Any comments or experience to share ?
Thanks,