New to Nissan, need help!!

Hello everyone, I just bought my first Nissan and when I was driving it back from Vancouver to my home in the West Kootenays (B.C.) i was fighting this bad misfire. If I step on it below about 3000 rpm the thing sputters and farts until you hit about 3000-3500 and then it goes like hell, and I was hoping someone could help me out with this problem as this looks like a good place for info. Oh yeah it has a ca18et engine that was rather ill maintained and exhaust leaking at the block due to a broken manifold bolt (will be fixed immedietly) so any help would be greatley appreciated.

cool, another bc member...too bad your'e so far away...

I had a similar problem with my ca20e. what did the trick for me was a tune up...plugs, wires, cap, rotor, oil and filter change and also fuel filter change.

you're going to do those anyways(I hope) so may as well do those first to see if that solves anything.

I did and ever since, I haven't had a problem.

Yeah i plan to do a complete tune, plug wires, cap and rotor, engine flush and the like so i'll see if that helps. A guy i work with also suggested the O2 sensor might be cooked and giving bad readings to the ecu until 3500 where the WOT position program takes over so i'll check both. Btw what color is your nissan, i used to live in surrey last year and in Vancouver until two months ago, I might have seen it. And surrey is only 5 1/2 hours from where i live. hehe. While i remember is there anywhere in Vancouver that you can get performance parts for s-12's, as I am living in a VERY small town and resources are slim. Any help is great.

ahhaha performance parts? 'fraid not

my S12 is a red one :D

westside(a member on the forums) got his cam done in abbotsford so he may be able to hook you up. he's also got a ca18et.

I have a CA20 that was doing the same thing when I bought it. It was the MAF.

If it is the mAF that is easy to check. The car will run to 200rpm with the MAF not there, so to check it, unplug the connectors that are under the airbox on the drivers side (LHD). If you unplug it, and the backfire stops then you found the problem. However even if this does solve your problem, I would suggestdoing what Indy suggested, if but nothing else it wil make the car run a bit smoother. 8)

Welcome to the board. When you do your tune-up check the plug wires and see if you have a pair of wires crossed. I had the no.1 and 2 intake wires mixed after I changed my plugs and it was doing the same thing as you described. Because our engine are twin plugs you get "partial" sparks and so it is harder to detect vs. normal single plug per cylinder engines.

I went home after reading your advice (thanks for the advice btw) and checked the maf sensor and it was okay and then i checked the o2 sensor and lo and behold all three wires were ripped right out of damn thing, hahaha.
It seems the farther i get into this car the more it looks like the mechanic who last worked on it was insane. I have a new o2 sensor i will be putting in along with new exhaust gaskets (one stud was broken and and thus cooked my manifold gaskets) and i discover that this knucklehead welded the downpipe to the rest of the exhaust! what a dickhead. So I'll try the sensor and the tune-up and let you guys know how it went. Thanks for everything.

Sounds like you got a "good Deal" for your turbo S12, a good deal of work that is.... BTW, taking the exhaust manifold is not that difficult if you have done it more then once. Let me know if you need some "helpful advice" when you change the exhaust gasket and the stud. As far as "performance parts", there is nothing much out there anymore since most company usually stop their production run when the vehicle is more then 10 years old. Most of the "performance" parts that I have for my turbo are either "universal" or made for "Nissans". There are a few "rice shops" in Richmond where you can get some decent dress-up parts. I also know a place or two for more "fancy" stuff and replacement parts. Club S12 is a very friendly place so just drop us a line if you need something.

I finally got the manifold off and fixed the stud and put the thing back on with a whole lot of pain and suffering but i can see how its easier the socend time around. And all things considered the car was a good deal, othere than the insane mechanic i only paid 1500 (cdn) for it and its got good body and paint, no rust and only 130k on it. So with some work (probably a lot) it should be a good base to work on. If i ever figure out how to put pictures in these replies I'll put some up. BTW I found this car by accident in burnaby, lucky me!

Good to know this is only the second time you took the mani out to fix something. I have to take mine out four times and each time for a different reason. 1500 for a turbo with 130 k sounds like a good deal to me....and no rust! I had my turbo since 1990 and the only real problem I had was the exhaust manifold and the fuel sending unit. Have fun and enjoy your new toy.