my car died on me again last night (5 times)

[silvia lover]

long story short. last night after browsing in boders (sp?), car fired right up, but when i shift to reverse, the car die. i wait for 30 sec and fired it up, samething happened for 3 more times before i drove it off the parking lot. In the way home, car had really rough idle and when i step on gas, it delay about a sec before the car actually go. The exhaust sounds really funny like the car was pooping the whole time. anyway, any idea of what happened to my car? because it happens more ofter now.
btw, car idle roughly (i can feel the car shaking) when i have the heat on. what's wrong with that? any input will be great. thz

oh, i did the ecu diagnose (sp?) but all it show was knock sensor. hope it's something causing it b/c i don't want to pay for the sensor, they are freaking expensive.

[aznpoopy]

at or mt?

if the ecu is showing a problem with the knock sensor u better replace it. iirc without a knock sensor the ecu automatically retards the timing. its only like 120 bucks or so. however it's not gonig to cause the plethora or problems you described above. anyway, knock sensor = small change when it comes to car parts.

[idlafie]

long story short. last night after browsing in boders (sp?), car fired right up, but when i shift to reverse, the car die. i wait for 30 sec and fired it up, samething happened for 3 more times before i drove it off the parking lot. In the way home, car had really rough idle and when i step on gas, it delay about a sec before the car actually go. The exhaust sounds really funny like the car was pooping the whole time. anyway, any idea of what happened to my car? because it happens more ofter now.
btw, car idle roughly (i can feel the car shaking) when i have the heat on. what's wrong with that? any input will be great. thz

oh, i did the ecu diagnose (sp?) but all it show was knock sensor. hope it's something causing it b/c i don't want to pay for the sensor, they are freaking expensive.

1) Check to see if you don't have anything clogging the air filter & intake box.
2) Check to see if you have any cracked, torn, cut, melted vacuum lines. If you are able to start the car & it idles...see if you can hear a hissing sound. If you can, trace it back to it's source & either replug it back to the connector it came loose from or replace/repair the cracked, torn, cut or melted line with another.
3) Check to see if any of your spark plug wires haven't come loose or disconnected from the plug.

As for the car idling roughly, when was the last time you tuned it? Change the spark plugs, distributor cap, rotor? Changed the air/oil/fuel filters?? If you're lucky it's just a loose spark plug wire, cracked/melted/cut/torn vacuum line or just needs a tune up.

If you haven't done so, get your hands on a FSM & start brushing up on your mechanical skills.
http://www.ffdet.com/members/rich/Nissan/nissan.htm

Hope this helps...

ID

[mrmephistopheles]

probably a loose intake pipe.

[Pacman]

Was it cold outside? Do you notice a big drop in the gas mileage? If so, then it sould be the knock sensor. Thats whats wrong with my car, and when its cold outside, it'll die immediatly. I went to kragen today and its $310. Hope its not the knock sensor in your case.

[silvia lover]

i know how crazy the knock sensor the dealer ask for :P b/c i went there and asked them. man, they rip big time. The knock sensor problem happened before like 2 years ago, the mechanic was looking for any problem with my car at that time and he found out the light for knock sensor, somehow he fixed it. but it just come back :( yeah, my gas mileage drop big time for quite sometime now (it suck to have 20 miles per gallon :()
i don't think the intake pipe is loose because i checked them while i was cleaning the filter 2 weeks ago.
answer for idlafie, i cleaned the filter not too long ago and it's in great shape. i also didn't here any leaking sound while it idle. the spark plug wires and spark plug are secured in place and were replace not too long ago (in sept. if i remebered it right).
everything runs fine but the rough idle happens when the car going crazy or have the heat and headlight on the same time. any input for that?
thz for everyone inputs. hope i can get it fix soon b/c it become annoying to drive it when it gone wild on me :P
btw, my car is at. hope this help a little

[Pacman]

I have the same problem. Its the knock sensor or the wiring, that probably how the mechanic fixed it. Check my thread, its about the knock sensor. Not much, but may help.

[idlafie]

i know how crazy the knock sensor the dealer ask for :P b/c i went there and asked them. man, they rip big time. The knock sensor problem happened before like 2 years ago, the mechanic was looking for any problem with my car at that time and he found out the light for knock sensor, somehow he fixed it. but it just come back :( yeah, my gas mileage drop big time for quite sometime now (it suck to have 20 miles per gallon :()
i don't think the intake pipe is loose because i checked them while i was cleaning the filter 2 weeks ago.
answer for idlafie, i cleaned the filter not too long ago and it's in great shape. i also didn't here any leaking sound while it idle. the spark plug wires and spark plug are secured in place and were replace not too long ago (in sept. if i remebered it right).
everything runs fine but the rough idle happens when the car going crazy or have the heat and headlight on the same time. any input for that?
thz for everyone inputs. hope i can get it fix soon b/c it become annoying to drive it when it gone wild on me :P
btw, my car is at. hope this help a little

Check my response to Pacman...he's having the same problems as you....
http://www.zilvia.net/f/showthread.php?t=65617
ID