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Nissan Altima Engine Failures

683 messages,  Last post on May 08, 2013 at 10:43 PM

You are in the Nissan Altima Forum.

What is this discussion about? Nissan Altima, Engine, Sedan

    
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Messages Page 45 of 69

#440 of 683 Re: Posting phone numbers [fedfuzz] by tplotnick

Jul 08, 2009 (8:35 am)

Replying to: fedfuzz (Jul 05, 2009 10:15 am)
I just read the post and I was hoping the phone numbers could be shared with me as well. I am having the exact same issue with Nissan. I entered a case with my regional office in New York. So, far I am being that I am SOL. My 2002 Nissan Altima Engine died 101K miles. The catalitic converter recall was repaired back in 2004. I was told the engine failure was as a result of catalitic converter recall but yet Nissan is unwilling to help on the repairs of $5800. They did not offer me a cent. Any help would be greatly appreciated!!

#441 of 683 Re: Posting phone numbers [tplotnick] by pat

Jul 08, 2009 (10:47 am)

Replying to: tplotnick (Jul 08, 2009 8:35 am)
As I mentioned, you can make your email address public (temporarily if you wish) in your profile and perhaps someone can email them to you.

#442 of 683 Re: Precat issue advice??? [electricdesign] by rondhol

Jul 08, 2009 (4:17 pm)

Replying to: electricdesign (Apr 27, 2009 7:09 pm)
Is there any reason you unplugged the ECU before re-assembly the engine during head gasket job?
My car is pinging at 1300, 1500, and 1700 rpm under light load at around 40mph after the head gasket. Only happened when the engine is hot (10 minutes drive) and worse when the weather is hot with AC on. Using 93 octane gas reduces the pinging intensity. Re-manufactured MAF from Autozone doesn't help either. MIL p0171 (runs too lean) never comeback since the MAF was cleaned. http://www.flickr.com/photos/39740540N05/3655762299/ The spark plugs after 12k miles with oil consumption 0.5 quart/1k miles.

#443 of 683 ACTION YOU CAN TAKE by tylerrose

Jul 11, 2009 (7:02 pm)

I have similar problems with my daugther's 2002 altima engine which caught fire. Of course Nissan North America refuse to do anything about so here is what I have done to get justice:
 
I filed a formal complaint with Federal Trade Commission at ftc.gov; click on “consumer protection” then click on “file a complaint” the click on FTC Complaint Assistant” then answer all questions. The form will start out with question about identity theft but keep going because you will get to part to file complaint against Nissan North America.
 
Now, this website: autosafety.org does provide a place for you to check the box if you desire a class action lawsuit. Go the website the click on “file a complaint” then fill out the questionnaire. You will need your vehicles VIN number.
 
I also file a formal complaint to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration nhtsa.dot.gov. This one is important because the more people file complaints the more they will see a need to force Nissan to conduct a recall. Most definitely, make sure you show if the vehicle caught fire or caused a hazardous traffic situation such as stopping suddenly without warning.
 
I went one step further and file a complaint against National Highway Traffic Safety Administration because they keep record of all complaints on a particular vehicle and there are currently 196 pages of complaints regarding the 2002 Altima and the engine problems and nothing has been done. I mailed a letter complaint to U. S. Dept. of Transportation because NHTSA under their jurisdiction.
 
If we follow through then I am sure something will be done but if we chose to just complaint on websites with each other – well – we obviously can’t help each other.

#444 of 683 Re: Hating Nissan right now [fedfuzz] by tylerrose

Jul 11, 2009 (7:16 pm)

Replying to: fedfuzz (Jun 22, 2009 2:28 pm)
I filed a formal complaint with Federal Trade Commission at ftc.gov; click on “consumer protection” then click on “file a complaint” the click on FTC Complaint Assistant” then answer all questions. The form will start out with question about identity theft but keep going because you will get to part to file complaint against Nissan North America.
 
Now, this website: autosafety.org does provide a place for you to check the box if you desire a class action lawsuit. Go the website the click on “file a complaint” then fill out the questionnaire. You will need your vehicles VIN number.
 
I also file a formal complaint to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration nhtsa.dot.gov. This one is important because the more people file complaints the more they will see a need to force Nissan to conduct a recall. Most definitely, make sure you show if the vehicle caught fire or caused a hazardous traffic situation such as stopping suddenly without warning.
 
I went one step further and file a complaint against National Highway Traffic Safety Administration because they keep record of all complaints on a particular vehicle and there are currently 196 pages of complaints regarding the 2002 Altima and the engine problems and nothing has been done. I mailed a letter complaint to U. S. Dept. of Transportation because NHTSA under their jurisdiction.
 
If we follow through then I am sure something will be done but if we chose to just complaint on website with each other – well – we obviously can’t help each other.

#445 of 683 Re: Precat issue advice??? [rondhol] by electricdesign

Jul 12, 2009 (5:57 pm)

Replying to: rondhol (Jul 08, 2009 4:17 pm)
#1 - Is there any reason you unplugged the ECU before re-assembly the engine during head gasket job?
 
Yes, I followed the instructions per the Hayes manual and the alldatadiy site. When doing major work on any modern vehicle, the computer should be unplugged to protect it, due to all the sensor wires that are taken loose and reconnected. There is a possibility of a static electricity charge getting into the computer if it is not disconnected. Disconnecting the computer is for its own protection. If it is not protected, it can cause a problem like you are having, or many other problems.
 
#2 - The spark plug seems to look ok. A lean condition or miss as you descibe could be caused by many different things, computer, MAF, injectors, air leak, vacuum leak, throttle body, head gasket leak, ignition timing, or several of the different sensors.

#446 of 683 Re: Precat issue advice??? [electricdesign] by electricdesign

Jul 13, 2009 (8:18 am)

Replying to: electricdesign (Jul 12, 2009 5:57 pm)
I remembered another good reason to unplug the ECU. While the engine is all apart and all the sensor wires and plugs are loose, with the head gasket and head is bolted back on top of the engine, with the camshafts and timing chains reinstalled, you need to test the engine. Before doing all the work of installing all the manifolds and accesories back on the engine, you want to test the engine to be sure the compression is good, so do a compression check of each cylinder, which requires turning on the key and cranking the engine with the electric starter. If the ECU was still connected when you do this, the ECU would turn on and see that all the wiring was disconnected, and it would be needlessly filled with all kinds of diagnostic error codes, and could be damaged. So again I say, unplug the ECU to keep it safe. Don't plug it back in until everything is properly connected and you are ready to start the engine. It is always better to be safe than sorry.
E.D. in Sunny Florida

#447 of 683 Re: Precat issue advice??? [electricdesign] by rondhol

Jul 17, 2009 (11:34 am)

Replying to: electricdesign (Jul 13, 2009 8:18 am)
Thanks for the complete answer. I found an unplugged vacuum hose on the throttle body. After reconnected it, the pinging is almost gone 80%. Will changing the Autolite double platinum sparkplugs with the NGK Laser Platinum (OEM) help? 87 Octane (no Ethanol) runs just fine but with 10%ethanol the pinging is more pronounced. The pinging noise is not getting worse under heavier load. Just a little pinging at 1500 rpm (lean condition).
 
Is there any way to clean the combustion chamber without removing the head?

#448 of 683 Re: Precat issue advice??? [rondhol] by electricdesign

Jul 18, 2009 (1:05 pm)

Replying to: rondhol (Jul 17, 2009 11:34 am)
Question - "Is there any way to clean the combustion chamber without removing the head?"
 
Answer - You could try a couple of things.
First you can use a fuel system cleaner or fuel injector cleaner additive that is added to your fuel tank. This may help a little. This should be done on a regular basis anyway, at least at every oil change
Second, you can run a small quantity of water through the engine for a short time, while running the engine in Park at about 2000 to 3000 rpm. You can introduce the water into the engine by removing the small hose that plugs into the top of the rubber air tube that runs from the MAF to the throttle body. Place a small funnel into the hole, have a container of water ready, start the engine, have an assistant sit behind the wheel and control the throttle, keeping the rpm at 2000 to 3000 rpm in park and parking brake on, while you slowly pour a small steady stream of water into the funnel, listening to the engine. The engine should continue to run ok, if it starts to choke, stop the water until it recovers, then start again with a smaller stream of water. This may help remove some of the loose carbon that causes the pinging.
E.D. in Sunny Florida

#449 of 683 2002 Altima - Oil Burning/Engine Failure by nomorenissan

Jul 20, 2009 (1:07 pm)

Replying to: czander (Jan 06, 2008 11:31 am)
I've posted the question to Lawyers.com. We've had the same problem and I absolutely intend to pursue this. My son bought the 2002 Altima for $5250 with the money he has been saving since he was 12!!!! I'm so angry with Nissan, I could spit. Here is what I wrote to the class action forum....
************
I have a significant problem. My son purchased a 2002 Nissan Altima with 98,000 miles from a Nissan Dealer off e-Bay in February 2009. Even though the car was sold to us "AS-IS", the dealer was sure to tell us what a great car it was and the only reason they were selling it on e-Bay was because they could not obtain financing for a 2002 vehicle with so many miles. Okay, I accept that. We test drove the car and it was in superior condition. The performance was excellent in every way and we bought the car for $5,250 cash (my son is 17 and had been saving for this car since he was 12).
 
We drove the car home and immediately changed the oil. The honeymoon was over after two weeks when my son took his car into the local mechanic to rotate tires. A routine check of the oil showed it was 2 quarts low. Naturally, we thought the quick-lube place screwed up and we simply topped it off with more oil. After two more weeks, we checked the oil again... it was another 2 quarts low. There was no visual evidence of burning (smoke) and the car passed through NJ emissions inspection without incident... So what the heck??!!??
 
Our mechanic told us that this problem could be significant, but that there was no way to tell unless the unit was put through an expensive wet-dry compression test. Anyway, we just kept putting oil in the car and assumed that would be the standard (I did it with my Rambler for years)... But the problem got worse. Smoke was beginning to billow from the exhaust. The day before the engine blew out, I took the car to a local Nissan dealer to run a full computer diagnostic evaluation... That's when I got the news that both the engine and catalytic converter needed replacement. Even though the CAT was replaced/serviced under recall from Nissan a few years ago. The cost to me would be over $7,000.00
 
Here is the problem (and a simple Google of 2002 Altima Engine Problems will turn up hundreds, if not thousands of similar stories). Nissan issued a recall for a faulty sensor within the Altima's catalytic converter. Our Altima was taken by the previous owner in for service under recall shortly after it was issued. This sensor allowed for damage to the catalytic converter, which in turn damaged the piston rings in the engines causing excessive oil burning and ultimately complete engine failure. In cases where Nissan "reprogrammed" the sensor, nothing was done to address the CAT damage and what it was doing to the engine. In other cases, they replaced the CAT, but the engines were already burining oil and headed for doom. The damaged engines, in turn, damaged the new CAT... This is the situation I find myself in now after putting only 4,000 miles on the car since February. Bad CAT, shot engine and Nissan Consumer Affairs telling me "Sorry, it's out of warranty and there is nothing we can do"... The recall should have been for both CAT and engine replacement, but who in their right mind would assume Nissan to do this for tens of thousands of cars. All they did was put a quick patch on a festering wound and waited to address individual complaints as they arose, which is infinately cheaper than doing the right thing in the first place.
 
My sons dream was crushed and Nissan says "tough luck, kid". The car sits dead in our driveway providing a daily reminder of what scum car manufacturers like Nissan can be.
 

Messages Page 45 of 69

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