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Nissan Quest/Mercury Villager Starting & Stalling Problems

511 messages,  Last post on Jan 08, 2012 at 8:34 PM

You are in the Nissan Quest Forum.

What is this discussion about? Nissan Quest, Mercury Villager, Van

Messages Page 34 of 52

#330 of 511 Re: 2000 nissan quest [mjm0868] by tacobel

Jan 08, 2010 (9:35 pm)

Replying to: mjm0868 (Jan 07, 2010 5:06 pm)
Just to post a prior experience with a 95 Nissan Altima which had these symptons: Runs perfect on cold startup for about 5 to 10 minutes could easily hit 60 mph. After that car started to idle low, about 500 rpms and then progressively idle up to 2500 rpms at stops, fluctuating between low and high as though it had a air leak. Soon after car would start bucking, hard to keep idling at stops, putting into neutral would help momentarily. Finally car would die. Would wait about 1 hour and car would start perfect only to repeat above scenario in about 5 to 10 minutes. This car was hooked up to a brand new $50,000 scan machine and printed out that the distributor was bad. purchased a $400 Cardone distributor along with cap and a set of new wires at Autozone and installed, same problem with all symptoms persisted. Everything under the sun was replaced: Egr valve, Fuel pump, injectors, Idle control valve, oxygen sensor, main car computer (two times), intake gasket, mass airflow meter (twice and I even modified it to vary voltage to cure lean mixture problem, car run much better but in the end would run too rich and not pass emissions), Did I leave ANYTHING out? LOL. Codes thrown during all this: Lean mixture, oxygen sensor and knock sensor (which was bad and fixed but no improvement on performance. HERE IS WHAT CURED THIS PROBLEM. It needed a Nissan OEM distributor cap which I bought used for 5 dollars at a wrecking yard. Car ran perfect and I do mean PERFECT once the NISSAN DISTRIBUTOR CAP was installed.

#331 of 511 Re: 2000 nissan quest [tacobel] by tacobel

Jan 08, 2010 (9:45 pm)

Replying to: tacobel (Jan 08, 2010 9:35 pm)
Forgot to add that the coil along with all other sensors on the car were also replaced. I think what was happening was that the computer was going into some kind of protection mode and running too lean to keep the car going. The computer was making the Idle control valve crazy (would explain fluctuating rpm's. Injectors running lean because computer got confused because of poor spark from NON OEM distributor cap.

#332 of 511 Re: 2000 nissan quest [tacobel] by rockmobile

Jan 09, 2010 (12:51 pm)

Replying to: tacobel (Jan 08, 2010 9:45 pm)
Good observation tacobel. When my 99 Quest developed problems with its idle last year I decided to track the problem myself before sinking any money on it.
The computer did not give out any codes but armed with a service manual and some tools I managed to check and clean lots of components under the hood. Most of the components checked ok.
The problem was solved by changing ignition wires and distributor cap. I could have saved money by getting aftermarket parts, but instead I decided to buy OEM at the dealership and pay three or four times as much.
That is nothing compared to the problems that may be compounded by buying cheap auto parts made who knows where. I do not advise anybody to buy aftermarket parts unless it is an old US vehicle.

#333 of 511 Re: 2000 nissan quest [rockmobile] by canyonsvo

Jan 09, 2010 (2:02 pm)

Replying to: rockmobile (Jan 09, 2010 12:51 pm)
It seems that once the distributor gear eats itself, other sensors begin to fail too. After replacing the distributor the car ran fine for about a month. Then, it began to stutter and die when coming to a stop. This pointed to a faulty IAC valve. I tried cleaning the IAC with no luck. I ordered a new IAC, disconnected the battery, installed the new IAC and the problem has cleared up. I am still kind of amazed that the faulty arrangement in this American/Japanese conglomeration is the Japanese part; the motor.

#334 of 511 Re: 2000 nissan quest [canyonsvo] by tacobel

Jan 09, 2010 (3:57 pm)

Replying to: canyonsvo (Jan 09, 2010 2:02 pm)
Funny you should mention that the IAC having to be replaced so that the computer could reset parameters and work with the new IAC. If you read my post about the 95 Nissan Altima, those were the reasons I replaced the IAC and computer twice. It was claimed that the IAC became faulty because of the bad distributor and a new IAC needed to be installed along with a new main computer following an exact procedure by a Nissan Tech using a type II Nissan dealer computer. Did I lose anyone yet? Yep, and I fell for it. It was claimed that if the new IAC and new Computer where installed not using this specific relearn method, both would be ruined, not idle correctly and only solution was to start new again. It was also claimed that even following correct relearn procedure using sophisticated Dealer equipment was not fool proof. It was a hit and miss thing. LOL I think thats when I started replacing everything, I was doing the hit and miss thing. I was even eyeballing modifying position of the distributor gear to change timing, some guys had luck doing that. Changing the Transmission was also on the list, but thats another story, LOL I am on this thread because someone has called me about a 2000 Mercury Villager which has the same exact symptoms as the 95 Nissan Altima in my above post. They installed new ignition wires, distributor cap, fuel filter and spark plugs and no change in performance. Over the weekend I will find out what it turns out to be.

#335 of 511 Re: 2000 nissan quest [canyonsvo] by tacobel

Jan 09, 2010 (4:41 pm)

Replying to: canyonsvo (Jan 09, 2010 2:02 pm)
Just to clarify on what I think is happening many times: Several things are changed at once, new distributor and cap when perhaps only the cap and rotor were faulty. Wires and connectors disconnected and reconnected and moved thus making a good connection when perhaps there was not a good contact before movement of wires and connectors, giving the illusion that an IAC was faulty. (Example, perhaps the distributor, distributor cap, rotor, distributor connector, ignition wires where also moved when the IAC was replaced), giving the illusion it was a faulty IAC. I am not saying this is always true but very possible. This could be true of other components being replaced. When I replaced all the different components on the 95 Nissan Altima, I tested all the components including the IAC,(for movement, was good) MAF (was withing voltage range). EGR (was clear and had movement) etc., but was under the impression that I had to fool, manipulate the car computer to reset itself. I got that impression reading posts from highly trained techs. Go figure.

#336 of 511 Re: 2000 nissan quest [tacobel] by tacobel

Jan 10, 2010 (12:56 pm)

Replying to: tacobel (Jan 09, 2010 3:57 pm)
As far as the 2000 Mercury Villager problem, it seems to be the coil. I didn't realize that in this year the coil is integral inside the distributor. Autozone and Kragen do not sell the coil separately, the whole Distributor has to be purchased. Symptoms are this: Van starts perfect and accelerates fine for about 5 miles. After this at about 60 mph Vans start to buck. Will buck when accelerator is applied to keep speed at 60 mph. Slowly and but surely the Van starts to drop speed on the hwy for about 2 miles. Finally at first stop the Van dies. Will not restart. Owner says that it will not restart for about 4 hours then will start perfect. Disconnected ignition wires at the Distributor cap held them a 1/4" away and observed spark (this is during the night) and the spark is very thin and a very weak yellow. Sometimes the spark is intermittent. Trying to find a place that will sell the coil separately to save at least a couple hundred. Oh, by the way it had a new distributor cap from Autozone. I insisted that he still buy the OEM hitachi distributor cap from the Nissan dealer. We installed but no improvement. Seems that the coil is too far gone.

#337 of 511 Re: 2000 nissan quest [tacobel] by canyonsvo

Jan 10, 2010 (6:53 pm)

Replying to: tacobel (Jan 10, 2010 12:56 pm)
You can find the distributor new on Ebay for between $140-$180. I think I paid around $150 with shipping included. The symptoms you list sound just like what the faulty distributor causes.

#338 of 511 Re: 2000 nissan quest [canyonsvo] by tacobel

Jan 10, 2010 (8:46 pm)

Replying to: canyonsvo (Jan 10, 2010 6:53 pm)
Thanks for the info. Looking on Ebay as you suggested I found a company that will sell the coil separately that goes inside the distributor for about $60 shipped. Could be worth a try even though paying $150 for a new complete distributor is a great deal. The person I am helping has hit hard times and is on a tight budget.

#339 of 511 Re: 2000 nissan quest [tacobel] by canyonsvo

Jan 10, 2010 (9:15 pm)

Replying to: tacobel (Jan 10, 2010 8:46 pm)
No problem. I would not even mess with trying to rebuild the distributor. The bearings are likely gone. Just get the new dizzy and forget about it. It took me about 10 minutes to swap out the old for the new. Good luck.

Messages Page 34 of 52

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