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Nissan Quest/Mercury Villager Starting & Stalling Problems

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

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

Messages Page 50 of 52

#484 of 511 Re: Nissan Quest Owner's Manual 2006 to 2011 online ... [rockmobile] by nissanquest94

Aug 10, 2011 (9:44 am)

Replying to: rockmobile (Aug 10, 2011 4:34 am)
Believe or not, you are very correct!
 
I bought my Nissan Quest 94 brand new, and never got problem and I drove all over the places. I always used Dealer services till one time for 60,000 miles service they charged me over $3,000 with a book thick of reports!!!
 
So I went dispute and eventually reached the general manager who told me "Sir, our labor is very expensive". I asked "How expensive?" He said "$85 an hour", I said, but I only left my van in your place from lunch time to end of day, about 4 hours, so that's only "$85 x 4 = $340".
 
Then, the general manager sound like theft got caught and trying to find a reasonable explanation "... you know, because your are VIP, and we want to get your van serviced prompt with highest care, so we threw in 5 technicians, so you need to times 5". Since I went to Berkeley for Math major, I was able to answer immediately "... but $340 x 5 is only $1,700 and you charged me close to $3,000".
 
So, the general manager immediately apologized and gave me refund of close to $1,500 back. Guess what? I never returned to that dealer. It has been over 10 years.
 
Believe or not, I was just start reading my owner manual not too long ago; in the mean time, I use Lube Express type of services, just drive thru and change oil and oil filter for $19 to $24 with coupon.
 
One day, my check engine light on, and I went to a local unamed auto parts store, and the boy told me to put a bottle of magic auto drug or additive, and magically, the check engine light went off after dozen miles of driving ...
 
Thereafter, every year or two when I need to get my van to state inspection, I just add a bottle and the check engine light would go off and pass state inspection.
 
The old man I mentioned in earlier posting whom I met at Pep Boys was even funnier, he told me that before went to state inspection, he just "remove the check engine light" so that dash board would not see that light, and he always passed inspection. He is now expert on Nissan Quest, and he got 3 identical Nissan Quest 94, all used at little cost, two for his twin daughters going to college. He said driving van is much safer than small cars for young drivers, besides, many college friends did not have car and van is convenient to drive friends around.
 
Anyway, after all these time of research, I have found that "all parts needed NOT to be replaced unless necessary" just like human body, "surgery" is normally not necessary so you get 2nd or 3rd opinion before getting one.
 
More importantly, at "pharmacy level", many human problem can be cured, and that is also true with cars. So the work "additives" to me is "auto pharmacy". With substantial auto pharmacy knowledge, one's car or van can last as long as or much longer than anticipated.

#485 of 511 1996 Nissan Quest by ihateefilol

Aug 10, 2011 (6:11 pm)

My '96 Nissan Quest runs great in the winter time, but during the summer months it gets a strong smell of gas inside the cab and outside aqs well, stalls out and won't start again for about 10 minutes of sitting. I also get a code of bank 1 lean. I replaced the Ignition Control Module, and did not fix it. Any suggestions or tips

#486 of 511 Re: 1996 Nissan Quest bank 1 lean [ihateefilol] by nissanquest94

Aug 10, 2011 (7:10 pm)

Replying to: ihateefilol (Aug 10, 2011 6:11 pm)
Basically this means that an oxygen sensor in bank 1 detected a lean condition (too much oxygen in the exhaust). On V6/V8/V10 engines, Bank 1 is the side of the engine that has cylinder #1.
 
In other words, your fuel did not seem to be pump into the place in time. When was last time you change your "fuel filter" ? If you got new and good "fuel filter" already, there could be a vacuum leak downstream of the MAF sensor. The MAF (Mass Air Flow) Sensor maybe dirty or faulty. In the vast majority of cases, simply cleaning the MAF sensor does the trick.
 
You may get this Gumout® All-In-One®
Fuel System Cleaner and fill in your gas tank to see how much the situation improved. I have spoken to many Walmart auto mechanics who drive really old cars; they also use this additive to clean their fuel system.

#487 of 511 Re: Figured it out that was bad gas [nissanquest94] by nissanquest94

Aug 24, 2011 (1:00 am)

Replying to: nissanquest94 (Aug 08, 2011 11:32 pm)
Surprisingly, this time Walmart in town also got STP Gas Treatment sold out , but I already got the STP coupon from this website, just $1, instead of $2.
 
So, I decided to try something else, and I found this grey bottle STP Complete Fuel System Cleaner that my $1 coupon also applies.
 
Since it says has to have at least half tank full and treat up to 21 gallon, so I waited till I fill the gas tank again, and this morning I added the whole bottle. After a few hours letting it mixed with full tank of gas, I found it is great! It seems to make engine start easier and restore much more power. Will see more cleaning in the next days to drive.

#488 of 511 Regularly Charging Battery of my Nissan Quest 1994 ... by nissanquest94

Aug 24, 2011 (1:14 am)

I was wondering what would it happen if I use "electrical charger" to charge my Nissan Quest 94 battery EVERY DAY just like I charge my cell phone. So, I charged it every morning the first thing I did when I get up.
 
Amazing! It starts with 6amp charger to charge and the meter gradually goes down from 5amp, 4amp to 3amp ...etc to 1amp for trickle charging, and it took an hour or two to reach that state. May be because my batter died after winter. People often just replace a brand new battery; I did not.
 
After a few weeks, the charging time reduced, and now it only takes about 10 to 15 minutes to go from 6amp to 1amp, and last time when I went change oil and oil filter (after 3 years!), Valvoline Express gave me a good battery check on the report.
 
Only when it rains or bad weather, it took longer to charge up the battery.
 
Recently, I notice, amazing! the two posts of the battery have no corrosion; it seems all reversed. So, I did not need to clean the posts and they all gone by themselves.

#489 of 511 1997 Villager Gas Vapor after running in warm weather by lorenajack

Aug 29, 2011 (3:22 pm)

In hot weather, after running this vehicle for a while, I smell a strong gas odor.
It is coming from the gas filler area. When I remove the gas cap, vapors literally
roar out of the tank. It takes a minute or more for all to escape. Seems like there is
a buildup of gas fumes that are not being (recycled) or purged from the system.
 
I installed a new gas cap a while back, but the problem still exists.
I have to part the van outside for a couple of hours to keep the gas vapors from
filling up the garage. What do I need to fix or investigate? Thank you !!!!

#490 of 511 Re: 1997 Villager Gas Vapor after running in warm weather [lorenajack] by nissanquest94

Aug 29, 2011 (10:23 pm)

Replying to: lorenajack (Aug 29, 2011 3:22 pm)
Have you tried to put some Seafoam into your gas tank, PCV valve and engine crankcase to clean the van?
 
The blowby vapors that end up in an engine's crankcase contain moisture as well as combustion byproducts and unburned fuel vapors. The crankcase is sealed to prevent the escape of these gases into the atmosphere, but the vapors must be removed to prevent oil contamination that leads to sludge formation. The positive crankcase ventilation (PCV) system siphons these vapors from the crankcase and routes them into the intake manifold so they can be reburned in the engine.
 
The main component in the PCV system is the PCV valve, which is usually located in the valve cover. A hose connects the PCV valve to the intake manifold. A second hose between the air cleaner and crankcase or other valve cover (V6 or V8 applications) provides fresh air to help flush the vapors out of the crankcase. Some engines have a separate air filter for the PCV breather hose located inside the air cleaner.
 
The PCV valve is a spring-loaded valve with a specific orifice size designed to restrict the amount of air that's siphoned from the crankcase into the intake manifold. This is necessary because air drawn through the valve from the crankcase has a leaning effect on the fuel mixture much the same as a vacuum leak. So air flow through the valve must be controlled within certain limits. At idle, air flow is reduced because little blowby is produced. When the engine is cruising and vacuum is high, airflow through the PCV valve is at a maximum to purge the blowby vapors from the crankcase.
 
It's important to note that PCV valves are sized for specific engine applications. The wrong PCV valve for an application can flow too much or too little air causing driveability problems. Varnish deposits can clog the valve, so replacement for preventative maintenance is recommended (every 50,000 miles usually).
 
Not all engines have PCV valves. Some (like Ford Escort, GM FWD cars with the Quad Four engine, etc.) ventilate the crankcase with a small breather hose and calibrated orifice. There is no spring-loaded PCV valve. On these applications, no maintenance is usually necessary.

#491 of 511 Re: 1997 Villager Gas Vapor after running in warm weather [nissanquest94] by lorenajack

Aug 30, 2011 (1:13 pm)

Replying to: nissanquest94 (Aug 29, 2011 10:23 pm)
I have replaced PCV valves in the past, so I am familiar with them and
their purpose.
 
But wondering if a defective PCV valve would cause very high pressure
buildup inside the gas tank itself? It almost seems like some gas
vapor recycle system is not kicking-in and purging this buildup of gas
vapors back into some engine intake mechanism.
 
When I remove the gas cap, raw gas vapors REALLY roar out which
leads me to believe some pressure regulator (?) is not kicking in to reduce
this gas tank pressure.
 
Does this make sense to you??

#492 of 511 Re: 1997 Villager Gas Vapor after running in warm weather [lorenajack] by rockmobile

Aug 30, 2011 (8:18 pm)

Replying to: lorenajack (Aug 30, 2011 1:13 pm)
Before you spend any money google and research 'vapor canister and check valve' for you vehicle. It is something usually neglected that can cause some emission problems. Not sure if that would be the problem but it's something you can look into.
 

#493 of 511 Re: 1997 Villager Gas Vapor after running in warm weather [lorenajack] by nissanquest94

Aug 30, 2011 (9:19 pm)

Replying to: lorenajack (Aug 30, 2011 1:13 pm)
No, I did not say you have a defective PCV valve which is just one of three places to apply Seafoam, the other two are crankcase and gas tank. This is just general cost effective cleaning of lots of things that could have caused subtle problems.
 
Last time, my Nissan Quest 94 had similar problem, when I used Engine Restorer, all the bad smells all gone, in addition to have very quiet engine and higher millage ...etc.
 
If you suspect the evaporative system, it often includes an incorrect or defective gas cap which you said you have replaced but not fixed the problem.
 
It could also be a sticking open or closed evaporative "canister vent" control valve, or a canister coming apart inside, allowing charcoal to be distributed throughout the evap system - plugging up the evap "canister purge" control valve and the evap "canister purge volume" control valve.
 
Disconnected, plugged or cracked vacuum lines can also result in evaporative system codes being set.

Messages Page 50 of 52

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