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2002 Rough idle/misfire

42K views 31 replies 18 participants last post by  jccrew1st 
#1 · (Edited)
Hey yall. I have a real headache here that I could really use some help with. My girlfriend has a 2002 Xterra 3.3 non S/C with 113,000 miles on it. This problem has her convinced the car is garbage and she wants to sell it. Please help me fix it so she'll keep it!

It has a rough idle. When the car is in Drive the car will shake rather violently when stopped. It will occasionally clear itself up and start idling smooth again for about 20 seconds and then go back to shaking.

When driving, it will drive fine for a while but after getting warmed up it will has periods of nearly total power loss. For example she'll be driving on the highway doing 60mph and it will begin to "misfire" and the car will slow down to about 40mph. Usually during this time, the SES light is blinking. She pegs the throttle and it won't accelerate... total lack of power. This will last for a minute or a bit longer, then the car will go back to normal. It has yet to stall completely.

The car has these codes:
Multiple cylinder misfire/Random
Knock Sensor
Running too rich/lean (it alternates (i think?... i didnt pay excellent attention last time I had a scanner on it))

Since the problem began I have done the following: (ive been reading the forums and trying everything I read about)
Replaced spark plugs and wires (they are gapped to .43)
Replaced entire distributor (had rusty debris around the bearing)
Replaced timing belt (It was loose and making noise)
Replaced fuel filter.

(I can take the wires off any cylinder and it still shakes the same. No difference. Whatever it is, is affecting the whole engine)

I kept getting told it sounded like an ignition problem, so I replaced the entire ignition system (except the computer?).
All that I can think of now is fuel, which I started with the fuel filter. I wanted to hear from you guys before attempting the pump/sending unit.

The car acts now EXACTLY as it did before I did any of these repairs, so I highly doubt I used a bad part or did anything wrong.

Last year a friend replaced the valve cover gaskets.

Thats all i got yall. Please, any light you can shed on this issue is much appreciated. Thanks in advance!
 
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#2 ·
Try the MAF sensor, it might need cleaning.

If the timing belt had jumped a tooth, etc, when you changed it, it might not have corrected it if you didn't reclock, etc.

Did you change the tension pin, etc, and water pump when you did the timing belt?

You didn't mention an air filter change?
 
#3 ·
I will clean the MAF sensor now.

The timing belt was done by a local mechanic who I trust, so Im assuming it is clocked right. Kindda a tough one to second guess though, it's a lot of work to check as you know.

When I had the belt changed, I was on a real budget so I didn't change anything else. I was just trying to correct the fault.

The air filter is clean enough. Certainly not clogged or moldy or anything.

I assumed the timing belt being jumped would indicate a loss of power constantly, not the intermittent issues I'm getting? Am I right or should I seriously consider the belt again?
 
#6 ·
Did you guys have any resolution to your issue(s)? Having similar. Tune-up was about 50k ago (she has 171k on her) and we just did a fuel injector service thinking it might be a bad tank of gas (I threw in some dry gas as well). I'll clean the MAF next since a lot of research seems to point that direction.
 
#7 · (Edited)
Exact same problem but worse, no power the majority time I'm driving, up hill slows to a crawl (10mph or less), even hills that are not steep at all... from a complete stop it crawls up with a lot of struggle and my RPM's shoot up and drop with no change in gear (automatic) regardless of the fact Im not applying my foot to the accelerator. If I can get it up to speed for the intersate (usually cannot) then I have to maintain steady pressure to the gas or I will loose all power and slow dangerously down. Ive been told to replace all the things Hamm3r has replaced, but have only done distributor cap, spark plugs, oil filter... I will check MAF next.
I need help!
 
#9 ·
Make sure there are no vacuum leaks, clean the MAF, check your timing, make sure all plugs and wires are attached properly, make sure all your grounds are connected properly (on top of the intake manifold), check to make sure you have the correct distributor, check electrical connections for any green corrosion or improper connection and clean if necessary,

If all of that checks out, I would do a compression test. Are you losing any oil/coolant?
 
#10 · (Edited)
Hey Thanks guys,
Ok, I will see about the flow test, have not gotten a chance to look up how to clean (or identify my) MAF yet, I'm not very knowledgeable so I have to look everything up as I go...
For example not sure how to check for vac leaks myself, or most of the other things listed by awesomekasim...(I can check for corrosion, but I haven't spotted any yet and Ive climbed all over the engine just trying to understand where things are). Though I really really appreciate yall pointing me in the right direction!
I haven't noticed any oil in the driveway, but I have to refill my AC (is that the same as coolant?) quite often. However one time I added freon and it ran a little better, this last time (3 days ago) i noticed no change so I assumed it was a fluke. Still sluggish, laborious and dangerous to drive on interstate, which I have to do 5x a week for work :( in order to afford the parts and work...

Might be worth mentioning... it has 155,851 Miles on it, had 145,000 when purchased and told needed a "tune up."
 
#11 ·
I'm amazed it's not throwing a code running like that. Perhaps hookup a computer and see if there are any pending codes?

You did 80% of the tuneup, I'd do wires next just to rule out an errant spark. When you did plugs did you use NGKs and not crap? Also, you mentioned doing the cap - did you do the rotor as well?

With 155k on it do you know if they ever did the timing belt? (not related to your issue but having seen 155k belts missing 12 teeth makes for a bad day).

Vaccum leaks are annoying and MAY cause some of the issues you are having - ETCG gives a good demo on how to track them down here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9CPqbaSgcok
 
#12 ·
Well the codes always come back as Knock Sensors and EGR (or ERG?), but after some research I found that many times the MAF just needs cleaning when that codes comes up, its a helluva lot cheaper and I hope to do that today. Even if it doesn't fix the main issues, likely needs to be done anyway. I am also looking into cleaning my MAP sensor, and replacing filters (per dejablue's suggestions to others with similar problems).

When purchased the man said he had just changed all spark plugs except the 6th and it needed a tune up...I assume it would be like all other plugs Ive changed and learned quickly why he left that one lol...My dad, uncle and I lifted the engine up enough to change it, but I have no idea what brand the first 5 are, or even which one we used on the 6th... It didn't really change the performance of the truck though. So maybe all crap? haha I do plan to get the NGK's, but its quite expensive for my modest income, and Ill have to wait until I have the cash for it.

I also did not know what all went into a tune up and I got a few estimates from mechanics/shops all around $500 and thought that was way too high and decided to attempt it on my own at least part by part as I could afford it, but I can never get a clear answer as to what all a Tune Up entails. All i got from one shop was "well we will replace all your wires and...mumble mumble....Ill be right back." He didn't come back haha so I expected that he either did not know, or did not want to tell me for one reason or another... Both good enough reasons not to leave my truck with him!!

I plan replace the wires soon, again I have to look up the ins and outs of it...as well as the rotor...and I will also look into the timing belt. My dad likely knows enough about these to help, but he didn't wanna mess with the sensors.

Thanks for your advice, Ill happily take as much as you've got to give! Ill make sure to get back to everyone with any updates!
 
#13 · (Edited)
The knock sensor is infamous. A lot of people ignore it - it just sucks your MPG down. IF you ever have to redo the valve cover gaskets, go one step futher and reposition the knock sensor to the top of the intake plenum per the forum suggestions. I plan to do that in the not to distant future.

As for the EGR it makes me think more along the lines of a vaccum leak. Get the Factory Service Manual (links on forums) and check out the locations of the vacuum lines. Then (on a cold engine) start her up and spray short bursts of air intake cleaner in the area of the vaccum lines. If the engine revs (or even stalls), then you have a leak and that needs to be fixed. Also, take a minute to pull out your EGR valve - give it a shake - if the valve isn't freely moving, replace it. Only costs about $5 and can impact performance.

As for the tuneup, to the best of my knowledge it is: wires, plugs, rotor, cap. Inspect distributor for problems (relatively uncommon) and in some cases clean the air intake and make sure the air filter is good. Some people also replace the fuel filter. The #6 plug is an infamous pain in the ass but there are people who have posted on the web and forums the technique. My brother helped me with it and had it our with little problem - just have the right tools - you need a few elbows and 3" extensions to do it. Locking extensions and sockets also good to have, otherwise you can use duct tape to make sure the extension doesn't come off in the deep hole in the engine on the way back. If you want to save a little bit of money you can use the NGK G-Power plugs but I found that mine went bad after about 50k. If you can afford the NGK Titanium (not plated) they are worth the extra cost as they last twice as long (per NGK themselves). I also prefer NGK wires but they are admittedly expensive. As long as the plugs are NGK, I don't think the wire maker really matters too much (tho I'm sure others will contest that :) ).
 
#14 ·
Good News Everyone :D You've all taught me enough to know where to begin lol and its helped a lot already!!

I checked all fluids, turns out:
>Oil (recently changed by partner at home, his first time) little too high- drained some out

>Power Steering fluid Way too high- (little rant sorry can skip lol its for people like me on here..not yall who already know better!)
Express Oil (on Covington Pike, in Memphis) Change's invoice shows they added some!! they Over Filled it, either on purpose to cause me problems so they could "fix it later" or they didn't know what they were doing, I am so pissed I intend to publicly shame them. STEVEN CALVIN Service Manager and VINCE THOMPSON Manager Cannot be trusted to Know and Do whats right for your car and safe for you.
There are about 30 items listed on my invoice which boils down to oil change tire rotation and overfilling at least one of my fluids, though since i have proof they did one, i suspect they are the ones that over filled all of them! :( I admit that I am personally ashamed that I didn't catch this until now...but I was working full time in real estate and full time in my 7th year in college so was bus, distracted and i naively trusted that a professional would be knowledgeable and honest... (I'm working on a way to safely remove some..appears to even have overflown or leaked somehow any advice yall have is greatly appreciated!!!!!!)

>Transmission too full and burned up... I expected it to be brown, but its too full!!! So someone along the line before i got it or at at shop like the morons at EOC added more :/ Ive read a lot about this and I'm as conflicted as the info available is...

>Forgot to check brake lol update to come...

>Vac Seals are bad, like visible cracks :( new priority

>Dist. Rotor could be changed (cap is new) and wires likely should be changed too, I hope to do all this together with new NGK G Power ASAP (instead of platinum just bc of high mileage, it will be more affordable for me to change again in 50k, than to buy the platinum ones now lol)

**Changed Air Filter and got the sexy one lol Spectre Performance
**Cleaned MAF with CRC

Its not "healthy" yet but Boy Oh Boy what a difference those cheap 3 things made!
1) $0 Correct Oil Level 2) $20 Change/Upgrade Air Filter 3) $10Cleaned MAF

No more noisy violent shaking while idling At All! It has never (since ive owned it) idled smooth...I did no expect the "fix" to be so effective :D
Regained some "get up and go," while not perfectly restored I have regained a lot of acceleration power and lost some of the struggling (except uphill, still not good)

EOC gave me a $550 estimate for tune up... I'm proud to say I can do a better job for less lol

Auto zone (prior to these 3 changes) Innova diagnostic recommends that i replace plus and wires (will do), and O2 sensors and it had detected a "cylinder 2 misfire."

i plan to have them run it again to see if the O2 and cylinder still pop up, if so anything else i might rule out before messing with those?
Cleaning the MAF has made me a believer that there are other ways to help a dying car other than just replacing the expensive parts lol

I cannot thank you guys enough :D Ill be back soon

THANKS SO MUCH GUYS :D

Ill look up valvee gaskets and repositioning the KS, and in the Very near future the EGR valve!
 
#15 ·
Good News Everyone :D You've all taught me enough to know where to begin lol and its helped a lot already!!

I checked all fluids, turns out:
>Oil (recently changed by partner at home, his first time) little too high- drained some out

>Power Steering fluid Way too high- (little rant sorry can skip lol its for people like me on here..not yall who already know better!)
Express Oil (on Covington Pike, in Memphis) Change's invoice shows they added some!! they Over Filled it, either on purpose to cause me problems so they could "fix it later" or they didn't know what they were doing, I am so pissed I intend to publicly shame them. STEVEN CALVIN Service Manager and VINCE THOMPSON Manager Cannot be trusted to Know and Do whats right for your car and safe for you.
There are about 30 items listed on my invoice which boils down to oil change tire rotation and overfilling at least one of my fluids, though since i have proof they did one, i suspect they are the ones that over filled all of them! :( I admit that I am personally ashamed that I didn't catch this until now...but I was working full time in real estate and full time in my 7th year in college so was bus, distracted and i naively trusted that a professional would be knowledgeable and honest... (I'm working on a way to safely remove some..appears to even have overflown or leaked somehow any advice yall have is greatly appreciated!!!!!!)

>Transmission too full and burned up... I expected it to be brown, but its too full!!! So someone along the line before i got it or at at shop like the morons at EOC added more :/ Ive read a lot about this and I'm as conflicted as the info available is...

>Forgot to check brake lol update to come...

>Vac Seals are bad, like visible cracks :( new priority

>Dist. Rotor could be changed (cap is new) and wires likely should be changed too, I hope to do all this together with new NGK G Power ASAP (instead of platinum just bc of high mileage, it will be more affordable for me to change again in 50k, than to buy the platinum ones now lol)

**Changed Air Filter and got the sexy one lol Spectre Performance
**Cleaned MAF with CRC

Its not "healthy" yet but Boy Oh Boy what a difference those cheap 3 things made!
1) $0 Correct Oil Level 2) $20 Change/Upgrade Air Filter 3) $10Cleaned MAF

No more noisy violent shaking while idling At All! It has never (since ive owned it) idled smooth...I did no expect the "fix" to be so effective :D
Regained some "get up and go," while not perfectly restored I have regained a lot of acceleration power and lost some of the struggling (except uphill, still not good)

EOC gave me a $550 estimate for tune up... I'm proud to say I can do a better job for less lol

Auto zone (prior to these 3 changes) Innova diagnostic recommends that i replace plus and wires (will do), and O2 sensors and it had detected a "cylinder 2 misfire."

i plan to have them run it again to see if the O2 and cylinder still pop up, if so anything else i might rule out before messing with those?
Cleaning the MAF has made me a believer that there are other ways to help a dying car other than just replacing the expensive parts lol

I cannot thank you guys enough :D Ill be back soon

THANKS SO MUCH GUYS :D

Ill look up valvee gaskets and repositioning the KS, and in the Very near future the EGR valve!


LOL

Sometimes its just not as bad as it seems, and, yes, Jiffy Screwed, and their ilk DO seem to be the culprits in a lot of these scenarios if you let them vandalize your ride.

I've seem shops like that overfill, underfill, forget to fill, fill but forget to put the filter on or plug back in, etc....use the wrong lubes, charge for synthetic but pump in dino juice, and on and on.

>:D

A guy can show up with a bill for a seized engine because they left the filter off so it all blew out on the hwy after leaving their shop...and they'll deny it was their fault even with a trail of oil from the shop out the driveway, etc.

>:D
 
#16 ·
Well I may have been eager to type that lol took it out today and it died once in the driveway, then had a hard time moving from a stop...red lights, stop signs merging was all a nightmare...but once it "warmed up" it did ok like yesterday so idk.. I saw another post where a guy had the same problem, once I put it in drive and pressed gas the truck just sat there for like a few seconds before beginning to roll and even then very very very slowly... it shook a little more today. Would Rain affect a particular thing that may be symptomatic of something specific? Again once I started it, let it sit for a sec, then slowly moved out and tested it around the parking lot it did alright again, as good as yesterday, but when I press gas and nothing happens its pretty scarey lol and a new symptom too!


And I agree tj, mechanics are now ranked among acupuncturists and chiropractors as far as the trust i have for them is concerned...lol I know there are some good mechanics, ive read them on here, but these guys at corporate mechanics have taken all the bad mech business habits and made them practice. Partner took car to get new tires, was told his bolt requires welding off and after that he would need a new wheel and tire, but what luck?! his buddy is a welder? and he sells wheels too? Took it home, took it off by hand, bought tires from someone else and put on himself :) are there things that I need help/done for me? maybe. Does that mean I should be taken advantage of, yes if you're a sleazy corporate(and some small biz) mechanics lol but n o to everyone else
 
#17 ·
Also look at the air intake run from the filter box all the way to the engine.

Stuff can pop off, and the plastic can develop cracks, etc...esp when picked up to change the air filter/to get the lid up high enough, etc.

That means the cracks/leaks are along the bottom where you can't see them accidentally.

:D

Leaks there are very sneaky 'lil bass turds, and cause a lot of the types of symptoms you describe too.

>:D
 
#18 ·
Our 2002 Xterra just started "sputtering" while idling and at stop. Watched the RPM gauge drop every time it dies out. All kinds of thoughts immediately ran through our minds. Glad to read this thread before running off to fix "everything." Will start by cleaning the MAF and replacing the air filter + cleaning the air intake run, especially since we live in the dusty Central Valley.

Will post my follow up if it works. Thanks again to all the folks who have posted their expertise and experience on here. Good reminders about changing the timing belt and water pump after 100k-procrastination is our enemy. As I have heard from mechanics and others, this is a good car to keep, just keep up on the maintenance.
 
#20 ·
Hey yall. I have a real headache here that I could really use some help with. My girlfriend has a 2002 Xterra 3.3 non S/C with 113,000 miles on it. This problem has her convinced the car is garbage and she wants to sell it. Please help me fix it so she'll keep it!

It has a rough idle. When the car is in Drive the car will shake rather violently when stopped. It will occasionally clear itself up and start idling smooth again for about 20 seconds and then go back to shaking.

When driving, it will drive fine for a while but after getting warmed up it will has periods of nearly total power loss. For example she'll be driving on the highway doing 60mph and it will begin to "misfire" and the car will slow down to about 40mph. Usually during this time, the SES light is blinking. She pegs the throttle and it won't accelerate... total lack of power. This will last for a minute or a bit longer, then the car will go back to normal. It has yet to stall completely.

The car has these codes:
Multiple cylinder misfire/Random
Knock Sensor
Running too rich/lean (it alternates (i think?... i didnt pay excellent attention last time I had a scanner on it))

Since the problem began I have done the following: (ive been reading the forums and trying everything I read about)
Replaced spark plugs and wires (they are gapped to .43)
Replaced entire distributor (had rusty debris around the bearing)
Replaced timing belt (It was loose and making noise)
Replaced fuel filter.

(I can take the wires off any cylinder and it still shakes the same. No difference. Whatever it is, is affecting the whole engine)

I kept getting told it sounded like an ignition problem, so I replaced the entire ignition system (except the computer?).
All that I can think of now is fuel, which I started with the fuel filter. I wanted to hear from you guys before attempting the pump/sending unit.

The car acts now EXACTLY as it did before I did any of these repairs, so I highly doubt I used a bad part or did anything wrong.

Last year a friend replaced the valve cover gaskets.

Thats all i got yall. Please, any light you can shed on this issue is much appreciated. Thanks in advance!

Try the distributor thats what was wrong with mine
 
#24 ·
Do you have the actual code number? Did you replace with aftermarket or OEM quality part? Crankshaft or camshaft? Camshaft I have experience with. Misfiring issues I would troubleshoot the distributor, pop the cap off and take a look, maybe pop some plugs off while it is running and see if any of them don’t effect the quality of the idle, because that means it’s already not working. Then go check the fuel system, look up on here how to diagnose a bad Fuel pressure regulator, then from there we can help further if you check some things off
 
#27 ·
I am about out of ideas at this point in life. I have 2002 Nissan Xterra Supercharged...Had Hesitation before sat at buddies shop then after 5 months a whole can of worms opened. Fuel Pump Changed, Line to pump swapped, Timing Tensioner he Swapped because said it had frozen or was getting hung. Have no Cats on Car Tru Duals, Cold Air intake, and Shorty Headers. Changed Distributer to a Cardone from Summit Racing,Changed NGK Wires and Iridium Plugs,Changed Knock Sensor,Crankshaft position Sensor, Sent All Injectors off to be refurbished, Changed Knock Sensor,Changed MAF Sensor....All Hesitation is now gone but still has a miss at idle and only gets random engine missfire code. I was thinking of going back changing plugs to Copper Core NGK and seeing if it helps fix issue? Only other thing I could possibly think of is it is slighly out of time maybe? I mean I know Timing Service was done when I got the vehicle and well after sitting 5 months at my buddies shop waiting on the Headers and Exaust to get reattched Tensioner supposedly went bad so why was swapped again but only thing I can even think of at this point is just maybe slighly out of time? ANYTHING BE GREATLY APRECIATED
 
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