# Service Engine Soon Light.



## sunmaxima (Jun 6, 2009)

Hi Everybody,
I am new to this forum and its good to know you all. I had my Nissan Maxima 2002 SE done a 90k service recently which included 'Air Cabin Filter,Cooling System Service, Transmission Service,Fuel System Service, Replace Drive Belts,27 point Inspection & Replace POS battery Terminal' at nissan dealer auto service department and had to spend $550.00. Now barely a week after service done, my 'Service Engine Soon' started to show on. When i contacted the service department they said since the light did not come when the service was being done, so it has nothing to do with the service and i have to spend additional $80 bugs just for diagnosing and labour to fix the problem shall be extra. I went to AutoZone to have the vehicles computer checked and the guy determined the code was "P0021" and "P0455" which relates to Intake Valve Timing Control Circuit failure and VAP Control System Leak Detected, respectively.
Now it really bothers me to spend additional amount of money on my car after spending $550.00 for the service. Can you guys please let me know if any of the problems stated above are serious and needs immediate attention and also can i ask the nissan service department to fix this problem based on warrenty of the work done on my car just recently.
Your suggestions shally be truly appreciated.

Thanks,

Sunny.


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## Outkast (Jan 29, 2006)

The P0021 is just a VTC solenoid gone bad. If you don't keep a regular oil change interval they get clogged with sludge. You can pull both of them and clean them out reall good and maybe they haven't shorted. Otherwise just replace the bad one and still clean the other one.

The other is an EVAP code. That one needs a more indepth dio.


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## sunmaxima (Jun 6, 2009)

Hi, Thanks for the suggestion. I have always maintained a regular oil change and i almost every time use full synthatic oil , but anyways i will try and see if i can do what you suggested. The other day when i talked to a nissan technitian, he said that P0021 is something to do with in the engine and it might take $600.00 to fix it, alternatively he said that unless your car gives you a starting trouble, it is not a major problem and offered to take the service engine soon light off and if it turns on again with same problem, then i should try and fix it so as to prevent damage to the whole engine. Please let me know your view on this. Once again i really appreciate your suggestion.


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## Outkast (Jan 29, 2006)

Well the P0021 is just a sensor/solenoid, "VTEC" if you will. It uses oil pressure to adjust the cams. When one gets clogged it throughs the timing off. If it gets really bad then the car just won't start cause usually the cam stays in th wrong position. Seen it many times. Once I replaced the bad solenoid the cars fored up every time. The way I made sure the passages where clean was to drain the oil and leave filter, drain plug, and oil cap off so the pressure doesn't blow the seals out and just blasted shop air into the passages to back flush the the clogs bac into the pan. If you do it with everything on you WILL blow out the front and rear main seals.


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