# 1988 Nissan Sentra distributor maker



## ZorbaTHut (Aug 10, 2005)

I recently bought an '88 Sentra. Nice little car. It's starting to have some interesting skipping issues, and I figured I'd give it the whole tuneup shebang. The only problem is, apparently '88 sentras have two different distributors - either a Hitachi distributor, or a Mitsubishi distributor. I have no idea which mine is, I can't see any identifying marks on it at all and the distributor cap merely says "Bosch". (Real useful. )

The various parts websites seem to think that the caps for the two different distributors are different. I can't see any obvious differences in their pictures though, so I can't even match those up with what I've got. Suggestions?

I'm kind of tempted to just buy one of each and see which matches, but maybe there's a better way to figure it out 

(And if there's any Recommended/Nonrecommended makers for the various parts, advice is appreciated. I've seen some people saying NGK plugs > Bosch plugs already.)


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## mille-16i (Jun 16, 2004)

I always thought that it went off of your fuel delivery system wether it was injected or carbed but the 88's were all injected so I would have the parts house get both and take a clerk out to your car so you can match them up in person a good parts store should let you do this unless they are busy.


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## Popkorn (Nov 16, 2003)

Give a look see at the badge under the hood. Psgr side firewall. You probly have a E16I. But since it's in the middle of 87 - 90, it could say E16s or GA16. I for injected. S for carbed. or GA for 12 valve. 
Anyhew, that's what the book needs to know.


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## recycled_toddler (Feb 4, 2004)

Either distributor will work; The plugs are identical and the operation principles are identical. I've run both types in my car with no ill effects at all. And the caps aren't interchangeable. Best of luck!


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## mille-16i (Jun 16, 2004)

The ? is how do you tell them apart cause they will ask you at the parts store is there a tell tell way to know like if it is injected it is the mitsubihi or something.


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## recycled_toddler (Feb 4, 2004)

There will be a stamp on the distributor. I assume we all know what the Hitachi stamp looks like (Very similar to the Bosch one); The Mitsubishi parts I've seen from Pulsars all have the famous Mitsubishi tri-diamond stamp (That includes the circuit boards of the power transistor module for the CA-series engine). Best of luck!


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## bamba (Aug 17, 2013)

hi how do I post here


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## smj999smj (Jan 1, 2006)

Another way is to go by the part number on the distributor. 

Hitachi distributors:
22100-36A00, 22100-36A01, 22100-36A02
22100-27M05

Mitsubishi distributors:
22100-27M15, 22100-27M16, 22100-27M17

I would highly recommend you get a genuine Nissan distributor cap & rotor.


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