# timing chain or distributor



## ricerboy17 (Sep 30, 2004)

ok so i couldnt figure out why my car was runnin like crap till one day i decided to mess with the timing, so i advanced it and it ran great again, about a month later it started doing the same thing so i advanced it more...... it has been a few more months and its advanced all the way and it runs like crap again, is there any adjustment in the chain i need to do or something or could it be my dist? help please


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## ALSET (Aug 18, 2005)

Is your check eng. light on? Aslo what is the timing set at now?
Damn thats wierd! 
Does the car smoke or anything like that ? Any other info you can think of might help.


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## sno (Oct 4, 2002)

define "runs like crap," please.


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## ricerboy17 (Sep 30, 2004)

it would just perform sluggish that was until i advanced the timing. no smoke, cel is on but for something gay with the EGR. when it gets really bad it starts to studder then sometimes die but its fine when the timing gets advanced. but like a month after i advance it , it runs poorly again.


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## ALSET (Aug 18, 2005)

ricerboy17 said:


> it would just perform sluggish that was until i advanced the timing. no smoke, cel is on but for something gay with the EGR. when it gets really bad it starts to studder then sometimes die but its fine when the timing gets advanced. but like a month after i advance it , it runs poorly again.


Im reaching here but is the dist. have a good clean contact with the head?
Does it get worse as the car warms up?
Just guessing but given the info maybe something with the dist and/or ecu .
Hey try cleaning the plug for the dist where it plugs into the wire harness real good with some contact cleaner . Maybe spray some cleaner into the contactcs and push it on and off a couple of times


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## wes (Apr 30, 2002)

You need to fix the REAL PROBLEM and quit advancing the timing. Do you even know what the timing is set at right now? 

What sort of maintenance has been done on the car and at what intervals?


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## Robchaos19 (Sep 6, 2004)

Did you have the car in timing mode when you advanced the timing? 
You can already assume its not your timing chain. If the chain was stretching that much to significantly reduce performance in that small of a period of time...I think you'd have a much larger problem on your hands then you do.
Check to see if you need a tune up and also check your knock sensor. When a knock sensor goes bad the computer retards your timing to be safe.


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## ricerboy17 (Sep 30, 2004)

i dont know what the problem is thats what im tryin to find out but i have to drive it so i have to keep it runnin and i have to advance the timing to keep it goin but now its all the way advanced. how does the knock sensor retard the timing, i mean what does it adjust so the timing changes? anyway, id think by now if the timing chain was stretching then it would have snapped by now. ive done the tune up cause i work at autozone so thats the 1st thing i did when i started there. the only other thing i can say is that for a while the timing chain was really loud cause the top tension froze in one spot but i got it to work again and its been fine. visual inspection seems to be ok


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## ricerboy17 (Sep 30, 2004)

wes said:


> You need to fix the REAL PROBLEM and quit advancing the timing. Do you even know what the timing is set at right now?
> 
> What sort of maintenance has been done on the car and at what intervals?



i got the car with 125 k miles now it has 146k. ive just done a major tuneup and oil every 3 k, i would like to know the real problem. well when i first got it, it was advanced to whatever the "mod" is supposed to be. if i put it back to that then the car wouldnt run because the timing would be too far off.


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## wes (Apr 30, 2002)

ricerboy17 said:


> i got the car with 125 k miles now it has 146k. ive just done a major tuneup and oil every 3 k, i would like to know the real problem. well when i first got it, it was advanced to whatever the "mod" is supposed to be. if i put it back to that then the car wouldnt run because the timing would be too far off.


Dude WHAT IS THE TIMING SET AT? As in 10 degrees or what?


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## ALSET (Aug 18, 2005)

wes said:


> Dude WHAT IS THE TIMING SET AT? As in 10 degrees or what?


48 hours after this question was asked the first time...and still no answer.
Hope hes not burning up any valves or pistons!


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## ricerboy17 (Sep 30, 2004)

something isnt where is should be so its like an inch away from any mark on the crank, if i set it back to where it "should" be like at 10 it wouldnt run


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## wes (Apr 30, 2002)

ricerboy17 said:


> something isnt where is should be so its like an inch away from any mark on the crank, if i set it back to where it "should" be like at 10 it wouldnt run


Are you putting the car into timing mode when you do this adjustment?


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## ricerboy17 (Sep 30, 2004)

wes said:


> Are you putting the car into timing mode when you do this adjustment?


no what happens if i dont?


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## wes (Apr 30, 2002)

ricerboy17 said:


> no what happens if i dont?


 You basically have no clue what the timing is at because when you take the reading it is NOT displaying the actual base timing. As such when you adjust it you again have no idea what the timing is.


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## ricerboy17 (Sep 30, 2004)

wes said:


> You basically have no clue what the timing is at because when you take the reading it is NOT displaying the actual base timing. As such when you adjust it you again have no idea what the timing is.


before all of this started i checked the timing in timing more and it was at 15 already then it started gradually getting worse and i turned the dist and it was fine again


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## B13Sentra2DR (Dec 7, 2003)

mine has 148K and I have never TOUCHED the timing, runs awesome.


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## acid_skittlez21 (Aug 6, 2005)

I has the same problem when I first bought the vehicle and drove it off the property. I talked to a couple of people at work about mine, and I was really surprised at all of little things that could make it "shutter". First, check the MAS Sensor (located directly next to the head), and make sure that nothing is touching the two sensor wires. Then, id that is checked-out ok, loosen the front bolt on the distributor bracket that connects to the head and adjust it by tapping it back and forth, millimeter by millimeter, and then slowly rev the engine manually, if the vehicle performs worse, tap it the other direction. Also, if that doesn't work, make sure that any part of both the upper and lower chain does not have any scratch marks or chips on them. If so, your upper and lower timing chain needs to be replaced asap. That means that your chain is "skipping" or "jumping" off of the cam gears. Nissan says that you should change your timing chain @ 40,000K Miles...Screw that!! I have just gone over 145,000K and getting it replaced this weekend, but it really doesn't NEED it, but I guess it's a self-assurance kind of thing. It will only cost around $75 with the exception of labor charges. Hope I helped you out. :cheers:


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## acid_skittlez21 (Aug 6, 2005)

Remember common sense when you try to change the degree angle of the disributor not to touch the spark plug wires if damaged. Also, using a heat-treated chissel, screwdriver, or a Sharpie might work...to mark a straight line onto the bracket and the disributor casing so you can tell (if needed) where the distributor was originally located in case you have to place it back.


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## ricerboy17 (Sep 30, 2004)

if you are getting away with a 75 dollar charge for your timing chain i will drive my happy ass wherever you are and get it because it is a 11 hour job not to mention the cost of the 2 chains with tensioners guides and all that good stuff. i work at autozone and the cheapest kit anyone i have seen selling is 250. its nothing to do with my mas. i had to keep advancing the timing every other month cause it would start running shitty then i couldnt turn the dist anymore cause it was full advances so i unscrewed the shaft on the distributor that the rotor sits on and turned that a little bit. timing is not where its supposed to be and i am getting scared. basically all that makes sense right now is that one of my chains is stretched really bad


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## Hydrolock (Feb 18, 2005)

ricerboy17 said:


> it would just perform sluggish that was until i advanced the timing. no smoke, cel is on but for something gay with the EGR. when it gets really bad it starts to studder then sometimes die but its fine when the timing gets advanced. but like a month after i advance it , it runs poorly again.


Gee, did ya check out the EGR before you advanced the timing 30 degrees? Why don't you clean out your throttle body, check out your PCV system. Make sure all ignition parts are up to par (plugs, wires, cap, rotor.)
See what kind of vacuum you got, do a compression test. "My car runs shitty." isn't exactly the most descriptive explanation. One thing I can tell you from your description of the problem is... it's broke, and it could be anything. By the way have someone help you set the ignition timing like with a timing light back to where it's supposed to be. There is no car since 1970 sumthin or 1980 sumpthin, where you don't have to unplug something to set the base timing. BY THE WAY CORRECT THE CAUSE NOT THE SYMPTOM.


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