# 2000 FRONTIER DISTRIBUTOR ISSUES



## fergicop (Jun 14, 2015)

I have had 3 distributors installed in the last month. Each will work for a week or 2 before going out again, luckily they have warrantied 2 of the 3. Each time the code is different (ie. cam shaft code, ignition code) has any one else had this issue or can enlighten me on maybe a source of problem. Thanks in Advance. First time to ever have any mechanical issues with this vehicle.

2000 Nissan Frontier SE Crew Cab 4x4 3.3 V-6
189,400 miles


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## smj999smj (Jan 1, 2006)

Some aftermarket distributors can be poorly made. For that reason, I prefer to stick with genuine Nissan or Hitachi distributors.


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## Cusser (Apr 16, 2004)

fergicop said:


> I have had 3 distributors installed in the last month. Each will work for a week or 2 before going out again


What part of the distributor went out? Why was one not warrantied?


My daughter has a '98 Pathfinder with same engine. She's had it 3 years, has always had a problem, lack of power; 2 shops were unable to pinpoint. In April, it started running rough, and she's 140 miles away, I told her to take it to her AAA-approved garage there (one of those two shops). They diagnosed bad spark plug wires, recommended to change out plugs, distributor cap, rotor too, so since I was heading up there, I told her I'd change that stuff (120K on odometer).

I install that stuff, we take on 4 mile test drive, and the misfire is gone. I drive home, she was stranded 400 yards from her apartment, dead. She has AAA, they towed back to the same shop, they say that the coil inside the distributor is bad, want $600 to install and time. So I ordered a brand new distributor with 10-year warranty from an Ebay retailer for $82 shipped price (yes, $82); yeah, made in China as is most stuff these days, this place was selling like 6 distributors of that part number per day !!! So sounds like Nissan distributors do go out over time. Plan then was to get it running then sell it because of the issue and the lack of power.

Anyway, when I installed and timed this distributor, immediately all that lost power was restored, I'm guessing that the advance in the stock distributor was only partially working, so never threw any error codes for that. 

So I stumbled onto the fix, shops were saying to try throttle body cleaning, just guessing. I'd say those shops did check timing at idle, but didn't explore whether advance was properly working. Anyway, distributor has held up through several trips, note that it's only about 2 months, but now she wants to keep the Pathfinder !


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## Taurusx71 (Dec 5, 2020)

fergicop said:


> I have had 3 distributors installed in the last month. Each will work for a week or 2 before going out again, luckily they have warrantied 2 of the 3. Each time the code is different (ie. cam shaft code, ignition code) has any one else had this issue or can enlighten me on maybe a source of problem. Thanks in Advance. First time to ever have any mechanical issues with this vehicle.
> 
> 2000 Nissan Frontier SE Crew Cab 4x4 3.3 V-6
> 189,4
> ...


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