# '96 manual 240 SX is stalling...



## Melchizedekian (Jun 5, 2004)

This is the second time this problem has visited me. The first time, the dealer told me it was a worn distributor and changed it out to the tune of $800!! It did take care of the problem, BUT, while the car was in Pacific Nissan's service dept., I had them accomplish the 60K service at the same time. Now 18K miles later I have the same stalling problem with the replaced distributor. OK so maybe the OEM Nissan distributor is only good for 18K - but when I look at the old one (I asked for the part) it seems new to me - nice and tight, no mechanical signs of wear. I've taken my car into the dealer again now that the stalling problem has returned and they tell me I need another new distributor! - BUT all they had to go on was a primary ignition error reported by their CONSULT analyzer. That little bit of info cost me $95.

I can pin point when the problem initiated again - I was merging onto the freeway - saw an opening ahead and spun the motor up to 6K to get there. When I got off the freeway and stopped at the light - the car stalled and the check engine light came on. The dealer reset the warning light when I took it in, but it came back on on the second trip. While the stalling problem was evident on the first trip after the reset - the warning light didn't initiate until the second.

Here are the exact symptoms:

1.) The car will stall about 50% of the time when I roll to a stop normally. Even when it doesn't, it bounces off of 100 to 300 rpm as read by the tach.

2.) If I slowly come to a stop by barely touching the brakes over a long distance - the car doesn't stall - but I have to brake over two hundred feet or so going only 40 mph to avoid the stall. Even doing this, it will still have the rpm bounce.

3.) The problem only occurs when the car is warmed up. The car drives and acts completely normal during the first five minutes of the day when I start it up. If I let the car cool down for 4 or 5 hours - it drives normally again for the first five minutes.

4.) There is almost NO low end torque in reverse once the car is warm and the problem is manifest. I mean ALMOST NO torque! I have to rev the motor to 4000 rpm and feather the clutch to avoid killing the motor to back up even the slightest grade. This does not happen when I first start the car and the engine is cold.

5.) If I corner hard to the right with the car warm, it will stall out about 50% of the time, and you can tell it is having trouble (due to some bucking of the engine through the corner). This does not happen when I corner hard left.

6.) About half the time when the car stalls as I come to a stoplight - it will take three or four seconds of cranking to get it started.

7.) At just about 3000 rpm - in any gear - the car will buck and lurch at cruise. Sometimes - the engine will just stop firing for a second or two - like someone pulled the coil wire and then reconnected it. Under 3000 rpm - it seems to cruise just fine. (I'm doing a good job of not getting tickets these days by the way!)

8.) The car idles at about 900 rpm when warm and about 1000 when the air conditioner is on.

I write to you in desperation. It isn't that I want to save money here exclusively - but having read through a number of websites, I see that a number of people have experienced this same problem. One guy finally solved it by just doing an engine swap. No one has solved it - or at least reported it as solved.

I've been a good boy - I've done the dealer thing, and they can't say for certain that it is the distributor - they just think it is - their best guess after having the car for an hour.

I have a lot of confidence in the Nissan engineers - I just can't believe that I wore out a distributor in 18K miles! I love this car, it's beautiful - I've never enjoyed driving more - I want to own it for a long time - but if I have to just kick out $800 every 20K or so - or have to spend 100s of hours educating myself to be my own tech (I work 60 - 70 hours a week already) - the car will have to go.

This next week I'll try and call the head Nissan factory tech in Seattle and discuss the problem with them, and when I get it solved, or confirmed - I'm going to post my experience every place I've been.

So, do you think it is the distributor after all?


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## AlexAtMyNismo (Apr 16, 2004)

No way bro..... 18k miles sounds way too soon for a distributor to go out on ya.... i've seen them last for over 70,000 miles...... What's you idle set at?.... how many miles on the car?....last time you changed air filter?....plugs?.....wires?...

-Alex B.


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