# Two 86 Stanza Wagon problems...



## alank2 (Dec 29, 2006)

Hi Everyone,

I've been having an issue with the instrumentation fuse blowing. It first blew a couple months ago, then a week ago, and then again yesterday. I was hoping at first it was just a bad fuse, and the last time I replaced it, I knew it might blow again but I needed to drive it so I tried it. This takes out the tach, fuel gauge, temp gauge, and turn signals. I am hearing a 3-4khz beeping noise periodically as well. When turning the car on, and every so often. I don't know if that is because the fuse is blown, or perhaps reporting the cause.

My other problem is that one day I was making a sharp left turn and I think something may have broke when I did this. I hear kind of a rattling sound coming from the front driver tire area. It is like something causes it to rattle and the noise starts out loud and then decays to quiet after a couple of seconds. I tried standing on the front driver bumper to move it up and down thinking it would make the noise, but it didn't. It also seems to happen if I am driving and the torque on the tire changes, and I may not know what I am talking about here, but if it changes gears it sometimes causes the noise.

All tips welcome!!

Thanks,

Alan


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## NissanPartsDept (Mar 31, 2010)

The blown fuse problem indicates a short somewhere. There is no common problem in this area that I am aware of. I would look for anything non-original that has been spliced into the harness first.

As for the noise, it sounds like you may have a bad c/v joint.


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## alank2 (Dec 29, 2006)

Hi,

I've got the shop manual, I'll have to look at the schematic and see what is downstream from there.

Is a C/V joint what connects the transmission to the wheel? Is this the type of thing that needs to be addressed or it is going to break and strand the car?

Thanks for the help!

Alan


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## NissanPartsDept (Mar 31, 2010)

The c/v joint is located on the axels that go out to the wheels. There is a c/v joint on each end. It is usually the joints on the end closest to the wheel that goes bad.


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## alank2 (Dec 29, 2006)

Hi Guys,

An update - I went out there with my meter and a little adapter I have that allows you to extend a fuse to a larger loop so you can get a current clamp around it. It has blown a couple of 10A fuses and a 15A fuse before today. I put another 15A in there and started testing. I turned it on and off many times, ran it around the block a bunch of times, etc. The only thing that took up any current was the left/right turn signals and the backup light. Even these did not seem excessive, but pretty well in line with the service manual wattages for the lights. It never blew the 15A. My meter has a fast max mode where it will catch quick peak values and when turning ON the turn signal it would spike to 18 A probably very very briefly. In regular max mode (not fast), it only showed it getting to 10 A or so. Don't know if maybe I had a couple of weak fuses that died too early, but the latest one popped when I used the turn signal so I wonder if they were just bad fuses. We'll see how long this 15A lasts I guess before I feel the issue is resolved.

Real good news on the noise that may have been a CV joint issue. I heard it just sitting in my drive way switching gears and it occurred to me that with the wheel not turning I probably shouldn't hear it then! I finally found the air filter box had worked loose from the sidewall mount and was rattling! I even found one of the nuts that had come loose and had fallen, but never made it to the road thankfully. I mounted it back up nice and tight and problem solved!!!

Thanks for the help!!

Alan


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