# 97 HB misses esp when it rains



## Squeezle (Jul 19, 2011)

I have a 97 nissan HB 4 cyl manual trans with 114K. About a year ago it would miss horribly right after it sat in the rain but would stop lurching and missing when the engine warmed up. I then replaced the plugs and wires which didnt seem to solve the problem, it continued to do it right after it rained. Recently its has been missing and lurching all the time rain or shine but does seem to get better once the engine warms up but still misses, so I replaced the dist cap and rotor..didnt do any good. I dont know where to go from here. Can anyone help a girl out? I do most of my own mechanical work and am not afraid to tackle the big stuff, I just need some guidance. Thanks


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## Oldnissanguy (Jan 6, 2005)

Squeezle,

Welcome to the forum. I don't have any answers for you but there are some really smart folks on the forum so hopefully one will jump in here and help you out.


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## SPEEDO (Jun 9, 2003)

Welcome to the board!
just for grins, is the seal between the cap & dizzy good?
any codes?
might also check the air temp sensor, mounted on the air cleaner(bottom side), the wires have a tendency to break at the sensor, probably not related, but couldnt hurt to check, some ideas anyway...


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## Squeezle (Jul 19, 2011)

There is no gasket or seal btw the dizzy and cap but its a new cap and screwed down tight.No codes are showing. I will check air temp sensor wires.


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## rogoman (Dec 16, 2004)

Check the condition of the ignition wires; if the insulation on the wires is marginal, condensation overnight will cause a loss of ignition voltage and possible arcing across wires.


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## Squeezle (Jul 19, 2011)

OK I checked the air temp sensor, its fine. I also cleaned my mass airflow sensor.I sprayed wd40 on the ends of the wires going into the dist cap..the truck is still lurching/missing badly when first started up and the first 10 miles or so then it seems to not miss. I notice when it does miss/lurch that its on the upshift..if I keep my rpms up its a little better with slight miss but when I shift into next gear and my rpms come down it misses badly again until my rpms rise again. I am at my wits end.  Where exactly do you want me to check my ignition wires? at the starter?


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## Grug (Aug 20, 2009)

Hey, Squeezle...welcome.

Were the plugs changed recently? Gapped and snugged down to correct torque? Then, make sure the plug wires are pushed down on each plug in an assertive way?

I know these are basic questions...but I gotta' ask.

Fuel, air and fire (in the correct proportions) are the Holy Trinity of Enginedom.


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## Squeezle (Jul 19, 2011)

I have put new plug wires, plugs (propertly gapped),distributor cap and rotor, and fuel filter on the truck and its still missing/lurching until the engine is VERY warmed up.The truck idles fine.I have checked my temp sensor under the air filter and the wires are fine. I am not getting any check engine lite.Someone suggested making sure my distributor cap had a seal, well my orig cap did not have a seal and the new replacement did not either but the screws holding the cap down is very snug I am going to check the self diagnostic box under the passenger seat today ( saw this in my haynes manual) and see if that will tell me something. The clue here seems to be it stops missing/lurching after the engine is very warm, which leads me to believe its some sort of condensation problem . It used to act up only after a rain for a very short time, now its everytime I start it up rain or shine, however its been very humid here in east tn. This is my only transportation and Im very scared to drive it , so any suggestions on what to try is very much appreciated.


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## rogoman (Dec 16, 2004)

Squeezle said:


> Where exactly do you want me to check my ignition wires? at the starter?


Examine each ignition wire for any surface cracks. Check the resistance of each ignition wire with an ohmmeter from end to end; the reading should be around 13 - 18 K ohms. You can also do a visual check in the dark with the engine cold; after starting it up, see if there is any arcing along each wire. 

Also check for a major vacuum leak in the intake system. Locate a good vacuum source and use a vacuum gauge. With the motor fully warmed up, the reading at idle should be 18 - 20 InHg. At 3,000 RPM, it should be around 21 InHg.

It's also possible that the MAF is malfunctioning; check the harness connectors at the MAF.


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## Grug (Aug 20, 2009)

Hey folks. Could this be a bad injector? Maybe it's working intermittenly? To be honest, I dunno' how to check an injector (I've never had one out). But if an injector was failing periodically, wouldn't that translate to a missing type situation while driving?

Are injectors 'cleanable'?

Strange that the check engine light hasn't lit up.


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## hans747 (Jul 14, 2005)

When it starts missing, does the truck blow black smoke? My MAF caused this problem, and didn't throw a code until it was almost undriveable. IF you know anyone who has a truck with the same MAF as yours, you might want to swap and see if that clears the problem up.


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## SPEEDO (Jun 9, 2003)

in the morning, pull the (dizzy) cap and check for condensation, you shouls have a liitle seal on the dizzy that the cap sits on...


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## Crf450r420 (Jun 27, 2010)

Often it is easier to make the problem worse to find the issue. Since it stated with rain and has had a trend of getting worse in the rain. Try setting up a spray bottle. Could even had some salt to make it more conductive. Then while it's running spray different locations until you find the one that makes it worse. Spark plug wires will arch easier this way also, so at night hit it. When it misses more under load that sounds like ignition, might try checking the coil and connections to spec.


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## AtomCzar (Dec 28, 2010)

have you checked the tension in your belts? My alt belt is a little loose and driving in the rain my truck lurches too, and I suspect the belt getting wet and slipping.


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## tobybear (Sep 7, 2011)

Any news.

Im having the same problem with my 97 with 124,000 miles.

Cool rainy days take forever for it to warm up and have any power!

But once it does it seems fine!

Cold dosent seem to be a problem, sunny and war isnt either! I dont even remember it having a problem in the rain when warm.

But cool and rainy and it wants to stumble until nearly fully warm.


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## Shryken (Sep 10, 2011)

*Have an answer for you....*

Hey guys!

I have an answer for you, as I have had the exact same problem with my 97. Good news is that there IS a fix. Bad news is that its the Distributor...not the cap but the actual distributor. Mine runs like a scalded dog now.


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