# injector problem....again....



## Solidox2k (Jan 21, 2004)

ok, now im just pissed. i had problems with injectors a while back, replaced the fuel rail + inj. with used ones (tested fine). few months go by... and #3 cylinder stops firing. i determine it's the injector.... so today i got a refurbished one from Checkers' Autos.... put it in, fixed the problem.... i go out tonight and leave it off for 3hrs or so, and now AGAIN it's shaking and i pull out the #3 plug, and no change in engine performance... once again #3 isn't firing. i just got back, no time to pull the engine apart (2am).

is the damn injector bad again!? what the hell is going wrong!? there's only one difference this time around... when driving, it lopes...that is to say it stumbles then *suddenly* gets power, then stumbles through the next shift....

can anyone help me? i just spent $70 to fix it, and it went bad again right away.... im so mad i wanna cry 

EDIT: i just went out and started it again for the hell of it.... and now it's running fine... but i know it's going to do it again tomorrow....like a pattern especially for giving me probs >_< i think it did this last time b4 i replaced the F.rail. there's something else going on....


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## Catman (May 21, 2004)

This fall I was running on 3 cylinders. It sounded just like the time I lost injector #1. I was ready to pull the fuel rail, but took it to my mechanic. Cylinder #3 was not firing, but it was the plug wire that was shorting out. Are you sure it is the injector? Have you checked/tested the plug wire?

Also, when my mechanic replaced the injector on cylinder #1, after one day it started missing. He replaced it again for free. But, on several other occasions it started to miss after I stopped and restarted it warm. I just decided to drive to my parents (150 miles round trip) and it corrected itself. Prior to loosing the injector and after the replacement I had used fuel injector cleaner. Don't know if junk broke loose and plugged the injectors. Since then I changed the fuel filter two times. The last time I used a very high quality filter to help ensure junk was not getting into the injectors. No problems with injectors for 1 1/2 years (knock on wood).


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## Tavel (Aug 21, 2004)

yeahi dont think you've lost 3 injectors in a row in such a short time. like /\ he said, check your ingnition stuff. i would replace the distributor cap and rotor as well, as that can cause some weird issues.


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## Solidox2k (Jan 21, 2004)

well for one, if i test the inj. with an ohmmeter and it fails 'open'....does that automatically mean the inj. is bad?

i'll check the wire and plug in a little while here. testing the wire w/an ohmmeter and inspecting it for any damage should be enough, right? but if both check out fine, then i just dont know... if its simply clogged, why would it be only #3... and so soon; i even replaced the fuel filter along with the inj. this time.

its true something with the dist. could be involved...maybe even the plug isn't getting enough of a spark....but then why would the inj. fail from it? and how expensive would a replacement be.... im going to try a few things (which im sure will be in vain), and if i can take it to the mechanic.... which is a feat in itself... hardly anyone around here who wont rip u off.


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## Solidox2k (Jan 21, 2004)

i checked the wires... though the book says 10-24k ohms (kilo), #3 & #4 wires tested at about 8-9.... 9 for #3, 8 for #4....makes sense to me, for one being shorter than the other (specific resistance), but i dunno if the book meant that range for all wires...if its ok or not. i still have to take out the plug and inspect.

i drove it to fabens and back (100mi) and when i got back it was running fine. but still have the problem of leaving it off for more than 10min, then starting it and having it miss. if i start driving it a bit harsh there's not much of a problem....if i drive it long distances, if i dont turn it off, it seems to stay stable.... i just dont know....seems like the hotter the engine, the more stable it is....weird. maybe something's wrong in the fuel line... between #2 & #3 injectors. not sure.

either way its outa my leage to here... i got some info on a good mechanic by word of mouth, so im going to try and get something done there.... hopefully it'll help, though i cant get anything done till after new years  . no matter, as long as i can get my poor sentra running great again. there's really nothing i can do right now, so i'll update after the visit to the auto shop.... thanx for the suggestions though (i'd check the dist. but i have a feeling i'd really screw something up....so...)


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## Catman (May 21, 2004)

According to Alldata, resistance on the injector should be about 12 ohms. If not, it says to replace. 

Also, it says if the plug wires are above 30 k ohm to replace them. I will PM the details.


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## Solidox2k (Jan 21, 2004)

*a few things i guess i should mention*

since i cant do anything about seeing a mechanic or taking it to the shop till the new week begins, guess i'll list a few more things i should've mentioned before....

first, when i replaced the injector, after releasing fuel pressure, i decided not to remove the fuel rail, thinking it'd save me some trouble. bad idea. when i pulled the old injector out, fuel spilled out from the rail into the chamber/cylinder. only like an ounce maybe, dunno if thats reason for worry.

my oil is now just dark enough for a needed oil change.
i put more water/antifreeze mix in, since i was low, i did this when the engine was warm, not hot.

now the problems. 
1) it misses on #3 (same as replaced injector) starting warm, or cold. if i drive around long enough it starts firing again, and i get my normal idle back (almost like it has to be rather hot (but fine on the temp gauge) to start working fine.) repeated symptom if left off for more than 30-60min.
2) i noticed today that when starting if i give it a burst of more than 1/2 throttle i get a short duration of white smoke outa the tailpipe. also water dripping out with suity stuff... and exhaust has a really strong gasoline smell.
right after i replaced the injector, there was feint white smoke outa the tail, but it went away.... i also noticed a whif of smoke when looking in the engine bay, but it hasn't happened again...maybe just a stray drop of oil or something.
3) when i turn the key enough to start the feul pump, it sounds like a spraying sound mixed in with the normal "whirrr" sound. it originates from the rear. no evidence of leaks externally. 
it once made that sound from the engine bay yesterday...but despite trying to get that to happen again, i cant. i checked for fuel leaks in the bay and thare are none... i dont know if there are internal leaks (e.g. injector leaks).

i need to check the plugs still. i dont seem to be getting bad or stumble acceleration like before the replacement.

any thoughts guys? i hate making my posts long, but i dont wanna miss something that could be important. i really appreciate the responses so far.


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## Catman (May 21, 2004)

> so today i got a refurbished one from Checkers' Autos....





> it misses on #3 (same as replaced injector) starting warm,


Are you sure your replacement injector is good? It may be good to test the resistance and see if it is within specs (if you have not done it already).



> i noticed today that when starting if i give it a burst of more than 1/2 throttle i get a short duration of white smoke outa the tailpipe. also water dripping out with suity stuff... and exhaust has a really strong gasoline smell.


I know when one injector was not firing properly in my car then I got a lot of gas smell out the exhaust, I had no power, and more visible emissions from the tailpipe. 

Also, have you replaced the filter lately? It may not make things better if your injector is bad, but may be a good insurance policy to prevent future problems. Another thought is the gas that is not getting burned may be going into the crankcase. I had that problem when I flooded the heck out of my car and had to have it towed to my mechanic. He primed the cylinders with oil, and it started up, but my oil pressure was too low. The gas thinned out the oil. So, changing the oil may be something to do in the near future. The last two things are just recommendations. My experience is very limited, so take what I say as troubleshooting/maintenance possibilities.


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## Solidox2k (Jan 21, 2004)

yea i checked the inj. resisitance before putting it in...it checked out fine. (10-14ohm spec). when i installed the injector i also replaced the fuel filter at the same time.

im due for an oil change (took like a year until it finally turned dark enough). might be a good idea to check for any abnormalities in the old oil.

just outa curiosity....white smoke = ???? . i searched and it seems like 100 ppl have 100 different opinions on what it means (some say burning fuel, some oil, some say antifreeze...). just wonder if anyone has a reliable answer?


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## Catman (May 21, 2004)

I was asking if you tested the replacement injector once it was in the car and the car was missing again. Maybe you got a bad/faulty injector? It seemed to happen to me. My first replacement injector lasted a day, and then I had the same problem. No problem with the second replacement.

White smoke: If it smells sweet, and antifreeze level drops, it is anti-freeze. But, I had a Mazda truck that had a rotor button that could be put on 3 different way. I picked the wrong ones two times. After the truck started, I had a lot of white smoke for a while. Guess it was the extra fuel being burned off. Also, I have read a lot of reports of people who run cleaner into the combustion chamber, and depending what they used and the amount, they get a lot of white smoke (temporarily).


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## Solidox2k (Jan 21, 2004)

Catman said:


> I was asking if you tested the replacement injector once it was in the car and the car was missing again. Maybe you got a bad/faulty injector? It seemed to happen to me. My first replacement injector lasted a day, and then I had the same problem. No problem with the second replacement.


heh...eehhh....im afraid to, but will here in a little while... i just hate bearing the thought of it being bad. its been since last thursday since i got it from checkers, and i dont think there's anyway to get my money back/exchange it.
if for some reason its something on the car making the injector go bad, i dont wanna risk another $70 on an injector before finding out what the problem is.

(btw:acceleration doesnt stumble, but is instead poor at first, then suddenly opens up until the next shift...weird.)


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## Solidox2k (Jan 21, 2004)

it took me a while to find a reliable mechanic, so im setting up something when monday comes. for the meantime....

i did notice something odd. i checked the plugs on 1,2, & 4. the part you bend when gapping was filmy white, dry. #3 was sooty dry black. so i used one from another cylinder (it had white coating)... after running for like 3min, it came out with black soot. the previous black-coated one was in #2, i pulled it out, and it was already white coated. seems #1,2, &4 coat the plugs white almost immediatly, and #3 coats plugs black almost immediatly. also, any plug coming out of #3 is the only one i can smell a distinguishable odor of gas off of. the plug hole doesnt give off any odors that i can tell.

anyone have any ideas whats going on here???
and out of curiosity...what would happen if i tried running the engine with one plug out (the plug cylinder open)??? this isnt something i'd actually try, just curious non-the-less.


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## enflyte (Dec 30, 2004)

My problem is in cyl #1,but it sounds like the same problem you have. Here's 
where I'm at with mine. Pulled the injectors off my 92 se, and the 94 xe that 
I totaled last month. Sent them all off to an injector cleaning service in Lake 
Havasu. He flow tested them, and sonically cleaned and reconditioned them. 
He told me that mine were really dirty, but once cleaned they flowed 
perfectly. All flow rates match up, so for twenty bucks per, I'll get back 8 
verified good injectors (I'm putting the xe back together. engines good). He 
also suggested to replace the fuel filter, and blow/clean out the fuel line from 
the filter to the injectors to clear out the carbon/dirt that was built up in the 
injectors (can anyone tell me how to do this??) So we'll see where I'm at 
once I get everything put back together, but whatever the case, I'll know 
that the injectors are good. I will post results to this thread.

Kev-


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## Solidox2k (Jan 21, 2004)

*its always the little things....*

well, i never got to the mechanic, but found the problem. if i'd stuck to my ABCs i would've solved this much sooner. All this trouble, and the culprit was a damaged O-ring on the injector i installed. :balls: i just went to checkers and got another O-ring for it, slipped it on, lubed it, and stuck it in. works fine now. >_<

thanx for the suggestions, i'll put more common sense into my troubleshooting from now on. -_-

just gotta check the oil (smelled gas from oil filler,flooded so much b4, it wouldn't suprise me), and replace the plugs (fouled out). well, its time for an oil change anyway, and doesn't hurt to replace the plugs after almost a year. got bosche in there, gonna see how much NGK'll cost me.


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## mick (Dec 30, 2004)

*Don't use bosch plugs in nissan engines*

NGK work great.........Bosch require mercedes ignitions to properly work.


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## Solidox2k (Jan 21, 2004)

thanx, installed the NGK plugs, not expensive at all... though now i have a loping idle... cant decide where it wants to sit.

i changed the plugs, did an oil flush, changed the PCV valve, new batt. contact, and a few hoses here and there, and removed the cruise control cable and actuator (threads on adjuster were worn away) all at the same time (not good for problem solving ^^;

got erratic idle now. it lopes. gonna checkout the AAC/FCID device, might need to clean it..... _could the new pcv valve be funky somehow?_ might be related to loss of acceleration, even though i got new plugs. wondering if i installed the pcv wrong or the plugs even (if possible  )

dont feel any leaks in the vacuum lines... so not sure. gonna run some checks right now, lemee know if you got any ideas. im really grateful so far for everyone's suggestions.


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## lilblucoupe (Aug 8, 2006)

anyone ever figure this out? im having the same problem but mine is #2 cyl


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