# Just bought an '02 Infiniti I35, timing problem?



## 2002_Infiniti_I35 (Jul 12, 2016)

Just bought it Sunday for $800 off Craigslist. It has 183,000 miles. The engine runs smooth, but it was about 2.5 quarts low on oil when I went to see it & had kind of a sloppy start condition when the engine was warm where you had to tap the gas pedal after starting it to make it idle. The SES light was on also. The codes were: P0011. A misfire code on the 5th cylinder. An O2 sensor fault. And an emissions fault. I had the cam sensor replaced Monday, but before I even left the shop the code P0011 popped back up and it developed a hard start, it now takes roughly 4-5 seconds of keeping the key turned for it to start now. The shop is telling me it could be timing related. What could this be??? Any help would be appreciated.


----------



## smj999smj (Jan 1, 2006)

It sounds like you shouldn't have bought it... The low oil would be a concern, as some of the VQ35DE engines in this era had issues with the oil rings not sealing against the cylinder walls and creating an oil burning engine. Apparently, there's a slight taper to the bores of these engines and Nissan later corrected the issue with and updated piston ring set, which, as you would know, would require tearing the engine down to install. Hopefully, that's not your case and maybe you have an oil leak somewhere. The low oil is not good for the timing advance system. It could be the timing actuator that is the issue and not the sensor, or, a sludge condition caused or helped by the low oil issues that have gummed up the oil passages. The #5 misfire could be caused by a bad ignition coil, spark plugs overdue for replacement, a leaking spark plug tube seal on #5 causing oil to leak into the well, a bad electrical connection at the #5 coil harness connector or a shorted or open wire in the engine harness in the bend between the firewall and the engine on the passenger side of the car or even a fuel injector issue or inject circuit issue for the #5 cylinder. Shorts/opens in the harness "could" also cause other issues, like the P0011 and oxygen sensor issues; there was a technical service bulletin on the issue. It's impossible for use to say what your particular problem is on a forum level. If you are not confident with the shops diagnostic abilities, you might want to get a second opinion.


----------



## phillip123hastings (Jul 8, 2016)

This post is just another reason why i wouldn't buy from craigslist lol. But hey, 800$ is not that much, it could have been much worse! Stay positive


----------



## smj999smj (Jan 1, 2006)

I've purchased and sold a vehicle on Craig's list without any issues. Sure, you have to be careful, but you have to be careful when purchasing a used car no matter where you buy it from.


----------

