# Brake issue and Engine control short



## taylorsines (Dec 10, 2011)

I have been working on a 1997 hardbody KA24E 4X4 for about a month now. I have been a nissan owner and fan since i started driving(starting with my S/C 2002 xterra, FUN!), so dont expect me to get an answer and not return to your site. I see myself becoming a long term member of this site, hopefully learning and helping others solve problems.

I bought the truck for $900 and noticed no major problems besides a false battery and emergency brake light. it idled rough and sputtered but still ran and rarely died in traffic. I checked the fuses and located a blown engine control fuse(15A). upon replacing this the engine ran wonderfully..for about twenty minutes. the battery and brake light came back on so of course, the engine control fuse had blown. I put a new one in it which immediately blew out after moving the truck. I put another one in that has yet to blow up after a whole day of driving. Anybody have any suggestions on where to start looking for a short?

Second question; I have no brake pedal. I bled them all very well multiple times but this did not help. the pedal gets stiff if i pump it with the engine off, but as soon as i start it it goes to the floor. they dont work until i press it all the way down then it works somewhat, and if i press real hard the rear tires lock up. not sure if the front brakes are working when the engine is running, but the when its off they are as i can see the tire and wheel move from the pad clamping down on the rotor when i press the brakes(when engine is off). brake lines look fine, and there is brake fluid on the front of the master cylinder, however the master cylinder on my 95 VG30E also has fluid on the front of the MS but has great brakes. I did search but didnt find anything useful and thought a more detailed explanation of my issue would be easier to assist me on.

thanks in advanced for any help!

--taylor


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## taylorsines (Dec 10, 2011)

I cant find the edit button, sorry for the double post. When the truck is off and i press the brakes i can hear a vibration like sound coming from under the hood as the pedal goes down. then when i let up its stiff but when I press harder it drops slightly and continues to make the noise. kinda like a humming sound. after enough pumping it does remain stiff and doesnt drop until i start the truck.


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## Scott_T (May 15, 2011)

I'd start looking for what happened about 20 minutes after you started it when it was running fine. maybe a fan clutch or other automatic thingy thats turning on. first I'd put an amp meter across the fuse pins to see how much drain is going on, could be running close to 15 and blowing it slowly.


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## taylorsines (Dec 10, 2011)

thanks for the reply, going out to test that now. Its becoming more and more intermittent, sometimes a fuse lasts long enough to get me to work and back and sometimes it blows out as soon as i replace it and start it. where do i set my meter to test amperage on the circuit? i might figure it out pretty quickly on my own but I might as well ask in case i dont.

More info on the brakes, ive found that pumping them a few times before i need to start slowing down increases the pressure on the pedal for that stop. did the brake booster test i found on this site and it seems to be fine.


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## Scott_T (May 15, 2011)

set your meter to amps/current and plug a lead into each of the fuse leg sockets. 
you absolutely shouldnt do this but... you could just put in a bigger fuse until whatever is causing it finally dies and you'll know by where the smoke is coming out


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## taylorsines (Dec 10, 2011)

honestly im considering that. This engine fuse blowing is a very common problem with the KA24E. its to the point that i would rather burn something up and buy the new one. cept the engine control fuse does a lot and i could end up replacing exactly that... a lot.

my multimeter blew its fuse almost immediately after hooking it to that circuit. i dont think ill be trying that again. the fuse has yet to blow after 10-20 miles of driving, not all at once, farthest ive gone so far in one trip is 5 miles. running the truck no more than ten minutes at a time. my voltage drops to 11.32 when load testing and the idle goes way down and it sounds like its straining. could be the alt, i might replace it if i am more certain this is the problem. the 95 VG30E i did an alt test on(it also has a short) passed with flying colors. voltage remained at 14.42 with everything running, no drop at all.

keep the suggestions coming and ill keep you all informed. unlike everyone else online with this problem i will enlighten the world on the location of the short instead of fixing it and ceasing to post.


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## taylorsines (Dec 10, 2011)

after some inspection of the front brakes it looks like my rotors are pretty bad, as are the pads. so im gonna have them replaced. its pretty cheap. would that cause no brake pedal pressure? my lines look pretty good. the back brakes work pretty good when i try to stop(i can tell when they lock on ice) and if i pump the pedal a few times before i stop the front ones start to work and my pedal gets stiffer. but they hold for a few milliseconds after i let off. i found that out the hard way on some ice today.


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## zanegrey (Dec 5, 2005)

THE MC ROD IS ADJUSTED INCORRECTLY...


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## taylorsines (Dec 10, 2011)

zanegrey said:


> THE MC ROD IS ADJUSTED INCORRECTLY...


to my understanding this is the part that goes from brake pedal to master cylinder? how do i adjust this?


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## zanegrey (Dec 5, 2005)

i do it from inside the truck loosen the four bolts that hold the pedal fram to the floor .. it surrounds the brake pedal rod. pull the pin for the pedal connection and then push the booster out a little to get clearance to spin the rod since you are not getting pedal you must spin the rod connector towrd the brake pedal to give your self additional pedal throw..


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