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2009 Nissan Versa - Multiple issues after engine replacement


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Versa09
User

Aug 10, 2017, 11:49 AM

Post #1 of 9 (2047 views)
  post locked   2009 Nissan Versa - Multiple issues after engine replacement  

Just had the engine replaced in my kid's 2009 Nissan Versa Hatchback (1.8 L, 6-speed manual). This is a salvage engine and the guy who did the labor did it dirt cheap (you get what you pay for), but won't troubleshoot the problems.

The vehicle ran fine for a couple days, but developed a minor stuttering in the engine and started dying when idling after we ran it on the highway. The stuttering quickly advanced to the engine frequently bucking and losing power on the highway. After several test drives, it seemed like if the car was in the mood to misbehave (sometimes it ran fine, sometimes not), I could instantly and consistently induce the bucking by turning the heater blower fan to high, so the issue may have begun when the electrical system was placed under load.

At that point it had thrown a cople misfire codes, P0300 Random/Multiple cylinder misfire and P0303 cylinder 3 misfire.

Reset the codes and drove awhile (ran fine) until the issue returned and threw another P0300 Random/multiple misfire code. As the car's performance declined, it threw a "(pending) P0420 catalyst system efficiency below threshold bank 1" code.

After letting the car sit for a couple days, I tried another test drive - couldn't even get it out of the driveway. Runs very rough, won't level out at all, dies no matter what we do. Today I read the codes again and found some new codes had been added, "(pending) P0340 Camshaft position Sensor A Circuit Bank 1 or Single Sensor" and "(pending) P0335 Crankshaft Position Sensor A Circuit."

At this point it doesn't make sense to put a much more money into the car, but we're up for doing some troubleshooting & DIY repair if we can find a starting place.

Any thoughts?
-
2011 Dodge Nitro SXT
SUV 4D (3.7L V6 SMPI)
Odometer: 100,800 miles


Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Hammer Time profile image

Aug 10, 2017, 12:47 PM

Post #2 of 9 (2038 views)
  post locked   Re: 2009 Nissan Versa - Multiple issues after engine replacement  

Whoever changed this engine needs to look it over very closely for possible ground wires left off when they changed the engine.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.



Versa09
User

Aug 10, 2017, 1:33 PM

Post #3 of 9 (2032 views)
  post locked   Re: 2009 Nissan Versa - Multiple issues after engine replacement  


In Reply To
Whoever changed this engine needs to look it over very closely for possible ground wires left off when they changed the engine.


The installer is pretty much out of the picture, but that's a great tip and is something I wouldn't have thought of. Thanks much!
-
2011 Dodge Nitro SXT
SUV 4D (3.7L V6 SMPI)
Odometer: 100,800 miles


Sidom
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Sidom profile image

Aug 10, 2017, 1:44 PM

Post #4 of 9 (2028 views)
  post locked   Re: 2009 Nissan Versa - Multiple issues after engine replacement  

Try swapping the coils around.....If the P0303 you got earlier moves to another cyl....it's a bad coil...

if you have access to the old engine, pull the cmp & ckt sensors off that engine and put them on yours..

As HT already said.....you might just look all the connections over and it never hurts to pull a ground off/apart and clean it....

The pending P0420 is probably a result of the problem the old engine had....It's may be pending now, but it will probably fail fairly quickly


Versa09
User

Aug 11, 2017, 2:01 PM

Post #5 of 9 (1989 views)
  post locked   Re: 2009 Nissan Versa - Multiple issues after engine replacement  


In Reply To
Try swapping the coils around.....If the P0303 you got earlier moves to another cyl....it's a bad coil...

if you have access to the old engine, pull the cmp & ckt sensors off that engine and put them on yours..

As HT already said.....you might just look all the connections over and it never hurts to pull a ground off/apart and clean it....

The pending P0420 is probably a result of the problem the old engine had....It's may be pending now, but it will probably fail fairly quickly


Hey Sidom, apologies for the slow response. I'm passing these comments on to my kid who'll be doing the work, and we'll probably try swapping the coils around to see if it affects the way its running.

Unfortunately, the old engine has gone back for the core credit, so we're stuck with whatever's on it at the moment. I'm up for replacing some sensors if our troubleshooting points that way, but at this point I'm still thinking that some underlying central issue (perhaps your and HT's grounding tip) is hosing the engine's performance to the point where downstream systems and sensors are reporting failures without those systems actually being at fault.

I'll update the thread after we look around for grounding problems and/or try moving some coils around.
-
2011 Dodge Nitro SXT
SUV 4D (3.7L V6 SMPI)
Odometer: 100,800 miles


Sidom
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Sidom profile image

Aug 11, 2017, 2:06 PM

Post #6 of 9 (1987 views)
  post locked   Re: 2009 Nissan Versa - Multiple issues after engine replacement  

Too bad about the core...

You always want to start with the cheapest, easiest stuff 1st...

g/l


Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Hammer Time profile image

Aug 11, 2017, 2:56 PM

Post #7 of 9 (1979 views)
  post locked   Re: 2009 Nissan Versa - Multiple issues after engine replacement  

Let me tell you a little story..........

I bought a Kia Sportage at the auction. It ran so bad I barely got it home. It was doing all kinds of crazy things like wild surging at qtr throttle or less. It would seeming run fine in park. Back it out to road test it and as soon as you shift to drive it would die and not restart. After it cooled a little, it would slowly catch and run again. It was setting a P1614 code which is a communication error between the PCM and TCM. The blower motor was too slow, the RS window had no power and the transmission shifting was erratic.

I confess I messed with this thing for the best part of a day. I ordered a new window motor and blower motor without bothering to test anything in those areas.

Then I decided to look around the engine compartment.

Apparently the car had a bad battery previously or maybe it just had a new one that they wanted to keep but one of the previous dealers had replaced the battery with one that was different dimensions than the original. The posts were on the opposite side so now the battery cables were not long enough to reach any more. The negative cable was originally attached to the battery tray, half way down the cable so they disconnected that anchor to give them the extra length of cable they needed. What the idiots didn't realize is that tray mount was actually the body ground for all the computers in the car.
Bought the correct battery and reattached the ground and that fixed everything, including the windows and blower motor.
Four different dealers dumped this vehicle because they couldn't figure out what was wrong with it.

A lesson learned. Don't ignore the stupid.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.



Versa09
User

Aug 11, 2017, 5:31 PM

Post #8 of 9 (1961 views)
  post locked   Re: 2009 Nissan Versa - Multiple issues after engine replacement  


In Reply To
Whoever changed this engine needs to look it over very closely for possible ground wires left off when they changed the engine. [..] Don't ignore the stupid.


HT, you nailed it. There was a loose ground cable going from the crank housing to the metal framing around the engine compartment. The guy had used a shanked bolt on the connector lug that wouldn't tighten down all the way. I pulled up on the cable while the engine chugging so it'd make a better connection, and it leveled right out. Replaced the bolt and the darned thing runs like a top.

Oddly, the battery went completely dead the third time we tried to start it. It was reading 12.5 volts but wouldn't even power the dash indicator lights. We put a jump pack on it and all the lights & indicators came on and the engine cranked. The kid's off to Autozone to have the battery tested/replaced, but I imagine all it needs is a new battery.

Thanks very much, guys. You saved me a bunch of hassle and money, and I'm already de-stressing.
-
2011 Dodge Nitro SXT
SUV 4D (3.7L V6 SMPI)
Odometer: 100,800 miles


(This post was edited by Versa09 on Aug 11, 2017, 5:34 PM)


Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Hammer Time profile image

Aug 11, 2017, 5:34 PM

Post #9 of 9 (1957 views)
  post locked   Re: 2009 Nissan Versa - Multiple issues after engine replacement  

It's great when it all works out like that.

I'll close this now as solved.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.







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