Check engine light - What else is there to do? (Pics)

[RaynMan]

Welcome mate, surely the best forum on the net. If you need it, you can get it, if you want to know it, just ask it.

Hey guys,

Well I have joined up a few weeks ago and got heaps of good info. I bought a 2005 GU ST 3.0TD a few weeks ago and ever since I have had it the check engine light has come on 4 times. I know this topic has been done to death because I have read many of the posts but mannn, I'm stumped. Pretty damn depressed too! only just bought the car.

Here are the particulars:

The day I was supposed to pick the car up from the seller, the seller called me and said "bad news, he was driving home and the car went into limp mode". He took the car to his mate at Nissan who looked up the fault code and it pointed to water in the fuel filter. He took the car home and checked the filter and emptied the water out. The next morning there was more water in the filter again so he tipped all of the fuel out of the main tank. He drove the car for around 300km to make sure everything was fine and he didn't have a problem.

So I bought the car, then 4 days later I was cruising down the freeway doing 100kmh and the check engine light came on. I pulled over, turned the car off and then started it again and the light went off. I continued my journey with no problems of power etc. I took the car to my mechanic mate who emptied the fuel filter (onto the ground which made it impossible to see if the fuel had water or was dirty).

A week later cruising down the freeway doing 100kmh the check engine light came on again, so I turned the car off/on again. I had about 30 min left of my journey and 5 min before I got home the check engine light came on again (once again it didn't seem like I had any power loss)

I got home and removed the fuel filter and found some dirt in it
http://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forums/images/imported/2012/12/28.jpg

A couple days later I took it to my mechanic mate who took off the main tank, inspected it and it was clean as a whistle so he replaced the hoses on the tank and the inlet/outlet hose on the fuel filter and we changed the fuel filter to an OEM one.
http://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forums/images/imported/2012/12/29.jpg

A couple of days later (day before yesterday) I myself decided to check the subtank and it was disgusting, here is the pickup
http://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forums/images/imported/2012/12/30.jpg

and here is a pic of the fuel that was in there after it had settled for an hour or so.
http://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forums/images/imported/2012/12/31.jpg

I cleaned up the tank and good and proper and hoped that was the last of my problems. I was wrong.

Today I plugged in the ECU Talk to check the MAF sensor voltage and it sat at 1.9V which according to the manual is in the correct range.

I went out to do some errands and I bought a spare fuel filter and air filter because I am planning on going to Esperance at Christmas (8 hour road trip). On the way home while I was idling at a stop sign the check engine light came on again. I turned the car off for 1 min and restarted it and the light went away as usual. On the way home from there I noticed there was a lot less power, I don't think it was in limp mode because the engine would rev over 2500rpm but it struggled a bit beyond that.

I have just got home and sprayed some MAF sensor cleaner on the MAF Sensor and replaced the air filter with my spare.

What else can I do? I might have to take it into Nissan.

I wrote my first post earlier today, I didn't expect to be writing a problem post so soon.

Thanks for reading.

[macca86]

From what I have read would I be wrong in saying the fuel filter has only been emptied of water not replaced. If do replace it. It may not have any water in it but will be clogged of gunk

[macca86]

Also with that amount of crap in your tank id be using a bucket load of injector cleaner too

[macca86]

Even after your filter change after the main tank clean the sub may have done in the new one also as the sub tank pumps over to the main fir 30 seconds when you start up.

[RaynMan]

I have put a crap load of injector cleaner in it. I changed the fuel filter after inspecting the main tank was clean but I have not changed/emptied it since I noticed the sub was dirty. I wasn't aware that when you start the car the sub transfers fuel for 30 seconds to the main tank, cheers for that info.

I'll inspect the fuel filter again tonight.

[macca86]

Also if you hit the sub button fuel is not taken fromThe sub but transferred to the main also. Id recheck your pick Ups use new fresh diesel from shell bp or caltex. Injector cleaner use the old filter and hand pump fuel out of the lines till new fuel comes out then change to new filter. See how that goes. I really think its the issue.

[RaynMan]

Also if you hit the sub button fuel is not taken from The sub but transferred to the main also. Id recheck your pick Ups

I just found out how the sub works 2 days ago and I also double checked both pickups and they are clean. cheers.

so an hour ago I just took the filter off and emptied it, there wasn't much dirt in it, just a few specks but I put a brand new filter on. I think I over tightened the filter coz I heard a little crack and when I installed the unit back in the car it won't prime, no matter how many pumps I do.

Really not having a good day. This arvo I dropped my phone and stepped on it, gonna cost $320 to fix, then the check engine light came on and I think I busted the priming pump.

Other couple of important points I forgot to mention. All of those times that the check engine light came on I borrowed my mates ECU Talk and the fault code read P77 Injector Timing. Also I have just discovered the air filter was bent (Probably from the old owner banging it on the bullbar) so I have just replaced it with a new OEM one.

So right now I can't even get the car started, do i need a whole new priming pump?

I thank you again, it's nice to have people to talk to about this.

this was out of the 1 week old filter
http://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forums/images/imported/2012/12/32.jpg

Bent air filter (which was also mounted rubber seal up)
http://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forums/images/imported/2012/12/33.jpg

[alexx]

If all the filters were changed, there is one more thing that the zd30 does, the oil pressure gauge reports to ECU not to start the engine when oil is less than the minimum. It does not mean that there is less oil in the sump. it means that oil circulation is not normal. First, try to check the viscosity ot the engine oil. If its sticky or dirty, it could hardly pass the sieve of the oil strainer at the bottom of the engine. then, secondly you should clean that strainer by removing the oil pan. Sludge could be clogging that strainer restraining the engine oil to move up. Its a DIY. just be carefull in removing the bolts of the oil pan. You may need an air compressor to spray the dirt away. You may return the drained engine oil if it appears good. Else, you need a new oil filter. You also need a sealant for the oil pan.

This could happen if you change the type of fuel for your GU, from regular diesel to turbo diesel. Cleaning effect of the the turbo diesel on the pistons and cylinders could send dirt underneath which contamiinate the oil. The strainer eventually gets all the dirt. There is the clogging.

It happened to my GU in May while I was travelling in a no mechanic zone. I just read the Manual. I drained the fuel filter as recommended in the booklet. The GU runs 3 kms. there the flash again. Did thrice. And the GU stopped close to a Gas Station and no longer able to start. I simply did what I just wrote above. Its been 6 months now, the dash didn't flash check engine anymore.

It worth a try. That didn't make me a mechanic though. Not yet. LOL. BTW, WELCOME TO THE CLUB!!!!

[RaynMan]

Thanks for the reply. That's interesting about the Oil sump but would that throw the P77 Injector Timing code? I'll inspect it anyway.

I bought a new priming pump, $260 later, and got the car running again. It did take a few cranks to get it kicked over after priming the filter/hoses and when it eventually started the check engine light came on again which may have been caused by air in the lines while cranking?

I'm trying not to drive it as much as I can help it, I have it booked in with Nissan on Thursday for an inspection. I just hope they can pinpoint the problem and not just say "oh yeh that'll be the injector pump". Excuse my naivety but is a P77 injector timing fault something Nissan could narrow down to one of the 4 faults that the code represents? or is it a trial and error thing for them?

[RaynMan]

Just an update.

I booked the patrol in with Nissan last Thursday (20th Dec) and they called me in the arvo to say they needed another day to work it out. They called me the next day saying they have had no luck because they need the Check Engine light to come on in order to diagnose the problem. I told them that could take 2 days or 2 weeks but they said unfortunately that's what has to happen.

In the same phone call the service manager said they noticed that when the vehicle gets to around 60km/h it loses power and you need to back off the accelerator and reapply. I said I have not had an issue like that.

Well I picked the patrol up today since they can't diagnose it without the CE light being on and basically planned on driving it around until the light comes on and then drive it to Nissan with the light still on. On the way home I noticed it wasn't boosting over 10psi which explains what the service manager was saying about it not going over 60km/h without letting off the accelorater.

This begs the question "What has Nissan done that's stopped it from boosting". I picked up the patrol just as they were closing for Christmas so I couldn't even call to tell them about the boost issue.

Should I be driving it with this boost issue? should I be taking it back to Nissan or somewhere like http://www.unitedfuel.com.au/ ?

[threedogs]

Shite you are in the wars, IMO I'd Get your 4x4 Dynoed ,I see you have NADS, good move..
You need to use OE filters only, with low boost your EGTs should be higher, PM Ferret and get a
EGR blanking plate, may just be want you need, Also dis-connect the battery for1 hr an DON'T touch the throttle when
you re start it

[RaynMan]

Thanks threedogs. I disconnected the battery for 10 hours and restarted it as you described but no luck. Sux! oh well I'll contact either Nissan or United in a couple days. cheers.

[RaynMan]

Update:

So I ended up fixing the boost problem, which in actual fact was the vehicle going into limp mode (not sure if that's technically the right wording but the symptoms were the same as what people regard limp mode as). It's a shame I didn't notice this sooner but when Nissan had the vehicle over the weekend they must have taken the intercooler off because one of the vacuum hoses was pinched tight between the rubber grommets and IC mounts. In the mean time I had played around withe the dawes valve and since I fixed the vacuum problem the boost was now set too low. I wound the dawes valve all the way out but I could get 12.5 to 13psi whereas it was originally set to 15psi.

I searched this forum and saw that some people recommended to stretch the spring, so I did (approx 30% longer) and reinstalled. I'm under the impression that since the spring is now longer the distance between the grub screw and locking screw is now greater. I have adjusted it 7 or 8 times, doing 1/2 turns but still haven't managed to set it to 15psi. One question I'd like to ask is if the dawes valve supposedly sets the max boost (say 15psi) is it normal that I am getting boost spikes for a short moment when being a bit heavier on the throttle? or should it not go over 15psi period.

[RaynMan]

Well other than the boost still fluttering the patrol has been driving nicely... until today. The Check engine light came on again while I was cruising at 60kph. I got home and plugged in the ECUtalk to get some figures. The code was P77 Injector timing again, I have converted the data into 2 graphs, one with the injector timing and the other with the injector timing versus the RPM. (just multiply the RPM by 10 for the actual RPM, I had to convert it so it fit on the graph better). I have never really looked at how the injector timing should be but the figures do seem to be pretty inconsistent leading me to believe there is an issue with the injectors or the pump. Please chime in with your thoughts, thanks!

You can also view the actual datalog here (http://www.roamoz.com/images/ecutalk612013_0.csv)

http://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forums/images/imported/2013/01/10.jpg
http://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forums/images/imported/2013/01/11.jpg

[Sir Roofy]

Well after reading your posts it might be electrical,the pulse is out of wack
or your up for some injectors with the amount of crap that was in the system
its a wonder its even going,some of the finer particals may have got through
and done the damage i hope not,and check all earths and connections 3ls are
very sensitive to any thing foriegn or bad earth,s

[RaynMan]

Thanks mate. I do have a isolator switch on my bull bar, I'll disconnect that and undo all the earths and clean up the connections.