4.1.1 Maintenance
Engine oil and filter should be changed every 5000Km (~3000 miles) without fail. In different
markets, Nissan make different recommendations about the grade of oil, but it goes without
saying you should use the best quality products that meet or exceed the specifications in
your owner's manual
If the ambient temperature is always above 10 degrees
centigrade, then the recommendation is 10W30. For all other cases, the factory recommend
5W30
Coolant has to work harder in most turbo cars, since the engine tends to run warmer. Check it's level, and have it changed with the recommended fluids according to
your owner's manual.
4.1.2 Shutting down
I can't find a formula for how long you should "idle down" a turbocharged engine before
switching it off, but bear in mind the following: A turbocharger could be spinning in excess
of 100,000RPM when the engine is working hard, but at idle, it is barely turning. Obviously
it's going to take time for the turbine to slow down, and it needs lubrication while it does.
My rule of thumb is always idle down for at least 30 seconds, and 3 minutes after
highway driving. Switch the A/C off, to disable the increased idle speed when the compressor
engages. The owner's manual has a very helpful guide of "several minutes"
If everything else in the suspension checks out, the problem may well be the alignment of the rear wheels. Two local Nissan dealers said the was no adjustment of the rear in an S14, but the workshop manual gives you the settings and steps to adjust.
So why is it wrong? Remember that in Japan, the car is available with HICAS (Nissan's 4-wheel steering). However, this is not available on the export market. The rear setup is essentially the same but for the bits that make HICAS work. It appears that some cars are not set up correctly when they leave the factory, or they're not being properly checked at the dealer prior to delivery.
The factory manual says not to undo this clip at all but to slide the filter element into the gap created by opening the other three clips. IF you do elect to do this, be careful not to crush the filter element. If this happens, air will just flow around it and you might as well not bother having an element at all...
Of course, there are alternatives that will help you get around this problem. You could have the ECU modified to eliminate the boost cut, or use a solenoid valve to operate a bleeder. Trigger the solenoid valve through a microswitch attached to the gear lever. Not easy mechanically, but it can be done.
Peter suggests that you can remove the battery strap and push it back far enough to get to the RH lamp housings without having to pull the battery out altogether.
Perhaps some kind soul in with an S15 can take a look and let me know what the story is there...
Also, because the assembly is polycarbonate it seems putting 100W lamps in there would be a bad idea (Personally I don't think the wiring is up to the task either) but the "plus 30" style lamps are recommended by many readers.
The car needs to have been sitting, engine off for an extended period (30+ minutes). The first time you try and move off (or just put the car in gear, hold the clutch in and blip the throttle), you will hear a sharp "metallic" rattling sound from somewhere in the front of the engine.
Always consult your dealer, but we have found on several cars, there is a problem in the variable valve timing actuator and inlet cam sprocket, that causes this noise. Nissan have a fix for it, and the job is done within a day.
We've only seen the problem on the S14a cars, but scanning newsgroups and talking to folks in Japan indicate it may also affect the GTiR Pulsar.
Any mechanical noise should be investigated. This is one possible cause that took a long time to track down with the help of a very persistent dealer.
Why? Because the ECU expects there to be much more air, because when the car left the factory the stream was recirculated. As a result, the mixture is now far too rich. That smoke is the result of unburnt fuel. If the mixture error is big enough, you'll get a flat spot and possibly even backfire. While the BAR-WOOSH sound might be cool, the price to pay to get it is probably not.
"You should strip the AFM (Air Flow Meter) and clean the soot and garbage off the hot wires. This has solved many a surgy problem. CAUTION!! Be careful and don't touch them. I used Methylated spirits once and Servisol spray another time.
The AFM's venturi is actually the aluminium body immediately after the airbox. The little black box on top is the hot wire module. (Nissan list the 2 as one part number). You need to disconnect the plug (clean it with contact spray too), and then undo the screws that hold the black box to the ally body. BE EXTREMELY careful when pulling it out, keep it straight so you don't bump the little pegs that have the wires connected to them. There's an O-Ring that seals the shaft into the ally body and this makes it a bit stiff to extract.
Don't touch the wires at all, rather woosh them around in a little tub of alcohol or similar. A VERY fine artist's paint brush will not damage them if you are careful. I have a genuine Nissan manual (for my CA18) and this procedure is NOT described anywhere in the book. They probably replace the part if it gets dirty enough to warrant replacement. Therefore this procedure has no guarantee, but I have done it to my car twice and another 2 cars, and all have been much smoother afterwards.
Make sure your air filter is clean and the airbox has no leaks while you are there.
Don't attempt to reset the pistons by pushing them. The service manual says they must be rotated clockwise.
I received a letter some time back from Nissan Australia that stated that no system in the 200SX uses any date information. They assured owners there was no reason their cars should not work correctly after December 31, 1999. If you have a car that has a trip computer with a year function and it does not know that 2000 is a leap year, set the year to 1972 and it will line up correctly.
The publication number for the S14 manual is SM4E-0S14G0
240SX owners can obtain a manual from Chilton which will cover most of what you need to know, but for a lot less money.
Firstly, locate the CONSULT connector. It is in the driver's side foot-well fuse compartment (the socket at the bottom on RHD cars). With the engine OFF, bridge the two pins on the top row on the right (or nearest the door is another way to put it). Now, watch the "Check Engine" light (MIL) as you start the car. There are two kinds of "flashes" and two kinds of "gaps"
Long Flash - 0.6 seconds on (the first digit)
Short Flash - 0.3 seconds on (the second digit)
Long Gap - 2.1 seconds off (used between codes)
Short Gap - 0.9 seconds off (used between digits)
So, there are two digits in each code. Count the long flashes, then the short flashes (only count how many times the light is ON) and you'll have a 2 digit code. These codes are covered in the service manual.
Here is a list of all the codes I have been able to find. These are common to many Nissan vehicles
You need to drive the car at more than 15 km/h (9mph) for at least a minute, then check that the ABS warning lamp is still on. Assuming it is, stop the car, but leave the engine running. The ABS control unit is located in the boot (trunk) behind the left side finish panel. On it's rear, there is a LED which flashes out the diagnostic codes. It's the same format as the ECU.
Long Flash - 0.6 seconds on (the first digit)
Short Flash - 0.3 seconds on (the second digit)
Long Gap - 2.1 seconds off (used between codes)
Short Gap - 0.9 seconds off (used between digits)
So, there are two digits in each code. Count the long flashes, then the short flashes (only count how many times the light is ON) and you'll have a 2 digit code. These codes are covered in the service manual.
Here is a list of all the codes I have been able to find. These are common to many Nissan vehicles
Details on this are still coming to light at the moment, but it seems that the SR20DET may have a tendency to crack the splitter piece (best description I have for it right now) which sits underneath the turbocharger. If left long enough there are reports of this cracking through to the outside.
I have heard of two owners who have had this found, once as a result of chasing the rattle noted in section 4.6, the other when the manifold cracked through. Two manifolds I have seen personally in wreckers have shown small cracks in the splitter piece.
Damon suggested that the 1997/8 and later engines have a different exhaust manifold which fixes the cracking problem. Apparently his was replaced with the later item for this very reason
I don't know if this is a common problem, and am most interested in anyone's thoughts or comments on the matter.
This is not a full wiring diagram, since it would probably breach Nissan's copyright, but the connectors and specs for the ECU can be found at this link. You might also be interested in the CONSULT pin-outs.
This is not a full wiring diagram, since it would probably breach Nissan's copyright, but the connectors and specs for the Transmission Controller can be found at this link.