Hi Im looking for a actuator motor for the headlights on a 1989 Pulsar/Nissian Drivers side.Or even someone who would repair it for me…..Michael

Hey Michael,

I dont think you will find one other than at the dealer….or from a junk yard, which is where I would look first. they might not be that expensive new???? You can unplug both motors and prop up your headlights with a metal rod or piece of wood so they are open all the time.

Blessings,

Austin Davis

My 1993 Nissan 240Sx consumes a quart of oil every 600-700 miles; no leaks, no smoke. Do I need a new engine? If not, when do I start
worrying?

Bruce
Virginia

Hey there Bruce,

If you are absolutely positive that there are no external oil leaks I would suspect you have some internal engine wear going on which is consuming this missing engine oil. Rebuilding this engine does not make sense cost wise so I would try playing around with a few cheap options first and see what happens.

I can recommend the following:

1. Check to make sure the PCV system is working properly. The Positive Crankcase Ventilation system allows the engine to breath and vent off excess combustion gases. This system is usually regulated by a PCV valve (call the Nissan dealership parts department and ask them if your engine has a replacement or cleanable valve and where it it located) which should be cleaned or replaced over time. If this valve gets restricted or dirty it will cause excessive internal engine pressure which can put pressure on oil seals and o’rings and other internal oil sealing parts. If you are unsure how to check or replace this part have your local mechanic or a fast lube place check your PCV system for you to make sure there is no restriction.

2. Use a thicker weight of engine oil. I would assume you are using either 5w-30 or 10w-30 weight engine oil, which would normally be just fine. Using a thicker weight engine oil like straight 30 weight (Castrol makes a great straight 30 weight oil) will slow down internal engine oil consumption since this thicker oil is harder to seep through worn out internal oil seal. If you are currently using straight 30 weight you might be able to use straight 40 weight…although that is pretty thick oil for this little engine. In Houston were I am located it does not get cold enough to really do any harm, but you probably see snow in the winter months and this thick oil could get too thick during colder months and cause a lack of lubrication issue if not allowed to properly flow through the engine. The colder it is outside, the slower your engine oil is going to move throughout the engine.

3. Try a can of Engine Restore motor oil additive. You can buy this oil additive at any local auto supply store, it is in a shiny silver metal can. Just add a can of this to your clean engine oil and drive the car as normal. I have had good success with this additive with engines that consumed oil and or smoked from the tailpipe. It does not work overnight, but you should see a slow down in oil consumption over a 3,000 mile interval. You will need to add a can of this additive during each oil change.
Let me know how things work out.

Blessings,

Austin Davis

Reader Follow Up

Austin,

I’ve tried the second and third options already, but I’ll look at the PCV alternative. You’re right that an engine rebuild would cost more than the car is worth on the market ($2500 vs $1250), but it’s a convertible (only made for two years) and I’ve put in leather seats, K&N air filter, and repainted. Not really looking forward to getting rid of it.

Thanks, Bruce

Hi my name is Frank,

I am about to buy a car from my friend it is a 1991 Nissan 180sx, right hand drive SR20DET turbo engine, at the moment the engine can start, but it doesn’t run properly, after a little while it dies, too much air is beeing fed to the motor, is this a head gasket problem or a piston problem, I called a few mechanics specializing in JDM motors, they told me they need to take a look at it, the car is too low to put on a flat bed, wich makes it hard for me to carry it around, I dunno how much it could cost me jsut for a mechanic to take a look at it, and waht the problem is I was wondering if u might know the problem, before I start carrying it from shop to shop,

ps: i’ve done a few head gasket on few of my friend’s car, if that is the problem i can jsut buy one and do it myself,

Thanks

Hey Frank,

I would really need to see this vehicle in person as well to be sure what is happening. Personally I would NOT buy this vehicle….it’s too old, and it has a turbo…..which is probably part of the current problem. Most turbos work great the first few years, but you don’t see to many older turbo engines on the road…..for a reason, they wear out!

There are WAY too many good used cars on the market right now to take on a project like this. I could probably do a better job of spending your hard earned money.

Blessings,

Austin Davis

The reason that I am writing is b/c I have recently replaced the alternator myself in a 1996 Nissan 240sx and everything seems very sluggish.

My windshield wipers move very slow even on the highest setting, the excelleration almost feels like it’s missing (is there timing that needs to be set on a alternator?) I think I had the belt too tight the first time b/c it was showing the battery light on the dash and then after loosening the tension it went away.

The car is just over all bogged down. If this helps I recently cleaned the engine bay with simple green and sprayed it down with water, but this was before I put the new part in. I covered the alternator, rotor and air filter with plastic bags first though. Would you have any idea? The part is stamped with the “nissan” logo but it is referbished.

thanks in advance for your help.

Hi there,

I sure wish you did not wash the engine down with water…..it almost ALWAYS causes problems when people do that. if the wipers are moving slow…I would suspect there is not enough battery power…are you triple sure your battery is ok?

I would install a new battery just to make sure the battery is not the issue. The alt belt being too tight will not cause the battery light to come on, so I am hoping this is something as simple as a bad battery…or there is something wrong with your new alternator.

for the boggy running problem I would remove the distributor cap and make sure there is no moisture inside the distributor cap or on the ignition rotor. If you can, get some compressed air and blow all electrical connectors you can see.

There could be damage to one of the many sensors under the hood…water and electricity dont mix, so there is a good chance something got wet and is damaged or if you are lucky just needs to dry out.

Battery first, check all battery connnections etc. etc. then dry out your distributor…if you still have issues, you might need to see a mechanic for them to run some tests and see what is happening. OK?

Blessings,

Greetings:

I have a 2002 Nissan Xterra (automatic) w/ 177k miles and about nine months ago I popped in and it would not start. I caught me off guard because this had never happened before, lights came on … and something said press the brake and gas … golly, it started.

I immediately took it to the repair shop, they performed a diagnosis and replied they could find nothing wrong. A few weeks passed and I experienced the same thing, no start, but power on. Returned to repairman, they performed another diagnosis, and once again the responded by saying there were no problems with anything … starter was fine.

Fast forward, three months ago the problem had escalated. The method used previously when the vehicle would not start, didn’t work … so me being the analytical type, decided to make sure the vehicle was fully in park. I turned the ignition key, placed the gear in reverse, then returned back to park … hmm, attempted to start and it did. I had another diagnosis performed and still, they tell me there is no problem. What can it be?

Signed

Thoroughly confused

Hi there “confused”

My first thought is a weak battery and or a bad/dirty connection at the battery cables. If this is the original battery (certainly it is not…) I would replace it regardless. I would double check the battery cable connections; they should be totally clean of corrosion and TIGHT. You should not be able to wiggle the cable connections at the battery with your hands. I

I would probably lean more to a intermittent starter motor if the above items check out ok. Catching the starter in the “failed” position will be tough, and you might just have to replace it as an educated guess. I would not be surprised to see problems with the starter with this many miles anyway….so it is probably time for a new one regardless. The starter has performed its job MANY times over those 177K miles.

These intermittent no start problems can be tricky to diagnosis, and usually have to be in “failed” mode to diagnose. I just answered a similar question the other day; you might find some helpful information in what I told her, especially the link to the other article within the article..

Here is the link Jeep Wrangler Will Not Start Sometimes

Blessings,

Austin Davis

Hi there,

I typically do not replace the oxygen sensors unless there is a problem with them, like a check engine light that is ON the dash. I have heard of shops replacing them on a “routine maintenance” type of basis, but I think that is more of a sale pitch than anything else.

It is true that the main function of the sensor is to control fuel consumption, but will replacing the sensors periodically improve fuel mileage and save money….I really don’t think so, not enough to pay for the sensor replacement anyway.

Blessings,

Austin Davis

Austin,

I bought this car in 2004 Nissan Altima. I have 74,000 miles on the car. I only have had the brake done once before. The other day I saw my rotors were rusted looking and it was the size of my brake pad.

I called a local brake shop to get a price and they said I might need to replace my rotors. I’ve never had them turned or resurfaced before. Can they not resurface the rotors instead of replacing them? Also, can you send me a picture of a rotor that needs to be replace.

One other question, it seems like every time I take my car to the dealer they have a list of repairs versus the local shop that doesn’t notice any. How do I know what they are telling me is reliable? When should the transmission flush be done?

Thanks,

MP

Los Angeles, CA

Hi there MP,

Your rust on the brake rotors is normal, and will disappear on the first brake pedal application leaving your subdivision in the morning, I would not worry about the rust.

Usually the rotors can be “trued”, it just depends on how worn or warped they are and if cutting them will leave enough metal on the rotor after the cutting so they will not easily re-warp again.

More about this here, and some pictures

Brake Rotor Problems

The dealership sounds like they are either OVERSELLING you repairs or they are doing a better job of inspecting your vehicle and recommending maintenance.

Selling maintenance items is where the profits are like transmission flushes, coolant flush, brake fluid flushes, tune ups etc. etc. although all those items are highly recommended and should be performed on a routine basis…those items are the most profitable for the shop, so they get recommended most.

I would flush these fluid at these intervals unless there was a problem

• Transmission fluid every 30K miles
• Radiator/coolant every 60-75K miles
• Brake fluid flush every 60K miles
• Power steering fluid every 60K miles

Here is my own scheduled maintenance list, which should be used with your current owner manual recommendations

Vehicle Maintenance Schedules

Blessings,

Austin Davis

Dear Sir,

My name is Savitha. My car is Nissan Altima GXE 1994 model. On 03/09/07 my car stopped completely, due to starter problem. I took my car to one of the auto mechanic he put a new starter. I got my car from the auto mechanic yesterday (03/12).

Yesterday when I started the car, I heard a stranger noise like scratching on something. I felt very strange, there is no problem in driving, its very smooth, but the noise is bothering me. I feel that the starter is not install properly. Please advise by return email.

Thank you,

Hey there Savitha

If you hear this noise……like a metal to metal type of noise ONLY when you start the engine, I would assume there is a problem with the starter motor or the installation of the motor.

Yes, you should take it back immediately and have the mechanic re-check the repair. Continuing to make this noise will only cause damage to the starter which will probably void your warranty.

Blessings,

Austin Davis

Thank you so much for your reply.

I took my car back to my auto mechanic to fix the starter. He got a new starter, but that also my car rejects. Then finally he told that he is going to rebuild my old car starter and put in my car.

When I cross checked the new starter it has no name or number, like my old starter, so I told the mechanic that there is no name or number on the new starter that’s why the car is rejecting the new part and making a metal tearing noise.

Please advice now my auto mechanic is rebuilding my old car starter for my car, is it going to work

Hello again,

Yes, rebuilding your old starter will work just fine. They can take it apart and replace the worn out pieces inside. Many companies do this, and resell these starters as “rebuilt”. Buying a rebuilt starter is standard practice, but this time the rebuilt starter will be your old one and not someone else’s old one.

I assume the noise problem is because he is using cheap starters or he needs to “shim” the starter to fit the engine flywheel. They sell these starter shims at the local auto parts store, but if you use the correct part….and good quality part you should not need to shim it to fit unless it came with a shim from the factory.

Blessings,

Austin Davis

Hello,

I have a 1991 automatic Nissan Rabbit with about 70,000 miles on it. For about a year now, my car has been starting just fine but would die every once in a while when I put it into gear. I would just start it again, and press on the gas, and it would continue on normally.

But now, it’s started doing it every single time and I have to restart it four or five times before I can actually drive (because it keeps stalling as soon as I put it into gear).

Just in case it’s of any useful information, I also just had the starter replaced last week (I imagine it wore out due to all that constant starting and restarting). I brought it back to the garage, but of course it didn’t do it when they tried it, so they just thought I was crazy.

Do you have any suggestions of things we could check out? I’ve been doing a bit of research online, but the responses are so varied – some say check the TCC solenoid, some say it’s the crank sensor, others the fuel filter or fuel pump, etc – the list just goes on and on! Help!

Thank you,

-Samantha

Hi Samantha,

I am not familiar with this vehicle….but I am assuming it is a gasoline engine and not a diesel engine…correct? If this is a gasoline engine I would first want to inspect and clean your “throttle body” and idle speed control motor of any carbon or dirt that has built up there. This is easy to do and probably costs less than $125 for your mechanic to do for you.

The other thing I would look for would be a vacuum leak under the hood somewhere. Have your mechanic inspect the fresh air inlet hose that attaches to your air cleaner to the engine.

I have seen these hard rubber hoses break and crack causing a vacuum leak….which kills the engine. The main cause of this rubber hose cracking is a broken motor or transmission mount. So if you do have a crack in that rubber inlet hose, chances are you have a bad motor mount and the new hose will crack if you do not replace the broken mount.

A friendly mechanic should inspect both of these items for you free of charge….or maybe a very small inspection fee. Cleaning the throttle body is part of normal maintenance so it might be a good idea to have that done anyway if it is dirty and has not been cleaned.

You could have a TCC issue inside the transmission, but I would expect there to be a check engine light on the dash when the engine is running….and with only 70K miles, I would really not expect there to be an internal transmission issue……so rule out the two things I mentioned above before you spend any money on the transmission or take the transmission out of the vehicle.

Blessings,

Austin Davis

Hey Austin,

A friend of mine owns a Nissan Maxima (95 or 96) not exactly sure. He has a bad rack and pinion and wants me to do the job of installing a new one. I have never installed one before but I have been researching and feel confident that I could, being that I have done suspension/steering work before.

I actually have done a wheel alignment by hand on my old 1993 Saturn SC1 (i know jesus was with me on that one) which surpisingly worked out beautifully. My question is, on this model car, how would you rate the difficulty and is the rack and pinion on this car located behind the cross member? I am a basic DIY’er that learns very quickly but I do not have the tools to raise an engine.

On another note, I own a 1997 Nissan Altima with 108k miles on it. I’m pretty sure the tierods are shot and I need a wheel alignment which I plan to take care of very soon but while I was making a u-turn the other day about 3/4 of a full right turn the wheel ‘fell in’ pulling hard to the right. I remember reading about a problem like this before and I can’t remember if it’s due to a bad strut/spring or if it were just bad tierods or what. Any information would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks again and by the way, do you take donations? This is probably the second e-mail I sent to you and I really enjoy the quick and informative responses from you and would like to contribute however possible. Anyway, let me know.

Blessings,

Jose

Howdy Jose,

Hello again, how are you? I would rate the rack and pinion at a 6-7 out of a possible 10, 10 being the hardest. Working on your back in a driveway is going to be the hardest part. I don’t remember if you have to raise the engine, but if you do it will just be slightly and you can use a floor jack. I don’t really recall anything too wild and crazy about the repair…it will take about 5 -6 hours though.

On your other question, I don’t recall anything special about that problem either. I would look very closely at the mounting bolts for the rack and pinion, as sometimes the whole rack will move from side to side either do to worn out bushings or an internal problem in the rack itself.

I don’t know if I would replace the tie rods unless you can positively say they are worn out. I have not seen very many worn tie rods on these vehicles….at least not in my shop anyway. So, don’t jump to conclusions and start replacing parts.

Just visiting my site and thinking of me is more than enough donation…..but thank you anyway.

Blessings,

Austin Davis