A17Z

iTrader: (1)

Has anyone else had this problem? I just dropped off my car to take care of my Bose TSB and the inner tire feathering alignment issue (they are still looking into that with Nissan Tech Line). So I also ask them to take a look at car during idle because it sounded like it was misfiring/sputtering. I get a call back and they tell me that my #2 cylinder fuel injector is bad and they have to order the part and replace it. Anyone notice their car idling weird? Didn't really notice any loss of power while driving but i'm guessing it should be quicker.

DIGItonium

iTrader: (1)

I only notice slight fluctuation in idle... but isn't too
bothersome.

And when I rev, there's some popping sounds coming
out of the exhaust. It's not excessive.

spn350z

I think the TSB that addresses this issue is NTB03-006.

Hope this helps your dealer with this problem. I have not seen this TSB but I think it suggests an alignment and tire rotation (dismounting and remounting and balancing).

My dealer has had three attempts to correct this but so far it has gone from bad to worst. Got chip on rim and still has pull to right.

To avoid problems I suggest
1) Insure that rear toe difference between left and right is zero. Any small amount of deviation causes problem with pulling and with sensitive steering of the 350Z (it drives me crazy)

2) Caster and Camber...read up on effects and insure these are set as close to ideal as possible

3) Get thrust angle again zero is goal

Others in this forum may have more details on alignment settings.

A17Z

iTrader: (1)

well the injector came in to the dealership but now there is a national backorder for the 2 gaskets you need to replace it. i gotta wait some more.

dr_gallup

Did they say specificly what was wrong with the fuel injector? There are many different failure modes with different effects on the engine. If it was completely dead (open or short circuit coil) then you will notice at least 20% more power with a working one. However, surely you would have had a check engine light in that case. If it is just leaking a little you will only notice slightly better starting and idle. If it was plugging (restricted flow) you will may a small improvement in throttle response and power with the new one.

Since you did not say you had a check engine light I assume the failure mode was minor and you won't see any affect on power.

BTW I am a fuel injector design engineer.

A17Z

iTrader: (1)

fuel injector engineer - cool. thanks for the info! the check engine light never came in. the tech thinks the injector may be restricted. do you think those over the counter fuel injector cleaners would fix the problem?

A17Z

iTrader: (1)

Just got my fuel injector replaced. They were waiting for two gaskets to complete the job. So when I got my car back I thought it was fixed. But I let it idle for awhile and it still misfires just not as much as before and not as noticeable. I'm tired of bringing my car to the dealer!

dr_gallup

Despite the overwhelming popularity of various fuel treatments/cleaners, it is rare that they ever fix a problem. You will not find a single car manufacturer or injector manufacturer that endorses any type of cleaner. We also don't test injectors for compatibility with the cleaners. Let the buyer beware! I don't believe in any of the mechanic in a bottle elixers.

Fuel injectors rarely have problems, well over 90% of the field returns that we get back have nothing wrong with them. The design life of a fuel injector is 600 million injections, well over 200,000 miles. It should not change flow, leak, have an electrical problem, etc during that time. A lot of times the injector gets replaced when the problem is just a poor connection. The connectors have seals but they are not robust. The weakest point of most electrical systems are the connectors. Just removing and re-connecting can restore good contact but if the injector was replaced in the process then the old one gets blamed for the problem.

The OBD2 diagnostic codes are better than the OBD1 systems at pinpointing problems but not perfect. I think there are many opportunities for misdiagnosis. We just ran into a problem with the Chrysler DRB3 readout for a sensor we make. The setting in this case is supposed to be between +/- 10 degrees to get an "in range" reading, if it is between 10 and 30 degrees you get an "out of range" reading but the engine still runs fine. The problem occurs if the sensor is out by over 30 degrees. The DRB3 will give an erratic readout of between 0 and 10 degrees and "in range" reading but the engine runs like crap. The sensor gets sent back to us when the only thing wrong is that it has not been correctly timed to the engine. In this case the diagnostic box has faulty software, giving the tech bad info.

I think you probably have a similar situation with your injector since replacing it did not solve your problem.