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I'm still wondering if this problem is focused on 6 speed manuals. Doesn't seem like anyone with automatic has the problem which means it could be tranny related.
I have a few things to ask and say:
1. Did they find out or fix your problem?
2. It happens to automatic also (06 touring)
3. Not an ECU issue, mines was replaced
4. My issue made CEL come on, sputters/hesitate on start up and driving
5. Codes came up for engine and transmission from manufacturing
6. Nissan corporation will not pay for anything outside of warranty and does not recognize they have a problem with the 05-07 Z's
Has anyone changed their camshaft or crankshaft position sensor? If so did it fix it?
Last edited by shakyj; 10-26-2014 at 03:39 PM.
Reason: Reply Not under the post
I am using Pennzoil Platinum 5W30 and the problem went away. I used Mobil 1 0W40 before which has higher density at 15.6C.
It was suggested that lower density helps.
PP 5W30 has 0.84 vs Mobil 1 0W40 with 0.85.
My 07 nismo does this after cold start. 35k on the clock. Slight sputter exhaust note sounds different. No codes. Fresh oil chevron gas not sure what gives. Runs perfect strong and smooth after 4 or 5 minutes of driving.
Last edited by nizmo_0385; 01-23-2020 at 08:37 AM.
Have made the second oil change with Shell Helix Ultra 5W-30 so far. Car runs absolutley fine, even on race track! I think that the VTC System on the VQ35 HR is very sensitive on the oil viscosity. Hope that helps guys.
Hi , got a similar issue with my 08 HR Auto. Previously had P0014 and P0024. Car would jerk at low rpm once the car is at peak temperature. (jerking only on soft acceleration/gas)
Replaced both the valve timing covers (not cheap ) and the codes disappeared. However now the car jerks more frequently. It would start jerking just after cold starts constantly at low rpm, or from a stop/start.
Driven the car for about 2500km/1 month now and the jerking has been constant. I did notice that when the valve timing covers we installed, they didn't do a valve timing re-learn. Could that be the issue?
First off, a BIG thanks to everyone who has contributed to the thread so far! I would have been totally lost on this issue without the information I read through in the previous 39 pages.
I'm happy to confirm 100% that changing the VTC covers has completely resolved this issue for me. Just to be clear, the issue is this:
-Cold start car.
-(I usually let my car warm up for 30 seconds - 2 minutes, depending on weather).
-Begin driving normally, light acceleration.
-Between the RPM range of about 1,700 - 2,200, very noticeable hesitation/stuttering/shudder. Issue not present when you accelerate harder. (I could usually stop the bucking by hammering the gas.)
-After about 5 minutes (or usually 2 stoplights in my case), issue is no longer present. *This part is important, because if the stutter/hesitation does not go away, you have a different issue. Most likely a vacuum leak or other fuel/air related problem.
If you have this issue, you'll know it to be very predictable. It will pretty much start and stop bucking in the same place every day, and it will drive you nuts. Once the car is fully warmed up (closed loop), the issue should no longer be present. This also only seems to be a VQ35HR issue, so you DE guys are most likely not affected (at least from what I've seen so far).
If this accurately describes your issue, congratulations! You're going to be spending $1,000 for new VTC covers. Below are some pictures and additional information on my experience:
First, this little bolt is going to make things more difficult for you. It is the #8 bolt on the passenger side VTC cover diagram in the FSM, and it is hidden behind the bracket that holds your auto-tensioner and idler pulley.
This is obviously after you remove your serpentine belt, auto-tensioner, and idler pulley. In order to remove that little bracket, you're going to have to loosen ANOTHER bracket that holds that in place. You can see how it is bolted to the back of this other bracket here:
Although not completely necessary, I would recommend removing the following items to make this job easier: upper radiator hose, radiator fans, and alternator.
Covers removed!
Old vs. new. Don't forget those gaskets! Oh, and the passenger side cover should have a revised version. Make sure you specify when ordering that you are getting the revised version which has a larger oil gallery.
Enjoy your shiny new VTC covers, and best of all no more hesitation! I waited about a week before making this post, just to make sure it wasn't a temporary thing. I'm happy to report that my car is now stutter free, and seems to run a lot more smoothly while in open loop (warming up). Hoping this helps anyone who may struggle with the same issue. Good luck!
I'm betting it's the same issue with the retarder that the Maxima has. I'd have gone with the new VTC covers as well. Playing around with paper shims and all the garbage that goes along with repairing the part seems to be a bit of a hassle.
Funnily enough my stuttering/buckling issue started AFTER i replaced BOTH my VTC covers :L.
Replaced the VTC covers due to P0014 and P0024 codes appearing, which has not came back (about 10,000km ago). Thank god haha
Similar to lifekenophobic, it would buckle at low rpm between 1500-2000 on soft acceleration, but can stop it by aggressively pressing on the gas. BUT this will occur after the engine is completely warmed up. At cold start the car will run perfectly for the first 2-5 minutes, then the buckling starts...
Also during the 'buckling' phase the engine will make a sort of metallic-ish sound, sounding like a diesel engine for that split second?
Even on neutral when u rev the engine, it would buckle/resist between 1500-2000RPM and make that funny 'sound'. Had my dad try to locate where the sound is coming from and is sound like it coming from the VTCs themselves...
BTW they are genuine nissan VTC covers.. Not sure where to go from here..
Try replacing the EVAP purge solenoid. It is located behind the intake manifold. Someone on Facebook HR/VHR group found out the fix to the problem:
"Car sound louder? Doesn't feel like it pulls? Shift points and clutch engagement between shifts odd? Bad gas mileage? Car hesitation or stall at low RPMS? Can't get gas at times(gas nozzle clicks like tank is full even though it isn't) Controlled vacuum leak? Slight faint smell of gas fumes in car intermittently? Hear a clicking noise in engine bay that gets faster as you accelerate?"..
Oh I never saw this thread before.. Ive been tackling this since I got my Z in 2015. lol. I thought it was vacuum leak..nope, then did throttlebody clean.. nope, different oils..nope, thought it was my ac compressor.. nope.
My only workaround now is I give it a couple hundred rpm's before I actual get the car moving, idle is 800-1000..so rev to around 1300-1400 before I clutch in and put it in gear and seems to not sputter but it does still happen every now and then so I'm not sure if its actually doing anything. But it was very rare in the summer since we had close to 80degrees by the time I had to drive to work.
Been dealing with this since for a while now. New spark plugs, replaced throttled bodies, clean MAF, checked coil packs. No codes found. Tried new EVAP solenoid as mentioned above, but not the new valve covers. Any other solutions besides the ones posted? Trying to see the deal before I jump into the VTC. This started happening to me growing little by little ever since I replaced my spark plugs and cleaned my original Throttle Bodies(now are replaced with different ones) back in December 2017. Also an acquaintance sprayed brake cleaner over the top of the whole motor to clean it, he said. I was not present for that..
happend before my retune
Been dealing with this since for a while now. New spark plugs, replaced throttled bodies, clean MAF, checked coil packs. No codes found. Tried new EVAP solenoid as mentioned above, but not the new valve covers. Any other solutions besides the ones posted? Trying to see the deal before I jump into the VTC. This started happening to me growing little by little ever since I replaced my spark plugs and cleaned my original Throttle Bodies(now are replaced with different ones) back in December 2017. Also an acquaintance sprayed brake cleaner over the top of the whole motor to clean it, he said. I was not present for that..
happend before my retune
After reading through the 39+ pages and creating a solution that worked for under $5, I thought I should create an account and share! If changing the oil to a lower density/viscosity oil has not alleviated your issue, and you do not want to spend $1300 of valve covers, then this solution is for you.
First of all, the issue is indeed to do with oil flow through the valve timing mechanism on older engines, specifically for the exhaust cams. To confirm that this is your fault, disconnect the wires going to the exhaust cam timing solenoids (blue and green in the picture below). Go for a drive from cold and if there is no sputtering/lurching as there normally would be, then congratulations you have confirmed the issue! (note that the engine check light will come on). Replace these wires and follow the instructions below.
This solution delays the point when the ECU allows the exhaust cam timing to activate when the car is warming up (i.e. it will not activate the solenoids for another few minutes on warmup, allowing the oil to reduce in viscosity by a certain amount).
Step 1: a brown and yellow wire runs from your water temperature sensor (on a metal pipe at the back of the engine) to the ECU. Identify this wire with a continuity check or by assessing the FSM (note there is an identically coloured 2nd wire going to the ECU which is for the park brake).
Step 2: Splice in a power trigger delay switch (similar to shown below) which you can buy from a local electronics store or ebay. Essentially this switch will transfer the signal from the original sensor/ECU path to a path with an added resistance for an adjustable period of time from when the car starts.
From the picture: The power and trigger input will be connected to a circuit that becomes live when the engine is on. The COM will be the input yellow/brown wire coming from the temperature sensor. The NC (normally closed) will be an unmodified output wire to the ECU water temp input. For the NO (normally open) connection, connect a wire with a 640ohm resistor in line which also goes to the ECU water temp input line (this resistor wire is now in parallel with the NC wire). Essentially when the car starts, the switch will run the water temp signal through the NO line with added resistance, and trick the ECU to thinking the car is fractionally colder than it really is. After the adjustable period of time which you set on the switch (set it to 5-7 mins), it will switch to the NC line and the ECU will be fed the correct engine temp. The exhaust valve timing system will then be fully activated.
This solution means that your exhaust timing solenoids will not activate prematurely when the oil is too viscous for an aged valve timing system.
Note: if you are lazy, you can just add a 640ohm or resistor to the water temp line, but this runs the risk of stopping your fans running when the engine gets hot. You can splice in just the resistor to start with to ensure the 640ohms is adequate for the climate you live in. For a temperate climate, I found 640ohms to be the minimum resistance required to prevent the activation of the exhaust solenoids. Too large of a resistance will mean the ECU thinks the engine is REALLY cold, and may impact your fuel economy too much for those first 5 minutes (the engine will idle higher).
I hope this helps someone with this issue!
Last edited by MrSausage; 01-30-2019 at 02:53 PM.
Reason: Grammar
Is there any chance you can post a pic or two of the fix?
Originally Posted by MrSausage
Hello all After reading through the 39+ pages and creating a solution that worked for under $5, I thought I should create an account and share! If changing the oil to a lower density/viscosity oil has not alleviated your issue, and you do not want to spend $1300 of valve covers, then this solution is for you.
First of all, the issue is indeed to do with oil flow through the valve timing mechanism on older engines, specifically for the exhaust cams. To confirm that this is your fault, disconnect the wires going to the exhaust cam timing solenoids (blue and green in the picture below). Go for a drive from cold and if there is no sputtering/lurching as there normally would be, then congratulations you have confirmed the issue! (note that the engine check light will come on). Replace these wires and follow the instructions below.
This solution delays the point when the ECU allows the exhaust cam timing to activate when the car is warming up (i.e. it will not activate the solenoids for another few minutes on warmup, allowing the oil to reduce in viscosity by a certain amount).
Step 1: a brown and yellow wire runs from your water temperature sensor (on a metal pipe at the back of the engine) to the ECU. Identify this wire with a continuity check or by assessing the FSM (note there is an identically coloured 2nd wire going to the ECU which is for the park brake).
Step 2: Splice in a power trigger delay switch (similar to shown below) which you can buy from a local electronics store or ebay. Essentially this switch will transfer the signal from the original sensor/ECU path to a path with an added resistance for an adjustable period of time from when the car starts.
From the picture: The power and trigger input will be connected to a circuit that becomes live when the engine is on. The COM will be the input yellow/brown wire coming from the temperature sensor. The NC (normally closed) will be an unmodified output wire to the ECU water temp input. For the NO (normally open) connection, connect a wire with a 640ohm resistor in line which also goes to the ECU water temp input line (this resistor wire is now in parallel with the NC wire). Essentially when the car starts, the switch will run the water temp signal through the NO line with added resistance, and trick the ECU to thinking the car is fractionally colder than it really is. After the adjustable period of time which you set on the switch (set it to 5-7 mins), it will switch to the NC line and the ECU will be fed the correct engine temp. The exhaust valve timing system will then be fully activated.
This solution means that your exhaust timing solenoids will not activate prematurely when the oil is too viscous for an aged valve timing system.
Note: if you are lazy, you can just add a 640ohm or resistor to the water temp line, but this runs the risk of stopping your fans running when the engine gets hot. You can splice in just the resistor to start with to ensure the 640ohms is adequate for the climate you live in. For a temperate climate, I found 640ohms to be the minimum resistance required to prevent the activation of the exhaust solenoids. Too large of a resistance will mean the ECU thinks the engine is REALLY cold, and may impact your fuel economy too much for those first 5 minutes (the engine will idle higher).
ok . . so no one has replaced the solenoid or even cleaned and re-installed it ? ?
I replaced the intake solenoid and it changed when I had the sputtering, before it would happen right when I tried to pull away but now I can start it, let it idle down then drive away and get like down the street then it will start to sputtering and I will have to stop and let it warm up the oil longer gonna try cleaning the old one and put it back it and probably the other side to
I'm not sure if this is the right place to post this but if not please move to the most appropriate area.
I'm having trouble with sputtering, started about 6 months ago.
I've done all of the common things to fix this but so far nada.
Saw a post about ecu software update for the car. Hence why I'm looking for the EV-13D software. Could Anyone help me out?
I would really appreciate any help or feedback.
Thank s All
hopefully I can get answer after I really spend a lot of money for really nothing
I know I am so late for that , after looong time researching I don’t know how all this time I didn’t see this thread!!!!
Please note that my oil pressure is after fully warm up is around 8-10 psi / 2000k rpm around 40psi / cold start 80 psi
now I have all above symptoms and I have confirmed that
I did these 4 tries to confirm what all of you said
These results confirmed by driving long distance with every try just to confirm the results
1 - disconnected both sides = issue gone
2 - disconnected right side only = issue gone
3 - disconnected left side = issue gone
4 - plugged both sides = got the issue back
Really want to confirm before I waste more and more money
I know the gallery gaskets needs to replaced but for now ,This sputtering will be fixed after I replace this vtc or the oil pressure will be the main issue? , I know and saw in groups some guys their oil pressure is less that 8 psi and they don’t have this sputtering
if the replacement will fix , do I need to replace both sides full covers assembly or just the variable valve timing solenoid
is there any possibility of any other warn parts effecting the vtc functions like bad pcv valve or others
Thank you so much my350z.com that helped me figure out the issue after more than one year going to all mechanics in my city 🙏🙏🙏
10-26-2014, 03:27 PM
06 sputtering
) and the codes disappeared. However now the car jerks more frequently. It would start jerking just after cold starts constantly at low rpm, or from a stop/start.
Fixed!
