DC Scotty

My distributor seal was leaking oil real bad.

I moved the dizzy, replaced the seal, cleaned up the oily mess under the dizzy and reinstalled the dizzy. Started the car and the idle is super high... And now my gas mileage really sucks....

I vaguely remember something special with the Camshaft Position Sensor sending info to the ECU for timing, engine speed, piston position, etc. But, I didnt align anything when I reinstalled the dizzy.

When installing the dizzy, do you need to make any adjustments or alignments to the rotor plate? Or adjustments required to the Camshaft Position Sensor?

All I did was lined-up the dizzy and bolted it down! Thinking the Camshaft Sensor was built-in the dizzy & shouldnt be touched. Although I had it on the bench, I dont think I cleaned it or looked at the rotor plate or the sensor. This high idle is really strange; especially since I have removed the EGR & AIV. Idling shouldnt be a problem and I cant lower it below 1000 rpm with the screw all the way in (new IACV installed last Sept).

NO Codes!! 55..
Thanks for your help guys...

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1993 NX2000 -- ActiveTuning Grnd Kit & RSTB, Cusco FSTB, Progress Rear Swaybar, Hyperco/AGX,
Full SS 2.5" VRS SS Catback, SSAC 2.5" header/downpipe, JWT Pop-Charger, EDM Headlamp & Yellow Fogs.

 

BenFenner

Ignition timing on your car is done by moving the distributor, which in turn, moves the cam angle sensor. There is a large range of movement allowed in the mount of the distributor. You have mounted the distributor in an extremely advanced setting, advancing your base timing from 15 degrees before top dead center to something probably as high as 25 degrees BTDC. An advanced engine will idle very high.

You need to retard your ignition timing by sliding the distributor until the idle calms down. Ideally, you should do this with a timing light. You've basically "untimed" your engine, and need to bring it back to factory specs using the standard timing method for our cars.

In a pinch, the engine can be timed by sound if you know what 15 degress BTDC sounds like (I do... Do you? =) ) but really you're going to need to get a timing light. At the very least, you can not drive the car anymore until you've retarded the timing some as it is not in a drivable state.

DC Scotty

Thanks Ben for your input. My car is a 93 NX2000. It does have a camshaft position sensor built into the dizzy. I realized that it was mounted incorrectly when the idle went nuts!! The rotor plate inside the dizzy has many degree marks: 180deg @ cyl num 1 slit, 1deg signal slit, and three other 180deg signal slits... My questions is how do I realign this rotor plate with cyl 1 TDC??


I did this immediately after installing the dizzy. I have a timing light and a Consult cable. Put the car in timing mode and adjusted the timing to 15degs. The idle was at 2200rpm. While still in timing mode, I turned the idle screw to lower the idle. With the idle screw bottomed out (all the way in), the idle was still at 1000-1200. So then I did an old trick of adding lots of load (headlights, heater fans, defroster, fog lights). I then adjusted the idle to 850. But when I came out of timing mode, the idle was around 950 & AAC was at 45% open. And thats the way it is currently...

Nope, I dont know what it sounds like. I have a friend that can recognize the 15 deg BTDC sound. I'll ask him to listen. The timing light shows 15deg and the car is drivable. Just poor gas mileage (20 mpg) and the strange High Idle..

How do I realign the rotor plate with TDC?

DC Scotty

I have determined the following items are used by the ECU for determining idle:
- Engine Coolant Temperature (ECT) Sensor - coolant temperature
- Throttle Position Sensor (TPS) - Throttle valve position
- Power Steering Oil Pressure Switch - PS load
- Camshaft Position Sensor - Engine Speed
- Vehicle Speed Sensor - vehicle speed
- Air Conditioner Switch - AC operation
- Ignition Switch - Start signal

Then, the ECU sends signals to the following that impacts idle:
- IACV-AAC valve - to open the AAC valve by a calculated percent
- IACV-Air Regulator - to increase idle with cold engine for a few minutes
- IACV-FICD - to increase AAC air flow when AC system is on

Im planning to test each of these component on Saturday. As well as the MAS Air Flow Sensor, O2 sensor and the EGR temp sensor (if I can find it). Am I missing anything??

gtswrx

I have the same situation but the idle, timing is read as 3 degrees by consult no matter where I turn the dizzy and I do have the code for CAS???

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DC Scotty

Whoooah... Thats real bad.. Consult is reporting what the ECU is seeing.. And if the ECU is only seeing 3deg timing.. thats bad..

I would recommend replacing the dizzy. The CAS is not replacable. A good used dizzy shouldnt be too expensive. I maybe buying one too if I screwup my dizzy while trying to align the rotor plate!!

BenFenner

There is no alignment to do for the CAS. The CAS disc inside has no adjustment, and there is only one position the distributor can mate in with the end of the cam shaft. You shouldn't have to do anything other than typical ignition timing.

You say your idle is at 950 rpms? That's not really bad at all. This is a bit odd with the idle screw all the way down though.

DC Scotty

Agreed Ben.. I installed Outlaw spacer last summer with a new IACV (the one w/spring) and removed the EGR & AIV. My idle has been rock solid since.

I thought my idle issues were gone for good!! Now, Im really confused with this strange idle problem.

Thanks for the info.. I will now start testing other components.

Update: Tested IACV-AAC & FICD = fine. Tested ECT & TPS = fine. Still testing...

BenFenner

You should triple check everything you removed when working with the distributor and make sure it's plugged/put back in.

Are you being thorough when timing the engine, making sure the car is fully warmed up and the idle is at 850 rpms? If you time an engine at 1,000 rpms it will be off a little bit.

Also, are you following the directions to set idle exactly? The car has to be completely warmed up, the TPS sensor plug needs to be removed, and the engine needs to be raced, etc.

I know you said you removed one of the idle control valves. Which of the three was it? The main one (with the screw), the secondary one (controlled by the ECU), or the third one (used to raise idle during cold starts)?

DC Scotty

Thats what I just did.. Tested everything in the list to see if in-spec.. Everything is fine.. The idle is still high (900-960-ish) & screw turned all the way in.

As for the setting Idle & timing, done that a cajillion times on Nissans/Infiniti's. Its easy for me cause I dont need to do the rain dance; I have a Consult cable to put in timing mode!! Thus, car at operating temp, unplug TPS, start car, clear learning mode, put in timing mode, set it to 850, set timing to 15deg (in that order). Turn off car, hookup everything, take for a test drive.. Same, same results...

Note: I set the idle to 850 by using an old trick of adding load & disconnecting the AAC. With the idle then lowered enough, I could properly set the timing exactly at 15deg.

I replaced the main IACV unit last summer (one with the screw). Installed the updated design one with the spring in it (my original IACV didnt have the spring). The IACV unit contains 1. FICD, 2. AAC and idle screw. Last week, I installed a new 3. IACV/Air Regulator (thinking my old one maybe stuck open; it wasnt). No improvements. All three checked & tested today!

Checked the Idle screw for blockage; clean.

Spent the entire day testing All of my sensors and they are dead-on spec, as follows:

1. TPS - closed throttle= 0.46v, WOT= 4.0 exactly, Ohms closed= 2ohm, Ohms WOT=10.8, CTP has continuity and shows both open & closed
2. Camshaft Position Sensor - Show 5v at 180deg signal position and fluctuates as its turns between 1-5v
3. IACV/AAC - resistance = 10ohms
4. IACV/FICD - Clicks when 12v is applied to terminals
5. IACV/Air Regulator - resistance = 78ohms across terminals
6. Knock Sensor = 551Kohms across terminals
7. Checked Electronics & AAC fuses = both were fine but put new ones in to be thorough
8. MAS Air Sensor = switch on/engine off - 0.65v, idling warm engine-1.64v, ground 4mv (.004v)
9. Igniton coil - term 1 & 2 = .98ohm, teminals 1 & 3 = 10.02 ohm
10. O2 sensor - term 1 & 3 = 8ohms
11. Power Transistor - Good test for Pos/Neg (+/-) meter connections = A+B, A+C = infinite AND B+A, B+C, C+A, C+B = not infinite or 0
12. Engine Coolant Temp Sensor - 68deg = 2.2ohm, 122deg = 0.81 ohm, and 176deg = 0.31ohm
13. Power Steering Oil Pressure Switch - Turning wheel = Continuity, Not Turning = no continuity
14. PCV valve - shake = rattles; blow into threaded side = air flows thru; blow into hose side = no air thru
15. EGR & Canister Control Solenoid Valve - resistance = 33ohms; apply 12v power = air passes thru top 2 valves; remove 12v = air passes thru middle & bottom valves
16. Fuel Injector in order 1-4 = 11.3, 11.4, 11.4, 11.3 ohms
17. Egr & EGR pipe - Removed; blockoff kit = no leaks (soapy water test)
18. SSAC header, secondary, cat & bungs connections - No leaks (soapy water test)
19. AIV & BPT = Removed
20. Intake mani leak test - Sprayed throttle cleaner all around spacers & hoses = no idle changes (and I didnt blow myself up.. hehe)
21. Check vacuum hoses - all the ones on the top.. replaced with silicon hoses in the fall = no leaks or cracks.. bottom ones under intake mani ???? . . . dont know - will crawl under there tomorrow!

Did I leave a test out?? Did the 21 Gun SR20DE Test Salute today!! Its Beer time! ! !

Im freaking lost.. Pulling the damn IACV tomorrow to see if its clogged blocked after just 6 months! And will probably do a fuel pressure test (filter changed Spring 2007)

And Yepp... I get kinda anal about detail electronic test and recording/keeping the results (its the electronic engineer in me).

DC Scotty

Update:
Checked hoses under Intake Mani = okay; no cracks or leaking
Did pinch test on PCV & Air Regulator hoses = okay

BenFenner

Not to send you on a wild goose chase, but is the outer portion of your main crank pulley separated from the inner section? This will cause your timing to be off, as you can surely guess.

Also, I didn't see it in your notes, but did you check to see the cold idle control is getting voltage from (where ever it gets it from) to heat it up? Without power to the heater, the cold idle control will never heat up to the point where it closes.

DC Scotty

Now we are getting somewhere Ben..

Due to the cramped location of the cold idle control (air regulator), I didnt test the harness for voltage. You are correct, it would stay open like a Big vacuum leak of unmetered air!!

I will test it and get back to you..