Posting from the shoulder (subtitle: f*ing cars)

[Stanley Nickels]

so, i'm driving along, and I get to a red light.. my car starts acting really weird, and the engine starts shaking, my RPMs go all the way down, and the power steering shuts off seconds before the engine drives. now i'm on the shoulder, waiting for a tow truck driver, posting here out of confusion and boredom.

this happened once last month but i thought it was an isolated incident. i turned off my car, realized i forgot something, tried to turn it back on and the same thing happened: car turned over.. sputter, sputter, car shakes and then dies. roadside assistance came by and said he thought there was liquid in my gas. roadside assistance guy is roadside assistance guy for a reason... nothing went wrong when driving at normal speed, only when in idle. i think fuel pump or some sort of timing belt.

thoughts?

[Stanley Nickels]

oh, for reference: 2000 xterra 4wd 106,000 mi

[DeezNutz]

Antifreeze?

Seriously, no clue. Sorry about the bullshit, though.

[Stanley Nickels]

just sucks.. about to close on my first ever house in a week... this is the LAST thing i need right now.

seems like bad shit always happens in one of two scenarios: either 1,000 bad things happen in a row (the "when it rains it pours" idea), or right before something incredibly exciting.

meh.

[Bugeater]

Timing belt is unlikely, when that goes your engine stops, there's no sputtering. OTOH fuel pump is very likely, get ready to cough up at least 500 bucks for that.

[DeezNutz]

Your brother Hanley Dimes might be able to help.

[Stanley Nickels]

Timing belt is unlikely, when that goes your engine stops, there's no sputtering. OTOH fuel pump is very likely, get ready to cough up at least 500 bucks for that.

oh lawd. time to call mr. mortgage and adjust down payment. yay.

[Stanley Nickels]

Your brother Hanley Dimes might be able to help.

sounds like im' gonna need creflo a. dollar

[Bugeater]

oh lawd. time to call mr. mortgage and adjust down payment. yay.
Yeah, fuel pumps nowadays really suck, they're electronic, expensive, and you have to drop the gas tank to replace it. Back in the old days the mechanical ones were about $30, and took ten minutes to change out.

[Silock]

Are you out of gas?

[MIAdragon]

Its a bad sensor in the distributer. Around 175 or so.

[Stanley Nickels]

Are you out of gas?

i would mock you, but i've been asked that by just about everyone. filled up yesterday.

[Stanley Nickels]

Its a bad sensor in the distributer. Around 175 or so.

How do you know this? you sound pretty convinced.

[MIAdragon]

Poss the cam position sensor.

[MIAdragon]

How do you know this? you sound pretty convinced.

Had a friend that had the EXACT same problem.

[MIAdragon]

How do you know this? you sound pretty convinced.

and Im good.

[Stanley Nickels]

Had a friend that had the EXACT same problem.

same car and all?

[MIAdragon]

same car and all?

yes sir.

[Stanley Nickels]

i only ask so much because i like sounding like i know what i'm talking about when i talk to mech's. might not help much, but i just hate not knowing what they're talking about. parents were from boston and nyc, never learned car care... so it was hard for me to learn.

[Bugeater]

i only ask so much because i like sounding like i know what i'm talking about when i talk to mech's. might not help much, but i just hate not knowing what they're talking about. parents were from boston and nyc, never learned car care... so it was hard for me to learn.
It hardly matters anymore, there's so much computerized and electronic bullshit on cars these days there's no way the average person can understand it all. You gotta have a mechanic you can trust.

[MIAdragon]

i only ask so much because i like sounding like i know what i'm talking about when i talk to mech's. might not help much, but i just hate not knowing what they're talking about. parents were from boston and nyc, never learned car care... so it was hard for me to learn.

NP IIRC it was the Cam position sensor in the dizzy or the crankshaft position sensor (you SHOULD be able to have the computer codes pulled and that will tell you whats the deal)

[MIAdragon]

Id put $$$ its one of those 2.

[MIAdragon]

Here is one of the parts
http://www.partsgeek.com/catalog/2000/nissan/xterra/engine_mechanical/crank_position_sensor.html

[Stanley Nickels]

rep MIA thank you so much

[MIAdragon]

rep MIA thank you so much

NP, GL with the house!

[Stanley Nickels]

NP, GL with the house!

Closing June 1.

I thought there was a lot to home buying.

I thought there would be a ton of things to do and paperwork out the ass.

I thought, this is going to be a ton of extra work to get this.

But I had NO FUCKING IDEA how much work and stress it was. Holy shit.

If I wasn't getting 4.0% (5/1 ARM), 8,000 credit, and a great home deal, I would pull out.

[LaChapelle]

If you had a [I love Hondas sticker] on it, this never would have happened.

[KcMizzou]

Yeah, fuel pumps nowadays really suck, they're electronic, expensive, and you have to drop the gas tank to replace it. Back in the old days the mechanical ones were about $30, and took ten minutes to change out.You can't even replace just the pump any more. It's a fuel "module", which includes the sender and all. Drops right into the top of the tank. Used to be about $80, now it's $300-$450. (The mechanical pumps were a bit before my time... )

Hell, the newest models don't even have a changeable fuel filter. Try explaining to a 60 year old farmer why he can't change his fuel filter. It's tough.

[Hog's Gone Fishin]

Th road side assistance guy is probably right. You really need to taste the gas to see if someone has added something . Someone could have pissed in the gas tank for all you know.

[Stanley Nickels]

Th road side assistance guy is probably right. You really need to taste the gas to see if someone has added something . Someone could have pissed in the gas tank for all you know.

But, same exact thing (stalling/unable to re-start) happened a month ago. Since it had to do with me trying to start the car mere seconds after turning it off, I chocked it up to an isolated incident. I have filled up many times since.

Also, are you encouraging me to drink pee? :)

[Hog's Gone Fishin]

But, same exact thing (stalling/unable to re-start) happened a month ago. Since it had to do with me trying to start the car mere seconds after turning it off, I chocked it up to an isolated incident. I have filled up many times since.

Also, are you encouraging me to drink pee? :)


No, Not at all, if it tastes like piss then don't swallow it.

[KcMizzou]

No, Not at all, if it tastes like piss then don't swallow it.But if it tastes like gas, go for it? LMAO

[Stanley Nickels]

500. Fuel pump. Bummer.

[Brock]

Just for future reference, with an in-tank fuel pump, try to keep the tank at least half full all the time, or at least most of the time. The fuel acts as coolant for the submerged pump.

[Gonzo]

Could be the Cam or Crank position sensor, I might be more inclined to go EGR valve though because it sounds more like a fuel problem.

It should be throwing codes into your ECM. Go by any Auto Zone and they can throw the OBD on it and pull the codes for you for free.

[El Jefe]

oh, for reference: 2000 xterra 4wd 106,000 mi

If you give me 50 Stanley nickels, I will take that xterra off your hands.