"Service Engine Soon"

[boodie]

ARGH!!!

This just came on this morning, after sitting all night with no trouble light on. Nothing has been done to it [lately; oil change last week]; nothing seems to be going on under the hood. Runs fine; fluid levels OK; no other symptoms.

Mileage just hit 63,704 kilometers (~39000+ miles). 2002 Xterra 4x4 w/3.3 non-SC engine, auto trans. Can-Spec.

Anyone got any suggestions???

Question: Does Nissan have some half-assed ECM prog that displays this when a "pre-planned" oil change is due??? If so, how to reset it???

Thank you for your time!

[OffroadX]

No, no "oil change" notification or the like.

As for the light, don't panic. Unless it's flashing it's not urgent, and 75% of the things that otherwise trigger it are nuisance items that have to do with something in the fuel vapor containment system or some other government-mandated goo-gaw that the engine will run happily without.

Not sure what you have in Canada, but in the US there are a few big auto parts chains like Autozone that will read your codes for you for free.

Brent

[ChuckH]

Before you do anything, check your gas cap! About 90% of the time people report the light it's because they didn't tighten the cap all the way or forgot to put it on! If that's your problem, it will take a few starts before the light resets! Also, bad gas can set it off. Again, if it was a temporary problem that has been fixed or went away, the light will reset after a certain number of engine starts

[boodie]

Thanks for the replies, Brent & Chuck!

I did fill up the gas tank just before parking the X. I did recheck the gas cap after seeing the SES light go on (saw one of youse guyz posts here on that!), but didn't notice any looseness. Bad Gas is always a problem hereabouts; 10% methanol blend is the norm rather than the exception (around Buffalo NY). BTW: Light is just on; not flashing...

I'll wait a couple days before panicking...Although there are a couple Autozones around here...

Edit: I just did a Google Search and found ChuckH & Schluds' posts on this problem right here on this Forum, as well as the thread at Voy...

Sorry; didn't mean to Troll...I'm not quite that lonely...(sniff, sob)...

[boodie]

Update: I read here (or maybe at Voy) that disconnecting the battery would force an ECM reset, so I disconnected my Pos battery lead for about a minute (after copying down my radio presets). This had no effect on anything - SES light still on; radio stations still set. No idea why...Should have cut off all current...

So, I went down (why doesn't anybody ever go up?) to AutoZone and bought one of their Actron ODB-II AutoScanners...I got 4 error codes...

(1) P1444 - Manufacturer control. Auxillary emission controls.

(2) P0328 - Knock sensor 1. Circuit high. Input bank 1 or 1 sensor.

(3) P1444 - Manufacturer control. Auxillary emission controls.

(4) P0328 - Knock sensor 1. Circuit high. Input bank 1 or 1 sensor.

(Notice duplication of codes).

I racked my brain the other night and remembered I had washed the X a day or so before the SES light lit up; as well as filling the gas tank. So, it may have been bad/low octane gas, or maybe my squirting the hose under the front wheelwell (you can see the O2 sensor in the exhaust pipe).

The Actron erased the ECM codes. I started it up for a minute (already warmed up), and no SES light yet. I'll drive it to work tomorrow and see if the light comes on again (I've filled the tank up again with High-Test).

If nothing else, at least I have a new toy...

[boodie]

OK, it's the next day now, and I've driven to work & back, half-hour each way, with no SES light! I'm guessing it was the gas from the DTC msgs...

BTW, my Nissan manual mentions that it takes *40* "warming" cycles for the ECM to reset itself...That would be 40 starts, warm up until it cycles from closed-loop to open-loop, and shuts down. That would take me ~20 days...

[02Terra]

I had the EXACT SAME issue: repeating error codes
1. P1444
2. P0328
3. P1444
4. P0328

I also just washed the car and filled up the gas tank. Has anyone ever heard of this or experience it? Boodie... did you ever have this problem again or figure out why it happened?

Thanks!!

[boodie]

Originally Posted by 02Terra

Boodie... did you ever have this problem again or figure out why it happened?

Yes; it's because the Xterra was designed before reformulated gasoline. The oxygen sensor is sensitive to gas with any additive (10% ethanol around here; 85% some places); too much, and it will trip the SES light.

The bad part is that when it sets the SES light, it also knocks the timing back 6º...Because it's programmed to detect low octane gas and retard the ignition when knock is imminent...

I was getting the SES light maybe 5 - 6 times a year with 87 octane [regular] gas. Now I fill up with 89 octane, and get maybe 1 - 2 SES events a year. Same amount of ethanol, but slightly higher grade of gas which seems to make a big difference. I use Sunoco, BTW.

YMMV

[02Terra]

That makes 100% sense. I had just purchased the vehicle and my first fill up was at a cheap station with 10% ethanol in their 87. This is NOT the standard in Buffalo where I live... so I guess i'll be steering clear of these places. Thanks for putting me at ease... thought I had a lemon on my hands!!

[boodie]

Originally Posted by 02Terra

...my first fill up was at a cheap station with 10% ethanol in their 87. This is NOT the standard in Buffalo where I live...

That's odd...It IS the standard where I live...in Lockport...