Sensors

Ok I am getting mixed feedback on what the sensors are so I figured I would come here to make sure I am calling them by name so I can get the correct ones to hopefully solve my problem. Is the Sensor on the back passenger side of the motor that is a pain to get to the Cam Shaft Position Sensor? And the one that near the air filter the Mass Air Flow Sensor. Any Help on this Would be Great!!!

Thank You
Jim
 

Zack.

Has been dubbed Arnold
Supporting Member
Location
Livermore, CA
Yes - you have two cam sensors, one on each side on the backside near the firewall making them a PITA. MAF is on intake tube off the air filter. Then there is also a crank sensor on the pass side lower down - accessible behind the wheel. If replacing any of these get either OEM from the dealer or Hitachi from rockauto.
 

CHUG

Lockers Installed
Supporting Member
Mine are still good, But bought three for JUST IN CASE!!. I went with OEM, and tossed them under the seat.
The China Fake ones.. you will be good for about three months.. and fails. From others dealing with them.
 
Let me ask this. The problem I am having is. And I haven't decided if the altitude change plays into it or not. But I live at 4600 feet elevation. When I go to work in the morning I go up to 9000 feet elevation. when I get close to that 9000 foot mark I get two dash lights flashing, The motor cuts in and out, sometimes it just stalls and other times it just losses power for a couple seconds and then it's kind of back to normal. Saturday morning it didn't act up at all but when I got to work I put the Xterra in park so I could open the gates and it shut off. The only way I could get it to start again was to push down on the gas pedal a little bit. Any ideas which sensor could be causing this issue?

Thank You
Jim
 

Prime

Shut up Baby, I know it!
Admin
Location
Denver Adjacent
I would start with the mass air sensor. Also check your intake tubing from the air box to the throttle body. If any of the rubbers are cracked / broken then more air enters the engine than the mass air sensor is accounting for. Which ufcks up the mix and makes the engine run poorly.
 
I did an oil change on the Xterra today and I took the Mass Air Flow Sensor off and sprayed the internals with Electrical Contact Cleaner. It made a big difference on how clean the sensor is now. I will find out in the morning if it helped.
 

TerryD

Total Tease
Supporting Member
Location
Covington, Va
Once you get it clean, start the engine with the MAF unplugged. Then shut it off, plug the sensor back up and clear the code. This forces a LTFT table reset and will start learning the fuel trends back from the OE baselines.

That will speed up the amount of time it takes to learn the new response from the MAF since it will behave differently after it's cleaned since the dirt that was insulating the sensing element is no longer there.
 

westslope

Wheeling
I hope this a good thread to sneak in an observation and a question on cleaning MAF sensors.

+ I have read all kinds of posts online from guys who cleaned the MAF sensor and did not manage to solve the problem at hand.

+ I have never cleaned the MAF sensor on the X. I have never used an oiled filter. X seems to work well though the Cats might be due for replacement. 2006 OR X has 220K km/ 137K miles.

Should I get some CRC MAF sensor cleaner and clean MAF sensor as mid-life/preventative maintenance?
 
Once you get it clean, start the engine with the MAF unplugged. Then shut it off, plug the sensor back up and clear the code. This forces a LTFT table reset and will start learning the fuel trends back from the OE baselines.

That will speed up the amount of time it takes to learn the new response from the MAF since it will behave differently after it's cleaned since the dirt that was insulating the sensing element is no longer there.
I tried to do this but my Xterra won't run for more then a few seconds without the MAF plugged in.
 
Ok, This morning it through a code and left the Service Engine Light on. Had the Code Read and it says. It is the Crankshaft Position Sensor Position A. I am on Rockauto.Com and it shows a Front and Rear NISSAN Sensor but only one HITACHI? Any idea's?
 
Update on the issue, I changed out the Crankshaft Position Sensor with the Hitachi Sensor from Rock Auto. The issue so far seems to be gone. I have been up the mountain now a half dozen times since I changed the sensor and it hasn't had any issues or thrown any codes. Thank You for all the input!!!!
 

Prime

Shut up Baby, I know it!
Admin
Location
Denver Adjacent
Update on the issue, I changed out the Crankshaft Position Sensor with the Hitachi Sensor from Rock Auto. The issue so far seems to be gone. I have been up the mountain now a half dozen times since I changed the sensor and it hasn't had any issues or thrown any codes. Thank You for all the input!!!!
That's what we're here for! Glad it's been solved!
 
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