How to Troubleshoot a Nissan Pick-Up Engine

An On-Board Diagnostic scanner makes troubleshooting a Nissan Pick-up engine easier, quicker, and efficient. Propping open the hood and searching by hand can consume a lot of time, especially if you do not know exactly where to look. The Nissan uses a Powertrain Control Module, which monitors sensors located throughout the engine. Once a system fails, or a component malfuctions, the PCM assigns the problem an alpha-numeric code. Once you pull these codes from the system, you will have a list of known malfunctions within the engine and fuel system. Other People Are Reading Troubleshooting a 2000 Nissan Frontier How to Retrieve My 1994 Nissan Pickup Trouble Codes Things You'll Need OBD-II scanner Show More Instructions 1
Prepare some research materials before you begin. Open your scanner's handbook and locate a list of generic OBD-II coding explanations and definitions. Bookmark those pages. On the internet, find Nissan's special and supplemental OBD-II codes and print them out. If you own a Haynes or Chilton manual for your Nissan's model and year, you can skip searching the internet. The repair manual will have Nissan's codes. Your vehicle's owner manual, on the other hand, will not contain these codes. Compile these materials and place them in your Nissan's center console or navigator's seat.
2 Attach your OBD-II scanner to the Nissan's Data Link Connector. The DLC is the PCM's computer outlet and the location may vary by the Nissan's model and year. Typically, the DLC is under the dashboard, somewhere between the left kick panel and the acceleration pedal.
3 Turn the Nissan's electrical system on. Depending on the brand of scanner you own, you may have to also start the engine and let it idle. Also, the scanner may immediately switch itself on and gather codes. If you are using a simpler OBD-II code reader, you will have to switch it on yourself and key in a retrieval command. Since buttons are all slightly different and vary by brand, you will need to consult the device's manual for the exact instructions.
4 Look at the codes on the scanner's display readout. Since you are concerned with engine functionality, pay attention only to the codes that start with "P." These are powertrain codes related to the engine. You can investigate chassis, body, and network codes later. Also, you will need to distinguish between codes labelled "trouble" and "pending." All "trouble" codes have a history of consistently repeating themselves. Your Nissan's "pending" codes could represent isolated incidents, or malfunctions trending towards a future "trouble" status.
5 Consult the research materials you put in either the center console or the navigator's seat. Look up the definition for each of the powertrain codes on your scanner. Make a list of priorities as follows: copy the exact codes onto a separate sheet of paper, and copy their definitions next to them. All trouble codes need to go at the top of this list. Place the pending codes at the bottom.
6 Shut down all running components within your Nissan and remove the key from the ignition. Disconnect the scanner from the DLC outlet. Prop open the hood over the Nissan's engine and investigate each of the areas that correspond with an OBD-II code. Look beyond the narrow definition, too. If you have code that details "EGR sensor failure," troubleshoot not only that sensor, but the Exhaust Gas Redirection system as a whole. Cross off each code as you eliminate it from consideration. The codes remaining on the list will be the repairs you will need to do.