Where can I get my code history read?

Nissan11

Nissan11

Well-Known Member
Joined
Nov 29, 2005
Location
Marston, NC
Do any auto parts stores have a scan tool that can show the history of thrown codes? My truck started shaking real bad going up the highway a few days ago and the check engine light came on. I turned the truck off, turned it back on and it ran fine and the check engine light was gone. Id really like to know what the issue was but so far I have called auto zone and advance auto and they said they "dont know" if they can read the history or not.
 
My 250 (5.4) will do that sometimes, but no light. Runs rough, can't get out of it's own way. Shut it off, restart, it's fine. Been doing this maybe every 3-4 months for the past few years...never thrown a code when it happened.

FWIW
 
May have been a misfire since it came on and went back off on it's own so quickly. All of the auto parts store's scanners should read the code stored in history. My S10 has a misfire currently, I scanned it at Oreilly's recently (while the light was off) had P0301 stored (cyl 1 misfire). A GOOD scanner like a snapon TechII (at a dealer or a good shop) would show how many times the misfire occurred.

This is assuming your truck is 96+ OBDII, I don't know if OBDI computers store the codes in history or not.
 
Its an 02 v6 frontier. Is a misfire due to a bad distributor or spark plug? I guess I am going to run over to auto zone and see if their scanner shows anything.
 
The scanner auto zone had showed the history and it read knock sensor 1. Can a bad knock sensor actually cause the knock? And any idea where it is located?
 
The knock sensor shouldn't "cause" the knock. If it sensed knock it would retard the timing to be safe. If the sensor fails, usually it will retard the timing until it is fixed, causing reduced power and horrible fuel mileage.

You could have gotten a batch of bad gas, or water in the gas causing it to ping and set off the knock sensor.

Not sure where it is located on that engine. It will be somewhere on the block though. When I changed them out on my 88 Chevy it was on the side of the block, not too bad to change. On my 01 (same with all LS motors) they were in the lifter valley under the intake manifold (a pain to change).
 
I believe your Knock sensors are in the V under the intake. Not easy to get to. If it isn't doing it all the time, and/or just did it once, clear the code and move on. Likely just a glitch in the computer or like was said above poor fuel. (Think about how many times your PC has a glitch and has to be restarted without going to the shop). As for fuel, pony up the extra money for quality fuel. (Not Wal-Mart it's 15-20% ethanol this time of year.) Use Shell, or Exxon or the like.
 
That light would have to burn before I changed a knock sensor in another nissan, are we discussing a v6?
Four cylinder motors are no problem, any v6 and you will need to remove the intake to access the knock sensor. PIA way to many vaccuum lines.
 
Yes its a 3.3 V6. I just removed the intake manifold on a V6 mazda and it was a PITA but I dont have a problem doing it again on my truck. I guess I will just drive it and see if it happens again.
 
You know I didn't even think of the connection yesterday when I posted.

My wife has a 97 Infinity QX4 (Same as the R50 Nissan Pathfinder) with the 3.3 V6. It has been having a problem with random misfiring. It will do it only just above idle. Idle is fine, WOT is fine, but during normal acceleration it will miss and stumble. It also does this sometimes right after it is put in gear. But it always happens randomly, it will maybe do it for a few days, and then stop and not do it for a few weeks. It might do it once on a 2hr trip, and not again, or it may do it 100x on a 20 minute drive. Only code I have pulled is P0300- Random Cyl Misfire.

I replaced cap, rotor, plugs, wires, and fuel filter. I don't assume it's a fuel problem since idle is fine, and WOT is fine. Coil is built into the dist. so I haven't replaced that, but I assume it is ok since again, idle and WOT is fine. I did read one place that a clogged fuel injector could cause this, but I haven't had the time or extra money to swap them out. I wish it would give me a P030x so I would know what cylinder to narrow it down to.

May or may not be related, but I don't see any reason for the knock sensor to actually cause the engine to stumble and run poorly. It should only decrease power and fuel economy when it goes bad since it retards the timing.

Although from what I read the knock sensor is a common problem on these engines, and from what I read is located under the intake, and when you change it you can relocate it somewhere else on the block, and run the wires to it.
http://x.nissanhelp.com/forums/pathfinder/7890-3-3l-knock-sensor-relocation.html
 
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