Nissan Repair: 1993 maxima = No Spark, flex pipe, coil wire

Question
I'll start at the beginning. I got the car with the exhaust missing from the flex pipe back. o2 sensor was missing as well. It ran very rich and was backfiring. It would not idle you had to work the gas to keep it running. I know with the o2 sensor missing the computer doesn’t allow the car to run. So I installed a new exhaust and o2. It ran a little better but was still very rich and backfiring when you give it gas. I also noticed that the tach was moving with the gas pedal and not the engine.  When the car stalled you could push the gas pedal and the tach would go to 4 when you let off it went down to 1.  Once the car was started again the tach would do the same.  The car was idling poorly so I pulled the #1 plug wire off to see if it was missing on that cylinder, I heard it spark a couple times then the engine died and would not restart at all. I checked for spark at the coil wire and nothing.  There is power to the coil. So I was looking at the distributor and noticed the wires that go into the bottom didn’t look right. I pulled the distributor and the white wire had been “repaired” and had come loose. So I carefully made note of where the wires go did a clean repair job and replaced the distributor.  Still no spark.  There is power to the distributor and at the coil post. I do not have a code reader and my local mechanics only reads OBD2.  So I don’t have any codes.    Any insight would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks for taking the time to read my long winded post.

Hope your holidays are wonderful

Bebe  

Answer
Bebe,

Couple of things here.  First, without starting the car just turn the key on and check the fuel pressure.  I bet you have a stuck injector or two and they are leaking.  I would get a replacement set from a wrecking yard.  Second, the distributor is toast due to its age.  Under the distributor cover, under the rotor post is the optical shutter wheel and pickup and receiver.  My bet is that is where the problem is in not getting spark.  You could do a wrecking yard swap to save money but it will be a matter of time before you will need a rebuilt unit.  Oh, check the fuel pressure regulator too when you do the injector test to see if it is blown.