Nissan Repair: Nissdan V6 Pathfinder starting issue., optical pickup, air meter

Question
I have a 95 Nissan PathfinderV6. About 180,000 miles.
The car has been driving fine but kind of jerks and always has (three years) at about 55 mph. Two days ago I went to start it late at night and the engine light came on and it cranked but would not start.(I had just gotten  gas at a station with a delivery trutck there pumping in new gas. ) I opened the gas tank cover and opened the hood and  just fiddled with hoses. and then it started. Drove about 100 miles OK . Now it is doing the same. I turn on the key and the engine light is on. I try to start it and it will just cranks strong. I turn off the key and try again, it eventually (say ten cranks)  starts and runs fine.And the engine light goes off just as soon as it starts to engage.. If fact it goes off and I KNOW then it will start...  But then if I stop-- hot or cold-- i have to go through  that again.

I changed the fuel filter and the system was pressurized.


I am in the hurricane zones (gas?)  and have had to drive and buy questionalbe gas. I fulled up with good gas and added Heet.

I can hear the gas pump come on, then off.  

One time only it died about 1 minute after starting when I was driving. otherwise. OK when it is started.

I am going to diagnose it today on a machine but this has me stumped in a way. I can usually fix most things if I knwo what to look for.

Fuel pump? fuel injectors? sensors, air meter? All the above?

Thanks
Phil


Answer
Phil,

If yours has a distributor I would be looking for oil on the optical pickup under the cover that is under the rotor post.  Take the cap, rotor and then with a phillips screwdriver take the post off and the cover and you will see the disc that has the holes in it and there is an optical pickup and receiver.  When the car gets old the seal in the distributor allows oil to get up on the optics and that keeps the car from running.