Reading Fault Codes

Hey guys, I tried to read the fault codes off my ECU the other day but I can't make sense of it...

My ECU looks like this:

Its the one with only one red led, and not a red and a green led like most S13 have (well, that's what I've read anyways...)

I turn on the ignition, turn the screw all the way clockwise and this is what it gives me:

(_ = long pulse, . = short pulse, and | = pause)

Sequence: _ | _ _ | . . . | . . . . | . . . . . | after this the sequence repeats itself

Now, this doesn't make any sense to me... isn't each code supposed to be made up of a set of long pulses, followed by a set of short (representing the two digits of the code)?

Can anyone shed some light on this for me?

it looks exactly the same as all the ones i've seen!!!

are you sure there is only 1 LED in there???

thats wierd dude!!! i didnt even know about a single LED system!!!

maybe open that box up and check that the globe hasnt blown or something!

i know with the Mazda rotary turbo ECU's - we had to open it up, and solder in a resistor between two points in order to get the LED's to work. maybe this is something similar???

Ya, its strange I can't figure it out.

veecee wrote:

are you sure there is only 1 LED in there???

thats wierd dude!!! i didnt even know about a single LED system!!!

maybe open that box up and check that the globe hasnt blown or something!

I'l try open the box up 2moro and check, thats a good idea. Maybe the green one isn't working... although, there are definately long and short pulses of the red one. I read this (click) thread over at nissansilvia.com before doing it and some of the guys there also had the single red light, but mine still doesn't seem to give me any proper codes... 🙁

That looks right. It's giving you the modes that you can select. After it displays 3 pulses, for example, you turn the screw back and it will select mode 3. RTFM 😀

Tobles is right

Toby wrote:

RTFM 😀

ROFL!!! 😂 😂 😂

Toby wrote:

That looks right. It's giving you the modes that you can select. After it displays 3 pulses, for example, you turn the screw back and it will select mode 3. RTFM 😀

😳 ... I tired to read the manual for this but couldn't find the right section to look in... still can't actually 🙄

Since i couldn't find it in the manual I searched the net and came up with that thread on nissansilvia.com ... I got stuck because people on that forum said that the ECU with only one red light only has one mode... guess u shldn't believe everything u read on forums 😉

Thanks, for the advice tho. I'l try it again... in the correct mode this time 😀

EDIT: Thanks, I was able to read the codes, got codes 13 and 34, Engine Coolant Temperature Sensor and Knock Sensor 😕

Eish 😮

with the knock sensor error your car must be running like a "bag'O'shyte"!
iv driven around abit with the knock sensor unplugged, quite a pain.

Had a faulty temp sensor aswell, got a replacement from autozone for R40-R50 i think. Ended up coming from a Nissan Hardbody or something, sorry i cant remember exactly what

IIRC the knock sensor error will turn back timing and make it run kak!

the water temp sensor one will cause limp mode to engage and then you wont be able to rev up past 1500-2000rpm!

the water temp sensor one will cause limp mode to engage and then you wont be able to rev up past 1500-2000rpm!

not true, well @least not in my case. It does that with the AFM unplugged though

Daniel wrote:

with the knock sensor error your car must be running like a "bag'O'shyte"!
iv driven around abit with the knock sensor unplugged, quite a pain.

My car isn't running too badly... hopefully it only knocking occasionally. I can't hear any signs of knocking from the engine either.

My sx is running very rich tho. Its going in for a full service 2moro and then if thing are still going wrong (most likely) i'l try diagnose from there.

veecee wrote:

the water temp sensor one will cause limp mode to engage and then you wont be able to rev up past 1500-2000rpm!

My sx seems to be running ok even with the Engine Coolant Temperature Sensor error... it isn't overheating so, would this mean that the sensor need replacing?

Also, would running 102.6 help stop the knocking?

i was just speculating! i remember this issue when i was trying to find out why my car wouldnt rev up past 2000rpm.

one of the problems i found was that the engine temp sensor was not giving a lekka reading. there could have been two reasons for this:

1. faulty sensor
2. bad engine earth

so i took out hte sensor to check it. the sensor was fine.

when i put it back in, the car started working ok. i figured either the bad engine earth was sorted...

or perhaps some crap had gotten into the thread of the sensor and it therefore had a bad earth by itself.

either way removing it and putting it back sorted the immediate problem, well... not for long because hte long term problem eventually came back.

but thats another long story.

who you "sending" the sx to for a service?

veecee wrote:

who you "sending" the sx to for a service?

hopefully not Nissan lol

Ero_sennin wrote:

veecee wrote:

who you "sending" the sx to for a service?

hopefully not Nissan lol

Haha, no not nissan. I'm taking it to my usual mechanic. I found out that he worked at nissan for 13 years in the past, so he should be the man for the job 🙂

Trance101 wrote:

Daniel wrote:

with the knock sensor error your car must be running like a "bag'O'shyte"!
iv driven around abit with the knock sensor unplugged, quite a pain.

My car isn't running too badly... hopefully it only knocking occasionally. I can't hear any signs of knocking from the engine either.

Ja it runs, and if you didnt know your car well you might think its normal ish (a mate drove my car with it unplugged and thought it was moer fast, irritated the crap outta me tho coz i knew there was more). but youl know it when its working again. As VC said it retards the timing

Daniel wrote:

Ja it runs, and if you didnt know your car well you might think its normal ish (a mate drove my car with it unplugged and thought it was moer fast, irritated the crap outta me tho coz i knew there was more). but youl know it when its working again. As VC said it retards the timing

Ya, you are probably right. I've had the car for less than a month so I've probably never felt it running properly.

I just got a call for the mechanic saying there is lots wrong with the car and he can't fix it (...which was expected). I'l find out the details when I go collect her in a few mins.

Ok, I got my sx back from the mechanic. he says that the previous owner has really stuff up all the mixture setting on the car. This may have been done because there is an underlying problem with it, or the guy just didn't know what he was ding.

Anyway, he gave me the number of a fuel injection specialist to take it to. But this guy isn't so keen on taking on the job because parts are so hard to come by. He's agreed to take a look tho.

What do u guys reckon? Does this sound bad, or with a bit of time and money will I be able to get her running like she shld be? ... also, any advise?

Sounds like a load of crap to me!

whats wrong with the car that you took it to the mechanic?
Have you replaced the DET and water temp sensor yet?
Checked timing?
spark plugs? checked all sensors are plugged in?
Basic wire loom check if you can see any signs of damaged wires?

Do that first and then see whats wrong, and then you can try to explain to us what its doing.

One thing i always hated hearing when something was wrong with the car is the mixtures are set wrong or your ECU is blown ect warra warra! 😈

he could be right, because you can change mixture settings on the AFM. but that is a quick check to see if the little screw on the AFM has been "screwed" with, so to speak!!!

injectors could have been replaced or not, they could be damaged or not, leaky or not, and so on...

the fuel pressure regulator could've been screwed with or not...

the fuel pump as well could have been changed or not, or screwed with or not...

the fuel filter could be new or not, dirty or not, etc etc etc!!!

so he may be right.

but all of those things could be likely or not.

you'll have to find out broo!

All im saying is start with the basics befor you go imagining the worst.