S-Chassis Problems You Should Know!

After nearly a decade of dedicated ownership with S13s, I wanted to share my knowledge of these cars with those who are new or unfamiliar with this wonderful family of Nissan sports coupes. If there's anything I missed, please let me know down in the comments below!
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[@Ricy013]

basicly you will have close to non problems if you keep it stock and maintain it right.. just saying

[@pandaman1317]

The biggest s chassis problem is the owners

[@dcconyer]

Great short quick to the point knowledge for all as chassis owners. Great video thank you.

[@sjgoff]

Great video! I have a '90 240sx hatch that has been in my family since new. Super clean stock body with a perfect interior and only minor mods like 1.5" Eibach springs on factory style struts, 17" Enkei RSF-2 wheels, intake, ECU, and exhaust. It's a blast to drive and still turns heads after all these years.

[@alexruiz3438]

Thank you for this video! I recently got a s13 with a blown sr and needed to learn more about and this is one of the best videos!

[@AUTARKYDESIGNS]

Informative video, thanks. Keep up the good work.

[@TunerFaction]

Very well made man, great work

[@Lewanlew]

Thanks for the video and your experiences! There should also be a rubber stabilizer between the rear view mirror and the windsheald that minimizes vibrations. Big difference with it and without it.

[@ryancartwright7487]

Props, a very informative video.

[@w.d.woodward9237]

Thanks for the video! I have a stone stock 91 with "only" 240,000 miles and still love it immensely!!! I am the second owner and have had it for the last 21 years. As a 63 year old driver, I have enjoyed the many comments from young guys that drool over it and beg me to sell it to them! One problem I have experienced is broken LH engine mounts that I suspect is an age related rubber issue. I am going to install a torque damper to try to resolve the issue as stock mounts are no longer available (aftermarket mount had horrible NVH).

[@MarkiusFox]

Might not be common, but it is an issue that has stricken my '92 S13 KA24; if the engine has been removed or replaced, it is very easy for the Idle Air Control Valve to bump into the firewall. One of the two connectors is aimed right at the firewall and goes to the Fast Idle solenoid. Mine went into a very rich state with the smashed connector, and I spent some time trying to find why the engine was running rich and sputtering.

[@efini]

dude im buying an s13 from an elderly lady who has had the exact problem.. thanks for the relief!

[@carinthian_tiger4880]

Thx for the video! Love my s13s , disassembled my ca18det, had it done and now I have to get it back together 🫣there’s still enough to learn for me ,haha So cool posters btw , boondock saints and fallout 🤩🙏

[@Q-rator-of-beats]

Ha…. Someone finally made a video on s chassis common problems lol. Add coil packs to the list. Two others that I’m experiencing that might not be so common are fuel warning light not working anymore and Brake light coming on randomly during hard cornering or just driving the car hard. Everything on the master cylinder is working properly and have no leaks. Good pressure through out the braking system. To be honest haven’t fixed it as it is on my to do list. P.S. having the FSM’s for the engine and the chassis is very helpful. Lol

[@eLhapiFeet]

The fuel light not coming on anymore is your fuel sending unit. Mine stopped working years ago. Started working once I replaced the unit 👍🏼

[@nzuncovered1845]

I had that exact same problem with the brake light coming on randomly on my S13 I had years ago

[@boostinsti1]

Great video just forgot about the battery area getting rusted out unless i missed it other than that spot on 😂

[@WarriorsPhoto]

It's good to see someone give the 240SX so much love. I had a few of these in the past and they are fun cars. How many did you say you had again?

[@hiimelvin]

Nismo rubber subframe bushings are awesome as well. They're a harder rubber than stock, but don't squeak like poly ones.

[@BTaylored]

Thanks the Nismo gods! I didn’t even know you could find an OEM subframe bushing for these cars. That’s awesome!

[@hiimelvin]

@@BTaylored They feel great, I put in a set (Part # 55400-RS590) earlier this year. The chassis definitely stiffened up without sacrificing any comfort.

[@BTaylored]

Thanks for providing the part number. Looks like they could be a little difficult to source, but not impossible!

[@hiimelvin]

@@BTaylored Also I heard you mention the crack in your dashboard. You might want to look into @sd_engineering_ on instagram. He makes a 3 gauge pod that sits on top of the dash above the center vent which should cover any cracks you have in that area.

[@BTaylored]

That is fantastic. I always wondered why I couldn’t find anything like this when I initially set up my gauges. I may have to rethink my setup now.

[@Kahnklingon84]

The likes are too low for this video. Thanks for the tips, great video. Maybe I skipped it but I think you left out grounding issues/electrical outside of headlights

[@darianmcdonald5289]

Rear view mirror gets a tiny piece of vacuum hosing to tension it off the glass. There is a little bullet tip bump, which dictates hose size and location/length.

[@just_cruzn9673]

I've had my 200sx RS13U (european spec, which comes with the CA18DET) for 14 years. I bought it from an 82 year old man, Mr Price, who stayed in my home town, Cape Town South Africa. He imported it brand new in 1992 from Belgium to South Africa. I bought it from him (I was the second owner from brand new) for R18 000 ($1158) in 2008, it had 78 000km (48 000 miles) Full service history, everything was OEM, including the rims, radio, sunroof bag, full tool kit and jack and some other OEM goodies from Nissan in Belgium. After 14 years of ownership, she still puts a smile on my face, hearing the turbo and exhaust sound. Looking at her all polished and clean always makes me think what a beautiful car that Japanese made. My 200sx still is OEM, with a full service history, original radiator, original shocks, original springs (never cut), still stock height, original rims, original midnight blue paint, the only upgrade i ever did to my car, was a stainless steel exhaust and T28/T25 turbo, original exhaust manifold, original injectors. She is making a reliable 158kws and 285nm. The current milage is a very healthy 184 000kms (114 332 miles) still full service history, i change the oil and oil filter every 5000kms (3100 miles). If you guys would like to see pictures of my car follow me on instagram @200sx_ca18det

[@liquidsweg4858]

damn now they like R100 000 upwards Hoping to snag 1 soon

[@just_cruzn9673]

@@liquidsweg4858 hopefully you find one in a good condition. What would you like to do with it once you buy a 200sx?

[@liquidsweg4858]

@@just_cruzn9673 going to go check one out next Saturday Honestly not sure what I wanna do with it yet but defs wanna male it a project car but won't go too hard on the engine coz I also wanna daily it

[@just_cruzn9673]

@@liquidsweg4858 my 200sx was my daily driver for 10 years. In those 10 years i only replaced my clutch, front shocks, front and back brake disks, a leaking injector. I had to recon the turbo when i bought the car. Over the 10 years that i used it as a daily i would say it was relaible and not too bad on petrol (when not driving in boost), but i have heard from many people who have bought 200sx's that were modified and not well looked after, those people always have problems with their 200sx's. If you find a 200sx that only has 2 - 4 previous owners, has a full service history and they maintained it on time. I would say yes you can daily it, but my suggestion to you would be don't try an daily a 200sx that has had a lot of previous owners, has been modified and doesn't have a full service history, it will be unreliable, exspensive to maintain,(OEM parts are becoming rare now) and it will stand more often than you drive it

[@nzuncovered1845]

@@just_cruzn9673 I use to have an '89 180SX with a CA18DET, 5 speed with a locked diff. Factory charcoal grey, pig nose front, tear drop rims, with the HUD digital cluster. I swapped a S4 RX7 project for it, sold it to a mate for $2400 a little while later in about 2009. Car was great fun really wish I didn't have to sell it. I have been searching for another one ever since

[@zacks240sx]

another rough idle issue is a coolant temp sensor coming un plugged. especially if you're sliding the car and those stupid metal clips that go around the connector are never there. not crapping on the vid but just trying to inform anyone in the comment section looking for info, my coolant temp sensor has been ziptied in for years now lol

[@mboyd3361]

Have an s14. New subscriber to ur channel. Great video. What color is ur car, it's awesome

[@ghost_93_]

Duude... i have been searching this screw on the interior mirror for 9 years...

[@mrjbonell08]

I didn’t know you live in Az.. I’m out in Az .. you in the phx area ? I have a s13 sr .. great video

[@BTaylored]

Nice! I’m newly located right in central Phoenix! There are so many nice S-chassis here, it’s crazy to me. I’m used to being the only one in town where I used to live lol. Need to taker her out once she’s off jack stands.

[@Fathom324]

Nice Nuka Cola poster btw. You down to play some Fallout 4 Multiplayer? 😅

[@4GOD10_]

I have a ka24de and had done an Egr delete emissions delete then threw on my exhaust manifold and now my 40 won’t start due to a vacc leak idk where to look.

[@UnstableAdrianHD]

the only thing that fixed my headlight problem was replacing my headlight on off/turn signal switch

[@zxKrookedxz]

everything

[@BTaylored]

BUT WE CAN FIX EVERYTHING WITH THE FORUMS

[@dreednlb]

2:59 One of the most common reasons these MAFs fail is that the solder joints between the plug and the board break. It's a fairly easy fix to open the top up and re-solder the connection.

[@BTaylored]

Saving people money for those up to the task! I know when I started out, electronics were so intimidating.

[@sheriann28532]

@@BTaylored electronics my current problem I’m facing and it is very intimidating

[@kajeej1115]

@@sheriann28532 same bro, it's a struggle but learning a lot

[@zoeyjohnson7054]

Bro what skirts do you have???

[@crostrex9152]

Lol well it seems you dedicated this video to my s13 hatch hahahahaha not the rust part tho lol pheeeew!!!😂 😊

[@Dillonwiththe40]

I have a Ka24 de and it’s running pretty rough after I changed the valve cover gasket any clue why that is? It actually sounds like one cylinder isn’t working kinda like a tractor 🚜 :(

[@HelpingHandAutoRepair]

If it’s misfiring, you will get a rough idle. Double check all your spark plugs wires and plugs. Since you just moved them all.

[@garagemonkey526]

Hey you know you can manually raise and lower the headlights right? lol

[@patrickum4931]

Hey I have a 240 SX that’s been stripped down like crazy and missing a whole bunch of parts. I really wanted to get into it but I really have no idea where to start. You should to really know a lot about this chassis and I was wondering if you could help me figure out what parts I’m missing to restore the car. Starting with the engine bay?

[@BTaylored]

I recommend starting with an OEM shop manual that will give you diagrams of all parts of the car. It will help you break down precisely what might be missing, and you can find free pdf versions to download on forums.

[@mix1806]

Is that bad as not owner of S chassis i know most of those very well?? anyway i dont think every pop up car has horrible aerodyanmics, 180sx zenki look like it has (same as Trueno ae86/88) I think closed pop ups on Chuki bumpers look very aerodynamic!

[@andrikmartinez1214]

Rn I’m having some sort of vaccum leak I think , found a bunch that were dry rotted , replaced them and it got better but still not great . Also for some reason when I pulled the egr , it actually started running better ? And for some reason the evap canister lines weren’t all plugged in too .

[@andrikmartinez1214]

Ended up doing a swap out of all the lines I think were dry rotted / could visually see . How would I know if the actual egr is broken tho?

[@tyler6164]

There’s no real way to tell maybe it just crapped out, it’s best to just remove it entirely. Egr, plug the hole in the side of the header, vent the gas tank, remove the charcoal canister, block off where the egr was removed, and plug vacuum lines from charcoal canister. But if your car is from California the ecu will throw a check light (I have a 1993 240sx fastback w/ ka24de for reference)

[@CUSSLIKEASAILOR]

🤙🏾🤙🏾🤙🏾🤙🏾🤙🏾

[@nicolasvachon8380]

you forgot sunroof leaks and wind noise comming from sunroof

[@BTaylored]

Ahh, definitely should have touched on the sunroof!

[@HelpingHandAutoRepair]

The factory s13 radiators are not plastic anywhere. My stock radiator is still in my car to this day. It is 100% metal everywhere. 268k miles and 31 years later. I do plan on swapping it out eventually but why? Will just wait for this one to leak.

[@carbonsnail014]

If you do swap it out make sure to get another OEM one I put a Mishimoto with duel fans in mine and wish that I never had, by the way I'm the original owner of a 1992 Coupe.

[@HelpingHandAutoRepair]

@@carbonsnail014 I don’t like mishimoto tbh. Griffen or Koyo radiator would only work for me. No one will make the OEM all metal radiator anymore. They are most likely plastic end tank garbage now.

[@carbonsnail014]

@@HelpingHandAutoRepair: New sub to your channel. Peace brother.

[@HelpingHandAutoRepair]

@@carbonsnail014 hey thanks. Appreciate you.

[@zachlars3854]

I really disagree with the point you brought up for the fuel pump voltage... if youre getting 11 or 13 at the pump since it over fuels anyways you should not see a lean issue from this is the fuel pressure regulator is doing its job. and hard wiring the pump causes it to run at maximum constantly. is very hard on the pump and is ghetto, and i would only ever recomend doing this on a track only car since it can cause reliability issues

[@BTaylored]

I agree that hardwiring the fuel pump could make the pump work harder and have the potential to impact pump life. I believe the pump is at a disadvantage from not have full voltage available on the electrical system. It was designed to run at full power reliably leaving fuel management to the pressure regulator. In a situation where the vehicle is powered by a completely stock powered engine (even if turbocharged) hardwiring will likely have little positive effect for fuel management. However, most schassis are modified to beyond stock power limits where more fuel is reliably needed. An increase in fuel pressure from the regulator would cause increased resistance to what the pump supplies. In my opinion, this along with poor quality fuel and lack of cooling from low fuel levels would be the more likely cause of pump wear. Quality of the hardwiring job is certainly at play, but I consider it a necessary mod that will aid in consistent reliability to any schassis outside of stock power.

[@kiritouzimaki8413]

I’m not gonna lie I’m scared I’ve been looking at this 240sx for a year already and really wanted it and can afford it and even though my gut is telling me to buy it I’m kinda nervous

[@BTaylored]

The more stock it is, the less likely headaches will be, but that’s not to say bone stock won’t be without its problems. These cars are old, but their simple. They’ll teach you how to get around with a wrench, and around a back road with a smile on your face. Keep it simple, learn bits at a time, and you’ll probably be okay. Personally, I think 240s will only ride in value from here, depending on condition. Good luck.

[@a240life2]

I'll have the dash, no cracks, NO CRACKS. - Me

[@Fathom324]

And im gonna talk about a very underrated youtuber. Which is you.

[@wrotedog]

There is no wiring problem if the lights pop up but dont go back down. Its a light switch issue.

[@BTaylored]

Good info! Makes sense, since the rest position is likely down... I’ve never had this issue, so I haven’t had to deal with it yet.

[@MaverickLeader]

can confirm.. having this issue right now, wiring is all good, my left turn signal stalk has been changed out with a new one, new relay, and my lights still dont go back down. going to check if its the headlight switch button or headlight motors next.

[@ju88snow29]

@@MaverickLeader mine go up but now down ever since I drove in heavy rain, can you let me know what your findings are if / when you get yours fixed?

[@GabesGarage]

You can bypass all this problems by doing an LS swap 😂 I can’t wait to read all the purist JDM fans comments.

[@BTaylored]

You’re not wrong.

[@GabesGarage]

@@BTaylored 😆 I owned a red top and black top on previous 240s they’re not as bad as people make them look. The problem is most people just increase the boost and expect the engine to make 500hp on stock everything.

[@runescapefan0001]

Will an LS swap fix my rusty frame rails and cracked dash?

[@GabesGarage]

@@runescapefan0001 you just make a bad decision when you pick your 240, that’s a different subject.

[@ryancartwright7487]

"just ls swap it" Then you might as while just by a C5

[@Tom-Bartlett]

What about when my pop up go up and down every time I brake? What could this be tia

[@BTaylored]

I would guess that your pop up/headlight wiring is shorting with your brake light wiring somewhere. You’ll want to trace the wiring from the switches in the cabin to the lights, but my guess is the problem is going to be somewhere under your dash. Definitely a weird problem I haven’t come across.

[@Tom-Bartlett]

@@BTaylored thankyou for taking time to give me some advice much appreciated! This is one of many problems my 92 180sx has lol!

[@BTaylored]

Glad to hear the 180sx has someone to tend to her problems! It’s worth it. Good luck!

[@HelpingHandAutoRepair]

If your car is lowered check the wire harnesses that run on top of the front wheels. They are probably all chewed up.

[@Tom-Bartlett]

@@HelpingHandAutoRepair cheers mate yeah a few people said the same in the forums appreciate it!

[@GiggityZZ]

if you enjoy driving with good handling then yes its worth lowering lol

[@fantasiazero1574]

I have a stock S13 and after watching this video I'M SCARED

[@BTaylored]

Stock S13 is most reliable S13.

[@johnnydepp3076]

it is obvious