Nissan Frontier - Low / No Power Complaint

Come along with Eric O. at the SMA shop as he looks into this "low power" complaint on this Nissan Frontier Pickup. We also get to bust out the Pico Scope to aid us in our diagnostic and learn how it can tell if the exhaust is plugged.
How to check back pressure: • Exhaust Back Pressure ...
A look in the cat: • Exhaust Back Pressure ...
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THANKS A MILLION!!
--Eric O.
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Disclaimer:
Due to factors beyond the control of South Main Auto Repair, it cannot guarantee against unauthorized modifications of this information, or improper use of this information. South Main Auto Repair assumes no liability for property damage or injury incurred as a result of any of the information contained in this video. South Main Auto Repair recommends safe practices when working with power tools, automotive lifts, lifting tools, jack stands, electrical equipment, blunt instruments, chemicals, lubricants, or any other tools or equipment seen or implied in this video. Due to factors beyond the control of South Main Auto Repair, no information contained in this video shall create any express or implied warranty or guarantee of any particular result. Any injury, damage or loss that may result from improper use of these tools, equipment, or the information contained in this video is the sole responsibility of the user and not South Main Auto Repair.

[@fromstarlighttosunrise128]

they used to make this really good catalytic converter cleaner back in the day. i believe it was called “Screwdriver and Hammer”

[@outbackcountry512]

Yup, just sold a infinit Qx4 , former owner conducted that surgery B4 I owned it , problem solved

[@hahnmowermotorsports179]

I always use one called “drill and auger bit.” Works great

[@jesusofmalibu4946]

I picked up some new old stock of that the other day works like a champ.

[@pospc2]

@@hahnmowermotorsports179 thats a great one. I used that product before. Works like a champ. Also used it combined with screw driver and hammer cleaner to make sure it was sparkling clean.

[@joepellish5380]

Hey! About 4 years ago here in Armstrong County PA I used a similar cleaner to what you guys used on my old 2004 silverado pickup. I believe it was called "sawzall, exhaust tube bender, and straight pipe". Kind of a weird name for a cleaner but it worked better than ever and sure cleaned her out. Only one cat was plugged (there is one on each bank of the 6.0 v8) so the truck was running really really weird. Also I was able to use the "hp tuners" "tune up" software to take care of my new false check engine light that came on because I used this cleaner. Took care of that and actually plugged the truck into my friends emission machine and it passed! Yes is passed after that!! That tune up software really works!!!!

[@chrisrentas6471]

This man is incredibly smart. His test equipment is top notch. He is smarter than most engineers ! Thank you so much !!

[@donnlowe9129]

Another excellent video. Your ability to diagnose mechanical problems is amazing every video it's like a shop class. I'm 72 and have known a lot of good mechanics but I think you are probably the best I've seen!

[@dufus2273]

don't give him a big head. lol

[@DJSekuHusky]

I just wanted to say thanks, I watch your channel quite often. I recently acquired a $550 "towyard-special" 2001 Xterra with a KA24DE. It was running terribly and I was able to identify a blocked upstream catalytic converter with the aid of this video. $95 for an eBay cat and no more CEL. Keep up the excellent work bud.

[@billyshannon6454]

I love your explanation for how you analyze your customer and their actions in order to better diagnose their concern.

[@malcommooney8086]

And off camera he treats them like the a-wholes they are

[@TheMowgus]

Very cool to see how the testing changed your initial assumption and confirmed the cause. Lots of shops would have thrown a fuel pump on and charged you for it despite it not fixing the problem. Good job!

[@mbarry9737]

Thanks for showing the scope and in-cyl transducer analysis. Very informative.

[@fredmyers120]

Excellent example of proper diagnostic technique. You guys do it right and don't just trust intuition, you go for the data and the facts well done

[@tiredoldmechanic1791]

In the old days, we diagnosed a restricted exhaust with a simple vacuum gauge. Start at idle and slowly bring the throttle up. The vacuum should go up as engine rpm increases. If it goes down, the exhaust is restricted.

[@smc9764]

Hey Eric O. Just want to say your channel is awesome and I'm constantly looking to see if you put any new videos out! You're a great dude. I also broke my foot recently after finishing a timing belt on my A4 3.0 Audi, so I been holed up on the couch. At least I can spend my recovery learning some new stuff! Thanks for all you do!

[@jhauna1]

Like your practical approach and how you integrate the tools without an over kill... good work dude!

[@SouthMainAuto]

Thanks Man!

[@stormshockin]

Man, those muffler bearings sound shot as hell

[@djmajiktuch82]

Yup i can hear rhem rattling around in there.😁

[@Anibal92234]

Always right on time when i go to youtube! Always happy when i see SMA video good job eric o!

[@lichin11]

General comment, I really love your videos and the detailed explanations provided. Thank you for doing all the work it takes to produce these!

[@kyferez1]

I absolutely LOVE how you make your decisions based upon data! You are the best automotive tech I've seen. I WISH ALL automotive techs had your level of professionalism and data-driven decision making processes. From now on I'm going to request factual proof from any auto tech looking at my car before approving any repair. From your videos, it's clear the data can be provided. You know what I would love to see from you? A collection of videos where you publish known automotive issues and how to identify them based upon the OBD2 or CAN bus data. Please please please do something like that!

[@63256325N]

Plugged exhaust was my guess having watched one of your videos of a vehicle with the same symptoms. Thanks for the video.

[@peterpratley9973]

I just starte4d watchina g your videos recently. I am 75 years old and my very first car was a 1955 Chevy with a 265 V8 which burned oil so In decided to tear the engine apart and relace the rings. I got most of my tools from Sears and parts by mail from J C Whitney catalogs. In 1963 that was the equal to Amazon today for cars and truck parts. I got it done and all reaasmbled but Im ended up with 2 bolts left over. Not a clue where from. The car ran well for a while but then started to burn oil again. So I took everything apart again and found out that I left the 2 bolts off the main bearing cap on the crankahaft. Solved the mystery of the 2 extra bolts. I enjoy watching auto repair videos but the electronics lose me. Keep up the good videos Pete

[@gwhizz44]

I've had the exact problem except it was the header piped delaminated on the inside. Love your channel Eric O.

[@axeman6560]

Great to see all of these different faults you can fix this is real mechanic at work. Great channel. New sub.

[@craig9802]

That is the cleanest Frontier engine bay I've ever seen, by far.

[@camp_moto_asmr]

Thank you for making these videos, you make me smarter every day

[@workingshlub8861]

i remember my younger days blowing the converter in my camaro......no power and it would overheat after 5 minutes after startup...the fact that i was constantly flooring did not help either.. expensive lesson lol. once again good diagnosis eric.

[@OneAuto]

Great way of proving the back pressure with the transducer. #testnotguess Happy Easter Eric!

[@R.E.HILL_]

I like your diagnostic approach. And that you choose a noninvasive solution to confirm. thx for sharing.

[@bmw-e30]

Fresh off the hook, no beans---love the lingo.

[@johnmckamy6398]

you know its gonna be a good day when you can start it with a SMA video

[@wrenching5483]

Awesome troubleshooting. Excellent tooling. Top notch mechanic man. Impressive

[@klrmoto]

My first view of your channel. Thank you so very much for showing me how things are done these days.

[@davidsewell3477]

Hi Eric you probably know this . but i just double the Celsius and add 28 . always gets me near . Keep up the Excellent work. Dave from England

[@donaldisrael7147]

I learned a lot about exhaust restrictions on a 73 Buick. Special tool-hacksaw. Collapsed inner wall of exhaust pipe.

[@chrisboucher9916]

i thought i knew a lot about cars till i started watching you. you're very good

[@Sandbag1300]

14:39, "That is super cool." Yes it is! Yet another double thumbs up SMA video and terrific "plug" for Pico.

[@SouthMainAuto]

Hey , jsut use what works the best :D

[@Tenright77]

Had a similar failure on a Ford V6 Escape, front maniverter came apart internally, clogged the down stream cat. Caused the plastic oem EGR to blow off as well as the no throttle response symptom. OBD showed misfire on two front cylinders. Thanks Eric.

[@trainer2018]

You are gonna love the wps 500 Eric. Awesome tool. I use mine quite a bit to determine if I have inadequate fuel pressure on the low side on our buses.

[@SouthMainAuto]

Yeah I have had mine for a bit and have been enjoying it

[@levijnkins4657]

My first test on a car with this similar issue is is take it down the road. Give it gas tell it starts choking out and pop in in neutral will my foot still on the gas. If the rpms go up it’s most likely a fuel delivery issue. If not looking more like catalytic converter. Great work! Love the videos

[@johnmckamy6398]

I like video's that contain good information and nobody gets called a moron .thanks Eric O.

[@halleffect1]

Hi Eric, thanks for the upload. If you get the job and have time, please do another waveform and temp check. I'm curious to see good numbers for this truck.

[@darrellarrowood465]

Nice find, all your vids are super helpful and appreciated

[@george536]

When you take a measurement when you were trying to reach zero on the pico, you can just type in “0” on the measurement box after you pull it down and it will go automatically

[@mrmatt7210]

Eric was excellent in diagnosing a bad catalytic converter. With this in mind, there are two points which may be of assistance to viewers of this video which are having a similar problem. First, the rattle noise heard coming from the exhaust is most likely the heat shield on the front catalytic converter. Over time, the heat shield will become loose and deliver the "Nissan Rattle". In such a case, a stainless hose clamp placed at the appropriate spot will remove this noise. Secondly, you may have a vehicle which still has a warranty in place. Though your vehicle is outside of the standard 5yr/60,000 mile factory warranty, converters are covered by an emission control warranty for 8 years or 80,000 miles. Dont spend a fortune on a repair if you dont have to.

[@Mizman76]

I said(out loud) to my phone "Plugged cat" at 0:38 of the video. I'm not a mechanic,per se,but had plenty of experience with plugged cats. Bought my first brand new vehicle in 1998,a 3.9L Dakota sport pick-up. It had a total of 83,000 miles when I traded it in and had been thru 5 CATALYTIC CONVERTERS. Exact same symptoms as this truck but with enhanced rattle. Went out every 15,000 almost to the mile! Didnt find out why,didnt really care. Got rid of that POS and never looked back! Enjoy your videos!

[@HayesTech]

I had a similar issue with my 2012 Nissan Frontier with the 4.0 liter engine. They replaced many parts at the used auto service department and still couldn't fix the issue. Issue: loss of power out of the blue and when engine would warm up. No engine check light. Engine thermostat was reading high but not in the red. To make a long story short, the Nissan garage had it for about 15 minutes and found it was a bad thermostat. Because it was overheating, but not in the red (danger zone) the system would cut power to the engine so it wouldn't destroy itself. Great video. I would just tell people to make sure and take your vehicles to a reputable mechanic. I was without my almost new truck for about a month and a half because the service department at the dealership couldn't diagnose a simple problem.

[@mike-yp1uk]

pico scoping is awesome. you can also hook up a cheap vacuum gauge and show us some mc giver stuff. was all that rattling coming from the converter. should have taken 2 more minutes and pulled it off and give us guys a picture ha ha. you are an awesome mechanic thanks for showing us some of you work. i bet your an aitn member. keep up the good work and may the Lord bless you in all you do.

[@thebeardedone1225]

When you started it up, I heard that clanging and instantly thought, cat heat shield rattling, must be a clogged cat. Time to sharpen up a piece of conduit, and grab a hammer. lol

[@mericafreedomland3583]

This is by far thee most interesting video ive seen in a long time, the data logging and all is soooo fricken cool

[@JeffBrown1966]

Thank you, I learn so much from your videos.

[@giuliom8520]

Great video! Fancy Shmancy computer work! I would've thought it was a dirty air filter.

[@theadventuresofjavier8698]

nice of you to serve it up fresh Mr. O.

[@pnwtundra07]

here it is 2am in the pnw i should be sleeping when i get a notification of a new sma video lol

[@rosscharlie5349]

You have your priorities right brother .What can I say LOL Daz UK

[@geoffrwelsh]

know of a couple cases on these 4.0 where not only did the front cats come apart, but the back pressure forced particles back-up into the cylinders causing valve and piston damage (on iATN). These guys were fortunate.

[@emtscythe3782]

Eric.. Just FYI The Felpro ES72481 Spark-plug tube seal kit fit almost all of the Nissan valve covers. I have used them numerous times. They cross reference for the 3.5 engines in the Altima's but they fit and seal perfectly on almost all of them.

[@Soothsayer-rs5nb]

Love the scanner info but you can diagnose a clogged exhaust with a vacuum gauge also

[@dosbox907]

man, I need to get one of those scanners. I'm an aspiring mechanic, I currently work for myself and do a a lot of side jobs, usually doing work for people in their driveways. and it blows my mind how quick you got that thing diagnosed, just chilling in the driver seat!! haha! I feel like I'm in the damn stone age. it would took me forever to figure that out! anyways, you sir are hands down my favorite KZbin mechanic. I look forward to the day where I'm almost half as , skilled as you m8. keep up the Vids man. you are doing god's work. I'll be watching.

[@moparmania86]

Eric I like to use a vacuum gauge to diagnose a plugged exhaust. Then remove 02 sensors and see when the power output comes back. Thats how I figure out which one is plugged.

[@V10PDTDI]

The first thing I heard at the beginning of the video when you were showing us the way the engine sounded like that rattle sound I knew that it could have a bad catalytic converter so I will resume to watch the rest of the video to see if I'm right.

[@charleskaber9429]

V10PDTDI

[@Justin109MWC]

You are 110% right

[@MrPami9899]

V10PDTDI exactly what I thought one he started it

[@Lindenbum]

V10PDTDI that was exactly my thought bad cat

[@richo662]

@@Lindenbum me too

[@baxrok2.]

Damn, that Picoscope is worth every penny. Sweet diag Eric. Thanks!!

[@SouthMainAuto]

Sure is man! Thanks!

[@weldingjunkie]

900 bucks idk lol

[@jefferypowell9885]

some of the best work ive seen

[@jamesdayton9530]

Good Video. Your explanation as right on and I learned something today. THANKS

[@tsakanendzimandze7264]

Bu

[@christinehucklebridge1534]

yes, we appreciate these informative videos. good diag on the nissan.

[@skokie23]

"Fresh off the hook" Awesome line!! Great Vid!!

[@SouthMainAuto]

tow them in and get'em while their hot!

[@gordonfreeman5434]

Love the SMA diagnostic videos.

[@SouthMainAuto]

Thanks Gordon

[@npfd568rc]

Cheaper than I thought.well that's good news for the owner.good luck,looks like it is going to be a fun one to do.

[@Sebastianx115]

Thanks helped me diagnose a 17 frontier with p0304 same problem

[@richardwallinger1683]

great bit of diagnosing .. like you say a mystry on why it suddenly went bad.

[@kevinmartin9432]

In the good ole days before OBD etc, we used to rev it up, switch off and listen. If you listen carefully at 13.47 you can hear the exhaust gasses hissing as they escape.

[@Bud-stearns]

My Nissan did the same exact thing. I thought it was bad gas too. I was 200 miles away from home and had to drive it with barely any power and missfiring like hell. Finally got it cleaned and now it runs perfect

[@50sKid]

Another great one, thanks.

[@michaelstoliker971]

That pressure sensor is awesome. I wish we had those back in the 70s/80s.

[@marcinmorris]

For me - best automotive channel in YT right now! ;) I wish at least 1/10 mechanics would have such knowledge of what they are doing ;) Gr8 job Eric ;) BTW. where is Cheeba?

[@SouthMainAuto]

Sheba has been at home with Mrs.O on spring break

[@marcinmorris]

South Main Auto Repair oh sorry - its Sheba :) my bad ;)

[@ncrdisabled]

Yep I live in the catskills ny about 95 miles up from NYC. We get folks from down there come up to the local junk yards and grab a cat from there . we have 3 yards with in 60 miles from me .There was a shop that would cut them out by the pipe method but you have to register it in NJ to pass the inspection

[@brucesheehe6305]

I really enjoy this channel.

[@zfoxfire]

Interesting to see what goes into troubleshooting modern cars.

[@Bacha58]

I thought so now I am sure. Thanks for great explanations.

[@WCGwkf]

My immediate thought was plugged cat or plugged exhaust then you said fuel pump and I was disappointed. But now your data makes you think exhaust.. still watching hope I'm right!

[@danmackintosh6325]

It was even audible after you shut the engine off, the hiss of the pressure escaping. (obviously could also have been AC low on gas/evap purging or similar so wise to diagnose with the scope and pyro too). First time I've heard of it occurring suddenly though like you say, normally takes a while and in my experience usually plugs up the back box. Wonder what state the 2nd cat was in, too, having been bombarded with chunks of porcelain?

[@tomb375]

Excellent Call, Great wok.

[@daveblane6442]

I am so STOKED, Eric about your use of PIco products! I bought their amp clamp. Great stuff. You da MAN! (We repair espresso machinery.)

[@PistonShack]

KZbin recommended this video, I opened up and found "LIKE" from before - watched again)

[@n78966969696896]

Before you even tested it I figured that's what it was.. I have a v6 pathfinder of the same era and I have replaced.... All.. 4.. catalytic converters (with cheap ass ones that'll probably only last a few years). Those O2 and AFR's are actually pretty stout on these. I took mine off about 5 times and it was tough the first time but not horrible.

[@spelunkerd]

Wow, what a neat way to show an obstructed exhaust.

[@thomascoolidge2161]

The ceramic inside a catalytic converter is made from fragile material. It is typically protected by an insulating mat. This mat holds the catalyst in place and provides moderate protection against damage. However when anything strikes the converter or a broken exhaust system support can cause this catalytic material to fracture. Once the ceramic catalyst is fractured, the broken pieces become loose and rattle around and break up into smaller pieces. Flow is interrupted and backpressure in the exhaust system increases. This leads to heat build up and loss of power.

[@garthmounce9331]

Your videos are great. Literally don't give a shit about Nissans but your diagnostics are different from everyone else and I really enjoy your way of doing things. Whenever I have the 30 minutes or so to watch your videos I do lol. Awesome work and I appreciate the shared knowledge.

[@salvadordlicon9467]

New word. Catafold. Good video Eric. Expensive repair. Lol!!!

[@SouthMainAuto]

around 500 for the parts OEM

[@The3rdCoat]

I ended up with the same issue some time ago when i ran over a big rock and damaged the converter. Over the next few months, gradual loss of power, not major but certainly noticeable. Engine light never came on cos it's an lpg vehicle, has no downstream oxygen sensor. A thought, Wouldn't you be able to check for exhaust restriction just using intake vacuum readings from the scantool? I think there's some kind of a test for it.

[@MyassesDragon]

Remember the good ole days when you lifted the hood and you could actually see an engine?

[@SouthMainAuto]

haha what's an engine look like again!?

[@siriusjones6719]

Good ole days when you had to change points and set lash with a tune up? When cars didn't start right up on cold mornings? Good ole 4 wheel drum brakes that took half a block to get the vehicle stopped? Yes, under hood is a bit cluttered these days but I, for one, don't miss setting valve lash, toying with manual choke carburetors every morning, and and trying to get the drum brakes to balance from side to side so when you hit the pedal it doesn't jerk one way or the other.

[@BreadAndGatorade]

Sirius Jones just bought my new (used) car largely because it had 4 wheel disc vs the rear drum on the competition. There were other factors but man do drum brakes suck if you are not the proverbial sunday grandma driver

[@felipelonestar9588]

Yeah I saw mine when I opened the hood today

[@pupupipichorrorelief4909]

your old

[@sendit1158]

Love watching a true genius

[@Paul1958R]

Another great video Mr O. Ive never seen a cylinder pressure tester being used - very informative. Thank you. I believe Mfrs must warranty catcons for 8 years / 80K miles. Not sure if this truck would meet either of those limits. Paul

[@SouthMainAuto]

Nope this truck is out side the Fed Warranty :(

[@samrugtiv5563]

good job Eric, sam

[@djhaloeight]

As soon as I heard the engine sound when it was being revved up, I thought plugged catalytic converter. I’ve heard other motors with that problem and it sounded exactly the same.

[@NeverEnoughPyro40]

There are other ways to check for bad cats without running the engine which could cause some major issues!

[@brianeighties4481]

Should have a p0420 code well before the cat gets too bad to drive probably something like a mass air flow meter just guessing because I haven’t finished the video.

[@5acesdown]

I'm impressed by your tech and mechanical knowledge. Hope you're starting to recycle in electric cars cause that's coming soon and all those technical tools you're using right now will be obsolete. But I see a future when old school mechanics will be rare to find and command high premium fees to maintain private car collections from rich dude or nostalgic track racing enthusiastic. Having knowledge in both old and new technology is good for your business, STAY AHEAD, it will make you invaluable and one step ahead of others. THIS IS A MESSAGE FROM OUR FUTURE.

[@Dannerrrr]

I thought it would be timing related, like the timing pulley jumped a bunch. I learned something!

[@hawkertyphoon4537]

starving for fuel, pump not delivering or (suddenly?!!) clogged filter was my guess ... no, he looks at gasses... pressures... Thank you for the lesson!

[@mattltech]

Awesome thanks! Subscribed.

[@beyondbolac2402]

Definitely worth taking a little bit of time to get a feel for the metric system. The best way is to give up on trying to convert to imperial, and just go for thinking in metric. 1 metre = large 1 step, 1 centimetre = the width of your little finger, 25 degrees celcius (or centigrade for USA folks) = a beautiful sunny day. Metric is excellent when you want to convert weight to volume, because 1000 litres of water = one metric tonne.

[@amadorpiscoya]

Good job u are the best

[@alasdairmunro1953]

Interesting diagnosis!😀

[@jimbola77]

ahh that's cake for man you are an Excellent mechanic!!!!

[@sendit1158]

This guy does great videos so give him a thumbs up

[@shadowrayz]

Cheers, Eric!

[@CVD-di1xn]

Good catch. Make sure you do a follow up video. I want to see you cut the cat open. Once again, I've learned something. Thanks, Dave at Hamburg.

[@SouthMainAuto]

Wish I could but it had a $200 core charge on it :(