Alright I'm really just posting this here because the maxima.org forums has a minimum of 15 posts before you can post a new topic and I'm waiting for it to let me post (1hr). Besides quite a few good mechanics on here so I figured I would get your advice on here as well At any rate I got home the other day and my GF is freaking out because her car failed emissions because of the CE light being on. They were so kind as to pull the codes for us, and it came up with a bad knock sensor and a bad EGRC Solenoid. EGRC solenoid after some searching and reading and actually finding out what the hell it is, I fight the wiring harness off and the 3 vacume lines and blow through it... stuck wide open ok so easy enough, check the dealership for a new one on monday.

Then... THE KNOCK SENSOR. I mean from an effectiveness viewpoint if you're listening for knocks where do you want to be? Right in the middle of the block, but come on! The knock sensor is mounted to the block right underneith the lower intake manifold. There is an opening at the back of the block so that you might actually be able to get to it if it wasn't for the rediculous amount of wiring an vaccume lines that passed by so I was forced to do what the haynes manual says: remove the upper and lower intake manifold. Now heres all the pics so you guys will know what I'm talking about for the rest of this.










Now at this point you're probably realizing the same thing I am... just what it really means to have your EGRC stuck wide open. Just in case you didn't know, EGRC = Exhaust Gas Reciculator Controller... or a system that detects when your car is producing high levels of NOx and recirculates some exhaust gasses so that the later combustions will not be as hot. Well it was recirculating exhaust ALL THE FREAKIN TIME. On top of the knock sensor being bad, which forces the ECU to default to factory default timing tables, this thing has been struggling to stay alive.

While i have it all apart I'd be crazy to not clean it out, and from the looks of things I think I'm going to pull the valve covers off and replace the gaskets. I thought about replacing the head gaskets too but that's some work ahead of me if I started that one. As far as I know they're fine so I'm going to leave them. Now main reason I'm posting this is because I'm fairly new to this type of work, and this is the first time I've ever had an engine this much apart. Now I am on a time limit here so sure it would be tempting to pull the heads apart and clean/inspect everything, but what it boils down to is I just wouldn't have the time, this thing is supposed to be back together for retesting tuesday she says, so I'm thinking clean the manifolds out, replace a couple extras, and seafoam it when I'm done. I put an aftermarket Y-pipe on it and this thing has always been faster than my cars anyways so when it's running right this thing should be a beast. I'm almost excited to find the things that have been wrong with it so I can fix it and take it for a spin.

Thoughts? Tips? Experienced warnings?

Oh and I realized after posting some of the pics need explaining

1) about half of the nuts and bolts I removed, all of which I know where they go
2) 140kish miles of winter climate-no maintenance-goodness! The knock sensor alone has been out for about 3 years.
3+4) shots of the back intake ports on the cylinder head. It's completely black in there. Oh and those are Acorns sitting on top there, and there was also a huge nest underneith the lower intake manifold... something had moved in.
5) Shot of lower intake manifold and air filter that suffered my elbow (darn honey, now I'll have to buy you a K&N...)
6) the back of the upper intake manifold where the EGR recirculates it's exhaust. You can't see too well there, but opening diameter is maybe 30% because of all the grime.
7+8) upper intake manifold. From the inside you'd thing it was an exhaust manifold.

I'm just worried about how the inside seems a little bit greasy... what could be getting in there? Didn't smell like anything. Oh and does anybody know if a PCV valve is supposed to be covered in oil? When I changed it on my 96 fire I had a couple years ago I remember it was then too.

Damn what a PITA...i hate to say it but i bet running a can of sea foam through a vacuum line into your intake manifold would have fixed all of those problems.... It removes all the carbon and varnish and gum out of the top end of the engine, the kinda stuff what woulda been keeping the EGRC stuck wide open.






96 2.2 5speed
**SOLD**

Oh, don't worry about that, that wouldn't have fixed it The EGR was stuck open because the control solenoid was stuck open, which runs off of electricity and vacume so it never sees the exhaust gas or seafoam. If you notice in one of the pics where I showed the EGR opening seafoam wouldn't have helped that either, I even gave up on TB cleaner and start chiseling the stuff out.

dont lose any part

but honestly, my engines have never looked that dirty unless the car was used

ha! i cant wait til i do my @!#$box escort. im pretty sure im gonna fail. If i pass, ill be lucky, since my power sterring is leaking somewhere

yeah I'd tell her to buy a new car if they did a visual up here too, but it's just emissions with ECU check. I put a y-pipe on it to replace the OEM piece of @!#$ that they had on there, so I don't think it would pass a visual.