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I'm ready to divorce my 04 Titan w/312,000 miles!

9K views 87 replies 17 participants last post by  bmcneese54 
#1 ·
Let me preface this post by saying that I've spent countless hours reading over all of the threads on this forum, as well as others, to figure out what's going on with my truck. First, overview of my Titan:
  • I bought it brand new in August of 2004
  • It's a CC SE 4x4 with the offroad package
  • It's about to turn over 312,000 miles
  • I've done 98% of the maintenance on it myself (had to pay a dealership to repair a ruptured fuel line underneath the bed in 2017; that's the only thing I haven't done myself)
  • It has JBA longtube headers, Cajun B-pipes, Borla catback exhaust w/resonator from Cajun B-pipes, K&N air filter, UpRev tune
  • I did a full tuneup on the truck back in February of this year
  • I'm on my third fuel pump; installed a Bosch unit ($500) back in November of 2016. It has roughly 70k miles on it
  • Replaced the battery last month, alternator back in December, and the starter in 2015
  • I've been running the original white IPDM up until Monday of this week (8/24) when I installed a new unit. My truck was never recalled to have the IPDM replaced, only the ECU relay
Here's the issue: About 4 weeks ago my truck had issues starting. It would turn over without issue, but wouldn't crank. I had the battery tested and a cell was going bad, but Advance said it still held enough power that it should've started the truck. So I installed the new battery and the truck started, but it was not cranking up as quickly as it used to (meaning, I would have to hold the key maybe a second longer before it cranked). Note my truck has yet to throw any CEL/SES codes.

In the last two weeks my truck has died on me while driving it. Sometimes it would fire back up when i put the transmission in neutral. Other times it took about 10 minutes of trying to get it to crank before it start up. I did the ECU/fog light relay swap and it made no difference. I knew the ECU relay was good because when I put it in the fog light port, the lights worked. I read something about hitting the fuel cell with a rubber mallet, so i would do that as well as tap on the cover of the box where the IPDM lives.

The truck never threw a code, so I drove it to the closest Nissan dealer and was able to talk with their lead technician. He asked if the IPDM had been replaced. I said no. He said that was the problem. So I went home and ordered one online. I paid $80 extra to have it sent 2-day air. Set me back $500 in total. It arrived on Monday and I installed it in 10 minutes. The truck wasn't any better - kept stalling out on me and would run horribly at idle then shut off. I checked my ground wires Wednesday night. The ground that connects to the back side of bank 2 was very loose. I tightened it up. Since I secured that ground wire the truck is cranking up immediately - just like it's always done over the past 16 years.

I was driving the Titan yesterday afternoon and had to get on the gas to merge in to traffic. As soon as I got on it the truck hesitated hard! It bucked two times, then accelerated. Later in the evening, I was picking my daughter up from practice. I pulled up to the pool and came to a complete stop so she could jump in the truck. Right then it started idling horribly, barely staying at 500 rpms. I shifted the truck into park hoping it would stop but it didn't. I pressure the accelerator and it did nothing...truck continued to idle bad another 2 seconds or so, then it jumped up to 1,200 rpm and acted like nothing happened.

I dropped my daughter off at her mother's house, came home and did more research online. I'm not finding anything.

This morning I crank up the Titan in my garage with the AC running and let it idle. About 10 minutes later it starting idling really bad, then died. It still hasn't thrown a code, and I followed the steps in the service manual to see if my MIL light was burnt out, and it's not. The light is working fine. This also has nothing to do with the anti-theft feature. I've confirmed that via the service manual. The anti-theft light does not come on with the key in the "ON" position.

Because I'm not getting any CEL/SES codes, i'm not going to waste anymore money on what I am not convinced is the issue. It's not the crankshaft or cam sensors. The Nissan technician told me if it was, it would definitely throw an error code. I'm also not convinced it's the fuel pump because the problem is intermittent. The tech told me when a fuel pump goes, it goes. It does work, fail, then work again.

I made the mistake of installing one of those cheap air-tek fuel pumps 6 years ago only to have it fail two years later. That's why I went with the high-end Bosch fuel pump back in 2016.

So, does anyone have any suggestions on what the issue is? I really love my truck and it's in incredible condition! No one that sees it believes me when I tell them it's a '04 and I've put every single mile of the 312,000 on it myself. I'm not in a position financially where I can throw much more money at it only to hope I've fixed the problem; I'm already out $500 for that new IPDM.
 
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#2 ·
Also, meant to mention that the Nissan technician told me that it's going to be hard for them to troubleshoot the issue given the truck hasn't thrown any codes over the past five months. I really want to fix this myself, and I know I can. I just need to identify the root cause...
 
#3 ·
Almost sounds like a dirty MAF or throttle body. Try cleaning those and doing a throttle position sensor relearn procedure. Be careful cleaning the throttle body, not to actuate the blade much or with any speed in moving it. Those little dudes are sensitive in some vehicles. Hopefully this cheap/easy thing resolves your problem. Oh, and use MAF cleaner on the MAF, and throttle body cleaner on the throttle body. Still should be cheap even with two different cleaners.
 
#6 ·
It might, but it might not if its just a little dirty.
 
#8 ·
maybe your ignition switch (key switch) is wearing out and causing intermittent connection problems? you have enough miles that it could easily be worn.

I would put a fuel pressure gage on the system to keep an eye on it. maybe set it up so its always on and when the truck acts up, you can jump out and see what its putting out?
 
#9 ·
Thanks busemans! I want to buy one, but not sure what type and how to hook it up correctly. The gauge should provide a reading if the ignition is in the "ON" position only, correct? Also, would a code be thrown if the ignition switch is failing? I would think when the truck is running and i'm driving down the road, the key switch isn't doing anything to keep the truck running. Meaning, once the truck is cranked up, the ignition switch has completed its job.
 
#10 ·
on some vehicles (my experience in bad ignition switches is just on bmws) when the switch wears out, it wiggles around and something in it doesn't touch something else anymore and the ecu would lose a signal. like maybe the ecu though the key was turning off? I don't know but the car would just shut off randomly and I would have to crank it again and sometimes it was like a hiccup and it would pop back on immediately.

the pressure gage should be easy to get locally from your local parts place but you just have to find out what your pump runs at so your gage has that range on it. some gages are lower pressure and some are very high pressure. I cannot tell you which one for your truck though, as I don't even know what my truck runs at since I have only had it for maybe a month now. someone should be able to come on in a bit and let you know though
 
#11 ·
The Titan is a little harder to check fuel pressure, as the engineers at Nissan determined it was better not to put a permanent schraeder valve on the fuel rail for pressure checking. If you have the service manual, it explains what you need and how to check fuel pressure. If you need the manual, it's available in pdf form over on the nicoclub website.

That's definitely something I'd check, in addition to cleaning the MAF and Throttle Body. I know with my daughter's Rogue, a dirty throttle body causes an erratic idle.

As for the ignition, remember it serves two purposes. When in the "crank" position, it closes the circuit for the engine (so fuel pump, ignition, and computer all run) and it closes the circuit for the starter so it will turn the motor over. In the "run" position, the starter circuit is open, but the circuit(s) which allow the engine to run are closed. When you turn it to the "off" position, all circuits are open except a few. Most of those are on time delay to shutoff.
 
#12 ·
I just thought of something: I could use Cipher to record my fuel pressure numbers while the truck is running, correct? I know it gives you the option to record all types of data on the truck. I need to plug it into my truck and see if that's an option.

Quick Update: I fired up my truck again in the garage again just now and let it idle with the AC running. This time i timed how long it took before it died ... 14 minutes and 35 seconds. However, now it will not crank. Earlier this morning it did crank. The starter is going strong, but the truck will not fire up. As Big Worm said in the movie Friday, This is playing with my emotions! Not only do I not want to get rid of it, but I simply cannot afford a truck note, not to mention anything longer than a Titan CC will not fit in my garage. I kid you not when I say that i've babied this truck for 16 years. I've replaced the steering, seat cushions, seat covers, the plastic cowl, exterior window seals, exterior chrome door handles, the bib on the tailgate, and the list goes on and on. I also replaced the entire front suspension back in March. New 5100's with coils, Rough Country upper control arms, calipers, brake lines, UCAs, front driveshafts. The truck has been running beautifully up until a month or so ago. The only issue I've had over the past 6 months is the rear main seal is starting to leak, and that's to be expected given the truck has over 300,00 miles on it!

Who knows. Maybe my truck recently inhaled some COVID-19 and is now asymptomatic.
 
#15 ·
It's a long shot but have you checked all your ground wires? I know you had an issue with one when it wouldn't start before. Also check your harness near your exhaust. I know you have a custom exhaust system but it can't hurt to inspect and see if heat is causing your electrical problems.

Good luck, man.
 
#17 ·
Pretty sure he's referring to the harness over the tailpipe. In some Titans, that area rusts through on the top and causes all kinds of havoc as it melts the wiring. In your case, with aftermarket exhaust, maybe not rusted, but worth a look to see if it's getting too much heat or you have a small leak at a joint and it's blowing heat directly at the harness. Can cause all sorts of freaky symptoms.
 
#18 ·
I'd be interested to plug in an OBDII device that does real-time data logging and see if you see any anomalies.


But, first thing is first, trying to get it to crank first. What happens when you attempt to crank it, do the lights come on, does it go dim? This is of course now that it won't crank. I know you posted up how it was cranking before it recently died.
 
#19 ·
Let me preface this post by saying that I've spent countless hours reading over all of the threads on this forum, as well as others, to figure out what's going on with my truck. First, overview of my Titan:
  • I bought it brand new in August of 2004
  • It's a CC SE 4x4 with the offroad package
  • It's about to turn over 312,000 miles
  • I've done 98% of the maintenance on it myself (had to pay a dealership to repair a ruptured fuel line underneath the bed in 2017; that's the only thing I haven't done myself)
  • It has JBA longtube headers, Cajun B-pipes, Borla catback exhaust w/resonator from Cajun B-pipes, K&N air filter, UpRev tune
  • I did a full tuneup on the truck back in February of this year
  • I'm on my third fuel pump; installed a Bosch unit ($500) back in November of 2016. It has roughly 70k miles on it
  • Replaced the battery last month, alternator back in December, and the starter in 2015
  • I've been running the original white IPDM up until Monday of this week (8/24) when I installed a new unit. My truck was never recalled to have the IPDM replaced, only the ECU relay
Here's the issue: About 4 weeks ago my truck had issues starting. It would turn over without issue, but wouldn't crank. I had the battery tested and a cell was going bad, but Advance said it still held enough power that it should've started the truck. So I installed the new battery and the truck started, but it was not cranking up as quickly as it used to (meaning, I would have to hold the key maybe a second longer before it cranked). Note my truck has yet to throw any CEL/SES codes.

In the last two weeks my truck has died on me while driving it. Sometimes it would fire back up when i put the transmission in neutral. Other times it took about 10 minutes of trying to get it to crank before it start up. I did the ECU/fog light relay swap and it made no difference. I knew the ECU relay was good because when I put it in the fog light port, the lights worked. I read something about hitting the fuel cell with a rubber mallet, so i would do that as well as tap on the cover of the box where the IPDM lives.

The truck never threw a code, so I drove it to the closest Nissan dealer and was able to talk with their lead technician. He asked if the IPDM had been replaced. I said no. He said that was the problem. So I went home and ordered one online. I paid $80 extra to have it sent 2-day air. Set me back $500 in total. It arrived on Monday and I installed it in 10 minutes. The truck wasn't any better - kept stalling out on me and would run horribly at idle then shut off. I checked my ground wires Wednesday night. The ground that connects to the back side of bank 2 was very loose. I tightened it up. Since I secured that ground wire the truck is cranking up immediately - just like it's always done over the past 16 years.

I was driving the Titan yesterday afternoon and had to get on the gas to merge in to traffic. As soon as I got on it the truck hesitated hard! It bucked two times, then accelerated. Later in the evening, I was picking my daughter up from practice. I pulled up to the pool and came to a complete stop so she could jump in the truck. Right then it started idling horribly, barely staying at 500 rpms. I shifted the truck into park hoping it would stop but it didn't. I pressure the accelerator and it did nothing...truck continued to idle bad another 2 seconds or so, then it jumped up to 1,200 rpm and acted like nothing happened.

I dropped my daughter off at her mother's house, came home and did more research online. I'm not finding anything.

This morning I crank up the Titan in my garage with the AC running and let it idle. About 10 minutes later it starting idling really bad, then died. It still hasn't thrown a code, and I followed the steps in the service manual to see if my MIL light was burnt out, and it's not. The light is working fine. This also has nothing to do with the anti-theft feature. I've confirmed that via the service manual. The anti-theft light does not come on with the key in the "ON" position.

Because I'm not getting any CEL/SES codes, i'm not going to waste anymore money on what I am not convinced is the issue. It's not the crankshaft or cam sensors. The Nissan technician told me if it was, it would definitely throw an error code. I'm also not convinced it's the fuel pump because the problem is intermittent. The tech told me when a fuel pump goes, it goes. It does work, fail, then work again.

I made the mistake of installing one of those cheap air-tek fuel pumps 6 years ago only to have it fail two years later. That's why I went with the high-end Bosch fuel pump back in 2016.

So, does anyone have any suggestions on what the issue is? I really love my truck and it's in incredible condition! No one that sees it believes me when I tell them it's a '04 and I've put every single mile of the 312,000 on it myself. I'm not in a position financially where I can throw much more money at it only to hope I've fixed the problem; I'm already out $500 for that new IPDM.
You can always pay the$80 and have the dealer check it out. Electrical some times is really tricky. Now, i never usually go to the dealer. I know that i am a better mechanic then 90% of their guys. But just sometimes we need their diagnostic equipment. Trust me this is the last resort. But when you are at wits end, its an option. However, good job on getting over 300000. Thats a tough task. You have to realize though that truck is just getting tired. As for the fuel pump, that part i would have tried to get from a salvage vehicle. Some parts just never work as good as factory.
 
#20 ·
Let me preface this post by saying that I've spent countless hours reading over all of the threads on this forum, as well as others, to figure out what's going on with my truck. First, overview of my Titan:
  • I bought it brand new in August of 2004
  • It's a CC SE 4x4 with the offroad package
  • It's about to turn over 312,000 miles
  • I've done 98% of the maintenance on it myself (had to pay a dealership to repair a ruptured fuel line underneath the bed in 2017; that's the only thing I haven't done myself)
  • It has JBA longtube headers, Cajun B-pipes, Borla catback exhaust w/resonator from Cajun B-pipes, K&N air filter, UpRev tune
  • I did a full tuneup on the truck back in February of this year
  • I'm on my third fuel pump; installed a Bosch unit ($500) back in November of 2016. It has roughly 70k miles on it
  • Replaced the battery last month, alternator back in December, and the starter in 2015
  • I've been running the original white IPDM up until Monday of this week (8/24) when I installed a new unit. My truck was never recalled to have the IPDM replaced, only the ECU relay
Here's the issue: About 4 weeks ago my truck had issues starting. It would turn over without issue, but wouldn't crank. I had the battery tested and a cell was going bad, but Advance said it still held enough power that it should've started the truck. So I installed the new battery and the truck started, but it was not cranking up as quickly as it used to (meaning, I would have to hold the key maybe a second longer before it cranked). Note my truck has yet to throw any CEL/SES codes.

In the last two weeks my truck has died on me while driving it. Sometimes it would fire back up when i put the transmission in neutral. Other times it took about 10 minutes of trying to get it to crank before it start up. I did the ECU/fog light relay swap and it made no difference. I knew the ECU relay was good because when I put it in the fog light port, the lights worked. I read something about hitting the fuel cell with a rubber mallet, so i would do that as well as tap on the cover of the box where the IPDM lives.

The truck never threw a code, so I drove it to the closest Nissan dealer and was able to talk with their lead technician. He asked if the IPDM had been replaced. I said no. He said that was the problem. So I went home and ordered one online. I paid $80 extra to have it sent 2-day air. Set me back $500 in total. It arrived on Monday and I installed it in 10 minutes. The truck wasn't any better - kept stalling out on me and would run horribly at idle then shut off. I checked my ground wires Wednesday night. The ground that connects to the back side of bank 2 was very loose. I tightened it up. Since I secured that ground wire the truck is cranking up immediately - just like it's always done over the past 16 years.

I was driving the Titan yesterday afternoon and had to get on the gas to merge in to traffic. As soon as I got on it the truck hesitated hard! It bucked two times, then accelerated. Later in the evening, I was picking my daughter up from practice. I pulled up to the pool and came to a complete stop so she could jump in the truck. Right then it started idling horribly, barely staying at 500 rpms. I shifted the truck into park hoping it would stop but it didn't. I pressure the accelerator and it did nothing...truck continued to idle bad another 2 seconds or so, then it jumped up to 1,200 rpm and acted like nothing happened.

I dropped my daughter off at her mother's house, came home and did more research online. I'm not finding anything.

This morning I crank up the Titan in my garage with the AC running and let it idle. About 10 minutes later it starting idling really bad, then died. It still hasn't thrown a code, and I followed the steps in the service manual to see if my MIL light was burnt out, and it's not. The light is working fine. This also has nothing to do with the anti-theft feature. I've confirmed that via the service manual. The anti-theft light does not come on with the key in the "ON" position.

Because I'm not getting any CEL/SES codes, i'm not going to waste anymore money on what I am not convinced is the issue. It's not the crankshaft or cam sensors. The Nissan technician told me if it was, it would definitely throw an error code. I'm also not convinced it's the fuel pump because the problem is intermittent. The tech told me when a fuel pump goes, it goes. It does work, fail, then work again.

I made the mistake of installing one of those cheap air-tek fuel pumps 6 years ago only to have it fail two years later. That's why I went with the high-end Bosch fuel pump back in 2016.

So, does anyone have any suggestions on what the issue is? I really love my truck and it's in incredible condition! No one that sees it believes me when I tell them it's a '04 and I've put every single mile of the 312,000 on it myself. I'm not in a position financially where I can throw much more money at it only to hope I've fixed the problem; I'm already out $500 for that new IPDM.
You can always pay the$80 and have the dealer check it out. Electrical some times is really tricky. Now, i never usually go to the dealer. I know that i am a better mechanic then 90% of their guys. But just sometimes we need their diagnostic equipment. Trust me this is the last resort. But when you are at wits end, its an option. However, good job on getting over 300000. Thats a tough task. You have to realize though that truck is just getting tired. As for the fuel pump, that part i would have tried to get from a salvage vehicle. Some parts just never work as good as factory.
 
#21 ·
Update: The truck cranked up without issue multiple times last night.

Yeah, I'm thinking I need to take the truck to a dealership/Nissan certified mechanic and have them pull real-time data on it. I might try to do that today. I will definitely keep y'all updated.
 
#24 ·
If it's cranking fine, then not cranking, that's screaming ground again. It could be something else, but since you had ground issues before, I'd start by re-checking all that before I took it to a dealer. Won't cost you anything and if you find one loose, you might save yourself $100.
 
#25 ·
I'll look them over again. There's one that connects towards the back of bank 2 (that was the one that was loose), one that attached to the inner fender well just behind the battery, another below the IPDM box, one over on the bank 1 side that ties into the inner fender well, one from the cat to the frame
 
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