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I have a 2004 Extera that was running rough at idle and cruise, burning excess gas, and the service engine light on. I changed plugs, cap and rotor, fuel and air filters. Now, it runs the same, but now it's shifting funny(straight from second to overdrive) and when I went to Autozone to get the codes read, they say they can't read the codes because I have a blown fuse, but all my fuses are good. WTF? Oh, and now it idles at 2000 rpm.I didn't think simple maintenance would open such a can of worms,

Dog, You have a cylinder (and

Submitted by Big Block 409 on Fri, 02/03/2012 - 20:49.

Dog,

You have a cylinder (and or) an ignition misfire secondary to a vacuum leak. Could very well be more than one vacuum leak. Find the vacuum (via an engine vacuum pressure tester) and fix it. After doing so the misfire will resolve itself. Let us know if the above leaves you lost, dazed and confused?

Maddogg, I agree with Big

Submitted by drivability on Fri, 02/03/2012 - 22:53.

Maddogg,

I agree with Big Block. A vacuum issue is very likely. From what I can tell, it missfired and the engine light was on before you did the work but the new symptoms didn't occur until afterwards. Is this correct? You might want to check and double check to make sure you didn't accidently dissconect something or maybe didn't reconnect something that you removed. Keep in mind you might have more than one problem. The original issue and one that may or may not have been created during the work. Please take no offense. It can and will happen to anyone who spends enough time under the hood.

Did you replace the wires? We had talked about it before. Just curious.

Did you check the fuses in both fuse boxes? If so, how? Fuses 11 and 26 (interior fuse panel) should power up your DLC (diagnostic link connector).

Did you try accessing the codes with a scan tool and holding the brake pedal down while turning the key on (do not start the truck)?

Have you tried retrieving codes manually? Some vehicles have issues doing this but you should consider trying it. Don't worry. You can't screw anything up by trying it. The links below should help. Remember that timing is very critical and you should follow the instructions to tee. You might wish to use a stopwatch.

The procedure

http://www.nissanhelp.com/diy/common/nissan_engine_codes_read_2.htm

A little visual aid

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jvWE71-kH6U

I know you're frustrated and I'm not trying to rub it in but I want to be sure that you now understand why I recommended (in your other post) that you not perform repairs before you check for codes and diagnose the problem. If you do, you won't know whether your making progress or going backwards. If you have no driveability issues, I don't really see a huge problem with just doing a little maintenance, as long you check your work after each step but if you have problems, they should be diagnosed before any work is done.

Also, if you don't have the service manual I'll offer it to you again. Just let me know.

Last but not least... It goes without saying, that vehicle problems can tick people off. I've become pretty damn patient with vehicles over the years but I can't say that I haven't considered driving a few of them off a cliff. Sometimes I've even considered going along for the ride. :-) Take a few deep breaths. Maybe even a few of your favorite beverages and regroup. We'll be glad to help you get it fixed.

Let us know what you find or if you have questions. Thanks.