Nissan Code P1491 (on a 2.5) - anyone with info?

[Darris]

Pulled this code yesterday. The vehicle is an 03' Altima 2.5L with 97K.

All I got from the web was that for Nissan it's about the "Vacuum Cut Valve Bypass Valve" who's it's function is to prevent engine vacuum form being applied to the fuel tank except for self test purposes, and it can trigger SES light either from being damaged, clogged or being incorrectly installed.

Does anyone have experience with this condition? If so is it usually an quick & easy diagnosis or one of those requiring multiple steps with several drive cycles in between?

Also are there any adverse side effects from continuing to drive with this code? (other than being unable to pass an emission test, which in this case wouldn't be due until Jan 2016)

 

[Rand]

clear the code and see if it comes back.

if it comes back- taken from internet.

the potential causes:

Vacuum cut valve bypass valve
Vacuum cut valve
Bypass hoses for clogging
EVAP control system pressure sensor and circuit
EVAP canister vent control valve
Hose between fuel tank and vacuum cut valve clogged
Hose between vacuum cut valve and EVAP canister clogged
EVAP canister
EVAP purge port of fuel tank for clogging

 

[MaximaGuy]

Nissan's are the biggest POS vehicles ever... they are trouble!!!
I had a Nissan and they would throw all kinds of codes at you. Owners misery!!!

 

[simple_gifts]

Originally Posted By: MaximaGuy
Nissan's are the biggest POS vehicles ever... they are trouble!!!
I had a Nissan and they would throw all kinds of codes at you. Owners misery!!!


Thanks for the help.

 

[michaelluscher]

Originally Posted By: MaximaGuy
Nissan's are the biggest POS vehicles ever... they are trouble!!!
I had a Nissan and they would throw all kinds of codes at you. Owners misery!!!

And a big [censored] help you've been

"If the EVAP canister is OK, and there are no other visual damage to the EVAP system (e.g. loose or broken hoses)
, replacing the vacuum cut valve bypass valve takes care of the problem"

 

[Darris]

Thanks for the feedback so for guys.
Originally Posted By: Rand

the potential causes:

Vacuum cut valve bypass valve
Vacuum cut valve
Bypass hoses for clogging
EVAP control system pressure sensor and circuit
EVAP canister vent control valve
Hose between fuel tank and vacuum cut valve clogged
Hose between vacuum cut valve and EVAP canister clogged
EVAP canister
EVAP purge port of fuel tank for clogging


Ouch. Why does everything to do with this system always seem to be an endless shell game with a half dozen things requiring extensive process of elimination??

Here is another question for anyone knowledgeable in the Evap area:

Could a problem with the Vacuum Cut Bypass mask other problems with the Evap system and prevent additional Evap issues being detected? Is it likely that previous owner and the dealer deliberately left the bad valve in place (or even re-installed it wrong way) to prevent more trouble codes being logged?

 

[asand1]

Originally Posted By: MaximaGuy
Nissan's are the biggest POS vehicles ever... they are trouble!!!
I had a Nissan and they would throw all kinds of codes at you. Owners misery!!!
really? My 96 with 300,000 miles has given me no problems. Maybe you just don't know how to care for a car.

 

[EA82]

He is not being serious, his name is Maxima, of course he loves Nissans.

 

[MaximaGuy]

You are one of those lucky happy Nissan owners -- pick 10 people who have Nissans and a majority will be unhappy. This is a company that doesn't even get coils engg right (the heart of engine), my maxima threw codes at 40K and there was no freaking recall. Just head to maxima.org and get to understand owners misery -- posts will have all kind of codes some never ever heard off (many in this forum unable to help).

I DON"T love Nissans!!! They are a POS, I would rank them lowest when it comes to retaining customers. They do build junk, go look at JD power, 3/5 SUV lineup are DON"T buys!!!

 

[The_Eric]

Originally Posted By: MaximaGuy
You are one of those lucky happy Nissan owners -- pick 10 people who have Nissans and a majority will be unhappy. This is a company that doesn't even get coils engg right (the heart of engine), my maxima threw codes at 40K and there was no freaking recall. Just head to maxima.org and get to understand owners misery -- posts will have all kind of codes some never ever heard off (many in this forum unable to help).

I DON"T love Nissans!!! They are a POS, I would rank them lowest when it comes to retaining customers. They do build junk, go look at JD power, 3/5 SUV lineup are DON"T buys!!!


Too bad for you. Go pout about it somewhere else. If you're not able to offer any advice to help the OP fix his car then without making a big stink then don't post here.

 

[asand1]

Originally Posted By: MaximaGuy
You are one of those lucky happy Nissan owners -- pick 10 people who have Nissans and a majority will be unhappy. This is a company that doesn't even get coils engg right (the heart of engine), my maxima threw codes at 40K and there was no freaking recall. Just head to maxima.org and get to understand owners misery -- posts will have all kind of codes some never ever heard off (many in this forum unable to help).

I DON"T love Nissans!!! They are a POS, I would rank them lowest when it comes to retaining customers. They do build junk, go look at JD power, 3/5 SUV lineup are DON"T buys!!!


LoL I've been a member there for 5 years. We know how to fix our cars over there and we don't cry over codes (except the noobs). Was yours a '99? They had junk Hanshin coils. What exactly was your code?

I'm still running my original coils with no codes.

BTW, the VQ series has been listed in Wards top ten engines for every year of its production life, so POS is hardly a correct assessment.

 

[asand1]

Yup he is just trolling, here's what he PMed me.
Originally Posted By: MaximaGuy
Hey, I am trolling out there because even w/ the 10 yrs I lived and learnt about codes from Nissan vehicles, I couldn't give some guidance to the OP. Right there it is a problem since this is a one of the many bugs in their vehicles.

BTW, the 4th gen Maxima's were the least trouble free, infact a 99 Maxima was very much sought after resale stdpt because it was the very best Maxima.

Anyway, I had my try with Nissan's and would never ever buy another one. BTW my trolling is not based on my isolated case, I have many Nissan owner friends who are unhappy. So it wasn't an isolated lemon of a vehicle that I had.

BTW, I own Toyota and Lexus, other than oil, ATF, gear fluids, air filters there wasn't anything they needed. Highlander has 120K on it and just past month did the brakes.

So there is much catching up for Nissan, they really suck


Lol between starter, NATS, and coils, '99 is the absolute worst. Also 4th gen has the best power to weight ratio and toughest (reliable) engine (VQ30) of all Maximas.

Maximagay will be going on my ignore list.

 

[Darris]

I think there is a distinction between Nissan pre-Renault and post-Renault. In my opinion the latter made Nissan/Infiniti a sexier and more ambitious product but at the expense of dependability.

I got the previous 02 Altima based mostly on knowing many satisfied owners of 80's & 90's Nissans & Infinitis (only rust seemed to limit how much life you could wring form them)

What I didn't take into account is that the 3rd generation Altima was the first car not to be a true Nissan. It was not a Bluebird, nor the sibling of any Nissan in the Japanese or European markets Instead it was rushed into production for the North American market as an image changer; designed to win in the showroom, test drive & spec sheet rather than the long haul.

There is still a lot of inherited goodness there - the Maxima rear end - the origins form the old 2.4 - I vastly prefer the car to Camry, Accord, Fusion, Malibu and others (I've always had a thing for engines with a longer strke).

If only they could go without destroying Cats & sensors and without SES light as a constant fixture in the instrument cluster...

 

[artificialist]

Originally Posted By: Darris
I think there is a distinction between Nissan pre-Renault and post-Renault. In my opinion the latter made Nissan/Infiniti a sexier and more ambitious product but at the expense of dependability.

I'm not so sure of that.

Practically every 1985-1988 Maxima was awful. A great engine bolted to a bunch of junk is what they usually were.

 

[Darris]

So last night the SES goes away by itself with no apparent cause other than putting gas in the tank. Is that more likely suggest an actual vacuum issue or an over-sensitive self diagnostic error
(perhaps from bad data or no data as a result of Vacuum Cut Valve or Bypass not working properly)??

I just purchased the use vehicle last Thirsday (delivered with he low fuel warning light on... real class operation ) so first thing I do is put about 1/2 tank of gas and the SES light comes on within about 18 miles of driving. Last night after adding gas (probably just 7 or 8 qt short of a full tank) the car started with no SES light.

 

[CBR.worm]

I'm surprised at all the Nissan hate. There are much worse manufacturers out there. I won't name any names, but the Nissan products we have had have been great - all well past 100k.

'97 Maxima SE
'00 Maxima SE
'97 Nissan Pickup
'05 Infiniti G35
'06 Infiniti G35
'06 Infiniti FX45


The two Maxima's both req'd coil packs, 02 sensors. That was it.

They are not perhaps as good as Toyota, but better than many.