Nissan Sentra (1999-2023) firing order — diagram & guide

In terms of engine reliability, compact sedans that can cope with the Sentra model are pretty rare. It’s a model that’s even present in the US market and more and more enthusiasts opt-in even for Sentra models on the used car market.

For all such drivers, knowing the Nissan Sentra (1999-2023) firing order is crucial for engine upkeep. We know that can often be confusing, but don’t worry – our team will provide you with all the essential engine specs so you can diagnose misfires and prevent engine damage yourself.

Fifth-generation Nissan Sentra (1999-2005) firing order

The fifth-gen Sentra model is the first model Sentra that got a new shape and made a transfer from a sub-compact vehicle category to the compact sedan category. It also featured several four-cylinder engine options that weren’t featured before, so let’s take a look at the firing order for each:

Nissan Sentra 1.8L firing order

As the base model of the Sentra for this generation, the Nissan Sentra 1.8L firing order is 1-3-4-2. It’s a base four-cylinder option which means the cylinders are ordered from 1 to 4 in a straight line.

The first cylinder is located on the left side of the engine, while the fourth cylinder is located at the right end of the engine.

Nissan Sentra 2.0L firing order

Yet another four-cylinder option for a fifth-gen Sentra was a 2.0-liter engine and it also features a firing order 1-3-4-2. Once again, all the cylinders are arranged from left to right in a straight line, so the first cylinder is on the left side of the engine, just like the 1.8-liter one.

Nissan Sentra 2.5L firing order

The Nissan Sentra 2.5L firing order is 1-3-4-2 and the cylinders of this engine are also aligned from left to right in a straight order. That once again means that the cylinder layout matches all the four-cylinder options used in the fifth-gen Sentra, which makes it easier for drivers to hold on to the right firing pattern.

Sixth-generation Nissan Sentra (2006-2011) firing order

The sixth-gen Sentra model only offered two possible engine options and these were the 2.0-liter and 2.5-liter four-cylinder engines. Since we’ve already discussed both of these engines, we’ll move on with the seventh-gen Sentra model.

Seventh-generation Nissan Sentra (2012-2018) firing order

For the seventh-gen Sentra, Nissan added the base 1.6-liter engine but removed the 2.5-liter four-cylinder. Once again, all the engine options were four-cylinders, so the offered engines included the mentioned 1.6L, along with 1.8L and 2.0L engines. We’ve already discussed two of those, so let’s focus on the 1.6-liter Sentra.

Nissan Sentra 1.6L firing order

The Nissan Sentra 1.6L firing order is 1-3-4-2 and this engine once again features the same firing pattern and cylinder arrangement as the previous four-cylinder engines.

The first cylinder of this engine is located on the left side, while cylinders 2, 3, and 4 follow up toward the right side of the engine.

Eighth-generation Nissan Sentra (2019-present) firing order

Finally, we have to mention the eighth-gen Sentra model which used the same engine options as the previous model except for the 1.8-liter engine. So, once again we have a 1.6L and a 2.0L engine options with a shared firing order of 1-3-4-2 and the same cylinder arrangement as we’ve mentioned before.

Our take

Ultimately, the Sentra makes a great compact car option if you pick a decent engine option, and with all the mentioned engines, we hope to have pointed out the firing orders and maintenance specs. Make sure to stand by these when checking your engine and doing the necessary repairs and you won’t make a single mistake there.