Nissan Xterra (1999-2015) firing order — diagram & guide
Nissan entered the US SUV-class market with several models in the late 1990s, but the Xterra was unique for several reasons. It was the first rugged truck-based SUV at that time made by Nissan and it featured an impressive off-road capability for its size.
Still, a lot of its dependability also fell to the engine options used and the Xterra had quite a few options available. That’s why our team wanted to give you an all-in guide on the Nissan Xterra (1999-2015) firing order so you could deal with misfires and fix potential engine issues without much trouble.
| XTERRA YEARS | ENGINE | FIRING ORDER |
|---|---|---|
| 1st Gen (1999-2004) | 2.4L | 1-3-4-2 |
| 3.3L V6 | 1-2-3-4-5-6 | |
| 2.8L diesel | 1-5-3-6-2-4 | |
| 2nd Gen (2005-2015) | 4.0L V6 | 1-2-3-4-5-6 |
First-generation Nissan Xterra (1999-2004) firing order
The first-gen Xterra model featured several different engine options including a four-cylinder petrol and a six-cylinder turbodiesel. Since the second-gen model only used one engine option, we’ll focus on the first-gen Xterra first:
Nissan Xterra 2.4L firing order
The first engine we’ll discuss is a base four-cylinder option used in the Xterra during the first-generation production. So the Nissan Xterra 2.4L firing order is 1-3-4-2 and the cylinders of this engine are sorted from the first one on the left to the fourth one on the right.
All the cylinders from 1 to 4 are spread in a straight order, which makes it easier for drivers to properly identify each cylinder position.
Nissan Xterra 3.3L firing order
The Nissan Xterra 3.3L firing order is 1-2-3-4-5-6 and this V6 engine has been used for the higher trims of the Xterra. The engine features a standard six-cylinder layout with cylinders 1, 3, and 5 in the passenger’s side bank, while cylinders 2, 4, and 6 are within the driver’s side bank.
The cylinders are all numbered front to rear, so cylinders one and two are the first cylinders of their respective banks looking at the front side of the engine.
Nissan Xterra 2.8L diesel firing order
The first-gen Xterra also had an optional diesel engine and this was a straight-six-cylinder diesel powertrain. So, the cylinders of the engine were arranged front to rear in a straight 1 to 6 layout. In other words, the cylinder closest to the radiator is the first one, while the one closest to the windshield on the other side is the sixth cylinder.
Along with that, it’s important to note that the Nissan Xterra 2.8L diesel firing order is 1-5-3-6-2-4, so it’s unlike the remaining options we’ll discuss in this guide.
Second-generation Nissan Xterra (2005-2015) firing order
For the second-gen Xterra model, Nissan decided to ditch all the previously used options and include a new engine in the form of the 4.0-liter V6. This one was also known as one of the most reliable engine options, so let’s take a closer look at its firing order.
Nissan Xterra 4.0L firing order
The Nissan Xterra 4.0L firing order is 1-2-3-4-5-6 and this V6 engine features a standard longitudinal V6 cylinder placement. That means you’ll find the first cylinder on the passenger’s side along with cylinders 3 and 5.
The opposite side cylinders are arranged in order 2, 4, and 6 looking at the engine front to rear, so this makes it easier to identify the first cylinder and start applying the simple firing order.
Our take
Ultimately, the Xterra makes an excellent blend of an off-road capable truck-like car and a compact SUV suitable for everyday driving. Thanks to reliable engines, you shouldn’t expect to do much work if you own one of these, but if you have to raise the engine’s cover, we hope that this guide provides all the instructions you may need.
