# Car stalls on hot days



## cshepard (Oct 6, 2004)

On a hot day when stopping or putting the car in neutral the cars rpm drops below 500rpm and often stalls. Sometimes I can be waiting for the light to change and the rpms drop from 800 to below 500 or stalls. Occasionally when I go to start it back up it is extremely hard to start. It only does this when the temp is in the mid 80's or higher.


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## MickeyKnox (Jun 17, 2006)

unscrew your distributor cap and see if there is oil in the cap. if there is then you need to change your distributor. 

also clean your maf censor, throttle body and check the vacuum lines around intake manifold for cracks or other leaks.

see how dirty your air filter is. this is unlikely cause though.


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## cshepard (Oct 6, 2004)

Already changed out the distributor and air filter. Will check the other items.


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## LONDONDERRY (May 19, 2004)

Mickey means you have to remove the rotor and cap then once you are at the actual distributor, remove the black plastiic housing. You will see an encoder disk and sensor, if you see oil replace your distributor.


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## cshepard (Oct 6, 2004)

LONDONDERRY said:


> Mickey means you have to remove the rotor and cap then once you are at the actual distributor, remove the black plastiic housing. You will see an encoder disk and sensor, if you see oil replace your distributor.


Again that was already done and I replaced it. Took the IAVC off last night and it was not gunked up with carbon. Cleaned it out a bit. I am looking into maybe the fuel pump now. The MAF is ok. Vacuum lines are fine as well.


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## MickeyKnox (Jun 17, 2006)

hard starts... sounds like maf censor... do you have a friend with an altima? swap your air filter assembly and intakes. see if the problem reoccurs. 
what do you mean MAF is ok? did you change it? I fixed my stalling car by cleaning throttle body and MAF censor. not sure which one is the cause. use MAF and TB cleaner.


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## cshepard (Oct 6, 2004)

Yes I did clean the MAF and throttle body. I also did electrical testing on it.

As far as the IAVC, when I took it out to clean it all looked good with it. I remounted it but am now missing one bolt. Not sure how well the seal is. Inspite of that my car slightly sputters but instead of wanting to stall it will kick up from 800rpm to about 1500rpm for a second and drop back down.


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## MickeyKnox (Jun 17, 2006)

continuity or resistance test of your maf censor is not enough. I would definitely try using someone elses maf censor. and you actually have to measure your fuel pressure with gauge.
did you test alternator?


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## stuMcstu (Jun 23, 2007)

*Car cutting /intermittent running*



cshepard said:


> Yes I did clean the MAF and throttle body. I also did electrical testing on it.
> 
> As far as the IAVC, when I took it out to clean it all looked good with it. I remounted it but am now missing one bolt. Not sure how well the seal is. Inspite of that my car slightly sputters but instead of wanting to stall it will kick up from 800rpm to about 1500rpm for a second and drop back down.


I recently got towed into my local Nissan dealership after the AA could not read my x-trail with their vixen onboard equipment, they could not understand why the car would start fine but when you try to raise Rpm above 1500 the engine dies and sometimes stopped completely. when the car was checked by Nissan they said it was the Mass Air Flow Sensor, this was replaced 1000 miles ago, two days ago a similar thing started to happen the engine died whilst travelling along at normal speed I tried to accelerate it only got worse.I initially thought it was because I was low on fuel [I was on the way to fuel up at the time] It went back to Nissan and they blamed it on the fuel filter apparently they said the fuel filter had contamination and would replace the filter, and added it could also need new pumps as the x-trails has two. I did not agree with this comment.
I had the vehicle removed from the dealership and after getting the fuel tank removed and thoroughly cleaned out, all fuel lines blown out and a new filter fitted the car runs fine, saving myself the price of two new pumps. final bill £195 instead of around £500 possibly more if I would have gve them the go ahead to replace the pumps, it always pays to get a second opinion


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## cshepard (Oct 6, 2004)

Ok I replaced the IACV and it no longer sputters or dies on hot days. I also replaced the fuel pump,screen, and filter. Now I just need to figure out why I struggle on hills and slow going in first.


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## LONDONDERRY (May 19, 2004)

cshepard said:


> Ok I replaced the IACV and it no longer sputters or dies on hot days. I also replaced the fuel pump,screen, and filter. Now I just need to figure out why I struggle on hills and slow going in first.



Check the functionality of the MAF sensor


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## cshepard (Oct 6, 2004)

Looks to me like I may be going after that MAF sensor afterall. It worked fine for about a week or 2 and sometimes has problems again with dying at intersections or idling. Seems to happen more when their is high moisture and heat in the air.


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## cshepard (Oct 6, 2004)

Guess my last post didn't make it.
I spoke with a local Mechanic and he suggested I clean the maf sensor with Carb cleaner. I got a MAF sensor cleaner instead used it. Put the sensor back on and the car was worse. It was an extremely rough idle and would not stay started and was hard to start. Took the throttle body off and cleaned it as well and no luck. So I am not sure if now I need to start by replacing the MAF sensor or if there is some sort of adjustment that needs to be made. What are the chances that the throttle control sensor could be bad? Can I make any minor adjustments to it that might help. Seems that the throttle sensor could be adjusted left or right.


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## cshepard (Oct 6, 2004)

Ok one last post before I tackle this. I read the codes off the ECM. If I am reading it correctly the code is 45 which is a fuel injector leak. It had 4 long (a pause) 5 short. This code indicates a Fuel injector leak. It appears all the hoses look fine. I will probably be removing and cleaning the injectors. The only other code that it might represent is 54, but since I don't have an A/T I am putting my money on the code being 45.

What are your thoughts?


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## cshepard (Oct 6, 2004)

Replaced MAF, no luck. Waiting on a few other parts. Replacing the Fuel Pressure regulator, Fuel injectors in the next day. I saw another post about the TPS and I will check that out.


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## cshepard (Oct 6, 2004)

Replaced the MAF and no luck. Since the errors show fuel injector leak I am going to replace the regulator and fuel injectors tomorrow. I checked the TPS and noticed it looks like it can make some small adjustments. Haven't found any documentation on adjusting it though.


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## spat (Oct 15, 2005)

cshepard said:


> Replaced the MAF and no luck. Since the errors show fuel injector leak I am going to replace the regulator and fuel injectors tomorrow. I checked the TPS and noticed it looks like it can make some small adjustments. Haven't found any documentation on adjusting it though.


Maaannnn! some deeeep pockets there huh! Throwing parts at it!

Not one post on this thread mentions current mileage or specific model. However I do like the fact you mentioned the higher humidity seems to play a role. Have you done a compression test?

Check Ignition wires for voltage leak. Humidity has a big hinder on bad wires. As the temperature of the wires increases so does resistance same for moister. Plus higher humidity in the air fuel mixture will hinder the ignition spark if the plugs or wires are in poor condition. Nissans are also very picky about needing NGK plugs and OEM wires. I have removed brand new after market ignition components and installed OEM parts to resolve these symptoms more times than I can recall. Hey! dont just throw new parts on. Diagnose the problem! take a sprayer bottle of water and mist the igniton wires and distributor while the engine is running. CAUTION!! if you have a voltage leak you may get shocked by touching the wires, especialy when wet.


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## cshepard (Oct 6, 2004)

Specific Model is 93 Nissan Altima SE, 170k miles.

I have tested voltage, but that was last year. As far as spraying water I have to get the car started first. After cleaning the MAF it won't start so I replaced it and no luck. As stated before the diag code indicates fuel injector leak. As far as the plug wires, I am not sure I have OEM on them or not. Spark seems great though. What seems interesting is I can pump the pedal and crank and crank and never smell fuel. However, maybe that is because it is fuel injected. When removing the Fuel injectors there is definately fuel in the pipe but the injectors are bone dry. Fuel is on both sides of the injector piping. I do have a worn purge hose that I am also thinking of replacing.
On a side note the EGR Vacuum control has a foam center? It seems worn so I am not sure if that can be a problem. Worn meaning looks like even a small chunk of the foam is off.

As far as the deep pockets, I OWN THIS CAR. No car payments so I have a little extra to throw at it. But it is definately starting to hurt the pocket book. One way to look at it is if I take it to the mechanic I will get one part replaced and be charged alot for labor. This way I can buy several parts and do it myself for about the same price. 

Anyway, thanks for your response. If you can offer any other advice on this that would be appreciated.


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## cshepard (Oct 6, 2004)

I found this article on the MAF Sensor Ground. How do I determine which wire is a ground wire? There are two yellow and one white wire that goes to the MAF. I assume it is the middle white wire. This document seems to fit my problem exactly, and it can't hurt to try it.

Foregin service Motor - Find Articles


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## spat (Oct 15, 2005)

cshepard said:


> I found this article on the MAF Sensor Ground. How do I determine which wire is a ground wire? There are two yellow and one white wire that goes to the MAF. I assume it is the middle white wire. This document seems to fit my problem exactly, and it can't hurt to try it.
> 
> Foregin service Motor - Find Articles


I looked at this document and agree this looks like a very likely issue you have. I looked at the wiring diagram for the 94 (cant find a 93 manual) it should be the same except the 94 uses orange instead of yellow for the to signal wires. Looking at the diagnostic procedure verifies the white wire is ground. Go to phatg20.com and you can get the nissan manual, 94 model for free. Go to page EC-98. I also recommend you get a small box of T-pins or strait pins for back probing terminals. These pins can be inserted into terminal with out damaging the terminals and then touch your meter probes to the pins. I have seen many terminals get damaged by people using meter probes directly into the terminals. Also be sure to reseal any wires if you probe them thrue the insulation, any moister getting into the wires is bad news.

I am unfamiliar to MAFS cleaner, must be a new product. When I was turning wrenches for a living it was a big no no to use anything to clean the MAFS. This is a very delicat peice of wire similar to a lite bulb element. You may have already damed it so be sure to follow the diagnostic procedure in the manual to check the component. Also If you don't know how a MAFS works there is a basic description at the front of the EC section on many of the electronic components and the MAFS is one of them.

Good Luck!


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## cshepard (Oct 6, 2004)

Talk about frustrating. I think I finally got it running in great shape. Will update in a few days.

I cleaned the MAF with MAF Sensor cleaner. The car quit working all together. I replaced the MAF (no luck), replaced the fuel pressure regulator (no luck), replaced the fuel injectors (no luck), replaced the Throttle position Sensor (no luck). Finally work and work to get it started and it sounds like crap. Rough idle. I adjust the distributor and it starts purring like a kitten. I guess getting the MAF fixed knocked the timing I had on it out of whack?

Ok now to insert some cuss words here. Lots of them. After adjusting the timing I tighten the distributor back up only to bust one of the bolts off. @%#[email protected] 2$##[email protected]

Thanks to each of you for your advice and help.


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## cshepard (Oct 6, 2004)

BTW, I previously replaced the distributor, and the IACV. This engine is going to be like new with all the parts I slapped at it. She better appreciate it.


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## cshepard (Oct 6, 2004)

Welll, I replaced the distributor bolts. It was a bit hard to start at first. Re-timed the car. Seemed to run perfectly. Drove it around for almost an hour and the Engine light kept going on and off sporatically. Didn't seem to have any pattern. Got home, turned the car off. Came back out later and couldn't get it started again. Barely got it started for a bit and everytime I gave it gas it would try to die out. Finally died and didn't get it started again.

Any more thoughts on this? Two unusual sounds that I have had for quite some time now when it is running is a slight hissing sound that appears to come from the front left of the engine (maybe exaust leak?). slight gurgling sound that I think is coming from the left side of the engine head.


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## cshepard (Oct 6, 2004)

Are you tired of hearing from me yet? I went out to start it and it didn't start. Gas gauge read 1/4. Added about 2 gallons which put it over 1/4. Started it up right away. Before this I shook the car and heard gas in the tank. Now isn't that interesting. Anyway, the engine shakes a little more than normal at idle. It doesn't level out until about 2000 rpm. When reving the engine between idle and 2000 rpm it is rough but again levels out after 2000 rpm.

I believe the gurgling sound I was hearing is actually one of the wheels on the engine. I sprayed lubricant on the wheel and it quit. Dummy me got some on the belt itself and it started slipping for a minute.

Anyway, as usual your thoughts are appreciated on the engine shake and rough between idle and 2000 rpm. Another note is I let it sit off for about 5 minutes and starting was slightly rough. I am currently letting it sit longer to see if it is hard to start again.


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## spat (Oct 15, 2005)

cshepard said:


> Are you tired of hearing from me yet? I went out to start it and it didn't start. Gas gauge read 1/4. Added about 2 gallons which put it over 1/4. Started it up right away. Before this I shook the car and heard gas in the tank. Now isn't that interesting. Anyway, the engine shakes a little more than normal at idle. It doesn't level out until about 2000 rpm. When reving the engine between idle and 2000 rpm it is rough but again levels out after 2000 rpm.
> 
> I believe the gurgling sound I was hearing is actually one of the wheels on the engine. I sprayed lubricant on the wheel and it quit. Dummy me got some on the belt itself and it started slipping for a minute.
> 
> Anyway, as usual your thoughts are appreciated on the engine shake and rough between idle and 2000 rpm. Another note is I let it sit off for about 5 minutes and starting was slightly rough. I am currently letting it sit longer to see if it is hard to start again.


Well you have messed around with so much stuff and keep throwing out so many symptoms it is quit a mess. I would just take a fresh start from the very basics and work your way up. Also be sure you do a thoro check for vacuum leaks. Both vacuum leaks and loose or damaged wires can cause all sorts of weired problems. When I mention vacuum leaks I don't mean just the black rubber hoses running all over the engine there are more hidden under the car. Anything that attaches to the intake can also be a possibility. Also the intake itself can have a leak. 

There is a sure fire way to find vacuum leaks if they exist but I wont explain it because if you have not been taught hands on it can be a dangerous tactic, sorry. If you are familliar with this tactic "Nuff Said" if not you may want to find someone that can teach you, HANDS ON OF COURSE!


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## cshepard (Oct 6, 2004)

Good point. I noticed a frayed wire on the distributor last night. I plan to replace the end. I did use electrical tape for now. Also the coolant temp sensor does not lock into place so will replace that. Vacuum leak is quite possible and will examine carefully.

The last time I tried to start it, and finally did, I actually smelled fuel when I got out of the car. Probably the first time I smelled it since having the trouble of not getting it started.

I will not let her die. Unless, of course the money I throw at it is not worth it anymore.


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## cshepard (Oct 6, 2004)

Well after 3 days of it running weird I took it to a Mecanic. It took a half a tank of gas to get 10 miles to him, puffing white smoke. Anyway he found one of the new injectors appeared to be locked open. Upon further investigation the new O-Rings were all damaged. They drained the oil, changed the filter, changed the plugs, replaced the O-rings and added engine RESTORE to fix the compression problem. The car has been running good for the last 3 days.

To summarize, I believe the original problem of stalling was a result of a dirty MAF Sensor. After cleaning it, the car would not start. After timing it, then it started.
So replacing the IACV, fuel injectors, fuel pump, fuel filter, fuel pressure regulator, MAF Sensor, and who knows what else all is fixed.


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