# Altima: Sputtering, Stalling and "Service Engine" comes on



## zozkirkland (Jun 28, 2005)

I have a Nissan Altima GXE 1997 model that has worked well for so many years. Just last week, the engine started sputtering, and within a minute after that, it stalled. The car would not start, but while attempting to start I could hear knocking sound from the engine. 

Strangely enough, after 30 minutes of cooling down, the engine re-started for a few minutes before the same sputtering and stalling happened. When the engine stalled for first time, the "Service Engine" icon on the dash board came on.

Any suggestions on what I should be looking for to fix this problem?

Thx.


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## Chad1992 (Jul 21, 2005)

*stalling*

Check all of your fluid levels. If not then you need to put it on a computer to find codes.


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## jserrano (Oct 27, 2004)

Bad distributor or EGR valve.


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## mrnoname (Feb 24, 2005)

you do not have to put your car on a comp to check for codes. you can do that yourself. read your haynes manual it will explain how this is done. very simple.


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## zozkirkland (Jun 28, 2005)

jserrano said:


> Bad distributor or EGR valve.


It was a bad distributor. The Nissan dealer checked the computer codes and came to this conclusion. How did you know it could be the distributor? The distributor is now replaced. Any predictions on whether anything else could fail?


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## zozkirkland (Jun 28, 2005)

mrnoname said:


> you do not have to put your car on a comp to check for codes. you can do that yourself. read your haynes manual it will explain how this is done. very simple.


What is haynes manual? Care to explain how I could read the code and interpret it without having to pay 100 dollars at the repair shop?


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## rb4done (Apr 20, 2008)

Testing a relay . There are 6 terminals numbered 3, 5 6,7 and 1,2


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