# Altima IDLE PROBLEMS!!



## c7scayman (Sep 19, 2011)

2001 Nissan Altima SE 2.4 KA24DE AUTOMATIC

Okay, I replaced the sparkplugs, wires, distributor cap and rotor, fuel filter, air filter, did an oil change with oil filter change of course.

Idles very rough whether in P, Neutral or D or R. RPM drops as low as 500rpm bouncing up and down and then it turns off. Even in Neutral, although it rarely happens in Neutral and mostly happens when the car is in Reverse or Drive at idle speeds.

We took it to two mechanics and they could not figure out what is wrong. They said exhaust+gasket is fine, timing is good, O2, Idle Control Valve, throttle body is good. 

The first mechanic just said all he noticed was a bad engine mount.

The second mechanic said all he noticed was that Cylinder 2 had 30% less compression than the other cylinders. But he said it has nothing to do with Vibrations. And he noticed oil on the power steering pump and belts, which occasionally causes squeeky belts while driving or when I turn A/C on, but he did not know where the oil came from. 

CEL reads "Random Multiple Misfire" - That was the description of the Code in my OBDII Scanner. I forgot what the code number was exactly. 

Also, when I turn left, there is a whining noise from engine or transmission idk, louder the faster I go. Could that just be the bad Mount that is causing that noise?

I did not get it checked at a Nissan dealer because they want to charge $109 just to check out the problem for the first hour. The other two mechanic shops I went to charged me nothing because they could not figure out the problem. But originally, they were going to charge $67 and $54, respectively.


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## cpond (Aug 18, 2012)

it's your intake gasket. it burns through near the #4 cylinder wall. I spent over 400 replacing parts before i finally found a thread pertaining to this exact problem. after replacing it. all troubles went away.


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## rogoman (Dec 16, 2004)

If there is a bad motor mount, it could cause engine shake; that's something you could replace yourself. 

As Cpond suggested, if the intake gasket has a leak, it will affect the idle. To check the intake system for a vacuum leak, attach a vacuum gauge to a full vacuum source. With the motor fully warmed up, the reading at idle should be 18 - 20 InHg. At 3,000 RPM, it should be around 21 InHg.

If readings are under 18 InHg, the intake manifold gasket may indeed be burnt. Also check the intake plenum bellows at the throttle valve and at the MAF for cracks or loose clamps.


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## Tito2209 (Sep 14, 2020)

c7scayman said:


> 2001 Nissan Altima SE 2.4 KA24DE AUTOMATIC
> 
> Okay, I replaced the sparkplugs, wires, distributor cap and rotor, fuel filter, air filter, did an oil change with oil filter change of course.
> 
> ...


I've had Altima the majority of my life that problem consists of the cam sensor going bad in the distributor


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