1993 Nissan Maxima Logo
Posted on Jan 06, 2009

Very Rough Idle and sometimes cuts off while idling

Relaced fuel filter, cap, rotor, spark plugs, and plug wires. 3.0 engine...Car runs good while travelling down the road but idles very rough and will sometimes cut off now. Can smell gas sometimes but can't find any leaks. No check engine light comes on.

  • 5 more comments 
  • Adam Churchin Jan 10, 2009

    I have the almost the same damn problem. It started sputtering when in gear at a light. Upon accelerating, the sputtering continues. Its never shut off on me. Replaced the fuel filter, had a fuel injector cleaning (Wal Mart $20) and its still there. I also smell gas, cant see any. Driving 150 miles a week and averaging 23 miles a gallon.

  • Anonymous Feb 10, 2009

    I have the exact same problem. Taking it into dealership for an ESTIMATE only to fix.

  • Anonymous May 08, 2013

    mine dies but starts back up dont smell gas just exhast

  • Anonymous May 08, 2013

    sometimes it idles hi

  • Anonymous Mar 17, 2014

    1998 2.5 JEEP WRANGLER. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON AND OFF. CHANGED THE SPARK PLUGS AND WIRES, ALSO THE DISTRIBUTOR CAP AND BUTTON. IT HAS MORE POWER NOW BUT WHEN IDLEING IT'S A LITTLE SHAKY AND LIGHT IS BACK ON. DIAGNOSTIC TEST SAID FUEL SENSOR. HOW DO I STOP THE ROUGH IDLE AND WHAT'S THE DEAL WITH THE FUEL SENSOR?? HELP!!

  • Anonymous Mar 22, 2014

    rough idle ok driving dist. plugs wires new couple months ago coil to . can air meter be bypassed? or rebuilt

  • Anonymous Mar 27, 2014

    Bogs on acceleration sometimes. Rough idle sometimes. Car dies sometimes. Changed plugs, wires, distributor cap, rotor, timing belt.

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  • Posted on Feb 21, 2009
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sounds like bad Idle Air control valve Not Cheap


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What causes a low rpm at the initial start of the engine resulting into our car vibrating or shaking a bit? Please help. Thanks. We have asked some mechanic and they said it may have to do with the fuel...

Not sure if this will help you out.Troubleshooting starting and running problems can sometimes be quite difficult. This is especially true if you aren't aware if all the possible causes of a problem. This is a general guide which will list symptoms for 944 starting and running problems and common causes of those problems. It is intended to help you map out a troubleshooting plan.
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    1. If the car starts when cold but, idles rough or does not want to stay running, this can indicate a problem with the engine temperature sensor. When the engine is started cold, the engine temperature sensor sends a signal to the DME control unit to provide a richer mixture. As the engine temperature sensor starts to fail, it sends a higher than actual temperature signal to the DME control unit. The DME control unit leans the fuel mixture thinking the engine is at normal operating temperature. This causes the engine to run rough. As the engine warms, it not longer needs the richer cold idle mixture and the engine runs smoother.
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    3. If the car idles rough or cuts off at low RPM or idle, the cause could be a failing O2 sensor. The O2 sensor is out of the loop at full throttle and will not affect the way the car runs.
    4. A rough idle can also be caused by a problem with the air flow box. The damper for the air flow box can fail mechanically or the contacts inside the box can get dirty and send a errant signal to the DME control unit. This can sometimes be corrected by cleaning the electrical contacts inside the air box. This requires removing the cover on the air box which is held in place by caulk. You will need to cut through the caulk and gently pry the cover off. Once the cover is removed, clean the circuit board inside with a good contact cleaner. When you have finished cleaning the circuit board, reattach the cover using a non-corrosive caulk.
    5. If the car experiences a rough idle or idle fluctuates several hundred RPM, this can indicate a sticking idle stabilizer valve. Many people have removed and cleaned them but, this is normally a temporary fix and the valve should be replaced. A faulty O2 sensor can also cause RPM to fluctuate at idle. Unplug the O2 sensor and see if the idle still fluctuates.
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    2. If the car is difficult to start when warm, again the fuel pump check valve, fuel return regulator, or individual fuel injectors could be leaking. The fuel pump check valve or the fuel return regulator leaking allows the fuel to drain back to the gas tank depressurizing the fuel rail. When the car is warm, the fuel remaining in the fuel rail can flash causing vapor lock. There are several ways to check this. One is to connect a fuel pressure gauge at the fuel rail. Start the car, let it run until fuel pressure is stable, then shut down the car and monitor the pressure at the fuel rail. With the car not running, the pressure at the fuel rail should not decrease to less than 15 psig. If it starts to decrease, clamp the rubber part of the line from the fuel return regulator to the gas tank and see if it stops the pressure decrease. If not, clamp the line at the discharge of the fuel pump and see if it stops the pressure decrease. An individual fuel injector leaking can depressurize the fuel rail and cause the same problem.
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    6. If the car is difficult to start or will not start at all regardless of operating temperature, there are a number of problems which could be causing this. Here is a list of possible causes:
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Clark's Garage © 1998..
or try this link. What causes low rpm at the initial start of the engine Google Search
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