HELPPPP PLEASEEE!!!! 93 Nissan Altima 5-Speed Rough idle, stumbles on acceleration...

[seiguy]

Hey everyone, glad to be here, hopefully you guys can help... I just got this car a few weeks ago and never owned an altima before so its all kind of new to me... This is what im up against... 93 Altima GXE 5 Speed 143k Miles, This is my issue, I drove it all this morning and it ran FINE, drove it about 4 hours, parked it for a few hours and went to pick my son up from daycare, after I got not even 5 minutes up the road the car started sputtering, smells bad of gas/burning oil kind of like the exhaust is really rich. Got the car home, checked the oil, all was good, checked the sparkplugs and replaced them to be safe, no difference, checked the ECM, no codes, reset the ECM, no difference, I let the car sit for a few hours in the cold, and started it back up, idled fine for the first 3 - 4 minutes, then started sputtering again... If the car is idling in neutral, or in gear, the idle jumps up or down anywhere from 100 - 500 rpms, back and fourth... If I sit the car in neutral and hold the accelerator down at any point, say 2,000 rpms, I can feel the stumbling in the gas pedal, and it still fluctuates... Car has ran perfectly fine up until this... Im using the same place for gas as I have been for the last 3 weeks, its got over a quarter of a tank... Im really running out of ideas, any help???? Thanks!
~Rob~

[shab_xp]

See the reply to the thread titled '95 Altima jerks, stalls' just down below on this page. BTW, you idle is as low as 100-500 rpms? The smell of gasoline from exhuast might be a sign of misfire caused by oil in the distributor.

Originally Posted by seiguy

Hey everyone, glad to be here, hopefully you guys can help... I just got this car a few weeks ago and never owned an altima before so its all kind of new to me... This is what im up against... 93 Altima GXE 5 Speed 143k Miles, This is my issue, I drove it all this morning and it ran FINE, drove it about 4 hours, parked it for a few hours and went to pick my son up from daycare, after I got not even 5 minutes up the road the car started sputtering, smells bad of gas/burning oil kind of like the exhaust is really rich. Got the car home, checked the oil, all was good, checked the sparkplugs and replaced them to be safe, no difference, checked the ECM, no codes, reset the ECM, no difference, I let the car sit for a few hours in the cold, and started it back up, idled fine for the first 3 - 4 minutes, then started sputtering again... If the car is idling in neutral, or in gear, the idle jumps up or down anywhere from 100 - 500 rpms, back and fourth... If I sit the car in neutral and hold the accelerator down at any point, say 2,000 rpms, I can feel the stumbling in the gas pedal, and it still fluctuates... Car has ran perfectly fine up until this... Im using the same place for gas as I have been for the last 3 weeks, its got over a quarter of a tank... Im really running out of ideas, any help???? Thanks!
~Rob~

[seiguy]

Thanks for the reply, the idle normally sits between 500 and 1,000 rpm, around 800 - 900, with it fluctuating it drops down as far as 3 - 400, then back up, then back down, constantly, and the amount it drops varies each time, etc... It also takes a little while for it to begin doing this, it doesnt do it when you first start the car when its cold, only after its warmed up a bit... I checked the connections from the sparkplug wires to the distributor and there isnt a spot of rust or corrosion on them, I will take the distributor cap off and check that as well, but I would think if there was oil in it and that was causing it it would do it broad range not after it warms up???

[Sypherz28]

I am having the same problem with my 93, except mine is an automatic. However sometimes mine decides to idle normal again on its own. I found that spraying the Mass air flow sensor with some cleaner, and d/c and re connecting all connections on it makes the problem stop for a period of time. Then again its quite possible that its a fluke that doing this is helping at all. My next step unless im told otherwise is to do a full tune up and possible change that Mass air flow sensor..

[Scootzilla]

Had a problem like this b4 in my altima.All i did was give it alittle tuneup.Plugs,wires,air filter,oil change fixed my problem.problem was my plugs were bad.This was when i first got the car now she drives like a true champ.

Plus i forgot to put also ghange the fuel filter aswell.

[JoeShmoe]

Originally Posted by Scootzilla

Plus i forgot to put also ghange the fuel filter aswell.

Fuel filter is a sure bet. Also when you replace it, make sure to use some additive to make sure your injectors get cleaned too.

[FixUrNissan]

check intake gasket, for a stumble condtion. Spray carb cleaned around intake and see if there is a change in the idle.