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Car Forum / Nissan / Nissan Cars / June 2007

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97 Altima stalling

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William Michael Greene - 25 Jun 2007 01:47 GMT
Have a fried with a 97 Altima. 118K miles. Starting to stall. Sometimes it
will idle fine and sunddenly bog down. He was told that it is possibly the
mass air sensor. I do not know the failure mechanism of this sensor but it
doesn't make sense to me that it would run fine sometimes then shutdown the
next. New ones are expensive. From the junk yard they are only $50 but if
that is the problem how long will one form the junk yard last. Not trying to
be cheap here but we are basically doing a easter egg hunt and don't want to
spend a bunch of maney to find out that is not the problem. Anyone know how
to narrow down what the problem is? How to test the mass air sensor? Any
help or advice would be appreciated.

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Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.
   Martin Luther King Jr.

Education is good, but a wise man uses common sense.
   Sandford D. Clark

JimV - 25 Jun 2007 01:50 GMT
> Have a fried with a 97 Altima. 118K miles. Starting to stall. Sometimes it
> will idle fine and sunddenly bog down. He was told that it is possibly the
[quoted text clipped - 6 lines]
> to narrow down what the problem is? How to test the mass air sensor? Any
> help or advice would be appreciated.

Check engine light on?
William Michael Greene - 25 Jun 2007 02:33 GMT
It wasn't initiallyy but during our troubleshooting it came on. We opened
the gas cap, disconnected the mass air sensor a couple of times, and had to
jump the vehicle. Not sure when the light came on but it wasn't on
initially.
>> Have a fried with a 97 Altima. 118K miles. Starting to stall. Sometimes
>> it will idle fine and sunddenly bog down. He was told that it is possibly
[quoted text clipped - 8 lines]
>>
> Check engine light on?
codifus - 26 Jun 2007 01:05 GMT
On Jun 24, 9:33 pm, "William Michael Greene" <w...@bellsouth.net>
wrote:
> It wasn't initiallyy but during our troubleshooting it came on. We opened
> the gas cap, disconnected the mass air sensor a couple of times, and had to
[quoted text clipped - 12 lines]
>
> > Check engine light on?

The check engine light will turn on from an open gas cap. The main
indicator that the mass air sensor is faulty is that the engine won't
rev past 3000 rpms.

CD
William Michael Greene - 26 Jun 2007 02:35 GMT
Thanks for the reply. Looks like that may not be our problem. We bought a
used sensor from a junk yard to try. Not hoperful that it will solve our
problem now.

> On Jun 24, 9:33 pm, "William Michael Greene" <w...@bellsouth.net>
> wrote:
[quoted text clipped - 28 lines]
>
> CD
JimV - 26 Jun 2007 04:06 GMT
Why not get the codes read rather than throw parts at it?

> Thanks for the reply. Looks like that may not be our problem. We bought a
> used sensor from a junk yard to try. Not hoperful that it will solve our
[quoted text clipped - 30 lines]
>>
>> CD
DunnoWho - 26 Jun 2007 04:43 GMT
Try to follow that advice from JimV and read the Check Engine code. The
computer should be under the passenger side of the front seat. You need a
REAL short
screwdriver that also had a 'blade" that's not much wider than 3/16 inch.
With the ignition ON but the car NOT running, you would turn the adjustment
(that's the front
screw on the door side of the computer) clockwise to
the limit of its travel - but Don't force it. After a short while (few
seconds) the check-engine light will begin to flash and you can then put the
adjustment screw back in about the middle of its range of travel. This
flashing should give you 2 different numbers if you count the number of
times it flashes. One number will be with short flashes and the next number
will be long flashes - - and there is a WAIT between the two different
flashing numbers.  This sequence would repeat indefinitely until the igntion
is turned off. After you've read the TWO number code you can go back HERE
and try to find out WHAT error that code number means. The type of code is
what's called the OBD-2 code "On Board Diagnostic-2" version.
I had a Mass Air Flow meter get lousy on my 97 XE truck & and it was tough
finding a replacement. The NEW unit will cost about $432, or it did about 2
years back. I took my old unit apart and it had MOISTURE inside!
If you replace you MAF module - you better try to also use the SAME
factory-made air intake horn that the module plugs into also. I DIDN'T do
that & my truck ain't running too good yet.

> Thanks for the reply. Looks like that may not be our problem. We bought a
> used sensor from a junk yard to try. Not hoperful that it will solve our
[quoted text clipped - 34 lines]
>>
>> CD
William Michael Greene - 26 Jun 2007 15:05 GMT
Thanks for the advice. To answer the question from JimV, initially there
wasn't a check engine light.
A "Mechanic" advised us that it was the mass air flow sensor so that is why
we went that route.
Also we did not know how to check the codes. That is why I came here for
advice.
Will try and see what the computer says.

Thanks again.

> Try to follow that advice from JimV and read the Check Engine code. The
> computer should be under the passenger side of the front seat. You need a
[quoted text clipped - 60 lines]
>>>
>>> CD
E Meyer - 26 Jun 2007 15:32 GMT
The light was not on initially and the OP says he tried removing the gas cap
and disconnecting the mass air.  Both of these acts will set a code and
light the light.  I bet he'll get a mass air sensor code because of running
the engine with it disconnected, which really doesn't tell him anything.  I
think he should reset the computer and wait to see if the light comes back
on after some driving, which might then provide a useful code.

Meanwhile, try cleaning out the throttle body & adjusting the IAC & see if
that has any effect on the problem.  How old are the plugs, wires,
distributor cap, rotor, etc?  This could be just a routine clean up/ tune up
issue.

On 6/25/07 10:43 PM, in article
kX%fi.120416$Sa4.73225@bgtnsc05-news.ops.worldnet.att.net, "DunnoWho"
<corolla4dx@worldnet.att.net> wrote:

> Try to follow that advice from JimV and read the Check Engine code. The
> computer should be under the passenger side of the front seat. You need a
[quoted text clipped - 58 lines]
>>>
>>> CD
Larry  Colombo - 26 Jun 2007 23:26 GMT
I had the problem with my 97 pickup MAF sensor. The $400. plus dollars from
Nissan for the part included the throttle body (the only way they will sell
the part). I got a sensor only from a junk yard for $40.00 from a car with
the same motor. It solved the problem.

> Try to follow that advice from JimV and read the Check Engine code. The
> computer should be under the passenger side of the front seat. You need a
[quoted text clipped - 60 lines]
>>>
>>> CD
JM - 26 Jun 2007 21:45 GMT
> Have a fried with a 97 Altima. 118K miles. Starting to stall. Sometimes it
> will idle fine and sunddenly bog down. He was told that it is possibly the
[quoted text clipped - 6 lines]
> Anyone know how to narrow down what the problem is? How to test the mass
> air sensor? Any help or advice would be appreciated.

Try taking the distributor cap off and look for oil. If there isn't any,
then take the rotor off and then remove the cover over the cam angle sensor
and see if there's any oil there..  I guess it was pretty common for the
seal in the distributor to start to leak, which puts oil into the holes the
cam sensor looks through, and of course causes stalling and hesistation.
Never happened with my '94 Alt, but I guess I was lucky.. or it had already
been replaced!
Mike - 28 Jun 2007 21:10 GMT
Shame on you, you went too far abusing your engine.  When I gave you the
best advice you called mine BS.  Oh by the way, when you listen to JimV, you
get BS result, because he is too hung up with self-righteousness.

Mike.
PS. Yup, my Infiniti G20 goes 57mpg.  This car will outlast every car out
there because it is not working as hard as yours.  It has the rolling
effect, meaning it can go 5-6 miles without engine's assistance (it is a
Kinetic energies that it used,
http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/ke.html)

> Have a fried with a 97 Altima. 118K miles. Starting to stall. Sometimes it
> will idle fine and sunddenly bog down. He was told that it is possibly the
[quoted text clipped - 10 lines]
> to narrow down what the problem is? How to test the mass air sensor? Any
> help or advice would be appreciated.
William Michael Greene - 28 Jun 2007 23:30 GMT
What are you talking about?

> Shame on you, you went too far abusing your engine.  When I gave you the
> best advice you called mine BS.  Oh by the way, when you listen to JimV,
[quoted text clipped - 25 lines]
>> to narrow down what the problem is? How to test the mass air sensor? Any
>> help or advice would be appreciated.
 
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