I have a 94 se. It was my friends car, be got a lexus so he gave me this one. He said it needed a tune up, but i think it may be more too it than that. It feels like its going to cut off while its sitting at a stop light or even in park, but it never dies, whil driving its fine but once you come to a stop it shakes sputters etc... will changing the plugs fix this problem or is there something else i should look for???

 

Let me get this right. Your friend gave you a '94SE!?? Shoot, what is his name? I will happily take his Lexus when he is finished with that.

Seriously, check the spark plugs, ingition coils (six total as there is one for each cylinder), fuel injectors, and vacumn hoses.

If you are a DIY, invest in the official Nissan Factory Service Manual (FSM). If you look on e-bay, you can find them for a reasonable price.

(Matt--
Can we add good links for ordering FSM for newbies?)

 

Yes he gave it too me. It had been sitting in his garage for almost a year, and my Integra finally died (243k). I was going to by a max and he said i could just take his. Now on to the problem, this engine isnt anything like my acura, I no this will sound dumb but how in the hell do i get to the spark plugs to change them

 

The front coils have a single screw holding them on. The rear injectors have two. Disconnect the connector, unscrew the coils and remove them. At that point, you will see and access the plugs as any other car.

Here is an image showing the front coils. You can easily see the screw.

 

also check your vacuum lines. there's a rats nest of vacuum hoses just behind the intake. if those are hanging loose or cracked, they can cause poor idling.

if they're all in place, then I suggest going to a parts store and buying about 10 ft of hose, then replacing them one by one. pull one off, cut new hose to length (scissors work fine), then put the new hose in its place. do that until all the hoses under there are replaced and then start up the car. sometimes it helps, sometimes it doesn't.

if it sat for a year, it may also need an engine flush. injectors could be clogged, fuel filter, etc. run some good injector cleaner through it and fill it up with a few tanks of 93 octane.

should help get it running better, as well as changing the plugs.

 

You have GREAT friends!