Well about 2 weeks ago I go put some 87 gas in the Maxima. It had been running fine on it this whole time because I switched from the high octane when the gas prices went up. I know that is probably not good but when I changed over to it I had no real problems.

Now my car starts but drives real bad. It sounds like a 32 Ford Coupe with a blown V8. It has a bad grirling sound like my car is getting too hot. It has no power at all. I took it to my mechanic that I thought I trusted and he said it was running fine so I go pick it up today and it doing the same thing. He said did something with the timing but it didnt help and he didnt charge me anything but I dont think Im going back there. I replaced the spark plug wires. Im about to put some new spark plugs with some NGk V-powers.

Could that grirling sound be a blown head gasket?? Which would suck majorly? I probably should not be driving it around but I have no choice. But I have some other real problems with the car until are the sudden it starts to run like crap.

 

If you have a blown head gasket, you should be able to tell by blowing white smoke from the tail pipe, moisture in the oil presenting itself as white deposits on the bottom of the dispstick, or to a worse extent, coolant leaking from the head.

I don't see how switching octane would 'cause this problem, unless there's trouble with your knock sensor. However, your car has the VG engine which shouldn't require high octane anyhow. "Bad grirling," I have no idea what that is, perhaps you mean "bad girgling?" If it sounds like overheading, is the engine too warm? Is your cooling system working properly?

Sounds to me like a possible compression problem, especially considering the lost power. This would be unrelated to the gas octane. Start with a compression test of all cylinders. With these sorts of symptoms, I would assume any good mechanic would start there. Maybe the timing was off, and your mechanic happened to notice that as well, and figured it was the problem. Bad timing could present itself like this as well.

 

I've been putting 87-89 in my car since I got it...then I got some 87, and my car started having bad fuel injector problems (symptoms)...next time I filled up I put in 91 and have been ever since...it solved my problem

 

Yea I meant girgling noise like when I step on the gas. I mean you here the engine along with the girlging sound. I dont think it is overheating although I could be wrong. I mean the amount I drove it today it would of been toast my now. However it is very hot though but I mean it is like 90+ degrees here too. I know I have the VG engine although it does not require the highest octane the manual said to put in the mid-grade. The head gasket is alright for now though I believe because there is no smoke coming out of the engine. My A/C does not work so I mean the cooling system sucks. It has a fairly new radiator in there maybe the thermostat is sealed closed and does not open. But they had the car running when I picked it up and said the fans were coming on.

Yeah but the funny thing about the timing is that he replaced the timing belt and all that stuff in March and didnt believe it. I showed him the reciept though and he was like oh yea so that is a little skeptic on his part.

I will just have to wait and see though but thanks for the advice.

 

If the timing belt was replaced in March, they could have got the timing out of adjustment, that's very likely. However to cause the types of symptoms you are describing it would have had problems right after you got the car back.

By cooling system I mean the cooling system of the engine, not the AC. If you've had the rad done, it's possible there's a stuck thermostat, or partially stuck. Maybe you've even developed an airlock in the cooling system from the heat. As you said though, if you were driving around all day, it should be causing more problems. They "said" the fans were coming on, but have you visually inspected that?

The lower octane gas you have, did you get it some place other than where you ususally get gas? Maybe there was moisture in the gas, it would definitely cause poor running, and power loss.

 

i dont see how that would make it run like that unless the gas was really old. and i always put in 93 or 94 octane and never anything less.....

 

Hi,

in the vg engine there is a lot of carbon build up inside the engine,

i had the same problem as tightblue89 a long time ago,

when ever i put in 87 octane the car would not run will,
it wil run sluggis,
and i would have to push the pedal all the way to the floor in order for the car to go to get it going,
that was before i put in 91 octane,
after i put in 91 octane the car has return to normal and doesn't have the sluggish problem,

 

strange.. i used 87 on my VG ever since i've had it and my max still whoops a lot of *** no probs.

maybe gas in canada is better quality?

 

I dont think it is a gas problem. But I might be wrong. Im changing the spark plugs today to see if that helps the problems. It does feel like it is running on 4 cyclinders.

 

At one time I pull of the upper intake and exposed the injectors. It was loaded with 1/4 inch of carbon deposits! So now I run premium all the time.

 

Why don't you just go put in premium for tank...? Run it like it is (I know it sucks, I had to and it ****ed me off everytime I drove it), then put in 91 for a full tank...it's not that much more expensive and see if it solves your problem.

 

Well I did that but it didnt change a little and Im not going to drive it around. I have basically gave it a tune up today. I went and bought some new plugs and wires put them in and it ran a little smooth at idle but still is hestitating bad when driving and bogging down and even sometime stalls. The only our thing I can think of is the dreaded MAF gone bad. I did the test with it from the Hayes manual and did not have any voltage coming from terminal E. So I think I am going to take it up to a dealership that I know some guys from here on the org work and see what they say.

My only other opinion is too buy a new MAF sensor.The $$$ tthat I dont have but I guess Ill have to buy it new or go to the junkyard. But it sounds like the wiring harness has gone bad.

Well in the meantime I get to drive a Infiniti I30t so that is cool but Im still very mad and ****ed but things happen and what can I do but try to take it to a good repair shop and see what they say.

 

could one of ur injectors be bad..did u try some f.i. cleaner..check the voltage on ur maf

 

Yes I am getting it check tomorrow and I think the voltage on maf is not working correctly either.

 

no doubt..holla back