i have a 98 maxima GLE.... on traffic lights i feel like it is gulping somethin or like
hicups.

there is no check engine light on...and i tried the fuel injector cleaner, any other reasons?

its got 140,000miles and i take care of it as much as i can.

 

i think i have the same problem. i feel this sputtering every couple of seconds when sitting at a stop light. i was told to clean the IAC valve but i hadn't got a chance to do that yet.

 

Clean the IAC valve, throttle body. Replace the air filter, PCV valve. You'll be all set. When you think you've finished cleaning the TB clean it again... be liberal with your use of TB cleaner. DO NOT use carb cleaner. They make TB/Intake cleaner specifically for Fuel Injected vehicles.

 

ok im car dumb here.....

Clean the IAC valve---- whats IAC VALVE AND WHERE IS IT?

Replace the air filter--- I CAN DO THIS

PCV valve--can i do this myself?

When you think you've finished cleaning the TB clean it again--
HOW DO U CLEAN THROTTLE BODY? CAN I DO IT MYSELF?

... be liberal with your use of TB cleaner. DO NOT use carb cleaner. They make TB/Intake cleaner specifically for Fuel Injected vehicles.
--------ANY RECOMENDATIONS?

HOW MUCH DOES ALL THIS GONNA DAMAGE ME IN $$$?

 

I did all that except cleaning the IAC valve. i will clean the TB again, i hope that'll fix it cus it sort of gets of my nerves when i sit at a light. also the hiccup, sputtering goes away if i shift to Neutral (in an auto). are we talking about the same problem here?

 

blk_g20 - could be - since the idle adjustment different when the car is under load (as in Drive), as opposed to in Neutral... I would say clean out the IACV and see what that does for you.

sharabi - stop drinking so much (inside joke guys that aren't of Asian-Indian descent). I'm too tired to give you the write up on how - its in the how-tos.. but not trivial - and probably not for the first timer... the list of stuff I mentioned will run you 300-400 at a dealer and they may not even agree to cleaning the IACV... more to come... read the stickies - info on the IACV and PCV valves can be found there.

 

Try listening at the tailpipe for the hicups...if you hear it there or feel the exhaust gas skip then you most likely have a misfire problem. I had the same problem and the problem was that my spark plugs needed changing. If you're not due for a plug change then have the coil pack tested.

 

WHO,

I WILL try doing the above suggested things hoping the hicups will
go away but i have the same problem as g_ mentioned,
when placed in nuetral, it does do any hicups.

i have changed my spark plugs 3 months ago.

I will get the coil tested like u mentioned,
any idea how much it should run me? just a ball park figuire.


THANKS

 

What I did to solve my hicup problem was I wrapped the coil with electrical tape. Not the actual coil but the part that goes in the heads that connect to the spark plugs. I believe they were sparking or something and that fixed the problem. That was around 10 months ago and I haven't had the problem since.

 

I'm supposing you mean that it DOESN'T misfire when in neutral? That is what was happening with our car too. I think the problem is amplified when the engine is under load. Put the car in drive and hold the brake hard while pressing the gas to bring the engine up to around 2000-2500 rpm and you will most likely get many frequent hicups.
I'm not sure how much it will cost to have the coils tested since I'm not in the US. I tested my coil packs myself with a multimeter according to the instruction in the Haynes manual for the Maxima. It's a relatively simple procedure that shouldn't take longer than 1 hour so it shouldn't cost that much.

 

crak,

I put electrical tape on the plastic piece like you did and the hicups DID go away.

I wanna thank you for your suggestion.

NOw at the very end of the plastic that connects to the head of the sparkplug, is a small rubber piece that my mechanic referred to as a "BOOT".

can i buy that anywhere? I heard i have to get teh whole coil which is like $80 EACH.

I mean its a small rubber piece at the end of the coil....can i get that anywhere?

 

how do you know which coil to wrap the electrical tape around? or did you do all of them?

 

the code said that there was a misfire in SPARK PLUG 1, so i took it out, saw the rubber piece at the end was cracked, taped it... and then put it back.

i then test drove it... NO HICUPS... but i was scared since the mechanic mentioned that the tape MIGHT melt with the heat produced.

But as someone mentioned earlier, they did it 10monts ago and there was no problem.