I have a 98' maxima, 5 speed, with 40,000 miles. When I get to a stop sign or just slow down, SOMETIMES it just chokes and dies on me. I tried the fuel injector cleaner, and it didn't help. Please e-mail me with ANY suggestions.

 

Do your RPMs shoot down? Maybe your idle is set wrong? If it keeps happening then just take it to a mechanic.

 

Here is some text copied from the factory service manual.


"Idle Air Control Valve (IACV) -- Auxiliary Air Control (AAC) Valve

This system automatically controls engine idle speed to a specified level.
Idle speed is controlled through fine adjustment of the amount of air which
by-passes the throttle valve via the IACV-AAC valve. The IACV-AAC valve
changes the opening of the air by-pass passage to control the amount of
auxiliary air. ... "


You may make a quick test of your IACV-AAC in the following way. With the
motor at normal operating temperature, and at idle, switch the A/C from
"off" to "maximum". Keep your eye on the tachometer as you do this. The
idle speed should dip momentarily and then recover. If it does this, the
IACV-AAC is working. If the idle drops and does not recover, the engine
may stumble, falter, and stall. The IACV-AAC may require cleaning,
adjustment, or replacement.

The correct idle speed is...
- 700 +/- 50 (automatic transmission, in Neutral)
- 625 +/- 50 (5-speed)

 

Yeah, that's what I meant

 

Sounds like a fuel related problem. That's covered under the powertrain warranty. You have a 98 with 40k miles, so it is still warrantied. Take it to the dealer.

 

I noticed you have a five speed. No offense intended, but are you fully clutching in when you stop?? Maybe you are not fully shifting into neutral as you come to a stop. Either one, not clutching in enough or not getting in neutral, will surely stall a manual transmission car when you stop.

 

actually what i find is that second gear for me on stop signs works great, its alot more forgiving from my experience than 1st gear... well i duno
my car does that kinda stuff alot too... in 1st gear the car chokes sometimes when i'm going thru sumwhere like a parking lot... and 2nd doesnt do it... i dont understand

 

heh...2nd gear from a stop might be a little 'easier' in the sense of if you don't find the exact release point, it won't jump/lurch as bad as if it was in 1st gear, but that's not much reason to start in second. You should know the release point by now Starting in second is going to give a greater chance of stalling/killing the car. When I start in second in my integ, I have to blip the throttle more to prevent the car from pre-stall shaking.

If you mean the car lurches in 1st when you're going through a parking lot...I'm not very mechanical, so I don't know the exact reason, but all of the sticks I drive have lurched in first at slow speeds, if you go from giving it some gas to lifting off the pedal completely. I find you have to still give it gas, sometimes barely any, but still some. In general, I've noticed that when I take my foot off the gas in gear in a stick, that the car slows down differently (more) when you do the same on a slushbox.

I only start from 2nd when it's snowy/icy out...

 

haha i know
i usually dont do it but when i do like on a late friday nite i dont notice the difference... i guess i'm just smoking crack... and it doesnt have much relationship to the original problem haha my bad...
i'll go with the diagnosis of Daniel B ofcourse

but my car does stall alot now... i guess i should try the fuel injector cleaner too and do all that

 

Thank you for all of your tips, but I did take it to a dealer, and they don't know what the hell is wrong with it. They told me to leave my car there for couple of days for they can drive around and see what's wrong with it. Also let me explaine the problem a little bit more. This thing only happens once in a while, more like two or three times a day. When i look on my rpm, they start jumping. They go from around 7, all the way down to 3 or 2, and then they jump back to 10. It does that may be 3 or 4 times, and then is dies or keeps on running fine. Also after that happens i can smell the gas, and that happens every time.

 

When's the last time you changed your fuel filter? I'm not sure if a clogged filter could cause as severe problems as you're experiencing, but you never know. I replaced mine last weekend, and there is a noticeable difference in 1st gear (not as much lurching/bogging). Also, my old 82 Datsun used to stall in the winter because chunks of ice would get caught in the fuel line. Maybe there's something in one of the lines....might be able to get it out when you change the filter.

There is a brand new fuel pump on ebay right now if you end up having to get a new one.

 

hmmm it doesnt seem to make sense to expect that if you leave the car there for two days the problem would go away

well i self diagnosed my problem!!! someone who drove my car filled the damn thing up with regular... i think thats why its a stalling lil biatch

just check the entire fuel system... i think thats it... its a weird problem... sorry for not being able to help