Because of high gas prices, I put a tank of 87 in my car. Then I noticed it was hesitating when I tried to really accelerate, or when RPMs were up around 4k. So I bought some cheap OTC octane booster and added it on top of a mostly full tank of 87.

Hesitation got worse. After 200 miles, I put in 10 gallons of premium. Now the hesitation is chronic! I can barely get the car over 2500 rpms. The ECU won't let me get much higher unless I'm just revving the car at a stop.

No Check-Engine-Light.

What could be the problem? From what I've read, one little bottle of octane booster should not be causing this much trouble after 250 miles of driving.

Any tips? Gasoline aside, anyone have a similar experience with hesitation?

 

Don't know to much but u night wanna clean ur fuel injectors and get a new fuel pump

 

no its not the fuel pump you might want to check your TPS sensor for proper voltage either that or a clogged cat could be the cause

 

True true yea he might be right maybe a fuel filter

 

might also be a mass air flow problem, i used to work for nissan and i know it was a common problem on the newer altimas and muranos for a while, usually the check engine light would come on, but sometimes not. check your connection there and see what happens, remember all maximas have variable air intake and if correct air is not detected, you will not be able to accelerate. gas thing might just be coincidence

 

check the MAF plug and the wires connected to the sensor.

 

I would also check the MAF... 87 Octane will not hurt your car or cause this issue.. I have been putting it in mine for the past 2 years.

 

siiiiigh.

I'd check the MAF like they're saying. Having a bad MAF would casuse you not to be able to rev passed 2500. However, going to 87 octaine has nothing to do with MAF, as the MAF never sees fuel. Also reset your ECU.

WTF @ whoever said change the fuel pump lolz

Jellyfishian, if you've been putting regular for the passed two years and everything "seems" normal, I would assume you've never changed your knock sensor? Chances are, if you havent already, its cracked. Which means your ignition timing is already ubber retarded, thus its safe for YOU to run lower octaine gas. Change that KS and go for a drive, lets ee if you dont notice the nasty bugging and hesitation.

If you have changed that KS, then you're probably so used to the hesitation and bugging you think its normal behavior, and thus you think everything is fine, lol.

Back in the day on my 3.0, maybe 3 yrs ago, i tried putting 89octaine, and normal driving was no different, but acceleration forget it. Felt like I hit a brick wall. Timing TOTALLY pulles back. Learned my lesson after that.

 

Thank you for the tips. I hooked a resistance meter to the TPS, and it showed about .5 ohm at closed throttle to 4 ohms at WOT. That's the normal range, but there was a spot in the middle where it gave no reading. That dead spot might be the problem. A replacement is $50, so I ordered one just to be on the safe side.

I'll double check the MAF, too. I've heard of spraying carb cleaner on the MAF to clean it. Anyone tried that? Is there really a specialty MAF cleaner out there?

 

be careful cleaning the maf, DO NOT spray carb cleaner in there, it is electronic and you could ruin the electronics in it, ive seen it happen, best thing is to spray a rag first and wipe the rag on the inside of it to clean it.

 

Yikes! That would mean touching the MAF sensor, which I thought was too fragile for that?

 

you cant take a rag and wipe off MAF wires they have throttle body and air intake cleaner and CRC makes a special MAF cleaner its in a gray can cost about 5.99 or you can get rubbing alchol and a cutip and GENTLY rub it across the wires thats the old school way to do it but just as effective

 

but while doing all that CHECK YOUR TPS sensor also to make sure its your maf sensor caucing the problem heres a simple test unplug it and go for a drive if you wont be able to go full throttle but if its real real smooth if its still jerky still its not your MAF sensor its the TPS sensor

 

You're saying unplug the MAF? Then go for a drive. If it's still jerky, it's not the MAF?

 

right its your throttle position sensor if it continues to jerk

 

Good stuff. I'll test it in a few hours. Thanks, slinky87, and thanks to everyone else! This forum is great.

 

I have had a KS code for a while now, so I can see where you are coming from with that. But we did have a 98 GLE for quite a while with no codes that ran on 87 that pulled harder due to having no KS code, but it never had any hesitation issues. But I dont want to start another gas argument... I do agree with you that lower octane gas will cause early detonation causing the timing to retard. I'm sure there are also many variables like elevation, ambient temp, what brand, ect...

Taxvictim: If you search for MAF there should be a few posts about cleaning.. If I remember everyone was about 50/50 for cleaning a working MAF.. But IF yours is not functioning you might as well clean it and see if it helps/fixes the issue.

 

Jeez, I unplugged the MAF while the engine was running. Engine stopped immediately. Re-started the car and the engine still started stuttering at 2500 rpm.

Plugged the MAF back in and got a CEL. Engine ran rougher than ever after that. I wouldn't even try driving it now. Code P0100, which is the MAF. Should I just reset the ECU? Or will it reset itself now that I've plugged the MAF back in?

 

It just gets weirder. Later I started the car again. CEL was still on, engine was running very rough. I revved the engine, it made a strange noise, and suddenly it started working normally! Took her out for a drive and got right up to 80 mph with no hesitation or roughness at all.

Now I'm totally confused, but I'll reset the ECU and see if the MAF code comes back. Glad the car is driving normally.

Thanks to everyone for your help.

 

Strange, guess it might have been a problem with the MAF sensor connection. If I were you I'd clean the contacts of the MAF and connector with alcohol or the CRC electronics cleaner to make sure it doesn't happen again.

 

No, all Maximas do not have variable intakes. No USDM 4th gens do.

 

looks like i'm having the same problems as Taxvictim

the mechanic cleaned my MAF in some "special solution" and said there's no problems, both times i pulled out of his place i felt the jerking and brought it right back and both times he says there's no problems. i barely made it home today without getting rear ended!

i had a CEL for both the MAF and O2 sensor, after MAF sensor was cleaned and CEL cleared, it did not come back on but problem is now worse than ever.

was anyone able to solve the problem?

 

It is not the o2 sensors causing the problem. It sounds like the maf to me. Cleaning it will not fix a broken maf. It could be the tps as well but your problems sound way too bad to be the tps.

 

 

I think we have something here batman

 

thanks batman! i'll let the dealer know, i've got an appt. for next wednesday

 

for the love of god please dont bend over for the stealership over a maf

 

hello blackcloud here seems i have the same issue hesitation. When i pop the car in first gear ready to drive its as if im not giving enough gas jumps hesitates throw it into second gear smoothes out third smoothes out but i do have a check engine light. Also does any one know how to check the check engine light on a 95 maxima this doesnt have a obd2 plug so how do you read the codes

 

don't listen to the guys at autzone, all 4th gens have obd2. also, autozone "upgraded" their scanners to a newer more compact unit that doesn't like our cars. go to o'reilly's, sometimes they have an older tester that will work for you to borrow.