i have a 97 maxima se that i depend on very much....
now check this out, i turn on my car and it put putts at idle and the rpm needle does jiggle up and down constantly. as i accelerate it sounds like a scubaru and slowly the rpms go untill i hit like 5k rpms it opens up all the way like it had vtec or something. now every now and then the car would jerk rapidly at 2k-3500 rpms, and in the 2k-3500rpms range, the car just doesnt get any power but still stays on. i do change spark plugs oil and all the essentials and use premuim fuel, im at 170k miles also. now im thinking its either a bad coil/bad injector or a bad maf. my service engine soon light is on also. now i also had people tell me its a bad 02 sensor, i did replace my exhaust tip not to long ago too. so if anyone knows of this problem and knows a solution, please help me out. i depend on my car to get myself to school. also my service engine light would turn off rarely like once every blue moon. please help!

 

Go to autozone, and read the codes. Translate the codes from the FSM or the stickies on the 4th gen page. From what you say Here are some possible causes(IMHO)

When you get the codes, please reply back. And if it reads knock sensor, i dont think a knock sensor will cause your problems.

 

it was a maf sensor and a coil, maf causing the funky idling, and coil causing the jerking. man i love this forum! took me like 14 threads to figure it out and after i tested them this morning i finally got my answer. but thanks man, im gonna replace the coils and if that dont work its probably my injectors.