Here is the video of what my car does - https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&persist_app=1&v=bvKlf271G9M

I have a 96 Maxima with 85k miles (yes 85k) and I have a problem happening where the car sort of gives some jolts and lowers aprox 100 rpm only after warming up, mostly while stopped and i can notice it at low speeds at times also, and only in drive...I've already did these things to my car shortly before this started but i think it is unrelated because it happened aprox 1 month after doing these things- replaced knock sensor, replaced egr solenoid, new plugs (ngk platinum), new air filter, new fuel filter, cleaned egr tube and intake plenum, new valve cover gaskets and new upper plenum gasket...i had a code for a map sensor and egr solenoid and once i cleaned egr tube and replaced solenoid both codes never came back even though the map sensor was never replaced...i tested it with a vacuum tester and according to the chiltons manual the reading i got tells me i should change the map sensor. The strange thing is i havent had a cel or a ghost cel for anything since doing the above. Anyone else ever had these symptoms? Searches sometimes lead me to believe a coil may be going bad or possibly an o2 sensor issue because i read that o2 sensors only work when the car is warm and thats when my issue arises...I honestly cant confirm that any of those are the
cause of my issue...any ideas?!?

 

Start with a gently used MAP/Boost sensor from your local junkyard or an org member part out.

If you had a code and it's testing bad...yeah..replace it.
It will cause drivability issues.

 

Yeah I kind of figured that...if my fuel pump is going bad would those things happen to my car and would i get a check engine light? My fuel gauge fluctuates slightly and i was told when that happens the pump starts going out soon after

 

In my experience when the fuel pump goes out the car either dies or won't start.

With that said, don't worry about it until it becomes a last resort.

I don't think that a fuel pump can trigger a CEL and the gauge fluctuating has little to nothing to do with the fuel pump.
That would be your float/sensor/gauge cluster.

 

Okay so I went ahead and popped my hood earlier tonight and sure enough all 6 coils were arcing intermittently, aprox once a second per coil...now I'm not sure if that is common for them to all go out around the same time period but there were small sparks coming from all 6 of the coils...I hear it can be the boot but how will I know for sure? Coils are like 75 bucks a piece and I'm really hoping to avoid replacing the coils...I also hear that improper spark plug gapping can cause this as well, but my ngk platinum spark plugs have aprox 2k miles on them and I made sure they were all gapped correctly according to what the dealer said. Any common fixes to this? Again I'm really hoping to avoid 75 bucks a piece on these coils so whatever I can do before hand I will try!

 

Anyone know what would cause ALL 6 coils to arc? I recently cleaned the main ground connections (2 screws on front half of engine) as I hear that could be the issue but since i recently cleaned them before this issue arose I can rule that out...I also hear that a crank sensor can do this...It has actually stalled on me a couple times and cant drive my car like this plz help someone!!!

 

Is the arcing occurring when you have the hood open at night and you see sparks flying from the coils? I'll check my two VQ30DE vehicles to see if I see something like that.

The RPM bounce and symptoms you describe in the OP sound like a milder case of a problem I experienced when the EGR valve was not closing properly. It felt like a hard to pinpoint vacuum leak that caused surging while running at cruising speeds and some assorted hard to start issues. Like you, I had cleaned the EGR tube along with other components as part of a mid-life refresh. Finally one morning I got a check engine code that pointed to the EGR valve. Later that day I installed a BWD Intermotor EGR valve that cured all of the hard to pinpoint issues. It started up and ran like a new car from then on..

This may not be your problem, but in my case it sure took me a while to figure it all out..

 

Yeah at night with the hood popped is when I noticed it...and I'll check for any vacuum leaks but if I'm losing ignition spark then my car is bound to act up at some point so I believe that's what it is but the fact that all 6 are bad...the car is 18 years old at this point and the car sat for 3 years before I got it running again so maybe the matierial on the coils are just shot idk...should I try some new coil boots first and then if that doesn't work then try new coils?

 

I would not spend any money on coils until I was 100% sure one was failing to ignite a spark plug.. I've had a 95 Maxima and I currently have two 99 models and I've never found a failed coil to date with one 99 model approaching 270,000 miles.

 

Well I have to eliminate the arcing so I guess I'll try the boots first...so in my case there wouldn't be anything else that would cause all 6 coils to arc besides something going on with the coils themselves?

 

Am I the only one who's ever had all 6 coils arc? I search the web and no usable info even on other forums...Do our cars have an ignition module?

 

dont pay 75 bucks for a new coil. USe the Haynes/Chilton/FSM to pull a good one from the junkyard.

While your at it, pull a used MAF and MAP sensor.

U sure no vacuum leaks or PCV faulty?

 

You could try cleaning the MAF yourself. Try some MAF cleaner and a small brush. That little wire in there is pretty robust.

 

I've cleaned all the above suggestions as well as replacing plugs and pcv valve, all done 2k miles ago.
So heres the update. My dad, who hasnt been to auto class in 30 years, said to put he dielectric grease on the tip of the plugs. I read online that the grease is actually an insulator and will prevent a lot of the spark from occuring if put on the tip. So I followed their instructions and put it on the ceramic of the plugs and the inside of the boot near the tip where it wont touch the tip of the plug. No more arcing, however I haven't had these new ebay coils in for literally 1 mile and I have a P1320 code now and the car starts, runs, and drives like crap. I was trying to save money because they're about $450 at Napa for the cheapest ones and $68 on ebay so I figured its at least worth a shot to see what happens. I will try to take the boots from the ebay ones and put them on the oem coils so that way I can determine if my oem coils themselves are arcing or just the boots and then return the coils/boots and hopefully all it needs are new boots...

 

Okay I'm back at square one. I put the new boots on the old coil and it still arced. Put the old boot on the new coil and it didnt arc so I know the boot is good, put the old boot back on the old coil and it arced so I know its my coils. I'm gonna buy one for now to see if that actually solves my problem. I'll report back with my findings...I also noticed a small area where it is bubbling on my radiator, its at the first raised surface that's to the left of the radiator cap...anyone know a fix?