***UPDATE VIDEO***. Added a video, you can tell when I hit 4th gear what happens. It appears I held the gas pedal at 60mph and 3k rpm's BUT I actually have the pedal all the way to the floor. Sometimes it does this in all gears and sometimes just at the higher gears.

Ok, I have held off for months on creating this thread, trying to read and diagnose but its time I get some input.

Car: 1995 Maxima SE 5-speed with 267,000 miles
No check engine light on

Problem: After the car is warmed up, acceleration is either jerky or simply non-existent, especially at WOT. By non-existent I mean it feels like something is pushing against the car and holding it back. I don't race the care, I don't drive it like I stole it, there is definitely something going on. Sometimes it is accelerates well for 2-300 rpms then like it shuts down another 2-300 rpms then accelerates, etc. It has been doing this for probably the better part of a year. Also, not sure if related but, there have been times where it would completely stall when coming off of the parkway and pressing the clutch. It doesn't do this every time but it does it every once in a while. In the past couple of weeks it has started to stall immediately upon starting unless I give it gas. Again, this does not happen every time but it does happen often.

Things I have done: I have replaced knock sensor, MAF, replace aftermarket intake with stock intake, fuel filter. I have also replaced other sensors that had thrown check engine lights, as well as fixed a misfire on a cylinder by changing fuel injector. I currently have no check engine light on, but did have the egrc solenoid valve code for the longest time but went away after replacing the part twice. The problem seemed to go away for a few days after replacing the MAF, and again after replacing the egrc solenoid valve, but came back.

Any help would be greatly appreciated. I don't want to keep throwing parts at it and also don't want to get ride of it.

 

Throttle sensor maybe?

 

My first thought is actually borrowed from Josh above. My next thought wonders about the fuel pump or less likely, fuel line.

The fuel pump is easy to see if it pumps like after a night out drinking heavily....

Gas can, clear hose long enough to go from the output of the fuel filter to the gas can and make sure it's snug on the nipple. Ace hardware sells plastic tubing for +/- 30 cents a foot. Four feet should do.

If all is well, off to the TPS. Both the MAF and TPS have to be playing nicely together to get smooth running.

Hope this helps!

 

i'm leaning towards the tps as my 95 is starting to do the same with almost the exact same mileage.you go to step on it and it just groans and does'nt move until you double tap the gas and it will slowly pick up. throw a little sea-foam in the gas tank, might have a clogged injector thats not throwing a code or your throttle body is in need of a clean.

 

you have bad coil packs.

 

Thanks for the responses. I posted a video to see what is happening. I am going to check the TPS but can someone tell me since I have the TPS with only 1 plug, do I probe pin 2 and 3 to check ohms?

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Gfn2l3uUFY

 

Thanks for the video, I have watched it, but that is a different TPS.

 

Damn! Close, but no Cigar!

However, I would think the process is the same on the TPS side. A little trial and error with the few contacts lugs and you'll findout which is giving proportionate numbers, or none at all. None or screwy numbers and you've finally found your Ghost!

Good luck!

It's not the coil packs. They are usually bad whether the car is cold or hot!

This might help: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cPkk6md3Sy0#t=13

 

Yea, I am going to just have to figure it out. I have had a coil go bad and it was different than this feeling.

 

Same here! I used NAPA's and they don't kick out codes. They use the same manufacturer Nissan used before they switched and the problems started.

And IIRC, around $85 each for the firewall side of the engine.

 

Yes. I suggest you download the FSM (see sig) and start reading at page EC-162 for TPS troubleshooting and diagnostic. I've posted pages EC-165 and EC-166 for your use.

 

Thanks Wizard. Does it sound like TPS to you?

 

you can choose to believe me or not, but what you are describing is EXACTLY, and i do mean EXACTLY what was happening with my beater 4th gen (the acceleration issues, not the stalling issues, stalling is unrelated). Did a coilpack swap and the problem was gone.

EX-ACT-LY the same symptoms in every respect to your acceleration problems. Coilpacks do NOT necessarily present a problem whether the car is cold or hot, contrary to the claims of whoever said that up above. The resistance of the coilpack changes with temperature, and my car ran perfectly fine when it was cold, but once the car heated up it became a real problem.

Take my advice or don't, but you are describing the same problem i had, which was magically remedied by a set of coil packs (and new plugs because the plugs were in such bad shape).

 

Listen to these people, they been in the forums for years and know their stuff.. Coilpacks it is, and do it !

 

How many were bad for it to affect the engine that much? Two and a half or more? All at the same time?

Mine went one at a time and got replaced as they went. Never let it get to more than one so I don't know.

Napa if doing one at a time? Not sure where to suggest for all six and which to use and be problem free at the right price.

Good luck!