OK when I'm driving, mostly in 2nd/3rd gears (Auto. trans), I want to hold a nice steady 2500 cruising rpm before the O/D kicks in, on the way there, the engine according to the tach climbes at 2, then hesitates b/w 2000 & 2500, yet so close to 2500 rpm, more hesitation, does this mean I need a tune-up or is there some other cure?

BTW the car has just over 73K miles

 

Anybody else wanna try to decode that one?

 

Sorry man, left my Ovaltine Little Orphan Annie Decoder Ring at home.

 

Well what I'm trying to say is that when I drive, the engine seems to be hesitating when I accelerate, I just want to know if I need a tune-up or some other cure for it

 

what have you done to it in terms of a tune-up?
plugs, wires, filters??

 

Nothing yet, but I'm taking it to the dealer this friday for a tune-up & a BG Engine Flush w/ oil change, so I'll keep every-1 updated as to how both services go.

 

yooooooooo the same thing happens to me. Like it never wants to accelerate smoothly in between 2000 and 2500 rpms.
It stays @ like 2000-2100 rpms but to get it to go pass the 3500 u gotta press the gas down and then it just does the patented haul to like 4000rpms and pulls. It use to accelerate smoothly(when i first got it) like always with a pep, always ready to go faster without pressing the gas down too much. Now i find myself flooring it alot more often and getting horrible gas mileage just for the car to speed up.

 

i was having the same problem the past week.
fuel filter my friends!!
mine was oem.....i don't think it's been changed for a while!
idels much better....and dosn't hesitate anymore. they are easy enouugh to change and cheap. i would definetly try that.

 

I changed my fuel filter less than 1000 miles ago so its not that. Anytime something is wrong with your carpeople say its the KS so im thinking its gotta be that

 

Maybe you need to change you tranny oil? I think that all autos tend to do this as the tranny gets older.

DPW

 

Changed my tranny fluid like 5 days ago. Didnt get it flushed, just changed.

 

When were the spark plugs last changed? And what brand was used? I know my 5-spd has strange acceleration patterns with non-NGK plugs. Since changing them it seems more even.

 

Im at 75k miles and the plugs havent been changed to my knowledge. I thought they were good till 100k.

 

I think they are only supposed to go 60K, but I could be mistaken. . . I know mine were changed out at 60K, 90K (By my shop at home that didn't know any better with Bosch Plats :-() and at 120K

 

How much are the NGK's??

 

Since I had the car for about a month, I don't remember the plugs being changed, the car has over 73K in miles, but I do plan a tune-up asap.

 

and I have done almost everything to fix -- with no luck...well, I do have better fuel economy now, but...

My last options are:

Throttle Position Sensor
Vacuum leak
Tranny trouble (but, I doubt its this)

Do the RPMs bounce at other times? when idling? when reversing?
Is it scary sometimes driving on the highway because it seems like the car is going to quit or a cylinder didn't fire?

let me know...
FLO_BOY

 

If after you try all the 60k tuneup maintenance it's still sluggish, it may be your oxygen sensors.

I've tried all the filters, the plugs, the throttle body and the PCV. They all helped, but didn't eliminate that sluggish feeling from 2500-3500rpm.

Tonight I'm going to try to burn the deposits off my oxygen sensors. Wish me luck. I'll let you know how it goes.

http://forums.maxima.org/showthread....threadid=55015
http://forums.maxima.org/showthread....threadid=38933

 

Might be your tps.has a dead spot,try to diagnose your ecu.,it might give you a code.Also try TB.,cleaning.Do you have a y-pipe?might be your catalyctic converters are clogged.Max has 3 cats.

 

It may be as simple as our retarded slush boxes slowly figuring out each gear, and finally throwing u into od...... if ur accelerating slowly/regular, it hesitates like that while switching gears...just a thought

 

Usually when I accelerate b/w 2000 to 2800 rpm's, I can feel the engine struggle a bit

 

Funny how as I read the threads, I then think my car has the same problem.

 

From reading the rest of your responses, it's probably a combo of plugs and a clogged EGR. Plugs are easier (but more expensive) and should be replaced around 60k. I would also clean out the small vacuum hose that controls your EGR valve. It's the metal tube that comes out below the valve and goes up into the BPT(?) control valve right above it. It gets clogged with carbon and really affects low end response, to the point of surging. Take out the intake to get access to the area. I definitely recommend this to everyone if it's never been done and you're up there in that mileage bracket. I just did mine which had 87k miles on the odo last weekend and it wasn't subtle.

 

Thats the very typical "dead" spot on the RPM's for an auto. Especially if the tranny is still in 2nd gear after a rolling stop.

 

Oh so its normal??My acceleration is definitely sluggish though. only way I can really move is to floor it and then my MPG takes a hit.