Hello, I have a 2003 maxima and am having a problem with hesitation. I drove it for about 1.5 hours, went about 30 miles and on the way home, was at a stop light and when I gassed it it didn't go. The engine bogged down and almost stalled out. I quickly shifed it into neutral and back to drive and it engaged. It did this about three more times. The second time I floord it and it made a muffled backfire like noise. The third time I started in second and it started fine, as I kept going, I could feel it start to struggle. Made it home. Went back and forth in the drive way and nothing. Put it in neutral and gassed it and there does not seem to be any fuel problem. Anybody have this happen?

 

no ses i assume? theres a ton of things it could be. clogged cat, bad coil(s), bad crank/cam sensor(s), and so on. we'd need alittle more info to go any further really

 

No ses. Does it sound transmission related? I also have a theory of bad fuel pump. Maybe it is getting to hot and works intermittently, since I did drive it for quite awhile before the trouble. What do you think?

 

trans and fuel pump could make sense, except for the backfire. backfiring while on the throttle is usually timing related. if it happened while off the throttle, maybe an vacuum and/or exhaust leak? from your explanation, id be looking at timing.

but these cars have crap mass air meters, i wouldnt count that out yet either

 

Ok, check this. A few weeks back I changed my plugs. The only way I could get the rear three changed out was to loosen the upper manifold. I didn't. Remove it, just loosend it enough to move it. I did however remove the throttle body. I got everything back together fine. Do you think that because I did that, not replacing the gaskets could be causing all of this?

 

You dont have to change the gasket, every time you take off the intake manifold, just helped a friend with the same problem today it was his MAF sensor tossed mine in his and went smooth, so he went and bought the 00-01 and did the swap of the the thermisitor to it, if you have a friend near by swap his to see what happens other wise mechanic, if you run out of ideas....

 

i, personally, would install a fresh gasket anytime doing a job like that. if you reuse the old one are you guaranteed a leak? no, but for about $15-$20 you can do it right the first time and rule that out of the possible problems