I have had a problem with COLD startups causing a drop in RPMs causing the engine to shudder and even shut off when the RPMs drop below 500 so I went to the dealer to ask him about this. So he tells he this a common problem with 2k/2k1 Maximas and Altima and its because of the oxygenation(sp?) of the fuel which causes this only on cold startups. He advised me to just press the gas(accelerator) slightly so the car doesnt shut off; and its only a real problem if this continues with warm weather. He says the fuel is oxygenated in my area becuase of some emissions rule. Apparently oxygenating the fuel decreases the emissions. Its not done in all areas as just 100 miles North of me the gas is not oxygenated.
Anyone familiar with this cause before he mentioned Ive never heard of it.
Also if all this is true why only with some maximas and altimas and not other cars???

 

Introduction

The 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments mandate the use of oxygenated fuels in areas where ambient carbon monoxide (CO) exceeds federal standards. This requirement was based in part on the modeled success of the oxygenated fuels program, piloted along the Colorado Front Range. In 1987 the Colorado Air Quality Control Commission adopted the first regulations in the country requiring that oxygenated fuels (oxyfuels) be sold along much of the Colorado Front Range (1). All automotive fuel sold in the region was required to contain 1.5% oxygen by weight from January 1 through February 28, 1988. During this first year the oxygenate requirements were met with about 95% of the fuel sold being an 8% by volume mixture of methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE) and gasoline. The remainder of the fuel sold was a 10% by volume blend of ethanol and gasoline (1). In subsequent years the program required motor vehicle fuels to be oxygenated during the winter months, November through February. The oxygen content requirement has been steadily increasing while the additive used has gradually shifted from largely MTBE to largely ethanol blended fuels (2). During the winter of 1996-1997, nearly all of the fuel being sold is blended with ethanol at 10% by volume. This program is modeled to reduce the emissions of carbon monoxide from motor vehicles in the Denver area by about 30% (2). The average oxygen content of the fuel being sold is required to exceed 3.1% by weight. The winter program has been shortened to end mid-February beginning in 1997.


continues at: http://carbon.cudenver.edu/~landerso/97rp13905.htm

 

oxygenated fuels are used in the Northeast in the winter to reduce emmsions. They do result in lower gas milage, but they don't cause hard starting. I have never had this problem in my 95 max or 2000 I30 and live in an area where oxgentated fuels are used.

Have you cleaned your throttle body? If you have >50K miles on your max and are having hard starts in the winter often its a sign of a dirty throttle body. Give it a try and clean it.

 

Ya I tried that and it helped a lot but still having some residual hard starts.

 

I seem to be having a similar type of problem, but my car shudders occasionally at idle and low RPM's until it's warm. Is this a bad Cat???

 

i get oxygen in my fuel...it enters through the throttle body and meets the fuel in the cylinder.

 

Haven't had a problem with my 01 Altima and now 00 Max with 10% ethanol blended fuel. It's been real cold around here the last few days.

 

First check how much fuel you got, also how old is your battery, and when starting the car next time turn the key to the on position just before the car starts( the one were all the gauges light up) for like a couple second let pressure build up in the fuel system then crank it.

 

hahaha.. gotta love this guy.

Ive have experinced cold starts and cleaned my throttle body along with replacing the PCV valve. It has gotten ALOT better. But this past monday it has been the coldest it has been all winter. 9 F`. So it did stall out that day. But on days where its 20 F` and above it warms up fine as when it used to stall out when it was 35 degrees out.

 

I'll try replacing the PCV valve. Just out of interest, how do you know when your catalytic converter in going???

 

IIRC.. if it rattles or if a constant rotten egg smell comes the car. Anyone can correct me if im wrong?

 

Those aren't the only indicators, although good ones....

(deja vu - posted this in another thread just the other day....)

http://www.autoeducation.com/autoshop101/exhaust.htm
http://www.aicautosite.com/garage/encyclop/ency03b.asp

 

All of this is correct -- as far as it goes. But it does not tell the whole story of the so-called "oxygenated fuels (gasoline)" controversy." For full disclosure, I attended the meetings of the Colorado Air Quality Control Commission mentioned above -- representing the oil company I worked for at that time.

The argument in Colorado at this time was that, because of the higher elevations in the state, there was not sufficient oxygen in the ambient air to support complete combustion of gasoline. So to correct this deficiency, oxygen needed to be added to the gasoline -- either ethanol (pushed by ADM and others) and MTBE (pushed by some oil companies like ARCO that made it). The chemestry of the situation is that in both of these "additives" some carbon molecules in gasoline are replaced by oxygen molecules in the Ethanol / MTBE. The oxygenation of fuels in Colorado was a success in the 1980s (when the program started) because many of the cars at that time had carburators -- and very few had oxygen sensors in their fuel systems. The extra oxygen for those vehicles did improve combustion and reduce pollution.

But things have changed since the 1980s -- almost all vehicles now come with fuel injection and an oxygen sensor. These new vehicles "see" the extra oxygen in these "oxygenated fuels" and compensate. If the gasoline does not contain an oxygenate (Ethanol or MTBE), the fuel system compensates for that condition, too. In either case, because of the more sophistocated fuel monitoring system in vehicles today, the fuel burns completely whether it contains an oxygenate or not.

So why are "oxygneated fuels" being mandated -- politics, pure and simple. The corn lobby (headed by ADM and the Oxygenated Fuels Lobby) has taken the success of the 1980s Colorado oxygneated fuels mandate to justify this program nation-wide. Because this sells more ethanol, there is no consideration of the differences between vehicles today and in the 80's (and also the elevation differences between Colorado -- less oxygen -- and the rest of the country).

Will oxygenated gasoline hurt your vehicle? In new vehicles it will only hurt your gas mileage because the oxygen molecules do not contain any energy -- you need carbon and hydrogen molecules for energy -- the only molicules in gasoline. Back in the 1980s there were vehicles with rubber fuel lines that had difficulty when gasoline with 10% ethanol went through them. In some cases they simply fell apart. The vehicle manufacturers had to change the composition of the fuel lines to fix this problem -- they quickly did.

 

oh man !!!!!!1
ive got a 95 maxima and i dont know where to start!
it has an engine with 60 K miles on it but there is so much work to do
she is fast and picks up real hard but i have a few problems.
my rpm screen needle keeps on jumping , my engine light is on but i was told that it was the ho2 sensor my my power steering wheel is making noise when i turn ( its like a click sound)
anyone with answers, please help me!!!!!
i want my baby to rock the streets!!!

 

if u guys can email me at acevedo_arthur@yahoo.com
thanks

 

This would be your oxygen sensor or O2 sensor -- there is no H reading from this sensor (almost looks like you are saying H2O -- which is water).

To correctly determine what the engine light is telling you, you need a computer read-out from your Max. Dealers can do that -- at a cost. There are reportedly some Auto stores that have a computer with that capability. This computer will tell what the car's computer codes mean. But until you have those computer results, it will be hard to tell you what the problems are (or the solutions). Get it checked out.

 

Actually it's technically referred to as a Heated Oxygen Sensor or Ho2 Sensor in the manuals.

I'm guessing CV joint on his noise while turning.