Hi all:

You guys will probably be able to shed some light on the problem with my Max that a local dealer is unable to fix. The car has only 85.000 km on it and drives perfect. It began to stall on low rpms in early June. By coinsidence it stalled for the very first time just after I drove away from the emission test.
The way is stalls if like this: when the engine is just started an warming up from cold, same thing when the engine is hot, same thing when driving at city speed or slowing down. The engine does not run rough, it just turns itself off and I notice that mostly by looking at the tacho.
There is one more symptom: the RPMs drop to 0 on the highway from time to time. The car stumbles for a second just as if I hit the brakes and then RPMs come back. It all lasts 1/10th of a second and I can see how the tacho hand goes to 0 and comes back instanteniously.

The dealer first found code 30 and replaced the oxigen sensor. Then they told me to put in new plugs, ignition wires, distributor cap and rotor. I argued that this repairs do not make any sense but they insisted [added: and I replaced those parts]. This was all that I agreed to pay for and they suggested that I leave them a deposit and they install a used but supposedly working distributor. All those repairs left the problem alone.
There is not much done to this car due to its low mileage. I only replaced all of the exhaust parts at MIDAS earlier this year and installed the new rear calipers. Last year I got new front rotors.

Re gas: I checked for water by using 3 bottles of methanol water remover before going for repairs. I only go to one Esso gas station and their gas never caused any problems before.

This is basically it. Hope someone will be able to figure it out cause I am pretty exhausted and lost...

 

wait, did you replace the dis cap and rotor, plugs and wires or not?

 

Yes, the plugs, wires, cap and rotor have been replaced.

 

 

Do you have a haynes manual or anything like that? If you do I would suggest reading the error codes for the engine and making sure that the screw that you turn to check the engine codes is in the right position. If the screw is not in the right position, the car will stumble and die. If you don't have a haynes manual, I would suggest buying one from PepBoys or Autozone or another store like that. It's a solid investment. If you can't get a hold of one, I can look up the instructions and type them out for you, but there won't be any pictures. Also did you have your ignition timing set? 15 degrees is stock, so I'd check that out too. I'd check the air intake path, to make sure nothing is blocking it as well as the exhaust path. Make sure your air filter is clean and the throttle body isn't extremely dirty. If the throttle body is dirty, a simple procedure found here: http://www.exclusiveatlanta.com/maxi...dy%20vg30e.htm can fix it. If that doesn't help, try replacing some different items, such as the EGR valve, PCV valve, and fuel filter. My car used to stumble and die, but with the replacement of the PCV valve, the fuel filter and the testing of my EGR valve to make sure it works, it runs really smooth. Also try setting your idle speed. Once again, all of this is covered in a Haynes Manual. I would suggest getting one. Check your spark plugs and see what they look like and compare them to the back of the Haynes manual. It will give you pictures of spark plugs and the reasons they look like they do. It will also help you spot problems. So in summation, buy a Haynes manual!

 

The dealer has reset the codes, so I am assuming that the screw is in the right position. They reset the timing and idle RPMs and replaced the fuel filter at the same time.
The air filter is new as well as the plugs, wires and whole distributor.
The overall condition of a car is literally like new: it is extremely clean and drives nicely. All of the parts under the hood look like new.
I also checked if there is anything in the intake. No, it is absolutely clean.
There was knocking noticed last friday when accelerating up the hill. I never heard it before that and since then.

 

What octan gas are you using? The only other thing I can think of is a random vacuum leak.

 

The car is been fed with 89 octane in Summer and 91 octane in Winter from Esso

I have been thinking of the RPM drops on HW and the only explanation I can find is that timing goes way early to one cylinder which causes the car to stumble and RPMs to drop. Does it make any sense to you guys? If this is the case, looking into the computer can help prolly.

Yesterday I also noticed that RPMs dropped and already stretched my hand to set to neutral and restart but noticed that the engine was STILL RUNNING. It was only tacho that indicated no RPMs for a couple seconds. Something really scary and unusual is happening and in my opinion it also points to the computer or electric wiring. I do not think ignition itself is faulty, it is probably computer, wiring or the contacts in the switch panels. Makes sense or not?

 

IS THERE A CODE 30?

 

Do you have a digital dash or just a regular instrument panel? The digital dash has been known to fail and even if you have a regular instrument panel, it might be some worn wiring. Does the engine sound any different when the RPM's drop? does the car actually stumble or does the tach just show a drop in RPM's?

 

It has a regular dash.
Sometimes it stumbles, sometimes it just dies and RPMs go to zero, sometimes it shakes for a second and dies.

And what is strange: sometimes the 'check engine' and other lights go on when it dies, sometimes they do not.

What I know for sure is that it is getting worse and worse every day. Today it stalled three or four times on the way to work, a week ago it would only stall once a day or once every other day, before that it would stall once a week or so.

 

Does the car ever smell like gasoline? Could be the old fuel lines.

 

It's hard to say. On one side my wife smelled gasoline a couple times in winter. On the other I never smelled it and she said it never happened again.

What happens with the old gas lines?

Added:
It sounds like this car is falling apart... And it hapens at 85K kms!
Now I can here that a switch is clicking in the left lower side of the dashboard all the time. I turn off fan, lights and radio and hear that switch going on and off every minute or so. I am getting convinced that the only reason for all the problems is a one lose electric connection somewhere.

 

The gas lines are made out of rubber and when they heat up they expand. When they get cold they contract. Expand, contract, expand, contract, crack, crack, crack, leak, leak, leak.

 

He replaced my computer yesterday and this did not fix the problem. Now I have all new:
1. Oxigen sensor
2. Distributor (just testing, did not buy)
3. Cap and rotor
4. Wires
5. Plugs
6. Fuel pump
7. Computer (just testing, did not buy)

The car keeps stalling and fails to start. When this happens the fuel pump is not going. So this is a fuel problem 100%. But what is causing the fuel pump to stop? Need your help!!!

 

It looks like the problem is in one of the connectors around the distributor. I cleaned them with the contact clean spray and it did not stall. I was driving Okay for two days already, before it used to stall several times a day.

 

hey tarzan

what area r u in??? in toronto???
so i guess ur maxima is runnin good now...thats good 2 hear

if u want 2 meet up on a weekend just drop me a note...us 3rd gen owners in T dot O have 2 get 2gether

l8er Tarzan and good drivin' with ur maxima