350Z - Starts up rpms drop and turns off

Maintenance/Repairs
1

I have a manual 2004 350z Enthusiast that i bought a couple of weeks ago and it ran fine on the way home and started and ran great for a while. One day i turned it on to take it out for a spin and while going out of my driveway in reverse which is faced down a little the car stalled out so i turned it back on and the car started but the rpms dropped and it shut back off. Once again i turned it on and it shut back off so i tried it one more time but gave it gas this time which worked because it stayed on. I went to Autozone and while trying to leave it happened again and this time it happened again on flat ground. The car shakes a bit at idle and the rpms go at about 500 or 600 but the needle dances a bit as well. Also the oil pressure gauge goes up a great amount depending on how much I accelerate, do you have any idea what this could be? I thought it was the mass airflow sensor so I bought a spray and cleaned it (without touching it with my fingers or anything else) it worked for about two days and then started happening again

2

Try having the electronic throttle body cleaned.

The electronic throttle body is what controls the engine idle anytime the accelerator pedal is released.

Tester

1 Like
3

It sounds like it is just plain not running well for some reason. Misfiring, problematic air/fuel ratio, or compression problem. Have the compression test done (and check for diagnostic codes), and if that’s all ok, give it a basic tune up.

  • New spark plugs
  • New engine air filter
  • Check valve clearance (if applicable)
  • Check ignition timing, both base and advance
  • Intake manifold vacuum test (for exhaust restrictions)
  • Check fuel trims
2 Likes
4

Thank you, very helpful. That was something i was looking into and yesterday I checked the throttle body and fount out it was very dirty. I cleaned it and it started up great with normal rpms but I will still be taking it to get the tune up done. The previous owner had the incorrect air filter on the car so maybe dirt and dust built up, I bought a new filter and cleaned the throttle body and Mass airflow sensor

5

Thank you! I checked the throttle body and it was filthy, I used throttle body cleaner to clean it and it seems to be running better now

6

Maybe you could quantify this with some numbers or relative amounts? Because this could be concerning. Like the bypass valve is stuck or engine is sludged up…