Car: 1997 Nissan Altima GXE 4cyl, 82K miles
Problem: Occasional stalls at idle, rough running at medium speeds, stumbles, hard starting, all intermittent. Problem for over a year, no obvious connection with time of year, cold/hot, wet/dry, etc. Has gotten only slightly worse over time.
I Tried: Replace spark plug cables and plugs. Replaced fuel pump relay.
Mechanic Tried: Checked for computer codes - none. Replaced distributor. Checked fuel pressure - OK. Talked to Nissan mechanics - clueless!
Any ideas out there? No, it’s not oil in the distributor!
We had a problem lke this. It was carbon plugging up th exhaust gas recirculation system. We had codes tripped when it ran rough, but this could still be the problem.
Intermittent problems are tough.
I would look for poor grounds on the computer/fuel control system.
I would suspect that perhaps the cold start enrichment system occasionally hangs up causing the car to flood. I have had that problem on a couple of different cars.
put the PCM,and the main relay in the freezer for 2hours,one at a time and see if that changes anything.
just remember one at a time ,so you know which one made the difference or not.
good luck.
wouldnt say the dealer techs were clueless (just tight lipped)and for obvious reasons.KEEP THAT UNDER YOUR HAT,LMAO!