# Help Please with Altima!

**URL:** <https://community.cartalk.com/t/help-please-with-altima/78361>\
**Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\
**Tags:** nissan, altima\
**Created:** [March 31, 2013, 2:06am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/help-please-with-altima/78361 "2013-03-31T02:06:57Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![KarolynD](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/35a633/32.png) [@KarolynD](https://community.cartalk.com/u/KarolynD)\
**Post date:** [March 31, 2013, 2:06am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/help-please-with-altima/78361/1 "2013-03-31T02:06:57Z")

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I have a 2004 Altima. For the past few weeks, when I start it will act like it is about to stall. I will press on the gas to try to “clear” it out, but it doesn’t work. This doesn’t happen all the time, just every once in a while. Now, after I got home from work the day before last it would turn over when I started it, but it wouldn’t start - it was like gas wasn’t able to get to the engine. This happened again after running some errands and I got stuck picking my son up from baseball.  
I took it to the mechanic who said he couldn’t find anything wrong, as it wasn’t causing any problems when he started it.  
I am taking it to a different mechanic on Monday, but if anyone has any thoughts on what it might be, I would appreciate it.

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**Author:** ![db4690](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/db4690/32/2583_2.png) [@db4690](https://community.cartalk.com/u/db4690)\
**Post date:** [March 31, 2013, 3:20am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/help-please-with-altima/78361/2 "2013-03-31T03:20:44Z")

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Check fuel pressure  
Check spark  
Check for current/stored fault codes  
Was the tank nearly empty when it acted up?  
How many miles?  
What engine?

It’s possible you just have a dirty throttle body or a bad IAC idle air control valve.

Try cleaning the throttle body yourself before getting too much into it first. Throttle body cleaner is probably $5/can and it’ll take you just a few minutes.

How old is that fuel filter?

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**Author:** ![George\_San\_Jose1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e5b9ba/32.png) [@George\_San\_Jose1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/George_San_Jose1)\
**Post date:** [March 31, 2013, 4:52am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/help-please-with-altima/78361/3 "2013-03-31T04:52:04Z")

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Is all the owner manual suggested routine maintenance up to date? If not, that would be a good place to start. Best of luck.

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**Author:** ![dagosa](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/dagosa/32/9837_2.png) [@dagosa](https://community.cartalk.com/u/dagosa)\
**Post date:** [March 31, 2013, 5:37am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/help-please-with-altima/78361/4 "2013-03-31T05:37:22Z")

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Fuel filter…  
That would be my first look…

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**Author:** ![knfenimore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9fc348/32.png) [@knfenimore](https://community.cartalk.com/u/knfenimore)\
**Post date:** [March 31, 2013, 7:06pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/help-please-with-altima/78361/5 "2013-03-31T19:06:41Z")

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I would bet intermittent fuel pump. You could squirt starter fluid in it next time it dies and see if it starts. That would tell you it’s a fuel problem.