CAR IS JERKING

Asked by Misty Mar 15, 2010 at 10:50 AM about the 2005 Nissan Sentra 1.8 S

Question type: Maintenance & Repair

MY car started jerking when i started it and while i was driving it when i push the gas it would not jerk as bad but it seemed like it did not want to pick up speed and when i stop it acts like it wants to die. HELP!! I have already had the timimg belt changed

67 Answers

515

have you had the timing checked?...maybe check to see if there is a vacuume leak some where...or maybe a fuel delivery problem, a faulty injector, a plugged fuel filter...or a plugged convertor... hope this helps a bit!

50 people found this helpful.
580

Did you ever figure out what was wrong with your car?? Mine is doing the same thing! I tried new engine coils, spark plugs, mass air flow sensor and no luck yet! Let me know what you have tried... Sierra

58 people found this helpful.
685

I replaced my crankshaft sensor on min and that seemed to do the trick. Is your Check engine light on?

68 people found this helpful.
1,280

My Nissan Sentra 1.8 S started to feel like it swallowed a Watermelon. Very sluggish to drive and hard to start. This car has 82,000 miles on it and has been well maintained. Found out that there is a service campaign on the Fuel Pump. The new kit includes a fuel pump and a fuel regulator and my mechanic thought this might also take care of the starting problem. $ 498 dollars later, my car is jerking all over the place...usually at high speed. I am a single gal with two kids and me and my son are fighting an illness that insurance won't cover. WE DID NOT NEED THIS. I thought Nissan made reliable cars but just internet surfing and looking at review after review by consumers, I think I bought a lemon.

64 people found this helpful.
1,280

same problems....check engine light came on and got codes po420 abd po455 ....probable causes = faulty fuel cap, purge system leak, faulty canister vent control valve, faulty purge control valve, large vacuum leak, fuel system fault, ignition system fault, failed bank 1 catalytic converter....this car has been checked out by 2 auto mechanics...... nothing came up on at least two diagnostic runs.... fuel system cleaned, new fuel pump and fuel regulator installed, new spark plugs, and no leaks detected..... 2 weeks after work done I get the service engine light on with those codes......WHAT'S UP ???????

64 people found this helpful.
430

Same issues as above, 80k miles. Got codes for multiple misfires, car is jerking at high speeds and makes a glugging noise while idling. We thought that this was caused by the engine running lean (some cat converter codes noted above). replaced the o2 sensors, but the issue persisted. One day the car doesn't start. I took it to a reliable mechanic who noticed two problems. The ignition coil had to be replaced as well as the crank sensors. The car starts now...but still jerks or bucks when idling and at high speeds. Who would have though these problems would be so pervasive in Nissans?

43 people found this helpful.
4,535

As a mechanic and as a Sentra owner who has modified nearly every aspect of his own car, I would suggest trying a couple things if you have not yet done so - I can't guarantee that any of these will resolve your issue, but unfortunately it is extremely difficult to troubleshoot/diagnose a vehicle without experiencing the issue firsthand: 1. Try re-grounding the MAF (Mass Airflow Sensor). Even the slightest resistance in the ground wire of the MAF will cause it to send the wrong information to the ECU regarding how much air is being drawn into the motor, which will throw off the critical 14.7 to 1 air-to-fuel ratio, an issue which can manifest itself in a manner consistent with your description, and is also fairly common in Nissan motors. 2. Try replacing your spark plug wires. This is another part that is extremely sensitive to any increase in resistance, as extremely high voltage is required for the current to arc from one of your spark plug's electrodes to the other. It is also a part that is easily deteriorated by the heating and cooling cycles found within your engine compartment. Although your spark plug wires may look alright, tiny cracks in their insulation and/or breaks in the indvidual conductors found within can lead to inconsistent or weak spark, an issue which can also manifest itself in a manner consistent with your description, and prevalent among many compact cars, especially front-engine, front-wheel-drive vehicles such as yours. 3. This might sound stupid, but check that both your front tires are the same size, and that one is not considerably more worn than the other. This shouldn't be too hard for you to check on your own, just look at the sidewall of both tires and make sure that they both have the same set of numbers printed on the side, such as "195/55R16". If you have two different size tires on the front wheels, the smaller of the two tires will have to make more rotations in order to go the same distance as the larger tire, which in turn means that one axle will try and rotate more quickly than the other. Suffice it to say that this is not a circumstance that your differential or your transmission enjoy, and can also manifest itself in a manner consisten with your description. Anyways, I hope this information helps you out.

67 people found this helpful.
4,535

Just want to add a footnote to my last post: My car ended up doing the same thing just the other day, and after deciding that it wasn't realistically driveable until I resolved the issue, I pulled over, popped the hood, and went through the motor compartment, only to find my MAF ground wire was loose. I tightened it back up, and the issue went away. DEFINITELY check the MAF sensor ground wire, or have someone who knows Nissans very well such as myself check it. I've found that this is exactly the sort of thing that mechanics who do not own or specialize in Nissans tend to misdiagnose.

61 people found this helpful.
935

Sounds like fouled plugs, or a bad coil. Not sure what kind of ignition that 1.8 has though, but I'd assume it's COP.

17 people found this helpful.
530

I have an 05 Sentra and its starting to jerk while im sitting at the stop light and while im driving. I just had a tune up on my car less than two weeks ago and the mechanics didn't experience none of the jerking. Can anyone help me figure this out. I dont wanna spend a bunch of money on random stuff thats not gonna help resolve the issue. I've already had head gasket work and my fuel kit replaced in the car a couple years back. If anyone has any ideas please help.

27 people found this helpful.
4,535

Is your Check Engine light on? When you say it's "starting to jerk" while you're at stoplights, do you mean that the vehicle physically moves forward in small increments, or that the steering wheel is shaking, perhaps not constantly, but regularly enough to notice? When you say that it's jerking while driving, do you mean that it feels like a momentary loss of power, then power returns, and quickly repeats this power-loss-then-surge pattern, or is it more that it begins with a surge, then returns to normal, and repeats, or am I completely misunderstanding? Either way, the more specific and descriptive you can be as you explain what the car is doing, the better, and more likely I will be to be able to help.

38 people found this helpful.
530

The check engine light did not come on while i was sitting still. The car just started jerking as if it wanted to shut off while i was sitting still. More like the care was trembling instead of jerking. The car didn't move foward or anything as I had my foot on the brake. As for when i was driving down the interstate, the care was jerking forward as it seemed like a temporary loss of power or gas flow. At that point the check engine light would come on and off each time the car would jerk. I just had a tune up, (spark plugs changed and new belts), i also had the idol control system checked and they a did a relearn system on that because my cars rpm's were too high. That did solve the jerking/trembling problem but its not as bad. Haven't seen the check engine light come on since.

23 people found this helpful.
4,535

Sounds very much like you're experiencing multiple-misfire events - double check ignition timing, plug gap, and if you haven't replaced cap/rotor/plug wires as a part of your tune-up, that might help as well. The exact code(s) that the CEL is reporting would be very helpful, you might be able to find a shop that'll read it for free.

12 people found this helpful.
170

I have a maxima and am experiencing the same jerking got a new MAF spark plugs coil pack tubing transmission serviced and tune up nothing has stopped the jerking its less frequent butvstill occurring. Ive spent over $3000 fixing things now im broke with a car that stillnjerks. Dealer and local mechanic see no error codes or anything and the check engine light isnt coming on so the say come back if it appears. What should i do?

17 people found this helpful.
4,535

A new MAF won't fix a bad harness ground. Try regrounding the MAF.

13 people found this helpful.
200

I have an 05 Nissan Sentra. Mine does the jerk thing too at 40 MPH. The RPMs will be at normal speed then jerk down to 1 and a half. I have got a new gas cap, which made my check engine light go off after a "multi cylinder misfire" reading. My gas gauge never works until I am at a quarter of a tank. I notice that when the gas gauge doesn't work, the car jerks, but when it has a normal reading, the car doesn't jerk. Other than that the car runs fine.

20 people found this helpful.
100

hi, i dont no if any of you will be able to help me. i have a 1990 nissan AD wagon. my car runs well. no noticeable driving problems. my issue is cold start. when i start the car turns on and jerks like if its suffocating, and levels out on its own, morning time start is the most aggressive. i have an electronic throttle qg13 engine. i was told to try spraying a carburetor spray into the TB before starting, this in fact makes the car start very smooth. but its only for that one start, any other cold start for the say will result in a problem happening. i have no check engine light, no codes come up if i scan. any help?

10 people found this helpful.
200

I had a problem with my nissan sentra thumping, had advance auto parts run a car sensor for free on my car, said cylinder 4 was miss firing, replaced my spark plugs, car did a bit better but not a lot. So I then replaced the coil on cylinder 4 and it ran a lot better, it stopped thumping and gained a lot of it's horse power back. It is now idling out though when i start my car, once i get it running a bit it keeps running but getting it going sucks. I'm not sure what to do next.

20 people found this helpful.
360

2003 NIssan Sentra 99500 miles .Car jerks when at stop light. SES light is ON and SES code is P0302 Cylinder 2 misfire. Probable causes vaccum leak, air leak, mechanical fault. What is wrong? what should be replaced??

25 people found this helpful.
240

I have a 2003 Nissan Altima. I have had problems for about a year now costing me more than $2000. First my car's check engine light was flashing last June(we did not know we need to stop right away when that happens). We ended up cracking the manifold. Replaced 1 coil, spark plugs and replaced the manifold/catalytic converter(was 1 part). We also had to replace an oxygen sensor that burned out. Few months went by my alternator went out. Replaced it along with battery and had to take to mechanic again because the alternator was bad. 2 months ago car started jerking. The check engine light was flashing, then it stopped and went away, but the car continued to jerk especially at a stop light. Took it to mechanic and they replaced another coil. I went to pick it up and tried pulling out of the mechanics and the car started to jerk terribly. Left it another night and they replaced the remaining coils. Drove fine until this week. The car did the same where it started to jerk the check engine light started to flash. Turned off air-conditioner and the jerking lessened. Turned off car parked it and the check engine light went off and didn't turn back on but the car is jerking as soon as you put it in drive. When parked sounds like a "put, put" sound coming from the engine. What could be the problem? Tired of this car already!

24 people found this helpful.
140

P1111 code on my B15 which wont go away every time i clear the error using a machine, tried changing the cam sensor twice but not responding, jerks when in gear but calm on neutral, help?

14 people found this helpful.
170

I previously had many misfires in my 01 Nissan sentra. My mechanic and a second one diagmosed that the computer ecmwas malfunctioning. I sent the evm away to be rebuilt as this at 295 was the cheapest option. Replaced ignition coil packs and spark plugs. Worked well for 2 almost three years and now the jerking has come back as has multiple misfires had it towed as it will not start now. Hoping it is just the battery however I have a feeling the computer is acting up again. Nissans are pure crap.

11 people found this helpful.
110

We have Nissan wingroad. yesterday i went hill road.that was small hill.vehicle can't go up.when i drive the vehicle ican't over take. please give me a advice to me.

11 people found this helpful.
210

Anyone who can give me any solid advice will be seriously appreciated. I have and Nissan Sentra SE-R 2004, and my engine light has been coming off an on over the past year, as code PO420, and brought it to the dealership to get diagnosed and they said it was the catalytic converter. He said not to worry, I could probably get away with driving the car another year at least without getting it fixed. So, recently, my car starts jerking, almost skipping slightly when I press on the gas at low speeds. The car isn't revving up from this,(it almost feels like there is something blocking the gas getting through and then it goes through suddenly after a second...that is my analysis since I don't know that much about cars). I thought it was my transmission at first, so I went to get the transmission fluids checked and they were fine. The mechanic didn't have time to look at it completely but asked if there were any engine lights on lately. I told him about the catalytic converter and he said that jerking might be caused by that. Another mechanic who hasn't seen the car yet said the catalytic converter wouldn't cause the car to do that. He thinks it sounds like the transmission and is the one who told me to get the fluids checked. Anyone else have similar problems that actually got this figured out? Please help! Thanks!! :)

21 people found this helpful.
110

I have a Nissan albums gxe 97, I drove the car to work n back home, next morning I turn it on, started right away went inside when I came out was off, started but it wont start, after a few trys I gave up to cold. After work check car again but nothing, popped the Hood, found out one spark plug was out, put it back but still won't start, gave it a jump but nothing, it cranks but nothing, I think I drove the car without that spark plug on the distribulator, please help.

11 people found this helpful.
160

my nissan sentra 08 is shaking when im stopped at red light , but when i drive it goes away somebody please help

16 people found this helpful.
130

"2008 Nissan Sentra- when Rpm hand go down to 0, the car sometimes go dead. It idles up and down while in park, seems to stall when going in reverse sometimes. I have slammed on my brakes at times, and it has gone dead. Has under 130000 miles on it. Never had a tune-up.

13 people found this helpful.
400

I have the answer, mine did the same for months on end, I replaced every filter, plug and wire and air flow things I could think of and in the end it was only the engine speed sensor that had to be replaced. Once that was done she drives like a dream again.....

12 people found this helpful.
400

I drive a 2005 jetta 4 - 1.6 ...had the same jerking while driving and cutting out at stop streets and just has no power with foot flat to the floor while pulling away....I have the answer, mine did the same for months on end, I replaced every filter, plug and wire and air flow things I could think of and in the end it was only the engine speed sensor that had to be replaced. Once that was done she drives like a dream again.....

7 people found this helpful.
110

saloution here !! hey i have a 05 nissan altima 2.5 and was having the check engine light problem ! throwing the sensor 1 bank 1 p1148 closed loop control function fault and p0037heater control and p1031 af sensor fault saying low voltage ! this was all after i replaced 02 sensor catalytic converter, coil packs n plugs ! my mechanic buddy did some research! come to find out there is a fuse for 02 sensor in the under hood box left side lookin at engine from front ! 15 amp mini fuse was burned ! look at side diagram to see 02 sensor fuse !! new one in cleared codes n runs like a raped ape and light is staying off! might help !!

11 people found this helpful.
530

I had my fuel injectors cleaned. Try replacing yours or having them cleaned. Never had the same problem again and its been years since I've dont that.

3 people found this helpful.
90

My 02 sentra is bucking jerking an still no answer to this problem

6 people found this helpful.
400

I just like all of you changed everything and only thing that made it stop was when I changed my engine speed sensor unit .. it never jerked again to this day!

3 people found this helpful.
70

Okay so I have a 2001 Nissan Sentra 1.8. Last week when I started the car it wouldn't move in drive, foot to the floor and it didn't budge. Turned off the car and started it again and it ran fine. Now two days ago when I turned the car on it started shaking and putting and just shut off on me. My battery was old so I replaced that and still the same thing. Checked the service engine code it was cylinder 2 misfire.. Replaced spark plugs and coils same problem. I really have no idea what to do at this point someone please help me

7 people found this helpful.
30

Ok so i have a 95 nissian sentra and i replaced the spark plugs wires valcover gasket rotter cap oil filter fuel filter and pump oil n everything and wen i put the car in drive and turn left it shuts off like can some one plz help me i need it fixed rlly bad n i also changed the knock sensor

3 people found this helpful.

replace the carburator with the toyota 4k carburator. This will remove the ecu and instrumentation from the equation. This is popular in the philippines, and I think is a good choice to counteract flakey instrumentation for an old car.

10

I have a 04 murano my truck jumps whenever in park or when I accelerate I was told that oil was leaking into the spark plugs that I had to replace the valve covers and gaskets I just replace the valve covers and gaskets in spark plugs and the truck is still doing the same thing what could be the problem??? Helppppp plzzz

1 people found this helpful.
20

I have a 97 Nissan Quest, and it was jerking on the highway. At low speeds it wasn't noticeable, but at high speed it felt like it's losing power randomly. I found that the sparkplug wire connection was corroded where it comes out of the coil. There's a lot of rain and flood here in Florida, and I think, it got wet. It was totally rusted inside. One of the symptoms was that the jerking would only start when the engine got hot. This makes sense because the conductivity of a wire decreases as it is heated.

2 people found this helpful.
50

Nissan sentra b14 super saloon. Ga15 engine. Radiator blew out, dry rotted. Saw a puff of steam then the car shut off engine check light came on. Restarted and drove half mile to home. Replaced the radiator the next day. Restarted the car, decided to drive to the auto dealer to reset the engine check when I noticed the bucking due to drop in rev on mashing the accelerator pedal in excess of 2,000 rpm. Neutralized and revved thinking possibly a blow off will door the trick, but the car kept dropping off the rev in split seconds as I held the pedal down. Then total trouble. The car shut off and would tumble but not restart. Got the electrician who found the ignition fuse burnt out. He replaced the fuse which also burnt out on restart. Traced the ground to the Mad sensor located on the throttle body. Disconnected, replaced fuse and car started, but kept bucking. Went to the dealer for diagnostic, Mass air flow sensor on the diagnostic. Replaced the throttle body as the maf is built in. Next, battery started overheating and lost reverse lights and the reverse beep. My voltmeter checked out on the alternator at 14.5 v, so did the electricians voltmeter. Replaced the battery today and monitoring. Feeling like I met the devil. Throttle issue resolved though. Goodluck sentrans

4 people found this helpful.
50

Nissan sentra b14 with Ga15 engine. Radiator blew out, dry rotted and cracked under pressure. Saw a puff of steam then the car shut off engine check light came on. Restarted and drove half mile to home. Replaced the radiator the next day. Restarted the car, decided to drive to the auto dealer to reset the engine check when I noticed the bucking due to throw off in acceleration on mashing the accelerator pedal in excess of 2,000 rpm. Car sounded like it was neutralizing and shifting back to drive after every split second. Neutralized and revved thinking possibly a blow off will door the trick, but the car kept throwing off the rev in split seconds as I held the pedal down. Then total trouble. The car shut off and would tumble but not restart. Got the electrician who found the ignition fuse burnt out. He replaced the fuse which also burnt out on restart. Traced the grounding to the MAF sensor located on the throttle body. Disconnected, replaced fuse and car started, but kept bucking. Went to the dealer for diagnostic, "Mass air flow sensor" on the diagnostic. Replaced the throttle body as the MAF is built in. Suggested that steam from the blown radiator got sucked into the intake and into the sensor somehow. Next, battery started overheating and lost reverse lights and the reverse beep. My voltmeter checked out on the alternator at 14.5 v, so did the electricians voltmeter. Replaced the battery today and monitoring. Feeling like I met the devil. Throttle issue resolved though. Goodluck sentrans

1 people found this helpful.
40

For all those who have experienced jerking/hard shifting while acceleration on your Nissan, it could also possibly be your throttle body system. With newer Nissans they have what they call a electronic throttle body. Overtime they start to build gunk inside and in between the throttle plate and the mechanism itself causing it to get stuck while you try to accelerate as the sensors are not sensing the movement of the throttle body in proper increments. I had similar symptoms on my 2002 Nissan Sentra SER. But luckily I found out what the real issue was than having to replace parts that weren't necessarily the problem. The dealership offers this type of service as they clean your fuel/induction system and throttle relearn. Hope this helps

4 people found this helpful.
30

I have a 2013 Nissan Sentra with 61000 miles on it..It is jumping and jerking like crazy..Has no power..The check engine light has never come on..Took it to Advance Auto and the guy didn't get any kind of reading on scan because the light wasn't on..Had a mechanic check my spark plugs and he said they are fine..I have no idea what the problem is but it's not drive able to get it to the Nissan service center..I'm thinking it's a transmission problem because the motor sounds fine when it's running..Any ideas would be appreciated..

3 people found this helpful.
70

It sounds like it's the camshaft positioning sensor bank 1

4 people found this helpful.
80

Anita_53 advance auto parts and other parts places don't have a proper scan tool they have code reader , there's a difference between them, and if there is no check engine light on ger your plenum or intake manifold gasket checked out may be your vehicle is loosing vaccum ,

1 people found this helpful.
30

Hi I have a 2009 Nissan Sentra the car jerks when I turn the ac on does anybody else have this problem ? Then when I turn the ac up high the car would shut off .

3 people found this helpful.
20

Very similar issues. Our car would even die at stop lights on occasion and when you reversed uphill the engine would shudder and stall. Once it would exceed 40mph on the highway. Our solutions were replacing the carbon canister, evap canister vent valve and replacing the intake hose. The intake hose had a tear in it causing much our issues. Secondly, the evap canister was clogged and full and causing a vinegar smell at start up. The evap vent valve was just stuck. We live on a gravel road and that probably caused our canister issues. My advice is to check the intake hose first. All of these parts of easily replaceable and you don't need to be an expert mechanic to do so.

2 people found this helpful.
290

most of these especially last 2 are a bad alternator, connection or a wire grounding out as the case of the battery heating up. clean those connections.

1 people found this helpful.
80

where is the mass air flow sensor ground wire attached to ground??

5 people found this helpful.
80

where is the ground wire terminated for the mass air flow sensor on a 2004 nissan sentra 1.8s

3 people found this helpful.
10

Check coils and spark plug. When there is damaged coils the car shakes. Mynor.

1 people found this helpful.

The newer nissan models of sentra and Altima , were talking 2013 and after, have transmission problems. I'd start by checking the battery, these cars are controlled by electronic systems and if your battery is not supplying the right amount of power, volt wise or amp wise, the transmission especially will malfunction because the computer that runs it is not functioning properly. If you have been driving it on a battery that is low on power the ecm needs to be reprogrammed. Sometimes it is other engine control modules, it depends on if it's your engine or transmission that's the problem. However from my experience it's almost always the transmission and it's terrible design, expect to replace it at some point, + make sure it is serviced, programmed with the latest software update, and getting enough electricity to run properly. I've had mechanics afraid to touch these transmissions because they dont understand them, I even had one tell me it's a sealed system that is unserviceable, when the factory calls for a transmission oil service every 30000 miles. The dealer is the only mechanic I'd trust with these vehicles unfortunately.

80

I have a 2006 Nissan Altima 2.5L 4cyl. It also does this jerking feeling. The best I can describe it is as if you are on a roller coaster, going up. You feel the jerk and the thud noise below and around you. My RPM goes up slightly during each jerk. Almost as if it is trying to stall. I've been told this is a result of multiple misfired but some repairs have been made. The car itself doesn't lurch forward but more like a terrible tremble. This only occurs when I accelerate, whether first backing up, driving forward, or up hills. My check engine comes on all the time and I get differing codes. I have gotten PO300 and PO420. I have had a cracked 3rd cylinder which has been repaired. My spark plugs and coils have all been replaced as well. Any ideas?

5 people found this helpful.
80

It could be a bad engine timming , does the car also jerk when its idling ??

5 people found this helpful.
80

It does jerk at times but it primarily only occurs when it starts to accelerate.

2 people found this helpful.
80

Well than get the intake manifold checked out and give a shot replacing the intake manifold gasket

1 people found this helpful.
350

2009 Sentra: I had the same problem as many Sentra owners had. Started car and when put in drive or reverse it would spit and sputter and eventually stall. This got worse over about a six month time period. Changed all kind of things. Eventually found the 4 inch plastic intake hose near the MAF sensor had two splits in it. I couldn't see them until I physically moved it. Everytime the engine would torque in either direction they would open up and the car would run extremely rough or stall. replaced the intake hose and car runs like new! Hope this helps some one.

3 people found this helpful.

Sentra 2006: Hope this will help someone. From time to time the transmission would start jerking when shifting from first to second gear. At first the jerking is light, but then it gets harder and harder. It is like it shifts at wrong timing. Then I noticed, that the car shifts down hard when I slow down or stop the car. The solution that fixes my car is as follows. Inside on the front passenger side,next to the door, there is a TCM box covered by a small plastic piece. One nut holds that plastic cover. Once you remove the cover, disconnect both connectors from TCM and reconnect in about 20 seconds. I am not a mechanic, but I have a feeling that it make transmission to relearn. It may not fix it after the first try, but it definitely works, at least on my Sentra 2006. Try to do this procedure several times. Try to drive the car, then disconnect/reconnect TCM, and leave the car for the night. The procedure is easy, i believe it is worth trying before going to a mechanic. Good luck.

20

Hello everyone. I found this post and information to be closest related to the problem I am having ish. TLDR: Go to Section C. I have a 2001 Nissan Sentra SE 2.0 with about 90k miles ( I know, that is super low for its current age, my dad had it as a secondary vehicle for 17 years of its life then sold it to me with 79k few years ago and its in amazing shape body and motor.) A. Up until about 2 months ago, the car was running what seemed fine. I owned a 91 Nissan Sentra SE-R about 9 years ago, had it for 11 years and knew the potential of the 2.0 engine and was excited to buy it from my dad when he was selling it. (Random Fact) Its actually the reason he bought the 2001 SE with the 2.0 because he seen how reliable that engine design was. Also seeing when I got my 91 Sentra SE-R (which he owned before me and I purchased from him as well after my brother bought it from a friend who was the original owner and himself drove for 3 years before my dad /rant) it was almost itself almost 10 years old and me being a 18 year old at the time with a lead-ish foot, did get on it quite a bit :) VROOOM! (Im just glad he didnt get the 2001 SE-R with the 2.5 engine, I heard those had lots of problems and I never see them on the road, only the 1.8's and my SE :) A. 1. When I got 2001 SE, I wasn't very impressed, I mean it was OK, but the the car seemed to be a little sluggish vs the 91 model, even for an automatic and the 750 rpm lower red line (6750 RPM) vs the (7500 RPM) red line of the 91 SE-R 2.0. A. 2. The check engine light came on a few months before he sold it to me after driving it to Florida and back from the Chicago area. A. 3. I had it scanned and it was a knock sensor error code (P0325 Knock Sensor 1 Bank 1), so I had that replaced even though there was no notable issue with the performance of the car. A. 4. Few months later check engine code came back on, again knock sensor error, had it cleared at a buddies shop and continued to drive it as a daily with no issue. B. Now recently the check engine light came back on, only this time it was error (P0171 Bank 1 System Too Lean) which auto zone AES techs lean on being a MAF sensor. (My buddy thought it might be a O2 sensor which has been checked and probably has nothing to do with anything currently but just throwing it out there) B. 1. I drove it for a few weeks after that with check engine light on because I am poor and a good name brand MAF costs $100-$130. B. 2. During that time the car got progressively worse, more so at highway speeds, and would hold onto 4th gear up into the 5000 5500 rpm range while giving it normal or slightly above normal gas acceleration. (not flooring it or getting on it by any means) B. 3. I took out the MAF sensor, cleaned it (with some guaranteed +5 HP MAF cleaner from auto zone, and the can had red on it so you know its true) and reset my computer by battery disconnect / lights switched on for 30 mim etc. B. 4. The check engine light would stay off for about 80-100 miles then P0171 check engine code would come back. B. 5. I did this 2 more times over the next few weeks as symptoms returned and on the 3rd clean and reset it things got crazy. B. 6. The car would then not idle correctly and sputter down to 500 rpm then 200 then die, and I would have to start it up 4-7 times before it would warm up enough (or inject enough fuel air, im not an expert) to maintain idle. B. 7. Once the engine was warm enough to maintain idle, it would idle rough and sputter from 800 rpm to 1200 rpm (my normal good running idle conditions are about 750 rpm with no variations other than if running AC or fan kicks on obv.) B. 8. The car would not rev higher than 2300 RPM either while driving or in Neutral. B 9. When driving it would just completely lose all power at 2300 RPM and if I kept my foot on gas at position of power loss it would eventually sputter and gain power only to lose it seconds later. <---- possibly crucial information leading to my current problem?!?!?! C. Fast forward to current day, I purchased a name brand MAF from rock auto (mid level daily driver about $90) and replaced it. !!!WOW!!! This car can get it, the entire time for almost 2 years, this car was lame and sluggish because of a MAF sensor?!?! Why did it take so long for the car to give a error code for it? Meh but yeah WOW this thing has mega pep and smashed on a Jetta TDI 2.0 the other day where as before it left me in the lead infested exhaust cloud it projected... and as it should smash as its the 2.0 in a 2500 lb vehicle, reminds me of the good ole' days with my 91 SE-R :) (which I should of never sold btw it had 240k miles and still ran like a champ and was in great shape.. sad face) C. 1. BUT NOW... Here lies the problem, and reason for posting. C. 2. IT WON'T SETTLE AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS WITHOUT JERKING OR SPUTTERING, SPECIFICALLY ABOVE 55 MPH where the engine / transmission (not an expert) will settles AT or ABOVE 2200 rpm - 2300 rpm? C. 3. Once I get going and am cruising at 55 mph - 60 mph (or any speed where the engine transmission will settle at above 2200 RPM ish it will JERK and SPUTTER every 10 - 20 seconds. C. 4. When it starts to jerk and sputter I can give it a little gas and it will do its 200-400 adjust up (not down shift unless I give it alot of gas in that case its fine too) but once it settles into that 2200 - 2300 rpm or even higher it will sputter and slightly jerk every 10- 30 seconds, the higher RPM its at the harder the jerk / sputter. C. 5. Currently no check engine light or code (but when I had it read the other day from a shop with a $3000 diag tool since I have no check engine light on), the P0325 Knock Sensor 1 Bank 1 error was still in memory, so I had him clear it. C. 6. Also in memory was (they even never heard of it) ?!?! Transmission backup memory failure ?!?! with no error code attached? C. 7. Everything I have done or tried past few weeks (with no check engine or code its frustrating) - New name brand MAF installed, car runs better but ever since initial battery disconnect and reset (even before new MAF), car won't settle at above 2200 rpm - Air filter Clean Looks good - No leaky or disconnected vacuum hoses - Tune up performed 15 months ago with a car buddy, NGK, name brand wires etc. - Checked spark plugs / wires, they look great (even auto zone and car buddies agreed as I took a few out on their lot) cleaned plugs and re-installed (car seemed to run slightly better but still not optimal) - Checked O2 sensor, seems good. - Even though its gimmicky I used some Lucas fuel injector cleaner. (again after half a tank, its running a little better) - Fuel pump and injectors are audible when key put into pre start position. D. The car seems to be running better each day. It can now settle into 55mph - 60mph with minimal sputter and jerking, but any variation on the amount of gas I give it slightly up or down will cause sputter at those speeds. Its almost like I have to find the sweet spot to keep it happy at those speeds. D. 1. As I mentioned above, the car has no problem either putting around town and keeping it below 2300 RPM or flooring it and smashing and taking it to red line every shift. (I had it up to 100 MPH the other day on a closed road of coarse out of frustration and it got up and didn't sputter or jerk until I gave it gas to settle at any speed, 100... 90... 80... 70... always sputter when settling at highway speeds) I have driven it about 300-400 miles since replacing the MAF sensor and having the check engine light stay off. I just realize how long and somewhat rant this is, but I guess the more info the better and shout of to my true Nissan fans and anyone who read this entire post! Thank you for any suggestion or input to this matter! M.C.

2 people found this helpful.

Rpms jumping speedometer seems off and jerking. No lights just got my 2016 Sentra and to find out it has issues is killing me. Seems like no one has answers. Where can I get answers if everyone has tried everything

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