4th Generation Maxima (1995-1999) Visit the 4th Generation forum to ask specific questions or find out more about the 4th Generation Maxima.

Car sputters while idling and check engine light blinking

Old 12-15-2007, 07:43 AM
  #1  
Senior Member
Thread Starter
 
kosmo886's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2003
Posts: 157
Car sputters while idling and check engine light blinking

The other day I brought my car into a Nissan dealership for service...it get the EGR system cleaned because I was had a check engine light indicating and EGR flow problem. I just got the car back...it was fine for 1 trip (about 20 miles) then the next time I started it...it is idling very hard when in drive, kind of sputtering like it might stall, but hasn't. The check engine light is also now alternating between blinking and on steady. What is the problem? I have never had a problem like this before, so I think it is something they did when "fixing" the car.

Thanks
kosmo886 is offline  
Old 12-15-2007, 08:35 AM
  #2  
Member who somehow became The President of The SE-L Club
iTrader: (19)
 
njmaxseltd's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2001
Posts: 16,033
A flashing CEL light indicates a misfire is happening.
The fact that the light is now also constantly on means there is an error code stored.

Bring the car back to the dealer that did the work and complain.
njmaxseltd is offline  
Old 12-15-2007, 08:37 AM
  #3  
Senior Member
Thread Starter
 
kosmo886's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2003
Posts: 157
Ya I already have an apointment to bring it back. I am just trying to figure out how what they did could have caused that to help my argument that it was something they caused. I am very confident it is...otherwise this would be one heck of a coincidence.
kosmo886 is offline  
Old 12-15-2007, 08:54 AM
  #4  
Member
iTrader: (2)
 
Mctwist77's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Chelmsford,MA
Posts: 288
After I start mine up it sputters, but there are no check engine lights?
Mctwist77 is offline  
Old 12-15-2007, 08:54 AM
  #5  
Member
iTrader: (2)
 
Mctwist77's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Chelmsford,MA
Posts: 288
Oh yeah I forgot to mention that this started occuring after I cleaned my TB and IACV.
Mctwist77 is offline  
Old 12-15-2007, 10:02 AM
  #6  
Senior Member
 
Divewjason's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: FL
Posts: 704
Sounds like a misfiring cylinder. It either has to do with what they did with the car, or it's your sparkplugs or knock sensor. Just take it to autozone and see what codes it has.
Divewjason is offline  
Old 12-15-2007, 10:17 AM
  #7  
§è~® f®ÈÄk
iTrader: (56)
 
nismos14's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: NJ
Posts: 17,511
You car may still be in diagnostic mode, may want to check the screw on the ecu see if that was messed with at all.
nismos14 is offline  
Old 01-17-2009, 11:48 PM
  #8  
Senior Member
iTrader: (4)
 
The Russian's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Russia
Posts: 1,198
dude did u ever figure this out? my car randomly today on the freeway, check engine starts blinking....and sounds like a wrx.....and no power at alll....any ideas?
The Russian is offline  
Old 01-18-2009, 12:03 AM
  #9  
No more Maximas...
iTrader: (26)
 
pmohr's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Oak Ridge, TN
Posts: 14,331
Originally Posted by The Russian
dude did u ever figure this out? my car randomly today on the freeway, check engine starts blinking....and sounds like a wrx.....and no power at alll....any ideas?
This thread is 2 years old, and it's been the same amount of time sine the OP has signed in.

In any case, CEL blinking == misfire, as you can tell by your other symptoms.

Have you checked for codes? Checked the plugs? Tested the coils or injectors?
pmohr is offline  
Old 01-18-2009, 12:05 AM
  #10  
Senior Member
iTrader: (4)
 
The Russian's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Russia
Posts: 1,198
what do i check when i "check the plugs, coils, injectors?"
The Russian is offline  
Old 01-18-2009, 12:07 AM
  #11  
No more Maximas...
iTrader: (26)
 
pmohr's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Oak Ridge, TN
Posts: 14,331
Originally Posted by The Russian
what do i check when i "check the plugs, coils, injectors?"
You look at the plugs. You test the coils and injectors per the FSM.

Have you even checked for codes? That's the first thing you do, always.
pmohr is offline  
Old 01-18-2009, 12:10 AM
  #12  
Senior Member
iTrader: (4)
 
The Russian's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Russia
Posts: 1,198
i have no cel on, it was just blinkin on the freeway, but what am i looking for when i look at the spark plugs, they were recently replaced with new ones...like 5 months ago
The Russian is offline  
Old 01-18-2009, 12:12 AM
  #13  
No more Maximas...
iTrader: (26)
 
pmohr's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Oak Ridge, TN
Posts: 14,331
Originally Posted by The Russian
i have no cel on, it was just blinkin on the freeway, but what am i looking for when i look at the spark plugs, they were recently replaced with new ones...like 5 months ago
Check for codes anyway, you never know.

What exactly were you doing when it started misfiring? Accelerating, decelerating, cruising? High gear at low speed, low gear at high speed?

You pull the plugs, take a look at them. Check their condition.
pmohr is offline  
Old 01-18-2009, 12:16 AM
  #14  
Senior Member
iTrader: (4)
 
The Russian's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Russia
Posts: 1,198
was just crusing 5th gear 50 mph ...then kinda accelerated to take my exit and it started blinking and felt powerless...also started to have a gargle sound from the exhaust like a wrx
The Russian is offline  
Old 01-18-2009, 12:19 AM
  #15  
No more Maximas...
iTrader: (26)
 
pmohr's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Oak Ridge, TN
Posts: 14,331
Originally Posted by The Russian
was just crusing 5th gear 50 mph ...then kinda accelerated to take my exit and it started blinking and felt powerless...also started to have a gargle sound from the exhaust like a wrx
Well if you get no codes when you check, you can just take a look at all of your coils, injectors, and plugs, but if you can't reproduce it there's not much you can do to fix it.

Have you changed your coils yet? The '99s are known for bad coils.
pmohr is offline  
Old 01-18-2009, 12:25 AM
  #16  
Senior Member
iTrader: (4)
 
The Russian's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Russia
Posts: 1,198
never changed them...how much do they run?
The Russian is offline  
Old 01-18-2009, 12:26 AM
  #17  
Senior Member
iTrader: (4)
 
The Russian's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Russia
Posts: 1,198
i have two 99's so maybe i can try switching them up and see if thats the issue
The Russian is offline  
Old 01-18-2009, 12:27 AM
  #18  
No more Maximas...
iTrader: (26)
 
pmohr's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Oak Ridge, TN
Posts: 14,331
Originally Posted by The Russian
never changed them...how much do they run?
That's probably your problem then, they're failing under high load. OE costs ~$84 a piece ($504 in total) or you can get them a lot cheaper here on the org. I've got a set of fronts for sale
pmohr is offline  
Old 01-18-2009, 12:27 AM
  #19  
No more Maximas...
iTrader: (26)
 
pmohr's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Oak Ridge, TN
Posts: 14,331
Originally Posted by The Russian
i have two 99's so maybe i can try switching them up and see if thats the issue
Yea, that's a good idea.
pmohr is offline  
Old 01-18-2009, 12:37 AM
  #20  
Senior Member
iTrader: (4)
 
The Russian's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Russia
Posts: 1,198
ill just do a 3.5 swap if they are all bad...**** that lol
The Russian is offline  
Old 01-18-2009, 10:35 AM
  #21  
Junior Member
 
guygti22's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2008
Posts: 19
and i got a set of front and rears for sell.
take out plug and hook coil to it and lay it on engine somewhere on metal and see if spark plug fires....if not check leads going to coil with multimeter and see if it is getting power to coils.
guygti22 is offline  
Related Topics
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
Lakersallday24
6th Generation Maxima (2004-2008)
10
06-16-2019 01:35 AM
Flores94
6th Generation Maxima (2004-2008)
3
08-11-2015 12:53 PM
Tanvirkamal
7th Generation Maxima (2009-2015)
4
08-05-2015 01:32 AM
bassmann
4th Generation Maxima (1995-1999)
1
08-03-2015 07:53 PM


Thread Tools
Search this Thread
Quick Reply: Car sputters while idling and check engine light blinking



All times are GMT -7. The time now is 10:24 PM.