After a few raining days sitting outside, my otherwise smoothly running maxima stumbles on acceleration and makes tractor-like vibration and sound while driving. Driving is smooth at highway speed but if picking up speed or driving around local, it just has unusual and excessive engine vibration.
I checked the spark plugs and they are in good condition. Timing was checked correct. I suspect intake air leak but did not see any loose/broken hoses. What other reasons could cause this?
Thank Chris for your thoughts. You may have hit it right on about the misfiring - I never had misfiring problem before as I follow the typical maintenance schedule and the maxima has been trouble free with new car like emission test results. The maxima engine is showing more vibration when climbing steep uphills. The distributor cap and rotor were replaced four years ago but they may possibly go bad now. I will check out these items tomorrow. However, I have never worked on O2 sensor - How should I tell and test it?
If you haven't done so as a matter of normal maintenance, check for cracks in your distributor cap, replace the rotor, check the resistance in your plug wires and replace your fuel filter. Also, someone here can elaborate on proper plug wire resistance and wires that are grounding out. Sounds like you're misfiring when the engine is under acceleration. I'm not sure what fuel system problems would be causing this besides maybe a bad O2 sensor, fouled injector tips or poor fuel pressure. The manual says to check codes in the ECU for a bad O2 sensor and air flow sensor.
Chris
90 & 94 GXE'sThe O2 sensor is down in the Y pipe near the catalytic converter. I think you can put the ECU into diagnostic mode and count the flashes to see if it has stored a code for a bad sensor. You'll need a shop manual with the procedures to do this. Nisstech and Steve T know more how to do this as they are real mechanics that lurk around in this group. The more reliable way to do this is to take it to a shop that has the scanning tools and ocsilliscopes to check the integrity of all the sensors. Also, if it's fuel injector related, they may have to do a flow and pattern test to see if any injectors are "spitting".
Definitely check your distributor cap as I found small hairline cracks in both my 90 & 94 and when I power washed the engine compartment, they had a hard time starting due to moisture getting into the dist and shorting out the spark. Rotsaruck! Chris
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