I have a 97 Altima that ran fine and started sputtering on the way home from work on my wife, I drove it, ran fine. The next week it did the same thing. I replaced all plugs, wires, cap & rotor, it ran good for a couple more days and did it again. We took it to the dealership and they said it was the distributor no question. I drove the car for 3 days no problem, gave it back to my wife and the next day it went to sputtering again. Took it back to the dealership and they re-replaced the wires. Still the same problem after about 3 days. I started too see a pattern with filling the car up with gas and it running fine for me and then giving it to my wife on thursday it would act up again. I spent $980.00 at the dealership and don't want to spend any more there, could the fuel pump be acting up as the tank gets low or is there a fuel pickup that may be prone to decay? I am guessing the pump is in the tank. Any help I wouold greatly appreciate as my wife said forget it and got another car and I want to keep this one for my daughter for a first car next year. Other than the sputtering issue it is still an excellant car. The only code it gives is a knock sensor which the dealership said it would give with the way it was acting. Thank you, Mark
2/3/07 Well the $800. dealer distrib. didn't help or the $90. wires. I did however replace the fuel pump, no change. I had great success with the fuel regulator, the problem is about 97% improved. I now only notice once in a great while driving on a long stretch where you don't move the accelerator much and there is only a slight hesitation felt, you give it gas and it accelerates perfectly and no problems again until you let off the gas. I have had no problems at an idle except it seems low about 600/700rpm but no stalling and these problems are again very rare. Maybe it is something like a air sensor, I have no way to check this other than replace and keep searching. Thanks for the replies, I appreciate the suggestions. Mark

Dude I have a '97 also ,,,,, It is doing the same thing , I have replaced the wires ,plugs,rotor and cap, Had a high pressure injector clean done . Mine gets 28 miles to the gallon on the road but It will just barley run at a stop sign or a red light . I just replaced the radiator today.... anyway .... the top plastic cap let go.... and well you know all the water leaked out.......please if any one has got any Ideas on this ruff idle thing , I put in on 2 dianostic comp. they read misfire on #4 cyl.... I could use a hand figuring it out...... thanks

I had the same thing happed. Its the intake manifold gasket. They disintegrate and fall out from between the head and manifold around 180,000. You can test yourself by spraying some fluid near the intake's gasket near the far right hand cylinder (#4 cylinder), you should hear the engine change rpms for moment or so. Changing the intake gasket means removing the head and all of the related and connected parts.

Have fun.

gob might have a point, he been thru this before. id use some gumout or wd40 to do the test he was talking about. id do it with the engine hot. if you think its the fuel pump, just drop the tank and stab a new one in.easy saturday project, look carefully at the pickup tube and the filter sock. something no one has mentioned is water in the fuel.run a bottle of heet thru each tank for next couple tanks to clear out any moisture.could be yu got a load of water in some bad gas.if you think this might be the case, remove the fuel filter and tap it out on a piece of glass, water will seperate from the fuel and be very evident.could be when you fill it up with gas you are stirring up the water in the tank and causeing the prob. let us know what happens!

u dont half to drop the fuel tank remove the bottom of rear seat there is a access panel of the fuel pump

You do not have to remove the head to replace the intake gasket. Pour water across the intake where it meets the head and see if it makes a "slurping" noise, if it does then it's a bad gasket.

hey man try the E.G.R or the mass aif flow sensor.that might work.Had a simular problem with mine.cant saymuch for the miss fire

driftin_22

check distributor seals if oil leaks into the distributor it will cause the car to sputter. oil dries up car runs fine. oil leaks in again car runs bad. I believe its the cam position sensor that is in the distributor. oil gets on it and causes the wires not to fire to plugs.