[huskerduu]

I have a couple 2008 Nissan Altimas, do love these cars. One is a parts car as some deer took care of it. Other I drive all the time. Issue I'm having now is I'll be driving just fine, then all the sudden it'll start surging. You push on the gas, and it's like nothing happens, then push just a little more and it thinks it's in the Indy 500 and takes off like crazy. Put the cruise on, and it'll surge up and down, very annoying. I can't figure out what triggers it, as sometimes it happens in town, usually happens on the highway, the cruise doesn't seem to be a factor. It does it with or without it on.

I took the accelerator sensor out of the parts car and installed it, and the throttle assembly under the hood too. Still doing it. I have to think they're just fine as I have never had this problem before. My scanner gives no codes that are related to this that I can see. I will try my buddy's more advanced scanner Tues I hope. Any info anyone could provide on this? Thanks very much.

 

[huskerduu]

Oh ya, and I forgot to add, the only way to make it stop is to shut the car off, open the door to reset, then start it back up and go. Real convenient.

 

[rogoman]

Oh ya, and I forgot to add, the only way to make it stop is to shut the car off, open the door to reset, then start it back up and go. Real convenient.

A common problem with random engine shutdowns, difficult startups, rough running is a marginal camshaft position sensor (CMP) or a marginal crankshaft position sensor (CKP). Most of the time when this happens, the "check engine light" never comes on; subsequently when performing an ECU code readout, there was no fault code set. There's been many members here on the forum that have had problems similar to yours and the fix was replacing those two sensors.

The best and cheapest fix for this situation is to replace both sensors at the same time; the reason for doing this is there is no way to determine which sensor is at fault with this type of condition. You can take your vehicle to a dealer/repair shop and they'll tell you there is nothing wrong after they go through with diagnostic tests because at that time the vehicle was running OK. You could end up spending $200 or much more depending on how much time/parts are used.

When replacing sensors, always use Nissan OEM parts from a Nissan dealer; aftermarket electronic items generally are not reliable, don't last long, and many times are DOA. The sensors are not very expensive; around $120. Inspect the harness connectors on all the sensors for any oxidation or loose connections. Insure that any water resistant connector is in good condition; if the seals have been compromised, then any water intrusion can cause intermittent problems.

 

[huskerduu]

That's exactly the kind of info I was searching for. Thank you!

 

[huskerduu]

Welp, replaced said sensors, and the problem still exists. It actually runs fine until the check engine light comes on, which I know is a problem with the exhaust. It isn't caused by the cruise, and it's unpredictable. Sometimes it'll start a couple miles in, sometimes 25 miles in. Just never know. I wish I could figure this out, makes driving the car very unenjoyable.