Car starts, idles rough, stalls when accelerating past 2000 rpm.

I have a 2001 Nissan Frontier, 2.4 L, 4 CYL engine. Driving through the mountains the car began to jerk when accelerating hard, so I went easy on the way home. On the flat highway, I began to accelerate after a red light, and the engine died, had to get towed because car would not turn over, and battery would get drained. Changed out the spark plugs, spark plug wires, and the distributor to find that the car started up to a rough idle and the engine would stall when accelerated past 1800 rpm. The MAF sensor popped up as a code and when swapped, car would get up to 2100 rpm then stall. Checked
Experienced mechanics share their insights in answering this question :
The odor of gas is due to misfiring. Check engine compression and check for any exhaust restriction preferably by measuring exhaust back pressure but you can also infer exhaust back pressure by testing engine vacuum. If compression is good and there is no back pressure, the other usual suspects are clogged fuel injectors (remove from fuel rail and send out for cleaning; cleaning injectors on a car is a waste of time because each injector has an internal replaceable filter basket that MUST be replaced), the throttle position sensor, the throttle body, EGR and vacuum leaks, and so forth. It would probably save you time and perhaps needless expense in parts replacement if you request a rough running diagnostic. if you were to request such a diagnostic from YourMechanic, the protocol is pretty standard: a certified mechanic will test for ignition, fuel system, air induction and/or engine sensor problems and these possibilities are tested, in a sequence, using a diagnostic "decision tree". Often, the problem is limited and straightforward, that is easily repairable. There is a good chance of that so I recommend that you request a rough running diagnostic and the responding certified mechanic will travel right to your location and get this diagnosed and resolved for you. If you have further questions or concerns, do not hesitate to re-contact YourMechanic.

How to Identify and Fix Common car Problems ?

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It could be a dead alternator, a bad coolant sensor or lack of fuel, just to name a few. Is your car stalling while accelerating? If so, then it could be a major vacuum leak, clogged fuel filter or a bad fuel pump. If your vehicle is stalling when driving, seek professional help to track down and fix the issue.
There are three major causes for a stalled engine: A lack of fuel, a lack of air flow and improper ignition. Running out of fuel is one of the most common causes of engine stalling, but dirty fuel injectors or a plugged fuel filter can also be the culprit. Your engine needs air to run properly as well.
When your vehicle splutters and eventually stalls it could be a sign that your car needs new spark plugs. The spark plugs, while small, are a critical part of your engine and are what “spark” air and fuel mixture in the engine sending power through your vehicle.
Some common reasons for motor vehicle stalls include: An empty gas tank. A fuel mixture that isn`t rich enough (this is usually the cause of cold stalling and intermittent stalling) A faulty fuel pump, alternator or EGR valve.
Some of the most common sensors that lead to engine stalling include the mass airflow sensor (MAF), engine coolant temperature sensor (ECT) and manifold absolute pressure sesnsor (MAP). The idle air control valve (IAC) and exhaust gas recirculation valve (EGR) are also well known for causing engine stalling.
Either you don`t have enough petrol, or you don`t have enough power in your vehicle. There are several causes for your car to lose power significantly while accelerating. The most typical causes of a car not accelerating while driving include a faulty sensor, contaminated fuel or air filters, or a faulty timing belt.
If you press or let up on the pedal, there will be a delay before the engine responds. This is because of the time it takes the throttle motor to activate the throttle opening. Throttle response should be nearly immediate and not delayed. Gas pedal delay is a safety defect because it can cause accidents in emergencies.
Your car may have a dirty or failing idle air control valve. The idle air control valve reads the air intake as it is mixed with fuel prior to being injected into the engine at low speeds and at idle.
If your car`s transmission has an internal pressure problem, it can cause the torque converter to lock up, causing your car to stall. Though not as often the culprit of engine stalling than others, the transmission shouldn`t be overlooked when searching for the root cause.
An idle air control valve, also called an idle air sensor control motor, is an electrically operated valve that controls the amount of air that bypasses the throttle plate in cars with a fuel injection system [source: Autozone]. This causes the idling speed of the engine to change as needed.
One of the most common causes of a sputtering engine is an issue with the vehicle`s fuel system—the filter, pump, and injectors. These three critical components work together to ensure fuel flows smoothly from the fuel tank to your engine`s fuel injectors, and then pumps into the engine evenly.
There are a few things that can cause your car not to accelerate when it`s on. It could be due to a problem with the throttle body, gas tank, spark plugs, or the ECU. The fuel pump may also be failing. It could also be because you have a dirty air filter or a clogged fuel filter.
You will feel a loss in power while accelerating and at times intermittent jerks. To solve this issue find the fuel filter located in the engine bay or near the fuel tank in your car`s trunk. If the fuel filter is clogged replace it if you have the skills to do so or get it changed at your local mechanic shop.
When a throttle body is not functioning correctly, you`ll usually notice a distinctly poor or very low idle. If the problem is really severe, you might even begin stalling when coming to a stop or when the throttle is quickly pressed.
Bad solenoid may be causing vehicle to stall.
This could be caused by a clogged fuel filter or a faulty oxygen sensor. Both of these issues can cause your car to run less efficiently, which can lead to shaking while accelerating. If you suspect that your fuel injector system is the problem, it is best to bring it to a mechanic for diagnosis and repair.
An inaccurate reading from the sensor will cause the computer to change the amount of fuel it sends, which can rob the engine of power or cause it to run poorly. If there`s less fuel entering the engine, performance will obviously suffer, but it can also cause the engine to stall and cause a major safety issue.
Engine Misfires

Perhaps the single most common cause of rough idle comes in the form of a misfiring engine. As you may know, any automotive engine contains multiple cylinders. Each of these cylinders contributes to powering your car by combusting a mixture of gasoline and air.

Common signs include lacking power when accelerating, rough or slow idle, stalling, inability to shift up, and the Check Engine Light coming on.
If your vehicle won`t go over 2K RPM (assuming it did prior to the issue), then your motor is most likely in limp mode. Limp mode is a feature of modern cars which severely reduces performance in order to do two things: 1) Allow you to drive the car to a safe location. 2) Protect further damage to the motor.
shakes and won`t accelerate, it could be a broken CV joint, broken motor mount, unbalanced tires, a loose wheel, or a stuck caliper. Here are some of the most common causes of shakey cars: Broken CV joint: If your CV boot is faulty, the inner CV joint can fail, causing the car to vibrate when you accelerate.

Relevant Questions and Answers :

the most relevant questions and answers related to your specific issue

Car starts, idles rough, stalls when accelerating past 2000 rpm.
ANSWER : The odor of gas is due to misfiring. Check engine compression and check for any exhaust restriction preferably by measuring exhaust back pressure but you can also infer exhaust back pressure by testing engine vacuum. If compression is good and there is no back pressure, the other usual suspects are clogged fuel injectors (remove from fuel rail and send out for cleaning; cleaning injectors on a car is a waste of time because each injector has an internal replaceable filter basket that MUST be replaced), the throttle position sensor, the throttle body, EGR and vacuum leaks, and so forth. It would probably save you time and perhaps needless expense in parts replacement if you request a rough running diagnostic. if you were to request such a diagnostic from YourMechanic, the protocol is pretty standard: a certified mechanic will test for ignition, fuel system, air induction and/or engine sensor problems and these possibilities are tested, in a sequence, using a diagnostic "decision tree". Often, the problem is limited and straightforward, that is easily repairable. There is a good chance of that so I recommend that you request a rough running diagnostic and the responding certified mechanic will travel right to your location and get this diagnosed and resolved for you. If you have further questions or concerns, do not hesitate to re-contact YourMechanic.

My car will not start Intermittently. I purchased a new battery 2 weeks ago and yesterday the car wouldn’t start. Got a jump and
ANSWER : The issue you are having is probably due to an intermittent fault in the starter motor itself or a deficiency in the starter electrical circuit, for example a large voltage drop due to a poor ground or a high resistance connection. These issues can be readily diagnosed and resolved on a mobile basis if you request a hard starting diagnostic. If you request that diagnostic, the responding certified mechanic will get this resolved for you promptly. Based on Toyota’s Factory Service Manual, the battery should not be disconnected if the vehicle engine is running. The battery acts as a large resistive voltage sink and consequently taking the battery out of the circuit, while the alternator is still running, can create a voltage spike on the car’s electrical system which is not good for voltage sensitive components such as the engine computer. If you have further questions or concerns, do not hesitate to re-contact YourMechanic as we are always here to help you.

My car started idleing rough, vibrations soon as start car, vibrations soon as I accelerate, vibrations, rough idle bad
ANSWER : This sound like you may be having an engine misfire. Have the system checked and scanned to see if codes are present for an engine misfire. If it is, then a mechanic can check to see if a coil or spark plug has failed. You may have oil leaks in the valve cover seals that has caused the ignition to short out in the spark plug holes. A repair of your valve cover gaskets may be necessary, along with the other components that I’ve mentioned. I’d recommend having the vehicle looked at by a qualified technician who will be able to diagnose these misfiring symptoms and fix it accordingly.

My car has a rough idle when I start my car, when I stop at a light my car turns off. Is it the purge sensor?
ANSWER : This may be a result of a dirty or failing idle air control valve. The idle air control valve reads the air intake as it is mixed with fuel prior to being injected into the engine at low speeds and at idle. Since this valve is controlled by the vehicle’s computer, it will adjust idle speed based upon other measurements such as engine temperature, intake air temperature and electrical system load or voltage. When you accelerate, the engine RPM increases, and as you let off the gas, the RPM slowly returns to the normal idling speed with the help of the idle air control valve making the transition from a higher RPM back down to idle speed. When the engine RPM drops below the normal range of about ~800 RPM, this often times will cause the engine to stall indicating a dirty or faulty idle air control valve. I would recommend having an expert from YourMechanic come to your location to diagnose and repair your idle air control valve.

Car wont starts but when it does it will stall and it is rough start
ANSWER : Hello, and thank you for writing in. When the vehicle sputters and struggles to run, it is typically an air, fuel, spark, or sensor issue. If you have the ability to scan it for diagnostic codes, there may be information from the computer to help you make a diagnosis. With only the available information, we would need to perform some tests. Start with the ignition system by checking for sparks, and observing the condition of the spark plugs. You can also test for fuel pressure, and make sure your injectors are clean. You can also make sure your throttle and idle air control valve are clean and in good condition. For further diagnostic help, contact our service department to schedule an appointment.

car shakes when idle and accelerating
ANSWER : It is very possible that you have a valve cover gasket or spark plug tube seal leak on your vehicle. These type of leaks will allow oil to leak onto the spark plugs causing misfires. When the engine misfires due to oil getting on the spark plug, the engine oil will burn. Since oil and tires are both petroleum products, they will both smell similar when they are burning. I would recommend having an oil leak inspection performed by a qualified professional to determine if there is an oil leak. Consider YourMechanic as an Oil/Fluid leak inspection can be peformed at your home or office.

Car hard starts, rough idles , fan on all the time and stalls when accelerating.
ANSWER : Hello.

The symptoms you are experiencing can be caused by many things. A few things I would look at are the fuel, ignition, and engine management systems.

If there is an issue with the components to any of these systems then they may cause performance problems. If there an issue with the fuel pump, ignition coil, or idle air control valve then the vehicle may experience all the symptoms you describe.

I would also take a close look at the temperature sensor, as in some vehicles it is responsible for powering on the fans, and can cause them to malfunction if it goes bad.

You’re unable to pinpoint the issue yourself, consider YourMechanic, as one of our mobile technicians can come to your home to diagnose your stalling issue and the other symptoms you’ve described firsthand.

Rough idle with DTC P0171, engine stalls unless MAF sensor is unplugged – 2007 Volvo S40 2.4i
ANSWER : Your mass air sensor has most likely gone bad and/or is not giving correct data to the computer. Replace the sensor, clear the codes, and retest this.