I'm not quite sure what the actual issue is. I've had it in and out of the shop since June. It seems to have boiled down to the distributor, but not sure since the shop I took it to seems to have made that an issue in-and of-itself.

Symptoms: The car would start, and drive and then out of nowhere, it would sputter and then die out. After that it would not start unless I let it sit for a few minutes. If I tried to start it back up, it would turn over, and then just shut right off. I noticed that if I was riding at about 1K/RPM and then accelerate, that it would hesitate and then choke out around 2.5 RPMs-3 RPMs. I have had the car go out on me in the middle of driving on a highway. It happened more often when I would be sitting at idle at a light, and then when I try to accelerate through it, it would die.

There was one code, I can't remember the exact code, but it was something about a CAM Positioning or something like that, and the shop told me they found traces of oil in the distributor.

I'm not all that great with cars, but I have a decent understanding. I'm just not sure if the problem is the same or worse then when I first took it to this shop. I've been taking my cars to them for years, and this is the first time that I've had repair issues with them after I had taken it to them for the same issue.

They also seemed to have messed up my wire harness that goes to the distributor, to the point that I had to go to a yard and pull just that piece and have them put it back on (at no charge of course).

While I am working on trying to get a new car (as my plan to do so around april of next year) this seems to have put a hitch in those plans.

Would anyone know why this is happening to my Altima? I have her back now, and she's been good to me, but I can't trust it enough to take me too far anymore.

all expected. new distributor (OEM rebuild is best bet), replace the 4-pin connector that plugs into the dizzy.

this is exactly what my car does. starts and idles fine, but when you step on the gas it stutters and dies. it's in the shop now. they are still hunting for the answer. anyone know what could be wrong?

so it was the distributor!!! free replacement at autozone. the cheapo replacement only lasted 4 years, so you may want to get an oem rebuild as suggested by 3qjay in his numerous posts. so this one has a happy ending, car running great. jeff