97 Altima GXE MAF Issue?

[Tatum]

My dad and I have been having an issue with his '97 Altima GXE. The problem started off with my car stalling at lights and running rough, we found the temporary fix for that to be to prop the MAF sensor connecter since it seemed to be getting a poor connection. The problem then escalated to where that wouldnt fix it anymore so we replaced the MAF sensor connector, no dice so we replaced the sensor too thinking it got fried or failed for what ever reason. That didnt work either and the car for the longest time refused to even start, it would turn over and act like it was about to start but nothing. Ran the codes and all it threw was a MAF related error and an 02 sensor error, we figured it should still start even IF the 02 sensors/maf sensor were the issues so we did a bit of googling and long story short, we decided to replace the crank position sensor, cam position sensor, and neither helped. It sounded like it wanted to go a bit more but thats it. After double checking for spark, fuel, and air (all of which the car was getting) we decided to mess with the distributer to adjust the timing and that worked. Car starts but runs like it is in limp mode and will die if foot isnt on the gas. Any input on this would help immensely, we have tried so many things but we just cant keep funneling money into the car if we cant figure the issue out.

[VStar650CL]

Because the MAF is located between the airbox (fixed to the chassis) and the engine (somewhat-movable), the MAF wires always need to flex slightly at some point. It's very common to see breaks develop over time in the loop of wire connecting the MAF to the main bundle of the engine harness. Your assumption that the car should still start with a bad MAF signal isn't usually true, I've seen plenty of Nissans towed in on a hook for a piece of lint or butterfly wing in the wrong place. Most Nissan ECM's don't have any effective cross-check for the MAF, they just need to trust it. When it lies, bad things happen. On older stuff the car will usually run without the MAF only if the MAF is disconnected. Try unhooking it and see if it runs better, if so then it's definitely causing your issue.

I'd start by doing some earnest diagnosis on the MAF instead of throwing parts at the car. You should see a solid 12V across the two middle pins of the MAF connector, if it's low or zero then you have a wiring problem. To find out which wire, test each of the middle pins to a chassis or battery ground. If both are still zero or low then the problem is on the power side, if one of them suddenly reads 12V then there's a problem with the ground wire. The colors on your new connector probably won't match, but you can find a diagram on EC-105 here. The connector view shown is "terminal side", i.e., the side away from the wires:
https://www.nicoclub.com/service-manual ... 7%2Fec.pdf

Bad pin-fits and poor grounds are also common problems on any older ride. Bad grounds are a particular issue on any old car like your Altima where the ECM is inside the car and not in the engine box. Here's the right way to check them:
keep-your-engine-on-the-ground-not-just ... 28130.html