Having engine trouble and don't know what it is

[joe22staind]

So a few weeks ago I went on a trip and drove my 1998 Nissan Maxima GLE a few hundred miles. The car has 133,869 miles on it and is a V6.

When I got home I noticed when I stopped at red lights and stop signs, the car would make a weird little thump. It wasn't a rhythmic thump, it was happening randomly. So I figured it wasn’t a big problem.

More recently the car has gotten worse. The thump is much more noticeable than it was before and the car is now occasionally losing power when I accellelerate from a complete stop. It feels like someone pushing down on the accelerator and letting go over and over. Also the check engine light has come on.

The car doesn't stall and this seems to be the only problem and it appears to be getting worse.

I seem to think it might be a problem with the fuel system. I was thinking I may need to change my fuel filter. I bought the car second hand about 3 years ago and don't know if it was changed before. But I do know the transmission had it's regular servicing just before I bought it. I also just changed the air filter too because I was thinking it wasn't getting enough air.

I just wanted to get some advice before I bring the car into a mechanic or possibly attempting to fix it myself.

I would really appreciate anyones input or ideas about what might be wrong with my car.

Thanks!

[SteveTheTech]

Hey there and Welcome to NICO!

Glad you found us.

I would recommend checking the codes. Before changing things, as this will give the technician an idea of what is wrong. If you are going to do this yourself there is a manual code retrieval procedure. I have provided the Factory Service Manual below.

There are several sensors and components that will cause the symptoms you have described here and without knowing all the information an accurate diagnosis is not possible right now, but we are here to help.

Engine Control

Read the manual and get well acquainted with the diagnostic procedure before attempting to fix your own car. It takes the professionals several years of training and practice to get it right.

Keep us posted and we will be able to point you in the right direction.