Please help, mechanic has no idea what is wrong....Please Read J30 Owners

[unc1334]

Alright so this problem started a few weeks ago. I was getting on an on ramp to the highway and as I punched the gas, the car kind of sputtered before getting up to speed. Ever since then, it has been happening right between 2200-3000 RPMs. The transmission is new, but the guy at my local shop said it could be the fuel management system or air intake system, but he said I have to take it to the dealership, and the Infiniti dealerships around my way will charge me $100 just to open the good, those bastards. Im a broke college kid, so I really would like some advice in this. The problem is not consistent either, it seems only to happen once I have been driving for a good twenty miles, and once I get up to like 75-80 mph it wont do it, but down between 45-60 it is shaking like a *****.

[yodawill2000]

Read the sticky on this forum for reading the ECU codes on a 93 and report back.

[GerryO]

How many miles on the engine and how does the engine run at idle, when it's running right and when it's having problems?

Codes would help and they are free, once you've accessed the ECM, but watch for previously uncleared stored codes that may not apply. Just report them all.

[Leuthesius]

My bet is gonna be either a faulty MAF sensor, or your fuel pump is going.

[AZhitman]

+1 on the MAFS.

[yodawill2000]

Cleaning the Maf sensor is easy and cheap.Made a big difference on mine as the previous owner wasn't into filter chages.

[Jakw]

MAF was the first thing I thought, too. Possibly bad/corroded connections, or it's just dirty and needs a good cleaning.

[brandonjustice93J30]

I need to do that soon too, plugs and oil change as well...may do that this weekend if my rebate check comes my way...

[naladude911]

wow get a new dealership. $25 for an oil change at a nissan dealership i go to

[brandonjustice93J30]

key word in your statment nala...nissan dealership.

Surprisingly you will find higher prices at Infiniti dealerships vs Nissan.

Infiniti dealership's near me want $75-$100/hr for service as well. Nissan dealer about a year ago wanted $65/hr.

[naladude911]

that is retarded. its the same company/car.

[Q45tech]

Every dealer is an independent business..................they set their own labor prices Nissan Corp only set the MSRP for parts.

[driverdriver]

Infiniti is a premium brand. The J30 has many parts that are J30 specific and its also engineered differently from the rest of the Nissan lineup. Its like the old adage, "you gotta pay to play." If you can't pay to drive a Infiniti get yourself a Nissan, better yet a Chevy-much cheaper to own and operate.

[unc1334]

It was indeed th MAF sensor, good call guys.

I didnt get it fixed at the Infiniti dealership, nor the Nissan dealership. Get this, Infiniti wanted 116.00 to just look at it, while Nisaan wantd 125.00!

Anyway, its gonna end up costing me 550.00 total

[brandonjustice93J30]

Just Call Joe and order the sensor $406 + s/h, may be less if you call and say you're a NICO regular. ....replacement shouldnt take more than 30 mins, it's just 4 bolts holding the MAF to the air box and a screw clamp to the hose, and a single electrical connection.

It's a DIY job.

[yodawill2000]

A few guys are parting out J's right now.If cleaning it and the connector doesn't solve it ..

[unc1334]

I mean they guy that is fixing it for me got the part for $350, which is a decent deal I would say. Plus he is replacing some $50 dollar part that I forget the name of. But it cost $77 to diagnose it, and another $77 for a hour of labor. But thank you so much for helping me out guys.

PS - Will this improve my gas mileage once the new MAF sensor is put it?

[Q45tech]

Typically a internally intermitent MAF can be repaired to [NEAR] new operating condition for a few hours work by CAREFUL resoldering!

Unfortunately finding someone who knows what to do and doesn't have the shakes is difficult.

Buying a junkyard unit may offer a temprary extension of time until it to has the same failure. Since the time to change is a real 15 minutes why not have a junkyard spare.

[brandonjustice93J30]

I would assume so on the MPG, since it would then be able to correctly meter the flow and use the proper mapping.

I know when I had the adjustable MAF on my Spyder, depending on the setting I could get major mpg differences.