Folks, I need your help trying to make sense of what is going on with my IPL coupe I just picked up last Friday with 11,000 km (6,600 mi). I seem to be having engine trouble. Driving through the city yesterday I had to make three different stops. After starting the engine, on all three separate occasions and after having sat for anywhere from 10 to 30 min, my engine would stumble and sputter. The sputtering would last anywhere from 10 sec to 1.5 min. The revs would rise to approx 1800 rpm and then settle, rise and settle and so on. Even when applying some throttle, the sputtering would continue. Eventually the sputtering would stop. On the final third start after sputtering rather strongly, to the point of making me and the cabin shake back and forth, the Service Engine Soon light came on.

When I started the engine this morning on two separate occasions no sputtering took place. I decided to take the car in this morning to have Infiniti Service look at the SES issue. Also, of course, the SES light went off just before dropping the car off at the dealership. I explained the problem to the service rep. They went and had a look and could not replicate the problem. Also, apparently no codes were stored. Is that even possible? I thought that if the SES light comes on a code would be available for them to read? Any insights would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

wolfmanjack

 

Have u done anything to the car? Oil change, intakes, exhaust, etc?

Funny it would just sputter all of a sudden, then stop just as quick.

 

Did you get your MAF sensors wet or unhook them for any reason?

 

The dealer performed an oil and filter changer prior to delivering the car last Friday. I have not made any modifications to the car and it is fully stock.

 

Could be contaminated fuel. It happened to me a few years ago in a Nissan Altima. It started running funny about 1/2 mile from the gas station.

 

Definitely a possibility. I'll add that over the weekend I fueled up with Shell 91 Premium. These problems I reported happened approx 1-2 days later after having gone through 1/4 of the tank without any issues. With my previous 2008 G37S coupe I always used the same Shell station and never seemed to have any sputtering engine problems.

 

1-2 days later probably means its not bad gas. When I got the bad gas, it took minutes to tell something was wrong and about half hour to get the SEL. I would take it to the dealer and have them check it out.

 

Water in the gas? Try a fuel treatment then.

Other than that...I got nothing.

 

Banana in the tail pipe?

 

Given the oversized finishers that Infiniti installed on the IPL, you'd probably need a pineapple...lol. I'll have a look though...

 

just brain-storming, what was the weather that day, rainy/damp, foggy? bright and sunny?

 

91 Sir? is that low for our cars, I been using only 93.

 

When I got water and sediment in the gas, it was way more then a fuel treatment. New fuel pump, injectors, fuel tank cleaned out. $1300 payed by Mansfield oil company. I always keep my fuel receipts.

 

Sounds like water in the fuel, or water on the MAF element(s). Toss a half bottle of dry gas/Yellow HEET in the tank.

Only about 5-7% of the population purchases premium fuel. It is VERY common to have water at the bottom of the tank at service stations.

91 octane is mixed at the pump from the 93 octane, and the 87 octane tank. I have got more water from randomly putting 93 octane in some of my vehicles that didn't need it.

 

I been long time owner of Max, 350s and now G37.

It tells you use only premium Gas so 91 would be on the low side correct?

I only use Shell Gas, not sure what other brands are good.

Also Nissan recommends not to put any kind of cleaner in.