# Car behaving strangely, suddenly, ... **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 21, 2011, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-behaving-strangely-suddenly/606970 "2011-12-21T18:06:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![janeslogin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df788c/32.png) [@janeslogin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/janeslogin)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2011, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-behaving-strangely-suddenly/606970/1 "2011-12-21T18:06:34Z")
Old Nissan, perhaps 2002, Accord? Driven about once a week - started it this morning and the engine surges from about 1000-2000 rpm. Each cycle of surges perhaps less than a second. Stalls when put in reverse or forward. Position of accelerator doesn’t make much difference. Fuel 3/4 full. Ambient air temperature in the 40s. No check lights on. Do you think there is anything I can check before calling the service people? ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2011, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-behaving-strangely-suddenly/606970/2 "2011-12-21T18:10:26Z")
Did you fill the tank recently? In some states the gasoline is a winter mix that throws off the computer on some cars. Also, did this continue after the car had warmed up? ---
**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2011, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-behaving-strangely-suddenly/606970/3 "2011-12-21T21:30:01Z")
I don’t want to sound snarky, but Nissan does not make the Accord, Honda does. Totally different car, totally different fuel injection systems. Diagnostic trees would be totally different. Telling us you have a Nissan Accord is like telling the vet you have a dog and walking into his office with an Iguana. Not quite the same thing. How about you walk outside and look at the back of the car and tell us what it says on the back of the car, or better yet, pull the registration out and that will also give us the model year of the car. ---
**Author:** ![Al\_Bundy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e79b87/32.png) [@Al\_Bundy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Al_Bundy)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2011, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-behaving-strangely-suddenly/606970/4 "2011-12-21T22:14:12Z")
You could check for a leaky vacuum line that could cause this in a number of ways. Do the best visual and feel test you can with extra attention to the ends. Look for signs of cracking or looseness at connections. You could get lucky. If you find something you may be able to address it by cutting back and inch at the end if there is enough slack. ---
**Author:** ![janeslogin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df788c/32.png) [@janeslogin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/janeslogin)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2011, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-behaving-strangely-suddenly/606970/5 "2011-12-21T23:08:30Z")
Yes Rick I know. I did go out and look and tried to edit the correction into SDMB but the five minutes had elapsed. Also wanted to mention that there was a a puddle of something under the tail pipe. In any event, three hours of standing after the early attempt and it started fine. Will check again tomorrow morning. Right now I have no problem. ---
**Author:** ![SeldomSeen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7ba0ec/32.png) [@SeldomSeen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeldomSeen)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2011, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-behaving-strangely-suddenly/606970/6 "2011-12-21T23:32:03Z")
You didn’t say where you live, but if it’s winter there and the car is driven infrequently it could be condensation/moisture/ice in the fuel system. Try dumping in a can of dri-gas and filling the tank with fresh fuel. SS ---
**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2011, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-behaving-strangely-suddenly/606970/7 "2011-12-22T03:10:26Z")
> [@Rick](#): > > I don’t want to sound snarky, but Nissan does not make the Accord, Honda does. Totally different car, totally different fuel injection systems. Diagnostic trees would be totally different. > Telling us you have a Nissan Accord is like telling the vet you have a dog and walking into his office with an Iguana. Not quite the same thing. > How about you walk outside and look at the back of the car and tell us what it says on the back of the car, or better yet, pull the registration out and that will also give us the model year of the car. > [@janeslogin](#): > > Yes Rick I know. I did go out and look and tried to edit the correction into SDMB but the five minutes had elapsed. Also wanted to mention that there was a a puddle of something under the tail pipe. > > In any event, three hours of standing after the early attempt and it started fine. Will check again tomorrow morning. Right now I have no problem. ::: Rick reads **janeslogin** reply::: ::: Rick goes back and reads his post in this thread::: ::: Rick re-reads **janeslogin** reply::: ::: Thunk::: \<— ::: Sound of Rick beating his head against the desk::: —\>::: Thunk, thunk, thunk::: OK, I’m better now. You know, I have been an automotive technician/instructor/service manager for over 40 years now. I hold numerous certifications, and have attended (and given) more more training classes than I can count. I have taught and attended classes half way around the world. But none of those classes ever taught me to read minds. Either that, or I was unclear in my last post. I’ve re-read it and it looks clear to me, but I guess I did not make myself as clear as I should have. So out of sheer morbid curiosity, and just to see what answer I get, I will ask one last time, as clearly as I know how. janeslogin if you would like help with your car, I need to know the actual **YEAR MAKE MODEL** ::: Rick wanders out of thread muttering::: ---
**Author:** ![janeslogin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df788c/32.png) [@janeslogin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/janeslogin)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2011, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-behaving-strangely-suddenly/606970/8 "2011-12-22T16:31:48Z")
2003 nisson altimas/sl ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2011, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-behaving-strangely-suddenly/606970/9 "2011-12-23T18:33:19Z")
Thanks, Rick will sleep much better now. ---
**Author:** ![janeslogin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df788c/32.png) [@janeslogin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/janeslogin)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2012, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-behaving-strangely-suddenly/606970/10 "2012-01-04T17:52:18Z")
Success, apparently. Since posting the information Rick demanded the car has not malfunctioned. How did he do it? ---
**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2012, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-behaving-strangely-suddenly/606970/11 "2012-01-05T13:08:37Z")
My powers are many and varied. Fortunate for you they are mostly ceremonial nowadays. ---
**Author:** ![Count\_Blucher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Count\_Blucher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Count_Blucher)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2012, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-behaving-strangely-suddenly/606970/12 "2012-01-05T14:50:50Z")
> [@janeslogin](#): > > How did he do it? He rolled and made his Datsun save…? _d&r_ ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2012, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-behaving-strangely-suddenly/606970/13 "2012-01-05T17:36:56Z")
**Rick** is a real life mechanic - apparently you don’t have to actually take your car to a mechanic to get it to behave beautifully, but just get a mechanic to respond on a message board. I’m totally remembering this for next time my 2005 Toyota Corolla acts up! 😃