# [SOLVED] 2004 nissan altima shaking



## ajc83

i have a 2004 nissan altima and jus today it started shaking at low speeds. wen im fully stopped or wen im driving, it shakes and i really want to know what the problem could be.

my frend said that the cylinder is not functioning and that the spark plug needs to be replaced but my other frend told me that my altima doesnt have spark plugs. PLEASE HELP


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## octaneman

*Re: 2004 nissan altima shaking*

Hi ajc83

When was the last time your car had a tune up ?


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## ajc83

*Re: 2004 nissan altima shaking*

i bought it in 2007 off-lease, and ever since i have only done oil changes to it. it has 170k and its a 2.5s


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## octaneman

*Re: 2004 nissan altima shaking*

Its time that a tune up needs to be done. Spark plugs, spark plug wires, air filter, gas filter, ( cap, rotor, if applicable) rotate tires. 

good luck !


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## wsh

*Re: 2004 nissan altima shaking*

Well, if it shakes while parked it's not the tyres. So maybe its a spark plug that it's not sparking. Unless you have a diesel which doesn't has a spark plug.


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## ajc83

*Re: 2004 nissan altima shaking*

well if the sparkplug isnt working, then is it cosntantly spitting gasoline in the cylinders? cuz that wud cause the engine to blow up


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## SABL

*Re: 2004 nissan altima shaking*

The unburned fuel would be pushed out of the cylinder on the exhaust stroke. Engine will not blow up.

I found two engines listed for your model. The engine numbers had a hint at diesel (QR25DE) but both are gasoline engines. If you have the smaller engine (QR25DE) check here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nissan_QR_engine

And scroll down to the concerns with that engine.


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## ebackhus

*Re: 2004 nissan altima shaking*

It's also possible that the engine mounts are coming apart. They keep the enginge from moving around when accelerating/decelerating and also provide mild shock support when idling.

The tune up would be an excellent start.


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## ajc83

*Re: 2004 nissan altima shaking*

okay i changed the sparkplugs and the car was working fine for jus 2 days. now its back to being shaky. i have no diea wat it could be. i do usually race people and floor the pedal so cud that be the reason?


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## SABL

*Re: 2004 nissan altima shaking*

That can be a problem.
What condition were the spark plugs in?? Oil fouled?? If the oil galleys in the head are blocked, oil can seep past the valve stems and foul the plugs.

Did you read the link I posted in reference to concerns with your engine??

If you keep racing the shaking will go away..... if it no longers runs, it can't shake!!


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## ajc83

*Re: 2004 nissan altima shaking*

i checked out the spark plug and its broken now. i replaced it jus 3 days ago. im fearing that oil seeped in and flooded the sparkplug. what are the chances that i have to buy a new engine? i took it to my mechanic today and he has 30+ years of experience with cars and he was baffled. he told me hes not sure wat the problem is and told me its better to go to nissan. if i were to buy an engine, do u know what the price could be


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## wsh

*Re: 2004 nissan altima shaking*

What colour was the metallic part of the spark plug? (Where the spark appears)
Maybe poor air-fuel mix, or maybe too rich, and thats burning the spark plugs. Check it. maybe it needs to be tuned up, to know if this is the problem, it's important to check the color of the plug heads.

Maybe this is ok, and the supply for the plugs (i don't know the name in english, its like a little tank that has a... coil? inside), is not working properly, or the cables need to be changed too.


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## ajc83

*Re: 2004 nissan altima shaking*

well i can confirm the sparkplugs are not the problem. its sumthing thats breakign the sparkplugs. my mechanic thinks its oil leaking in to the sparkplug and making it useless


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## octaneman

*Re: 2004 nissan altima shaking*

ajc83

There are three factors that can cause the spark plugs to break inside the cylinder. 1) Mechanical damage. 2) Pre-Ignition. 3) Detonation.


1) Mechanical Damage : A foreign object has entered the cylinder or the spark plug is protruding past it's normal distance. The piston has struck the ground electrode of the spark plug breaking the insulator.


2) Pre-Ignition: The cause of pre-ignition is the ignition timing is way off, and there is hot spots in the cylinder, or the air/fuel mixture is not being set properly by the computer.

3) Detonation: This is caused if the engine has been overheating from using a higher grade gasoline than what is recommended or the ignition timing is off. Higher octane levels increase engine temperature causing the insulator to crack due to the shock waves produced by combustion. 


Since you race the car, you are most likely using a higher grade fuel, the stresses on the engine are multiplied exponentially and it has a direct effect on the life of the engine.


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## ajc83

*Re: 2004 nissan altima shaking*

i use the normal gasoline. 87 regular


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## wsh

*Re: 2004 nissan altima shaking*

The premium gas, can support more compression and avoid pre-ignition.
The regular can't be compressed like the premium.
If your car has a high ratio of compression, and you use regular, it can suffer the pre-ignition.
Use super or the one that is between the cheapest and the premium.


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## lortech

*Re: 2004 nissan altima shaking*

are you located in the lower mainland in bc? if so, I can fix your issue with a nominal fee. Been a automotive tech for years.

Thanks


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## ajc83

*Re: 2004 nissan altima shaking*

i know this is a late reply but its finally fixed after a month of not using it. it turned out one of the cylidners wasent starting up bcuz the spark plug was broken. the spark plug was getting hit by the piston and slowly bending it. i simply put a washer under the spark plug and the car works perfectly. the washer added just enough clearance to make sure the car still runs. its a temporary fix for sure though.


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## lortech

*Re: 2004 nissan altima shaking*

This should have been handled by a mechanic. You may be wondering why? Because 25% of your unburn air/fuel mixture was being sent to the catalitic converter. With all that unburnt fuel, it could have overheated your catalitic converter and plug or melted the catalyst material inside the unit. This simple 35-55 dollar job could now be costing you seven hundred dollars to replace the catalitic converter. The only way to know if its not damaged, is do a volintery emissions check to see if it is doing its job turning the CO and HC into harmless C02 and H20. If not, its time for a change. Also, this extra amount of fuel could have fould your o2 sensor rendering it useless.


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## dai

*Re: 2004 nissan altima shaking*

the obvious is it has the wrong plugs fitted


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