No pedal response, or slow acceleration

Tiny
MYSTARAY
  • MEMBER
  • 2008 NISSAN ALTIMA
  • 2.5L
  • 4 CYL
  • FWD
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 111,000 MILES
I am in dire need of assistance with diagnosing a strange symptom (my car is the coupe model) is doing.

It all started on a drive to Utah from Arizona. We were going up an incline and got cut off by another car and had to push on the brakes. Upon trying to resume accelerating, we got no response from the gas pedal. Nothing at all, besides a slight acceleration until we pulled off the road. I could push the pedal to the floor with little to no response, and mostly no response. I turn the car off for a few minutes, started it up, and we were somewhat back to normal. It accelerated, but did not have power behind it. It took much more to get to eighty mph, or even sixty mph.

But then, it would drive fine. For two days, it ran fine without incident. But on the drive home after a couple hours, I had it in cruise control, and heading up a hill it just kicked me out of cruise, and when I hit the pedal I got no response. Though it did not slow down as if I removed my foot from the pedal, it slowly dropped mph until we pulled off again. If we turned the car off for a few minutes it would return to working (though seemed to have lag in throttle.). It did it a few times more. Today during local driving it just seems to have a lack of response and throttle, taking more effort to accelerate.

It may have started a few days before the trip my girlfriend said (it is her car), as she said it did the symptom of not accelerating as fast as normal.

Reading about the symptoms of low fuel pressure, it does not sound like it. The car never sputters, jerks, or has any other symptom besides no response when the gas pedal is pressed. The engine runs sound, and idles perfectly. We drove at least three hundred miles before it happened on the way back, the first time.

My initial thoughts are the throttle body, or some sensor or electoral component. But, I am not even remotely comfortable with diagnosing mechanics.

Actually one other thing to add, when it does this, and right before it revs to over three thousand rpm's, and sometimes past four thousand before it stops responding at all. That is the case also when it has a hard time accelerating.

Any and all help is appreciated! Thanks in advance!
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Monday, June 9th, 2014 AT 11:27 AM

13 Replies

Tiny
HMAC300
  • MECHANIC
  • 48,601 POSTS
It sounds like you are having a problem with the throttle pedal position sensor and the car is going into limp mode but to be sure lets run the codes.

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/checking-a-service-engine-soon-or-check-engine-light-on-or-flashing

Please let us know what happens, we are interested to see what it is.

Cheers
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Monday, June 9th, 2014 AT 4:10 PM
Tiny
BAKE97
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I have a very similar condition- with a 2008 Nissan Altima 2.5s Sedan. The first occurrence was around 75,000 on an incline at about 7,000 ft elevation near Colorado Springs. The second was more crucial, at a higher elevation (9500 plus), maybe 4,000 more on the odometer. In the first instance I found a parts store and being away from home, I decided to replace the air filter to see if that would work. It seemed to work, I had no further problems with the car until the more recent episode. In the case of the second problem I was ferrying my wife to pick up a car we had purchased; the dealer is a personal friend, and I asked him about the problem. He is an ex-GM factory rep and a multi-brand dealer (not Nissan). He was sure that it was not the air filter, that it is the fuel filter/fuel pump. I still do not know. The car ran fine over the high elevation and incline on the return trip, but I took it easy. I would like to know if there is any resolution to the problem since the circumstances are so similar. I have looked to see if this is a known problem with this car, Nissan seems to have a blind spot when it comes to high altitude I say this because of experience with the tire pressure warning light. It comes on every winter, for as long as the cold weather continues, they have no fix or adjustment to address that problem.
Again, I wonder if your problem has been diagnosed, since there is no follow-up to the fuel pressure advice.
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Tuesday, September 16th, 2014 AT 1:35 PM
Tiny
NOTORIOUSKEV04
  • MEMBER
  • 1 POST
I had this problem. It started after a problem I had with my car not starting and I replaced the brake switch on the brake pedal myself

The way the switch is designed, there is a clicker at the end and when it is installed correctly, it is pressed in. When you press the brake pedal, it depresses (releases) and your brake lights come on so if the switch is not all the way in, the brake lights will be on (because your car thinks your pressing the brakes), and it will be like you are driving with the brakes on (this is the most logical thing that I can think of for the slow acceleration).

Anyway the only reason I noticed my brake lights were on was because when I got home and parked in the garage, I saw them reflecting on the garage door and they did not turn off after I got out the car like they normally do. So after properly installing the switch (pushing it in a little more and then locking it), the brake lights turned off so that is fixed.

Then I replaced the throttle position sensor by the gas pedal and everything works been fine for a while now.

Hope this will help without shelling out hundreds to do so (if your problem was the same as mine anyway).
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+16
Friday, September 4th, 2015 AT 5:36 PM
Tiny
DAVIDHCK1
  • MEMBER
  • 1 POST
Had the same thing happen to me was the step motor inside the valve body of transmission, that part is normal to be replaced with a CVT transmission at around 80,000 to 150,000 KM will go eventually because is a electric motor in the valve body. With that thing not working fast enough or slow response will not activate the transmission properly and will be slow acceleration. I had same problem took valve body out of transmission replaced the step motor, after was like new again. Is a common problem with Nissan CVT.
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+76
Saturday, April 9th, 2016 AT 12:33 PM
Tiny
BRIMA GEORGE
  • MEMBER
  • 1 POST
I have problem with my Murano 2002 accelerator pedal. The right pedal is missing. Can someone tell me the right serial number of the right medal. This is the chassis number. JN8AZ08W83W202481.
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Tuesday, September 13th, 2016 AT 8:22 AM
Tiny
DAILO23
  • MEMBER
  • 1 POST
  • 2002 NISSAN ALTIMA
  • 2.5L
  • 4 CYL
  • 2WD
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 90,000 MILES
Weird things started happening Saturday, I saw my headlights and interior lights pulsing between bright and dim.

Also, when I was stopped at a light it would feel like the car would be lurching forward with every pulse of light. I would turn on the AC and the pulses would get further apart I thought okay alternator problem.

I was never worried about the car shutting off, the idle was steady and had no problems starting after I turned if off.

Sunday I started up the car in the morning and everything is seemingly fine no more pulsing of lights, took it for a spin, started and turned it off several times, no issues.

Monday (today) about thirty hours later, battery drained. I went to buy a new battery to put in, car started but now I get no gas pedal response when I press on it. Well not entirely true, I get it to rev up right after starting the engine for about two seconds. After that I hit the gas pedal and I get the slightest of revs, barely noticeable.

No CEL, checked OBD2 and no trouble codes.
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Tuesday, December 13th, 2016 AT 5:07 PM (Merged)
Tiny
REDRUMMAXIMA
  • MEMBER
  • 1 POST
Dail023, how did you fix it? I have same problem with 2010 Maxima.
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Wednesday, June 6th, 2018 AT 2:48 PM
Tiny
KEN L
  • MASTER CERTIFIED MECHANIC
  • 42,553 POSTS
What happens in these cars is the throttle actuator has excessive coking on it and it must be cleaned. If you don't the correlation between the throttle bore and PCM get off putting the car into limp mode. Here is a guide. Make sure you clean it off of the car, battery disconnected.

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/throttle-actuator-service

Please run down this guide and report back.

Cheers, Ken
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+8
Saturday, June 9th, 2018 AT 10:28 AM
Tiny
JOANNE JEAN
  • MEMBER
  • 1 POST
Just got my car fixed! Here's what they found:
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Tuesday, May 7th, 2019 AT 8:10 PM
Tiny
KEN L
  • MASTER CERTIFIED MECHANIC
  • 42,553 POSTS
Nice work! The image is too small to read. Can you do a new one or just tell us?
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Wednesday, May 8th, 2019 AT 11:18 AM
Tiny
ANDMAR2710
  • MEMBER
  • 2 POSTS
  • 2008 NISSAN ALTIMA
  • 2.5L
  • 4 CYL
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 70,000 MILES
Okay so I have a 2008 Nissan Altima S Coupe with an inline-4 engine with the CVT transmission and I just hit 70,000 miles on it. So this problem started occuring around 64-65,000 miles. I started to hear a loudish clicking almost rattling noise from the front of the car. I'm assuming it's from the engine area. It happens when you turn it on as well as it happens when you would press the acceleration pedal softly. I cant forget to mention that my car has a manual overide so when I put it all the way in 6th gear and the rpm is around 2-4000, The rattling continues to increase in sound. So eventually I had to take it in to a local shop. Actually two. Firestone and some local place. I had the oil changed several times. The first time I had it changed to try to resolve the problem, it worked for about 6 days. Then the noise came back and then I noticed a performance decrease and yes I know its only and 4 cylinder engine. But i've been driving it for about 3-4 years now and I can tell the difference in its driving now. For an example when you approach the feeder road to the highway and I would step on the gas, it slugs and drags so bad now. Anyways the 2 second time I got the oil change, it worked half & half. It makes the noise some days and some days not. It's all confusing and no shop has been real clear to where what kind of issue i'm having. If anybody could explain it to me. It would help me so much. Thanks - Andrew Martinez
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Saturday, November 23rd, 2019 AT 1:36 PM (Merged)
Tiny
HMAC300
  • MECHANIC
  • 48,601 POSTS
It may be the transmission, they are relatively new on the market so check with a trans shop that has experience with cvt transmissions.
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Saturday, November 23rd, 2019 AT 1:36 PM (Merged)
Tiny
ANDMAR2710
  • MEMBER
  • 2 POSTS
Thanks for the reply. I'll take it to a shop and if its the transmission, its not going to look so good for me ha. Thanks man.
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Saturday, November 23rd, 2019 AT 1:36 PM (Merged)

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