No Power when accelerating

[Elisechrs]

First of all I’m not much of a car person, main reason why I got this account so I can ask car questions about my car, and not rely on a mechanic to give me the most expensive solution to my problems. That being said I have this persistent problem when it comes to acceleration with my 370z. Just some basic info about it 2013, manual, coupe, I bought it last April and it had the check engine light on it, which was a red flag, the mechanic promised me it was from the gas cap not being clicked all the way down, which was feasible, and that he had cleared the problem. About a week later the engine light came on again and I took it to AutoZone to get the code read and it said Mass Air Flow Sensor failure, took it to the dealership to see if warranty would cover it but come to find out the car didn’t have any filters installed. The dealer wanted about $1,000 to replace both sensors, I politely told them no thank you, and to install filters, I then bought some airflow cleaner from AutoZone, cleaned them and reinstalled. The check engine light didn’t come on again for about 10 months. Now I’m having a problem, not sure if it’s related to the mass airflow sensors or not, but it will not accelerate. From about 3rd gear up I can floor my gas pedal and it feels like it is dragging and its rather annoying because I’m holding up a bunch of cars and I want my car to run like it should. The only fix I have for this is getting to a place I can stop for about 10 seconds and just kind of restart the car. After that acceleration is not an issue and she drives like a champ. The airflow sensor comes on sporadically but that’s because I need to give it another good cleaning, or maybe just break down and replace them. Question is, is the acceleration issue directly related to the airflow sensor or is this a completely separate issue that needs to be looked into? Thanks.

[barncobob]

im not a mechanic but anytime a code is thrown i unhook the battery for awhile to see if it resets, cheap fix if it works.. marginal batteries can cause a myriad of problems

[kenchan]

can u write out wat the problem is in one sentence?

[LA370z]

This thread may help some and sounds like some of the same issues that you're having.

Z does not accelerate

[Justice97]

1st you came to the right place to ask questions. the370z.com has saved some members thousands in repairs. I was saved some change too, not once but twice.

As for problem. Sounds like throttle bodies need cleaning as well as the MAP and MAF sensors. These are all easy to do and should cost you no more than the can of cleaner and some towels. The throttle bodies should be cleaned after 30K miles.

How many miles on the car?

edit: When I say clean I mean clean manually not just spray and wipe. Remove(no need to unplug wires) and clean them with towels and q-tips. When i cleaned mine i removed every bit of buildup i could.

[Chuck33079]

Originally Posted by barncobob

im not a mechanic but anytime a code is thrown i unhook the battery for awhile to see if it resets, cheap fix if it works.. marginal batteries can cause a myriad of problems

I hope you're pulling the code before you reset the ecu. Otherwise you might have a problem and not know what's going on.

[SouthArk370Z]

Originally Posted by Justice97

... Sounds like throttle bodies need cleaning as well as the MAP and MAF sensors. These are all easy to do and should cost you no more than the can of cleaner and some towels. ...
edit: When I say clean I mean clean manually not just spray and wipe. Remove(no need to unplug wires) and clean them with towels and q-tips. When i cleaned mine i removed every bit of buildup i could.

This ^.

Should have been done when you discovered the car was being run without air filters. Be sure to clean all the piping from filter boxes to intake manifold.

[Tigger]

If you don't have a scan tool, pick one up. There's a thread based just on that. I picked one up for $60 shipped and it worked very well and used it on several cars. A code could still be present even if the light isn't on. Seen it before.

And your head is in the right place. If the MAF was an issue before, clean it again and see what happens. That'll be the best determination.

[Mandingo]

Wait.. It came with no air filters installed? How many miles have you driven since you bought it in April?

[Elisechrs]

What would you recommend cleaning with? I just had the Maf sensor cleaner from the auto store which to me essentially looks like a can of air duster....

[Haboob]

Mine does this from time to time as well. Though, I usually can tell before I get out on the main road, as it does it in all gears.

Guess I should clean the TB's and stuff to see if that helps. Sometimes she's good for weeks, other times it's a couple of days. It doesn't throw a code or anything - the only code she throws is one for the O2 sensor (because of the HFC's) and that's once in a blue moon.

[Elisechrs]

The check engine like.. Well service engine light will come on for a few days then clear on its own after awhile.. In the beginning I would take it to autozone just to make sure the code didn't change but it was always the same error...

[Justice97]

Originally Posted by Elisechrs

What would you recommend cleaning with? I just had the Maf sensor cleaner from the auto store which to me essentially looks like a can of air duster....

I used the maf cleaner. Just spray and wipe. Over and over.

Quick rundown.
Remove plastic cover
Disconnect hoses and push aside.
Remove throttle body, DO NOT UNPLUG WIRE.
Rest them so the input opening is facing down resting on a lot of towels and rags to keep the goo from dripping on motor. Spray wipe, spray q-tip.
Once the inside of tb is done, repeat for air input side.

Bolt back up attach hoses.

This process took me at most 1 hr.

Why I cleaned mine. Every time I pulled up to a light my rpm would dip a few hundred then level back out. I would have hesitations on acceleration and intermittent check engine light.
Since the cleaning I have had zero problems.

Hope this helps.