Why does my 2005 Nissan Sentra hesitate?

[krisdonofrio]

When I start my Nissan Sentra 1.5S, it seems to hesitate when it is idle.  The engine shakes a little more than I would like it to, and it takes a long time to shift when I step on the gas.  The real funny thing is when I try to go in reverse and then switch to Drive, the car will occassionally stall.  This happens in mostly cold weather, but it has happened a few times in warm weather as well.  

     Even if I allow the car to warm up for about 5 minutes, it still does it.  Are there any tune ups or additives Icould use to stop this from happening?  I would really like to not damage my engine.  Thanks.

[SoniH]

I wish you had mentioned how many miles on the car... It sounds as if you could use a tune-up. My guess is that you have a clogged idling jet or jets... or possibly a clogged fuel filter. I would suggest you check those two items first, then if that doesn't work, try changing the spark plugs and replace them with platinum-tipped plugs if you don't already have them in there. I would also look at replacing the air filter, since a clogged air filter can also cause engine run problems. One quick thing you could try if you REALLY want to "add" something, use a bottle of fuel injector cleaner... I regularly use one in my cars every 5k miles to keep the engines running smoothly.... Good Luck - I hope I have managed to help you?!!