This is my a link to a thread I posted at www.caranddriver.com : http://forums.caranddriver.com/ubb/u...c&f=2&t=002167 . That was in early July 02. My problem still exists.

Disgusted by the incompetence of my local dealership, I demanded they fix the problem since they had really stuck it to me. A few days later, they call and say it might have a short in the electrical system, and would cost big $$$ to be repaired. I pick up my Maxima, and drive home praying it won't stall on (I avoided all major intersections just in case).

So recently, my Maxima paid a visit to an electrician who is a friend of mine. They replaced the battery and the wiring harness. End result: Same 'ol sh*t. Second time around, they did some work to it, yet the mechanic had already charged us, I just picked it up and drove off. A couple of days later, it started acting up again.

I have had it! I really don't want to scam a used car dealer, as my conscious would prevent me from sleeping at night knowing someone bought a nightmare of a car. I want to fix this car. Any help? I would be infinitely grateful for your replies.

 

So they checked all the wires and none are broken?

I think something electrical is fishy. And you have your fuel and air systems checked?

ECU working fine?

 

What year is your car? Are you aware of the Lemon Law?

 

and you cleaned throttle body, at the butterfly plate?

Ignition coil ok?

fuel injectors cleaned?

air filter?

PCV valve?

spark plugs?

no "charging system warning light?" if so, could be alternator

When mine popped up, it was a negative ground wire going bad and then, one morning, I couldn't even start the car.

$1 part, $50 towing, $209 labor. doh.

 

It's either your coil packs or your MAF sensor. I'm leaning twards the MAF sensor.

I read your whole thread on the other forum. The reason I'm leaning twards the MAF is because your reported your car died and started back up with a strange low idle and no power. That points directly to a MAF failure. I'm suprised that the car didn't go into limp mode, or has it at one time? In limp mode, your RPMs will not go above ~2500 RPM's. Thats MAF for sure!!!

The MAF doesn't have to fail completely, it may be sending your ECU incorrect signals from time to time which is causing your car to choke briefley. Being the signal is still coming from the MAF, wrong as it may be, your not getting a CEL for the problem because the ECU see's a working sensor. It's working but it's not really telling the ECU whats really flowing through it from time to time.

Check ebay or you local junk yards for a used MAF for your car. That will save you a few bucks just in case thats not your problem.

COIL PACKS
You can individually measure your coil packs resistance to see if there all within spec. If you find you've got one or two that seem to be border line good/bad, replace them. Again, the coils aren't bad, but border line and your ECU may not capture the problem that your getting a misfire due to a coil pack failure.

Unfortunately the ECU can't detect everything. It has specific values that it's been taught to look for. Sometimes you have devices that appear good to the ECU but in reality aren't in the best condition.

Tom

 

Have the ECU checked out also.

 

MAF sensor is expen$ive

why not try throttle body butterfly plate cleaning? All is needed is $1 throttle body cleaner and 30 min.

and here's how: click, click on engine, then throttle clean
http://www.motorvate.ca/

Changing air filter, $11 and 30 seconds.

fuel injector cleaning, $2 and 1 minute

And if there's no Warning Light coming on when you drive, the chances are that your sensors are working good.

With Maxima, all major parts tend to last very long time...
and when was the last oil change???

 

A mechanic I trust immediately suspected the MAF on my stalling problem. It turned out to be the fuel pump, but the fact that he thought it was the MAF is enough to make me rule that out first.

 

Tr0nX, I had a similar situation as yours. Its a bit of a long story but bear with me. My car was reacting the same way. I brought the car to 2 different dealers in a period of 4 1/2 months. They would replace everything but the floor mats and the car will still ran the same. I finally ran into a mechinic which was the Head mechinic at yet another dealer. Impressively after a few days this tech found my ECU to be bad, which supposely had been replaced ($1200.00). My check engine light never came on, which we both found it to be weird. He was able to get the ECU for me at cost and installed it for me on his off time for a few bucks. To let you know I did get back my $$$ for the other ECU. I hope this help and good luck.

 

excuse the mis spelling just woke up

 

Shot in the dark, but I think it's the throttle body sensor. He mentions hiccups at increasing speed and idle, but not when keeping consistent speed...

-A

 

Do you mean throttle position sensor?

 

A friend of mine has a truck that does that, and she says its the fuel pump thats craps out every now and then, but it doesnt stall out though. it feels as if your pushing the accelerator quicly a bunch of times.

 

My check engine light comes one. After comming out of the shop, the MIL is off, but the car will act up. When the situation has degraded to point where it stalls on me at a stop, the MIL will then come one.

If it was the fuel pump, woudn't the engine start to detonate from a bad air/fuel ratio. And why does this only happen when my engine is at operating temperature?

MAF sensor, wouldn't I be getting a bad idle, which I am not? The car idles great. Hell, even on my vehicle inspection report, the car is hardly polluting.

Regarding the ECU, I am not very knowledgable in that field. I am going to try to get the codes through a method posted here on these forums.

Dirty throttle body, filters, intake manifold, carbon build up. The car has had nearly every imaginable cleaning agent applied.

Bad coil packs? I doubt it, otherwise why would my car only have this problem at normal operating temp and perform so well on my last emission test.

 

if it makes you feel better, i've had about every kind of problem happen to my max so far. i have to agree with a few of the others though, the signs you're given us point directly to the tps (throttle position sensor) or the maf sensor. you'd think they woulda done some better diagnostics testing on those, but i guess not. if anything, hook up with someone on here, exhange theirs in for a few minutes and see if you've still got problems.

 

Yes, that's what I meant. Geezus, it's like I'm stoned today or something...

-A

 

you can get a used MAF over the internet from car lots for cheap. when i thought mine went out i found one for 40 bucks. with 60k on it but still....better than $350 +

 

I had a very similar problem with a Supra I owned years ago. It would start, idle and run fine while it was warming up. Once it reached a normal operating temperature, it would sputter if you opened the throttle. This was an intermittent problem.
Fortunantely I had the luxury of having a spare engine available that I sould swap all the water temperature related sensors from. This however did not solve my problem. My air and ignition systems were all OK. The only thing left was fuel. I started the car and listened by the bottom of the fuel tank for the pump noise.
Typically a tank mounted electric fuel pump makes a steady whining noise. In my case, when the engine was sputtering, the fuel pump was also making an intermittent noise. A few hours and ~400$CDN later, my car was running fine again.
Give your fuel pump a listen, it doesn't cost anything.

 

I think if the car was even allowed to get a bad enough air/fuel ratio to achieve detonation, that the KS would run to the rescue and retard the timing a bit.

AFA that only happening at operating temp...not sure. But you might try the fuel pump if you're at your wits end, even if you can't hear anything as eng92 suggested.

 

I am eternally grateful towards the Maxima forumites. It has been a week and a half since my car last entered the shop. I told the mechanic to check out the MAF sensor, which he did. Turns out it was the culprit. How two Nissan dealerships overlooked this is beyond me -- oh wait, maybe because they wanted to charge me more thousands ! Yet I am very happy because my Maxima is running like a charm. You guys saved me a whole lot of frustration, money, and my Maxima. So thank you all, for extending the life of my Maxima by 1 more year (can you say Infiniti G35?).

Tr0nX =

 

Excellent. I think a dealer would get a nice wad of cash for doing the MAF sensor too. I'd guess around $500.

I had a similar problem recently and my engine is now running great after replacing the MAF and the sparkplugs. Tell you what though, a stall when you're turning off a freeway is quite an experience. Power steering leaves a lot to be desired in that situation.