My son and I bought a 1995 Maxima SE for him to drive about six months ago and have experienced no problems, thus far.

Last night, he came home, shaken, and said that while he was driving, he suddenly had no steering, no brakes, and did not get response from the accelerator. He also said the brake light lamp lit up on the dashboard panel. Smartly, he remembered me telling him to try the parking brake if his brakes ever went out and he used the parking brake to slow the car to a stop and then shut off the engine. Then, after letting it sit for a couple of minutes (and likely to regain his sea legs), he started the car back up and everything seemed fine on his drive back home.

Sounds electronic to me but nothing like anything I have ever heard of with any car I’ve owned. Any ides before I call the shop? Greatly appreciate any input.

 

Maybe sometype of a fuse blew out? Try checking that first.

 

Welcome to the board.

Tough to say, but the same thing happened to me in a 1997 Jeep Grand Cherokee and it was figured that it was a electrical short. (Usually happened after we cleaned/sprayed the engine bay)

Hope all works out.

 

Sounds scary, but that's just not possible all of that happening at the same time! I mean, steering, brakes and accelerator are 3 independent systems. Steering is basically a steel rod twisting your wheels. Either it works or it doesn't, it can't repair itself in a couple of minutes...
Brakes are hydraulic... if you loose hydraulic pressure, you loose your brakes, but again it can't fix itself in a couple of minutes.
And finally the accelerator.... which is probably the explanation: I assume it's an automatic tranny... the engine dies for whatever reason = accelerator doesn't work = power steering is out (3 times as heavy) = power brakes are out (10 times as heavy)... it wouls also explain the red light(s) in the instrument panel.
I realise you wrote this: "....slow the car to a stop and then shut off the engine" Could it be he was so shocked by this happening that the engine was already off? He just turned off the ignition, THINKING he turned the engine off...??
Because if the engine was still running at that point I'm absolutely clueless!!
Just my thoughts.... hope it works out!

 

I am the original poster. Every time I register on this site, I do the complete registration e-mail, Then, it will allow me only one or two posts before saying I am not authorized on subsequent attempts!! :-(

Anyway, yes it is an automatic. I would have thought right off that he had killed the engine were it a stick. Of course, the engine still could have died, but it shouldn't.

A bit more detail. My son had left the driveway of a friend and had gone about 50 yards before coming to a sharp corner for which he slowed down. When he began into the corner, this was the order of events: first, his headlights went out (he says there was some light and thinks that either his fog lights or marker lights remained on); second, he lost what I have determined was power steering (wheel NOT locked), power brakes (they were hard and I think he mistook no power brakes for no brakes at all), and felt from the accelerator as if the car were in neutral; third, his stereo (which was on) went soundless and dark. He then used his hand brake to stop the car and, as he came to a stop, the stereo came back on, followed by the headlights. THEN he turned off the ignition and let the car sit for a "couple of minutes".

The steering, brakes, and lack of acceleration made me think immediately that the car died, and that still may be the case. But, here is what is perplexing to me. Why would the headlights go out first, and his stereo go out? The only thing I could think of was that the alternator had gone bad and the battery went drained, causing electrical and then engine to go down. But, the car started right back up, everything seemed fine on his way home, and they seem fine today. The only other thing I can think of is a possible short in the wiring (maybe the after market stereo?) which became evident only in the sharp corneering...........................

BTW, this kid is an Eagle Scout and sharp as a tack, so I tend to highly discount a made-up story are a poor accounting of events.

 

I'm pretty sure too that the engine just stalled out. That's the only way the accelerator would go out, unless the cable snapped, which obviously didn't happen. The braking system should have enough power reserve for about 3 stops, and the steering would just loose power and get heavy.

 

my maxima did a lot of the same things when the alt. went bad! but that was a recall for the 98 i dont know about the 95

 

It sounds like a total electrical failure... (loose wire somewhere?) BUT, power steering and power brakes are not electrical, pwr. steering is driven by the drivebelt and pwr.brakes from the engine's intake-vacuum. So those 2 things don't seem related to the electrical problems. And since the engine was still on... like I said earlier, then I'm clueless...

 

20V6, I have not determined that the engine was still running. Personally, from his description, I would assume that it was NOT running, given no PS or PB, and the fact that idiot lights appreared. If that was all that had happened, I would think only of a killed engine and pursue along those lines. The combination with this, preceded by electrical failure, AND the fact that electrical seems fine now, has me a head-scratchin'! :-0

 

I highly doubt that... even if he installed it himself and messed the wiring up it wouldnt do all this to the car...

 

I agree that it sounds like the engine cut out, that is the only way I can see that all of those systems would go out at the same time. your son may not have noticed what was happening that quickly when everything cut out at once. I have had that happen to me(not in the maxima) and its not a fun situation to have all those systems to go out. I am confused as to why the headlights went out, I am guessing there is a major short somewhere in the system, I would first start at the battery itself and make sure the terminals are clean and tight.

 

This sounds like one of two things to me. Either the alternator is going bad (had this happen to me on a Saturn and the symptoms are similar, first the non essentials go out, stereo, lights and then eventually it gets to the point that the fuel pump has no power and the accelerator will not function) or the entire circuit breaker box is malfunctioning (had this happen on a VW, whole car basically shut down except for the cooling fan. Disconnected the cooling fan and everything else started to work again. Really odd.) Those would be the two things I would check first.

 

yea this sounds liek an alternator. my alternator went and i exspenrienced things simlar to this. take it to autozone and have it tested for free. it sucks when this happens.

 

I had this exact experience with my maxima. I was driving and the car suddenly stalled and I had no power steering, no power brakes etc. the car just died except the lights where on but everything else was dead. This is what you need to do; run codes to see if the MAF(mass air flow) meter code comes up and if it does if it does, then thats your problem. Those sensors are meant to last a long time however, in many instances, they fail prematurely. If you dont find out ASAP, this poblem will occur again with varying frequency. It might happen again tommorrow or in two weeks. Mine started happening more often after about two weeks. I knew when it would happen because the rpm will start dipping to about 200 and then the car shakes a little and then dies out. In order to prevent it from dying out you need to rev the engine in nuetral to keep it going then back to drive when its time to go.

The best thing to do if you determine that its the MAF sensor, is to go to a junkyard and purchase one, it cost me $50 if you go to the dealer, it will cost about $450 give or take. the one I got from the junkyard is still good after a year of my using it.

sorry for the long response it scared the living hell out of me when my car did this and I almost crashed my vehicle if not for quick thinking. So I hope this helps you and your son. Pm me if you have further questions.

 

This has never happened to me, but I've heard something similar before. Alternators are a known problem on the maxima. If it went while you were driving, the car would have died, and exhibited the electrical problems you describe. Check the belts and have the alternator looked at.

 

first check if the vehical has any trouble codes. check the faq at the top of the forum index. next check your battery cable connections. could be corroded.

 

i wouldnt mess around with that, i say take it the shop or just get rid of it if its not fixable.

 

Sounds like a faulty alternator. If the alternator were to die while driving the car the symptoms you described are exactly what would happen.

 

It sounds like it was a short. Brakes would still work for at least 5 peddle depressions, because the vacume stays pressurized.

I had a short that killed the engine, and it wouldn't turn back on. it was my O2 sensor wire, which had gotten loose and got severed my the ac pulley. I didn't know what happened, I was on the highway somewhere out in Delaware. I had to get it towed and fixed at the nearest stealership. All the did was change a blown fuse and black tape the wire together. Parts cost 1 dollar. Labor 80!

Damn those grease monkeys.

 

Lets look at this logically:
1- Brakes are mecahnical pressure driven things and do not fail in this way.
2- Power steereing is mechanical and they donot fail in this way
3- both of the the above are POWER assisted
4- if the engine dies (for any reason) then both of the above will be much harder to operate but not impossible
5- the dash lights come on because the engine died
6- it is not corrosion because the engine satrts well, etc.
7- it is not the alternator nor the O2 sensors.
if the o2 sensor was completely disconnected the engine would default to a mode of operation that would still make the car go but with lower gas mileage
8- i would look at other things like fuel pump or filter blockage that would stop a running engine - especially if one is asking a lot of gas from it suddently
9- check all the wiring and connectors and make sure they are OK. Look especailly close to the engine where the wires may have fallen off thier supports or got partially disconnected.

 

It is most definitely the alternator. If the charging system fails, fuel injection can't occur properly, and the car shuts off, and all systems stop as you described.

I've had this happen in a couple cars.

 

you siad a life is in danger. if it is....do the right thing and just take it into the dealer. it might be more exspencive but qualified mechanic to check thi out might help you save that life you are talking about.

we are all iffy on what is is, and we have differnt opions. just take the car in and get it done right.

 

It happened to me once, I took it to Nissan and they told me it was the alternator. I replaced it and never had the problem again, however since it only happened once in 65+k miles, it may take time to come back (assuming it wasn't the alternator).
-Cyrus

 

It sounds to me like it is the alternator.
I don't know though.
All those symptonm have happened to me in a Mazda 626 I had when the alternator was going out. It would fail, but then still worked sometimes. Kind of weird.

You might want to take it to the stealership or just a mechanic that you trust to get him to diagnose it. I mean, when someone's life is in danger, you don't want to take chances.