I've got a '99 Maxima which I've had very little problems with in the past 5 years. This weekend my car failed me. I stuck the key in and the car wouldn't start. It would turn over but wouldn't start. I checked several things, then checked the DTC's and got an EGR System Fail DTC. I had it towed to my local mechanic and his analysis was that there was no injector pulse. So I had it towed to the dealer and the dealer said that all these symptoms point to the Nissan Immobilizer System kicking in. I've looked in my owner's manual since and can't find anything describing this part of the security system. It only cost $70 to reprogram the key codes to the module, but still....I wasn't an intruder!

What the immobilizer system does is shuts down the injector pulse when a foreign key is detected being used in the ignition. Apparently my key has a chip in it whose code must match a code in the ECU (or security module probably) before the car will start. The odd thing is that I only have 1 key on my key ring, so I didn't stick the wrong key in and I'm the only one who drives this car. It ran fine for half of the day Saturday and then just some time in the day the car won't start and this immobilizer system kicked in.

Anyone seen anything strange like that?

 

I have never heard of that.
Keep us posted on what you come up with.
It effects me too, because I am 99 as well.

Cool screen name, BTW. Guess you are LOTR fan? he he.

Oh, and welcome to the .org.

 

Nothing new here same thing happened to me.
Sadly enough the keys do go bad...they dont last forever...in my case the very bottom of the plastic peice was cracked probably from me dropping the key many times. Rgardless it cost me 80 bucks to get it reprogrammed. Stinks when they go bad cause you have to have it towed up there......

 

Same exact thing happened to me last year. I was at the mall and the car wouldnt start. Had it towed to my "old" mechanic and they replaced the fuel pump. That didnt fix it. It took them 3 days to NOT figure anything out. It turns out that someone that I work has a son who works at the Nissan dealership. I had the car towed to his house where he reprogrammed everything for $20 cash. Sweet deal. Too bad I paid like $100 for the previous mechanic to NOT fix my car.

 

You gotta give mechanics a break though. I mean, they have one of the hardest jobs...to troubleshoot a machine that could have any number of things wrong with it. They thy their hardest, but don't always get it right.

Good to hear you got a good deal.
I just went and got another key so that I would not have to get my max towed if this happens. I have a spare, and just have to go get that.

 

I have several things in response to your posts (thanks for responding btw!):

My key didn't go bad because I got my same keys back. I have several scratches and breaks in my key and therefore can recognize the key. It's like the security module on the car just forgot my codes. I work for a company that contracts to the big 3 and I've worked with these key fob codes and writing them to the PIDs in the security module, I've never seen one just clear itself.

the mechanic at my local Nissan dealer did a good job. I know the mechanics have a hard job diagnosing ever little thing that people bring their car in for, but my surprise comes from the fact that there isn't a DTC for this clear condition. If the car has this immobilizer system (as my mechanic called it) and there are no key codes in the PIDs in the module, the ECU should be able to detect this - simple firmware change. This scenario doesn't have to be so cryptic. My frustration comes from the Nissan engineer who didn't think to make this easier to determine.

The other thing is that this isn't the first electrical system glitch I've seen on my max. Now, I love my car, don't get me wrong, but whoever designed this system left flaws in it. Sorry soapbox.

 

well, you and I just happened to get the only 4th gen max's that have this. I mean, they started on the 99's and then started using them from then on.

 

that's true. hopefully it's been fixed since the 99s! i must say, the immobilizer system worked great - couldn't start my car at all and couldn't use it for 2 days. it immobilized me! good thing i can work from home! LOL.

 

it happens happened to My brothers 99 and it has happened to my car. atleast we know the system works. great anti theft device if you ask me

 

Is there any way to disable this system? If so, how????

1) Because theres a low level of car theft in my area
and 2) Because I want one of those kool switchblade keys

 

Common problem with the 99's. Nissan has even issued a TSB on this. Average cost from dealer seems to be around $120.

 

This just happened to me too. I towed the car to my mechanic. He spent a few hours trying to figure out what's wrong and found out that the immobilizer is preventing me from starting the engine. Had to tow it again to Nissan dealership. Nissan mechanics told me that it was my battery voltage was too low and I had to get a new battery and had to reprogram my keys. Cost me like $200.

I read this from another manual. I didn't get it to work, but if it happens to somebody in the forum, give it a try.

1) Turn factory original key to "ON" position for 5 seconds
2) Turn key to "OFF" position.
3) Repeat 1 and 2 again. Do it twice.
4) This should reset the computer to the chip inside the key.

 

I've been working on my daughters 1999 maxima all weekend. I've changed fuel pump, knock sensor, and cam sensor. After doing all this and going through the whole car with my neighbor, who is a mechanic, it still is not cranking. We did notice the security light staying on and read that the immobilizer system has probably failed. I guess next step is to haul to dealer to get new codes installed. I agree that Nissan needs an easier way of detecting this problem.

 

Yes. Don't know why you posted what your next step was though. You should have posted AFTER you took that step IF it didn't fix your issue.

This thread is 5 years old :|.

 

vist this web site for great deals on parts for your nissan they programed my key for 57 bucks rather 100 to115 like other dealers got the key cheap too online http://www.txnissanparts.com/Scripts/default.asp

 

At least he searched Ilya.

The NATS (Nissan Anti Theft System) only applys to 99's in the 4g range, so ... best way to go about this I think is to search the FSM and read through on how to do it yourself and pay yourself what the dealer would charge you! I'm a DIY sortta person and from the sounds of the work you've already done, you are too. Here's a quick link to the FSM - NATS info.

http://boredmder.com/FSM/Nissan/Maxima/1999/el.pdf - pg 295 if it doesn't take you there. After looking through most of this, you'll need a reader (OBD II) at the least. Unfortunatly, looks like you'll need to reprogram the key none the less.

Hope some of this helps anyway. Oh, and .... way to go digging up this dinasour of a thread. LOL

 

Jeff -

It shouldn't be doing that. You know that, right? lol Sounds like the NATS is nuts! Have they checked the ECU at all or tried to figure out the problem, or do they just reset and forget it? Any codes (ghost or cel lit)? IIRC, there's a NATS brain and for some reason (possibly a dead cappacitor inside or who knows what) it's not keeping memory like it should. Have you checked to see if they will replace that unit? Also, check your relays (under the hood next to the ASCD) - same box.

 

Jeff...just get another 99 ECU and you should be okay. Don't quote me though. Then have the key programmed to that ECU.

 

Jeff -

I'll make you a better offer:

Just send me your right arm (plus hand please) .. (can ALWAYS use another one of those, right!), and I'll send you an ECU. That's crazy talk there man .... but it's from a stealership, so I don't find it overly crazy. I agree with your P+P stratagey ... what I would do.

 

I'm going through this problem with the Key right now......Nissan should have had some sort of recall on this or offer courtesy programming(no I'm not crazy, just frustrated because I tried everything under the sun before thinking about the security system.....If only there were a way to do it myself w/o F___ing something else up).

 

same proplem i have right now this has happend before too like a year or so ago ran fine then it dont like you n wont start can we just unhook this system?

 

I think that is my problem. Mine has been starting harder, then this morning It would only turn over very fast. Towed it to Garage and got fuel pump changed with no results. Then my mech. said it went in to lockdown mode. I tried my husband's keys with no results. Isn't it odd that both sets wouldn"t work?

 

why not swap in a cali spec 98 ecu and call it a day?

 

I think the immobilizer got me

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XxeW3WmD15c

Anybody confirm? I got a locksmith on the way (he said he's reprogrammed max's before, I said I've just got a funny named mixima)

 

Yup, if that light stays on in the ON position you have been.... IMMOBILIZED!

But try taking your key in/out and flipping it around a bit, my copy acts funny some times still.

 

My 99' Maxima is on lock mode & it's been like this Sunday. At first I thought it was the fuel pump, until I replaced and it still wouldn't start. I did some research online and it comfirmed that I was indeed locked out so I have to get my car towed to the dealership asap!

 

http://forums.maxima.org/4th-generat...mobilized.html

Read. You have other non-dealer options.

 

i'm sorry dont believe in screwing the customer,by having to pay for a tow everytime this does this and a reprograming fee it is rediculious last time i own a nissian.

 

Simmer down. 1999 was the first year the immobilizer was introduced and as such, there were some problems with it. I haven't noticed a large number of complaints from owners of cars from later years, so they likely fixed it issue. If you search for "immobilizer" in the fourth, fifth, and sixth gen fourms you will see 250+, 191, and 31 results respectively. What's striking is that 1999 was the only year with an immobilizer for fourth gens so those 250+ posts only represent one year. You can clearly see that owners of later model maxima's have far fewer immobilizer problems. Guess you should have searched the forums for common problems with the car you were looking to buy before you bought it. Buyer beware.

 

Nothing an ECU swap can't take care of

But I knew well in advance about the 99's, I wanted a 98 with all of my might and would never have brought a 99.... Till I saw the Crimson Blaze..... I would have honestly already sold this car if it wasn't AR2.

 

my max has a very similar problem.. when i go to start it in the mornings it doesn't start ( doesn't even crank ) and so i step outside, hit the lock button, then unlock it, and then start it and it'll start right up. Also, once when I started my car the security light was solid red.. and I didn't want to drive it like that I turned it off and started it up without the light on.

This seems to be a very intermittent problem for me and happens about 10% of the time... I called the dealer he said he'll look at it for 120.. I also called a locksmith he said he can make me a new key for 85 bucks. I'm not sure what to do, will a new reprogrammed key fix this problem?

 

To clarify the confusion.

The NATs has NOTHING to do at all with the car cranking, if your car can not crank you have other problems.

And the NATs is ONLY on the 99s.

 

I do have a 99, and my car cranks and start fine. But sometimes it doesn't even crank because of either a) the security system b) the ecu doesn't recognize my key .. from a lot of research i think i need a new repogrammed key.

if i am wrong, some one please correct me.

 

260 bucks!!!! Are you kidding me.. went to the dealer they said I need a new key cuz my key isn't Nissan and that's 155 plus 105 for trying to find the problem.. but they said they can't check anything if I don't have a original Nissan key .. wtf..

 

You've already been corrected. The NATS WILL NOT keep the car from cranking. It only disables the injectors. It will crank but not start.

 

 

ok i get the point, now whats the solution? Are you saying I wasted 260 bucks.

And it has something to do with the resetting the ECM and my key loosing its programming... i saw the service bulletin and printed it out online, i'll post up a link

 

You did waste your money and time. Because you neglected to search, lesson learned.

Now start cleaning your grounds and battery terminals, and save up $120 for a new starter and ignition switch. Incase the cheap/easy sollution doesn't work.

 

I can't edit on my phone, but post whatever you want, NATs has nothing to do w/ your car not cranking, NATS only kills the fuel pump, simple as that.

 

someone please help!!!

heres a video of my car not starting: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RYaRs...ature=youtu.be

sometimes it'll start, but it looks like now its not even starting so i took out the negative terminal and then tried again and it started... i probably reset the ECM/ECU...

here's the link to the problem with nissan service bulletin: http://ww2.justanswer.com/uploads/ba..._NTB00-019.pdf

does anyone know how to fix this????? i went to nissan dealership, they said they can't look at it unless i have a nissan key, and said since i have an aftermarket key, that might be the problem. so i paid 220 to get a new key, does anyone know any other ways of solving this?!!?!?