I’ve had a 1999 SE Limited with 93,000 miles for a couple weeks now. My first weeks of Maxima ownership are not what I expected. Please help! Thanks in advance.

(Note: Before buying, the CEL light had come on and prompted the dealer to replace the O2 Sensor -- not sure which one they replaced).

During my test drive, I drove pretty hard and noticed engine was weaker than expected and with very noticeable hesitation. CEL also flashed a couple times while driving, but didn’t stay on or keep flashing. After returning to the dealer, I noticed that the gas cap was left off. Replaced with gas cap off a 2000 model and test drove again, issues seemed mostly gone, so bought car.

After buying the car, it was still never quite what I expected for a couple days, then the car seemed to come into its own and perform as expected. After another day or so, it started missing a little at idle and hesitating/jumping at start of acceleration, then smoothed out but not as stout or smooth as it was and should be. After a day or so of these issues, decided to check codes even though CEL hadn’t come on and indeed got no code (0505). Decided to check plug type and test coils and in the process, I noticed that the head was broken off of the screw holding one of the coils (coil was very loose). Thought I’d found problem, so replaced bad screw and secured ignition coil (also checked plugs and they were indeed NGK Platinum). Had Nissan dealer use their diagnostics when I went to pick up the new screws and everything checked OK. After repairing the loose coil, the idle/hesitation/weakness actually seems as bad or even worse?!?!? now, so I’m really scratching my head now (still no CEL or codes either).

Please help!!! Any suggestions?

Thanks in advance!

 

take it back to the dealer you brought it from and see if they have a warrenty. If not start with the basics, tune up and i suggest nock sesor. that results in very large power loss and depending on the life your car has had for the first 93000 miles is unknow a good tune up and oil change can't hurt.

 

99's are known for coil failure, check that all 6 coils are working properly.

 

bad ignition coils wont neccessarily throw a code unless they are really bad. i replaced mine even though there was no code and they all checked okay with an ohmeter. cheapest place to get them is jerryromenissan.com us promo code "maxima" for a discount. and go with the mitsubishi coils. a bad knock sensor will more than likely throw a code but you can double check that with an ohmeter for a definate answer.

 

rough idle and if you get a little jumpy during your 1/2 shifts (if 5spd) i would suggest cleaning the TB (throttle body.) I did mine today (im only at 64k with a '97,) when I took off the intake i couldnt comprehend the carbon buildup around the butterfly valve.

a 20 minute cleaning with some STP valve body cleaner ($2.50 at autozone) and my engine ran like it was new from factory with zero miles. smooth as a babies bum, and my jumpy shifts (i was beginning to suspect motor mounts) disapeared magically; pulls smoother through the power band.

i don't think that just the dirty TB could cause *all* your symptoms but I think it will most definitely make some of them less sevre.

you seem to be mechanically inclined so i would assume you know how to do this, but if not, here is an example on motorvate.ca (good resource for vq engine how-to's)

http://www.motorvate.ca/mvp.php/517

 

Definately sounds like a coil pack issue. The 99's are known for it, already had one go one my 99, threw a code when it failed thank god, but sometimes the ECU doesn't detect it. The flashing CEL was indicating a misfire under accelleration. That was your first sign of a coil pack going bad.

 

Before following up to your suggestions, there's one other thing I forgot to mention... this issue is also accompanied by varying idle speeds ranging from 800 or so up to around 1500 for brief periods. Not sure if this has any impact on your feedback.

Now for my follow-up to all your suggestions...

1) zack342 -- Not practical to take it back to dealer. I'm in NC and had to go to Atlanta, GA to find a 5-spd in beautiful shape. In addition to that, the Nissan dealer who changed the O2 sensor wholesaled it to another local dealer, so I didn't buy it from the dealer who changed the sensor. Don't know if that matters. What does a "tune-up" entail in your eyes?

2) ImStockBaby -- What is the best, most accurate way to test the coils?

3) 99se5spd -- I really don't want to buy all 6 coils if I don't have to. Would it be safe to assume that the loose one may have been damaged? I agree that they might not trip the CEL, but I would have thought a coil problem would show up on the dealer's more exhaustive diagnostic equipment.

4) tomservo299 -- I need a view from everyone else if they think this is worth it. I don't have a lot of time or money right now, which is why I downgraded to this Max for a while, so I really can't afford to experiment with everything if I can help it. Given all the other issues, as well as the other things that happened (loose coil, hard driving without gas cap, replaced O2, etc.), my hunch is that this wouldn't fix the problem even though it may indeed need doing.

5) njmaxseltd -- See #2 and #3.

IN SUMMARY, what is the consensus suggestion here for best place to start? Coil, plugs, Knock, O2, other sensor, TB, etc? Lots of good suggestions, but for the sake of time and financial efficiency, I want to narrow it down and define the best starting place.

Thanks again for all the feedback guys.

 

replace ignition coils. they are bad in the 1999 models. nissan wont admit it. its one side or the other that need to be replaced. either the radiator side or the firewall side. not sure witch one or if both. the max your going to spend is about $55 per OEM mitsubitshi coils. my 1995 maxima came with mitsubitshi coils. when your check engine light flashes you while driving, that is a sign that the ecu is detecting "heavy" misfire. you might also want to get some spark plugs also. copper ones. order on jerryromenissan.com use maxima promo code. the part number is BKR5E-11 2240150y05 $2.00 a piece. order 12 to save on shipping.

you have to ohm the coils but it doesnt matter since we know thats the problem.

 

Like I said, the CEL only flashed when I test drove it hard with the gas cap off. It has never flashed since then and has still never flashed at all since the current problem intensified. And there are no codes from the ECU or from Nissan's diagnostics. Still insist on it being the coils? I guess I TEND to agree, but not as passionately as you propose. What if I replace all 6 coils and still have similar problems? Can I return them? What would the likely problem seem to be then? Also, I thought the consensus was that the NGK Platinums were best for this car.

 

ngk plat's came with the car, the only difference between plat/copper is they live twice as long.

copper is a more conductive material then plat, no one will admit that this basic concept is actually true and insist that more expensive is better. they can think what they want, I'll stick the better conductive material myself, I can swing $2.00/ea every two years even if i am a broke college student. I do not think that there is any detectable difference between the two, but hey, that's what I chose to do

ummm.. it is known that the coils on '99s ARE bad (I dont have a '99 so i dont know if this applies to every '99 made or what.)

as for the varying idle speed, do you mean at random intervals the idle will change?

when the engine is cold it will idle at about 1500 rpm and then move down to 700-800 once it's warmed up, working its way down slowly. sometimes while driving and you take it out of gear it will keep the idle at about 1500 for a few seconds before dropping to 800, maybe it's being preemptive and assuming that you're going to keep driving and keeps the rpm's higher so there will be less work for the clutch when go back in gear? I don't really know about that but it seems feasible.

the dirty TB would cause a jumpy idle, slightly harder starting, and jumpier shifts in the lower gears; when you get a chance it should be done but it is probably not the root of your problems. however this does only take ~ 20-30 min and costs $2.50 for the intake cleaner.

my personal experience with cars is that I like to do things such as clean the TB when im trouble shooting so that I *know* at that time the engine should be running pristine, and can eliminate some of the trivial things.

good luck

 

I'm not sure but i thought some one had something on here before about the spark plugs. Check those see if those are bad or switch them to something else. I am new to this so i haven't had this problem plus i have a 95.

 

OK. Should I just try replacing the one coil that was loose and potentially damaged from this, or should I replace the three that include the loose one, or should I replace all 6? Remember, were trying to minimize cost here if we can help it. Does everyone here now agree that one or more coils is the most likely problem? Just to add more considerations, what if I get a service history and find out they've already been replaced at some time? What if I replace them and still have the problem... what will the next suggestion be?

Thanks for the copper-platinum clarification. Assuming your right, I think I'll replace all 6 plugs with new copper ones to be thorough since they're so cheap.

What you described about the idle is more or less what it does, so maybe that's normal then. I was just suspect of it since all the other stuff was going on as well. Maybe I can mark that off the sympton list then.

 

A hunting idle speed, if thats what it's doing is caused by a TPS problem. You can easily check it with an ohm meter. Probe pins 2 & 3 - at throttle closed you should have 0.5K, at wide open throttle you should have 4K.

 

Njmaxseltd, do you still think that even after my response to Tomservo291 above?

I wrote: "What you described about the idle is more or less what it does, so maybe that's normal then. I was just suspect of it since all the other stuff was going on as well. Maybe I can mark that off the sympton list then."

 

I doubt it's your spark plugs.

I have a '99 with 81K (bought it used at 74K with no service records). It's possible that some of my coil packs were replaced by the previous owner, but I have had no problems with them, and they are all Hanshin as opposed to Mitsubishi. If you end up replacing coil pack(s), definitely get the Mitsu even though they cost a bit more. But I have Hanshins and have had no probs, so to say that "all 99s have bad coil packs" is wrong. It could have been halfway through the production year when Nissan switched to coil packs that were likely to go bad.

Here's what I'd do:
1. Clean TB. Very easy. See Motorvate for detailed how-to.
2. Check your coil packs one at a time, starting with the loose one. If you know anyone with a 95-99 Maxima, you could borrow two of their coil packs (one from front bank and one from rear bank) and put it in each of your coil pack positions one at a time to see if you can eliminate the engine probs. Simply revving the engine through the powerband by pulling the throttle cable in the engine bay might be enough to figure out which pack(s) are bad. You could also test with a meter but I have no experience with that.

 

As long as his idle isn't hunting, just hanging as you describe after a shift or a blip of the throttle. If thats what his car is doing, then it should be just fine.

BTW, You can adjust that hanging RPM. I think 1500 is too high, should be right around 1000 or just below. Close the throttle plate a bit by adjusting the default throttle stop screw on the throttle body. Your hang RPM will drop a bit, your idle speed will stay the same, the IACV controls that.

 

So let's say for the sake of argument that it's probably the coils. If I can get a rare deal on all 6 coils (the deal would be for Hanshin not Mitsu), should I go ahead and replace all 6 or would that be wasting my money if only one is bad?

Can driving with the bad coil(s) damage other components? If I order them, I'll have to wait a few days for them to arrive, so should I avoid driving it in the meantime?

If for some reason cleaning the TB and replacing all 6 coils and plugs doesn't fix it, then what would you think it is? Is it likely that running it with the loose coil (or bad coils in general) has damaged anything else? Could the loose coil be what caused the O2 sensor to need replacing a few hundred miles ago just before I bought it and nobody ever noticed the loose coil?

Just trying to get a feel for all the dependencies regarding how this engine works.

 

I have been living with the same problem for a few months off and on(runs crappy,rough idle,missing etc). I don't think you'll damage anything driving like this.I tested resistance and all mine tested normal, but one is surely shot. It's true that CEL won't always trip. If you just want to replace 1 coil, you can possibly figure out which cylinder is missing by checking ECU codes manually(OBD) or bring it to the dealer and get a scan only when the tcs/slip light comes on(if you have traction control) when the missing occurs-do not shut car off,this will reset the cyl code. You will get the primary ignition fault, followed by the matching cylider code.You usually won't get both codes otherwise unless your really lucky. I just ordered all 6 mitsubishi coils, I just don't want to be monkeying around with this problem over and over, 99 coils pretty much suck, replace them all and be done with it.

 

yeah but didnt it stop flashing after he put the fuel cap back in?

 

well u could keep them cause u will need them later on. sorry dude, i too got 99 max and coils come and go quick in our defected 99's

 

hmmm well u only drove it for 7k miles how do u know that coils wont go bad quick from that little driving... my nissan dealer confirmed it and said all 99's got defect with coil packs

 

Don't buy coils from the dealer. Last week I saw a complete set of six barely used coils (35K miles on them) from a 1998 Maxima go for about $65. Damn good deal. Or go to a salvage yard and get the coils from a 1995-1998, pretty cheaply.

 

I have a 99 SEL and I am not sure what to do about it either. I am probably going to change the coil packs. I have had my car since it had 37,000 miles and now I am at 89,000... so they may be due to get switched. I wonder how we could get nissan to realize what a problem these have been. Lot of money for them to spend.

 

I accept that the Mitsu coils are better, but if I can get 6 Hanshin's for $250, are the Mitsu's over $100-150 better? Is the consensus that I should replace all 6 or just try to figure out which is bad?

Lastly, I never realy heard any discussion over the dependencies between the coil problem and all the finicky sensors. What's the probability that driving with all this misfiring has screwed one of the sensors? Or would I definitely get a CEL if a sensor was bad?

 

If you're going to go Hanshin, I would NOT replace all 6. Figure out which one(s) are bad by process of elimination and replace only those. Be prepared to replace other coils in the future if you go this route.

If you wanted to replace all the coil packs, again, I would look around for used ones from a 1995-1998 Maxima....

 

In other words, you think the Mitsu's are significantly better enough to make the difference of whether I should replace all 6 or not? What's the rationale for this?

 

might be a coil i had this problem after a couple days set off the CEL. All fixed now. If not Coil it might be the knock sensor

 

Well, Jerry Rome Nissan (http://www.nissandealer.com/jerry-ro..._home_page.cgi) is a discount Nissan dealer and they have both brands of coils. Put in 1999 Nissan Maxima and then go to the Mechanical tab, then go to Tune Up & Emission. Mitsu are only about $3 more each than Hanshin.

I don't know exactly what the deal is with Hanshin because I think they supplied coil packs for earlier 4th gen Maximas, which don't have problems. All I'm telling you is I've heard on the Org that Mitsu is what you want. To spend hundreds on brand new Hanshin only to have them go bad in 30K miles would be a shame, but if you can get them at a very reduced price I guess I'd go for it.

 

my 1995 came with mitsubitshi coils. i had problems at 175,000KMS

 

Seems everyone suggests my problem is the coils, but I've since tested the coils using the basic test in Haynes (I didn't take them out to test the spark plug end) and all seemed to test OK. Does everyone still think it's the coils?

I bought the car at 93,000 miles... how can I tell if it still has the original bad 99 coils or if they have already been replaced?

Lastly, I found a decent deal on a used set of 6 from a non-99 car. Seller says they all test OK according to the ohmeter test, but since they're used, he can't guarantee them. Would it be a good idea to buy these with no guarantees this is my problem?

Need feedback on all three questions... help! Thanks!

 

2. I don't think there's anyway to tell if they're original or not, just what brand they are.
3. If decent really is decent and you don't know anybody with a 95-99 Maxima to swap coils for a few minutes to test, I'd go for it. If you replace all 6 and still have problems (although I would replace them one at a time to see if particular coil(s) was bad), then you can at least sell the coils on the Org.

 

I have a 99 5spd se just like yours. I have never had any problems with coilpacks or anything for that matter. Try some ngk copper plugs, clean the tb , check the knock sensor and check your vaccume lines. The easiest thing would be to reset your ecu, just on hook the batterey for about 10min. I have 102,000 miles and have been boosted for 96,000 miles and my terrible no good coil packs are just fine Then if no luck maybe you should buy some new coil plugs.

 

Don't let this distract from the main questions above (post #30) for which I want more answers, but as an aside, which copper plugs are recommended: Standard or V-Power?

 

V-Power is supposedly better, but both work fine. You really won't notice a difference between different types of plugs. I'm running V-Powers. Can't beat the price on copper plugs!

 

I have a 99SEL also, and it was acting funky sine 80K and I am now at 90K. I just changed all of my coil packs and plugs... Now it is flying. I am hauling **** all over the place. You will thanks yourself later about the packs. The car will drive like a dream when you get it fixed. It will run better than you can imagine.

Also, welcome to the Maxima family. You will love it. Once you get it fixed that is.

 

COILPACKS....99s are known for them

 

you guys are making me want new ones too