Top Speed? problem?
Top Speed? problem?
to begin, i will say that in no way shape or form do i condone driving at high speeds, but most of u do it anyways! on my way from miami to orlando and vice-versa i occasionally like to open the max up and see wut she does, with no cars around of course. every time i do it, i stop accelerating at 117-119ish, and i never goes past 4k rpms, every single time i do this. i once got to 130ish, but that was on the same day that i changed spark plugs and oil. i was completely stock though. now i have y-pipe, catback, and i kinda have my air box hacked a little. just changed my spark plugs bout 1k ago. u would think it goes a little higher than 118, NOPE. wut could it be? im just curious
Senior Member
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 479
From: Staten Island, New York
Originally Posted by MaximaSpd85
y would that be? i dont know my trim if u can believe that one
Originally Posted by mzmtg
The 4th gen Maxima was offered in three trim levels for the US market:
GXE "The essential Maxima"
SE "The Sportiest Maxima"
GLE "The luxurious Maxima"
All trim levels have the same engine, so performance differences between them are pretty much nil. The best way to tell which trim level you have is to decode the VIN Plate. This is due to much part swapping and trim upgrading, even transmission swaps that can be done.
TO DECODE THE VIN PLATE:
Raise your hood. Look for a shiny metal identification tag fastened to the passenger side of firewall. The top row is the Vehicle Identification Number, starting with J. The second row is model information. The first five characters are BLHUL. The sixth character is the trim level designator, defined as follows:
E = GXE
G = GLE
V = SE
There are some feature differences that can help you determine the trim level on site. Keep in mind that most of these can be changed aftermarket by the owner, but as we know the VAST majority of Maximas on the street are bone stock...
GXE
Black guage faces
Cloth seats
Basic stereo (BOSE optional but extremely rare)
Probably no sunroof (optional but very rare)
Chrome outer window trim and door handles
5spd or Auto trans
No spoiler
No fog lights
Steel wheels with hubcaps
Chrome grill on 97-99 models
Manual A/C
SE
White guage faces
"Sport" Cloth or leather seats
Basic or BOSE stereo
May have sunroof
Black outer window trim
Body color door handles
5spd or auto trans
Spoiler
Fog lights
15" blade-style (95-96) or 16" 5 spoke (97-99) alloy wheels
Body color grill on 97-99 models
Manual A/C or climate control
"Sport" suspension
Electronically controlled front engine mount on automatic transmission cars
Liquid filled rear shock mounts
(In Canada there is a model called the ES which is like an SE minus the BOSE, leather, sunroof, and spoiler (All standard on a Canadian SE). But, it does include the VLSD trans.)
GLE
Black guage faces
Leather seats
BOSE stereo
Sunroof
Chrome outer window trim and door handles
Auto trans only
No spoiler
No fog lights
15" honeycomb (95-96) or 15" blade-style (97-99) alloy wheels
Chrome grill on 97-99 models
Fake wood color dash and door trim
Fuzzy A-pillars on some years
Pop-out drawer (not flip-down) below radio on some years
Climate control only
Electronically controlled front engine mount
Liquid filled rear shock mounts
Keep in mind that spoilers, foglights, mudflaps and wood dash trim could be had as dealer-installed options on all levels.
Other options like heated seats, traction control, ABS and the like were offered on more than one trim level, so they are not a reliable indicator.
Send me a PM if you think of things to add to the list.
GXE "The essential Maxima"
SE "The Sportiest Maxima"
GLE "The luxurious Maxima"
All trim levels have the same engine, so performance differences between them are pretty much nil. The best way to tell which trim level you have is to decode the VIN Plate. This is due to much part swapping and trim upgrading, even transmission swaps that can be done.
TO DECODE THE VIN PLATE:
Raise your hood. Look for a shiny metal identification tag fastened to the passenger side of firewall. The top row is the Vehicle Identification Number, starting with J. The second row is model information. The first five characters are BLHUL. The sixth character is the trim level designator, defined as follows:
E = GXE
G = GLE
V = SE
There are some feature differences that can help you determine the trim level on site. Keep in mind that most of these can be changed aftermarket by the owner, but as we know the VAST majority of Maximas on the street are bone stock...
GXE
Black guage faces
Cloth seats
Basic stereo (BOSE optional but extremely rare)
Probably no sunroof (optional but very rare)
Chrome outer window trim and door handles
5spd or Auto trans
No spoiler
No fog lights
Steel wheels with hubcaps
Chrome grill on 97-99 models
Manual A/C
SE
White guage faces
"Sport" Cloth or leather seats
Basic or BOSE stereo
May have sunroof
Black outer window trim
Body color door handles
5spd or auto trans
Spoiler
Fog lights
15" blade-style (95-96) or 16" 5 spoke (97-99) alloy wheels
Body color grill on 97-99 models
Manual A/C or climate control
"Sport" suspension
Electronically controlled front engine mount on automatic transmission cars
Liquid filled rear shock mounts
(In Canada there is a model called the ES which is like an SE minus the BOSE, leather, sunroof, and spoiler (All standard on a Canadian SE). But, it does include the VLSD trans.)
GLE
Black guage faces
Leather seats
BOSE stereo
Sunroof
Chrome outer window trim and door handles
Auto trans only
No spoiler
No fog lights
15" honeycomb (95-96) or 15" blade-style (97-99) alloy wheels
Chrome grill on 97-99 models
Fake wood color dash and door trim
Fuzzy A-pillars on some years
Pop-out drawer (not flip-down) below radio on some years
Climate control only
Electronically controlled front engine mount
Liquid filled rear shock mounts
Keep in mind that spoilers, foglights, mudflaps and wood dash trim could be had as dealer-installed options on all levels.
Other options like heated seats, traction control, ABS and the like were offered on more than one trim level, so they are not a reliable indicator.
Send me a PM if you think of things to add to the list.
It's because GXE's tend to have speed limiters that cut off around 120, but from the sound of it you don't as the speed limiter would have brought the RPM's back down to idle.
I'm one of the fewer GXE's that don't have a speed limiter, but since I'm an auto, thats probably why I can't go faster than about 123. I could, but 4th gear (OD) is extremely low in the power band and would take forever to actually top out.
I'm one of the fewer GXE's that don't have a speed limiter, but since I'm an auto, thats probably why I can't go faster than about 123. I could, but 4th gear (OD) is extremely low in the power band and would take forever to actually top out.
... personally i have a GXE and i top at 119 (w / limiter)...
but if im SE i shouldnt have a limiter rite?, and if i did i should drop to idle like deagle said, i dont, i just stay at 4k. about a year ago i tested it and i actually went past 120, but i was stock then, now im not. the only thing i had last year that day was that i changed the plugs and oil hours before i drove it.
do you have rims??? if you do, put your stock tires back on, makes that much of a difference. otherwise, you don't have enough backpressure on the exhaust to push the car.
You may have an SE that for some reason has a GXE ECU in it. All those options you listed point to being an SE (which has no electronic limiter, and should pull eventually to 140ish stock). Some GXEs have an electronic limiter programmed into the ECU that will stop your acceleration at 116 or so, unless you bypass that limiter using Ben's governor mod, or get your ECU reprogrammed. If you have a limiter you WILL know it... the moment you hit 116 or so your engine will cease to make any power for like 5 seconds. The first time I hit mine I thought I blew my motor, but I of course didn't. It's just that pesky limiter. If you have no limiter and it just gradually stops accelerating, your problem is something else.
I hit 134 no problem in georgia coming from daytona when i had my maxima. Y-pipe, Intake, 18"s, full stereo, and GPS (so dont give me that "your speedometer is not acurate because you have bigger wheels" crap!) It was probibly the areodynamic properties of the stillen aero kit.... 
Do you have a Check Engine light? I really doubt that back preasure has anything to do with it at 4000 RPMs.
Do you have a Check Engine light? I really doubt that back preasure has anything to do with it at 4000 RPMs.
I buried the spido in 5th gear and hit the rev limiter, which is pretty much exactly 160 mph. Not with the vq30 though, but I use a stock 1995 SE ECU. No speed limiter. Won't do it again though 
Check your Knock Sensor!
When i 1st got my car it would go to about 135.
Then when i was getting hessitation @ low rpm's and would race my brothers A4 1.8 T he would always pass me after 100 and the needle whould stay right around where yours is.
Then i found out the KS needed to be changed and after I can hit 135-140 again.
When the KS goes bad it is in some kind of (safety or Limp Mode).I guess part of the saftey is governing the top speed.
When i 1st got my car it would go to about 135.
Then when i was getting hessitation @ low rpm's and would race my brothers A4 1.8 T he would always pass me after 100 and the needle whould stay right around where yours is.
Then i found out the KS needed to be changed and after I can hit 135-140 again.
When the KS goes bad it is in some kind of (safety or Limp Mode).I guess part of the saftey is governing the top speed.
Im not 100% sure that most gxe's have speed limiters from what ive seen alot of gle's do. Well my 98 gxe i went 145 was about 5500-6000 rpm no speed limiter or nothing got to love the gxe 
Everyone is avoiding the easiest solution, TURN OVERDRIVE OFF until redline, and then switch it to 4 gear. You should also check your KS, as that could be broken. I don't think that backpressure comment a few posts up was anything but bs...
Originally Posted by bigleman
GPS (so dont give me that "your speedometer is not acurate because you have bigger wheels" crap!)
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