Hi, everyone! I have one thing, that is bothering me after a purchase of a 1995 GXE. That's the fact, that I have to push the accelerator pedal real hard when starting, say from the red light. I think, that my previous car (Oldsmobile 86) reacted even faster while starting. I feel that the first seconds of a start are not that effective, that Maxima's engine should provide. Moments after the first shift (auto), the car gains the speed perfectly, but the very first second(s) still leave me kind of not satisfied completely. Is this just the pattern that I must get used to? Or do you know if any factor (specific part, or GAS - I use 89 so far), could be responsible for that? I appreciate any advise or comment that I can get.
Thank you.

Eugene.

 

What do you mean you have to push hard on the gas?

Are the revs on the tachometer rising? I assume you have the automatic, so you might want to try some informal 0-60 runs on an empty road somewhere to confirm it. If you can't crack 9 seconds, then your car is indeed slow.


Also, are you referring to the automatic being lazy and not downshifting when you come to a rolling stop? I know if I don't come to a complete stop at a stop sign, the automatic will stick in 2nd or 3rd gear, and in that case, the acceleration is very weak.

 

Mine is the same thing..

sumtimes i feel that it should have more pull off the line but thas how it is ...
however what u might try to check is the throttle cable..
if its slacking it might take a little more gas to get it tight b4 it opens up the throttle....
Mine was really lose till bout a week ago.. now i feel a difference...
the cable should be "in" the half moon shaped metal that it pulls on .. feel it , if its too lose then thas the first thing you should try doin ..

Ant

 

Try this: When sitting at a red light and you want to take-off quickly, let your foot off of the brake pedal about a second or two before the light turns green. This will allow the torque converter to spool-up and be ready to accept the power immediately. If you go from the brake pedal immediately to the accelerator pedal, that hesitation is created as the torque converter tries to catch-up with the engine. I do this every time that I start moving, not only because it's quicker, but I also don't like how the transmission shudders if I don't give it a second to get ready before a hammer it.

 

I'd say something's not right. My 95 GLE (mandatory auto - what's up with that?) has zero hesitation. A half-throtte launch from a light will usually leave everyone else easily and anything harder will usually induce some minor wheel spin (with no engine mods). Check your cable (as mentioned) and your 0-60 time. If she's slow in first, your tranny might be slipping or your lock-up might not be functioning correctly.

-kev

 

Hi, everyone! Sorry, but is here anybody from Toronto (Maxima Owner) here, who could try to drive my car (GXE 95), and objectivelly tell me, if the acceleration, torque, and transmission shifting is normal. Is it something mental, that I can't just get used to, or something is wrong with my car? The throttle cable seems to be OK (that's what one of the mechanics said). I didn't have a chance though to perform the 0-60 test. I still feel that the start and acceleration should be more powerful than I have with my car. Of course, I don't wanna spend big $$$ on something, that would not be necessary, and you know the story: if I go there (Dealership e.g.), they will "fix" lot of things without a guaranteed result.

Thanks a lot!

Eugene.

 

too in my car--and I took a look at that throttel cable and it seems there is a lot of play. FOr the first one--which is supposed to be the cruise control cable-- I can lift it and put two fingers in it, so it isn't very tight. And I notice that the bracket or screw taht it is holding it is a bit whobbly--if I am discribing it right. I tried playing with the screw with my hand and it seems that it is tight (by hand that is--so it is a bad indicator). BUt perhaps I too should tighten up that cable.

hmmm...does anyone have this whobbly bracket/screw holding their throttle cables? is that normal or mine is going broke

 

My suggestion is to go to your nearest nissan dealer and test drive a 95 gxe automatic. If it's the same, well then there you go, if you notice that the one at the dealership is definatly better then you have a problem. Also why your there drive a manual, driving a automatic vs. manual maxima is a huge huge difference ( imo ), bigger than most other cars.

-nate
96 se

 

Ok first off I have a 5speed so really can't talk about the slush box but... I will.

Ok What's your mileage? Have you changed your fuel filter lately? How about spark plugs? I'd suggest running your gas tank down to 1/4 of a tank and putting in a bottle of Techron Concentrate in there.

As for the throttle cables. They are suppose to be loose, but the butterfly valve should be fully open when you floor the pedal. To test it grab a friend, pop the hood, stand in front of the car and have them push down all the way on the pedal. Listen for a clank/click noise. That tells you that the valve is all the way open. If you hear it I'd recommend that you leave the cable be. They are loose from the factory. Btw... this is done best with the car not running. If you do tighten it all that's going to do is put more stress on the cable possible breaking it.

 

Thank you, Wizeguy!
I have 70,500 miles on mine. Since I bought it a month ago, I haven't changed the fuel filter, and certainly, not the spark plugs. Sometimes I do feel that this might solve the problem. Are those operations a part of the regular tune-up? I will take your advice, and put a bottle Techron Concentrate in the gas tank.
Thank you.

Eugene.

 

The spark plugs and fuel filter are part of the 60,000 mile tune up. I'd go ahead and change them, it really won't hurt anything. Fuel filter is $10? and NGK or Bosch Platinum +4's are $10 ea? So for $70 you'll know where your cars at. I'd do it in a heart beat.

Do a search on the fuel filter change. It looks like a simple job but boy is that thing hard to get at. My knuckles hurt just thinking about it.

Tell ya what. I've heard that the fuel filter is easier to get at with the upper intake pipe (plastic tube near t.b.) off. Pick up a can of carburetor/throttle body cleaner. Pull off the upper intake hose and spray down inside of the throttle body. Wipe it out the best you can. Then change the fuel filter. Btw... don't spray in the entire can.

Also I just reread this thread and you are using 89 octane? Bump that up to 93. This engine needs it.

Regards
Wizeguy

 

Launch is not our strong point. As long as everything is working the you have felt the wrath of an auto fwd car. There really aren't many mods to upgrade this problem. I would say get used to it after you have checked things out for actual problems

 

Wizeguy, you seem to be a pretty knowledgable guy. By the way, I'll be headin up to that car show if I can find the time, but anyway, what is the concentrate supposed to do to the car?

 

Thank you again, Wizeguy!
I couldn't find a Techron Concentate in our Canadian Tire store, so instead, I bought a Slick-50 Fuel System cleaner, pretty expensive staff ($25 CAD), and will put it in when the tank is empty. I suspect, it should achieve a similar to the Concentrate result (Should it?). I also noticed, that the problem that I raised in this thread, does not exist at all for the first 15 - 20 minutes after I start the car in the morning, or, if it's cold outside, for even longer. I am enjoying the drive completely then. The start hesitation usually begins after some driving in the traffic, or just after the engine is hot enough. Any thoughts on that? My new breaks' sqeeking also begins at the similar time interval after the initial start. Hmm... It's interesting...
Thanks for all yuor advices.

Regads,
Eugene.

P.S. I already use 92 octane all the time.

 

Thanks, BlackMax. Do you know if Altimas, for example, have the same problem. Or is it just a combination of V6, Auto Transmission, and high weight & size of Max, that produce this pretty common not so strong launch.

Regards,
Eugene