recently got my cover valve gaskets replaced and after it was fixed I was driving on the highway and when I took my foot of the accelerator my speed would stay the same. (like the cruise control was on). when I pressed the brakes it would go down as usual. but, when I was stopped at a light the RPM was at 1000 and it was creeping up and when I took my foot off the brake the car would jump like the gas was being pressed. It started to get a little high for my liking and I put the car in neutral while I was stopped and the car suddenly revved up on its own to 7000rpm. I cut the car off immediately.

It has done this twice and there isn't any apparent problems with the throttle getting stuck or anything. Any help or suggestions??

 

U have a vacuum leak. more than likely, the mech who did the valve cover gaskets left a hose on the back of the intake manifold disconnected or he crossed up the hoses on the IACV or did not use a new gasket for teh IACV. Check all these connections and check the IACV too.

An idle issue is likely an air issue and likely is an IACV issue. Troubleshoot the valve and check for vacuum leaks as i desccribed above.

might need to check TB gasket too. Use starting fluid when the car is on and see if the TB sucks the spray in when the car is running.

 

Hi Pat,
First, thanks for helping us new guys out. I have reviewed a lot of post before I decided to post this thread, but I couldn't find anything that fit my problem.

I have a 96 Max SE and I'm experiencing a knocking noise coming from the right front side of the car when going over small bumps. Sounds like something is loose. I have jacked up the car and I can move the tire left and right about a 1/4" while the tire is suspended. I changed the strut with no resolve. The boot is gone from where the CV joint is located. Can this be a bad CV joint or CV axle. It does NOT make any clicking noise when turning. Can anyone please help?
Thanks,
Tim

 

If your CV boot is gone, you need a new CV.

Start there IMO.

 

Thank you! That's what I thought. Should I just change the CV Joint and boot only, or while I'm doing that should I change out anything else to save me time, money and future problems?
Thanks,
Tim

 

If your whole boot is gone, your CV is toast completely.

Replace the whole thing.

I've had good luck with NAPA new CV's, but that's your choice.

 

thank you, Sir.
Tim

 

Firstly, wow, this forum looks awesome! I've been browsing around for about an hour and I'm impressed. Also, thank you so much for this great thread for us noobs.

Today I went car shopping with one of the kids in my youth group.
We ended up settling on a `97 Max GLE-S w/ 217,000mi for $725

The engine runs and sounds pretty darn good and was supposedly swapped 4 years ago for a 2002 (DEK Swap?) How could I verify that?

Ok, for my first real issue. The car seems to drain the battery after siting for just a few hours to the point of not being able to start.
The previous owner verified the issue and after replacing the battery and alternator pretty much gave up on the car.

For starters I just installed a quick battery disconnect and showed him and his sister how to operate it...that should get them through a week or two.

Before installing the quick disconnect I decided to do some diagnostics.
I disconnect the negative terminal and connected a brake light between the terminal and the negative post.

The light lit up showing that there was a draw of current.

I then started pulling and reinserting every fuse 1 by one.

I found two fuses that when disconnected eliminate the current draw, each is responsible for about half the current.

The one is in the upper left corner:
FL75A
Battery
IGN

The other is center right:
7.5A | ALT.S

I'm guessing the Battery IGN might normally draw a little amperage to power the ECU and the radio memory...but then I really don't know.

Any ideas?

Thanks for any help or pointers, I truly appreciate it and these are really great kids I'm helping out, they appreciate it too!

 

That's a pretty big drain on the battery if it runs the battery down in a couple of hours. The current draw of an 1157 brake light bulb is approx 27 watts or 2 and a fraction amps at 12.5 volts.

When the engine is shut off, only 3 things draw current: the clock, the radio and the alarm system. If I remember correctly, it is around .03 amp total.

When you pulled fuses, that big 75 amp fusible link is a master fuse that feeds 9 fuses, which in turn feeds a lot of other circuits, 31 if I counted right. Those 9 fuses are in the inside fuse block, fuses # 10, 11, 22, 24, 26, 37, 38, 39 and 40. When you turn the ignition key to ON, that fusible link feeds an additional 7 fuses and another boat load of circuits, but that doesn't play into your problem.

The 7.5 amp fuse feeds only the alternator, the stator windings and the internal voltage regulator. This should not be drawing any current when the engine is off.

More investigation is needed regarding this. Even though the alternator was theoretically replaced, I am HIGHLY suspicious of it. Like I said, that should not be drawing current when off. You can take the alternator off the car and take it to an auto parts store and have them test it, but I will guarantee you that they will tell you it is good. They don't have the ability to test for that kind of problem. You would have to swap in a known good alternator.

You will have to pull the fuses in the inside fuse panel that I mentioned above to isolate the drain a little more. To figure out the location of the individual fuses, you have 2 choices. If you look closely at the plastic body of the fuse block, there is a tiny number molded into the plastic next to each fuse. The other choice is to go on-line and look at the diagram in the service manual, section FOLDOUT, top of page 3.

link - http://boredmder.com/FSMs/Nissan/Max...97/foldout.pdf

entire manual - http://boredmder.com/FSMs/Nissan/Maxima/1997/

Have you noticed any extra wiring added into the car? Aftermarket alarm systems can do all kinds of funny things, including run down the battery. Old technology led lights can draw current when supposedly off and many times you can see them faintly glowing at night.

Good luck, electrical problems are a pain.

 

Wow! Thank you so much for the detailed reply, that's going to help so much!

The bulb itself doesn't light up completely so I don't think it's drawing the full amount, and I just had it running the one larger filament.

I think the first thing I'll try is just disconnecting the alternator and seeing if there is still a draw, if not then I know there is something up with the wiring.

I haven't had a chance yet to really look deep into the car yet but there is an aftermarket head unit in it and the seller stated that there used to be a full on system in the car so I wont be surprised if I find some funky wiring.

I'm going to be jumping in there this coming Sunday after me and the kids detail the car and give it some long needed TLC.

If I could ask another question...

I was thinking about draining the tranny and replacing the filter and fluid but I know a lot of people say to leave old transmission alone.

What do you think?

Thank you again for all your help!

 

I fall into the "don't do it" group. I want to start out by saying that there really isn't a filter in the transmission. There is this screen (or sieve) in there that gets called a filter, but you don't change it, you drop the pan and clean it off. A lot of people will disagree with me about changing the oil. It seems like half of the people who have done it, have regretted it. If you decide to do it, removing the drain plug only drains about half of the oil. The other half stays in the torque converter. This "half change" uses about 3.5 to 4 quarts and is probably less destructive than a full 8 quart oil change.

FYI, Nissan uses Dexron ATF.

FYI again, the power steering also uses Dexron ATF. DO NOT use power steering fluid in the power steering.

Going back to the electrical problem, I am wondering about the battery. I have left my headlights on for something like an hour and the car started. One headlight bulb on low beam uses 45 watts or 3.6 amps, so both headlights are over 7 amps, which is pushing 4 times a fully lit 1157 lamp and you say the lamp is not at full intensity.

Maybe the previous owner is pulling your leg about the alternator and battery being changed. You do have the battery drain problem, but the battery may not be in as good a shape as you think. I would get that tested before winter sets in.

 

Electrical Problem
99 Maxima SE 175,000 mi - No aftermarket parts
Recent History
Car died on highway a week ago. Checked and cleaned all cables and connectors. Battery was down to 9v. Jumped vehicle. Alternator showed 7v. Removed alternator and tested at AP store. Failed. Replaced both alternator and battery.

New Problem
Immediately after replacing alternator and battery, the vehicle has no electrical power anywhere.

Looked at fuse/fuselink box and tested 4v at the front side of the main 120a link. Removed the +cable from the box and tested 12.7v at the end of the cable. Reattached +cable to box and tested 4v.

Pulled all fuses from box and tested 12.7 at the main link.
Put fuses/links back in one at a time and measured voltage after each install at the main link. Remained at 12.5 until the BCM fuse (#56 on wiring diag - 7.5a) was installed, then voltage dropped to 11 v at the main link and bounced around. Pulled the BCM fuse and the voltage went back to a steady 12.5v. If the light switch is turned on (even with the BCM fuse out), the voltage at the main link drops to 4v and remains there until all the fuses are pulled again.

Checked the connections at the alternator battery (ground and +) which seem good.
Any suggestions for next step testing would be very much appreciated.
Noob

 

Check the positive battery cable. They have a nasty habit of the wire corroding inside the battery post clamp. Wiggle the wire around while observing voltage with everything plugged in.

 

Thanks a ton Dennis. Was thinking that as well so I replaced the connector when I cleaned up the terminals. I tried the "wiggle test" and didn't notice any v fluctuation. I'm past where I've ever had to go before. This afternoon I checked the voltage at the front side of the connection coming into the fuse box and measured 12.5v vs 12.7 on the battery posts and connectors. Then I turned the light siwitch on (still no lights however) and I measured 4v at the same front side connection. Hmmm. Same drop happened when I turned on the flashers, but I could at least hear a buzzing sound for a second coming from under the dash. That's the first sign ive had that there is some power going somewhere when called for! Also have measured 12.6 at the starter and alternator and all of the easily accessible ground points. Sure appreciated your input. I'm sure you have better things to do than look at my post.
Still a Noob.

 

What you are dealing with sounds like a classic situation of a bad connection that can not provide the needed amount of electrical current.

Instead of focusing on the +12 volt connections, let's shift to the negative/ground side. If you follow the negative battery cable as it leaves the battery, you till find it bolts to the chassis beneath the battery tray. This is the main ground connection for the car and all its accessories. Check it out. Make sure it is clean and tight. And don't just look at it, either. Unbolt it and make sure the tab is tight on the cable and the mating surface is clean. Then look at the bolt. Are the threads clean? The threads are the actual metal-to-metal contact for the ground. Because the body is painted, the metal tab of the cable being pressed against the chassis is not the actual ground connection.

 

Good thought. I was unaware that the ground actually came from the screw threads. Removed it and sanded with a light grit until it shined. I had previously removed it and focused on cleaning up up the tab. Symptoms are still the same. Pain in the buttushka. I should note that I have been doing my testing with the bcm (7.5a), power window (30a), and batt ign(75a) fuses/links out. I jumped the 75a with wire. When they are installed the v at the box drops to 8.5v even without turning the light switch on, (7.5a contributes to 2v loss, 30a 1v loss, and 75a 1v loss). Should I be testing with these installed?

I'm pulling the other grounds that I can get to again to clean those screws as well.
Thank you again for your coaching.
TH

 

This is definitely not a run of the mill problem. Those fuses you are taking out are responsible for current being used by that particular circuit. But nothing should be drawing that much current that it would load the battery down. For example the 7.5 amp fuse - that is hardly enough current to load a battery down. Starting the car drops the battery voltage down to 11 maybe less volts and that's a lot more current than 7.5 amps. I'm beginning to wonder if you got a bad battery.

You have a buddy that you could borrow their battery and try it in your car? Otherwise, take it and get it tested.

 

Well, at least I'm thinking along the same lines as you (probably not a comfort for you, but it is for me.) ..........I took the battery out of another car and put the max battery in it and the other car started right up. I have removed every ground screw that I can easily get to and cleaned and sanded them and re-installed. I had also replaced the
+ battery connector and I thought maybe I hadn't tightened that up well enough or that the cable ends were too frayed, so I stripped some of the insulation off and got a nice bit of clean copper to attach the connector to. Bolted on the wiring harness ..... tightened it up good..............no effect..... I was feeling good about that.............Thank you again for your input!

 

Are you always measuring the voltage across the battery terminals or from some wire or contact point? With your battery being able to start another car, I would think that you would always measure 12 volts across the battery terminals.

Based on what you have done so far, I am no longer leaning towards the bad ground idea.

There was someone here on the org that had problems with connections on the bottom side of the under hood fuse panel. IIRC, his problem showed up as dim headlights.

Another nightmare of connections is where the all the wires go through the firewall. Nissan calls it the "Super Multiple Junction" or SMJ. I have never messed with it but with all the wires it has, it is a potential for problems. It is located in the firewall behind the inside fuse panel. The 2 connectors are bolted together. Looking in the FSM, I see a ground wire wire coming down from the inside connector of the SMJ and bolting to the body by the lower corner of the door. You would probably have to remove the door sill, the kick panel and peel the carpet down IF it is where I think. But I admit that the service manual can be deceiving. I have been half a car off from following the manual. And I said I was off the ground idea.

But I really don't know what the problem is. I'm basically guessing.

 

Thanks Dennis for your feedback.
The voltage on the battery has stayed a constant 12.6 to 12.7 in any of the situations I've described. The drop in voltage that I am seeing is at the fusebox on the front side of the main fuse. In those instances I'm measuring with a probe on the neg ground batt terminal and the other on that front side input at the fuse box, which I'm expecting to remain a constant 12.6ish since there is nothing in my thinking between the battery and the fuse box that could lower the voltage. If I take the + probe off the fuse box and put it back on the batter, I have 12.7v. Does that make sense?

With zero power anywhere, I'm thinking its sorta gotta be a loose or corroded ground doesn't it? If it were just one + wire, or connection somewhere, wouldn't I at least get some power.........someplace???

I have the underhood fusebox completely undone and can inspect the underside. I don't see any corrosion etc. May need to get a tool to see if there is voltage running inside the wires, but at least my visual seems to indicate they are ok.

The Super Multiple Junction sounds like a lot of "super" fun to look at, but I'm open to looking at anything at this point, even if it just leads me back to something simple that I'm overlooking. Will try that when I get home tonight.

I appreciate your "guessing"!!! Otherwise, I just stare at it and the wiring diagram and try to see what could cause zero power............not working so well for me..........
TH

 

So......last night was fiddling with the connector on the + terminal that routes to the fuse box, trying to see if I could get it apart. On my car it is red with a small brass loop that connects to the main battery terminal connector.

While doing so, the brass loop snapped off. Closer inspection revealed that it had a stress fracture (probably from taking it on and off the battery so much). My hypothesis is that i could get 12.6v at the fuse box as long as there was no load on the battery. As soon as I put a load on and called for power, there wasn't enough cross sectional area of the brass loop with a good connection, so the v dropped at the end of the cable. Went to the boneyard today and picked up a new + battery cable ($4). There are two snap together connections, one to the starter, the other to a wire that I think goes to the fuel pump, a bolted connection at the starter, and a bolted connection at the fuse box. Slapped it in and voila..........12.6 all around, everything works. I sure hate being ignorant, but it's my best thing. Hope this is helpful to someone. As stated repeatedly in this forum..........First check EVERY aspect of the battery connections before you do anything else. (But I bet I have the cleanest ground connections in any 99 max on the planet). Thanks to Dennis for his suggestions.
TH

 

GREAT job, excellent detective work.

I was thinking about that fuse myself. Sorry I didn't say anything now.

 

Rumor clarification needed:

I need new sway bar end links on a '97 SE auto and I've heard that the size on the SE is different somewhere around there compared to GLE/GXE..I was thinking it was end link that was the only difference.

Am I on the right track?

Wanting to go Moog.

Thanks in advance.

 

You kinda got it backwards. The stabilized bar on the SE is thicker (stiffer) than the GLE or GXE. The end links are the same for all models.

 

Ok thanks.
So it's just the sway bar subframe bushings that are larger on the SE.

Next question:

I have a 3.5 swapped '97 with 3.0 timing.

Do I need a functioning MAP sensor?

Here is a copy/paste from my other thread that always gets ignored.

Might have some useful information for troubleshooting if anyone knows what's up.
~~
Pulled my codes last night after the monthly startup from the '97 auto JWT:

P1401 egr temp sensor**
P0105 map sensor=?
P0443 purge volume control valve~evap*
P0705 evap bs*
P1400 egrc solenoid valve*
P1445 evap bs*
P1105 auto trans bs*

*= delete/can live without; unless someone tells me better.

**= I have the sensor and some hi-temp silicone tape that I am planning on strapping to the heater hose to fix this.

My question is: Do I need a MAP hooked up?

I can't even find the plug for it on my donor harness.

I have two extra full harnesses..
one from a '96 I30 manual and one from a '98 Maxima manual; as well as a full 3.5 injector harness ready to be spliced in, just in case.

It would be nice to clear some of these codes if anyone knows any tricks.
I know I'm stuck with the auto bs due to manual with auto ECU.

Any opinions are welcome.

Should I just ignore these?

The only "problem" I ever have with the engine performance is that it runs kinda crappy until warm up, but I was guessing coolant temp sensor on that one....but again, guessing.

 

Good evening. Hopefully someone can help. I have a 95 maxima. Right now I need to replace the valve gasket cover. I have a huge oil leak supposedly because of it. But now exhaust is coming in through my vents. My kids are inhaling it. A mechanic stated I need to use the Recirculating switch on the climber control. Before i look for that, I wondered if anyone else had a different opinion? You guys helped me change my starter in the summer so I value all of your input.

 

I don't know if you actually meant to type "climber control" or if that was a mistake. It should be "climate control", which is the control panel for the heater and air conditioner. The recirculate control is one of the buttons on the heater/air conditioning controls. There are 2 different control panels that could be in the car, manual and auto controls. It depends on the model. Manual controls have a lever that you slide from side to side in order to set the temperature in the car. The auto climate controls have a LED screen that displays a number that you set by turning a ****. Both types of controls have a push button for recirculate mode. Recirculate mode is where the air used for the heat or air conditioning is taken from inside the car instead of outside air.

Click on the link and go to page 17 for a picture of the manual controls and page 60 (at the bottom) for a picture of the auto climate controls.

link - http://boredmder.com/FSMs/Nissan/Maxima/1995/HA.pdf

Now for the fumes. Recirculation mode may help a little. Usually fumes will only be sucked into the passenger cabin when the car is stopped at a traffic light and maybe while moving very slow like less than 10 mph. At speed, the air flow around the car pushes the engine compartment air down and under the car.

The fumes could be from the oil leak, the oil drips down onto the hot exhaust manifold and smokes, then it is sucked into the air intake vent under the windshield wipers. If the leak is bad enough, you might see smoke when you open the hood. You could also have an exhaust gas leak in the engine area. But the smell of exhaust gas and burning oil are distinctly different. Since you had a mechanic look at the car and he says you have an oil leak, you are probably smelling oil.

Besides the fact that you have to add oil all the time, the oil leak could lead to front end alignment problems. The rubber bushings in the lower control arm rots out if it is constantly bathed in oil. Thank you Nissan for selecting a non oil resistant bushing for use in the engine area.

 

Yes that was a typo. Lol. Thank you kindly for assisting me. I will look into everything tomorrow during daylight. If it is ok, I will respond back to you! Have a good one!

 

I have a 96 5 speed and I just replaced all my motor mounts and my engine is still flexing pretty bad when I accelerate the I can feel the engine jerk then start to pull and my shifter jumps back in fourth when I hit the throttle could this be something with my sub frame ..

 

Seeing as to how you live in the snow/rust belt, yes. What can happen is that the lower radiator support can rust out. Since the front end of the cross member that the engine rests on bolts on to the lower radiator support, you could have engine movement with good motor mounts.

Get down in front of your car and look at the bottom of you radiator.

 

That's what it is smh it's rusted right where it bolts up i guess I'm gonna try to weld a plat there cause I don't want to have to do the whole support

 

I think that welding a piece of metal onto rotting metal is a very short term fix.

Bite the bullet and replace the entire support.

 

It's not the whole bottom of the support just around the bolts I was gonna cut all the rust out and welding in a plate in but I'm probably just gonna bite the bullet and do the whole thing before it snows and gets worse I just wish I seen this earlier before I did the mounts but thanks for the help

 

Make sure you use OEM only!!

 

Hello all -

I have a 99 SE that is exhibiting all the classic signs of coil failure. I'd like to start with a used one (or one left and one right) to determine which is bad.

Yeah, I know I could use an ohm meter, but, from what I read, even that isn't conclusive. I figure I'll just get a left and right from the local yard and check 'em out one by one.

My underyling question is this; do replacements need to be of the same type (Mitsubishi or Hitachi) currently in the car or can I mix and match?

As a side note, this car only has 47K on it (in my hands since day one). Do these packs go bad due to age as well as mileage?

Thanks in advance for any assistance!

Brett

 

To just answer your question, you can mix brands.

Why you might have bad coils with only 47K, I don't know. I also don't know exactly how the coil goes bad, but I suspect that probably the power transistor inside the coil fails.

But usually you get a check engine light from a bad coil. And the coil doesn't have to be totally dead for the check engine light to com on, either. Codes are P0300 for multiple coils, P030x for one coil where x is the cylinder number. Then there is the dreaded P1320 which is multiple cylinders and almost impossible to diagnose to which cylinder.

 

Thanks for the info regarding the mixing of brands.

The CEL is on. I'll get the full code to see what I am dealing with.


Thanks again!

Brett

 

Hello,
I am completely new to the forum and I hope this is within the scope of the rules. anyway here we go...
I have a 1997 6cyl, DOHC, A/T Maxima. Sometimes during the pre-start system check, (looking at all dash lights with key in ACC position), The O/D light will blink rapidly. After a quick search I discovered that the light, (when blinking), is an indication that something is up with the transmission or the tranny's computerized system. The car, (as far as I can tell), does not go into "limp mode" when this happens, as it shifts normally/smoothly through all gears and on into over-drive. But the cruise control will not work if the O/D light had blinked rapidly during start-up. If I shut the ignition off then restart and the light doesn't blink, the cruise control will work fine. I should also note that the tranny pan seeps fluid slowly, as its getting quite rusty, but fluid levels seem fine. I'm not sure if it has anything to do with this problem but I have also gotten a "speed sensor" error code on my last OBDII code check, (although the speedo reads accurate).
Is the occasional blinking O/D simply telling me that there is something wrong with the cruise control system, or could something serious be wrong with my transmission?
I did another quick search and came up with this.... http://forums.maxima.org/910694-post18.html
He mentions a procedure to pull the O/D codes, (similar to pulling the Check engine codes without an OBDII reader), by setting the tranny CPU into a certain mode so it will blink the error code at you. but the procedure is for a 90 300zx, would this procedure work on the 97 maxima also?
it may just be a coincidence, but it seems to happen more when there is a bunch of snow, slush and crap on the roads.


Sorry for the long post but I'm really hoping for some help!

 

Click on this link which will take you to the automatic transmission chapter of the the Nissan service manual. On page 27, about half way down starts the self diagnostic section. Read it first to understand it before trying it.

http://boredmder.com/FSMs/Nissan/Maxima/1997/AT.pdf

If you want the entire service manual, use the link without the AT.pdf:
http://boredmder.com/FSMs/Nissan/Maxima/1997/

 

Awesome, thanks for the links! I have read through the first link got a much greater understanding on how to diagnose the transmission and systems. After a bit of reading I decided to give the "self diagnostics" a try. After a warm-up period of driving to the pharmacy, I went through the procedure....
Results: The O/D light held longer on the 2nd blink, indicating that the speed sensor is either shorted or disconnected. This makes sense, since I had gotten the speed sensor error code on my last OBDII code check. I then reset/cleared the system and drove back home. Once I was home I did a quick check to see if the O/D light would blink. It has not yet, but will again a some point, I'm sure. This tells me that the problem with the speed sensor is intermittent. Which leads me to think that the problem isn't the sensor itself but rather a faulty ground or corrosion, possibly. I have heard that the maximas are known for grounding issues.
Am I on the right track? Where should I go from here?


Thanks for all the help so far!
N. West