camaro1698

I have a 1998 max and i've been having some problems with it lately. I recently replaced the spark plugs and the fuel filter and thats when i think the problem started. I was going up a hill and kept my foot steady on the gas and noticed a very slight hesitaion in the car. It only happens when I keep my foot steady on the gas going up a hill. It feels like the car doesn't have enough power to get up the hill, so I give more gas and the hesitation stops. Any thoughts???

NYCe MaXiMa

iTrader: (9)

ummmmmmm...... auto tranny shifting?
I know all auto trannies don't shift as smoothly going uphill..

Now that you mention it, i have some hesitation with my max as well, but it's on regular straight roads after I begin to accelerate, car moves then jerks a little then begins to pick up...and it's not a tranny shift for sure.

Stillen_I30

same thing happens to me...the jerk you feel also happens in my car. from what i understand, its merely the design of the tranny...in my opinion, its not the best tranny for this car. from what i read previously, the tranny behaves like this for fuel economy reasons...same reason why you dont get a good start when coasting thru a stop sign (car still remains in 2nd gear when coasting thru at around 5mph).

emax02

iTrader: (1)

I'm no genius but if the problem started after he changed his fuel filter and plugs I dow't the tranny whould be the Culprit.


How does your car idle? Any signs of it wanting to stall or anyting? My 5spd I30 use to have hesitation problems and when I hit the gas harder the hesitation whould go away. The problem was a damaged MAFS. You may have damaged your MAFS when you changed your fuel filter. This is just a possibility, more info whould help with hte diagnostics.

NYCe MaXiMa

iTrader: (9)

uhh, you're right, i'm no genious either, but i need to read more carefully

MAF is a possibility no doubt. I've heard of even worse things happening when the MAF is damaged.

Stillen_I30

didnt your check engine light come on with the faulty MAF?

Sonic

Ethan, are going to start selling MAF sensors? You seem to diagnose every engine problem back to them.

emax02

iTrader: (1)

You know, thats not a bad idea . I have noticed I always say "check the MAFS" because it seems to be the #1 thing that breakes on max's. I personaly broke one and I did not figure it out for about a month so now if something sounds like a bad MAFS I give my .02 cents.


Stillen_I30, my check engine light did not come on when my MAFS broke, it seems to rarely set off a MIL code.

camaro1698

Where is the mafs and how much does it cost to fix. Also what does it do???

Daniel B. Martin

MAFS stands for Mass Air Flow Sensor. This is one of the most important sensors in the Maxima's electronic engine management system. The MAFS is located just downstream of the air cleaner. It measures the amount of air drawn into the engine. The MAFS is not generally repairable. If it goes bad, it is replaced. The cost for a replacement depends on whether you buy a used unit, an aftermarket unit, or a new factory part. A used MAFS might be had for $50 and a new one for more than $300.

For more information about the function of the MAFS and a test procedure, please refer to the Chilton repair manual (page 4-16) or the Haynes repair manual (page 6-9).

camaro1698

how can i test to see if it is bad, does a bad mafs cause a hesitation up a hill??

Sonic

Buy a Chliton's or Haynes Manual at your local automotive stor or Barnes and Noble, it available for about 15 dollars. The test procedure is in there. Can is cause hesitation, yes, but I would think that it would have little to do with only doing it up hill.