Yeah, really sucks.

I'm not saying it's the mounts causing it, I don't know what is "causing" it. Theoretically, even if I had solid mounts, the engine COULDN'T move, and it was in fact caused by coils or something, there would still be hesitation and lack of power, but the engine wouldn't move. I have to think that it the engine couldn't move, the problem wouldn't exist, and therefore the problem itself is just the fact that the engine gets sent into oscillations rocking back and forth.

When comparing my case to other MAF/coils/etc. cases, mine is different. Most others with coil problems have trouble throughout the RPM range, in every gear, and most importantly, even if the ease into the gas. Mine is completely different than that. Even though the symptoms may be similar, the conditions under which they occur is certainly different IMO.

If my dad would answer his freeking cell phone, I'd have him bring home a Nissan Consult-II. I've used it before and it's freekin great!

Still working on uploading the vid. Windows Mobile FTL.

 

UPDATE 8/5/08:

I've now taped all 6 coils... It doesn't seem to have solved the problem.

Next step: I just bought 2 brand new coils (1 front, 1 rear) off e-bay - hopefully I'll have them within the week. At that point, I'll try swapping them around and praying that I eventually solve the problem...

I'll keep y'all updated.

 

Wow, thanks for taking the plunge for us on that one! It would be nice to find a freeking solution, eh?

I've now gone through 3 sets or 9 total coils in the front (all used) and 2 sets or 6 total coils in the rear (also used). I've only tried taping one rear set and one front set, but I would think that if the coils were my problem, I would have noticed something during the course of 15 different coils!! Like I said, I just don't think my problem quite fits the description of the typical coil problem.

I'm gonna try to get some 1/4" steel plate and drill three holes in it. That way I don't have to fabricate an entire motor mount, but it will have the same effect. I'm confident that thats my actual problem. Hopefully I can do that relatively soon.

I'll keep you guys updated. And keep the ideas coming, we'll figure it out sooner or later!

 

I have found another thread that could relate to this hesitation problem..read on

http://forums.maxima.org/4th-generat...eleration.html

 

Well, I taped all 6 of my coils last night, and it didn't make a difference. I would think if it was a coil it would have gone out by now. I also don't think it's the coils because I've changed all 6, and I've swapped the entire engine that came with 6 more coils, and the same problem exists even with the new engine.

 

good thread - - certainly adds some fuel to the "coil" argument :-)

 

I'd say that if you swapped the entire engine, and the problem persists - it's probably not the coils! Did your "new" engine have new sensors? (KS, MAF, o2's, etc?)

 

I cleaned the MAF and TB before I put in the engine, and I also changed the fuel filter, plugs, and KS before it went in. It's just easier with the engine out. I didn't replace the o2's, but I don't have any codes, so I didn't think the o2's would make a difference.

 

so if we're starting to realize it's probably not the coils, then whats our next move? I mean rx7racr already pretty much ruled out most everything else with the obd-II tests...

Are we back to thinking it could be a fuel problem, like indicated by your dancing gauge, slickismax? I know I mentioned wondering about the fuel pump, but I just had another thought too...what about a fuel pressure regulator? Could that cause this? I'm just wondering because they are operated off of vacuum, and isn't more vacuum created when you hit the gas? Idk, it just sounded good in my head.

what are you guys thinking?

actually, I guess if we wanted to test for a broken harness we could test all the wires for coils listed in the service bulletin...that could still cause the coils to fk up and replacing them wouldn't make a difference if the harness is faulty.

 

I don't know what the next step is. Since I've had this problem for so long, it seems that if it were caused by something about to fail, like a sensor or coil pack, that it would have finally failed by now, or at least have gotten worse. I haven't swapped the MAF, and I have one laying around, so maybe I'll do that as well just to see. I am honestly out of ideas. My last resort idea is the swap the ECU and see if that fixes it. The only one I have laying around is for an auto though, so I don't know if it would work.

 

"same problem exists even with the new engine"

must be the mounts than...right??? maybe control arm bushings?idk

 

Ok - - I may have made my prior comment a bit prematurely...

Two days ago, when I took my car out for a test run after taping coils 1,3 and 5, I only drove for about 5 minutes, and, even though this isn't typically enough time for the surging problem to show itself, I thought I felt a slight hesitation. Being the pessimist I am, I promptly logged on and said that taping the coils didn't work...

...well, I've driven the car about 140miles over the last two days, and made numerous attempts to produce the surging symptoms. I've gotta say, even though I'm still feeling a VERY slight decrease in power between 3-4.5k RPM's, I have not once been able to make the car surge like it's been doing for the last few months. While I'm still not convinced that the tape necessarily solved the problem, I am becoming convinced that the tape has certainly affected the symptoms. This makes me optimistic that the coils are, in fact, the issue... ...my pair of new ones should be coming within a week, and then I'll see for sure...

 

Keep us informed. Mine is still just as bad with the tape on all 6. I'm going to try and look for my extra MAF sensor today. I have too many parts in boxes around here!

 

looks like another member is having the identical problem

http://forums.maxima.org/4th-generat...m-stumped.html

 

UPDATE - 8/25/08

in the last 20 days since taping all six coils, I've had consistently smoother performance. Just to verify that the tape wasn't a placebo, I un-taped the rear 3 coils yesterday. the car returned to its previous behavior, with much more pronounced surging than with the tape.

SO - my e-bay coils (1 front, 1 rear style) finally showed up. I plan on cycling the new rear-coil into each position until the problem suddenly disappears (in theory).

I just installed it into the cyl#1 position, and I'll test the performance on my 60mile commute tomorrow.

Update to follow!

 

Yes this is exactly what my 99 SE-L 5spd does, I'm trying the coil pack wrap thing tomorrow. Where do you tape it at, the shaft of the coil pack?

 

in for the results..so the tape effects it huh???

 

I taped pretty much everything south of the coil-body. I used overlapping winds of electrical tape and went all the way down to the spark plug boot, then back up. It used a LOT of tape, but I can say with confidence that it made a difference. I was so shocked that this worked, that after my ~20 day experiment, I removed the tape just to see if the symptoms returned - - they did.

Recommendation: tape 1 coil at a time and go driving (maybe do 1 a day). this will make it a lot easier for you to figure out which one is the problem without wasting a lot of tape.

 

ok... it's not coil #1.

I'll be back tomorrow with results of the next test: coil #3

 

Why waste all that tape make an extension (use an short spark plug wire) and plug one end into the coil end and the other onto the spark plug! Get a test light and attach it to the battery (-) post, then slide probe around each coilover plug assy until you find the one leaking voltage from it's tower, etc.....the car is running when you do this!

 

That's a good idea. Having never used that kind of test light, are they sensitive enough to pick up very slight leakage? Could you post a link to an example of the kind of test light you're talking about?

 

...and it's not coil #3 either.

this leaves only coil #5 before I've gotta start considering multiple-coil failures and/or another type of malfunction altogether... fingers crossed....

 

I think he means a timing light.

 

I don't think a timing light would pick up voltage leaking. BUT, I'm not too familiar with the use of inductive timing lights on cars with coil-packs, so anything's possible.

Maybe he's talking about something like this:
http://www.amazon.com/Waekon-76560-C...58068&sr=1-184

 

BIG UPDATE!

After my 8/27 post, I swapped my new coil into the #5 position. By this point, I felt that I had amassed enough evidence (through all the testing/reasoning/advice above) which suggested that my problem was:
A.) due to coilpacks
B.) due to one of the rear coilpacks (1-3-5)
C.) not due to coilpacks 1 or 3...

So #5 was my last hope.

And.....
.
.
.
.
After 140 miles of driving the car (trying often to reproduce the symptoms), I have not experienced a single missfire/surge/hesitation anywhere in the RPM or Throttle ranges.

140 miles may be a little early to claim victory - but it sure seems like the problem has been cured. I intend to swap the old coilpack back into the #5 position later this week - just to see if the symptoms re-appear. If that happens, I will feel that this case is closed, and my '95 Max suffered from a bum #5 coilpack.

Many thanks to everyone who helped out with this - I greatly appreciate it!!

 

Good to hear your problem is gone..I'm still driving around with tape on my front coil packs..my problem is 95% cured..I guess taping the rear ones are in order and if that doesn't work, ebay it is for new coil packs..

 

well glad to hear it. Maybe i didn't tape mine enough

I did put in a modified MAF the other day and it seemed to get worse. So I thought it was MAF related...but then I put the stocker back in and it seems the same. So maybe I'm just on crack.

I might try re-taping coils.

 

hey guys so i did have the same issue up until last nite after spending bout half an hr on this page. so all i gotta say IT WORKED BABY whoever came up wit the idea bout wrapping in electrical tape mad props to u. i tell u dat surging got annoying like i got a 95 5spd wit cattman intake, full exhaust(headers, y-pipe, catback, no cats, no egr) n my **** is quick but once it hits dat mid rpms, it surges like crazy i cant even launch but now its fixed its like a beast now. also whoever wants to try this make sure u wrap it real nice n clean cuz if u dnt u wnt be able to fit it back in the hole, also look closely at the boot cuz on mine two of my coils had white spots on em n i wiped it off n ther was like a little hole so i made sure i wrappd that nice and neatly. u wnt be dissappointed bout this. thx again to whoever came up wit this idea.

 

Similar problem. Lexus-smooth idle, smooth delivery under normal driving but when I dig in, I feel a rhythmic power surging, especially in the midrange.

 

Man I wish this thread wasn't so old.... I wanted to ask if ANYONE has ANY starting issues?

For now I'm going to tape my coil packs, I'm really thinking I have a bad fuel pump though, someone mentioned it earlier but the idea never came back up again. One of my friends w/ a Mazda 3 had the SAME exact starting issues I had, replaced his fuel pump and his car starts like new again...

But I definitely have the hesitation issue and my coils have been replaced w/ 97 coils.

 

i had the same problem with my 98 5spd. i did sparkplugs, new maf, etc and finally took it to my friends nissan dealership. they did an electrical test and turns out there is a bad ground between the tranny and engine. turns out the only way to fix it is to take out the tranny, and sand down the outside connecting plate on both the engine and the tranny so its a shiny surface. put everything back together and no more hesitation. hope this helps

 

That's hilarious. Why don't you go to the auto parts store and get yourself a piece of 12 gauge primary wire, and two ring terminals. Bolt one side to the block and the other to the trans case.

 

i had this exact same problem for months it was drivin me CRAZY!! it turns out it was a lazy o2 i replaced it with an ntk and BAMM!!! problem gone i didnt have a chance to see your video unfortunetly but from your symptoms this sounds like your problem. baisically whats happening is your ecm notices your rich and the o2 does nothing to correct it so it keeps pulling fuel until your car hesitates then the exact opposet happens when it goes lean.

 

this thread should be in the stickies.

 

Wow! This thread helped a ton. I have had this problem for a while now. Thanks for solving the issue.

 

Hi Guys,

My first post here... I have a 1995 Maxima that has 94,000 miles on it and it has been running great until last Saturday. After a 10 mile trip, we got off the freeway and were stopped at the light and it started shaking and stuttering, as if it was going to stall. The Check Engine light came on.

I drove home with the car shaking at each stop. My older Actron OBD II reader didn't work with this pre-1996 car, so I borrowed a friend's SPX unit.

This was able to read the enhanced codes:

1)P0115 – Engine coolant circuit malfunction
2)P0325 – Knock Sensor 1 circuit malfunction, Bank 1 or Single Sensor
3)P0306 – Cylinder 6 misfire detected

The codes were cleared, and the engine was started up. This time, only the P0115 code came back. Having had a failed engine coolant temp sensor previously, I removed the sensor for a bench check. At 71.9 F, the sensor had a resistance of 2220 ohms, at 117.3 F it was 891 ohms, and at 187 F it was 332 ohms. All of these readings are within the acceptable tolerance for the coolant temp sensor.

I re-installed the sensor, and started the engine. This time, the codes were clear, but the engine was still rough at idle. I drove the car, and it’s drivability was poor; roughness at idle with the car in Drive or Neutral/Park.

The spark plugs were the OEM units (94,878 miles!), so I decided to change them. The removed spark plug’s electrodes were consistently a nice light brown color. New NGK PFR5G 11 platinum plugs were installed, and I also changed the coolant temp sensor at the same time, just in case there was an intermittent failure.

Neither of these changes resolved the engine roughness. I disconnected the battery for five minutes to see if the ECU would reset, but that did not solve the problem.

I then used the SPX tool to look at the engine running characteristics. The problem was shown to be a varying timing advance at idle speed, indicated as 9 degrees to 15 degrees BTDC. Examination with a timing light confirmed the varying timing advance, although the advance was showing as more than 20 degrees, based on the harmonic dampener timing marks. (I checked both instruments against my Toyota Camry; it’s timing was steady at idle, with possibly a one degree shift.)

Returning to the Maxima, I checked each spark plug coil for winding shorts, I checked the mass air flow sensor for correct resistance readings, and checked the knock sensor resistance values. No change to the running characteristics, no OBD II codes…

Any ideas why the timing advance is hunting?

Thanks,
Harry

 

I think u have an sensor issue. Check Cam position sensor and crankshaft sensors. CLean TB and Maf per how to

 

I know this thread is old.Did anyone find a definitive answer as to why a lot of maximas have the surging issue with on/off throttle as mine has been doing this ever since I bought it with 24,000 miles on it in 2002.It has not gotten any worse either and now has 126,000.If it was sensor related you would think the sensor would have gone bad in 100k.Coil pack taping did not work for me.

 

already tried that and it didnt work... im telling u, sanding down the plate solved my problem

 

most ppl who have done that using ground from negative terminal on battery to the tranny housing. It works, but yeah the correct way of doing it is to sand down the mating surfaces.