Aggie Jurist

Just returned from dealer and am looking for some help. Am experiencing a problem where my 2002 Max waits a split second before accellerating from a dead stop. Started about 3 months ago. Took the technician out with me b/c they said they couldn't duplicate it. Right on cue, it started acting up. Technician acknowledged the delay (also drove it himself to verify) but is at a loss to explain.

Any ideas gang?

Thanks.

Trey O'Neale
charlotte, NC

max2001se

Do a search on 'drive by wire throttle'. here's a start:

http://forums.maxima.org/showthread....+wire+throttle

suds1

YES! Finally somebody else with same problem I'm having. I've posted about this before and nobody else was having a problem off the line, only at high RPM's.

It just studders for a second when you take off from a stand-still. It drives me nuts. I haven't had time to take it to the dealer (I was really hoping it would just go away on its own!).

Please let me know what the dealer ends up doing to fix the problem.

soundmike

iTrader: (24)

just throwing some ideas in...

do you guys have TCS? could it be that TCS is regulating the power to the wheels when you accelerate too fast for its "thinking"?

suds1

I don't. Thats kinda what it feels like though. I've been trying to figure out what it is. When you rev the engine while in park it doesn't seem to have the studder. But it also doesn't feel like a transmission lag either. I'm leaning towards something being wrong with the ECU like its taking too long for the signal to reach it or something. I tried unhooking the negative battery terminal for about an hour hoping it would reset the ECU but it didn't help.

The wierd thing is that I did not have the problem for the first few days after I bought it (It only had 7 miles on it when I bought it.)

soundmike

iTrader: (24)

Disconnecting the battery, even overnight, has been proven not to do anything for the 2k2 ECU's It seems to be in a constant learning process.

I was going to say that perhaps it's the WAI, but i don't see how that affects someone w/o it in the first place

suds1

Here's an update on my situation (See previous post in this thread).

Finally took it to the dealer today. The service manager drove it and said he could definently feel what I was talking about. His best guess just from driving it is that it is the motor mounts not doing their job and that it is actually the motor moving that I am feeling. He is going to do some research this afternoon and call me to set up a time to fix it Monday.

The way he came to this conclusion if anyone wants to try it:

Put in in Drive. Hold the brake very firm so the car does not move and rev it to about 2000 rpms. You can feel a very firm bump everytime you do it. That is what makes him think its the motor mounts because the engine is the only thing moving in that situation. Makes sense I guess.

I'll keep y'all posted next week.

soundmike

iTrader: (24)

Hmm. I never experienced this during my testing of the FSTB fitment a while back. If anything, the only "feeling" i get is the car trying to move while i do the procedure you mentioned. No firm bumps or anything.

suds1

Yeah, it seems to be a rare problem. I've only run accross one other person on the .org with the same problem. A lot of people have hesitation but only at high RPM's. Mine is only off the line.

soundmike

iTrader: (24)

In any case, please do keep us updated with what the tech has to say about it.

2K2SE

Hey, I've got 4,300 on my 2K2 and have the same problem. Auto tranny, no TCS. Keep us updated!

suds1

I've got 3800 miles on mine. When did your problem start? Mine started about 3 days after I bought it.

2K2SE

Sorry, I've been traveling and haven't been checking the .org. Anyway, I noticed it at around 3,000 miles. It doesn't seem to be getting any worse. Funny, but my rental for this trip is a Buick Century and it has the same hesitation on acceleration from a stop. I'd think it was me but my other car doesn't do this, and I've put over 50K on that one.

Larry

My 2K2 is doing the same thing. If you find out it is the motor mounts let us know. Mine only does it from zero. Almost feels like something is loose. I can give it throttle slowly and it doesn't do it but quickly, even 1/4 throttle, and I get this jerk.

Aggie Jurist

I checked with the dealer today and they tell me that the folks in California don't know what this is. I would suggest those of us who are experiencing this problem call Nissan directly. BTW, Larry, yours is acting exactly like mine.

Trey

Larry

I ran the in gear test and tapping the throttle. You can feel the jerk. The engine appears to move with this jerk. Sounds like motor mounts.

soundmike

iTrader: (24)

Again, can you describe the engine movement? is it just a forward/backward movement or something else?

saxdogg

Since everyone else has talked about this for 2 months now, they are probably not reading your thread, but I'll chime in my $.02.

Search for 2k2 hesitation, acceleration delay. I think you experiencing the drive by wire delay. It has been talked about ALOT on here. Even the 2k3's do it from what I hear. It's the computer catching up with you putting your foot into the pedal quickly from a stop. A smooth acceleration from stop doesn't do it...there is no fix of yet. I think your dealer is chasing tails with the motor mount issue.

njmaxseltd

iTrader: (19)

3 words explain what you guys feel.

DRIVE BY WIRE!

Get used to it. Shouldn't be that noticeable, perhaps a remap of the stepper motor program could fix or make this not as noticeable. Our 330 has the same feel. I step on the gas, seems like it hesitates then the BMW power plant kicks me in the ***. It takes me a few min. of driving to get used to the feel of it. Going from my 99SE to the 01 330I is quite a difference and you can clearly feel the drive by wire sensation.

Aggie Jurist

Actually, I don't think this is a delay associated with the drive by wire system. The delay/lurch has occurred in my 02 even under minimal, smooth accelleration from a stop. Moreover, if it were such a delay, the tach would also show the engine lagging....it does not. I'm getting revs in a smooth line, but not smooth accelleration. In addition, this delay didn't start to occur until I had about 12k on mine.

Now, I agree that this doesn't sound like an engine mount issue, but it also doesn't act like a computer caused delay either.

That's why this thread has continued . . .

Trey

suds1

It is NOT a drive by wire issue. My car did not do this the first week after I bought it. None of the new 2k2's on the lot do it.

Update on my situation:
The Nissan expert at my dealership drove my car and agrees that the motor mounts aren't working correctly. He ordered me new motor mounts and will replace them when they come in. I'll keep y'all posted.

Larry

saxdogg,njmaxseltd,

Sorry guys but this is not Drive by wire hesitation. The engine takes the throttle perfectly in neutral or when moving. Just in gear at zero acceleration or in gear and taping the throttle lightly with the brake on. This engine feels like it is jerking in it mounts.

slickrick

iTrader: (12)

are you getting the mounts for free?

suds1

I only have 4000 miles on my car so the warranty should cover it. I'm not making the same mistake this time that I made with previous cars. I would always put off getting the minor annoyances fixed and before I knew it I would have 36K miles on my car and be stuck with the annoyance. I am going to take full advantage of the warranty this time!

slickrick

iTrader: (12)

so if i go into the dealership and ask 4 new engine mounts r they gonna laugh at me, or will they know this is a problem? and fix it no prob.

suds1

The guy I dealt with said that he had seen the same problem on a couple of 2k and 2k1 Maximas but this was the first 2k2 he had seen with this problem so I don't think it is a very widespread problem. I haven't seen a TSB for this issue so the dealer may have never run accross anybody with this problem.

I would just tell the dealer what it is doing and let him drive it to feel the "thud" himself. You could say that a friend had the same problem and it ended up being the motor mounts. But before you do that you may want to let me get mine replaced first to make sure that it does fix it.

slickrick

iTrader: (12)

aight, ill do that.

Larry

I jacked my car up off the front wheels and had my wife put it in gear and hit the throttle numerous times. I don't believe it is the motor mounts. The jerking can be felt in the front drivers fender and has a sound coming from the CV joint area. I checked all the surrounding bolts I could get a wrench on and all are tight. If I had to guess I would say it is the CV joint.

suds1

It was only jerking on one side? It seems like that would make the car jerk in one direction when you take off, if one CV joint is working right and the other is not.

Larry

suds1,

You are correct. If only one wheel were pulling it would pull very hard to one side. I don't think the CV joint is slipping after it gives this jerk however. Maybe this is one reason I have so much torque steer. I have to be holding on pretty tight to the steering wheel when I give it full throttle. I just need to get it back to the dealer and let them determine the problem.

suds1

Torque steer is the one problem I really haven't noticed.

suds1

I just picked my car up from the dealer. They replaced the engine mounts and the problem is still there.

The service manager said that he called Nissan and opened a case file for this problem. I guess the only thing I can suggest now is that if you are having this problem to go to your dealer and let them experience the problem and report it to Nissan. Maybe if we get enough reports of this problem Nissan may get heads out of their butts and find a solution.

Larry

As I mentioned in my last reply, I don't think it is the motor mounts. The sound is coming from the area of the CV joint on the drivers side.

Lumbee799

I have been having problems with learning how to drive the 2k2, recently more than when it was new. For some reason second gear always tends to lurch on me. It is because of this delay. The only way I can engage second smoothly is to feather the clutch a lot more than I really should be doing. And if you want proof, try downshifting. Traveling flat with no braking, pull it of gear and run up the RPM's to match speed of the car. Try doing it looking at the tach and then try it without. When looking at the tach, there is a hestitation but you don't notice it as much because you are watching the tach. If you do this without watching the tach, you will get a jerk everytime. The reason being is mentally you have already pressed the throttle to match RPM's, but the throttle has delayed and therefore you are running a lot lower RPM's than you should be but you are not watching the tach and don't see how low they are. Outcome from this is the jerk. I hope we see a TSB on this soon.

I also think I am experiencing full cut at low RPM's. Feathering and acceleration are not smooth at all between 500 and 2000 RPM. But the bucking I am experiencing is not nearly as bad as what others (with more miles) are describing.

Sorry so long.

Aggie Jurist

I'm afraid it's not related to the throttle TSB. This started before I had that work done.

2K2SE

It's been 10-20 degrees cooler here in VA the past couple of days and I haven't had the hesitation once! Try as I might, I cannot get the hesitation from stop. Coincidence? We'll see once the temps go up next week.

suds1

When you say 10-20 degrees cooler what is the actual temperature? Its been 95+ degrees here since I bought my car. I am curious now to see if it goes away when it finally starts to cool off a bit.

njmaxseltd

iTrader: (19)

So motor mounts didn't fix this hesitation. I didnt' think it would.

Larry you disagree with me on the Drive By Wire thing. Sure you don't feel this happen when the car is in neutral. There's no load on the engine, thats why you don't feel this lag. Put the car in drive and you now have load on the engine and slight throttle hesitations are now felt.

Remapping the response from the gas pedal to the stepper motor which opens the throttle plate will stop this feeling of hesitation. Unfortunately some cars are more prone to this then others. Nissan has yet to acknowledge this and come out with a program fix for their ECU's.

Take to a MB or BMW owner, Mercedes will tell you how a drive by wire system works and the different feel your throttle might give to you. My 330 has this exact same feeling you guys complain about, but it's not as bad. I press on the gas, seems like it's not going and then suddenly the engine roars. Feels like a hesitation, but it really isn't. It's just a split second delay from my foot on the pedal to the computer opening the throttle plate electronically.

Nissan does have issues with throttle response with their drive by wire system. Thats obvious from all the threads on here I read about it. But not a single one has been corrected. Motor mounts are replaced, injectors, plugs, ect ect ect.. 95% of the time the delay is still felt.

2K2SE

We're down to 80-85 from 95+. This morning it was about 70 when I drove to work.

Aggie Jurist

Again, I say this isn't the drive by wire delay. This is something completely different. The lag ends with a lurch b/c the tranny catches AFTER the engine has revved. There really isn't a throttle lag here, it's an acceleration lag. Whe the lurch occurs, my tach has genned up to about 2500 and done so smoothly.

It has cooled to the 60's this morning and I too lost the lag during my commute this a.m. If it's back at lunch with temps in the 80's, we may have some clue to what this is.