I have had my 2002 SE 6-spd for just over a year and have been quite happy with except for two items. First, Nissan made a poor choice going with Bridgestone tires. They hydroplane in the rain, slide in the snow, and slip under hard acceleration. I have replaced them to the tune of $800 with Michelin pilot a/s at 12,000 miles. I'll put the Bridgestones back on when I trade the car. If you live in a northern state and are considering a Maxima, negotiate for new tires before you sign the dotted line.

Second, I have had a problem with the engine almost stalling out when the clutch is let out. I will rev the engine to 1000 to 1500 rpm, let the clutch out and watch the revs fall, and the engine feels it will stall for a second, then the revs come right back up. This has happened for the past four months when the car is cold or hot. I have taken it to two dealers, one stated it needed a reprogramming of the computer but could not do the work, the second initially confirmed the problem, then stated it was "normal" after another mechanic took it for a ride, and that I need to modify my driving style. Nice condescending attitude to take with a customer.

This is the fourth Maxima I have owned with a manual and I have driven stick for over 20 years. This is the first time I have ever had a problem like this. Has anyone else experienced this problem?

 

Maybe it's a broken MAF

 

The hesitation off the line is a known issue. In my case it happens only in about 1 of 50 starts, but seems to be more frequent with higher ambient temps. I haven't bothered to take it in because God knows I'd get the old 'unable to duplicate' BS back on the work order from the dealer.

I, like you, have driven a stick for years, and the first time it happened I blamed myself. The second time it happend, I knew it was the car. Don't believe anyone has had satisfaction from the dealer regarding a fix. IMHO it is a problem with fuel mapping (programming). You don't state in your post if your car actually stalls, mine doesn't but the heistation is noticeable.

 

prolly a MAF

 

Hesitation is a better word than stall, and that is exactly what it does

 

I got the same problem..

THe fix... is to ride the clutch out even more..

What i usually do is when i shift, i also slightly hold the accelerater to get a smoother shift.. IT seems the rpms drop quite fast in normal smooth driving. You can eliminate alot of the jerky shifting that happens.

I agree the maxima is no easy car to drive with that retarded drive by wire programming issues..

ED

 

I know exactly what you are saying, my car does the same thing. At first I thought that was me, but then I drove other people's cars and I could drive them really smooth, but not my Max. This ****es me off.

 

My 2K2 6 spd did the same exact thing for the first 15,000 miles, I was hoping it would go away after a while. It didn't, So I traded it in for a 2K with the good old 3.0, and it runs perfect. just lost a little HP, but who needs the speeding tickets anyway! Strong engine, but the drive by wire sucks, and I think is to blame for the hesitation.

John

 

I got an ECM code update that fixed the hesitation. I do feel like I've lost some low end torque after the re-program. If the problem is that severe, get the latest code for the ECM and see if it helps. It definitely "smoothed out" the way my engine feels and removed the hesitation all together.

 

WHAT ECM update??

FILL ME IN MAN>>> i want that

ED

 

do you have a 2k2? If so, nobody here knows that there is an ECU update for 2k2 yet.

 

My 2k2 6 speed does the same exact thing especially when i put it in reverse.

 

I have an early 2K2 (bought in November 2002). After my clutch TSB, I noticed a change in the performance of the engine. I brought my car back to the dealer. The dealer did "something" and the car felt better than right after the clutch TSB. I then went to a second dealer to try and understand what had happened. The second dealer told me that the ECM had been updated with new code. The computer was probably not re-calibrated after the update, which resulted in much of the perfomance drop I noticed. The car still feels like it has less low end, but it runs smoother through the whole range.

Bring your car to the dealer and ask them to check to see if new firmware is available. If your car is an early build, like mine, then I am very certain there is an update available.

 

ALso, try some fuel injector cleaner and clean filter.

 

I went to the dealer for a second time for this problem, and there is no ECM update available. There was one for the 2000-2001 models (fuel cut TSB), but not 2002-2003.
Nissan told the dealer to adjust the idle air something or rather but it had no effect on eliminating the hesitation. I'm now at 11,000 miles since new, still hesitating, a lot.

 

I have a 2002 Nissan Maxima SE and I too experience exactly what you're talking about. I'm at the other end of the spectrum though, I just started driving stick about a year ago, so I was thinking that maybe it was me or that it's normal for it to seem like it's going to stall.

I have yet to bring it to my dealer, but now that I know I'm not crazy I'll be more confident to bring it there.

Thanks and I hope more people post about this problem to find out if it's for real.

Craig