jetfish2kse

I am very thankfull to find this forurm. I recently purchased an 2K
SE 5 spd (Fully loaded with the exception of an Auto Tranny ) as a replacement for my now deceased 92 SE. My new ride has 55K miles on it. Shortly after I bought the car I have been having problems with erratic Idle, Idle stall, and stall from a decel from 2K+ rpms. I test drove the car with the A/C on (hot Georgia July afternoon). It still runs great with the A/C on. It only exhibits this behaviour with the A/C off. Idle is stable for about a minute and then it oscillates between 300 and 650 rpms, or stalls completely. It usually won't stall if I have been driving for about an hour.

I have tried so far:

1) Cleaning the throttle body ( three times ). This helps for 2 or 3 days.

2) I replaced the PCV valve and checked the PCV system vacuum etc..

3) Last week the SES light came on and put out Code P0420 ( Cat Eff Bank 1?). I cleared the light and it came back on 2 days later. I haven't been back to Autozone to confirm the same Code. This is Fed Emissions car so I don't think the TSB applies.

4) I am considering purchasing a code reader / scanning software such as "Autotap" any suggestions on what would work best for a Maxima.

I generally try to avoid the Dealer unless I know I can get something fexed under warranty. I prefer to do as much work as I can myself since my experiences with Dealers and mechanics has not been to positive. I know there are great shops out there, I just haven't found one yet.

Thanks in advance for any help. I look forward to contributing in the future.

Gennady7

i am pretty sure its a bad o2 sensor. has to be a sensor.

Max_Vader_2K

BOTH: Heaven becasue you have a 5 speed 2K fed spec.

Hell: Because coils may need to be replaced, MAF may need to be replaced and CAT converter may need to be replaced.

After that your back in heaven!

TZapper

Agreed on MAF, it may need to be replaced. Coils might be a big possibility, though that should throw out a different code, P1320. (Hence that not all OBDII scanners are able to retrieve codes that start with 1, so double check on that).

jetfish2kse

Thanks for all of the input so far. Any one have any advice on a code reader / scanning software that would work with a 2K(maybe I should post in a new thread). I'm new to OBDII. I drive my cars for a long time. My last Max was a 92. Also, where would be a chep place t order parts on line. The Dealer is very expensive. The PCV valve I bought cost $20.

Sp00ks01SE5spd

It could be as simple as a gummed up throttle body. If that thing is a little sticky it will cause stall problems. With the A/C on it could just be ramping up the rpm's enough to keep it from stalling.... just a thought.

heh, sorry. Missed the fact that you have already done that. Note to self, not to post before 1st cup of coffee......

housecor

iTrader: (2)

Didn't see you mention a service engine light. If it's on, get the code pulled for free from an autoparts store and post back.

NisMo-Max

iTrader: (40)

How much more gains with an Underdrive Pulley? And what about installs how long does it take to put on? Is The UD worth buying>? Are there ANy Pros/Cons?

SkoorbMax

He's cleaned it 2-3 times.

I think that you say the cleaning of the throttle body helps for 2-3 days, but I suspect that it's in your head, simply because I can't think of a way that a throttle body wouild foul itself significantly within only a couple of days.

Goodluck with the problem. Once your car is working, you will love it!

sarmstrong

Maybe a dirty fuel filter?? Just a guess

housecor

iTrader: (2)

You really should start a new thread since this question is off topic, but in short the Underdrive pulley is supposed to give you around 5hp but some have found no gains at all. Not worth the $ IMHO.

maxima_nick2003

If you are geting any pin while giving gaz Yes it is the MAFor coils But It sounds like a bad O2 sensor.
Good Luck
Nick

jetfish2kse

All, thanks for the input so far. I am going to get the code read again and will post back.

Also, learned something else, I didn't read the emissions label under the hood well enough. I must learn to read the whole thing and my eyes aren't as good at they used to be (40 + thing). My car says is is California LEV ( I assume Low Emissions Vehicle) compliant. That puts a whole new twist on the P0420 code I got the first time the light came. I should consider getting my ECU checked. I don't know if the previous owner had the ECU reflashed. There were lost of oil change receipts in the glove box but no other service reciepts. Sorry I misstated the Fed Emissions piece earlier. Will post back soon. Thanks for the ideas so far.

jetfish2kse

All, A quick update. I had the time to do a lot of inspections over the weekend. My MAF was really dirty. I decided to take the plunge on the updated MAF for the 2K. I bought one at local dealer. I also reset the ECU by removing the Battery cable for over a day(Docs I have access to say a complete reset takes over 24 hrs). Bottom line is the Max has quite a bit more get up and go and purrs like a kitten at idle. A marked difference than how it ran before without the A/C on. Also not P0420 ( I still need to go to the dealer for the Software update).

Next steps are 1)Use a buddies OBDII scanning software to check out the signals of the O2 Sensors. 2) Replace my spark plugs.