So I have had no problems with my maxima up until this point. my question is my engine light goes on and off periodically. It now stays on. I had them reset the ecu once before for the same thing. I noticed now though every know and then the car will shift hard from 1st to second. it only has done it like 3 times within the past two weeks but is very noticeble when it happens. I am not sure whether its a sensor for the tranny or my speedometer? just wondering if any one had any ideas before i pay for another diagnostic test. Thanks Anthony

 

Have you looked here?

http://forums.maxima.org/showthread.php?t=374481

 

well first you can go to autozone or advancedauto and have them pull the code i believe. And second have you checked your tranny fluid, main reason when something is happening with an auto transmission.

 

Why pay when AutoZone reads error codes for free.

 

My girls 2000 does the same thing. CEL comes on then goes off, everytime i go to pull the code its off. n there are no codes stored. N hers shifts the 1-2 hard too. I've yet to figure out WTF is wrong. hopefully next time the CEL comes on I can read the code.

Other than the car shifting hard it runs great.

 

The hard 1-2 shift can be a bad line pressure resistor or trans temp sensor (amoung other things). When it shifts hard does it shift all the way into OD (can you feel it shift three times?)

 

If the CEL comes on and is blinking or flashing, it could be one of two things.

1) The fuel cap is loose.
2) Engine misfire.

Make sure of problem #1. If that's not it, I can guarantee it's problem #2. But, the important question is....is the CEL flashing/blinking WHILE driving, or at startup or sitting? If it's blinking while driving, then it's most likely a misfire. If the CEL is on and steady all the time, then you have to extract the code and see what it is. A steady-on CEL is better than a flashing CEL, because a flashing/blinking CEL is definitely telling you there is something seriously wrong going on with the engine or something else.

 

I think the original poster meant it goes on for a day or 2, then says .. then comes back in a week, then goes .. only to return...

 

Yea, thas what my '00 SE does too.

N yes when it shifts hard 1-2 it still goes through the gears no problem after that.