BigJohn82

I got my 2000 Maxima GLE with 106k on it, has 116.5k now, used in early July 06. At the time, the car ran like a freakin beast! When you would get on it even the slightest, it would fly! When getting on the freeway and hitting the 4k rpm range, it would kick your head back and pull hard. But towards the end of September early October, it stopped performing like this and has gotten somewhat worse.

Now, theres no more kicking back of the head and pulling hard period. Sometimes it seems to have more power then most of the time and sometimes it feels like im towing something. I recently changed all the ignition coils when one went bad and other then that the only change has been moving from the Northern Bay Area in CA to Reno NV. My car does need an alignment, possibly a brake job, and is due according to Nissan for a Tranny Service at 120k which is nearing, but other then that I think everything is fine. I just dropped a K&N filter in yesterday as the other was filthy, but no change. If anyone can advise me on some things to try or some suggestions on what might be causing this problem, I sure would appreciate it.

Thanks
John

99MAXSE-L

iTrader: (4)

MAF sensor? I just changed my aunts 00 max SE with only 34k on it.

SEmy2K2go

iTrader: (10)

Did you change the plugs the same time as the coils? That could be part of the issue.

AnDyMaN

iTrader: (19)

i would suggest plugs. they're cheap

MaximaGT-R

iTrader: (7)

sounds like your spark plugs you should have changed them at the same time you changed the coils.

wngan9447

iTrader: (4)

VIAS...maybe.. if your talking about highend

wyche89

yeah, i'd say change your plugs too.. they should have been changed around 100k before you got the car, but you never know.. make sure you get the ngk platinums if you go that route.. start out cheap then move up the ladder when trying to diagnose problems.. if the plugs dont do it then try the MAF

kukx30de

iTrader: (4)

I would second spark plugs..

I bought my 2001 gle last yr with 131K on it. While all fluid maintenance was upto date there was no mention about the spark plugs.

I did those myself and yes, there was a noticeable difference.

Loss of power can be at a lot of places... on my max just using premium fuel is like a huge difference in throttle response... also with that mileage throttle body cleaning etc should be done to keep your car in top shape... a little cleaning up and checking would help u .. if that doesnt work you can drop some $$$ on the MAF

BigJohn82

Thanks for all the respones guys. I figured it might be the MAF but wasnt sure, and dont feel like dropping 100 on it and another 100 to reprogram the ecu afterwards if thats not the issue. When I got the car, the dealer said it had just had a tuneup done on it and would be good til 200k but I think he ment 120k but I dont really know. Im not sure if he ment they just did the 90k then, or that it had been done recently, but they serviced it since it was new so I suppose I could call and ask this week sometime for them to check when the plugs were last done. Once I do that, ill try the plugs.

What is the VIAS? I got no clue on that, but would like an explanation if possible.

Thanks for the help and any other suggestions would be appreciated.
John

BigJohn82

It seems to lack low and high. Just doesnt have the pick up and go like it had. Almost like a loss or horse and torque.

brio_max

iTrader: (9)

Why the plugs should be changed at the same time as the coils....? I've changed my plugs +- 3000 miles ago and i'm going to replace all 6 coils... Probably a stupid question - can something happen with my engine or so....? Thanks


HERE'S a good info + how-to about the VIAS. Or look at HERE


I bet it's the MAF

SEmy2K2go

iTrader: (10)

Well, at nearly 120k miles, it would definitely be worth changing out the plug at the same time as the coils. It just seems logical to do both at the same time at that mileage, especially if you're already doing one of them.

spddracer

iTrader: (3)

MAF is your answer. When the MAF goes bad it causes the car to run lean. A easy check to eb sure is have your nissan guy run the consultII in it and have him look at the self learn in "work support"

If the self learn is high like around 110 or higher on both banks you need a new MAF. Usually when you can notice the low power self learn is around 120 or higher.

BigJohn82

Whats the cost expected to have them run the consultII to find this out? Let me know if you have an idea. Money is tight and cant afford much which is why I turned here for help from the experts But I hate my car running bad.

Thanks
John

BigJohn82

Thats a great write up on the VIAS, but something that I wouldnt be willing to tackle myself as I can do a few things but not much when it comes to mechanics.


Now for the MAF, can I replace just the sensor or is it best to replace the whole unit? And is it aboslutely neccessary to reprogram the ecu at the dealership? Im going to try plugs first, but have to prepare for this incase that doesnt fix the problem.

Thanks
John

brio_max

iTrader: (9)

The picture should answer all of your questions. Just to clarify - that warning came along with a new MAF purchased from Courtesy Nissan about a year ago...


p.s. some people say that there's no need for ECM reprogramming when getting new MAF and it's just enough to reset the ECU by disconnecting the battery for 2-3 hours...

wyche89

well, i'm going to the nissan dealer in ardmore, pa to have my airbag light looked at this week, and the diagnostic fee to run the consult II for that is $93 plus tax.. thats quite the b*tch, but i dont have any damn working airbags! lol

BigJohn82

Ouch, that sucks on the airbags. Thats something that definitly needs to be checked out. Now would other shops have a consult II that could check this same reading for me possibly at a cheaper rate? Or would Nissan be the only place to go? Id be willing to pay about half that to have it checked, but not gonna turn it into a $300 repair.

Thanks
John

shawnbr

MAF... I replaced mine and it made all the difference.

Imax00

I replaced my MAF sensor and that did make a big difference however my car has been feeling like its going to shut off when its cold so i think my plugs my need changing

q45Owner

While you are at the dealership for the airbag check, make them check all the other sensors with the Consult II. $95 is for one hour of tech's time - there should be plenty of time available to run many tests including the test to check for the MAF (whoever stated that test in the post above).

At the same time, I usually aks for a service to be done (TB Clean, injector flush, decardb, etc) and then ask them to run all the tests as well. This way I end up paying the same $100 and I get 2 things taken care of. Just one way to maximize your dollars....

minbel1

iTrader: (3)

MAF is a possibility, but I have gone through a whole lot more to fix the exact same problem as you're having and it turned out to be a KNOCK SENSOR. They seem to go, around that mileage on 5th gens so make sure you test it as well. You have to test it for resistance (should be 5kOhm)... Is your gas consumption poor?

mist max2000

iTrader: (16)

so your saying the knock sensor will/could go bad without a code correct? ,.. and how much did if cost you to fix that problem? and did you DIY? and whats the difficulty level? ,.. j/w ,.. thanks

BigJohn82

Well heres an exact list of symptoms im dealing with with more info on them:

Acceleration/Power Issues:
From a dead stop, has good pickup about 50% of the time and bad pickup about 50% of the time, almost like im pulling something behind me or my brakes are holding during the bad time. When you get on it it starts to move fairly quick but then seems to slow down a bit like power is being lost as im accelerating.

While cruising if I need to get on it, its a 50/50 thing again. Sometimes it will pick up nicely and go, but still nothing like the pushing your head back feeling it first had when you would get on it(we all know this feeling). Other times it will feel like theres just no power at all. A lot of the time when im just creeping along and push the pedal down about 1/2 to 2/3 it hesitates for a second and then just kicks down and jumps with this big but short burst of power and it revs real high. Before when id do this it would just kick the gear down smoothly and take off picking up speed quickly and constantly until I back off.

Shifting Issues:
Mostly this occurs while the car is cold, but it seems to have some soft hesitant shifts like the gears dont grab quickly, but once the cars warm its fine and doenst do this. However, when cruising along at various speeds of 25-50 if you let off and it starts to creep down slightly it will feel as though its dropping a gear and bogging down. It also feels like it bogs a little if you just let off the gas as my car no longer coasts like it once did. My tranny is due to be serviced at 120k which is 3.3k away so im hoping that will help with this issue.

Gas Consumption for minebel1:
Gas usage is about the same as always, maybe slightly less do to not running as effecient as it was. If I do a long highway drive, say from Reno back home to Rohnert Park and then do driving around there which is still a lot of and such, I can get upwards of 360-380 at the time the gas light goes off, with the most milage ive ever got being 404 but still having almost 2 gallons left at fillup. The average tank 60highway/40city gives me about 280-320, depending on how much I get on it, before the gas light goes off which still leaves me with about 4.5 gallons, so id say im fine on gas.

If I think of anything else, ill be sure to get back with more info. Im starting to lean towards the MAF myself and am wondering if I just replace the MAF for now and wait a couple months to reprogram the ECU, am I risking anything?

Thanks
John

minbel1

iTrader: (3)

mist_max2000: Yes, mine is completely out and there is no code even stored in ECU... sometimes it does trigger the code however your CEL light won't come on 'cause faulty knock sensor gives a ghost error. Well, here's a breakdown of what I had to get and I paid for it: 1) Knock sensor - $95 (eBay shipped), 2) Intake manifold gaskets (2 pcs) - $7 ea (shipped); 3) Intake plenum gasket (1 pcs) - $6 (shipped), labour - $150 (very cheap considering that I was quoted $400-500 before). Perhaps I would try to do it myself if it was summer; however it is a 6 hour job and you need to take an intake off and everything that's on top of it... It is also suggested to replace the sub-harness but you can clean the corrosion and reuse the old one (what I will do). I'm getting it fixed tomorrow... Finally!

BigJohn82: I have the exact same symptoms as you do but my gas consumption is poorer. I replaced my MAF (first thing I did) and it helped a bit but no noticable improvements. I should've tested my knock sensor as well but unfortunately that didn't cross my mind. So before you replace your MAF (easily did it myself in 10 min) test your KS and if I'm right then you owe me a six pack. J/K!

If you do replace your MAF the sooner you reflash ECU the better... If your car is eligible for an update then you need to do it anyways (improved fuel maps, etc). Hope you figure out your problem!

minbel1

iTrader: (3)

Oh and along with MAF make sure to replace/clean (if it's K&N) your air filter for better results. Adios!

BigJohn82

Thanks for the response.

So you think it may be the knock sensor in mine too? Wow, that seems like a bigger more costly repair then the freakin MAF. This is not good. Im going to have to pull out my extended warranty to see if it covers my MAF or my knock sensor. I bought this car based on its said reliability and its performance and looks. The car was a one owner owned since new by a woman who always had it serviced at the dealer she got it at and thats where she traded it in. Im starting to second guess whether I made the correct decision with this car now.

How do I test the knock sensor? Would a shop charge a lot to test it for me since I dont have the equipment or the know how? And can a MAF be tested any other way other then a Consult II? I may swing by the shop I took my car to last and see what they can do for me after work.

Thanks
John

minbel1

iTrader: (3)

Well, don't lose your faith just yet... I've gone through much more over the past 1.5 yrs and still enjoy my Max... Thing is 5th gens are notorious for problematic MAFs, knock sensors and oxygen sensors - in my case I have replaced everything but 1 O2 sensor...

I did not test KS myself but what you have to do is to pull the sub-harness out and test KS for resistance. This is an article I found on the web - testing KS on a 4th gen:

Testing the Knock Sensor (KS): - The KS MUST be checked with a digital ohmmeter. Analog ohmmeters may cause damage to vehicle.

1) Raise the hood. View the engine from the driver's fender. Look into the deep valley between the cylinder banks and below the intake manifold. Identify the KS as a black item fastened to the block by a single vertical bolt. A wire harness wrapped in black leads toward you, out of the valley. That is the KS sub-harness.

2) Follow the KS sub-harness to it's nearest connector. This is connector F121. It is located near the upper right-hand corner of the valve cover of the forward cylinder bank, as viewed from the front of the car.

3) Disconnect F121. You have to do a "press the latch and wiggle and pull" to disconnect it. F121 has only two pins; if you see more than two pins, you have the wrong connector. Use a digital ohmmeter capable of measuring more than 10 Megohms. You want to measure the pins of F121, not the sockets of the matching connector. Measure the resistance between a good ground (such as the battery negative terminal) and pin #2 of connector F121. On my car this is the highest of the two pins, the one closest to the front of the car. The factory spec is 500 - 620 Kohms.


More on the dreaded KS: Knock Sensor Diagnosis, Test and Installation

Once and for all, a bad knock sensor WILL NOT trip the check engine light. You must extract the codes from the ECU to determine if your sensor is (potentially) bad (code 0304). Some other hints as to a bad KS: poor acceleration below 3000 RPM (I was getting tired of being left behind at stoplights by Honda Civics), and reduced gas mileage.

If you don’t already own a Haynes or Chilton manual, get one. In addition to telling you how to extract the codes and locate the KS, there is a wealth of useful information for the do-it yourselfer. I am very cheap, but this an area well worth spending the $20 or so (I bought mine off of EBAY for $10 shipped).

The ECU is located behind the center console on the drivers side. It is accessible by removing the plastic cover panel right next to the gas pedal. The ECU is a metal box with a screw on the side covered by a piece of tape. Peal back the tape to get at the screw. With the ignition in the “On” position, turn the screw all the way clockwise, hold for at least 2 seconds, turn it all the way counterclockwise. Your CEL will now start flashing out any codes stored in the ECU. The codes are two digit numbers. The first number is signaled by long flashes, there will be a two second pause, and the second number will be indicated by a series of short flashes. Long-long-long-pause-short-short-short-short = 0304 (KS fault). There may be more than 1 code in the ECU, they will be flashed out sequentially and the whole sequence will repeat. To clear the codes from the ECU, follow this sequence: clockwise, hold, counterclockwise, hold, clockwise, hold, counterclockwise.

A good KS will measure ~550 k-Ohm resistance between the left pin of the KS and ground. You can check the resistance without removing the KS by following the harness to the connector. The connector has two pins, only one of them hooks up to the KS, so try them both. The act of whacking on the KS with your wrench can (temporarily) start it working again, so checking the KS once you removed it may not give you the bad reading you suspect. Hint: the connector is not the green one closest to the KS that gets in the way of sticking your hand into the engine cavity (1995-1996 models – most likely 1995-1999). The correct connector is a few inches closer to the front of the car. A heat shielded wire leads into the bottom of
it and there are two wires coming out the top, one clear and one black.

Low cost knock sensor sources: The dealer will charge you $160 or so for the sensor. I purchased a Nissan OEM sensor off of EBAY for $90 shipped. I have seen them for as little as $80 and routinely for $100-$110.
Search for both “Maxima knock” and “Nissan knock” to make sure you get all the possible matches. You can get a Bosch sensors for $115 shipped from http://www.nissanpartstore.com....html

Article Provide by: Cullenj76

Hope this helps!

mist max2000

iTrader: (16)

good find and very helpful information...thanks minbel,.. hope it helped the op,.. and advice to him,..start cheap,..maf>KS and c what happens .. g/l

OOmaxSE

iTrader: (19)

Great stuff on the KS, but this is mainly a problem for 4th gens because there is a ghost code. Our 5th gens are different because of this, we actually will have a code for the KS. That being said, you won't need to worry about the KS unless you'd just like to do a maintenance "restoration" anyways.

I would go for an MAF, those seem to never throw codes unless there are other problems (o2 sensor going bad, coils, etc...) then you may see "air flow meter malfunction." Secondly, change out your plugs. You also don't need an ECM reprogram from the dealer, you will just need the unplug the battery for at least a couple hours (to be on the safe side, many usually do it overnight)

mist max2000

iTrader: (16)

i second that,.. didnt do the flash on mine.. runs great

BigJohn82

Sounds good guys I appreciate the help very much. Its gonna be hard, but im going to see about getting with Dave in TX again (bought all my 6 coils and replaced those recently) and see what its gonna cost to have one shipped. The reason its hard is becuase I have to do it without the wife knowing or shell throw a $hit fit because we need to fix the A/C in her 98 Civic that broke 2 years ago and weve put it off for a long time and only focused on my car :P I got no problem leaving the battery off overnight either to save from having to reprogram the ECU if that helps. Ill also see about getting the plugs done soon. What ones are best to get?

Thanks
John

OOmaxSE

iTrader: (19)

Grab you some NGK Coppers vs the stock NGK Platinums. Cost is $10 less but you will have to change them out at 30k rather than 60k. Deal or no deal?

minbel1

iTrader: (3)

My personal choice would be NGK Irridium IX... My car starts great even with -20 outside...

mist max2000

iTrader: (16)

i would advise on putting back in what came out... the platnuim tipped NGK ones that are like 7-9 bucks a plug not the 2-3 dollar NGK's...then you never have to change them for a long time.. 60K,.. and who needs AC this time of the year? tell her your going to fix the AC with a tax return check

BigJohn82

I think id rather go with the platinum ones anyhow even if they are a bit more expensive. When it comes to plugs, I dont see any reason to save a few bucks really.

As far as telling her the AC will be fixed with the tax return check... I wish that was doable. All of our return, about 1800, is going on credit cards.... maybe next year though :P

Thanks
John

OOmaxSE

iTrader: (19)

IIRC, copper's burn 1 step cooler, it's more than three times cheaper (autozone), and changing spark plugs are very easy. Just giving a heads up to those saying "I'm not going cheap with spark plugs."

BigJohn82

I did the whole "1 step cooler" plug swap with my 98 Durango going from factory Champions to Autolite 3923s way before the Champions were bad because they burned one step cooler and everyone said they were better to run for the engine. The only difference I noticed or that was ever really noted was a few extra bucks in the wallet. Is there anything that factually shows/states running 1 step cooler in my 2K Max is going to benefit me in any other way? Plus spending a little more to lengthen the time before needing replacement again is worthwhile to me.

Later
John

JOE01

I Just Purchased My 2001 Gle And Thought It Did Not Have All The Power It Should Have So I Will Try Some Of These Answers.

Thanks
Joe

OOmaxSE

iTrader: (19)

NGK Copper = NGK Platinum (- 10ish bucks). You will change them out earlier, as mentioned.

You decide.