Hey, I would like to start by saying thanks ahead of time to everyone that can help me in anyway possible. I just got a pre-owned 2001 Nissan Maxima 4 door and i'm running into issues with it. I literally had just gotten the car from someone and had it running in my driveway for a little while to warm up before leaving my house and out of nowhere the car shut off while in idle on its own. I tried to start it and it continued to shut off while idling. When I start the car and push on the gas the car continues to run with no issues but as soon as I take my foot off and it goes to idle the car shuts off. I hooked up the computer and it showed to replace the mass air flow sensor which I did yesterday everything was put back together correctly and the same issue is occurring. i'm trying to get my friend to come back with the computer so see if anything else will come up now but I was hoping you guys can shed some light on this problem cause I would like the drive the car at least once since I got it before I have to junk it. Thanks again so much

sorry for the long post but I want to make sure I put in al the detail so you guys have a easier time trying to help, thanks again.

 

check the wiring from the maf to the ecu thats what it sounds like you have a wiring problem

 

ok ill make sure i do that as well thanks bud.

 

Did you use an OEM MAF to replace it? If not, this may the your problem because the aftermarket MAF sensors are not made with the same consistency as an OEM MAF.

If you did install a new OEM MAF then look to your wiring harness connection at the MAF. It may be a loose harness, or one of the wires in the harness is loose at the connection.

 

that could be several issues..
1st is it reving over 2k rpm's?
2nd and check engine lights on

it could be several things but probably and hopefully nothing to serious
is it an auto or stick? how many miles? and when you started it this morning did i start right away and stay running before goingin the house?

it could be a bad starter selonoid (sorry about the grammar)

I say this due to experience with my nephews max. it would start and die but you could rev it it would stay running but let off the throttle it would die. changed the starter and it was fine. that and it needed a battery .. prior to finding out the issue i checked MAF, PCV valve, coils, plugs , wiring, ignition harness etc .. most maxima's have the same issue's especially from 95-01 99 and 00 where my tough ones sometimes to figure out , thanks to fellow org members.

 

sorry don't know all the lingo just yet whats a OEM

Its an auto, has 48,000 miles when it first happened the car was running for a while I was in the garage it ran for a while then just shut off as if it was out of gas, but there is gas in it because when I push on the gas it runs no problem, just when in idle it shuts down and the service engine light turns on after the car shuts down.

 

Off topic, but 48,000?!
Did you run a carfax yet??

 

OEM is Original Equipment Manfacturer.

 

That is very low. The car could have sat for a few years, or have been owned by some old lady who never drove it.

 

I got it from a family friend. What happened was his son bought a new car and they never did anything with that one and it just sat in front of the house for a little over a year with no one even touching it. So when my old car died on me he gave it to me as a birthday gift but now im having these issues with it hoping to get it fixed so I can register it and start using it as soon as possible.

hahaha like that picture 5aprilc

 

wow 48k thats low miles.. but a car sitting for so long not being touched isnt that great either. I however wouldnt sweat it but common issues with those cars are..

altenators
starters
pcv valve (which alot of people skip)
coil packs (however not in your case being it only has 48k)
MAF (but get a MAF cleaner at your local automotive store)
I mean the list goes on I would start looking at everything ruling things out before replacing parts.
possibly could need a throttle body cleaning ....

next question where are you from ? if your from a cold climate and the car sat as you said it did than it could of been a nest for field mice etc, getting hungry chewing up wires etc.

check those items with a multimeter possibly .. I have owned about 25 maxima's not saying im a specialist but def an enthusiast, and have seen it all.. hope the info help.

 

Love the mr bean pic...

 

Me too have a pre-owned 2002 Maxima with around 95k on tap. I get it done by an expert friend and advise you also consult a proper service technician.

 

Its your TB... (throttle body), if youve gotta keep on the gas to stay on and it shuts of soon as you let off it shuts off ill say check and or change your TB.... im having the same or similar issues... Changing to a PFTB tomorrow

 

If the old MAF sensor is the original 15 year old one, and you bought a brand new one, then you have to go to the dealership and update your ecu. The new MAF sends a different signal than the old one

There should be a piece of paper in the box telling you this

 

Alternator . . . maybe . . . but that will show up in a dead battery very quickly. Check the battery properly - esp if it sat for a year.

Starter - I'm not sure how this would cause a stall at idle. Same for pcv valve.

Maybe coil packs but stalling is not a typical symptom.

The first thing that comes to my mind is old gas. Have you filled up?

And what code did you pull that said maf?? Are you sure that there is no air leak at the connector to the tb. Is is cracked maybe?

 

If you are able to rev it up with no problems past 3000 RPM, then I'd say check your IACV Those are also known to give up on those cars, and when that happens it doesn't allow the car to idle...and it also has the potential to burn the ECU.

 

Very true.

 

Clean the TP. And MAF check the airbox for junk .. start there 1st

 

I have already changed the alternator and got a new battery that was the very first thing I did when the problem happened, the MAF is also new I haven't calibrated it yet as many people are saying but that 100% next on my list to do. What's the PCV valve sorry i don't know to lingo to much, i live in New Jersey so its a cold climate but i will check all the wiring for any breaks but the car was running fine then out of no where it stalled once and that was it so im not sure what the chances of that can be but then again i have been wrong many times in the past.

 

Thank you man i guess ill have to go ahead and change out the TB ill *** that to my list but for some reason my gut is telling me that gas has something to do with it also, how likely do you guys think its the gas?

 

ok so this is the list i have put together of what it could be let me know if you guys think one of them shouldn't be on the list or if i should add anything to it before i starting going down the line changing them one at a time. Thanks guys!!!

1)Check wiring
2)ECU (dont know what it stands for)
3)MAF (its new but needs to be calibrated)
4) starter (Not to sure about this one cause the car does start without an issue)
5) TB
6) IAC Valve
7) Old Gas
8) Coil Packs (if nothing else works)
9) PCV valve (if nothing else works, again don't know what PCV stands for)

 

Google, the pcv valve location. Doubt its it but good thing to change .. I would clean the throttle body 1st don't change it. I still think it sounds like the starter selonoid .. but its all together with the starter. Could be wrong but the symptoms sound the same and had no code for it ..

Oh the pcv valve is small and when its good it raddles. It's like $6.00 again don't think its the issue but often gets over looked. Lastly I would get sea foam cleans the car out .. however follow. The directions to the T. YouTube sea foam you will understand what it does. I do to all my cars .

 

Maybe you are not communicating particularly well . . . which could be due in part to run on sentences and paragraphs.

But, you just said it stalled once and that was it? That's not what you said in your initial post.

Which is it - did it stall once and that was it OR did it stall repeatedly, both before and after you replaced the Maf.

Just a piece of advice, if you want help around here, you need to be clear about what symptoms you experienced.

And - what was the code? How much gas have you run through?