maxima_tyler

Hey all, i did a search and already tried some stuff, but im still in a jam. car is currently in limp mode (max revs 2500rpm, rough idle sometimes and bad mileage). Car is a 2003SE auto with 180K kms (canadian car).

Here are the details of what happened:

on Thursday night i washed my air filter (its a reusable aem filter for my short ram intake, has been on the car for 2 years no issues). Let it dry 12hrs overnight and reinstalled friday around noon as it felt dry. Must not have been dry cause when i turned on the car it idled rough and stalled. CEL, SLIP, and TCS OFF lights came up. i pulled off the air filter, really made sure it was dry this time (water drops in the intake tube cleaned out, TB was dry) and reinstalled everything. Started it again, no stall this time, but idle was rough. Did not clear out over time. I pulled the codes 0101, and 0102. Tried erasing the codes, but they just came back up next restart, still in limp mode.

Next day i tried my maf sensor on a buddies vq35, and his car went into limp mode, so obviously maf was fried. i got a used maf, tested it was working on buddies car, all good. installed it on my car, and in park (automatic) car revved great (to redline) and idle was smooth, no codes anymore. went to drive home, and 100ft down the street, back into limp mode, lights back up on the dash. Tried the MAF sensor on buddies car, that ones fried too.

I rechecked codes, and im still getting 0102, and another one but i forget what it was, though it was MAF related. Something about low voltage reading by the MAF. I checked the connector and all five metal tabs are there and not corroded. Wires dont look damaged at the connector, but the rest of the wires are wrapped. To me, and others on the Toronto forum, it seems im getting a short somewhere that is frying my MAF.

Any ideas what this could be? Anything i should check?

Thanks!


-----------EDIT-----------------

FIXED: For future reference, make sure to disconnect battery before plugging in any new sensors as it could surge the new sensor and fry it. i suspect this may be what happened to me with my first replacement sensor.

Pilm

For a low voltage problem I'd first check to see if pin 2 is +5V, see diagram in FSM page EC-159. FSM also recommends checking ground connections near oil fill cap.

maxima_tyler

i'll check the ground and voltage for sure. thanks for that tip.

i went through an old thread where ghustle was having a similar issue and his seemed to be a wiring issue.. so i guess my next step is to peel the sleeve off the wiring and see if there are any cuts/shorts.

Question:
Is it possible for me to have fried the connect on the harness if water got onto any electrics within the sensor?
im thinking of getting a harness from a junked maxima and wiring it in place of my current connector. what are people's thoughts on this?

cjandura

iTrader: (3)

Make sure the terminals in the plug arnt loose push them down and try again

Pilm

I can't imagine that would ever happen. I wouldn't replace the harness unless you do a continuity check and find a wire or pin is broken, no sense replacing something that might still be good.

DennisMik

iTrader: (2)

Buying a used part and having it fail after only a short period of time is not usual. That's the risk you take when buying used parts.

nycibbyryder

I had the same exact problem after installing an apexi/berk intake on my 02, but they had a TSB for 02's mfd between 9/01-11/01 which my car was... at any rate I switched MAFs to an AM600 maf and had the dealer do the reflash from the TSB, works fine now.

I noticed you have an 03, so I'm not saying this is your solution, but it was mine after I burned out 4 MAFs in a row.

95crackedhead

if something is "burning" up, that means it's drawing too much current. I would check the harness and wiring for a short to power (+5V) up to the plug.

maxima_tyler

thanks for the help guys. i'd love to be able to pick up a brand new MAF, but in Canada both 00-01 and 02-03 MAFs run $650 from the dealership! not money im willing to spend on this.

i am going to pick up another used MAF from a friend thats checking its funcitonality today on his own car. also picking up a 5th gen MAF and swapping over the thermistor, just in case.

checked the plug, and terminal two is putting out 5.8V. dont know if thats too much if the fsm suggests 5V (about 16% higher).

Also noticed that no matter how hard i push, the two MAFs i have (which are tested fried on other VQs) do not click into the harness, no matter how hard i try..

any other help/tips are appreciated!

maxima_tyler

also currently throwing codes:
0102 - Mass Air Flow Sensor Circuit Low Input
1102 - Mass Air Flow Sensor Circuit Range / Performance Problem
0113 - Intake Air Temperature Sensor Circuit High Input

TunerMaxima3000

iTrader: (4)

Sounds like the maf sensor is not getting power or ground.

If its not clipping properly there is probably a pin issue or damaged connector.

Under $12 at the dealerfor A new mafs pigtail.

Check the mafs ground first. When checking that 5 volts, use the maf supplied ground pin as your grounding point.

maxima_tyler

where is the MAF grounded? possible to get a pic for me?

i was gonna get a harness off a parts car on our local forum and wire it in place of mine. but im being told here and on torontomaxima not to bother with that...

maxima_tyler

putting this here so i can test it after work:

http://forums.maxima.org/5th-generat...113-codes.html

Well, if you have a multimeter, you can do some tests to verify:

Unplug MAF sensor connector

Test for approx. 5v at terminal 1 and a ground with the ignition to 'ON'

If no voltage, you got a wire harness problem.

If you have approx 5v, continue below:

1. Turn ignition switch “OFF”.
2. Check harness continuity between sensor terminal 3 and engine ground.
Continuity should exist.
3. Also check harness for short to power.

If ok:

You need to test resistance of the MAF sensor itself, you do this by checking resistance (ohms) between terminals 3 & 5 of the sensor. You should have approx 2 ohms.

If you aren't getting about 2 ohms, then your MAF is screwed.

Pilm

you can get a brand new oem hitachi green dot maf online from alliance nissan for $91 USD shipped so don't waste time with your local stealership http://www.ebay.com/itm/2000-2001-OEM-Nissan-Maxima-Mass-Air-Flow-Sensor-/261189924113?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&hash=item3cd021f511
+5.8v may be ok, FSM just says approximately. voltage could vary some depending on where you are picking up ground, i'd use pin 3. you can also check pin 4 is battery voltage, though i'm sure it's there since you have +5v, but just to be thorough i'd check anyway.

if you can't fully mate the maf with the pigtail in the car, there must be some interference, take a close look inside the mating connector for anything loose or missing or whatever. also make sure the retainer clip isn't broken off. if you have another maxima you can compare this to even better. it should fully mate, if it doesn't, you may be inducing damage by one of the pins not engaging while others are. also, i would always disconnect the battery before playing with any electrical connector, hopefully you are doing that to be safe.

maxima_tyler

thanks to everyone that helped me out. the problem is fixed now!

so i think the first replacement MAF i bought was damaged, which led me to believe there was a wiring problem since plugging it in didnt work.

I then checked voltages and resistance in the harness and two more replacement sensors i bought, and all checked out. so i plugged in a second replacement sensor and voila! its been on for 4 days now without any i'll effects.

to anyone who may search and find this thread later.. DISCONNECT THE BATTERY WHEN PLUGGING IN NEW SENSORS. newb mistake on my part, but its possible that my first replacement was surged when i plugged it in with the battery still connected.

again, thanks ORG. saved my hundreds of dollars on this one.

nycibbyryder

Floor it to redline before you cheer, not trying to bring you down, but I had one that was fine for 2 months until I floored it one day and right when I shifted from 2-3 it blew, thought I mis-shifted at first but it was the maf. If it does hold up though congrats.

taken5

You know the MAF Sensor is made by Bosch so call them up because I got my MAF sensor for 350.. I understand your in Canada but try to ask.

cjandura

iTrader: (3)

Maf cost $89 from courtesy parts and the thermosistor cost .13 from digikey

maxima_tyler

ive floored it many a time since ive put it in, and alls well

and i picked up two confirmed working MAFS from torontomaxima members so i have a spare in the car now, just in case. only cost me 50 each.
i know its always better to buy new, but shipping to canada is always a biatch, so if i can find used locally, its always better

TunerMaxima3000

iTrader: (4)

yeah there is nothing good about getting a MAFS in canada, ever. Pretty close to impossible to get under $150 without a thermistor. And that's REALLY digging for it.

Most of the cheaper places don't tend to ship to canada also it seems

nycibbyryder

Congrats then, lol I keep a spare in the trunk that I got off eBay, it makes the car stall all the time but it works... Just in case lol.

cjandura

iTrader: (3)

Has anyone mentioned that the washable/reoilable filters cause this?it happened to me along time ago when i used the k&n filter and never again sence i got rid of it.

nycibbyryder

Yup forgot to mention that 100% right. I've been using apexi dry flow filters ever since I found out

maxima_tyler

i wouldnt say that the actual washable filter caused it, as its worked with the filter for almost 3 years no issues. this is human error when using washing this type of filter. you have to make sure its 100% dry. No second guessing.

If i ever have to wash the filter again (mine was pretty dirty, i felt like it needed it), i am going to let it dry on top of a vent in the house overnight, and dry it with a hairdryer the next day. only when it feels dry inside and out will it be installed. Im also thinking first installation should be done with no maf in place and a upstream of the filter. Start for a second or two and turn off. check the intake piping for water droplets (cloth is there to make sure nothing gets to the TB) and if there is none, install everything back in place. if there is, keep dryin that filter!

nycibbyryder

It's not that it's the oil that you put on the filter that affects the MAF

nycibbyryder

Lol. I'm back. 3 years later. Maf finally blew again. I'm gonna try out that Hitachi replacement above. You guys still having good luck with it?

Child_uv_KoRn

iTrader: (7)

I have plenty of luck with free junkyard mafs

And AEM dryflow ftw

theoman3

ditto.....oil mist on K&N will cause a problem...I switched to Injen /dry CAI......no probs.