Skitch12

Hi all. I have a 2000 Maxima that has been a real pain over the last 1.5 years. Ignition coils and O2 sensor about a year and a half ago. MAF sensor within the last year. Now it is stalling when I come to a stop. I may go 2 or 3 days without it stalling at all (though sometimes when I come to a stop it feels like it's going to) and then the next day it will stall every time unless I keep gassing it to keep the RPMs up...

It's been like this for a little over a month. I am car-stupid so I take it to a local mechanic I've been going to forever. He first cleaned a bunch of things (throttle body/air intake valve, I believe??), free of charge, but this didn't solve the problem. Next, he replaced the idle air control motor (~2 weeks ago). This seemed to help, but within a week it was back to the way it was before.

It seems much worse if I drive somewhere, turn it off, then come back a short time later and restart it. Sometimes it even has a tough time starting, much worse as of recent. Also, it is significantly worse when the air conditioner is on and even stalls while in park sometimes.

The stalling seems to be getting worse and with it getting harder to restart I'm afraid I'm going to be stranded somewhere or on a busy highway in rush hour traffic.

The check engine light is NOT on so it's tough to diagnose, especially for me. I had the battery replaced about 1.5 months ago and the stalling started shortly after that. I'm taking my car to a dealership today to have the idle relearn process done. Could this be the problem since a new battery was put in? It seemed logical to me and is relatively inexpensive.

I was also reading about:
Crankshaft sensors. Needing cleaned or replaced?
Fuel pump / filter?

Sorry for the long post, I figured the more information the better.

Any help is much appreciated. I'm lost and don't want to replace part after part until the problem is fixed.

Thanks in advance!

The Maxima

Have you checked the camshaft sensor?

oldman87

Stalling while coming to a stop or during hot idling are often caused by vacuum leaks, hook up a vacuum gauge to the intake tract, you should see about 18 at idle RPM and it should hold steady. If you have enough vacuum leaks to cause stalling, you probably won't see more than 14 nor will it hold steady.

Skitch12

I'm at the dealership now. They're going to do the idle relearn and check for vacuum leaks. They told me if it were anything related to a camshaft or crankshaft sensor that the check engine light would be on.

Skitch12

They said there are no vacuum leaks and they did the idle relearn process. Definitely not fixed. If anything, it's worse . Seems to be idling a tab bit lower making it stall even easier.

My next plan is to leave it overnight with the local (trusted) mechanic I've been going to. He wants to drive it himself and see what it's doing, as well as test different things.

This is getting really annoying, and expensive. This is the third Maxima I've had. I loved the first two but this one has been nothing but problems. ...Making me want to buy an Accord... or just wait until someone is tailgating me and slam on the brakes.

The dealership said the same thing, that without a check engine light on, it's tough to diagnose what the problem is for sure.

Any other suggestions for what the problem could be, that wouldn't cause the check engine light to come on? Possibly bad ECU?

Again, ANY help/suggestions is appreciated.

MaxxedOutt

iTrader: (1)

Man, all I can think of is fuel filter, cuz everything else that causes stalling would be giving you a code. I would also try a new maf (or someone else's). Sometimes mafs act stoopid without giving any codes.

Skitch12

Thanks for the input...

Fuel filter is what I was originally thinking but the mechanic I go to didn't think that would cause it to stall and the dealership I talked to said it, "isn't a serviceable part". However, everything I've read online contradicts that.

The fuel filter is under the back seat on the 5th gen Maxima? and it's part of the fuel pump? Why wouldn't a Nissan dealership change the filter? I've heard some people say they have 250k miles on theirs and never needed to change it but if it's dirty and causing problems why wouldn't they?

D.Stillwell

Dude I'm telling you now check your coils, my 2000 did stall a few times when I first got it about 1.7 years ago basically in the same way as yours. Happened while coming to a stop and idle dropped.

It never threw a code either, until one day it decided to misfire and throw my slip light on and TCS light on, car jerked like crazy and almost stalled so I stopped and after a shut down and CEL delete everything was fine and no CEL ever came back and problem never happened again.

I still changed all my coils with the grey dot ones. So yeah I'd say check the coils because for me what it ended up being is the #3 cylinder coil misfiring that was causing the stalling. and MAKE SURE to replace the coils with the grey dot ones.

You're welcome and BTW what's your car idling at right now?

MaxxedOutt

iTrader: (1)

Yes, the fuel filter is under the back seat. There is a write-up on it, just do a search. You can try changing coils too, but my thinking has always been to start with the cheaper parts first... Right now my car is starting to stutter and idle rough at stops, but I had changed the fuel filter recently, and besides, I already got a code for a misfire on cyl.1. I know it's time consuming, but read as much as you can, do a bunch of searches on the same thing, using different ways of writing the topic. Of course there aren't many ways towrite "stalling", lol" but you could try stuttering, or misfiring...
Good luck man, you won't be the first person to get aggravated and frustrated with their Max, but you won't be the last either. We've all learned by trial and error and making expensive mistakes, but once you finally get it fixed, you'll be all smiles!

Pilm

Did you replace MAF, IACV, coils, whatever with aftermarket or OEM? If aftermarket, then your recurring issues aren't surprising. Also, have you run a scanner on the car? I know the CEL isn't on, but there was one guy recently who bought a second hand Maxima where the prior owner took the bulb out so it appeared there was no CEL when there really was.

2damax

If you replaced with aftermarket check that first. If all that is good maybe you should clean or replace throttle body. I just had an issue where my max would stall on startup when hot, idle very low and amost die at idle. Junkyard throttle body and now its smooth.

Skitch12

The coils aren't aftermarket but I'm not sure about the MAF. Is there an easy way I can check myself?

Pilm

Should have a part number on it somewhere which you can check to see who made it, might have to remove it if PN is on the backside.

Skitch12

Coils definitely weren't aftermarket but I'm guessing MAF and IACV were. I'll have to check on Monday with the mechanic who replaced them.

Skitch12

Well.. today I got stuck, thankfully it wasn't on the road, it was in a parking lot. Turned the car off, went inside, came out 2 minutes later and it wouldn't start. Wouldn't even try to turn over. The tow truck driver said he thought it was a starter since it was just clicking a little but not turning over at all. Hopefully it doesn't need a starter AND whatever was causing it to stall....

A bad starter wouldn't cause a car to stall, right? I waited a good 45 minutes before I called AAA for a tow truck because I thought it might start if I gave it some time.

My car was firing right up most of the time, especially when it was cold. If I had a bad starter it would have gotten progressively worse, wouldn't it? I don't want them to put a new starter in if I don't need it.

2damax

I don't see how started would cause the car to stall. If MAF and IACV are aftermarket I would start there. GL.

Skitch12

If the MAF sensor was completely useless, would that prevent the car from starting? I really don't think I need a starter but I have a feeling they're going to tell me I do and might replace it even if it's not needed.

2damax

It is unlikely the MAF is completely useless but it is possible it would cause the car to stall at startup and while driving. It also would not rev pass 2500rpm. The mechanic will not replace any part unless you give the ok.

Skitch12

Dealership put a new starter and a Nissan MAF sensor in it and it runs great. I guess the aftermarket MAF sensor was causing the stalling.

Thanks to everyone who took the time to help.

Cheers

2damax

Glad it is fixed. You caved on the starter huh?

Skitch12

I don't think I had a choice with the starter, did I?

From what I read it's pretty obvious when a starter is bad. They said as soon as they put the starter in it started right up. Before it wouldn't even attempt to turn over. Then they tested the MAF sensor and it was "reading 5 (whatever unit of measure they read) and intermittent, most likely the cause of the stalling".

Another $720 down the drain, which sucks, especially since: 1) I replaced the MAF sensor (aftermarket) less than a year ago, 2) I probably didn't need the IAC motor replaced, 3) I now have an aftermarket IAC motor in my car, and 4) All of the stalling/restarting may have had something to do with my starter going bad.

Possibly all could have been avoided with a Nissan MAF sensor to begin with.

2damax

Ya I think you chose the most expensive route. I suppose you could have checked the warranty on that aftermarket MAF...got a new one a sold it? Purchased and installed your own OEM MAF and then pay a mechanic to do the starter...a non dealership mechanic. O well though. It is all over. Enjoy the ride!

Skitch12

Yea, I probably could have saved a little bit. I would have had to have it towed to a mechanic. The one I use/trust is about 60 miles away from the Nissan dealership I originally had it towed to. It would have been free with AAA but a pain. Also, who knows when he would have been able to put the starter in. I personally think it was well worth the extra $100(?) for the convenience and getting my car back very quickly.

Either way, I'm just happy it's (hopefully) over with for now. It's nice to be able to drive a car and not have to worry about getting stranded somewhere or stalling in traffic.

Again, thanks for the help. I sincerely appreciate it.

timelessr1

I'm having the EXACT same symptoms with my 2003 Maxima SE (auto) I can go a few weeks with out it stalling, BUT then at the worst times while coming to a stop, or stopped at a light..it will stall. Sometimes it takes 3-4 start attepmts to kick over.

I replaced the MAF sensor about 10 months ago with a Cardone unit from rock auto...but it didnt help. I'm starting to wonder if an actual OEM Nissan MAF would work....

I didnt change the IACV since if this goes bad there should be a code thrown.

MY issue is not throwing any codes at all!!

Pilm

i seldom hear of aftermarket maf's working well. you could take car to stealer and have them check performance of the maf, but for about the same price you could just get an oem and install yourself, but then again if it isn't the maf you wasted money...

Amerikaner83

iTrader: (17)

junkyard MAF might work as well...cheaper than new nissan OEM that's for sure