Ok, so about a year ago my Maxima starting going dead. I would keep electrical, coast to a stop, restart the car and be on my way. There was no specific time it would do this, but it would do it without warning...no sputtering, just BOOM....dead and no check engine light.

At the direction here I replaced the camshaft position sensor and the issue went away for about six months. Now, I have the same problem again.

Typically if I'm going less than 30mph it will just die. If I'm going at freeway speed the car will just buck/kick back real hard for a split second. I have to assume this is the same issue, but I can't risk driving the car on any interstates because of it.

Background:
About three years ago I had the IACV cleaned out because the car would not even turn over and attempt to crank...almost as if the car had skipped timing. That issue has not returned at all.

Last year the car would start, run like crap and would not stay going. I replaced the MAF and all as good. This issue had not returned either.

My mechanic said it would be guessing at what was wrong until it throws a CEL, any ideas on this one? Any chance the camshaft sensor is dead again?

Thanks,
Todd Baugh

 

Fuel Pump?

 

There's no air leaks?

 

Since it started happening again how long and how many times has it happened? and when you restart it on the highway does it shut off again right away or you get where you are going?

 

I have no idea. The car just dies in an instant and then starts back up fine. It might go three weeks and run like a champ, then it might die twice in the same day...completely random.

 

It could be your alternator starting to go. I know you said you keep electrical, but i had a similar issue where it would shut off on the highway randomly and turn right back on and be fine. Then one day it didn't turn back on. It was my alternator it finally completely died.

 

I'll be that one guy!


MAF!!!

 

It's either your CRANK or your CAM position sensor. One of them, or both of them, are failing intermittently, and that's the only possible explanation for this abrupt behavior. There are several posts on the subject, but you have to search hard.

 

Sure the injectors are cleaned and the cam and crank sensors are grounded clean. The voltage test with the car running. Is there any short how is the fuel pump and the intake system clean dirty. The voltage check that first.

 

That happened to me. Just died on the freeway but started right back up. Sometimes it took a few cranks but it started. Changed the cam sensor and no problems since. It's been about a year.

 

Definitely check the cam & crank sensors. Look for any stored codes.

Don't know what year your car is but 02-03 Maximas had a recall for the aforementioned sensors.

 

I had this happen. It turned out that alternator was going....then it finally died...After 4 wks of running weird.

 

Thanks everyone. I guess I will replace the crank angle sensor(s) first, since the camshaft sensor was replaced recently.

Does the ECU store codes even without a check engine light? If so, I will try to pull them :-)

Todd

 

Yes. The ECU uses so called "two trip logic". After the first trip, the CEL light is not lighted yet, but the condition is captured as an "incomplete monitor". Your OBDC reader will tell you which monitors are incomplete (and which ones are OK/bad).