Please help!!!! car starts, but won't move when I step on gas
 

Okay, I'm hoping someone knows what the problem is. My 02 max won't move when i step on the gas. It starts and idles fine and doesn't stall out, but nothing happens when i step on the gas and all my dash lights come on. Abs, check engine, battery etc. It'll buck a little bit a couple times when i hold my foot on the gas but that's it. I hooked it up to a dino and code p1800 popped for a faulty vias s/v. Replaced that but it didn't help. That's a $200 part and it didn't fix the problem. Any suggestions?

Thread title revised to something appropriate.

All dash lights coming on leads me to a dead/dying alternator. Check that and then your MAF.

It's definitely not the alternator. It starts fine and will idle all day. But when i step on the gas the dash lights come on and the car doesn't go. It doesn't bog down or lose power, just nothing happens. What's maf? Mass air flow sensor?

Slow down. So your car idles OK in "P". Next:
- What happens when you put it in "D"?
- What does the AT indicator show?
- What RPMs is the car idling at?
- While in "D", what happens when when you step on the gas? ... report AT indicator status and RPM, etc.

Okay. In drive the car idles fine. About 800rpm which is normal for this car.
The at light comes on along with the abs light, battery light, and check engine light. In fact, they all come on.
The car still idles normal.
When the car is put in gear, the rpm drops to reflect that it is in gear with a load on it. Is still normal for this car. When i step on the gas, it bucks a little and all the aforementioned dash lights come on but the car doesn't really move. The at light and all the others come on

Since the engine runs but the car does not move, your problem is clearly transmission-related. Check for any pending codes. Also, check all fuses - my guess is that you have a blown fuse. Also, make sure the PNP (Park-Neutral) switch is OK. If none of this helps, it's time to follow the diagnostic procedure in the FSM; follow instructions in the table on page AT-59 of your FSM: http://boredmder.com/FSMs/Nissan/Maxima/2002/AT.pdf ).

But shouldn't the engine rev when i step on the gas?

The engine doesn't rev when i step I the gas

This is a very important detail, which you omitted in your original description! If the RPM's don't increase when you step on the gas, then it's very different problem. I would start with the TPS.

And sometimes the lights will go off and the car will drive fine

What's the tps? It popped code p1800 for the vias which i replaced and that didn't fix the problem

TPS is an abbreviation for "Throttle Position Sensor". If your car indeed does not react to throttle input, it's the first logical thing to check.

However, you may have multiple problems. Do you still have code P1800? If you do, follow the diagnostic procedure on page EC-689 of the FSM.

Are all your dash lights still on? If so, one would typically suspect an alternator problem but perhaps not in this case. In either case, check the voltage on the battery (with engine running). Is it about 14-14.5V? If not, there is a problem with charging.

Do you have any other codes, or pending codes? Do you have an OBDC reader? If not, buy one. To work on your car, you'll also need a a voltmeter (multi-meter).

I've been googling and googling, you're the first person I've ever seen with this issue like me for the same year/make.

I've tried numerous alternators. The car drops to like 500RPMs and it'll just lurch forward slowly and sometimes it won't do it.

Edit: No lights come on my dashboard while this condition is happening.

Both of you: It could be your VSS (Vehicle Speed Sensor). Check out this thread: https://maxima.org/forums/5th-genera...-does-not.html

I can say I had the exact problem last winter it was alternator. My car would idle fine also forever but when I put in gear hit gas it would sometimes go a couple feet sometimes would die immediately. If it would sit for a while I could drive but not real far. I ended up getting battery alt.