So I purchased a maxima a few months ago. Ran great when I test drove it. A few days later, the alternator went out. So I purchased a new alternator but since car companies want to make your life harder, I couldn't remove it myself. So I had to wait a few weeks to take it to a shop. I charged the battery and crunk it up but the car was idleling like crap. And if I gave it gas, the car will bog down or stall. So I replaced the spark plugs and coil packs (this pos hasn't been cheap). At this point I'm lost on what to do. Could you guys suggest anything else I should do?
Oh and serpentin belt just shredded on me , got to buy and put in one.
Thanks in advanced.

 

Is the check engine light on? I'd be surprised if it wasn't throwing some sort of code.

 

sounds like you bought a lemon, should have had a mechanic check it out!

 

I already know that. At this point I'm just trying to pin point the problem. I can't get to the store to get the codes read.

 

Buy a code reader, you'll need it:


Even the inexpensive one ($16) will do the job.

 

I wouldn't say you bought a lemon yet. One small issue can cause a lot of problems and randomly throwing parts at any car gets expensive quickly.

Whoever put the alternator in is probably responsible for the belt shredding as they would have installed it. These cars don't usually eat belts for no reason. They may have left it off by one groove. Check the tensioner to make sure it spins easily and doesn't wobble.

Get the codes pulled and let us know what you find.

What year car is this?

 

The alternator you bought could be a dud and/or the belt's not installed right since it's shredding. Pull the passenger splash shield and make sure the belt's routed correctly. Just spit balling here but the belt may also be on too tight. Story time: When I changed the PS pump on my Accord, I WAY over-tightened the belt. Took the car for a quick spin and the engine idled low while making a chugging noise at stop lights. Got back home, realized my mistake and adjusted the belt. Car ran smooth as silk afterwards. My theory is since the belt runs around the crank pulley, it being so tight messed with the revolutions of the engine or something and effed things up. Perhaps the same thing is happening in your case.

 

The alternator is not bad. It's charging the battery no problem. When the belt finally tore apart, the car still ran like crap.
What else do I need to check?

 

It's a 2001. I got the codes pulled the other day and it was saying something about the coils but didn't say which coil. So I bought new ones and replaced all of them and the plugs with nkg plugs. The shop that I took it said it needed new coils. But they were gonna charge me $800 to replace them. Gapped the spark plugs to the factory gap. Checked the air filter and it looks fairly new. Like I said the car was running fine before the alternator went out. I have read that the MAF sensor can cause this problems too. But it never said anything about that when the shop pulled the codes.

 

There are several codes that can relate to coils or misfires. They may have read a misfire code as a coil issue. Something like a simple vacuum leak can cause a P0300 for random misfires.

A bad MAF won't necessarily throw a code for the MAF. It can cause misfire codes though.

I would pull the codes again and give us the specific codes.

It may be worth it for you to find a decent import mechanic and pay him to diagnose the issue. Most will charge a reasonable diagnostic fee which they'll waive if you let them do the repair. In the long run it'll be cheaper than buying parts you don't need.

The codes don't usually tell you exactly what's wrong. They're often symptoms of other issues and just give a starting point for diagnosis.

 

Alright I will have to pull the codes then. I just need to buy the belt and install it so I can take it down to the shop.

 

I really think it's the mass air flow sensor. I unplugged it and the car had a surge of power. Plugged it back on and car died.

 

changing the belt was so easy by the way. I took the sensor out to spray with MAF cleaner and I noticed something in particular. The little prongs on the sensor. I looked online and it seems like they're supposed to be holding a little wire but this one doesn't.

Am I wrong or right?

 

i dont think the vq30 uses the thermister there, i believe it was added with the vq35

https://maxima.org/forums/5th-genera...-pictures.html

 

So should I still consider this the problem still or keep looking?

 

I think you may be on to something. The way I understand it if the car runs with it unplugged and it dies with it connected like you tested it's likely the cause. Check classifieds on here to pick up a known good one

 

The empty prongs are ok but you could very well have a MAF problem. I'd go ahead and swap it.

Hitachi makes a good replacement for a reasonable price. Be aware of the cheap eBay MAFs. A lot of people have had problems with them. It's better to go with quality over price on the MAF.

 

So I went to a junk yard today and bought a MAF sensor for $25. Swapped it out and the car was having problems starting. After I held the gas for a few seconds and let the car take over the idleling, the car started running better. Put it in reverse and drove off. The MAF sensor was the problem. The car runs great now.

 

Great news. Good find in the JY. I almost suggested it but it's kind of hit and miss to find a good one in the yards.

I think you're going to grow to like the Maxima.

 

pro tip: maf, cps, ckps, etc, are small...if you catch my driift

Track your mpg for a while to make sure the maf is working well.

 

If it ends up not working as well as you hoped after a while you could check out courtesynissan parts. they have mafs for 70ish$.

 

Well it's still having problems starting. It won't start unless I hold the gas for a few seconds. It runs fine after that. Also it burns more gas than my 2015 mustang gt. What else could it be?

 

Will not start unless you hold the gas for a few seconds?
This sounds like the engine is flooded. On our cars, this condition can be caused by a damaged fuel dampener/regulator. There is a diaphragm there that, when busted, will cause engine flooding.
You may also want to check out these threads:
https://maxima.org/forums/5th-genera...ng-issues.html
https://maxima.org/forums/5th-genera...tarting-3.html
https://maxima.org/forums/5th-genera...ugh-start.html

 

Could still be the junk yard MAF. Just because it's better than the last one doesn't mean it's right.

 

I'm thinking that it could be but I went over some threads that maxiiboy provided and it could be the fuel dampener. Some said it could be ecu or IAC valve. Whatever that means. the car starts fine after warming up. Ugh this car is a nightmare. I'm going to take the car to autozone later today to get the codes and I'll update.

 

I have re-read you history and I want to modify my recommendation.

First, don't just run and replace parts based on suggestions made here. You need to diagnose the problem first. In an earlier post, I suggested you get yourself an ODBC reader. You need to do that. I suggest you go one step further, and pay the dealer to diagnose your problems (usually, a nominal fee). With their tools (Consult II), dealers can diagnose problems better than we ever can.

Second, let me just say that there are many possible causes - MAF, IACV, fuel delivery/flooding, etc. However, the IACV/ECU problem (typically, code P0505) is fairly common and it has serious implications. Read this note (https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B6O...psNVBqUVk/view ) and make sure your IACV and ECU are OK.

 

Thanks for the response and I'm going to autozone when I get off work to get the codes. I will check with Nissan to see how much the diagnosis will run me for. I really hope it's not the IACV/ECU because if it is, the car is going to Craigslist.

 

I got the codes:
P1320 ignition control signal circuit malfunction
P0100 mass airflow sensor circuit malfunction
P0110 intake air temperature sensor signal range/performance
P0430 catalyst efficiency below normal (bank 2)
Oh here's the one I was hoping wouldn't show up.
P0505 idle air control, auxiliary air control valve circuit malfunction
P0325 Knock sensor circuit malfunction (bank 1)

P1000 Car is going to Craigslist.

 

OK, this helps, now we are getting somewhere! .... but it took you a while.

You have a bad MAF and bad IACV. When your IACV failed, it probably damaged your ECU, so you may have to have your ECU repaired. Your catalytic converter is also not performing well, but that should not matter unless you live in California or NY. You can probably ignore the other codes, as they may be phantom codes.

Here is what it would cost you to fix your car:

• Hitachi MAF0097 : $124.79 + $7.50 shipping from RockAuto.com((http://www.rockauto.com/en/moreinfo....374533&jsn=469)
• OEM IACV 237812Y012: $241.46 + some shipping (from Courtesy parts: http://www.courtesyparts.com/nissan/...-speed-control )
• ECU fix by ModuleRepair: $99-$199 (http://www.shop.modulerepairpro.com/...-2000_c801.htm)
• Labor. You can pay somebody to do the three replacements, or you can do it yourself. Not difficult, if you are just a bit handy.

So, that's about $600 if you do the labor. That's it, unless you live in California (or NY)/other). If you were, than you may have to replace one or both of your pre-cats (guess how I know). That might kill the deal.

You may also have to replace the Knock Sensor (max $95) and the Air Intake Temperature sensor (~ $20) but these are not critical and could be just phantom codes.

 

Thank you but at this point I'm just going to cut my loses and sell it. I will tell the next person the issues the car has. I'm done sinking money in it.

 

Well you might be lucky and not have fried the ECU....rest our easy fixes IMO....heres some help

 

I hate to see you get rid of it after all this.

I have a working Nissan AICV motor you can have for next to nothing. Just PM me.

I may have a working MAF too. I'll have to check.

It may be worth it to toss in the IACV and MAF to see what happens before sending the computer off. Even if it is bad you're only looking at $100-$200.

Once you get past this issue these cars are pretty much bulletproof.

 

I pmed you. Where can I locate the ECU? I'm going to check and see if it's fried. If it is, I'm going to to see how long will it take to send it and receive it back.

 

 

Well I didn;t see where this was mentioned but a bad fuel pump won't throw a code. I have an 01 that was having bogging, stalling, and just general problems going anywhere under load. Took the fuel pump out and it was not giving the proper pressures. replaced it with a denso from the local parts store, no more problems. just make sure you replace the sending unit o-ring or it will leak. Just my two cents

 

It was he MAF sensor. He car doesn't have the loss of power and stalling anymore. Unless it's a cold cold start.