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2002 Maxima 6 Speed - Idles, but stalls immediately when trying to drive

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Old Aug 20, 2022 | 02:12 PM
  #1  
Noladol's Avatar
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From: Austin, TX
2002 Maxima 6 Speed - Idles, but stalls immediately when trying to drive

No check engine light. The car started right up, but I could notice what felt like a a slight misfire. After going into gear and hitting the gas, the car sputtered and stalled. I didn't have any power to drive the car whatsoever. It will hesitantly rev to around 2000 rpm if I barely touch the gas, but it basically has enough power to idle and that's it. I noticed a few small puffs of white smoke coming from the tailpipe when it was sputtering around 2000 rpm, but nothing too alarming.

I checked the five ignition coils I could get to and they are not the problem. I still have the one coil left to check that's under the intake and I'm thinking I may need to check the fuel pump next.

Any help is much appreciated. Thank you!
Old Aug 20, 2022 | 02:39 PM
  #2  
Noladol's Avatar
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It's the MAF sensor. I didn't think that was it since it was recently replaced, but I unplugged it and I was actually able to drive my car down the driveway with it unplugged.

Hopefully this will help someone else if they have the same problem.

Thanks!
Old Aug 21, 2022 | 07:56 AM
  #3  
2002SEMT's Avatar
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Originally Posted by Noladol
It's the MAF sensor. I didn't think that was it since it was recently replaced, but I unplugged it and I was actually able to drive my car down the driveway with it unplugged.

Hopefully this will help someone else if they have the same problem.

Thanks!
There's a auto parts quality crisis in the market. If mine fails, I will get one that's Nissan branded. Even that isn't a guarantee. Is there are date stamp on those? I'm thinking that one made before the supply chain crisis is lower risk. How risky is getting one from a salvage yard?

Last edited by 2002SEMT; Aug 21, 2022 at 07:59 AM.
Old Aug 26, 2022 | 06:49 PM
  #4  
Noladol's Avatar
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From: Austin, TX
Originally Posted by 2002SEMT
There's a auto parts quality crisis in the market. If mine fails, I will get one that's Nissan branded. Even that isn't a guarantee. Is there are date stamp on those? I'm thinking that one made before the supply chain crisis is lower risk. How risky is getting one from a salvage yard?
I've had pretty good luck getting MAF sensors from the salvage yard in the past. Look for a car that has been in an accident before anything else if you do decide to go to the salvage yard. I also bought a new MAF sensor off of Rockauto about 4-5 years ago and that one went out a couple months ago. It was around $75 for that one. I believe I accidentally did something to destroy that one though.

Luckily I have a 2003 GLE that needs work and I just swapped the MAF sensor out with that one this time.
Old Aug 28, 2022 | 12:36 PM
  #5  
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Joined: Dec 2012
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From: Kissimmee FL
what caused mine to go bad was over oiling my K&N filter. I ended up cleaning out the intake box and MAF housing than switching to a dry high flow performance filter
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