None of the following post is designed to be a flame against anyone, apologies in advance...

I have had no problems with my Maxima in this regard, and have successfully tried the stationery test, and my vehicle is fine.

Quote: Also, for those of you who want to argue that only a few Maximas have the “fuel-cut” problem, and it must be due to a faulty component, I would have to disagree. I have yet to find a 2000 Maxima that passes the stationary test trying to ease rpm’s from 3,000 rpm to 2,000 rpm). They all fail this test (both 5-speeds and automatics) because of the idle control valve. The only real difference from one car to the next is the driver. Some slight differences probably exist from car to car, but the biggest variable has to be the driver.

I would agree that the differences are due to the driver, as is the impact on normal, daily driving. My commute each day is primarily stop-and-go. I have no problems, no bucking. I do shift up to second quickly and always coast when slowing down, but I have always found it necessary to do this with every manual transmission vehicle I have owned. In my experience, all manual transmission cars I have driven will buck in first gear when driven at slow, constant speeds. Based on my experience, the Maxima seems to be no better, nor no worse, in this regard than any car I have driven.

Quote: Actually one of my other complaints about the 5spd besides all the power in 1st(which isn’t really a complaint, just not used to it) was that the car was so quiet that I could not hear the engine as far as when to shift. Had to really concentrate on the tach which I'm not used to either.

This may be the most significant comment in this thread. It may be that how much of a problem one finds with the Maxima's bucking problem may depend on what vehicles one has regularly driven before. My Maxima is a step down in power from my previous vehicle, and this may be why I do not perceive there to be a problem. The problem may be more apparent to someone who is stepping up in power.

Quote: I am not going to argue with you over and over about this, as I have better things to do, but there is absolutely no way that your car will pass this test. If the engine is warmed up and there are no external loads (such as the air conditioner), and if the car is in neutral, then is impossible for it to pass this test.

Many times in other discussion groups, people have made the same claim, and they will either fade away silently, or they will later admit that their car would not pass the test. There is no way that your car will be the exception.

The reason people fade away is probably that this topic quickly becomes boring to those that do not experience it. I used to lurk at the Edmund’s page regularly, until I satisfied myself that a) I didn't have the problem (although I am willing to believe other do; and b) since I didn't have the problem, reading each flame was a waste of my time.

I bought my Maxima primarily because I liked the car, but also because I found this board interesting. Having an involved owners' group is an added pleasure to owning a vehicle. It provides a forum to share comments, ideas and information. Previously to buying my Maxima, I owned a '98 BMW M3, which stalled every morning when I tried to back it out of my garage. Although I had continually owned cars with manual transmissions for more than a decade, I felt like an idiot each morning trying to gun the engine, let out the clutch to get the car rolling, then quickly step back on the clutch so I could safely roll out at a speed well below what the engine RPMs were attempting to drive. After three months of this, I found a technical article in the Roundel (the BMWCCA magazine) that explained that the oxygen sensor had been reprogrammed in 1998 to solve an emissions problem, giving rise to the car stalling in low speeds in reverse. After reading the article, I still had to perform my morning ritual to back the car out of the garage, but felt better about it, reassured that thousands of other M3 owners were doing the same routine each morning.

 

Another test to be tried on a 5 speed Maxima is to see if the RPM's will drop immediately upon release of the accelerator pedal while at cruising speeds. Specifically, bring the car to about 45 MPH in 4th gear with the engine turning 2000 RPM. While cruising steady at this speed, immediately take your foot off of the accelerator and watch the tach very closely. In my car, and 3 other 5 speeds I have tested, the RPM's will remain at 2000 RPM when your foot is released from the gas pedal for about 5 to 10 seconds before the RPM's start to slowly decrease. This also shows that the throttle is being "controlled" by the computer since the RPM's should immediately drop once you let go of the gas.

Another problem occurs on upshifts at 2500 RPM. If you upshift slowly at 2500 RPM, the RPM's will hang at 2500 when you shift. If you shift aggressively at 2500 and slam in the clutch very fast, the RPM's will actually rise about 400 RPM the instant you press in the clutch. You can test this without even shifting. In second gear, cruise up to 2500 and then slam down the clutch very fast like you are racing someone and lift off the gas at the same time. The instant you do this the RPM's will jump up about 400 RPM.

There is something wrong with all of our cars, but some people don't seem to mind/notice which is fine for them. I do not like driving a car that fails to slow down from cruising speeds when I release the gas pedal and rises RPM's on upshifts. That is not too healthy for the entire drivetrain IMHO. Plus, the bucking in 1st gear while I am stuck in traffic on the Van Wyck everyday is maddening! (New Yorkers will understand that)

I also had a chance to see the readings from the Consultant tool when the Nissan DTS was here twice to work on my car. I saw the counts from the IAC go from about 15 to about 75 the instant the car was moved off from idle which proves that Bigk200 is correct in saying that the problem is in the Idle Air Control System.

Dave Z

 

I don't need lessons driving a manual. I am 51, and have, and will only drive a manual shift. I get that fuel cut off jerky movement, feel I will go through the windshield, esp. when engine is cold. Dealer says they have never heard of the problem. "The car needs to be warm."
Still a great car
Martin