Doesn't feel like 222 horsies to me...
 

I've got an 01 SE autotragic. It's been a little over a year, 39k miles later, and Jawz (that's my car's name), is losing power, pickup, and giddy-up-n-go. It's noticeable when you hit the gas at any speed and across the whole RPM range. I brought it to Nissan (first mistake). I needed something minor checked, and i mentioned the power loss. When i picked up the car, they said they checked the tranny and nothing was wrong. And I'm like, what the hell dude, it could be more than just that, why didn't you check more than the tranny? They said they noticed nothing, and made it sound like I was making it up and wasting their time. I commute in this car more than 100 miles a day. I KNOW when my car isn't acting right, you all know what i'm talking about. That was about 6 month ago, and now the power loss is even worse. Anyone else with an autotragic experience this??? Pretty soon I'll be getting my *** whooped by a Prius.

Change oil and filter, transmission fluid, air filter, pcv valve and spark plugs... See if that makes a difference. If not, then throw in a fuel injectors cleaning (not necessarily from a bottle). Also, just wondering where you seem to be noticing a power loss -- rolls from a stoplight (low RPM) or passing on the highway (at high RPM)?

how about just changing air filer? what kind of service work you had done to the car?

Finally someone else I thought I just had a lemon I've noticed it since early november, probably when I got whooped by a Talon.:bawling: I still haven't found a cure soooo I'm getting a 1998 Nissan 240SX much easier to mod and RWD.

Dude! Just trade up for a 2K2 Max w/6sp. :D And that Toyota Prius has no problem smoking Maximas--in gas mileage that is. :naughty:

Get the six speed! Last time I test drove it, it gave me a big smile and I had trouble sleeping that night.


However, I test drove it on the rain and the one I test drove doesn't have LSD, so it kinda sucks spinnig in first gear with power transferred from 260hp 3.5L engine, on RE92, without LSD, on the rain.

yea listen i was gonna start a post. in the last week my car has made grinding noises between 2k and 3k rpm and would get stuck in 4th gear! i would floor it at 30 and be at 3000 rpm! I am taking it to the dealer tommrow and if the try to sell me some bs. that its not the tranny since i am 100% sure it is I will be selling my Max.

oh yea i only have 13,576 miles on it mostly highway

Same here. I had the TSB for my transmission done and it seems that I lose power ever month. I had my cousin in my car with me and said "watch this", I punched it and he said "watch what". I'm not sure what could be wrong. 2000 gxe, automagic.

I've felt this problem as well. I have a 2k auto(30k mi) which seems to drive like a champ at times, and like a damn mule at others. It all started when I drove her to Vegas from S. Cali. She wasn't taking it all too great. I have an intake and a y-pipe and it doesn't pull like it used to. I've narrowed it down to either bad Coils or a fuel problem of some kind(filter maybe?). Anyways, I'd like to get new coils from the dealership regardless. So maybe I'll just yank it or something to trip it and take it in. 222_HA!

Without dynoing your car how do you know you lost power? Hell it could be a bad tank of gas.

Coils
 

I changed my ignition coils at $34,000 miles and I think got the HP count back to 222.

Re: Coils
 

what exactly do the coils do?

and how is that related to hp?

I've changed everything...
 

The loss of power is noticeable from a dead stop, a roll, or while cruising along. Doesn't seem to matter what speed I'm going. Geeez, I change the oil at least every 3k, usually every 2k, only put premium mobil gas in the car, have changed the air filter... cleaned the entire fuel system, injectors, etc 2X. Also flushed the tranny and radiator (for the winter). I know there's something going on. It's funny cuz before i bought my car i had someone with a 4th Gen tell me that they loved their Max, but after a while, it lost it's oomph. I figured they were either mistaken or that it wouldn't happen to me in a 5th gen. WTF??? I WANT THE OOMPH BACK!!!!! I've never had the car dyno'd, but believe me, the decline in power is more than obvious.

I feel ya!
 

I got the exact same problem. 2000 GXE autotragic. Some days the car just wants to be run hard and others it feels like I am pulling a cement truck. I am also having a problem with my rear calipers sticking (squealing sound any time I hit the brakes and pads are new) and warped rotors (again). I am really considering dumping the max for an 02 but I got a wedding in October so it is not financially viable. Took Max to one dealer on the sticking caliper deal but they said nothing was wrong. I will be taking it to another dealer shortly. If they tell me nothing is wrong, it is time to make the call to Nissan NA.

Re: I feel ya!
 

or perhaps start saving up for that car in your sig :naughty:

advanced congratulations on your wedding btw :)

Re: Coils
 

I believe I may have bad coils as well. I think they would be covered under the warranty, did the dealer replace them or did you have to buy them yourself?

Re: Re: Coils
 

How much do new coils cost?

Re: Coils
 

^
Those Miles are expensive!!

Hey, I feel the same way about my 2k autotragic gxe.... That's why I'm going to drive my wifes subaru forester tonight so that I can realize how much power my car has again. And to think I used to think her car was powerful before I got my maxima. :laugh:

sometimes i feel like my car lagging, but then sometimes i dont...it usually feels slow after i ride around in my friends 2002 cobra, but then i sit in another friends honda accord 4cyl and im like wooohooo again...but actually, my start-ups are bad and getting worse..like the car shakes a lot more than it should when i start it up...i noticed it like 2 weeks ago but sumtimes more noticeable than others...bad ignition coils possibly?
atw

I had the same problem on my autotragic... I went out a purchased a K&N pop-in air filter and now my car is FAST!!:cool: It cost me $47 and worth every cent of it. Try it out!

Re: Coils
 

How much are they? I mean coils, all 6?
I'm not able to convince my dealer to replace them :( so, I'm willing to spend money on it...it makes that detonation noise, ugly :(
Thanks.

It seems by reading this thread that a lot of GXE owners are noticing a loss of power, especially from a stop. I too have noticed this. When I first got the car, it had great throttle response. Now, from a stop, it feels like its just exhausted. Then there are times though, on the highway where it comes alive. :D I've noticed that sometimes after driving a good while that the car doesn't feel slow. Maybe it needs to reach a certain temperature to perform well, but i doubt it. I have been told that the computer learns the drivers habits. SO if all of us are light footed, meaning that we don't step on it from a stop and cruise most of the time, then maybe the computer has adjusted itself so that the car performs according to these those habits. I don't know how to explain it very well, maybe someone in here has a clue as to what i am trying to say. On some occasions, when i start the car and floor it, I noticed that it has responsed better, rather than feeling like a mule, from a stop. But this is based on speculation. Personally I think it is the transmission, since on occasion it has slipped from 1st to 2nd, and over time it has worn out the transmission a little, if more than a little. I don't know if its the coils since there are no signs of detonation. But I would like to know why all of us are experiencing lack of power/performance in our cars, and of course a remedy for all this.

Re: Re: Coils
 

:laugh: :D haha good one.

Same problem with mine. When I got the car, it was wonderful but after around a year and 20k miles, when the car accelerates, it makes a rough, grating noise and the car vibrates a little. It is as if the tranny is protesting. Then again, sometimes there is no noise. I noticed that if you start on a downslope from standstill there is usually very little noise, but on an upslope, it gets really worse. On the highway, though, noise is always muted.

I had my dealer see it twice, but he attributed it to "normal wear and tear" ?? I am not sure though.

ECU
 

Have you tried to reset the ECU? I started to notice a bit of power loss in the mid range. Once I reset the ECU to get a new baseline everything seemed back to normal...Except for my slipping autolicous tranny (which is getting fixed tomorrow...yea) The Nissan ECU seems to corrupt it's baseline record every once in a while and by resetting the ECU will wipe out the old one and after about 20 miles it records a new one.