my maxima, is like a toxic girlfriend, is should, but can't break up with...I know might break me, and has...but I still love her, and trying my best to get her ALL THE WAY fixed , so at least for a short while , EVERYTHING works the way it should.(specs. 2007 Nissan maxima se , CVT, 3.5L VQ35DE)
Most recent trouble code repairs (last 6 months)
~ replaced upstream a/f O2 sensor bank 1
~ replaced upstream a/f O2 sensor bank 2
~ p0011 rmvd & disassembled & cleaned oil control valve, repaired exposed wire on connector w liq.tape
~ p0300 replaced intake plenum gasket, rethreaded stripped center bolt on intake plenum, replaced hoses to intake

persistent p0303
this code I have not been able to resolve, and after changing sparkplug, and ign.coil, noticed exposed wiring on harness near connector, sealed w liq.tape...
Frustrated, and out of time...I took my max to the mechanic my dad bought it from, a smog tech/ auto repair place in Whittier CA, and after handing them a written list of what repairs I had already made, and what I wanted to be tested by them, they did their own diagnostic, confirmed the p0303 I told them was the problem, then told me it was damaged wiring, was the problem and repairs would cost $500+65 for diagnostic.
So I come back to pick up car, find out my radiator blew out while mechanic test drove it on the freeway, had to be replaced.
$65 extra....So I test drove my max after wiring repairs, and although at first, there was a little more power, the SEL turned back on, and anytime I attempted to press accelerator harder, the SEL light began flashing...
SYMPTOMS...
- Poor performance
- once engine is warmed up, idle misses intermittently
- acceleration is smooth till 15-20 mph is reached, and if I don't release accelerator, engine begins shuddering and shaking
- maximum speed is 40 mph, and if I attempt to go faster SEL will begin flashing
- going uphill, on even a very slight incline, makes issue alot worse...
- there used to be a gasoline smell, but whatever mechanics or I did, stopped it
- since replaced radiator, engine runs hotter...normally temp. needle stayed just below dead middle, but now whenever I'm in stop n go city driving, the needle can creep up 3/4 to the top...I asked if system was burped, he said yes
FINAL INSULT...
So after test drive, I told mechanic issue wasn't resolved, trouble code still present....so he said to leave car at shop, and he would investigate it further .....
upon my return , he told me the ECU needed to be replaced...
I lost my temper, sensing the scam, and said when a mechanic diagnoses the causes of a trouble code, they start on one end, and test every component along the way...and if a problem is encountered, TESTING CONTINUES PAST THAT FIRST PROBLEM to see if any additional issues exist, so when customer authorized repairs , it's done all at once, the trouble code is resolved.....customer pays mechanic, contract complete
I told mechanic I wanted a second opinion, but he wouldn't release my car without paying him, AND he said the ECU had already been removed and could take an hour or two to reinstall... and when I looked in my car, the ECU was still in place, and the factory marks were still unbroken.
so I paid the bill, and left... went and bought a tested used ECU w result printout, for $140 and brought it to mechanic, for them to install it, and complete the repairs...Mechanic said it needed to be programmed, and gave me the number of a locksmith who would handle it for me. I go to the locksmith, and from the moment he opened my car door , till the time he was done, was maybe 4-5 minutes, and charged me $300...
I did the idle throttle relearn procedure, then went on a test drive. ....and like before, initially the car had more power, but within 15 min of driving, the SEL came back on, and everything was exactly the same as before ...

THIS IS WHERE IM AT RIGHT NOW, I havent gone to mechanics yet to tell him the car is still messed up......
Any advice about anything is greatly appreciated....advice on repairs .....and advice on how I should handle this mechanic!
PLEASE GUYS....I'm at the end of my rope, out of money, and literally feel depression coming on...

 

Cats are likely Clogged...

I'de bet on it... Have them Checked.. a back pressure test can be done by removing the Up stream and down stream O2's and Installing a gauge.

Typically what I find is that the Front cat Comes apart... However what Ive also found is that the 3.5 tends to burn Oil in excess.. This is and can be the result of its consumption.

 

The problem isn't your car; it's American mechanics. First of all, don't forget to thank the other forum members that give you hints for free. Second, don't let that mechanic get away with that crap. Picket on a public right of way near his place of business with a sign that says <name of business> : RIPOFF. File a consumer fraud complaint with your state's Attorney General office. Send the shop a certified demand letter demanding a refund. The next step is filing a small claims lawsuit. If you win the lawsuit, you will need to pay the government fees to be ****accompanied by the constable**** to seize enough of his tools to satisfy the judgment. You will also be able to put a lien against any real estate owned by the defendant. ***My experience is that I have to teach the mechanic to fix my car***. Owning an older car is a project management endeavor, with the right mix of on-shore and off-shore (Mexican) labor. I hate being under the hood of a car. That means it's essential to only do business with mechanics that are willing to be micromanaged. It's no easier than managing an enterprise level computer system complete with microservices architecture. The first step is to lose all fear of firing and when necessary shaming and suing bad actors.

Another line of defense is to pay with a CREDIT, not debit card.
https://www.texasattorneygeneral.gov...%20card%20bill.
*****
If you paid by credit card and are unhappy with the repairs that were performed by the mechanic, then you may dispute the charge with your credit card company. To dispute the charge, you must do so in writing to your credit card company and it must be done within 60 days after you have received the credit card bill.
*****

Here's what I'm about to do:
I'm going to call Nisformance and ask what business in my city buys the most of this kit:
http://www.nisformance.com/Articles.asp?ID=252

That will point me to someone who likely understands the VQ35 engine.

If you don't learn to become a razor sharp researcher, any car will eventually make you miserable.

At a minimum, when you call a shop in the USA, ask "Can you tell me what a VQ35DE is?" If they can't, hang up on them.
If it's a Mexican shop, you will know when they give you a shopping list if they are competent. There's a counterfeit parts problem in Mexico, which is why they tell you to go buy parts on the USA side of the border.

 

Omg I feel this in my soul ...we call mine Christine's cuz smh can u please tell me where the stupid ecu is? Before I continue to deconstruct my car

 

Does this help? It appears to be under the glove box.

 

Yes ty ty I finally found it lol

 

Thank you 2002emt, for your consideration, and detail in your responce. I do believe I will be filing suit with small claims, and file complaint with every agency I possibly can.

 

I paid $3K for my Maxima plus $15K in repairs. Mine is that expensive because I refurbished my vehicle with either OEM or best available parts. I spent more in parts than labor. Sometimes the road to hell is paved with good intentions. One shop that I went to only wanted to replace valve cover gaskets and plugs. Not wanting to pay multiple times for the same labor, I spent $4K on the SES light plus some suspension problems. You need to know EXACTLY what's wrong. If you're going to hire a parts swapper instead of a professional technician, you may as well hire someone South of the border for $35 per hour. If you're in California, consider a shop with good Google reviews in TJ. Make sure that you get good theft insurance.

If your transmission fails, consider a manual conversion.

You're only a bit over two hours from Tijuana, right?

 

I love my max...there's no car like it...I'm sure theres better cars, or less trouble cars, but when everythings tip top, it's the best...... the problem is , Ive basically had to begin to learn auto mechanics because of this cardepand financially it's literally taking its toll on me, between not being able to take jobs due to my car needing repairs, to the cost of repairs wiping out all the money I've made.
I drove my max less than 1000 miles after I bought it when it began SERIOUSLY having problems...
~ started smelling a hydraulicee fluid smell coming out my vents one day ...when I checked my fluids, discovered my coolant overflow tank was completely full of this dark green oily fluid, and upon smelling it discovered it was transmission fluid...I didn't even know what a CVT was at this point. the tube that passed inside the bottom of the radiator that served to cool the CVT fluid, cracked or broke, and pushed 3-5 quarts of CVT fluid into the cooling system, turning into this gelatinous fluid that instantly ruined every hose it passed through
~ all coolant hoses
~ thermostat and housing
~ engine coolant temp. sensor
~ external transmission fluid cooler
~ radiator
cleaning the block was a nightmare, and took at least 3 days, of cycling dishwashing machine detergent through the block until the little blobs of green oil/coolant stopped coming out...heater never worked again.
then came inspecting the CVT for damage, and to my horror, when I drained the remaining CVT fluid, there was coolant in it, so it had sucked contaminated fluid into itself ...
removed the pan, and there was no signs of rust or coolant higher than the pan...so I decided to flush the CVT w new CVT fluid, drain, inspect it, then refill...
~ 6× quarts of NS-2 CVT fluid @$20 p/quart drained it, & refilled with 6 fresh quarts
Max ran great, but kept overheating, til two or three days later, I see a stream of coolant directly beneath where the weep hole was, and it was the only component in cooling system I hadn't changed....So parked on the street in San Francisco, I look up how to change this water pump, and I **** you not, the first thing that pops up says this...
" Possibly amongst the most difficult and tedious water pumps to replace, the VQ35DE will test the patience of even seasoned mechanics......" I've never changed a water pump In my life...
~ New water pump and seals
in order to remove the pump, which is behind its own little cover...the other little cover needed to be removed and the chain tensioner fully compressed, and locked with a pin....that's when I see these pieces of broken plastic atop the tensioner, I never even knew what a tensioner was until begining this repair, it's Halloween 2019, so I follow the instructions, replace the pump, reassemble everything and head north to Santa Rosa....my car begins making a horrible rattle and slapping sound...an old guy walking by one day when I had just started it said, " Your chain guide is busted ,kid.... and it's gonna be the queen mother of all b#?ches just to get to it, good luck ......
COVID hits Sonoma county...everything shuts down, my car runs but ill ruin it if I don't fix it....so parked on the street, far far from home, I begin disassembling and draining fluids, never having done any of this before...IT TOOK ME WEEKS, finally got main pulley off, timing cover finally removed....10 minutes to replace the chain guide, noticed a piece of gasket was ripped.....HAND CUT NEW OIL GALLEY GASKETS, using the old ones as a template, put em in, replaced tensioner, and then came the nightmare of getting timing right...NEVER SEEN A TIMING CHAIN BEFORE IN MY LIFE, mind you this is all happening on the street, in the middle of Santa Rosa... its been one thing after the other, and as much as I love my max, having that uneasy worry if my cars gonna make it has eaten up my optimism, and I'm ready to throw in the towel

 

I started as a reaction to years of placating my wife and sons with automatic transmission vehicles. I wanted a brand new Honda with a standard transmission. I was ready to stroke a check when the sales manager insisted on wanting to run my credit to take my check for a car that won't arrive in three months. I was even willing to pay the initial deposit with cold hard cash and the rest with a check. Not wanting to pay $34K for a ($28K + $6K in dealer manipulation) puny 4 cylinder vehicle, I found my 02 Maxima for only $3K. I figured that it's better to buy a vehicle in disrepair than to PAY for a turn-key vehicle and get a vehicle in disrepair, only repaired with lies. My first expense was $1,500 to pass state inspection. I drove 250 miles to the border to get paint and hail damage repair. I indeed have $30K lying around for a car, but not for a car with very little monetary value. Spending money is one thing; wasting it is another. I have the clutch (hardware and hydraulics), A/C, struts, valve covers, ignition coils, oxygen sensors, brakes, Michelin tires all new. Even if they are absurdly priced, parts can be had for this car with almost no wait.

That CVT transmission is going to give you hell. You might want to keep the car, but get rid of that automatic transmission.

My big doubt is when/if to visit Nisformance in North Carolina. If I understood them correctly, they can convert my car to a 2014-2020 VQ35DE engine for $4900 - low-milage engine parts and labor. I'm not sure when to give up on the factory engine from 2002.

 

after thoroughly flushing the CVT, and refilling it Amsoil CVT fluid...was pretty amazing. it took like a week or two to fully smoothen out...but the CVT runs great.... I did get an error code last year this time....solenoid A hi-pres. OPEN

 

If you look at what's out there, most cars are MORE trouble than an early Maxima, especially with a manual transmission. Car manufacturers have gone nuts with electronics. Pair that with all the flood damaged vehicles out there with laundered titles. Up until now, I have generally bought new cars. My 2002 Maxima is my first used car in many years. It's a rust-free Texas car with 139K miles. I presume the 6th generation ones are almost as simple. An old car is going to need to be refurbished; that's the cold hard truth. Thankfully, there's lots less to be refurbished than a car made nowadays. Can you imagine refurbishing a 2020 Maxima in the year 2040? Electronics are a nightmare. One way or another, plan on spending $15K. Make sure you have a car that stays refurbished. You don't want to need a new transmission every year.