maxout!

I found this thread on edmunds & was wondering if it was true. Anyone heard of this?

http://townhall-talk.edmunds.com/direct/view/.f209267/0

"noticed that my maxima was lagging. Sort of like when you put a manual transmission into 4th gear and try to drive from a stand still. Shortly later the service engine soon light came on. "

maybe some kind of valve issue on the CVT, blah blah ....

Flip2cho

Haha, I see Smarty666 was the first one to reply. It fun seeing our members in other places.

Mreim769

I do believe there was someone that posted about that here on the 7th Gen section of the Org. Who it was and when it happened is beyond me. He was the only person with that issue though.

smarty666

hahaha, lol! yeap, that was me! I was just curious to find out and apparently some 2009 and 2010 Max owners are having some troubles with a lag and noise from the transmission. Personally, I have not experienced this so I can't really comment on the problem but as I recall, there is a TSB on something similar to this on nissanhelp.com so if anyone is experiencing it, I would go to that site and look up the TSBs on the 2009 and 2010 Maxima!

lightonthehill

Absolutely not a whisper of CVT trouble in almost 18 months. Absolutely love my CVT.

It may be that some folks are not yet aware the CVT on the 7th gen Maxima is programmed to leave the line a little laggardly, unlike a manual. I asume that is to protect the CVT when it is at its most vulnerable.

But then this CVT takes this 7th gen Maxima from 35 MPH to 85 MPH faster than any manual or auto tranny I have ever driven. And that is the area where I want performance. I'm not into wide open throttle runs from standstill; that is for track fans and tenny-boppers, not real-world drivers.

MONTE 01&97 SE

iTrader: (1)

Now light I would not as go as far to say that.....lol. I 'm a real world driver and more times than not when I gas it I like to go from a stop and there are many of of us "real world" drivers that like to do so ( to get over to get in a lane that takes you to the FRWY etc). From a stop neglates any of a cars shortcomings/advantages....It makes it fair. Once you go from a roll some cars are better than others at certain speeds/rpms etc.

LadyMax23

Been having some issues with mine. Also hear and ticking sound from the engine, but the dealer calls it "normal'. I told them then I should've bought a bmw, they don't have something such as "normal" engine ticking while idling. I have a 2010 maxima that I purchased in October and I love everything about it except the ticking and had issues with my suspensions twice, also my navi system has some issues which they haven't been able to mend. Paying the amount of money I pay for this car most of these issues shouldn't have occured within the 1st six months of owning it.

Compusmurf

LadyMax, turn off the AC and see if the ticking goes away.

IamMaximus

Alright guys and girls. i have a 09 maxima and well i reported to nissan with the lag at about 30mph and they suggested the NSB for reprogramming that piece of &%$@ called a CVT tranny.And so my dumb self told then go ahead and do it.They said it will have a slight decrease in fuel economy but the lag will not occur again. Boy were they wrong!!.. it now Jerks at whatever (C)ontinuous (V)ariable (T)ransmission shifting. they can shove it up their *** for all i care. plus they said once the Tranny is reprogrammed , its irreversable.So i m screwed. And with the strut problem. I took it back Twice to get those insulators installed correctly. I have became sour with nissan . I have owned a sentra,3.5 altima,and now this nissan maxima.. Ill be on the news for crashing and burning this POS !!

LadyMax23

Thanks but I've tried that and unfortunately that doesn't work . My hubby owns an M3 and reminds me of the fact that he told me to go with BMW everyday. It's just frustrating. It's a BRAND NEW CAR!

Flip2cho

I pay close attention to the sounds and well everything to do with the engine. The only time I've ever ever heard a ticking noise is when i have just changed my oil and crank the car for the first time but as soon as the new oil moves through all is quiet again and not a single tick untill the next change .

smarty666

You've heard my youtube clips Flip, mine sounds like a metallic popcorn machine at idle because of the heat shield !

Flip2cho

No I haven't, post me a link smarty

smarty666

Here you go, one 30 sec clip is of the noise with the engine just turned off and the other is with the engine turned on at idle

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0O1brN0Ur50

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jaDiOYlohzs

popcorn anyone???

Compusmurf

Holy crap Smarty.

Someone fill your engine full of pebbles! Something seriously NOT right there. Sounded like you were filming in a hailstorm. Mine doesn't sound like that. If your dealership says that's normal, time to find another dealer.

MONTE 01&97 SE

iTrader: (1)

Exactly Compu, that is not normal at all for a VQ engine to sound like that. That sounds bad, yeah I would find another dealership to take that to!

LtLeary

Dang Smarty...I've been in hailstorms that don't sound that bad. 60MPH down gravel roads don't even sound like that. I agree with the Smurf...take it to another dealer and have them turn the car over to get all the marbles out!

Flip2cho

Does that happen all the time? I can see from you video you are under the car. It just sounds like the exhaust is really hot and I cooling down. I have heard the same noise but only after I have put the car through some serious driving at higher RPMs. I mean mine doesn't do that all the time because most of the time I baby it but when I do steadily romp it or if I use the paddle shifters to stay in the higher RPMs it has made te same exact noise. It so loud in you videos because your under the car right at the pipes. But it doesn't sound like it's a problem with your engine at all, just really hot exhaust pipes.

smarty666

Yes, it does happen all the time, every single time I drive the car, both long and short distance, no matter what the temperature is outside. I never said it was a problem with my engine. I know its because of the heat shield and exhaust system and the way idiot Nissan designed it.

Its that loud whether I'm down by the pipes or standing next to the car. Its noticeable loud all the time and I have had people comment if something is wrong with the car and its not. The funny part is that the car makes the noise while the engine is running at idle and I have never had that on a car in my life and I've had vehicles from various automakers over the years but nothing this loud, intense, and frequent and never when the engine is running. I had a couple crap GM products years ago that did this once in a while when the engine was turned off and cooling down in the garage. I guess its just the nature of the beast!

My Infiniti and Acura do not make any of these metallic ping/cling noises though, while the car is running or when cooling off in the garage so go figure?

Flip2cho

While it is a normal thing because I've heard my car do it (only once in a while) and you hear motorcycle pipes doing it all the time but being super loud and occuring all the time isn't at all normal. I'm going to ask some stupid questions because I know your a smart guy (hence the name smarty, unless you were just trying say that you were a smarta$$. How did you get the name smarty666 anyway? I've always wondered that. Are you the devil? What's with the marking of the beast my friend? Anyway, that's far enough down that rabbit trail, back to the topic at hand)
Your problem has to come from excess heat buildup. I don't think you simply got a bad batch of noisy metal that they made your exhaust out of. How hot does your car get? You think there is a slight problem with your cooling system and your car builds up extra heat causing your pipes to crackle? Your full of coolant fluid right? Do you think your car is not breathing like it should? I wonder if a y-pipe would quiet it down some due to the exhaust breathing better. Maybe there is somthing up with the muffler or cats causing a blockage.
Which do you think is more likely if any? Engine not exhausting like it should or excess heat buildup in the combustion chambers? Where do you think the problem lies.

MONTE 01&97 SE

iTrader: (1)

Smarty that is not normal.......You have another VQ35 powered car and it does not do that. None of my current or past VQ powered cars did/does that. I would have that addressed and demand that they get it right, has to draw looks/comments as you said.

smarty666

I wish I could answer all your questions Flip but I can't. I don't have the answers to any of them. I've posted the video clips on youtube and various other discussion on maxima.org and everyone tells me its normal and I have to live with it. I even had two master techs on here tell me they hear this all the time from various Nissan models, especially the Altima, and that I shouldn't worry.

I even had my stealership hear the noise when I had it in earlier this week about the seat, tires, and other issues and they too told me this is all normal and heat build up by the heat shield. According to others on here and the Nissan Master Techs I spoke to, they all said that apparently, Nissan designs their heat shield and exhaust system with very little room to expand and thus, as you pointed out, the heat builds up and has no where to go/release so it results in these metallic pings/cling noises that I hear so much. Apparently they don't know why but some models and/or specific vehicles are worse then others while, your Maxima for instance, only does it once in a while, where as mine does it all the time. I mean, I've gotten used to it a little bit, and actually, I don't mind the car making these noises when the engine is off and cooling down but I do think its a little bit ridiculous to hear this stuff while the engine is at idle on top of the loud nature the engine has to begin with.

At this point there is not much I can do. The techs and my stealership tell me its all normal and poo poo it off. The only other thing I could do is bring it to another Nissan stealership, which I might have to end of doing anyway, if the seat, suspension, and tire issues are not addressed this coming week (which I have a good feeling they won't) when it goes in at my local Nissan stealership this Tues!

smarty666

Like I said, I don't know what else I can do, or the stealerships for that matter. Everyone tells me its due to the heat shield and exhaust system. I only fill up with Shell Premium gas and I've had this noise with both the Nissan Dino Oil (the first 7500 miles) and it continues even now with a full synthetic oil so there is nothing in regards to poor gasoline or oil that could be causing these noises. Only thing some people have recommended is to try the Nissan Ester oil at the next oil change and see if by a slim chance that makes a difference!

Norm Peterson

I have to side with light on this point. In general, WOT from a standstill is for drag racers and people who generally lack sympathy for the mechanical bits and who don't much mind risking occasional parts breakage. Since breakage on launch typically comes from from either clutch engagement impact loading or large stall ratio torque multiplication effects, the CVT more or less avoids this as a problem, although launch performance performance is necessarily compromised. Electing to run hard from a stop does not negate a Maxima electronic/mechanical disadvantage; doing so clearly exaggerates it, so I guess this is one more little adaptation that one needs to make when shifting over to a CVT-equipped car from anything with more conventional drivetrains (two puns in that, both sort of intentional).

Once in a while I find myself in a situation similar to what you described (see green boldface). Even in my 315HP/RWD Mustang I'll only try a little. Either a couple of gears - maybe up to 50 mph at 2/3 throttle - will be enough for me to make a clean pass and move over with adequate room, or the other guy will run hard enough off the line trying to beat me that being 'stuck behind him' won't matter. Psychologically, I win either way.

That said, I doubt that I've made a dozen dry pavement wheelspinning-hard starts in 45 years, except at autocross in the 626. Running hard from a roll is far more suitable for anybody who prefers the entire driving experience over just the first sixty feet. It's certainly closer to traditional sports car or endurance racing mentalities, and it takes launch technique out of the equation (something I've never been very good at or ever particularly cared to).


Smarty - has anybody investigated your coffee can of marbles with a stethoscope? It sounds like something is continually sticking and slipping over something else somewhere in the exhaust line, though I doubt that excessive forces are being developed as a result (meaning that I wouldn't expect fatigue cracking to develop any time soon or possibly ever). If it can be narrowed down, you might find something that may be torqued properly per spec but not enough (or too much) to prevent (or permit) expansion movements. Maybe a pipe is slightly undersize/oversize, or a clamp slightly oversize. Also look for any relative engine movement that is "in sync" with the pinging. If it was my car, I might consider tackwelding exhaust line joints that are only clamped as OE, although that entails a little risk of its own.


Norm

smarty666

Oh I did take it in to the stealership earlier this week for this and a couple of other technical issues. None of which got resolved. Here is what the service manager and service advisor at my stealership said about the noise. Both admitted they heard the noise when the engine was running and when off and that the noise was more intense then in other Nissan models they have heard this in. They checked over the heat shield and exhaust system and reported the following:

"In regards to your metallic pinging/clinging noises, the heat shield and exhaust system were fine and nothing clogged in it when we looked it over. We have heard these noises in a multitude of other Nissan models and you're noises are more on the constant/intense side of the spectrum BUT , These noises are a normal characteristic of Nissan vehicles."

As usual, they told me nothing new and did nothing about it as I suspected. Apparently, all Nissan's make this unrefined, loud, obnoxious, clinging/pinging/knocking noises from the heat shield and exhaust system because Nissan is too lazy to design one that has enough space to contract and expand without causing noises.

I posted this in the fluid/lub section on here, and almost everyone on there says this is normal and who have had it on multiple Nissan products, but one guy told me, a lot depends on how the heat shield was fitted on your specific car. The reason why the intensity/severity is different between the different Nissan models is because some heat shields where fitted more loosely then others. Apparently, I have the worse of the worse though when it comes to these noises .

Norm Peterson

Hence my thoughts concerning tackwelding, though that's a relatively extreme solution.

I've had to tackweld rattly converter heat shields into silence on two or three of my own cars, though in those cases the heat shield connections had actually fractured. If you know what's loose amd where it's loose, it's a pretty simple repair. Sometimes, having a variety of welding equipment comes in really handy.

If it turns out to involve the converter internals, I would expect the emissions warranty to cover it. And I would also understand dealership reluctance to fix it on their nickle.


Norm

alexdi

My Maxima pings in a similar way if the car is off and I've driven it long enough to warm the engine. I've never heard it ping while on, but then, it may have been inaudible without moving my head near the undercarriage.

MONTE 01&97 SE

iTrader: (1)

[QUOTE=Norm Peterson;7615891]I have to side with light on this point. In general, WOT from a standstill is for drag racers and people who generally lack sympathy for the mechanical bits and who don't much mind risking occasional parts breakage. Since breakage on launch typically comes from from either clutch engagement impact loading or large stall ratio torque multiplication effects, the CVT more or less avoids this as a problem, although launch performance performance is necessarily compromised. Electing to run hard from a stop does not negate a Maxima electronic/mechanical disadvantage; doing so clearly exaggerates it, so I guess this is one more little adaptation that one needs to make when shifting over to a CVT-equipped car from anything with more conventional drivetrains (two puns in that, both sort of intentional).

Once in a while I find myself in a situation similar to what you described (see green boldface). Even in my 315HP/RWD Mustang I'll only try a little. Either a couple of gears - maybe up to 50 mph at 2/3 throttle - will be enough for me to make a clean pass and move over with adequate room, or the other guy will run hard enough off the line trying to beat me that being 'stuck behind him' won't matter. Psychologically, I win either way.

That said, I doubt that I've made a dozen dry pavement wheelspinning-hard starts in 45 years, except at autocross in the 626. Running hard from a roll is far more suitable for anybody who prefers the entire driving experience over just the first sixty feet. It's certainly closer to traditional sports car or endurance racing mentalities, and it takes launch technique out of the equation (something I've never been very good at or ever particularly cared to).











Everyone has there thing Norm and I don't knock them for there "preferences", we could debate on this all day long and no one would be a victor as it is "preference". Also anything mechanical will break every now and then beat on or not, its the nature of man made devices!

Norm Peterson

Not knocking anybody or even their preferences. Just explaining why off-the-line performance means much less to some than it does to others. Perhaps the planners at Nissan were thinking along similar lines for their flagship sedan. Certainly they were not going to optimize their luxury offering for street racing.


Norm

MONTE 01&97 SE

iTrader: (1)

Perhaps, but they pretty much programmed it that way to tame the torque steer that plagued prior Maxima's. Now it does not have that issue nearly as bad as prior years.

smarty666

Yeah, it is nice monte not having to pull on the steering wheel like a whip when you accelerate fast from a stop to correct for the steer.

REALM

I'm at 58K miles on my '09, had it 2 years and a week, no trouble whatsoever from the CVT.
Only problems I'm having is the VDC light comes on, and the parking brake light comes on when I accelerate.

Going to take it in this week before I'm out of warranty.

djmessing

I just got my 2010 SV back from the dealer with a new transmission.

Six months off the lot and with 5500 miles on the odometer, I had a very unexpected failure. Finishing my normal morning commute, I headed up the first ramp in my office parking garage. Half way up, I could barely get the car to move forward, even at 2000-3000 RPM. It was like the engine was no longer connected to the wheels – almost like being in Neutral. At first I thought it must be a computer failure that might re-set with a restart. So I turned off the car on the ramp and restarted it. No change. Using high RPM, I was able to nurse it up the final one-third of the ramp to a parking spot.

I contacted the dealer and they arranged a tow.

They first considered swapping in a new valve body. But they found another instance at a sister dealer where a new valve body had not solved the same condition on another car. So they went for the whole transmission. It sounds like they first tried to get one from the Smyrna factory with no luck and then got one flown in from Japan. Apparently these transmissions are not just sitting around in U.S. inventory.

I have only driven the car 20 miles since I got it back, but it seems to drive like new. It feels peppier than the car did before the trans failed.

I don’t know the cause of the failure. However, the work order does show that the CVT cooler was cleaned and checked to be sure it was clear. I can’t ascribe the failure to any abuse, as my driving has consisted of just regular, routine driving. I have not raced it. I can only assume that this particular transmission was the “statistic” that shows a very small percentage of transmissions will prematurely fail. If you read this post, don’t let it scare you away from buying a Maxima; I would imagine that every make/model has a few turkeys hiding in the flock of geese. That's why they provide a warranty.

The dealer warranty service was fine. Although the car was out of my hands for 15 days, they provided a rental car and ongoing telephone updates of what they were doing.

lightonthehill

Very interesting. Is this the first complete CVT failure we have had on the 7th gen?

I seem to remember someone posting here a year or more ago that any CVT tranny replacement has to be flown in from Japan. And here I thought we had moved into the third millenium.

The one thing that has always concerned me about fairly recent technology is the lack of experienced folks to work on such things. Just seems easier to replace the whole thing. Thank goodness these new 7th gen Maxima CVTs have proven to be reliable so far. Mine has been as smooth as butter, and never once had even a hickup.

I am glad your dealer bit the bullet and didn't piddle around. I hope this replacement tranny gives you long and dependable service.

maximaspirit

I have 2 year old Maxima with 33000 miles on my car and I was told yesterday that I need a new tranny. Anyone else have problems? I just read DJMessings post above. Not many other postings so I am hoping this falls into the same category of being a fluke.

dr_2010SV

Yes, I have a 2010 and posted this in another thread a week or so ago. This was not a CVT failure, just a repair "NTB11-002A".

"Got the car back from the dealership on Sat with the new valvebody installed in the CVT. It does accelerate much better.
The tech said it now has the 2011/2012 configuration. No TSB-138 reflash was accomplished.
The dealership is holding the repair order open so I can drive the car for a couple of days in case I notice any other issues with the repair.
I plan on stopping back in to pick-up the repair paperwork this week.
I will report back on what the NTB number was. I think the tech said it was NTB11-002A".

2010 Nissan Maxima Power Train Service Bulletin 313508


NHTSA: Action Number: 10038184 Service Bulletin Number: 313508

• Report Date:
  Feb 28, 2011
• Component:
  Power Train

Summary: Nissan: the vehicle has a slower than normal acceleration from a stop. Updated on 06/08/2011. *kb updated on 06/13/2011. *rm

whit

Wow, that noise is not normal. I have the tranny Tsb 138 done to Max 2009 few months ago and what a huge improvement. Other
Than that no issues w my Max besides driver seat slight movement like most. I will not bring it in for Svc cause I'm sure it will comes out worse after they mess w it
But with all these other prob from other Max owner and how poorly Nissan stands behind there car. I Will NOT Buy Another NIssan again! This is
My first and last. Most likely go back to HOnda or Acura where I never
Had a issue what's so ever and there Svc dept was exceptional

lightonthehill

Well, you obviously do not live near me, where the situation is exactly the opposite. My son is totally disgusted with the lack of support from Honda with his TL. He says he will never touch a Honda/Acura again. By contrast, my Nissan dealer would hang the moon for me, and has given me sixteen years of great service.

I think this may be partly a function of the number of dealers. There are dozens of Nissan dealers in the Atlanta metro area, and if a dealer is not good to his customers, they simply move to another dealer.