So I was driving my 2010 Max today that has about 100K on it. Everything was fine except for a little burnt plastic smell I wasn’t sure came frim
my car. At some point I stoped behind some cars and when traffic started again and I pressed the gas pedal the car moved very very very slowly forward with the RPM not increasing. Going into Parking and beck to drive didn’t help and so did Reverse and so did shutting off and restarting. The second time I shut off and restarted is did not start at all. Popes the hood and there was plastic smelling smoke from the left side drive belt area or below. No light in the cluster and no fault codes. Engine oil a little low and trans oil looks good. Recently the car “biped” four times every time I started it. Any ideas?
Edit - 4 hours after getting stuck, towed the car to the dealership to be looked at tomorrow morning. Battery although being just 12 month old seem to be drained out. Before the battery died I tried to turn off the hazard lights and just couldn’t. Maybe that means something?

 

Yep, your alternator died.

 

anybody knows if the 2009-2014 Infinity G37 alternator is the same alternator as the 2010 Maxima?

 

Looks like the murano and altima share our alternators
.

 

yes, and looks like the Quest too, I guess anything with the 3.5 from these years.

 

So, for future generations, I thought I'd close this post with a problem and fix summery.

Like LtLeary so accurately and confidently wrote - Yep, it was the alternator. apparently, I failed to push the dipstick all the way in, causing some quantity of engine oil to dump onto the alternator.

Because I'm in Israel, prices won't tell you much, but I'll convert them into USD just to let you know how lucky you guys are. [1 USD is 3.5 NIS (Israely Shekels)].

A few hours before knowing the problem was the alternator, I towed the Max to the main Nissan dealership (thinking along with a former Nissan mechanic friend that it might be a transmission ECU.
the next morning after describing the symptoms (not telling them I already know it the alternator) and being told that diagnostics and figuring out what the issue is will cost 1400NIS (400USD), I asked for a written quote for replacing/rebuilding the alternator.

the quote was:
5.2 hours of labor at 150USD per hour + 400USD for a rebuilt alternator.

I told them I didn't understand why they need 5.2 hour to take the alternator out and put it back in and that I would think about it and left. (didn't need the car fixed right away).

a shop that I work with gave me a quote of 250USD for the labor and a local business the rebuilds alternator gave me a quote of 200USD.

when I returned to the Nissan dealer to tow the Max to other shop the guy gave me a new quote of 2.5-hour labor to do the job but said the rebuild alternator is no longer available and for them to rebuild the alternator will cost me 400USD.

Eventually, the other shop did the job, and I took the alternator to be rebuild. additionally, the drive belt was torn and was replaced (20USD), in order to take the alternator out we had to disconnect to A/C compressor which meant a gas seal test +A/C oil +gas refill (67USD) and also had to disconnect the lower radiator hose so another 10USD for new coolant.

Max is doing fine since and now I can focus my attention on other issues.

Thank you everybody,