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Hey Guys, I'm a recent owner of a 2011 Nissan Maxima with 145k Miles on it.
I recently purchased it off someone, They offered me a really good deal. It was a bit too good to be true so I had to make sure I did all my checks with it. It rides really smooth and had that burst of acceleration as well! Loved the ride, just some cosmetic imperfections with the paint etc (small white dots near the door side, no biggie)
I wanted to take it to 'FireStone' for the $9.99 full car checkup - the owner said trust me they'll give you so many things to replace in the car that isn't even necessary it's their business model. Which I agree with, because when I took in my perfectly good car the last time they gave me a estimate bill of $2600 to replace all the brake rotors and pads and what not! He was more insistent to take it to Nissan directly to get it checked if I wanted to. He seemed confident and he also owns a shop right in the middle of the city, so he can't just shove me a car and 'runaway'. He seemed trustworthy, I decided to forward with the purchase but then....
I wanted to do two things, Get a state inspection done and also wanted to see the underbody of the car. We drove to a nearby mechanic to lift the car up, it wasn't so much a lift place - It was more of a drive over and go underground to see the car it wasn't so easy to look under but overall it look okay except for some oil leakages I could see. I pointed it out to him he was like it's just a dirty underbody and it's perfectly normal. I googled it immediately to check "is it normal to see oil in the underbody of the car" most results said it was perfectly normal and fine to have some signs of oil residues as long as it wasn't 'dripping'. I was like alright, fair enough. Then we proceeded to do the state inspection, It was weird he kept prompting me not to saying he's got the inspection papers at home, I was like we're here might as well just do it. He was like okay, We went and ran it in for an inspection and the person was like 'The codes have been reset' you need to drive for like 50 miles for it to be reset.
I was like what? I've got time, Let's do a 50 mile drive then, I let him drive and we drove 50 miles in peak traffic and we crossed about 56 miles when we drove back and the shop inspection person was like, Looks like it needs to drive a little more some! But he was like it's cool, I think I have what I needed (He's a known person to the owner) so he wrapped up the inspection. It passed, gave me all the papers etc. Then I was like alright, everything seems to check out fine I suppose. No check engine light, car drives like butter and he seems reliable as well. Made the payment, got the car and I kid you not, I started to drive home and I get the 'Service Engine Soon' light on. I'm like wtf
Here's a picture of the car & the light that came on (It's a good looking car!!)
I have the FIXD car code reader. Stopped the car and let it run to read the codes, It came back with the code "P0420" with the description "Your catalyst system reduces the amount of pollutants in your exhaust gas. This error means your car may be polluting more, but it poses no direct drivability issues. However, this can be a very expensive repair (`$2000) if the catalytic converter goes bad because of this.
Screenshot :
Of course I'm worried about it now, drive it right back and he was asking what code was it? I showed him the screenshots from the App and he was like oh don't even worry about it. It's just a senor that needs cleaning, I'll get it sorted out for you, I'll let you know when you can bring it back in and I'll handle it out for you, Totally safe for you to continue driving now. Plus seeing the description on the app saying "but it poses no direct drivability issues" I was like alright, He'll take care of it later so I just let it slide to come back later a day when he's able to look into it.
Fast forwarding 2-3 weeks ahead and driven about 600-700 miles since. I've started to notice a few things, Like the mpg won't go up anymore it's constantly only on 19.5 mpg - Usually I can see it go up when I'm driving calm and steady with slow acceleration and cruising it goes up to 20.5 or so. Lately it's been stuck on 19.5 no matter how I drive. Furthermore, I noticed the burst of acceleration is no longer there, the feeling of being pushed against your seat when you push the gas pedal? It was more slower with the acceleration in comparison. All of this started to make me wonder what's really happening.
What tripped me off was now when I'm parked on 'P' the idling needle would no longer be constant but it would keep shuffling between 850 - 1100. Just going down or reving a bit higher and kind of lingering in between. The 'Service Engine Soon' light has been on this whole time though. I decided to plug in the FIXD scanner one more time to see if the code is the same, To my surprise I do have 2 codes now. Screenshot below :
The initial "P0420" and now the "P0101" Which has to do with the 'Mass Airflow Circuit / Performance" When i read into the details it basically says the sensor does not know how much fuel to put into the engine and this may cause the engine to run poorly. Which perfectly makes sense with the dropped mpg, the rough idling and low acceleration. Alarmed, I drove back to the guy and he was just like Oh don't worry everything is good friend. We will get it all sorted out for you next week, Bring the car in and give it to me for 2 days and I'll fix everything up looks like just some sensors need to be cleaned. I'll clear everything up.
I've done extensive research on YouTube regarding these codes and the fixes. Looks like the MAF sensor should be cleaned up but perhaps the 1st code is affecting this sensor. The initial problem either being bad O2 sensors, a leak in the exhaust system or the Catalyst system itself.
Just to add, I did take the car to Nissan to get a professional car checkup done, They came back to me with multiple issues - I'm not sure if they're trying to suck money out of me. but they mentioned the following issues :
- Diagnose Service Engine Light
- Outter Tie Rods
- Upper Torque Rod
- CVT Axle
- Engine Oil Leakage (Need to Diagnose)
- Transmission Oil Leakage (Need to Diagnose)
They did a visual inspection and gave me this report.
When I showed the report to him he just laughed and was like man they're just trying to suck money out of you, that's all the suspension systems and it's perfect. He pushed the car down on each corners and showed me see? it doesn't bounce back. It's solid. And he was like there's no leakage, You can check the levels everyday if you doubt it and there's no drips on the ground too.
I wanted to give you guys a whole preview of what I've been dealing with to get your inputs, suggestions - How to navigate this. Have you guys faced something similar?
- Is it normal to have some oil residue under the body of the car? i
- Is the repairs for the issues mentioned above, Big? I've seen the Catalyst convertors on ebay for roughly around $200-$600. I'm not sure if they're trustable.
- With the rough idling, unchanging mpg and poor acceleration, Would continuing to drive it - Make more issues?
Sorry for the long post, Just wanted to be clear about everything. Appreciate your guys time!
Your story was long, but easy to follow. to the Org. What you're dealing with is a snake. He intentionally reset the codes so it would drive well and pass inspection, knowing full well that the check engine would come back on. He sounds like a real smooth talker.
I doubt cleaning the MAF will do the trick. Cleaning the MAF usually only buys you a short time like a month of better acceleration. If I was in your shoes, I'd ask him to replace it on his dime with a good used OEM MAF (I'd pass on a New aftermarket MAF, you want OEM).
And he needs to sort out the other code too, on his dime. You either have a clogged cat, or a bad O2 sensor. Both will cause sluggishness that you described, mostly a clogged cat will though.
plus 3 from wiz , and honestly still feels like a decent deal you got depending how cheap it was. but yea do the MAF and replace the CAT, you should be fine. try to get them to own up to it.. it may not be worth the effort tho if they are such smooth talkers they will try to talk them selves out of anything.
in all honesty it sounds like it could be way worse.... at least the shop is communicating with you, see what they would do to replace the MAF and CAT.
Thanks for sharing the story. To be honest, none of the issues you are experiencing are unique. A lot of us have had them. (I have experienced all of them..just not all at once!) The bad part is you thought you were getting something that wasn't as advertised and need to address them all at once. I can only imagine your pain and shock. So a learning experience was gained, and possibly, based on your "deal" not as bad as it could have been. Welcome aboard and if you need any suggestions on how to tackle some of these issues, drop a question and I am sure someone can give a hand. We are a helpful lot, but if you ask specifically about a left handed multi phasic oscillator, we may not all jump and answer at once!
You made a deal with a snake, Wiz is absolutely right. He reset the codes to get the car off his hands. A lot of these snakes get away with this because you sign the bill of sale purchasing the vehicle as is, which protects the seller. I hope he repairs the issues your having, but something tells me he's not going to honor this as he didn't invest to make those repairs before selling the vehicle. My parents dealt with a serpent like that a few years back and it never amounted to anything. They lost out in the end because the seller had on the bill of sale sold as is. It sickens me that this happens.
Your story was long, but easy to follow. to the Org. What you're dealing with is a snake. He intentionally reset the codes so it would drive well and pass inspection, knowing full well that the check engine would come back on. He sounds like a real smooth talker.
I doubt cleaning the MAF will do the trick. Cleaning the MAF usually only buys you a short time like a month of better acceleration. If I was in your shoes, I'd ask him to replace it on his dime with a good used OEM MAF (I'd pass on a New aftermarket MAF, you want OEM).
And he needs to sort out the other code too, on his dime. You either have a clogged cat, or a bad O2 sensor. Both will cause sluggishness that you described, mostly a clogged cat will though.
Thank you so much for your detailed videos! I've checked them both out - It's sad those are expensive parts!! The weird thing was when I test-drove it before purchase it was butter smooth and the acceleration pushed me against the seat. However after the codes started coming out it was not as great as it was before.
The only reason I was like alright this guy owns a shop and he was reassuring to me oh don't worry I'm right here, I have this shop for 22 years - Everything is perfect with the car any issues, come back here. I was like okay. Fair enough.
Eitherway, with all this information! He's asked to bring the car in on Wednesday - I'll bring it over to him and we'll see what he does to fix all this up. He asked me to hand the car over for a day or two to take care of it all. Will keep you guys posted!
plus 3 from wiz , and honestly still feels like a decent deal you got depending how cheap it was. but yea do the MAF and replace the CAT, you should be fine. try to get them to own up to it.. it may not be worth the effort tho if they are such smooth talkers they will try to talk them selves out of anything.
in all honesty it sounds like it could be way worse.... at least the shop is communicating with you, see what they would do to replace the MAF and CAT.
Yeah, one of the main reasons why I decided to go ahead since he owns the shop for over 22 years and he's like any issues come back here will take care of it. Seemed reliable, He asked to bring the car in on Wednesday let's see what he does to fix all this! Will keep you guys posted! Appreciate the response
Thanks for sharing the story. To be honest, none of the issues you are experiencing are unique. A lot of us have had them. (I have experienced all of them..just not all at once!) The bad part is you thought you were getting something that wasn't as advertised and need to address them all at once. I can only imagine your pain and shock. So a learning experience was gained, and possibly, based on your "deal" not as bad as it could have been. Welcome aboard and if you need any suggestions on how to tackle some of these issues, drop a question and I am sure someone can give a hand. We are a helpful lot, but if you ask specifically about a left handed multi phasic oscillator, we may not all jump and answer at once!
You guys are awesome! So glad I found this website. Maxima's are a great car, I fell right in love with the way it looks to the way it drives (initially, at least haha) Hopefully everything will be rectified. Yeah it sucks that I have to face all this AT ONCE. But hopefully he'll fix it all up and hand it over so I don't have to face any issues with the car going forward. I have a few important road trips coming up in Oct, Just want to make sure all this is addressed before that!
You made a deal with a snake, Wiz is absolutely right. He reset the codes to get the car off his hands. A lot of these snakes get away with this because you sign the bill of sale purchasing the vehicle as is, which protects the seller. I hope he repairs the issues your having, but something tells me he's not going to honor this as he didn't invest to make those repairs before selling the vehicle. My parents dealt with a serpent like that a few years back and it never amounted to anything. They lost out in the end because the seller had on the bill of sale sold as is. It sickens me that this happens.
That's just really sad. Well, I just happen to fall for his reassuring words as I mentioned in some of my other responses, He was like any issues come back here will take care of it etc He did ask me to bring the car around on Wednesday (next week) so i'm really waiting to take it back to him and see what he does to fix all these issues. I will ensure to check if the codes were reset before he hands it over again, He was just like oh the sensors need to be cleaned out and all that - Don't worry my friend the car is excellent don't worry. So let's see what he does!
From Reading your original post, my inside the shop opinion is that with 145k from what I read, he seemed like a motivated seller. Either way you like it and it's at a point where maintenance is needed, fix It and roll on. I stress this to my customers always. I see people buy all kinds of piles of trash after the fact sometimes. Without having A used car inspection done first at a shop of your choice, not the seller. Your car appears in great condition however you just need some maintenance items and its to be expected. These are somewhat normal things I see on a daily basis. If he is willing to repair the car roll with it and let him. Have Nissan check behind him though. What needs to understood is that you bought a used car, not a perfect car or New car. A Nicer used One that can be repaired and needs to be maintained as well.
Reading further down at what Nissan said. Often times I find the air boot busted just under the TB. If you don't pull on the boot you wont see it and with a broken torque strut often times as the engine rocks back under accel it pulls the boot open, causing drive ability issues, meanwhile the car idles just fine sitting still. It's a inexpensive part these days and are cheap to install. Have that checked. If the air boot is not broken then I would suggest replacing the MAF first. It need's to be OEM Nissan and flashed. Clear the codes and roll on and if you continue with the P0420 codes the Cats are next. I use the OEM Nissan cats, They have come down in price substantially over the years. I have done several and what I'm truly seeing these days is a high cat failure rate on all cars and red spark plugs on everything. The Ethanol is killing cats and cars it seems. Have the plugs pulled and checked as well. The engine running poorly is the Main Concern, first .
Doing the OEM cats will run you about 1900 if they are determined stopped up which can also be checked. In the shop I use an exhaust back pressure tester which I use to determine the flow rate of the cat at a sustained rpm. Inlet and out let. A converter's threshold for a failure is only 5%. My biggest suggestion to you however is if you cant do the work yourself or you don't trust he will do it correctly. Take it an Independent shop in your area that does Nissan. For a 2nd look.
The Oil leaks are normal. This is something you'll need to keep checked often as well on your end.
The parts list you listed can all be sourced for fractions and installed.
Get pep boys to install the outter tie rods Only and sign up for lifetime alignments. It pays for it self. Normal Stuff somewhat. Nice Car, Enjoy it.
From Reading your original post, my inside the shop opinion is that with 145k from what I read, he seemed like a motivated seller. Either way you like it and it's at a point where maintenance is needed, fix It and roll on. I stress this to my customers always. I see people buy all kinds of piles of trash after the fact sometimes. Without having A used car inspection done first at a shop of your choice, not the seller. Your car appears in great condition however you just need some maintenance items and its to be expected. These are somewhat normal things I see on a daily basis. If he is willing to repair the car roll with it and let him. Have Nissan check behind him though. What needs to understood is that you bought a used car, not a perfect car or New car. A Nicer used One that can be repaired and needs to be maintained as well.
Reading further down at what Nissan said. Often times I find the air boot busted just under the TB. If you don't pull on the boot you wont see it and with a broken torque strut often times as the engine rocks back under accel it pulls the boot open, causing drive ability issues, meanwhile the car idles just fine sitting still. It's a inexpensive part these days and are cheap to install. Have that checked. If the air boot is not broken then I would suggest replacing the MAF first. It need's to be OEM Nissan and flashed. Clear the codes and roll on and if you continue with the P0420 codes the Cats are next. I use the OEM Nissan cats, They have come down in price substantially over the years. I have done several and what I'm truly seeing these days is a high cat failure rate on all cars and red spark plugs on everything. The Ethanol is killing cats and cars it seems. Have the plugs pulled and checked as well. The engine running poorly is the Main Concern, first .
Doing the OEM cats will run you about 1900 if they are determined stopped up which can also be checked. In the shop I use an exhaust back pressure tester which I use to determine the flow rate of the cat at a sustained rpm. Inlet and out let. A converter's threshold for a failure is only 5%. My biggest suggestion to you however is if you cant do the work yourself or you don't trust he will do it correctly. Take it an Independent shop in your area that does Nissan. For a 2nd look.
The Oil leaks are normal. This is something you'll need to keep checked often as well on your end.
The parts list you listed can all be sourced for fractions and installed.
Get pep boys to install the outter tie rods Only and sign up for lifetime alignments. It pays for it self. Normal Stuff somewhat. Nice Car, Enjoy it.
Thank you for such a detailed response! That's true, It's still a great car nonetheless. I'll look into each of the points you've mentioned.
So there's an aftermarket pioneer music system in the car however it doesn't have steering wheel controls, I found this person on Facebook Marketplace who does aftermarket system installations etc (Super cool guy) Has his complex garage setup and does work on cars as his hobby. He told me to buy this part that converts Nissan over to the aftermarket systems. He charged me $60 to fit it all up together so now the steering wheel can seek the tracks and volume controls! (So convenient)
The reason I mention that is because after he worked on it, The airbag lights kept flashing - He tried to remove the negative terminal on the battery to reset it (We googled it and had to power on & off 4 times without turning on the engine for that to calibrate) Because of the battery removal there was the 2 codes I've mentioned in my post & finally there was a newer code U0164 Basically 'Lost Communication with Combination Meter' which is the AC Controls - Since he unplugged it and put it back together He was like oh that's just because we took it out and he also removed the battery negative terminal. He asked me to just 'Reset the codes' through the FIXD module I had.
Side Note : Regarding the Torque mounts, He tried to put it in drive hold the brakes and rev the engine - He said you can see the Engine kind of tries to bounce a little - It's not that bad honestly, but it could get worse over time. He asked to me look into it eventually.
Back to the main point, Since I cleared the codes the 'Service Engine Soon' light went away immediately. Here's where it's a bit confusing. I've been gentle with the car knowing the issues and codes it's given me before.
- I've driven about 56 miles since I reset the codes.
- The acceleration is back and efficient, Really picking up and pushing me against the seat again
- Idling isn't jumping around too much, It's just a slight movement based on the AC motor working maybe 900-1000 rpm in between.
Makes me wonder maybe the Cat is okay? Just the sensors are bad? Resetting the codes have set everything in order again. Usually I thought after 50 miles the codes would come back, But I'll keep driving to see when the codes come back and see if there's a drop in performance after the codes appear.
What's your thoughts on that? Thank you again for your time and help!
Your story was long, but easy to follow. to the Org. What you're dealing with is a snake. He intentionally reset the codes so it would drive well and pass inspection, knowing full well that the check engine would come back on. He sounds like a real smooth talker.
I doubt cleaning the MAF will do the trick. Cleaning the MAF usually only buys you a short time like a month of better acceleration. If I was in your shoes, I'd ask him to replace it on his dime with a good used OEM MAF (I'd pass on a New aftermarket MAF, you want OEM).
And he needs to sort out the other code too, on his dime. You either have a clogged cat, or a bad O2 sensor. Both will cause sluggishness that you described, mostly a clogged cat will though.
Hey Wiz! Just have a small update that I responded to one of the replies above. But wanted to respond to you as well!
So there's an aftermarket pioneer music system in the car however it doesn't have steering wheel controls, I found this person on Facebook Marketplace who does aftermarket system installations etc (Super cool guy) Has his complex garage setup and does work on cars as his hobby. He told me to buy this part that converts Nissan over to the aftermarket systems. He charged me $60 to fit it all up together so now the steering wheel can seek the tracks and volume controls! (So convenient)
The reason I mention that is because after he worked on it, The airbag lights kept flashing - He tried to remove the negative terminal on the battery to reset it (We googled it and had to power on & off 4 times without turning on the engine for that to calibrate) Because of the battery removal there was the 2 codes I've mentioned in my post & finally there was a newer code U0164 Basically 'Lost Communication with Combination Meter' which is the AC Controls - Since he unplugged it and put it back together He was like oh that's just because we took it out and he also removed the battery negative terminal. He asked me to just 'Reset the codes' through the FIXD module I had.
Side Note : Regarding the Torque mounts, He tried to put it in drive hold the brakes and rev the engine - He said you can see the Engine kind of tries to bounce a little - It's not that bad honestly, but it could get worse over time. He asked to me look into it eventually.
Back to the main point, Since I cleared the codes the 'Service Engine Soon' light went away immediately. Here's where it's a bit confusing. I've been gentle with the car knowing the issues and codes it's given me before.
- I've driven about 56 miles since I reset the codes.
- The acceleration is back and efficient, Really picking up and pushing me against the seat again
- Idling isn't jumping around too much, It's just a slight movement based on the AC motor working maybe 900-1000 rpm in between.
Makes me wonder maybe the Cat is okay? Just the sensors are bad? Resetting the codes have set everything in order again. Usually I thought after 50 miles the codes would come back, But I'll keep driving to see when the codes come back and see if there's a drop in performance after the codes appear.
What's your thoughts on that? Thank you again for your time and help!
Last edited by The Wizard; Sep 16, 2023 at 01:44 PM.
Hey Wiz! Just have a small update that I responded to one of the replies above. But wanted to respond to you as well!
Back to the main point, Since I cleared the codes the 'Service Engine Soon' light went away immediately. Here's where it's a bit confusing. I've been gentle with the car knowing the issues and codes it's given me before.
- I've driven about 56 miles since I reset the codes.
- The acceleration is back and efficient, Really picking up and pushing me against the seat again
- Idling isn't jumping around too much, It's just a slight movement based on the AC motor working maybe 900-1000 rpm in between.
Makes me wonder maybe the Cat is okay? Just the sensors are bad? Resetting the codes have set everything in order again. Usually I thought after 50 miles the codes would come back, But I'll keep driving to see when the codes come back and see if there's a drop in performance after the codes appear.
What's your thoughts on that? Thank you again for your time and help!
I think it's too soon to tell. 56 miles isn't much. There's so set in stone rule about 50 miles to reset the monitors etc. While I hope that the codes stay away and your idle and acceleration stays strong, something tells me you'll report in the next day or so that your codes and issues are back. Now that you reset your codes again and driven 56 miles, check to see if it says that all your monitors are ready.
Lawyering up! I never dealt with lawyers etc I don't know how that would go. Hopefully it doesn't have to come down to that.
I'll tell you how it would go. Lawyers, except in accident personal injury/death cases, require the client, hereafter referred to as YOU, to pay a retainer UP FRONT, and an agreed upon hourly rate for any and all work they might, or might not do for you, meaning you pay a boatload of cash before anything good happens in your favor.
I'll tell you how it would go. Lawyers, except in accident personal injury/death cases, require the client, hereafter referred to as YOU, to pay a retainer UP FRONT, and an agreed upon hourly rate for any and all work they might, or might not do for you, meaning you pay a boatload of cash before anything good happens in your favor.
Lawyers do nothing for free.
Yeah that doesn't sound like the best way to go specially with spending a whole lot of money that could rather be put into making this car run perfect instead!
I think it's too soon to tell. 56 miles isn't much. There's so set in stone rule about 50 miles to reset the monitors etc. While I hope that the codes stay away and your idle and acceleration stays strong, something tells me you'll report in the next day or so that your codes and issues are back. Now that you reset your codes again and driven 56 miles, check to see if it says that all your monitors are ready.
Still going strong - But I'm not sure if the idling is supposed to shuffle around a little (is that usually normal?) I can't seem to remember if that's how it was usually, I've never cared to notice the idling ever before in a car haha Can't believe I'm super keen on it now since the codes ever came on etc. Acceleration is still pretty good so far, mpg Is changing based on the way I drive 19 - 20.5 mpg etc Will wait for the codes to show up!
I don't know if the FIXD app can check if the monitors are up and ready? I'll give it a shot and see what other info it shows on the app. I'll keep you guys posted! Yet again, thank you so much for being active and responsive with helping me out. Really appreciate that!
I have the OEM O2 sensor (by the radiator) plus OEM MAF sensor available for sale.
both are less than 6 months new (have receipts)
ping me if interested - no scam
Would definitely like to know your prices for it, However as mentioned he agreed to look into the issues and have it rectified - Let's see what he does or If I have to take matters onto my own hands. Look forward to hearing your prices though!
I think it's too soon to tell. 56 miles isn't much. There's so set in stone rule about 50 miles to reset the monitors etc. While I hope that the codes stay away and your idle and acceleration stays strong, something tells me you'll report in the next day or so that your codes and issues are back. Now that you reset your codes again and driven 56 miles, check to see if it says that all your monitors are ready.
Hey Wiz! I've driven about close to 200 miles now. No engine codes yet, Acceleration is up and ready to push me against the seat. However, the idling RPM is a bit shuffling at times. Cold start does kick up to 2000 RPM for a bit until it calms down to 1000 RPM - But then, keeps shuffling a little between 950 - 1000 rpm and drops a little when the AC motor kicks in and out. Is that Normal? I've read a lot about it - Everyone's like clean out your MAF sensor that should fix it, I haven't cleaned it up yet - Waiting for the day the guy wants the car back to fix all the issues together (He postponed to next Monday now) So let's see how that goes.
Overall, still going strong with the acceleration and no codes back - What's your thoughts on that? I've read somewhere Nissan takes 200 miles to reset? I'll have to see if codes come on after 200 - Let's see!
Hey Wiz! I've driven about close to 200 miles now. No engine codes yet, Acceleration is up and ready to push me against the seat. However, the idling RPM is a bit shuffling at times. Cold start does kick up to 2000 RPM for a bit until it calms down to 1000 RPM - But then, keeps shuffling a little between 950 - 1000 rpm and drops a little when the AC motor kicks in and out. Is that Normal? I've read a lot about it - Everyone's like clean out your MAF sensor that should fix it, I haven't cleaned it up yet - Waiting for the day the guy wants the car back to fix all the issues together (He postponed to next Monday now) So let's see how that goes.
Overall, still going strong with the acceleration and no codes back - What's your thoughts on that? I've read somewhere Nissan takes 200 miles to reset? I'll have to see if codes come on after 200 - Let's see!
Hey OP, just skimmed the thread and hopefully 2 months later you've resolved your issues, but if not, 2 things:
1) Not sure if anyone mentioned this, but usually after disconnecting your battery, the MPG will fluctuate for some time until the car "learns" your driving pattern and settles on a baseline MPG. This could be why you saw it improve with more gas efficient drives and then later it stopped changing.
2) There is actually a service bulletin for that specific MAF code, P0101. It is an issue that needs a procedure that will have to be done by Nissan service. I had the same code with similar symptoms, and after cleaning the MAF and replacing it with it still coming back clear after clear, I went to the dealer and they fixed it. That was 2 years ago now I believe, and it never came back. Hope this is helpful!
Scammed? Need some Suggestions/Insight!
to the Org. What you're dealing with is a snake. He intentionally reset the codes so it would drive well and pass inspection, knowing full well that the check engine would come back on. He sounds like a real smooth talker. 
