my max is a 99 that's just out of warranty or I'd take to the dealer.

The car "hesitates" when you go from one gear to the next.
It feels just like when you hit the rev limiter or governor.

I thought it was fuel pump going bad, but dealer told me low fuel pressure would throw codes. I've got zero check engine lights so far.

I thought bad gas, either water or debris, but three tanks later, it still doing it.
I also ran a can of B&G injector /carbon cleaner stuff with one tank.

I'm about to change the fuel filter and plugs just for fun. Hopefully its just a fouled plug. But I thought a miss would throw codes?

Daniel B, any suggestions?

Anyone else ever had to change a coil pack?
How do you find out which cylinder it is?

thanx for any help.
Ming

 

had thhe same problem for about a month. My car idled like crap and had hardl any acceleration. It lost almost all power off the line. After changing the plugs three times and checking every other sensor in the car it turned out to be one bad COIL. It was $70 from Nissan and it fixed my ride. Try out one coil and move it around till the car runs or idles differently. Good luck!

 

This seems to link the problem to the transmission. An engine problem such as fuel starvation or a bad ignition coil would manifest itself at any time, or at all times, not just "when you go from one gear to the next".

I respectfully disagree with the dealer's information. Steve Cutchen's excellent MaxFAQ page http://web2.airmail.net/scutchen/max_faq/ includes instructions for reading Diagnostic Trouble Codes, and links to scanned images of the factory service manual DTC Index. The links are
http://web2.airmail.net/scutchen/max_faq/engcodes1.gif and
http://web2.airmail.net/scutchen/max_faq/engcodes2.gif
You may look at those DTC pages and see there are no codes relating to low fuel pressure.

I fear you are barking up the wrong tree. Bad gas would produce symptoms as you drive along, regardless of whether the transmission is shifting. These symptoms "smell" like a transmission problem, not an engine problem.

Yes, a misfire will store a DTC. Those codes are:
Cylinder #1 misfire 0608
Cylinder #2 misfire 0607
Cylinder #3 misfire 0606
Cylinder #4 misfire 0605
Cylinder #5 misfire 0604
Cylinder #6 misfire 0603

The DTCs listed above should point at the culprit. Measuring the individual coil resistance might also be useful. The factory service manual gives an interesting specification for the resistance of a good ignition coil. It is this: "not zero ohms".

The factory service manual has an automatic transmission Trouble Diagnosis table. Among the symptoms listed are
"Vehicle braked by gear change from D1 to D2",
"Vehicle braked by gear change from D2 to D3", and
"Vehicle braked by gear change from D3 to D4".
The only suggested test which can be done without removing the transmission is to check the fluid level.

If this were my car, I would change the ATF in the hope that fresh detergent-laden fluid will clean some part of the control mechanism which is sticking. Beyond that, I think you have to rely on the expertise of a transmission specialist.

Something in the back of my mind says that a problem with the Throttle Position Sensor can result in shifting anomalies. You might check your TPS.

 

Thanks for all the info.
Good place to start is testing the coil resistance.
I'll let you know what happens.

Ming

 

Your Maxima is a 5-speed? I made a wrong assumption. That makes this mystery even deeper. Even so, I suggest you check the TPS.

Note the experience of ny96maxse. He had a bad coil, and his symptom was was a bad idle and poor acceleration. That's not the same as your symptom, is it?

 

Don't forget to check the fuel injectors!! I had one go out and it did the same thing