HELP, DEAD MAXIMA, I'm STUMPED! Please HELP ASAP!
HELP, DEAD MAXIMA, I'm STUMPED! Please HELP ASAP!
Ok, so, The other day, (friday) I do an interior swap... switch ENTIRE interior, dash, carpet, seats ALL of it
SO right before i swapped the interior, the gauges went dead, I was driving with no interior really, and the gauges were loose, and all of a sudden as i was watching them the gauges went dead, all the lighting still worked, but the needles did not work. THe tach, temp, speedo, and gas gauge did not work at all. The cel, airbag, seat belt, ebrake lights did not work, but the blinker, and high beam buttons worked. WTF?
SO then i swap the interior figuring i can fix that later, its probably just a fuse i blew being an @sshat. When i drive my car to work on saturday the car ran fine really, except when i would floor it, the car would feel JUST like an auto, a second of hesitation and then the motor would SCREAM... Im like why is it doing THAT? (im 5spd
: )
I figured i could worry about that after work, Id check the ecu after i fixed the gauge cluster. I work 6 hours, go out to my car, start it up (it starts fine) and then i begin to drive after lettting the car warm up 5 minutes or so... After i start driving i notice the car has NO power and that it wont rev above (i am guestimating the F'King cluster isnt working!) 3k or so, and that when i get there, the car just WONT let the engine go any higher, and it bucks at random times and is just runnign like $HIT. At idle the car is rough and has an almost CAMMED sound, it sounds burbly and rough. I pull over to check things out, and turn the car off, when i try to start it again, it trys weakly to start, then makes a rapid clicking/almost fast purring clacking noise, and just wont start. My friend shows up, jumps it, it starts, and while we are at the battery hookin up gator clamps, i notice the negative batt terminal is REALLLY loose..so i figure the car asks for more power when i try to rev it, and maybe the batt terminal is shaking and causing the skipping and hesitation and lack of power. I go home really slowly, and try to tighten the batt terminal, and then it BREAKS, YAY!
Fast forward to this morning, i go to get a new batt terminal to see if thats the problem. the car wont start when new terminal is installed. Get a jump from my mom... the car starts... then it starts doing the same STUFF! I go under the engine bay, and rev the car up using the throttle cable and it REFUSES to rev again, it actually like the car revs DOWN when im trying to rev it up, and the car almost stalls until I let off the gas, and then theres a loud pop, as the car BACKFIRES, i think. Im so lost at this point.
I try to back the car up JUST a tad so my dad can snake his way out in the morning. The car stalls as soon as its in gear and I try to move it. upon trying to restart the car, there is NOTHIGN, the car is dead no power at all. At this point I'm late for work and so i get a ride to work. I come home from work 6 hours later and try to start the car again, Its got power now, but there is just a weak attempt to turn over until it just does the fast repeated clicking again.
Based on the cars symtoms i believe it to be one of the three.
1)Blown ECU
2)Blown MAF sensor
3)Plugged Cat?
all this combined with a dead battery.
Here is what I am doing so far. The battery is in the garage on a battery charger for the night. In the morning I plan on swapping MAF sensors with my aunt who lives across the street, (are the MAF sensors the same as a 97 in a 99?) and if the car runs after that i assume its the maf, if not the only thing i can think of is taking the car to a mechanic or worse, my local nissan dealer. I can usually fix things if I know whats wrong but I dont here and its KILLING me.
If any one has ANY insight whatsoever please help me, I beg of you
SO right before i swapped the interior, the gauges went dead, I was driving with no interior really, and the gauges were loose, and all of a sudden as i was watching them the gauges went dead, all the lighting still worked, but the needles did not work. THe tach, temp, speedo, and gas gauge did not work at all. The cel, airbag, seat belt, ebrake lights did not work, but the blinker, and high beam buttons worked. WTF?
SO then i swap the interior figuring i can fix that later, its probably just a fuse i blew being an @sshat. When i drive my car to work on saturday the car ran fine really, except when i would floor it, the car would feel JUST like an auto, a second of hesitation and then the motor would SCREAM... Im like why is it doing THAT? (im 5spd
: ) I figured i could worry about that after work, Id check the ecu after i fixed the gauge cluster. I work 6 hours, go out to my car, start it up (it starts fine) and then i begin to drive after lettting the car warm up 5 minutes or so... After i start driving i notice the car has NO power and that it wont rev above (i am guestimating the F'King cluster isnt working!) 3k or so, and that when i get there, the car just WONT let the engine go any higher, and it bucks at random times and is just runnign like $HIT. At idle the car is rough and has an almost CAMMED sound, it sounds burbly and rough. I pull over to check things out, and turn the car off, when i try to start it again, it trys weakly to start, then makes a rapid clicking/almost fast purring clacking noise, and just wont start. My friend shows up, jumps it, it starts, and while we are at the battery hookin up gator clamps, i notice the negative batt terminal is REALLLY loose..so i figure the car asks for more power when i try to rev it, and maybe the batt terminal is shaking and causing the skipping and hesitation and lack of power. I go home really slowly, and try to tighten the batt terminal, and then it BREAKS, YAY!
Fast forward to this morning, i go to get a new batt terminal to see if thats the problem. the car wont start when new terminal is installed. Get a jump from my mom... the car starts... then it starts doing the same STUFF! I go under the engine bay, and rev the car up using the throttle cable and it REFUSES to rev again, it actually like the car revs DOWN when im trying to rev it up, and the car almost stalls until I let off the gas, and then theres a loud pop, as the car BACKFIRES, i think. Im so lost at this point.
I try to back the car up JUST a tad so my dad can snake his way out in the morning. The car stalls as soon as its in gear and I try to move it. upon trying to restart the car, there is NOTHIGN, the car is dead no power at all. At this point I'm late for work and so i get a ride to work. I come home from work 6 hours later and try to start the car again, Its got power now, but there is just a weak attempt to turn over until it just does the fast repeated clicking again.
Based on the cars symtoms i believe it to be one of the three.
1)Blown ECU
2)Blown MAF sensor
3)Plugged Cat?
all this combined with a dead battery.
Here is what I am doing so far. The battery is in the garage on a battery charger for the night. In the morning I plan on swapping MAF sensors with my aunt who lives across the street, (are the MAF sensors the same as a 97 in a 99?) and if the car runs after that i assume its the maf, if not the only thing i can think of is taking the car to a mechanic or worse, my local nissan dealer. I can usually fix things if I know whats wrong but I dont here and its KILLING me.
If any one has ANY insight whatsoever please help me, I beg of you
sounds like Rafal's car....His gauges werent working as well, and then, kaboom, no power, car wouldnt start, etc...It was an electrical issue as well, so I would talk to him to see what was wrong with his car.
didi see ur post!!!!, o yeah good luck Kyle, i want to see pics of your interior!
Sound like all of that is ECU relayed. A few months ago a similar thing happened to me, car was running while I was checking the rpm for my mevi and short the ecu, condensor and somehow my fuse connection to my fuel pump went bad. The rough idle and revs can be due to ur MAF but from what I have read u never touched anything relayed to ur MAF, the only way it would effect ur idle and revs would be ur ecu so I think u may have short ur ecu by loose connections in ur gauges? maybe? Also we try to roll start the car by towing my car which start the car but when I put the clutch in, it dies. Check ur ecu thats the best bet.
ok guys... PROBLEM SOLVED...
Well this morning I was all set to go over, get my aunts MAF sensor, and see what was up, but i figured i would pull all my fuses first and see what the hell was up. well, i got to a fuse labeled, METER pulled it, and this thing was SO BLOWN, it was unbelieveable... I replaced with my "heated seat" fuse "i dont HAVE heated seats, then i put the battery back in the car, and turned the key to on. all the dash lights but the cel lit up, YAYYY, gauge clusters working again!
So then i start the car and notice the tach is working again too! B-E-A UTIFUL... so then i let the car warm up and take it for a drive, I can rev up as high as i want again, the car sounds and drives fine and everything! So then I stop dead on the road, mat the gas and wheelspin galore, then into second, third and the car is running GREAT!
I seriously cant believe that one 10amp gauge fuse caused ALL that malfunctioning. Im thinking that the gauge cluster is somehow tied into the ecu and that when fixed, the ecu was reading properly and now the car works fine... Im so relieved, I can imagine the @ss-raping i would have recieved had I taken the car to Nissan, Im GLAD I didnt~!!!
However now the Airbag light is blinking, so I must reset that, and then I have to get my CEL to work, Maybe it has a blown bulb or something. BUT AT LEAST THE CAR RUNS!
Cheers- KYLE
Well this morning I was all set to go over, get my aunts MAF sensor, and see what was up, but i figured i would pull all my fuses first and see what the hell was up. well, i got to a fuse labeled, METER pulled it, and this thing was SO BLOWN, it was unbelieveable... I replaced with my "heated seat" fuse "i dont HAVE heated seats, then i put the battery back in the car, and turned the key to on. all the dash lights but the cel lit up, YAYYY, gauge clusters working again!
So then i start the car and notice the tach is working again too! B-E-A UTIFUL... so then i let the car warm up and take it for a drive, I can rev up as high as i want again, the car sounds and drives fine and everything! So then I stop dead on the road, mat the gas and wheelspin galore, then into second, third and the car is running GREAT!
I seriously cant believe that one 10amp gauge fuse caused ALL that malfunctioning. Im thinking that the gauge cluster is somehow tied into the ecu and that when fixed, the ecu was reading properly and now the car works fine... Im so relieved, I can imagine the @ss-raping i would have recieved had I taken the car to Nissan, Im GLAD I didnt~!!!
However now the Airbag light is blinking, so I must reset that, and then I have to get my CEL to work, Maybe it has a blown bulb or something. BUT AT LEAST THE CAR RUNS!
Cheers- KYLE
Im so glad it got fixed. Now i just have to get my CEL working again, and reset the airbag light
Most Perverted Member of the SE-L Club
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 1,506
Originally Posted by s0ber
"We cant find the problem, were just going to replace your computer and wiring harness and go from there... That will be about $2500 please."
oh you mean like how my local dealer wanted to charge me $900 for what ultimately wound up being a .15 fuse?
Ok, so, The other day, (friday) I do an interior swap... switch ENTIRE interior, dash, carpet, seats ALL of it
SO right before i swapped the interior, the gauges went dead, I was driving with no interior really, and the gauges were loose, and all of a sudden as i was watching them the gauges went dead, all the lighting still worked, but the needles did not work. THe tach, temp, speedo, and gas gauge did not work at all. The cel, airbag, seat belt, ebrake lights did not work, but the blinker, and high beam buttons worked. WTF?
SO then i swap the interior figuring i can fix that later, its probably just a fuse i blew being an @sshat. When i drive my car to work on saturday the car ran fine really, except when i would floor it, the car would feel JUST like an auto, a second of hesitation and then the motor would SCREAM... Im like why is it doing THAT? (im 5spd: )
I figured i could worry about that after work, Id check the ecu after i fixed the gauge cluster. I work 6 hours, go out to my car, start it up (it starts fine) and then i begin to drive after lettting the car warm up 5 minutes or so... After i start driving i notice the car has NO power and that it wont rev above (i am guestimating the F'King cluster isnt working!) 3k or so, and that when i get there, the car just WONT let the engine go any higher, and it bucks at random times and is just runnign like $HIT. At idle the car is rough and has an almost CAMMED sound, it sounds burbly and rough. I pull over to check things out, and turn the car off, when i try to start it again, it trys weakly to start, then makes a rapid clicking/almost fast purring clacking noise, and just wont start. My friend shows up, jumps it, it starts, and while we are at the battery hookin up gator clamps, i notice the negative batt terminal is REALLLY loose..so i figure the car asks for more power when i try to rev it, and maybe the batt terminal is shaking and causing the skipping and hesitation and lack of power. I go home really slowly, and try to tighten the batt terminal, and then it BREAKS, YAY!
Fast forward to this morning, i go to get a new batt terminal to see if thats the problem. the car wont start when new terminal is installed. Get a jump from my mom... the car starts... then it starts doing the same STUFF! I go under the engine bay, and rev the car up using the throttle cable and it REFUSES to rev again, it actually like the car revs DOWN when im trying to rev it up, and the car almost stalls until I let off the gas, and then theres a loud pop, as the car BACKFIRES, i think. Im so lost at this point.
I try to back the car up JUST a tad so my dad can snake his way out in the morning. The car stalls as soon as its in gear and I try to move it. upon trying to restart the car, there is NOTHIGN, the car is dead no power at all. At this point I'm late for work and so i get a ride to work. I come home from work 6 hours later and try to start the car again, Its got power now, but there is just a weak attempt to turn over until it just does the fast repeated clicking again.
Based on the cars symtoms i believe it to be one of the three.
1)Blown ECU
2)Blown MAF sensor
3)Plugged Cat?
all this combined with a dead battery.
Here is what I am doing so far. The battery is in the garage on a battery charger for the night. In the morning I plan on swapping MAF sensors with my aunt who lives across the street, (are the MAF sensors the same as a 97 in a 99?) and if the car runs after that i assume its the maf, if not the only thing i can think of is taking the car to a mechanic or worse, my local nissan dealer. I can usually fix things if I know whats wrong but I dont here and its KILLING me.
If any one has ANY insight whatsoever please help me, I beg of you
SO right before i swapped the interior, the gauges went dead, I was driving with no interior really, and the gauges were loose, and all of a sudden as i was watching them the gauges went dead, all the lighting still worked, but the needles did not work. THe tach, temp, speedo, and gas gauge did not work at all. The cel, airbag, seat belt, ebrake lights did not work, but the blinker, and high beam buttons worked. WTF?
SO then i swap the interior figuring i can fix that later, its probably just a fuse i blew being an @sshat. When i drive my car to work on saturday the car ran fine really, except when i would floor it, the car would feel JUST like an auto, a second of hesitation and then the motor would SCREAM... Im like why is it doing THAT? (im 5spd
: ) I figured i could worry about that after work, Id check the ecu after i fixed the gauge cluster. I work 6 hours, go out to my car, start it up (it starts fine) and then i begin to drive after lettting the car warm up 5 minutes or so... After i start driving i notice the car has NO power and that it wont rev above (i am guestimating the F'King cluster isnt working!) 3k or so, and that when i get there, the car just WONT let the engine go any higher, and it bucks at random times and is just runnign like $HIT. At idle the car is rough and has an almost CAMMED sound, it sounds burbly and rough. I pull over to check things out, and turn the car off, when i try to start it again, it trys weakly to start, then makes a rapid clicking/almost fast purring clacking noise, and just wont start. My friend shows up, jumps it, it starts, and while we are at the battery hookin up gator clamps, i notice the negative batt terminal is REALLLY loose..so i figure the car asks for more power when i try to rev it, and maybe the batt terminal is shaking and causing the skipping and hesitation and lack of power. I go home really slowly, and try to tighten the batt terminal, and then it BREAKS, YAY!
Fast forward to this morning, i go to get a new batt terminal to see if thats the problem. the car wont start when new terminal is installed. Get a jump from my mom... the car starts... then it starts doing the same STUFF! I go under the engine bay, and rev the car up using the throttle cable and it REFUSES to rev again, it actually like the car revs DOWN when im trying to rev it up, and the car almost stalls until I let off the gas, and then theres a loud pop, as the car BACKFIRES, i think. Im so lost at this point.
I try to back the car up JUST a tad so my dad can snake his way out in the morning. The car stalls as soon as its in gear and I try to move it. upon trying to restart the car, there is NOTHIGN, the car is dead no power at all. At this point I'm late for work and so i get a ride to work. I come home from work 6 hours later and try to start the car again, Its got power now, but there is just a weak attempt to turn over until it just does the fast repeated clicking again.
Based on the cars symtoms i believe it to be one of the three.
1)Blown ECU
2)Blown MAF sensor
3)Plugged Cat?
all this combined with a dead battery.
Here is what I am doing so far. The battery is in the garage on a battery charger for the night. In the morning I plan on swapping MAF sensors with my aunt who lives across the street, (are the MAF sensors the same as a 97 in a 99?) and if the car runs after that i assume its the maf, if not the only thing i can think of is taking the car to a mechanic or worse, my local nissan dealer. I can usually fix things if I know whats wrong but I dont here and its KILLING me.
If any one has ANY insight whatsoever please help me, I beg of you
ok guys... PROBLEM SOLVED...
Well this morning I was all set to go over, get my aunts MAF sensor, and see what was up, but i figured i would pull all my fuses first and see what the hell was up. well, i got to a fuse labeled, METER pulled it, and this thing was SO BLOWN, it was unbelieveable... I replaced with my "heated seat" fuse "i dont HAVE heated seats, then i put the battery back in the car, and turned the key to on. all the dash lights but the cel lit up, YAYYY, gauge clusters working again!
So then i start the car and notice the tach is working again too! B-E-A UTIFUL... so then i let the car warm up and take it for a drive, I can rev up as high as i want again, the car sounds and drives fine and everything! So then I stop dead on the road, mat the gas and wheelspin galore, then into second, third and the car is running GREAT!
I seriously cant believe that one 10amp gauge fuse caused ALL that malfunctioning. Im thinking that the gauge cluster is somehow tied into the ecu and that when fixed, the ecu was reading properly and now the car works fine... Im so relieved, I can imagine the @ss-raping i would have recieved had I taken the car to Nissan, Im GLAD I didnt~!!!
However now the Airbag light is blinking, so I must reset that, and then I have to get my CEL to work, Maybe it has a blown bulb or something. BUT AT LEAST THE CAR RUNS
Well this morning I was all set to go over, get my aunts MAF sensor, and see what was up, but i figured i would pull all my fuses first and see what the hell was up. well, i got to a fuse labeled, METER pulled it, and this thing was SO BLOWN, it was unbelieveable... I replaced with my "heated seat" fuse "i dont HAVE heated seats, then i put the battery back in the car, and turned the key to on. all the dash lights but the cel lit up, YAYYY, gauge clusters working again!
So then i start the car and notice the tach is working again too! B-E-A UTIFUL... so then i let the car warm up and take it for a drive, I can rev up as high as i want again, the car sounds and drives fine and everything! So then I stop dead on the road, mat the gas and wheelspin galore, then into second, third and the car is running GREAT!
I seriously cant believe that one 10amp gauge fuse caused ALL that malfunctioning. Im thinking that the gauge cluster is somehow tied into the ecu and that when fixed, the ecu was reading properly and now the car works fine... Im so relieved, I can imagine the @ss-raping i would have recieved had I taken the car to Nissan, Im GLAD I didnt~!!!
However now the Airbag light is blinking, so I must reset that, and then I have to get my CEL to work, Maybe it has a blown bulb or something. BUT AT LEAST THE CAR RUNS
My battery was 5.5 years old so I'll just keep the new one in there. Funny how that fuse makes the car all goofy.
Great resource this thread was otherwise I would be stumped for days trying to source the issue.
Newbie - Just Registered
Joined: Apr 2025
Posts: 13
I realize this thread is forever old but I experienced the same symptoms this morning on my way to work in my 96. No Speedo, tach, temp or gas gauges. Car initially started fine but 15 miles down the road my radio and clock started going haywire and then the car started jerking and finally shut off. Luckily I was able to get to the shoulder on the highway. My thoughts were around the battery given that the electronics were acting up and the car just randomly shut off. Had someone run me to the parts store and put a new battery in it. It started fine and I was able to get it back home but I was getting the same hesitation and the gauges were still out. Upon searching and finding this thread I went out to the garage and low and behold the 'Meter' fuse was toast. Replaced it and she runs like normal!
My battery was 5.5 years old so I'll just keep the new one in there. Funny how that fuse makes the car all goofy.
Great resource this thread was otherwise I would be stumped for days trying to source the issue.
My battery was 5.5 years old so I'll just keep the new one in there. Funny how that fuse makes the car all goofy.
Great resource this thread was otherwise I would be stumped for days trying to source the issue.
Is there anything else I need to check?
Sorry to revive this thread from the grave but I’m experiencing the exact same problems, exact same symptoms, I also got the problem because of driving without gauges… But my “METER” fuse is completely fine. I checked all the others and they’re fine too. Wtf?
Is there anything else I need to check?
Is there anything else I need to check?
Have you checked the health of your alternator and battery?
Newbie - Just Registered
Joined: Apr 2025
Posts: 13
Gauges aren’t in yet, I’m getting the speedometer repaired at a shop but it will take a little while longer. Until then I’m just mildly driving around, but the battery isn’t getting charge while I drive. Battery health is good it’s only a year old and was perfectly fine before I took out the cluster. The alternator is brand spanking new and was also working before I took out the cluster. I was hoping it was just that METER fuse but it’s perfectly intact.
Gauges aren’t in yet, I’m getting the speedometer repaired at a shop but it will take a little while longer. Until then I’m just mildly driving around, but the battery isn’t getting charge while I drive. Battery health is good it’s only a year old and was perfectly fine before I took out the cluster. The alternator is brand spanking new and was also working before I took out the cluster. I was hoping it was just that METER fuse but it’s perfectly intact.
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4th Generation Maxima (1995-1999)
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Aug 5, 2015 06:18 AM