I've been noticing that the 5th gen Maxima's are prone to quite a few annoyances. Over the weekend I did the JB weld fix on the VIAS system which was pretty much shot and rendered almost useless. I've been dealing with this cold start issue where the engine makes this grinding noise, almost like the starter is sticking and today I noticed that it has a very irregular powerband. Let me try to explain this the best that I can...in a 2nd gear roll on to redline starting at 2500rpm the car pulls awesome and feels very strong up until about 3500rpm, immediately after 3500rpm it's like the power falls flat all the way to redline. The car will push you back in the seat in the lower rpm's but anything after 3500 it feels almost like a rotary engine with a low amount of torque but it will still pull and get up to speed. Can anyone elaborate on this for me? Is this simply the way the motor was designed, am I not noticing anything out of the ordinary with this power drop? All the other cars I've had in the past would advance in power as the rpm's climbed but this car behaves the exact opposite. If this is not how the car was designed then I'm leading to believe the ignition coils might be to blame for this since they are also notorious for going bad with these cars. By the way it's a 2000 SE, 5 speed with 75k miles. I'd appreciate it greatly if someone could shed some light on this for me.

 

no power after 2500 - maf, no power after 3500 - coils

 

So I'm assuming the coils could be bad without the engine throwing a code as in my case where there are no codes but the lack of power could point to bad coils?

 

If its just starting, a bad coil more than likely wont throw a code.

Does the engine rev roughly or seemed strained? Does it make a slight metallic ticking sound? Chances are it is your coil.

 

I don't notice it so much under WOT but with half or three quarters throttle you can definately notice the power loss. Yes it does seem strained but no metallic clicking sounds

 

could be the MAF, I have/had this problem, I'm hoping it's gone now just changed the MAF today. My car also cut off when stopping.

 

MAF....i had same problem, after 3500 part-throtle power loss. not so convinced is coils

 

MAF could also be the culprit. When I had my 2K, my power loss was caused to the Coils though, so it could be a one or the other, or a combination of both.

 

Bad MAF causes fuel cut above 2500 RPM - and thats straight out of the Nissan FSM

 

A bad MAF will also not throw any codes?

 

i am having same problem

except i noticed that when i just about red line first and shift into second and 2nd gear starts at about 3500 rpms or so i dont notice it...same thing with 3rd..if i really wanna go i have to go on the start otherwise i get that power loss feeling. But anytime i shift into the gear either upshift or downshift and it is above or close to that 3500 rpms i dont really notice it

 

A grind at start like it is sticking is gonna be the starter. Mine has been doing that for over a year. It used to fire right up with a quick turn of the key, not now

 

well with my boys 2k 5 speed u feel the power loss at 3500 in any gear once u give more than half throttle . its completely obvious when u floor it, even to passangers in the car. his vi is broken so there no pullin power at all over 5000 rpms. in another week or so we goin to fix that car so if u find out your problem let me know

 

Driving it today it seems as if the car starts to misfire right around 3500-3800rpm and then clears up but still doesn't pull as hard as it does before 3500 rpm. I just fixed the VI so I doubt it has anything to do with that, there are no codes being thrown so that's leading me to believe that it isn't anything serious "yet". Maybe that's just a characteristic of the car? Well if you guys find anything else out on this matter please post it up and I'll do the same.

 

Its not, there is no noticable dip in the TQ curve to warrant a noticable powerloss between those RPM's so there is something that needs to be replaced.

 

I notice this with any amount of acceleration but WOT. Since dyno runs are done under WOT I doubt this powerloss would show up.

 

anyone wanna put some money on the coils?

 

well my boys car started havin the power loss for a month now and had the broken vi for like 5 months now so there is somethin serious wrong. and unlike this car u feel it at wot

 

You asked a question on whats wrong with your car, now some people give you advice on what it is. now your saying that maybe its a characterist and just plain ignoring the problem Which is it? There is something wrong with your car. Maybe you can join Starlix in think that its your secondary muffler valve thats causing your powerloss.

**EDIT** I just reread that, didn't mean for it to come off as sounding harsh, just asking questions.

 

I'm just trying to keep an open mind here and not jump to conclusions. Replacing parts that "might" not be broken on my car is not something that would be very beneficial to me in terms of making the problem go away if there is a problem and it's not like I have money burning a hole in my pocket to replace questionable parts. You stated that "there is no noticable dip in the TQ curve to warrant a noticable powerloss between those RPM's so there is something that needs to be replaced." My last post was simply clarifying that it is felt under any amount of acceleration but WOT which would mean that the powerloss more than likely would not show up on a dyno and could possibly contradict your theory on how there is no noticable powerloss between those RPM's since the dyno runs are done under WOT. As of yet I'm not sure if it is a characteristic or a problem and I never "just plain ignored the problem", I'd like to keep my options open and not assume for the reasons stated above. And I'm taking an educated guess that you're trying to insult me by comparing me to "Starlix" who's thought on something that was wrong with his car didn't flow with you?

 

Thats great and everything, but alot of the members who replied to this post pretty much nailed it on possible things you could check to cure your powerloss you are feeling. What are you keeping your options open for exactly Sometimes a faulty MAF or coilpack doesn't throw a code. A knock sensor sometimes is a ghost code and wont' light up a CEL light. Spark plugs don't light up a CEL light, nor does a stuck VI. What signs are you waiting for? O2 sensors, clogged cat all can be scanned with Consult II, those will also effect performance You know the powerloss is there, and your suspecting it enough to post a topic to get answers but you turn around and say that it might be a characteristic of the car Its not, and do you know how I know or how I can suggest some things? Because it's all happened to me during my ownership of a 2k GLE so I think I should have a feel of what needs to be repaired to restore it back to tip-top shape. The powerloss isn't clear-cut, there are many factors and its all a headache.

 

I had the exact same problem as many have. I would go with the MAF. Power loss at 3.5K & no ses light. However as mine went the car would stall every time it was at idle after 10 seconds.

 

If I would have seen your edit before I posted, I wouldn't have been so harsh. Just being naturally defensive...There are just too many things that were suggested that "could" be at fault, if I were to fix/replace everything listed to try and rectify the "problem" and it not solve anything I'd be out of a huge chunk of change and a lot of time for nothing. I'd like to wait for the car to throw a code or point to a more promising cause of my problem "if there is a problem" even if it takes a few miles or months so that I don't waste my money and time replacing perfectly fine parts and not curing the "problem". I'm not the person to follow a trial and error type deal. And I wasn't "saying" that it might be a characteristic of the car, I was asking "Maybe that's just a characteristic of the car?" Notice the question mark at the end? That was also a unofficial question by the way. There's a big difference in saying and asking. Now that's "saying".

 

If you wait that long, it might effect your drivability to a point where you car might have to be towed.

 

I had the same symptoms on my 2000 SE. Dealership replaced the MAF under the extended warranty and the problems are gone. The car now pulls strong all the way up to the rev limiter. Service department told me that the car was running in a severe lean condition.

I had the coils replaced several thousand mile before. The symptoms were not the same, for me anyhow.

{edit} BTW, there was no code or CEL with the bad MAF

 

I replaced the MAFS and let the ECU reset overnight. I took it out for a drive this morning to work and let it run over 3500rpm...the problem is gone! The power is great throughout the entire powerband. My appreciation goes out to everyone that posted in this thread that were so very helpful and I apologize to those that I doubted. Thanks again guys.

 

Anyone care to comment on what a new MAF costs? Best place to purchase?

I've got a 2000 SE with 73,000 miles on it that has the EXACT same symptoms that Jchan describes....

How tough are these to replace?

 

Call DaveB http://forums.maxima.org/showthread....38#post1921238

 

this power issue after 3500 RPM needs become a sticky if its not already.....its clearly a MAF issue in the maximas and many people are always jumping to conclusion about other things like coils, filters, etc, etc

 

With my dealer discout I got the MAF for about $83, retail cost was $105. The whole procedure from start to finish took a little over half an hour with me taking my time. The hardest part was actually seperating the MAF that was still connected to the airbox from the the rubber boot. It takes a little bit of elbow grease. Without doing this first have fun trying to loosen the bottom bolt on the airbox that holds the MAF on.

 

It shouldn't be a sticky because a 3,500+ powerloss isn't just related to MAF failures. Coils can be the culprit also as someone stated that the FSM says.

 

Check your oil level and maybe switch to a 5W-30

 

yes but at $83 per MAF vs. almost $300 for coils...hmmm..looks like an easy troublshoting decision....I have seen plenly folk in here replace coil with zero improvement just to figure out a simple MAF swap would have taken care the problem.