I have a 95 Max that kind of hitches (feels like it's losing power then normal again in pulses) when pulling away from a stop. It's less noticeable but still there under heavy acceleration and just barely noticeable under light acceleration. It's very annoying. I took it to a mechanic who thought that it was the CV-joint on the driver's side so I had him replace it but that didn't fix it. Anyone have any ideas what could be causing something like this?

 

Read your ECU codes first.

 

The ECU gives me a 0505 which is supposed to mean that all is good. It did go off for my knock sensor and engine coolant temperature sensor but I recently (about 2 days ago) replaced both of those. Neither caused the problem to go away.

 

The next thing I would do is to take out the multi-meter and check the MAF.

 

Not to sound stupid but what am I testing for with the multimeter? What should the readings be?

 

omfg this is the same problem im having and my mechanics, and Nissan cant seem to find the problem

 

Sounds like bad coilpacks. I think they would normally throw a code though.

 

Yep I got that problem, replaced my KS and MAF...seems like the problem is still there. Starting to **** me off now.

 

yea wtf is up with this, my mechanic jsut aclled back and said him and the nissan guy are frustrated and cant find anything wrong at all everything is perfect except a minor small oil leak. their bringing it to the nissan dealer tommorrow and letting me know around 5pm if they found anything so if they get it right ill let u all know

 

it is the coil packs. save some money and install them your self. very easy to do.

when you say hitching i assume its hesitating. (lurching back and forth)?

 

I have the same problem and my ECU is giving me 0505 too...took it to nissan dealer and they said that the MAF was done....after changing it, the problem is still there...the ECU is not throwing any code and the computer at the deal can't find anything else....is there an other way to find wich coilpack is gone??...the problem is only when the engine is warm...when it's cold, it pulls like hell..please help!

 

damn, I didn't realize this was such a common problem. What are coilpacks and how much do they cost to replace?

 

Coilpacks are the things that put electricity into the spark plugs. I think they cost around $300 for all six new. Check the for sale forum...you should be able to get a used set for alot less. 1999's almost always have their coilpacks go bad.

 

That sux what year is your maxima and what type is it?

 

i have the same problem. its extremely evident at around 2.5k rpms, but that could be the dip i nthe power band. is there any way to check the coilpacks to see if they are actually bad?

 

According to the Haynes repair manual you can check them with a multimeter. The type of stalls that I am feeling are definitely not just a dip in the powerband (that would make the car feel almost lethargic for a few seconds). It feels a lot like one cylinder is either firing late or barely at all.

 

did you check yours?

ive been seriously wondering about why my car accelerates so unevenly. I didnt realise it was a common problem

 

Yeah, I just checked them today and sure enough the number 2 one is bad. Anyone know what Nissan charges for one of these? They're insanely easy to take out and reinstall.

 

I took them off a couple of times just to see whick spark plugs wasn't the same color as the others and it appears that every one of them is the same colour.??!! I think that I must check each of them (the coilpacks) with a multimeter or something else to know wich one is bad...even the dealer with his computer is not able to see what's wrong with it...it really pisses me off....can't imagine that I just bought a car with that problem....WTF is going on!!!!

 

Actually, I just started noticing an uneven powerband on my car. Around 2k-2.5k rpms under slight throttle will feel like a minor loss of power and then go back to normal. Weird