Searched the 'Search' extensively and couldn't find what I'm looking for. So, I have a 97 SE, auto, 125K mi. CEL been on for about 2mos. Been running well. Okay, so 3 weeks ago I replaced the alternator. I was good for a week. Starter crapped out a week later - I replaced it lastnight. Now the car accelerates VERY slowly and WILL NOT rev beyond 2400rpm or go faster than 68mph (takes 5min to get it there). To accelerate, I have to feather the throttle. Flooring it does nothing. It just kinda chugs and doesn't want to go. Feathering the pedal helps. All connectors are connected and so are all the hoses and tubing. I cleaned the MAF w/ MAF cleaner but it did not cure the problem. I'm at a loss. I could throw $500+ at the thing guessing what it may or may not be. TPS? Injectors? Fuel filter or pump? KS? Coils? Plugs? I don't know where to go from here. PLEASE HELP!!!!!!!

 

sounds like it could be the TPS...but you can test the injectors, do a compression test, test the ks, check the plugs and coil packs etc

just noticed youre from minnesota as well..where abouts?

 

sounds like your maf crapped out. Make sure your maf is connected. If you're still unsure, see if a fellow maxima owner will let you borrow his maf real quick

 

My vote is that your MAF is shot.

Why not get the codes though? Your CEL is on for a reason..

 

kinda why im thinking the tps....the maf can do some funky things with the VQ and doesnt always throw codes however

 

my bet is that he forgot to plug the maf back in after he replaced the starter. -= 0

 

wow i guess after reading more...you have a CEL...whats the code......

 

Ofcourse I plugged it back in. It's right there. Be an idiot to miss it. Besides, as stated in my original post, "all connectors are connected." I've checked, rechecked and checked again all connectors, hoses and tubing. It's all good. I did forget to mention however, after removing the airbox piping w/ the MAF, etc. to get access to the starter, it sat in my cold garage overnight. I don't know if that would've affected the MAF in any way.

 

I've owned several Nissan products and IMO they should manufacture and sell them with the CEL's on! It's guarenteed to illuminate no matter what. In my experience, it's 100% of the time been a bad O2 sensor. So I forget about it until I sell the vehicle. In MN we don't have inspections so a CEL is not a big deal to me. If the behavior of the car changes when the light comes on, then yes, I'll check it out. My CEL was on well before my problems began.

 

my car did the same exact thing when my maf wasnt plugged in, so try finding someone to throw on a different maf and good luck, thats my guess....and btw your car is in safe mode...i think thats what they call it around here....:P

 

I grew up in Richfield. I currently reside in Stillwater.

 

It behaves the same whether it's plugged in or not so maybe I just answered my own question just now? I guess it makes sense to me now. Gotta be a bad MAF. I'll change it in a couple days and see if that does it.

 

your maf is bad or a wire in the harness is broken or something. bad/disconnected maf means a rev limit of 2500rpm.

 

cool im always in richfield.

reason why i say it sounds like the tps is because it sounds exactly like what happened to my wifes 95 max...also found a shorted wire in the harness as previously stated

 

why not read the code?

 

I lost count on how many threads like this show up in the 4th gen section with these words in the title...

The MAF is bad. Change it, if it does nothing, the harness has a bad wire like flava already pointed out. Which is a rare accurance

A 30 second search from copying and pasting your title pulls up 17 pages of threads pointing to it being the MAF.

http://forums.maxima.org/search.php?searchid=1559245

 

I guess ive been a idiot a couple of times.........

BTW im from forest lake.

and yes its your maf/ harness, but do yourself a favor and go down to autozone, orielies ect ect and get it scanned, i bet it will come up p0100 IIRC.

If i still had my 96 laying around id let you test it with it but she isnt

 

Your not an idiot. Often times the most experienced people will miss the most obvious things. I remember I was stumped after re-timing and putting a motor back in with a friend because the car wouldnt start after we tripple checked (or so we thought) everything. Turns out, I forgot to plug the ECU back in because I did a piggyback install at the same time.

 

Guess what everybody? It's NOT the MAF. I just spent $235 for nothing. Well, now it'll rev to 2500 rpm instead of 2400 rpm. IDK wth to do now. TPS?

 

..you can't return it?

Get the code read before you throw any more money at it.

 

Can you tell us why you still haven't gotten the codes that you're throwing? And why instead of doing that and posting the codes in here, you bought a MAF solely off our guesses?

Some people just have no common sense..

 

....


OP not trying to bash you, but people are trying to help you out the best they can...why can't you just post the codes up? people will have to keep guessing to suggest a solution to your problem unless you post some codes up

 

y0 **** g0t dA a1dZ.

 

I was being sarcastic lol. Ive done EU installs motor swaps ect ect, I am amazingly surprised that ive done it with very few issues.

Just proves to show that you should check codes before buying parts, I mean you could ask the guy at the desk to scan your codes.......

 

wow

 

Just replace your MAF and check the MAF plug and wire harness. Go Eagles...making a comeback here...anyone else watching the game?

 

I fixed it. Still wasted $235 on a MAF I didn't need. Anyway, now that I had daylight to look at everything again (night time was the ONLY time I had previously to get under the hood). A previous owner swapped the MAF connector and did a horrible hack job of "splicing" in the replacement. It caught my eye because even the tape job was done poorly. I couldn't see it at night. Apparently, when I was removing all the plastic air intake ducting to change the starter, I must've inadvertantly pulled on the wires to the connector and because of the crappy soldering job one of the 3 wires came apart. All 3 were done poorly. I redid them and now the car is back to normal. Thank you everyone for the input! I'm still not gonna check the codes though . I don't need to. I know it's an O2 sensor.

 

Next time listen to these guys when they say MAF. We all know what causes the rev limiter to move to the 2500rpm region.

 

nice. now make sure you solder those connections.

 

The MAF is not the only thing that will cause a rev limit of 2500rpm.

 

out of curiosity what else can? thought only the maf could cause it

 

True, overheating will also knock that limiter down to 2500rpm, there are a couple of other misc things aswell, but this was all MAF.

 

A CODE WOULDVE STILL HELPED! lol i guarantee while your CEL light was on this one kicked in there, you just didnt realize cuz your light was already on for something else......Always Check Codes =)

 

Check to make sure a clamp isn't obstructing the throttle cables on the TB. What that does is it prevents the butterfly in the TB from opening all the way. That happened to me one time when I replace my intake

 

I DID listen. That's why I went out right away and bought a MAF. Everyone was saying it was a bad MAF. It turned out NOT to be a bad MAF afterall. Anyway, ya live and ya learn - especially when you're a DIY kinda guy.

 

just sayin: