I have an 09 Maxima with 132k miles on her.

In january, the alternator was replaced and since then - nothing but problems! My husband was driving the car back and forth to work about 34 miles coming and going. Before changing the alternator, we were getting about 22-25 mpg on the highway. Now, hes getting 13-15. This coupled with hard idling and hesitation caused to us to get her a tune up. We took the car to a mechanic and told him what it was doing and asked him to replace all the plugs and wires and check the coil ignition packs. Fine - replaced the plugs and they said the packs were fine. They did find however, oil spilled all over the plugs and coil packs and this cover that had to be replaced. So the tune up went from $350 to $600 really fast. Before leaving the shop, the guy pulled my husband to the side and they talked about what was and wasnt done. He added that if the car is still idling funny or running hard to replace the mass air flow sensor - that it was easy to replace and would only cost about 100 bucks. OK.. well, after leaving the shop, we went to town and I immediately knew that the problems were worse. We couldnt drop below 40 mph without the car jerking and shaking. We put it in park and it was idling HARD. I was scared that it was going to die there on the side of the road. Needless to say, we went and got the air flow sensor. Fast Forward a week later, it isnt jerking quite as bad as before but it still has a hard time going up hills and it still jerks when going below 40 mph. The service engine light came on and we went to autozone and had a code ran saying that the fuel was too lean in banks 1 and 2 and something about a camshaft exhaust. What does this mean? How is this fixed? Why is this happening all of a sudden after the alternator was replaced?! We took it back to the same mechanic and told him what the codes read (why didnt those codes pop up for him when he ran diagnostics??) and he said to go get an oil change. We got the oil change.. and nothing was solved. The guy at the quicklube place said that this code is generic and can mean alot of different issues need to be repaired. So what? just start shelling out hundreds of dollars til something random is fixed? I would love some suggestions and ideas of what we could do!

 

Let's start from the beginning. Why was the alternator replaced? What symptoms were you experiencing?

 

We literally had no problems until one day, the battery and brake lights came on at the same time. After researching why, we found out that it was a warning sign for the alternator going out. Took it to autozone and they did their whole hook up process, verified it was the alternator not giving the battery enough charge. So I took the husband to work (on his first day of work, i might add) and it died in the parking lot. Had to be towed to the mechanic. The alternator was replaced - went home. Was on the way to take him to work the next day on the interstate when he braked.. Then the car went into limp mode on the side of the highway. He lost his job. That was fun. Went back to the same mechanic and they decided it was a faulty alternator. They called it fixed but the brake and battery lights have stayed on since this happened.

 

I agree, battery and brake lights coming on means a failing alternator. Having it replaced was the right thing to do. Where you lost me is when you said, If the mechanic determined that the alternator is still faulty, why did they call it "fixed"? Sounds like nothing was done and they shrugged you away. It is possible that the new alternator is a dud. It does happen sometimes. Was the alternator brand new, or factory refurbished? Why not go back to Autozone and have them test this alternator like they did the first time?

As for the MAF that you replaced, did you put in a genuine Nissan MAF, or aftermarket? Sounds like aftermarket if you only paid $100 for it. This could be your problem too.

If your mechanic seriously told you to get an oil change as a possible fix to the codes you described to him, you need to find a new mechanic.
All the symptoms you describe you could be one or more things. Post the codes here and let's go from there. But first you need to rule out that your alternator is working properly.

 

1) Fire your mechanic
2) Pull codes
3) Test alternator voltage at the B+ post on the alternator
4) Report back with codes and values

 

I had this happen to me, the alternator part that is. When I got the new alternator installed, the next day on my way home from work, my car died. Took it back to the mechanic and after looking into it further he recognized that the wiring to the alternator was bad. Replaced that and I've been good to go since. This was also in early January.

2009 Nissan Maxima SV, Super Black

 

alright guys, errors read -
P0171 System too lean (bank 1)
P0174 System too lean (bank 2)
P0014 Exhaust Camshaft Position Timing - Over Advanced (bank 1)

When I said they called it fixed, I meant that they couldnt get the dash lights to go off after installing the 2nd new alternator. And update, the car HAS started struggling more at high speeds. the husband said the service engine light was flashing this morning. What does that mean?

 

Thats too much of a coincidence lol. Do you know where they got your alternator from? Our guy got ours from advanced auto parts.. I wonder if its common for their parts to be faulty.

 

1) Check for vacuum leaks
2) Replace Bank 1 cam sensor
3) Divorce your husband

 

If it was aftermarket, we wouldn’t have known since we bought it from autozone.

 

Now why would you say that?? 😂 god knows he isn’t doing much to help this situation and I’m the one on this forum looking for answers. But.. I need his money to fix it LOL

 

The Wizard is right though. Factory Hitachi only for MAF. No parts store or cheap ebay MAF. I coughed up $235 for mine.

 

Is this something that needs to be fixed immediately? I know that sounds silly but $$$ is so tight right now, especially after the other repairs! 😩 and I have called probably 5 mechanics in the area that are saying it’s going to be a couple weeks before they can even get it in. Plus, he has to go back n forth to work..

 

If the service engine light is flashing as you are driving, then you likely have one or more bad fuel injectors. The car should not be driven under these conditions.

 

Best response ever.

 

Married lady in distress? Whoever is the solver has to change his avatar to a Drive themed one



newb input: was the original MAF cleaned?

 

yeah they said they clean it when we originally sent it to for new plugs and wires and a tune up basically. The car was running better before we took it in for the tune up though.

 

Update..
went to a completely different mechanic today who was recommended by several friends. Anyway, he couldn’t even do a full diagnostic test because the ALTERNATOR was throwing off so many sensors. The damn thing is charging at 17 instead of the normal amount. And when I researched WHY it could overcharge, I read that a faulty regulator could cause the car to have heavy idling, loss of power, and lack of acceleration - which is EXACTLY what the car is doing 🤦🏻‍♀️ Y’all, I could scream. Now, I’m going back to the first mechanic to hopefully have the alternator replaced AGAIN. It’s under warranty but who’s to say they will find an issue. After leaving the mechanic today, I stopped by autozone and had them check the alternator and they said “it passed”. So, anyway. The lord willing, I will have it checked out next Wednesday.

 

Glad you got a second opinion. As I stated earlier, I mentioned that your "new" alternator could still be the cause of your problems and should be checked again. Charging at 17 Volts is no bueno! Find out if your current alternator was new or refurbished. Probably of the refurbished variant as the voltage regulator is likely bad.

Although unlikely, be sure to have him look at the wiring too! Based on some recent threads, it appears poor connections or faulty wiring have been known to cause these very symptoms.

 

i did see you mention the alternator was a dud but I didn’t know if you saw I said where we replaced twice lol so you were right to make that suggestion! Do you think the alternator being faulty would throw off other things? Such as the lean fuel or camshaft sensors?

 

Wow too bad my first post (#5) a week ago went completely ignored.

 

Yes, the alternator would likely throw off other things. Until you get your alternator related issues figured out, no need in worrying about any codes or other issues you are having. They may just solve themselves once a properly working alternator is in place.

 

They werent ignored User, I did what you said - just not in a timely manner. thank you for your suggestions.

 

SO, 2.5 weeks later - nothing new but only worse.
On the 14th, I took the car to the original mechanic to have them check the alternator. I got there and was sent back on my way because they had a death in their family, which is completely understandable. But i was so frazzled and shaken because the car drove like **** the entire way to the shop on top of it raining and I already hate driving in the rain. So when he told me to go back home, I had a mini breakdown and he said they he would do diagnostics for free when I came back. Anyway, the mechanic told me to bring it in the following Tuesday - 4/17. I got there at 8:30 fully accepting the fact that I was going to have to sit there all day due to not having a way home. The guy immediately became rude to me and acted as though me staying was an inconvenience to him. And was like "you are being completely unrealistic if you think you can drop this car off and expect me to pinpoint what is wrong with it when there are all these other cars in front of you". So i was a bit baffled... because he was like pointing and yelling at me. Words were exchanged. I mean, i have a warranty have already paid for the services he is going to redo! And i was ok with sitting there for a while. Anyway, at about 11:30, an older mechanic comes in and says "well, the alternator is charging at 15 so we will replace it. weve got to order it though so bring it in next week". NEXT WEEK IS ALL IVE BEEN HEARING FOR 2 MONTHS NOW!!!!! He also did a rough diagnostic while it was sitting outside.. He gave me a $1,270 estimate for work to be done and it is scribbled on a notepad of what he thinks the problems could be.

"#6 is missing/have to remove intake it has old intake gaskets. new valve cover
exhaust valve timing control magnet retarders
3.0 plenum gaskets
2.5 hr valve magnet retarders b1 & b2
labor - $586.47
coil - $115.52
magnets - $220.37 x 2
gasket - $18.90
plug - $25.29"
equals a hot ****ing mess.
He also thinks theres a vacuum leak but didnt write down an estimate for that now that Im looking at this paper.

That was tuesday.. the husband had to go to work Wednesday night and was stranded on the interstate for about 3 hours. He lost this job too because of the car. So, Im just lost and stressed and I dont even know what to do anymore.

 

Any particular reason you're not using a Nissan dealership to fix your problems? This has been going on for over 3 weeks using mechanics that don't seem to know what they are doing.

 

initially when the alternator went out, I had to use a finance company to repair it. And unfortunately, there weren’t many mechanics in the area who accepted the finance company. So now I’m stuck using them until they replace the alternator again.

 

??? So you are saying you can't take the car to a dealership to fix it.

 

I’m saying that the alternator is under warranty so that’s why it’s being taken back to the original mechanic.

 

Ok now I understand. like what the Wizard said earlier the new alternator might fix some of the other problems. That being said I would be looking elsewhere like a dealership to fix any remaining problems.

 

I am sorry you are having to deal with this mechanic. I would very calmly and politely ask to have your alternator replaced this week. Explain that you don't have any extra money for the other repairs at this time. If he ignores you or blows you off after you ask a few more times, then politely explain to him that you'll have no choice but to contact the finance company, dispute the work and ask for a refund. But first, call the finance company and explain the situation to confirm that you can dispute the charge and get a refund.

Between you and me, even if what he said is true about your car needing more work, I'm sure you are done with him (I would be) and need to find another mechanic that accepts financing. I would then document your experience and report him to the Better Business Bureau.

Our first priority is to get a properly working alternator in your Maxima, then we'll focus on any other possible issues. Good luck and keep us posted.

 

So sorry you have had such a crazy saga! I hate it when mechanics blow you off like that! I would get a refund and never go to that guy again.
First thing is to get a good working alt installed and have the wiring checked by a mechanic who actually cares and will stand behind his/her work.
Hopefully the rest of the codes and issues are all cascading from that one major issue.

 

i feel your frustration ,,,looks like a lawsuit in small claims ...

 

15V is perfect. My aftermarket 270 amp alternator set point is 15V. Another 7th gen member here installed a variable voltage adjuster and has his set around 15.2-ish because he's running a C-max lithium battery for his car stereo. Your mechanic sucks. Why a finance company? So much for hubby's money paying for everything?

Sorry you're having such a difficult time. I would hate that. I couldn't imagine not being able to do all my own work.

 

Iv gone into limp mode with all lights flashing before, it was an alternator issue but it was the pig tail that had become brittle and break apart so I had that pig tail and alternator both replaced and no issue with connection. It had me stumped for a while before finding out it was the pig tail