My friend has a 1990 Maxima SE 5 speed, he said it recently started to stall at around 2500 RPMs in any gear. I drove it and it looses complete power at around 2500-3000 rpm. It's seems as if the rev limiter kicks in. If you accelerate slow, you can reach 3000 before it cuts fuel (rev limiter) of if you floor it it cuts out at 2700 rpm or so. Has any one had this problem? if so how was it solved. I'm thinking he's gotta bring it to the dealer and have them put it up to the diagnostic computer to check and see if it's sensors or the ecm. The car feels fine below 2500.

 

You should really be posting in the third gen forum.
But It sounds like it could be your fuel filter. A plugged filter will act like a governer!

 

check coolant temp sensor and then the knock sensor
cant help ya besides that

 

3000 RPM is way to early......... even general motors vehicles have a higher cut off (4000) - lol

 

yes 2700-3000 RPM is way too early for (not the governor) but the rev limiter to kick in. Especially when it should not kick in until 6500 RPMs... I know all that... Could it be that the ECM some how got messed up and thinking that 2700-3000 RPMs is the redline? I don't know, I think he's gotta bring it to a dealer to get it fixed. I know fuel filter may be a problem, but I doubt it in this case, because the engine gets its fuel cut right at a certain point and it will not go any faster (engine speed). I thought about posting this in the 3rd gen forum, but figured, maybe more people would check it because this is the general forum. But apparently no one has had this problem yet. That car does not knock, I haven't heard any. Heck my 2000 knocks between 1st and 2nd gear with I let the clutch out in second while accelerating slow. So I think I have more problems with my 2000 than my friend has in his 90'.

Some but not all GM cars also have pushrod engines which inherently have lower Redlines.

 

sounds like the maf sensor

 

seriouisly, check the coolant temp sensor
had the problem before, it was the coolant temp sensor... check it

 

oh and check the timing... i bet it's probably
getting retarded a lot at about 2500 RPM's or so

your revs seem to be bouncing off of 2500-3000 RPM's correct?

 

I'll put money on it being the MAF sensor.

did he install an intake or do anything on the intake side of the engine before this started happening?

either the MAF sensor has gone bad or has become unplugged.

I've had the same symptoms before and it's because the MAF was unplugged while working on my car and I forgot to plug it back in. It's also mentioned in the FSM that the engine will run up to about 2500rpm with the MAF disconnected, so that the car will move but won't run correctly.

 

GREAT. I'll check the coolant temp sensor, connections, maf connections, and yes the revs hover if not bounce around 2700 when I peg it or it just does that and won't go higher. I'll check all those things you guys talked about. His car is stock, he doesn't know much about cars... heck he didn't even know why his clutch was spongy and didn't release, I told him to check the level... of course, low on fluid... But anyway, thanks for some input, I'll help him out soon.

 

check the MAF first.

 

Absolutely check your MAF. I also forgot to plug mine back in once and couldn't obtain more than 2300 or so rpms. Let us know.

 

Well, it appears that it's the fuel filter... reved right up no problems after the change... thanks for the help.. I was wondering about that too.