Nissan Maxima Maintenance and Repair

95max2

Help, Help!!! My 95 max is not starting, when I start it, it stays on for about 20 seconds then it acts like it is chocking and then is cuts out.

If this happened to you please post the solution to this problem or if you know what might be the cause please help.

Thank you very much
GT

95max2

This car was find before I put in a remote start alarm, I took it back to the shop and they checked it they said it not the problem, now is starts but not for more than 10-20 seconds. It acts like it is chocking then cuts out. Please HELP.

Thanks
GT

unpdbl

My 2000 maxima recently got a transmission fluid flush & fill w/ a new filter & gasket ($95.00) at that time the SES light was not on but previously was on for about 3 days, it has been going on & off for the past month. The mechanic said to bring it in when the light is on but said he got these codes from it PO171 & PO174 which he said it was running lean. He did a smoke test on engine & found no leaks but said it's possible that my mass air flow sensor is going bad & that it's very expensive. The car has 75,000 mi on it & has had reg maint done on it. It is due for a tune-up. The rpms have been revving & the car not moving when having to accelerate into heavy traffic, etc. but it seemed the trans flush & fill fixed that since I found this garage w/ a flushing machine. Could it be that it needed to be reset? Because it seems to be running fine now like it used to. My husband changed the serpentine belt (thanks to all of you out there who told him how to get to it!) & changed the air filter. But ultimately I'm the one who has to drive this car everyday & this stupid little light is very annoying. He feels all the garages out there just want your $$ & as long as it runs I should just drive it as he is a back yard mech/tractor trailer driver & is not used to all this computer stuff & these tight spaces to work in & never feels we should take any of our cars to the dealer cause they're all a rip-off. Well, enough of my rambling anyone who knows what we should do about these codes comments would be greatly appreciated! When I told the garage about my husband finding this site (edmunds) they said alot of those people don't know what they're talking about, but I feel different as we saved alot of $$ by everyone helping him change that belt ourselves & not having to put it in shop. Thanks again to all of you out there helping other Nissan owners w/ their problems I think this is a great website!!
(unpdbl's wife)

garciavega

I too am having the same problem. My mechanic doesnt know the problem either. But asked around and some people told me to change the air mass flow sensor which im in the process of doing and going to see if this fixes the problem if not going to try the egr valve.

mastj

I had a similar problem - the salt and sand used on the roads in the winter "sandblasted" the paint off the rocker panels and the lower rear doors (right where they flare out, near the rear tires). This happened within the first 3k miles (Jan. & Feb. '05). After some pressuring, the dealership repainted the rocker panels and put 3M Rockguard tape over the rocker panel and lower rear door. Nissan covered this under warranty. The tape has lasted pretty well the last 20k miles, but it is worn from the constant sandblasting.

From my observation of other Maxima's, especially the darker colored ones, this appears to be a common problem.

dmaljunk

is your Service Engine Soon light on? Did the mechanic test it with an OBD2 scanner? If so, what codes he got? If you never tested it with OBD2 scanner then go to Autozone and have them test it for free and tell you any error codes. That should point you in the right direction but generally the possible issues you mentioned would usually be accomponied by an error code. Otherwise you can start by cleaning your throttle body and making sure your air filter is clean.

dmaljunk

Your transmission flush service has nothing to do with these codes. The codes indicate a fuel injection system not operating properly with mixture ratio being too lean. Possible causes are: Intake Air Leaks, Front Heated Oxygen Sensor Circuit, Injectors, Exhaust Gas Leaks, Incorrect Fuel Pressure, Lack Of Fuel, Mass Air Flow Sensor. The easiest thing is to check for exhaust leaks before the catalytic converter as well as for intake air leaks after the mass air flow sensor and then check fuel lines for leaks. If that's not it then it gets more difficult but there is a procedure for testing each component. Fuel pressure is tested with special guage, injectors can be removed and tested as well, etc... Start with easy checks I mentioned.

dmaljunk

Hi,

I have a 2K Maxima and my muffler assembly is leaking exhaust gas. There is small crack/hole right where the pipe is welded to the muffler on the engine side. This pipe is part of the muffler assembly and I don't feel like replacing the whole thing right now. I bought this exhaust patch in a form of a cream or greaze for $2 in AutoZone and it's supposed to dry up and weld the crack for good. Anyone had any experience with these cream patches at all? Is it going to work?

Mr_Shiftright

I don't see why a good muffler shop can't just weld the crack for you presuming it is not badly rusted.

Patches tend not to work because vibrations loosen them up. You could probably cobble something together with patch material and clamps, etc. but it's a short term fix and not so safe, since you don't want gases leaking into your car's interior. You can't smell CO.

mlhovell

You seem to know alot about cars, I am having a problem and thought i would run it by you..I have a 95 maxima. It runs great. Had a new battery put in yesterday and now the check engine light is on. Took it straight back to Sears and they said the battery and system checks out ok. It does need a new battery cable and post, they put one on,but couldn't get the bolt loose on the other one. Said take to mechanic to do.. Could the light be something to do with the new battery or installation? OR is it as Sears thinks in the emission system... Any ideas? Thanks, Marcia

unpdbl

Thanks for the quick reply. I am printing out & taking it w/ me to the mechanic if my husband can't do the things mentioned w/o special equipment. Thanks again!!

dmaljunk

Sears were right that SES light usually comes on if there is an issue with the emissions system. I would get your computer scanned for error codes to see what's wrong (try AutoZone for free scan but 1995 is pre-OBD2, may need to go to mechanic). Since you mentioned the battery replacement then once you are sure that the battery and cables are fine then after you read the codes, reset the computer and wait to see if SES comes on again. Also check your ECM relay, which is basically a fuse for your on board computer. It's in one of the relay panels. It's possible that battery replacement affected this relay.

dmaljunk

Had something strange happen last night, the key was in ACC position and I was listening to radio while my daughter was playing with power passenger seat moving it up and down. Then I put in the phone charger into the cigarrete lighter to charge my phone. After 5 minutes or so, I cranked the engine and noticed that both trip A and B were reset to 0. This never happenned before and nothing else was affected, total mileage didn't change, clock is fine, radio station presets are fine. Anyone has any idea what happenned?

dmaljunk

starter may be under powertrain warranty for 60K miles but I am not sure on that, gotta look in warranty manual

unpdbl

Thank You very much for the info on that site. I am going to check that out, too. It all sounds foreign to me. :confuse: Think maybe we should all go back to horse & buggy.lol

mark180

The car sounds like it has a rev limiter when the motor hit 2000 rpm's when your driving or not. It starts good and idles good. Already checked the fuel pump pressure, it's good. Checked for any codes with a scanner, none come up for anything. Just wondering if anybody has any ideas.

angie66

I can't believe this... on Friday I bought a 1999 Maxima SE five speed with 118k miles from a used car dealer and ten minutes (literally) after driving it off the lot, the service engine soon light came on. I wasn't even home yet! :mad: After I got home I googled this topic specifically and found out that apparently the 1999 and 2000 maximas have terrible problems with the SES light repeatedly coming on with issue after issue (coils, O2 sensors, bunch of other emission-related stuff). The car seemed to drive fine this weekend although the light stayed on. I disconnected the battery for an hour hoping to reset the light to no avail. I also filled with premium fuel (although I put midgrade in it before that - but after the light had already been on, so that wasn't the problem). I know I need to find someone with a OBD2 reader and find out what the code is - I don't want to pay $90 for Nissan to do it, and being female I dread the whole expensive runaround I'll get once I take it in there to find out what's wrong. So today, for the first time, driving to work, it seems like it is losing power with acceleration (no sputtering or stalling on idle though). Or am I just imagining it? It seems like when I up-shift and accelerate, the engine just races but not much happens. Could this be the mid-grade fuel causing the acceleration problem, or maybe it's in my head... should I just re-set the light and fill up with premium and hope it all goes away? What are the chances of that? Have others noticed acceleration/loss of power problems just from using mid-grade gas? I am sure the dealer (small used car dealership) will not stand behind me on this one. But out of curiosity, what are the chances that they knew about this before I bought the car? Thanks for any advice/help... Angie

suydam

First you need to calm down and not panic! Nissans don't have "terrible problems"; in fact they are one of the more reliable cars on the road. However, you have an 8 year old car with over 100,000 miles; the probability is that it will need some work along the way. I assume you had an independent mechanic check out this car before you bought it? And did it come with a 30 day warranty from the dealership? Usually they do, and so they should fix your problem. First though, you need to find out what's wrong. It can be any number of things, from a wrongly tightened gas cap to the catalytic converter. The code should pinpoint the area of the problem and the dealership should fix it.

If you didn't have a mechanic check it out, and it didn't come with a 30 day warranty, chalk it up to a learning experience, fix what's wrong and enjoy your car.

rafa

we had a 2001 nissan maxima se that the light kept coming on. we took it to any auto zone and they will check it for free. just tell them the SES light came on it might the o2 sensor. You can also take it to checkers for free dont take it to dealer they will rip you off that's what they get paid to do hopefully everything works out let us know.

angie66

Thanks. I didn't meant to give the impression that I was panicking, or that I thought Maximas were full of 'terrible problems' (I agree that they are generally reliable or I wouldn't have bought one). However, after reading this forum and several other sites, I think most people agree that there are issues with the emissions system that go beyond what one would typically expect. I certainly don't expect a '99 with over 100k to never need problems; on the other hand, I was hoping to at least get into my driveway with it, since I did have it checked out by an independent mechanic before purchasing (no problems he could find). No 30 day warranty - most used car dealers here don't seem to have that (some do), and lots of people buy cars from private parties without a warranty so I guess I was just hoping I would be ok.

I do appreciate your response. I took the car to Autozone today and they were great - ran the diagnostics and came up with the codes P0325 and P0138 (02 sensor and knock sensor). The person at Autozone said he thought the 02 sensor probably was the reason for the knock sensor code and once the 02 sensor was fixed, the other code would go away too. He reset the engine light and so far it hasn't come back on. Not sure if a bad tank of gas or loose gas cap could give a diagnostic code of 02 sensor, but I'll wait to see if the light comes back on and if it does, I'll get it fixed. Thanks.

suydam

and it is terribly annoying to have a problem right away, I agree. I don't think these kinds of emission troubles can be diagnosed until they go bad. Hopefully you will just have this one thing and then everything else will be fine.

dirkwork

FYI

O2 sensors can be getting shabby, but not fail entirely, so resetting it seems to be the way I would go for while. Monitor things, and if needed replace the sensor. My 2000 has three O2's, hope you can ID the one that is bad.

Enjoy the car, hopefully you'll have a good one.

Dirk

angie66

Thanks everyone for the advice. The light came on again today on the way to work (after AutoZone reset the code day before yesterday). At this point, if I decide not to get it fixed right away, I'm going to need to get a code reader/resetter of my own (I can't keep running back to AutoZone every 48 hours). I still don't know if the 87 octane gas could have caused this, so I thought I would reset the light a couple of times (at least through this tank of gas) and see if the light kept coming back on before I get it fixed.

nelsora

I just purchased a 99 Maxima for my daughter, it has over a 100K but for the last two months has ran great, here in Minnesota we just started getting some pretty warm weather, and last monday her SES light came on after I did a oil change. Is there a way that I can reset this light without taking it in somewhere?

kennyg8

SES light usually points to an emission problem. My older Maxima (97 GLE) also had this problem a year or so ago. If you have emission problems, you will not pass inspection and you cannot get your car registered. I took my car to the dealer, and they replaced the O2 sensors. They also replaced the evap canister and hoses. It costed me a few hundred dollars. At least the problem has been solved, for now ... knock on wood.

docmarkw

I have a 1995 Nissan Maxima which for the most part has been a pretty reliable car. My problem is that occasionally I can't get the car to shift out of park. I know I need to have a foot on the brake first to be able to shift the car, but every once in awhile it won't allow me to shift at all. I usually have to play around with it and it will finally shift for me. I know the car has a safety sensor on the brake lever before you can shift out of park. I have only had it happen about 4 times now and it's a real pain in the [non-permissible content removed] when I can't go.

dmaljunk

This is normal on any auto tranny vehicle depending on the incline. If you back into a driveway, which is slanted down then you will get this problem, try to park on straight spots.

dmaljunk

I noticed on this forum that many people want to get the SES light reset when it comes on. Well, this is a completely wrong approach. SES light comes on after a certain number of warm-up cycles with a defective condition. This means that a problem occurred with a specific component a certain number of times, usually at least 2 times. This indicates that a certain component is defective and needs to be inspected. If you reset the light then you simply reset the internal counter of warm-up cycles and the whole thing starts again and you will monst likely get the SES again. One improtant thing to remember is that most components related to SES can cause further issues with the engine and you do need to resolve the issue as soon as you get SES light. IN some cases your on-board computer adjusts engine operation if it detected some component defective and that adjustment can cause strain on other components. The first thing to do is to goto AutoZone and get the error code from your computer and then you start looking into it. Do not just reset the light hoping that it would never come back on. The error code could indicate a simple and not neceserily expesive thing to fix... And then we get people saying that Maximas are not reliable...

dmaljunk

Knock sensor and Oxygen sensor should not be related, so if you replace O2 sensor then it most likely will not remove the error code for the Knock sensor. Theoretically both of these sensors can be removed and tested. In case of O2 sensor, it can be clogged as well, so you can clean it. But you have to keep in mind that mechanics don't want to do it, they'd rather just replace the sesnors. On the subject of 87 gas - with mileage this high you should perform fuel cleaning service or at least pour in some good fuel cleaner and switch to 93. You do get carbon deposits from 87, which indirectly cause other issues. Your current error codes will probaly not go away by switching to 93 though.

docmarkw

It happened again. The car gets stuck in park and no matter what I do it's stuck. After 10 minutes of trying every possible way to shift into gear it simple slides into reverse with no effort.

I don't believe it has anything to do with the linkage, but the selenoid that wont let you shift out of park unless your foot is on the brake. It's hard to diagnose it because it only happens once in awhile. Do selenoids do this? Anyone have any advise?

kennyg8

The same thing happened to me many years ago when I parked on an incline. I got frustrated and left the car where it was and took the bus to work. When I returned from work and tried to start the car, it did not give me any problem. :confuse:

Well, my wife has been driving that car for the past three years (since I got a new car). :P she has not complained about this problem at all. She might be lucky all this time.

rnyman

My 02 Maxima runs great and temperature is normal. However as soon as the AC comes on, the temperature starts to rise. Turn off the AC and the temperature returns to normal. Both fans are running and coolant level is ok. This happens on cool days as well as extremely hot days.
The transmission will begin to downshift when driving at cruising speed.

dahuber

You don't say if you're parking on slopes or not, but if you are-use the emergency brake before you shift into park. This puts the car's weight on the brakes and not the transmission.

The only brake interlock I'm familiar with is when you have brake lights out, you have to overide the park selection using the key in the transmission. Mine's an 01, your 95 may be different. :confuse:

tobinaz

I have already replaced injector #2 twice and don't fix the problem. If I disconnect spark plug wire does not make a diference is like this piston is not working. could it be a wire or connector problem.
Also I try to read the codes in the ECM and now the engine light is blinking in intervals from 1 to 5.

HELP ME PLEASE I AM DESPERATE! :sick:

ecd1974

Unfortunately, I am not having the same luck as you as far as getting the dealership to do anything about the problem. I brought the car to have an initial evaluation a month ago (4/28). The service advisor took some pictures and said the pictures had to be sent to Nissan for further evaluation. I heard nothing more, so I called only to find out that the pictures were not sent and could not be found. I had the service advisor re-take the pictures this past Friday (5/26). Because he could do nothing further, the service advisor gave me the number for the service manager. I called the service manager (left voice mail) and said that I wanted something done about this problem; the situation has gone on too long and should not have taken a month to begin with. As expected, I did not get a call back. I believe that the service department just thinks I will go away if they remain unresponsive. I don't think so. My next step is to call Nissan directly - that will probably be a joke also. If I get no satisfaction by calling Nissan, I'll be more than happy to get my lawyer on it.

tomchow

I have a 2001 maxima 20th anniversary edition which has only 43400 miles (70,000 km) on it. I was driving on the highway (60 miles per hour) and suddently I smelled heavy metal buring smell. I parked it overnight and found out that it was not turning over the next morning. I towed to the dealership and they said it was some signal got into the computer (ecm) and fried it (the connecting pin area were burned and black. It will cost me six thousand dollars to fix it. Is there any warranties that nissan head office will honour it? HOw do I contact Nissan head office customer service for help.

ohiohillbilies

:confuse: My daughters 92 maxima has a problem with the fuel gauge. It is stuck at 1/4 tank. I replaced the gauge with a new one. I then removed the pump/sending unit and when out of the tank you can raise and lower the bar on the sending unit and the gauge will go up and down accordingly but when re installed the gauge wont move when you put gas in it. I thought it might be a bad ground so I spliced into the ground wire on the harness but the tank and grounded it to the car but that did not help. Any ideas?

dmaljunk

ECM is covered under state emissions for 80K miles or 8 years. Dealers don't like to metnion it though. You mentioned your mileage in km, so if you are in Canada then may be the warranty is not that long though... The information is in the warranty manual, which you can try to get online or order it from Nissan. $6,000 sounds very excessive for ECM any way, it should cost $800 to $1000 to replace at the dealer, may they are referring to wiring that needs to be replaces as well... any way this is a good case to try and call 800-nissan.

tomchow

Thank you for your input. I am wondering is it worthwhile to fix it because I heard there may be some ghost (unexpected) problems later on since it is related to ECM. So far I am just doing back and forth phone calls with Nissan Canada and the dealership. Appreciate your response.

bigredred

well i just bought a 95 maxima from a auction and first things first i got a boast from sum 1 and had it runing for like 40 mins sounded great then i turned it off and locked up and the security alarm went and then i tryed to start the car again and i think and hope the batt dead again and i just want to know what i can do about this just to get it started and going

dmaljunk

many people get ECM replaced, it's just another part. If you don't get it replaced then you can't really drive. ECM is responsible for air-fuel mixture based on inputs from a couple of dozen sensors. And you can't sell the car like this either. I'd say you should try to get it replaced under warranty and make sure they program it with latest updates.

rafa

I we have a 2005 nissan maxima se with 9500 miles and we ran over some road tar on sunday and now the car is vibrating really bad called dealer and said they cant help us. They said we need a new tire can someone please help thank you

dmaljunk

Is there something stuck on the tire thread or did you damage your suspension? If it's tar on the tire then take the tire off and clean it, you can use tar remover sold in any parts store.

terraboi

I have a 2001 Maxima, and when the car is stitting in park or drive the a/c blows normal cold air, but when I accelerate the air gets HOT. Any suggesstions on what the problem might be?

pcneustadter

my check engine light just came on ,onmy 97 maxima se with 104,891miles any ideas

josephsmith

I wish I was writing with an answer. I have the same exact thing. It is making me crazy and costing a lot of money. Did you ever find the problem? I don't see many answers but I seem to see a recurring theme with the same frustration. I replace the crankshaft sensor but still have the problem- two starters later- and Nissan can't locate the problem. Please let me know if you have any info, ideas, help.
thanks

gtw

sounds like a knock sensor. Run the diagnostic code test to see which number it is.

kposty007

I RECENTLY BOUGHT A '02 MAXIMA 6 SPEED AND I'M GETTING A CLUNKING NOISE FROM WHAT SOUNDS LIKE MY TRANNY. IT'S NOT HAPPENING IN 1ST GEAR JUST 2ND 3RD AND 4TH, AND ONLY AT LOW RPM LEVELS. I KNOW IT'S NOT FROM MY DRIVING I'VE NEVER OWNED ANYTHING BUT A MANUAL TRANS. IS THE FLUID GETTING LOW OR IS IT SOMETHING SERIOUS?

grady3

I have a 2001 Maxima with high mileage 160,000 that is doing the same exact thing with respect to the A/C. I had the radiator coolant & the thermostat replaced but it hasn't improved. also my fans are running fine & the A/C is blowing at 40 degrees but within 5-10 minutes of use it starts to over heat & when I turn the A/C off it goes back down. If I find something out on the Web I will post again.

dahuber

Check tightness of gas cap. Otherwise, hook up a code reader to get the error code. I own my own reader, but I've heard Autozone will do this service for free.