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Maxima 5-speed Problems

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Comments

  • altavistaaltavista Member Posts: 19
    As posted in message #534, having the fuel-cut TSB applied, was instantly noticable and a welcome improvement. I've driven my Max another 150 miles in mostly rush hour traffic and it accelerates smoothly from a stop every time - whether I'm launching slowly or quickly.

    I've tried the low-speed tests to see if my car will lurch or buck and neither has occured. The only sensitivity noticable is the transition between on the throttle and off the throttle around 2500 rpm - there seems to be too much engine braking when you release the throttle. However, this is not as dramatic as the prior inability to launch the car smoothly - before the TSB. In my opinion it's not that bad - hopefully a future TSB will correct it. (During the 'idle' test my car still drops rpm's from 2500 to 1500 rapidly, but I don't know if this has any practical negative consequence.)

    For the record my Max is a 2001 SE, stick, with 17" wheels - it was manufactured 02/01.

    Now the only thing that has me riled up is the missing fuel intake line protector. I'm going to start a separate thread on this. Although, one call to Nissan may have taken care of it - for me anyway.

    Enjoy your Maxima. I do.

    Ed A.

    P.S. Where are the comments from all the other people that had the TSB done? Too busy enjoying the car?
  • bigk200bigk200 Member Posts: 170
    The inability to contol rpm's down below 2500 rpm will become evident as you try to feather the throttle back on moderate downhills. You basically have no control of the throttle at small engine outputs.

    I agree that the car launches better with the TSB applied, but without realizing it, you are probably blipping the gas pedal just before starting out and then releasing it before releasing the clutch. The engine rpm's can't be feathered up for a smooth launch in first gear because the engine rpm's immediately race so high that the car wants to lay rubber and run into anything and everything that happens to be its path.
  • altavistaaltavista Member Posts: 19
    FYI-

    My car is fine on downhills, uphills and in-between. I can feather the throttle at any speed without any jerking or lurching. I feel completely in control of the throttle. As I said above, the only thing I feel is slightly too much engine braking when the throttle is released above 2500 rpm - but no jerking. Getting back on the throttle does not jerk the car either. (This is in comparsion to my MR2, which I drove for 11 years.)

    I am absolutely not blipping the throttle (at all) or feathering the clutch (more than normal). Before the TSB, my car had to be feathered excessively with the clutch to accelerate smoothly. Now it takes off perfectly - every time, fast or slow.

    You may check it out if you'd like, I'm in the D.C. area.

    And again, my car was manufactured in February 2001. Perhaps the difference can be explained by updated parts for recent 2001 models and/or the varying TSB reprograms - there are six "current" versions, depending on year/emissions/wheel size.

    My car really does run/drive very well. I hope yours improves with other TSB's.

    Ed A.
  • bigk200bigk200 Member Posts: 170
    OK, your car drives great. I'll take your word for it.
  • green_2green_2 Member Posts: 7
    Well, I have been driving my car for the last week and a half, and has finally gotten used to the clutch. I actually managed to take off without jerking several times on 1st gear. Still working on 1st to 2nd gear though.

    It sounds like the TSB is a pretty significant improvement over the original ECM program. I'm getting mine done this afternoon...will report back with my observations.

    Green
  • green_2green_2 Member Posts: 7
    "The computer interface thingie isn't working" was the direct quote from the tech. Oh well...I'll have to wait until it "starts to work again"

    Green
  • opimaxopimax Member Posts: 73
    I would like you to drive my car and possibly drive yours. I had the TSB done Fri and it drives much better but I would happy to compare cars. If interested I can reached at opimax@yahoo.com. I work in DC and live in close by MD

    Mark
  • dan00dan00 Member Posts: 3
    A few weeks after having the update and I can (still) say that this is the fix I've been waiting for.

    No more anticipation when feathering the pedal up or down!
    No more bucking in parking lots!
    No annoying lurch when the cruise is on!

    I'm still a little pissed that it took so long though.

    I personally would like to thank bigk200 for the amount of time and effort he put into this crusade. He lit the fire under Nissan's [non-permissible content removed] for sure. Also, thanks for hanging in there. If I had been half as annoyed has you I would have driven the damn thing off a cliff. Good luck in whatever you decide to do with your car.
  • maximizdmaximizd Member Posts: 18
    Last night 4 owners of 4 2000 Maxima SE models with 5 speeds met again in NYC to compare cars. Of the 4, one person (Dave) has always had a severe fuel cut issue, the other three (Jorge, Warren and myself, Rich) to a lesser extent, almost non existent. Dave had the TSB for the fuel cut performed on his car, and he agrees that it has helped a fair amount with his car. We all took turn driving each others cars for about 2 hours, and determined that Warrens car had almost no sign of the fuel cut during driving, even when driven by Dave, who is an expert since he has/had a severe case of this. When Dave drove my car, under certain conditions he was able to get the car to exhibit this effect several times, but only in very minor severity. Jorges car behaved similarly to mine in driving, but with the Stillen intake his car sounds more aggressive now too! As the 3 other drivers (excluding Dave) drove all the cars, we were basically unable to cause any of the cars to really mis-behave to the point where we felt what Dave told us the fuel cut should feel like. My conclusion is that at this time, I will not be looking to have the TSB performed on my car, and I believe that Jorge and Warren are also in agreement with respect to their own cars too.

    It was good seeing you guys there, lets get together again soon.
  • opimaxopimax Member Posts: 73
    Altavista on Sat to swap cars, we both have had the TSB done , he is happy and i am luke warm. I would think that I would get it done if you haven't , every report I have read has always been an improvement

    Mark
  • green_2green_2 Member Posts: 7
    Well...hopefully this time the "computer thingie" won't crap out on me...But it sounds like this should be better with than without this ECM reprograming.

    Green
  • opimaxopimax Member Posts: 73
    Met w/altivista Sat and we drove each other's car. His runs great! and yes I am jealous of it. I can let the clutch out w/out any gas and it doesn't stall! no add'l "bounce" that I still have. I never got a printout from the CONSULT tool to verify that my update worked so I am hopeful that there is more to be done for mine .If all the Max drove as Ed's did this would never be an issue! I only tried the stationary test at 2200 and could hold it, not on mine thogh. If you read this ED I would like to try a couple more tests on yours when you have a chance, mainly the stationary tests.

    Mark
  • bigk200bigk200 Member Posts: 170
    If you go from idle to a higher rpm, you can usually hold an rpm like 2200 rpm, but if you take the rpm's higer to about 3000 and then back off, the fuel cut will kick in at a about 2500 rpm (give or take a little).

    This test is relevant because it indicates how the car will behave when feathering the throttle back on moderate downhills, and/or when feathering the throttle up to accelerate moderately at slow speeds.
  • borisgudonovborisgudonov Member Posts: 36
    Have any of you had aftermarket stuff installed in your maximas? I was not blessed with the coveted Bose system and I want to add a powered subwoofer to my 97 SE. How involved an installation would you guys/gals estimate this to be? Mind you, I am not so cheap as not to want to take it to Hi-Fi Buys or, Heaven forbid, Circuit City. However, sometimes--a lot of times--these guys can do crappy work. I've had bad experiences and I don't want stuff left loose or even broken or otherwise screwed up in order to get the sub installed. I can screw things up myself. Also, how involved is an installation of a non-powered subwoofer and an amp? The actual mounting is not a big concern, but the electrical connections, particularly how to get to them, are. I've installed stuff in other cars but I've been to scared to mess with the stuff in my Maxi for fear of necessitating a costly repair. Tell me what the deal is.
  • green_2green_2 Member Posts: 7
    man!! I just got my car back after the TSB and I can honestly say that it's much better now! I can actually drive around the parking lot at below 10mph and won't have my lunch shaken out of me! But the jerks are still there...just not nearly as bad as before!

    Yes, Just like bigk said, If I rev the engine up to at around 3000 RPM, the fuel cut still kicks in at 2500 rpm...haven't tried to hold it at other speeds yet.

    I think it sucks that this re-program works only for certin people...i just want to thank you all that have stuck with this problem and pressed Nissan to do something about it. I don't think enough credit is given to those people that tried, and some still trying, to make Nissan fix this nasty problem.

    Thanks and good luck!

    Green
  • gerapaugerapau Member Posts: 211
    Any Canadians have the TSB applied to their Maxima? Just wondering if it is available in Canada.
  • warrenulwarrenul Member Posts: 50
    Why is it that the TSB works for some but not for others? Then again why are there some Maximas that don't exhibit this problem? I think that there is something else wrong besides the ECM programming. I still think that the TPS has something to do with this. I think that those who first brought this to the dealership attention, misdiagnosed the problem and fiddled with the TPS. Then when Nissan USA finally put together a reprogram, those unfortuante Max owners who had their TPS's tampered with, did not benefit from the TSB.

    I consider davedzny an expert automotive technician and is highly qualified, and rightly so, to make a diagnosis on this issue. After he has driven my car on numerous occasions, he agrees that my car has minimal adverse effects of the "Fuel Cut" issue. Yes, the idle drops from 2500 to 1500 to 700, and there is a slight rpm rise between shifts, but there is no bucking while in gear, so go figure.

    I will not be electing to have the TSB performed, as are maximizd and Jorge, who's 2K Maxima's also drive fine.

    maxmized - You are the quintessential Maxima enthusist! The only thing you ain't got is a Maxima tattoo, too bad the Mrs. squashed that idea real fast...
  • opimaxopimax Member Posts: 73
    As far as I know my TPS has not been touched, even though I wish it had at one point. And my fuel cut is not as good as I would like (yet). It still drops directly to idle w/o stopping at an intermidiate point. As stated earlier I am not 100% sure that it was successfully updated.

    Mark
  • bigk200bigk200 Member Posts: 170
    The reprogramming was probably not stored permanantly and may need to be redone.
  • borisgudonovborisgudonov Member Posts: 36
    So am I to understand that none of you guys have done any car stereo installation in your Maximas? All of you have the Bose system? Or have you been able to be content with the fac?
  • warrenulwarrenul Member Posts: 50
    I don't think anyone here had any audio mods, however, why don't you try over in the Nissan Maxima Sedans thread. The discussion here specifically pertains to the drivability issues on the manual transmission Maximas. I have the Bose and it doesn't need any aftermarket upgrading.

    Good Luck.



    Click here for the hyperlink to Nissan Maxima
  • slotheadslothead Member Posts: 14
    Just had ECM reprogrammed on my 2k max built 6/99. I wasn't sure I wanted it done but was at dealer with print out for warped rotor TSB and figured maybe this would be worth while too.
    I didn't have the bad lower RPM fuel cut so bad, driving in traffic was never a problem. I had a cold stumbling problem and something I just got used too, I had to "blip" the throttle before I could start from a stand still or it would stall.
    It hasn't been cold enough to prove the stumbling is gone yet, but I can definitly start out smoother now, and all around drivability seems improved. (maybe in my head though)
    Now I just have to reprogram my head not to blip any more after doing it for 2 years.
    Thanks for all the info on this board, both were fixed for free due to links posted here.
  • flyinlowflyinlow Member Posts: 62
    My local dealer did the "fuel-cut" TSB on my 2000 Max/5-speed/49-state/17" wheel combination. It is much more pleasant to drive now, although it still cycles/lurches slightly at highway speeds and light throttle. The main improvements, and the main gripes I previously had, are in starting from a stop and driving slowly in 1st gear. Both are 100% better. I hadn't realized the adjustment I had been making, to blip and/or over-rev when starting out. Now it's as if the car has much better torque in the basement, because you can do a normal start by simultaneously engaging the clutch and increasing revs.

    One thing that nobody has mentioned, to my knowledge: you must have all the keys and remotes reprogrammed at the same time the computer is fixed. If you try to use a key that hasn't been reset, my dealer says you will be locked out and will have to have the car towed to a dealer for a complete reprogram. I had to make a quick trip back with the other keys.
  • bigk200bigk200 Member Posts: 170
    Your observations are 100% correct. I probably got the very first consumer version of the same fix back in January of 2000. I impressions were exactly the same as yours.

    Several people on this board have been glowing about how their Maxima has been "fixed"... However, my observations are the same as yours regarding the cycling/lurching that still occurs under light throttle conditions.

    The problem is not completely fixed, no matter how much people want to believe that it is.
  • chilly1chilly1 Member Posts: 9
    I had posted this in the regular Maxima thread, but after having read the posts here I wonder if the phenomina that my wife was experiencing isn't exactly what everyone here has been posting about.

    Any feedback that you guys can be provide would be great.

    The other question I now have, is that since y'all have experienced this phenomina, and having dealt with the dealers, would any of you repeat your purchase of your Maxima?

    Hello all,

    I have been following the conversations here recently and have found alot of good information.

    My wife and I test drove the 20th anniversary edition Maxima today and are very impressed. We are thinking of maybe going back to the dealer and seeing if we can't strike a deal this car.

    The car we drove was a 5 speed manual and I noticed that when accelerating the sifter seemed to "float" (for lack of better word). It felt like it would move back slightly or move forward slightly depending upon if you were speeding up or slowing down.

    My wife also said that she notice that while cruising an a nominal speed (around 45 mph) that the car would kind of skip every now and then. I did not notice this when I drove it, but I have to admit that I put the 227 horses to good use and did cruise while I was driving.

    Has anybody else notice any of these two things. They are just slight issues as far as I am concerned, however I want to make sure that this isn't a sign of bigger problems. The car we test drove had about 1K miles on it so I am wondering if this might not be a sign of some abuse.

    Any insights would be terrific, this would be our first Nissan and I just want to make sure I am not missing something here.
  • bigk200bigk200 Member Posts: 170
    In regard to the floating shifter, I haven't really noticed that on my car... maybe mine floats, but I haven't noticed.

    In regard to your wife noticing how the car would "skip" every now and then when cruising at 45 mph, that is EXACTLY a symptom of the fuel cut problem that has been discussed at length here on this forum. It occurs when the driver is trying to obtain small amounts of engine power, which is typical at moderate speeds on flat or moderate downhill roads.

    To read a full description of the fuel cut problem, go to message #3 in this forum. It can be accessed using the input box in the upper left corner of this screen.
  • bigk200bigk200 Member Posts: 170
    nm
  • kedsmaxkedsmax Member Posts: 2
    So - I bought my '01 SE, manual trans in Nov. and this information you all have posted on this board IS real. I need to check out when my car was manufactured, because I have gotten whip lash a couple of times from this issue. I've been driving stick since I learned how to drive and I from time to time have access to a '00 Pontiac Trans Am Ram Air (320 horses) and it doesn't do anything like the Max does when I'm rolling in traffic. At first I thought that I just wasn't used to the clutch....now that I read all that's posted - I'm beginning to think that it's for real.
    Anyone else find that shifting to 1st is difficult to do? It's not a smooth as going to 2nd - 5th and into reverse....it's been this way since day 1...just wondering if it's me....
  • danielldaniell Member Posts: 128
    If you mean the shifter action itself, it is not different (for my car, a 2000 GXE 5 speed) in the 1st from the other gears. If you find it different for your car, you should have it checked. I had a slight problem shifting from 2nd to 3rd, but this was when the car was new, now it's better.

    I still have problems launching smmothly even with the TSB done, since I still cannot keep constant RPMs below 3000 or so.
  • bigk200bigk200 Member Posts: 170
    It isn't in your head, its the car.

    What part of the country do you all live in? I'm in Kansas City. Opimax (Mark) is making a pilgramage to KC in early July. Were gonna get together and compare cars for an hour or two.
  • billcusbillcus Member Posts: 6
    I recently purchased a 2001 Maxima SE with 5 Speed Manual, which are really hard to find in the Midwest. I was concerned about the stories regarding the fuel cut problems. I've driven about 700 miles and so far the car runs great at all speeds. The engine is really smooth, strong and very quiet. Just for fun I tried the stationary test and reved the engine to 3000 rpms while in neutral. I then tried to ease back slowly on the gas to gradually reduce the rpms. To my surprise I could not do it. No matter how hard I tried the fuel would cut out and the rpms would drop rapidly. So, should I be concerned about this? As I said the car runs really well and the fuel cut does not manifest itself during normal driving. When decelerating the car will act a little "bumpy" or uneven but it is not a dramatic event. I don't want to ask Nissan to fix something if it is not broke. Also I was wondering if this problem only begins to show up after it has been driven a certain amount of miles or does it begin right away? Can anyone offer advice regarding the TSB? The car was built in Nov 00.
  • bigk200bigk200 Member Posts: 170
    If its driving characteristics do not bother you, then I would just leave it alone. To a large extent, it depends on how you drive your car and under what conditions you drive it.

    If you do a lot of stop and go driving, then it may bother you more. Also, if you like to cruise around at 35 or 40 mph in 3rd gear on streets with rolling hills, then it might begin to REALLY bother you.

    It is isn't something that will get worse with time.

    Your "bumpy" description is a somewhat accurate characterization. The times when it is the most maddening is when you try to ease off of the gas pedal to slow the engine down slightly. Just as the engine fails the stationary test, you will discover that you can't just "ease off" of the gas pedal. You will either get a lot of power or the fuel cut, but nothing in between.

    You say you are in the mid-west... what city are you in?
  • billcusbillcus Member Posts: 6
    Thanks for the advice. I live in Pekin, IL, a small town of about 35K 10 miles south of Peoria. My commute to work is 13 miles and involves no stop and go traffic. If more than two cars are backed up at a stop sign its considered a traffic jam. I bought my Max from a dealer in Peoria and he had to go to Rochester, Mn to get the 5 speed I wanted. I really like the car but I want it to be perfect, so I'm still struggling wether to apply the TSB or not. I think I'll call the dealer and feel out their service dept opinion on the matter. Although I think they have very little if any experience servicing a 5 speed.
    I have another question. On certain roads, for example the ones with little raised seams every 50 feet or so, I detect a light "thumping" noise coming from the rear of the Max. This occurs at moderate speeds 45 to 50 mph. Sounds almost like the spare tire might be loose but I think that's probably too simple. Could it be the 17 in Bridgestone tires? Anyone else experiece this symtom?
  • bigk200bigk200 Member Posts: 170
    I don't know about the thumping... maybe its the tires.

    I also forgot to mention that not everyone is happy with the TSB. I do not believe that it really fixes the problem, but you will have to judge for yourself.
  • opimaxopimax Member Posts: 73
    I will be in KC from the 5th through the 7th. I am meeting Bigk200 (Kevin) for a "mini meet" if anyone else has interest please post so we can all "hook up". the primary focus is the fuel cut and driving each others cars, but feel free to come for any reason

    Mark
  • sunnybluesunnyblue Member Posts: 1
    I just purchased a beautiful Grey Lustre 2001 Maxima GLE. I plan to keep this car for many years and want to keep it in the best possible condition. My concern is that my new car will be parked in an open parking lot for several hours a day while I'm at work. The car will be exposed to the elements as well as snow and road salt during the winter months. I'm concerned about the effect the weather will have on the paint job of my GLE. I am considering taking the car to a professional to have a clear coat paint protection and undercoating applied. I have heard that many companies guarantee that these coatings will last 5 years if properly maintained. I want to know if anyone has had these coatings applied to their Maxima and if so, did they do the job as expected. Should I even be concerned about this issue? Is the paint job and undercoating on the 2001 Maxima strong enough to handle the elements without any additional treatments?

    Thank you for your comments.
  • opimaxopimax Member Posts: 73
    to meet

    Mark A
    opimax@aol.com
  • green_2green_2 Member Posts: 7
    Well, I've driven well over 5000 miles since I last posted. (which is not too long, unfortunately) And the "lurking" is STILL there. Sometimes I can hardly feel it, and sometimes it's quite bad. I'm starting to think that it's more than an engine speed problem...it might be due to "loose gears" ie. the gears not messing correctly or if there is too much endplay. Don't know...but sure hope Nissan can manage this problem better.
  • bigk200bigk200 Member Posts: 170
    It is definitely not "loose gears"... in a nutshell, it is caused by excess air entering the engine through the idle control valve.

    When you step on the gas, the computer opens the idle control valve and allows more air into the engine than what you are allowing with the gas pedal. As you begin to let up on the gas pedal, the idle control valve remains open. Although you are trying to deprive the engine of air by releasing the gas pedal, it continues to get air through the idle control valve. Therefore, as you let off the gas, the engine continues to produce more power than you want... and then, when you have completely released the gas pedal, the computer sees a "closed throttle" voltage from the TPS (throttle position sensor), and it subsequently cuts fuel to the engine.

    It is NOT in your head and it is not related to the transmission... it is caused by excess air through the idle control valve.
  • davedznydavedzny Member Posts: 41
    I believe this is the company that Nissan uses for the programming of their ECU's.

    http://www.dspaceinc.com/en/Products/PCGS.htm

    It would be great if someone could reverse engineer the ECU with this software or something similar.......


    Dave Z

  • maxdavemaxdave Member Posts: 6
    I can't believe how quiet this board has gotten since the TSB to fix the fuel cut problem.

    Now, some advice please...how badly am I getting jerked around here.

    I went to the Nissan dealer to get the fuel cut fix done.

    The service manager after having my car all day told me that they were having problems with their computer. Well, it's been a couple of weeks now and they are still claiming that they can't download the program to their handheld.

    Is this a common problem and why is it taking them so long to fix it?

    Joe? any input....should I find another dealer to get it done?

    Dave
  • garnetblackgarnetblack Member Posts: 1
    I just bought a 2001 Max SE 5 speed Meridian ed. on June 2nd. It was a nightmare finding one in icelandic pearl w/ frost int. I found only one in 14 states and drove 7 hours to Ohio to buy it. But, I got a great deal on it ($1200.00 under invoice!)
    I will tell you that my 2001 has the fuel cut off problem in EVERY GEAR when the Tach is below 2200! Obviously it is most noticable in the lower gears. Once above 2200, the throttle is sweet. I am hoping the TSB corrects the problem for all gears.
    I just heard about a brake rotor TSB. I bought the car w/ 185 miles on it, and drove it according to the breakin schedule in the owners manual. After 1000 miles, the first time I got on the brakes hard, I could feel the steering wheel shaking which signified rotor warpage. Where can I find the info on the rotor TSB.
  • opimaxopimax Member Posts: 73
    Had the the TSB performed 2 services ago, well worth it! Just got 30 k done yesterday, said the car was out of specs already, seems to be about the best it has been after they adjusted stuff (idles higher now Kevin). Only driven it 15 miles so this may be a "honeymoon" effect. Go to a different dealer if they can't get it done. Call around and ask the advisor about it, print it out from the TSB list on Maxima.org 5th gen forum


    http://216.122.219.59/forums/showthread.php?s=ceb2ede2eca1849be166370d7789c499&threadid=29351,


    tell them you are ready to start a new relationship for service and butter them up!


    Still have warpage after replaced 4 rotors and turned the fronts once already after that, dealer says if it continues that is written down and they will be able to take care of me, and they are doing real well now, happy to say (Gaitherburg Nissan in MD)! good luck!


    Mark

  • y2ksey2kse Member Posts: 104
This discussion has been closed.

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