No acceleration

[e40street]

I have a 2001 Anniversary Edition Maxima SE and driving on the highway it has very little acceleration when the pedal is floored. While driving on a flat road if I need to pass a truck and I floor it the RPMs increase but there's no torque and very minimal acceleration. And that acceleration is slow and gradual but the engine is revved up like I'm racing another Maxima. Has anyone come across this problem?
Also I got a code for my catalytic converter the other day. I don't know cat/con to go bad or be a problem on these cars. Any tips besides replace it? Thanks!!

[Nahkapohjola]

Pwr is plentiful, RPM rises, wheels wont spin: pwr is lost 'during' transmission.

Mileage? Manual -or- A/T?

Anytips for the ECU 'lottery codes', see link p14 below.

[BeZerK2112]

Most likely stemming from a transmission problem. Check the fluid color and give us year, how many miles, and if its an auto or manual.

[e40street]

It's an automatic transmission. Talking with some mechanically inclined frined and they seem to think it sounds like a transmission issue. Fluids are good and all systems were power flushed 1 year ago. I bought the car used almost 3 yrs ago and this has always been an issue. The transmission fluid color is good not dirty. The car has 115,000 miles on it too. It runs and drives great just no get up and go like I know a Max is supposed to have.

[Nahkapohjola]

You did not check the link did ya?

IF - "this has always been an issue." - is true and oil is ok, then there are a couple of things to be checked, valve upgrade, etc before tranny swap. Try now: http://www.cardomain.com/ride/748507/24

[e40street]

Nahkapohjola, I followed that link and it has some great info!! Thanks now I have a better idea of where to start. I will report what comes out of it.

[e40street]

Well I took it to a Nissan dealership and they said it was my catalytic converter. I didn't think that was the problem and I knew that problem existed from the check engine code. They changed the cat converter and it didn't fix the problem. In fact 1 week later the check engine light came back on for the cat converter again!! The O2 sensors checked fine.

[Nahkapohjola]

Originally Posted by e40street

...changed the cat converter and it didn't fix the problem...

Whata surprise. Hopefully u didnt pay that expedition... I guess it [CAT] has to be some lucrative stealership warranty issue.

A/T has its own ctrl electronics & diagnostics program - has anybody checked that out? For the lottery errorcodes read http://www.cardomain.com/ride/748507/14 - start from checking charge voltage at ECU.

Find a tranny specialist and pay for inspection: with that knowledge ask quotations from three other shops. Then ask references which one might be able to fix it. Also check out how much a replacement tranny would cost.

[drobster4045]

Your Mass Air Flow meter is bad. this is normal for 2000-03 maximas. Nissan didn't want to issue a recall.. around 300 bucks to fix. I had the same problem, very dangerous on the highway.

[e40street]

DING,DING,DING,DING!!!! Give that young man( drobster4045) the prize!! Mass Airflow Sensor is what they are saying now!! I talked to other Nissan mechanics and they said that when it goes it will give you codes for Catalytic Converter and O2 sensors but the root cause is most often Mass Airflow Sensors. Nissan charges $400-500 for the part. Does anyone know where I can get one cheaper for 2001 Max 3.0?
And again thanks drobster4045 !!

[Nahkapohjola]

MAF may be problematish ... but it cannot makedo this = what u stated in the beginning: "...the RPMs increase but...the engine is revved up like I'm racing..." ... that text means definitely tranny slipping. If tranny is ok -then- the text isnt.

MAF may also 'kill' the engine; unplugging MAF connector will enable driving in safe mode =2.2k rpm ceiling.

[zoemayne]

I have the same problem the transmission changes perfectly fine but after the car has been driven for about 40 mins the rpm will rev up and the vehicle will do only about 30 mph and shut down. took it to a mechanic and he simply hooked it up to a computer and found that 3 of the 4 O2 sensors were giving an error. So i had him replace the sensors w/ sensors form advanced auto parts. 3 wks later the vehicle does not shut down any more but it will still rev up and do max speed of about 30 mph. I know its not the tranny b/c the tranny does not do anything wrong(I can easilly tell if a tranny is slippn...). The transmission was rebuilt 40k miles ago.

I took the car back the the same mechanic and he hooked it up to a computer and found that 2 of the sensors (the upper ones) are giving erros so I am having them replaced tommorow(they're under warranty). I'm having three of them replaced just to be safe. I noticed a major difference between the defective and non-defective sensors. The defective ones were black kind of burned out even though they've been on the car for less than a month. The good sensor (the lower one)has been on the car for the same ammount of time yet it is still shiny. I hope that my car did not cause the sensors to go bad but im replacing the spark plugs b/c the car has ~120k and they've never been replaced and there is a possibility that they could be causing the O2 seosors to burn out....????? But from what I've read here it may be the MAF sensor.


Isn't the computer suppose to know if its the MAF sensor? I might have to replace that if these sensor replacements dont solve the problem. But the sensor is going for 4-5 hundred.... :@(. Maybe I need to replace the 4th sensor?

Please Let me know what is the status of your situation e40street i appreciate any help.

[Nahkapohjola]

Originally Posted by zoemayne

...im replacing the spark plugs b/c the car has ~120k and they've never been replaced...

High time to do some real maintenance on your ship before it sinks...

Model?

MAF can be tested with multimeter and/or self diag and/or Nissan diag tool. Dont replace if no indication there...

One guess: A/T line pressure solenoid valve is controlled via TCU (=pressure varies). When u have the problem ON, disconnecting the pressure bypass resistor plug, would bypass any pressure related ctrl problem = tranny would get full pressure. If pressure is too low for any reason, slipping occurs.

Lots intermittent problems occur b/c of this: http://www.cardomain.com/ride/748507/14

[zoemayne]

its a 2000 se maxima. i tried to do the plugs at 100k at the dealer but they said there was no need and charged me $300 for an oil change basically. what should i have done as maintenance at this point? do i have to change the spark plug wires on this car? ngk platinum spark plugs are correct? I have to oem airfilter i'll clean it and put it back in.....


as i said i highly doubt the tranny is slipping it does not feel as if anything is wonr w/ the tranny.

[Nahkapohjola]

Originally Posted by zoemayne

...as i said i highly doubt the tranny is slipping it does not feel as if anything is wonr w/ the tranny.

---> "but it will still rev up and do max speed of about 30 mph."

Maybe I am here missing smtg? To me that sounds like engine running, transmission slippin. Please add more.

Read NGK.com pages; 60k is plat plug swap interval. Stealership want revenue, not work.

Coilpacks are the real cause for bad spark. Six of them, typically start going after 100k. Easy DIY swap, just do it (search this site for 'coilpack' and see how it goes).

MAF is a known problem in that model, but as said, it can be tested.

Connectors need cleaning. Alternator brushes will go at 100k. http://www.cardomain.com/ride/748507/23
Boots inspected. http://www.cardomain.com/ride/748507/25
Tranny oil lasts 2-3 yrs 50k miles. http://www.cardomain.com/ride/748507/24

Shocks have to be swapped at 60k. Otherwise u are sailing... brk distance gets longer, snow traction really worse, all wheel related things wear out...

Brk Pads checked. Brake maintenance; every 2 yrs fluid change etc ...: http://www.cardomain.com/ride/748507/18

Those are not cosmetics but dangerous if omitted. If brk fluid is original, lots water is in. You may totally loose brakes due to water boil down a steep hill. Like the idea? Or ending into ditch b/c of bad shocks?

Also read your car maint table from FSM.

Never visit again the mentioned stealership.