My friend needs help with his Maxima really bad!!

  • Thread starter Thread starter Fire0nic3
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Fire0nic3

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Ok so I need some help with my friends car like really really bad. I've been driving him around since his car is currently at the Nissan dealership. So this is what happened:


My friend was driving his Maxima SE the other day. While driving the SES and VDC off light came on. The car started to lose power like it was in limp mode or something. It was like in this low gear and wouldn't changed gears. You had to floor it to get it to go. Then it finally died and he had to restart the car. He managed to get it to the local Nissan dealer.


So when it while it was there, they pulled up the SES light code on the scanner. It came up as a crankshaft position sensor code. They ordered the crankshaft position sensor, received it and installed it. The car starts to act normal again, but the moment he drives it off the lot, the car looses complete power and won't go when giving it gas, but the engine revs up. It was like it was in park but he had it in drive. You could feel it wanting to go but it just wouldn't. Brought it back in the the crankshaft position code is still pending and the light for it came back on again even after he changed the sensor.


Next the mechanic inspected the wiring going to the crank position sensor. He checked the voltage in the wiring and made sure there were no open circuits. He cleaned up the ground wires and changed some relay. He drove it around and the car still is acting the same way and the light came on.


Next he reprogrammed the engine computer and replaced it, drove around and the car still acts the same way and the SES light is still on. So it wasn't a computer glitch or error. He even changed the entire engine harness and wire that goes to the crank sensor. But still no luck and the car is acting the same with the SES light on.


My friend called up the Nissan dealership today to see what was going on with the car to see if they have figured anything out on it. Now the mechanic is saying it's the flywheel and they are going to order and replace it. Even though their replacing it he still doesn't know if that's going to even fix it. It looks like they've tried just about everything.


Does anyone have any idea what's going on? My friend really needs some help!:tdown:
 
Can't be the throttle body since the code came up for crankshaft related.
 
usually when crank sensors go bad the car wont restart. Crank signal is one of the things a cars reads in order to start. The fact that you said it revved up but didnt move sort of sounds like a tranny issue?
 
it does sound like a transmission problem.. the engine is good to go but the transmission is crippled by not changing into gear.. once they open it and change the fly wheel they might found other problems with it and completely solved them..

keep us update.. i want to know the end of the story..
 
Rubare said:
it does sound like a transmission problem.. the engine is good to go but the transmission is crippled by not changing into gear.. once they open it and change the fly wheel they might found other problems with it and completely solved them..

keep us update.. i want to know the end of the story..
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I forgot to add that when shifting from park to drive and reverse, the whole entire car would make a HUGE clunk noise like the tranny was going to fall out in the road.

His car has 108K miles on it and he kept the tranny fluid changed and flushed every 30K miles.

For now I'll keep driving him around till next week. They said the flywheel won't be coming in till Tuesday.
 
I actually work at AAMCO Transmissions, Huge clunk when shifting gears could be motor or tranny mounts. Could also be a very aggressive engagement in the tranny which could mean major tranny problems are not too far away. Good luck to you both. Wish I could be more help.
 
I'm just wondering how could a messed up flywheel or tranny pull a crankshaft position sensor code?


And it can't be motor or tranny mounts since he replaced those a few months ago. Besides this clunking noise showed it's ugly head during this whole SES light situation.
 
im not 100% sure on a maxima because to tell you the truth we almost see none at the shop, but I know on quite a few cars like a Dodge Caravan for example the crank sensor actually reads the flywheel in order to start the car. If the sensor is defective or not set in properly the car wont even start

---------- Post added at 06:29 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:28 PM ----------

so to make a long story short they kind of work hand in hand
 
PlatinumFX said:
im not 100% sure on a maxima because to tell you the truth we almost see none at the shop, but I know on quite a few cars like a Dodge Caravan for example the crank sensor actually reads the flywheel in order to start the car. If the sensor is defective or not set in properly the car wont even start

---------- Post added at 06:29 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:28 PM ----------

so to make a long story short they kind of work hand in hand
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Thanks for the info!

Actually all of this first started when he was in stop and go traffic and the car just completely shut off itself. When he did restart it, you had to push the pedal all the way to the floor to get it to go. Otherwise the car acted like it wasn't even in drive and more of park or neutral.
 
So it's possible that it's the flywheel like what the dealer stays? Assuming that the flywheel is a part of the tranny since I don't know too much about the mechanical parts of a tranny lol.
 
I'm no tranny expert but I'm a bit confused. You said the shop advised it was a problem with the flywheel. Yet, you mentioned drive and neutral. Unless Nissan automatics are completely different than every other automatic, he shouldn't have a flywheel. Automatics have a flexplate... manuals have a flywheel.
 
FNGee said:
I'm no tranny expert but I'm a bit confused. You said the shop advised it was a problem with the flywheel. Yet, you mentioned drive and neutral. Unless Nissan automatics are completely different than every other automatic, he shouldn't have a flywheel. Automatics have a flexplate... manuals have a flywheel.
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Well I mean flex plate. The mechanic and advisor was calling it a fly wheel even though the tranny is an automatic. I guess he means flex plate. All he described it was as a circular shaped disc.

---------- Post added at 09:12 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:10 PM ----------
wiseguywm said:
those damn CVT's i just don't trust them. if it wasn't for the CVT in the murano i would have probabily kept it. i'm willing to bet the trans is the culprit. :tdown:
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It has no CVT. Only 2007-2008 models had CVT trannys. It's a 5 speed auto.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
It sure sounds tranny related but you should get your friend to go on Nissanhelp.com or Maxima.org and search out some info.
 
Is that Maxima a cvt?

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---------- Post added at 07:37 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:37 PM ----------

Nevermind. I missed the part where you said it's not a cvt... ;)

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Well I mean flex plate. The mechanic and advisor was calling it a fly wheel even though the tranny is an automatic. I guess he means flex plate. All he described it was as a circular shaped disc.
Click to expand...

OIC... I'd say they are more than likely right. Unfortunately, it's not very encouraging considering your friend has done proper maintenance. I haven't read of too many issues with Nissan transmissions. Did he buy it new or used? If used, at what mileage did he pick it up?
 
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