10th Mar 2007, 15:50

My Nissan Maxima 2000 has the same problem as someone posted on Feb. 7th. The car starts fine, but will not idle (and die) unless you keep you foot slightly on the gas. Then it runs normal. Any suggestion to fix this problem? Thanks.

11th Mar 2007, 11:27

Try replacing your Mass Air Flow Meter. They cost about $80-$100. Very easy to replace. It is located on the air intake by the Air Filter, 4 screws than your done. I would also suggest after the repair you disconnect your negative battery cable for a few hous to let the ECM reset. Hope this helps.

17th Mar 2007, 18:56

I to have a 2000 GLE. My service engine soon light just came on. I have been contemplating getting a new car and am now afraid it might be the O2 sensor or something worse. Obviously to pass inspection by both the state and a potential dealer buyer I will need it to be fixed. I felt when I bought the car that I was duped into buying the extended warranty, but it helped when many of my warning lights started coming on a few years back. I took it to Nissan. They said nothing was wrong. Only after doing some internet research did I find it to be a coil issue that was partially covered by the warranty, but because of labor and other things still shelled out $700. If it ends up being a major expense, I am dumping this car because as nice as it looks, for a car with less than 60,000 miles, I shouldn't be paying out this much.

22nd Mar 2007, 10:02

I too, have a 1999 Nissan Maxima. It runs great actually although the check engine light has been on for years. We bought it used. It has always passed emissions until this year. Now we are sinking $700.00 into it. We also have a 2003 Altima. The Altima did have a recall for a "sensor" problem. We brought it in and they did what they had to do. The next day the car wouldn't start easily. It always started first try, now we were having to give it a little gas. They said to bring in back, and they had to do something else, I think they called it "relearn" it. Anyway they fixed it again, and then it was fine again. Now guess what..3 months later the light comes on sporadically. I guess we will ignore it until emissions time. We will never buy another Nissan!

25th Mar 2007, 21:23

I have 2000 maxima. The comments were helpful.

After replacing the cold intake (I had one after market), thinking this will solve the poor performance.

I have the following codes:

P0100 mass air flow meter, p0105 map, p0505 idle control.

I do not know where to start?

I am thinking to start with the mass air flow meter.

29th Mar 2007, 06:53

I have a 96 Maxima, and have been going through the same issues. I realize that the Nissan engineers thought they had designed a good warning system to help diagnosis problems, but it just seems that the dealers are reacting to the check engine lights like trained monkeys.

Now I have managed to eliminate light with an IACV replacement. And I expect the light to come back on. Replacement did not stop hesitations or stalling. Issues occur after engine is warm - 20 minutes of driving, not idling.

So next is MAF replacement. I will attempt to do myself.

Bottom line is it is time to replace car. The dealer service folks will never tell me this, just that I have to react to the light. So here goes, I have reached my limit. One more replacement and this is it.

On Maxima.org the folks are very knowledgeable, but I am not a mechanic, and finding a reliable one who understands is extremely difficult. Since I don't want to deal with this anymore I have two choices: newer/different car or older car without all the sensors, ECM etc.

We live in the computer age, and sometimes it is a nightmare!

28th May 2007, 19:17

My Last post was in Dec of 2006. It has now been almost 6 months and my SES light is still lit. The codes keep directing me to the O2 sensors. I have replaced them all. The car still drives well. Light occasionally goes out, but always comes back on after a few hundred miles.

29th May 2007, 14:53

I am having my car towed to reputable repair shop now. All of the same problems. Now it sounds like the engine is done. It is so unbelievable that EVERY Nissian maxima owner is having the EXACT same problems. Only 70k miles on this car. It's been in the family 7 years.

20th Jun 2007, 15:09

I, too have a 2000 Maxima SE, bought at 23K miles. It ran beautifully up until a year and a half ago. Same issues as all the rest, Check Engine Light for several days or weeks, then goes off. Told on a routine oil change/check-up that the program code was for the oxygen sensors. Car runs rough or loses power going up hills! I am going to try the Mass Air Flow Meter and see if that does the trick. When I turn the car off in the garage, there is a funny exhaust smell. Does the loss of power and funny exhaust smell indicate the Mass Air Flow Meter or maybe the catalytic converter issue??? I think I should get a new car!!!

11th Jul 2007, 15:39

I am another happy owner of a 2000 Maxima SE. I have owned the car since new, and, to be fair, had few problems with it for the first 100,000 miles. Well, the rear struts had to be replaced and the front brakes redone and then there was the rear oxygen sensor and one of the coils. But in the last couple of months I have had two more oxygen sensors replaced along with the air mass sensor... and the SES light has come on again and glows merrily. I would have just ignored it except that fuel economy on the highway has dropped to 20 mpg. Now the dealer service department cannot find which coil is bad (they guess it is a coil). They couldn't find it a month or two ago either, but still charged me the diagnostic fee... as they did this time.

I have thought it cheaper to repair than to buy something else, but the stories of woe here make me wonder. But Toyota has its engine sludge problem and Honda has that transmission issue. Where do you turn?

It's all quite a dilemma.