# '07 Maxima loss of power



## johnnys07max (Mar 6, 2007)

Hi, I just found this forum and would like to throw this out ther to see if anyone has had this problem. I just purchased an '07 Maxima SL 2 weeks ago. Friday night while coming home from work and about 20 miles into the trip on the parkway, the car just started loosing power, slowing from 65 down to 40. When pushing the gas harder the thing starts to buck and the tach starts bouncing up and down. Pulled off the road and the car idled fine, no check engine or any other light and the temp was normal. Tried to go again and the car got up to 40 and started doing the same thing. Was able to get off a nearby exit and called Nissan dealer. They advised me to have it towed in, which I did. They had the car all day Saturday and could find nothing stored in the computer and could not duplicate the problem. I took the car home Saturday night and took it on a 50 mile drive, driving it at times like I stole it and it performed perfectly. Anyone have any idea's? This happened right after going through an EZ Pass toll. Could this have caused the electronics in the car to have a brainfart that cleared after it was shut down and restarted? It kind of makes me uncomfortable that they didnt find anything. Sorry for the long post, but any help would be appreciated.:newbie:


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## 2ndb18 (Oct 24, 2004)

how much gas was in it? What dealership did you take it too? CVT tranny?


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## johnnys07max (Mar 6, 2007)

It had over 1/2 tank of gas in it. We took it in to Pine Belt Nissan in NJ and yes it does have the CVT tranny. We now have about 1100 miles on it, we had around 685 on it when this first happened.


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## johnnys07max (Mar 6, 2007)

Well, it happened again last night. This time It threw a check engine light and the TCS and Slip lights came on and stayed on. I was able to make it off the highway, but the car would not take any throttle input without misfiring. I coasted off into a parking lot and shut it down. This all happened within 1/2 mile of my dealer, so I waited about 5 minutes and restarted the car. The TCS and Slip light went out but the check engine stayed on. I was able to put the car in gear and drive without misfiring, so I drove it to the dealer lot and left it there. I wasnt waiting another hour and a half for roadside assistance again. Of course this was 7:30 at night so service was closed. At least this time it threw a light, which should give them something to look for.


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## mints33 (Mar 14, 2007)

Hey, any updates on your max yet?


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## johnnys07max (Mar 6, 2007)

They changed out the crank position sensor.


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## Jays07MaximaSE (Mar 21, 2007)

*Engine Whine, Slow Starts and Gas Mileage*

Hey guys, maybe you could answer this for me. I've noticed just today that when slowing to a stop from 25mph or more (the windows were down and it was quiet outside, that's the only reason I could hear it) the engine, transmission or both make(s) a whining sound. What is that? Hopefully my car isn't the only one!

Also, it seems as if the CVT transmission trys to keep the car at too low of an RPM to get good acceleration up through about 35mph, unless you give it a pretty good amount of gas. Why is that? I'm all for the technology, but it makes me feel as if the car is lame off the line. What's the deal? 

One more question, why does the estimated MPG range say 21-28 if the avg. MPG I've been getting is no more than 21.2? That hardly seems right, huh?

Thanks guys!!

Jay
[email protected]


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## johnnys07max (Mar 6, 2007)

Hey Jay, I havent noticed any whine while slowing down, but I've only had my Maxima for about a month now and I really havent driven it with the windows down. I am going to do so later on to see if I have the whine.

As far as the CVT goes, I have noticed the same thing as you. If you are fairly light on the pedal the car upshifts pretty quickly and keeps the rpm's down. This tranny is a very different animal than the normal 5 or 6 speed tranny, so my theory is that this is normal. Even in a regular 5 or 6 speed auto, if you are light on the throttle, the shifts come much quicker and keep the rpm's lower than if you stomp on it for heavy acceleration. With the CVT the gear ratios are continuously varying, hence the name CVT, which I believe further enhances the feeling you are getting. In other words, the modern tranny both CVT and conventional are very smart and they know by your throttle input what you are trying to do. Having them work this way helps with fuel efficiency. You dont want the car to be screaming up to 4 grand for every shift if it is not necessary as this would use more fuel. If you dont want to feel lame off the line, you just need to use more throttle input, this will hold the shiftpoints higher. One thing I have noticed about the car is that it doesnt like to be floored and it seems that if you put the engine much above 4500 to 5000 rpm's you are far enough out of the power band that it doesnt seem to accelerate as quickly. It seems to perform better with a steady rolled on throttle.

As far as your MPG's go, mine are right on par with yours. I will admit that it is a little dissapointing, but most people dont realize that the EPA testing in no way duplicates real world driving so the figures are kind of inflated a little. This is supposed to be corrected for the '08 model year, when they change the testing standards. Basically you are going to see a decrease in vehicle mpg ratings across the board, which will probably make the numbers a little more realistic. I would say the only way you are going to see 28 mpg in your Max is by driving the whole tank of fuel strictly on the highway and by keeping your speed at no more than 60 to 65 mph.

I will post back on the whine after I get a chance to check for it.


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## cdmorenot (Dec 22, 2005)

the transmission electronically positions the pulley where it wants it to be.. so yes.. they all whine... you hear it in every CVT car out there.. i actually love the whine.. it's somewhat... cute.. hahaha ..

can i ask you guys something... on ur 07. when you step on the gas pedal.. and you floor it.. does it have like a "POP" feature on it.. kinda like that one found in BMWs ? because when i floor mine.. then i step on it harder and i feel response when the pedal "POPS". ??


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## johnnys07max (Mar 6, 2007)

Ok, I drove the car tonight with the windows down. If you are referring to a faint whistle type noise, more than a whine, then yes my Max does make that noise. So like cdmorenot said, it must be a characteristic of the tranny. Also, to answer his question, yes, the throttle does pop just before it hits the floor.


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## 2ndb18 (Oct 24, 2004)

27mpg is with the most perfect variables out there. It is very hard to get the EPA high average. Remember, its a pretty powerful v6, your not gonna get much more than 20


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