Hi everyone,

I recently purchased a 2010 Nissan Maxima and have been trying to understand more about its performance. I’ve noticed occasional rough idling and minor hesitation when accelerating. I suspect it might be related to the engine, but I’m not entirely sure.

Could anyone share their experiences or advice on keeping the Nissan Maxima 3.5 engine running smoothly?

Are there common maintenance issues I should watch for, or specific parts that tend to fail over time?

Any tips on improving reliability and performance would be greatly appreciated.

 

thanks in advance for any help

 

First thing I would ask is, have you scanned the car for any present or pending DTCs/codes? Usually a check engine light will be present if the car is running poorly.

A common problem on the 3.5L VQ35DE is the cam and crank sensors wearing out. This can cause hard start issues, random stall issues, and also trigger limp mode. Usually these start having problems between 120 - 150k mi and should only be replaced with OEM sensors. If you're experiencing a rough idle or hesitation, I would start looking for a vacuum leak. Make sure your intake tube isn't cracked and check all your PCV hoses for cracks or splitting, these items are common causes for vacuum leaks which can lead to lean conditions, poor idle, and poor throttle response. The valve covers are another area I would inspect. It's common on higher mileage engines to get oil leaks at the spark plug tube seals, which can foul out the plugs and coil packs. If you pull any coil packs that are soaked in oil, then it's time to replace the valve covers.

Other engine performance related maintenance items to consider. Cleaning the throttle body, again depending on the mileage/condition of the car, it's not a bad idea to clean the throttle body. Just note that a throttle position relearn & idle air volume relearn will need to be performed after the cleaning. All 2010 Maximas were equipped with a CVT gearbox, Nissan has a bad reputation for failures with the CVTs used in many of their vehicles. I bring this up because sometimes transmission issues can look and feel like problems with the engine.

I would have the vehicle inspected by a professional who knows Nissans and get their opinion. You didn't give details like mileage, condition, prior history, etc... so it's very possible there are underlying problems with the transmission.
Good Luck!
-Icer