1995 QX Maxima cutting out at high speed.

[Riceburner]

Can anyone help me with this issue?

Our 1995 QX Maxima 2.0V6 (UK model) has started to behave oddly at motorway speeds.

Over about 80mph (ahem) the electrical power dips, the ABS light comes on dimly, and the radio dies.

Then the engine starts to splutter as if the ignition is dying and the car obviously loses power.

Brake, to move over, and the power comes back!

This first happened 2 weeks ago whilst my wife was driving, on a regular 260 mile run. My initial thoughts were that the loose bonnet (caused by the support strut for the bonnet catch rusting away at the bottom end) was causing the plunger type kill switch, mounted near the front of the engine bay, to activate, and this was killing the electrical power. I taped the switch down temporarily, and I drove the car back with no issues.

This past week I "bodged" the bonnet support strut so that the bonnet no longer moved about so much, (I bolted an aluminium strut onto the lower inner surface of the bumper which braced the support strut), and, assuming that I'd fixed the issue temporarily, I untaped the plunger kill switch.

Today, on the same run, my wife (driving alone), had the same thing happen, at speed. She pulled over, taped up the switch again, and continued. Unfortunately the problem returned and at lower and lower speeds.

The problem still appears to "cure" itself upon application of the brakes, and once (possibly co-incidentally??) when she went over a bump in the road surface.

Question - Has anyone else suffered a similar issue, and if so, what was the solution?? We're looking to sell the car anyway, but this is a bit of a safety issue, and my wife still has to use the car regularly, (and drive home tomorrow!).

Hope someone can help!!

[MaximA32]

I would check your belts. Might be possible that the belts are slipping while the engine is at a higher RPM while cruising.

[NISTECH]

Sounds like you loosing a connection. Check for corroision in the 2 plugs attached to the positive battery cable connector. BEfore you unplugg them have the car idling and gently pull back on the 2 connectors and see if the car stalls. It will take very little pulling to cause the car to stall. If it does this is your problem.

If you find know air there you may have an ignition coil shorting internally[ this is assuming you have the same coil over plug set up us 3.0 v6 maximas have] This one may be a little more difficult to isolate as you wont be able to tell which coil is causing it. Seen this one a few times on the old USDM J30 maximas.

[Riceburner]

Cheers all, it now seems to be happening at 60 and using ANY electrical equipment causes the car to cut out.

Will check the terminals and belts, or have them checked!