1999 Nissan Maxima

WHILE DRIVING MY CAR, IT STARTED TO MISS, SPUTTER, RUN BAD, VIBRATE AND ALMOST TURN OFF. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND AFTER HAVING THE CODES READ (P1320) AND RESEARCHING DTC P1320 AND/OR SPARK KNOCK (DETONATION) DUE TO IGNITION COIL (S). I FIND OUT THAT THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM WITH SEVERAL YEARS OF MAXIMAS. I ALSO FOUND OUT THAT THERE ARE NEWER COILS WITH A GRAY DOT, THAT IS TO BE USED TO REPLACE THE OLDER DEFECTIVE ONES. NOT ONLY ARE THE BAD ONES RECOMMENDED FOR REPLACEMENT, BUT ALL 6 ARE RECOMMENDED FOR REPLACEMENT. WHY IS THIS? I BELIEVE IS WAS BECAUSE OF A KNOWN DEFECT IN THE PARTS. I HAVE ALREADY REPLACED SEVERAL OF THESE COILS AND IT DON'T TAKE LONG BEFORE THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT IS BACK ON, AND THE CAR IS ONCE AGAIN MISFIRING AND GETTING BAD GAS MILEAGE BECAUSE OF CODE P1320, ANOTHER BAD COIL. NISSAN SHOULD RECALL THESE CARS AND FIX THIS CONTINUOUSLY ONGOING PROBLEM . THIS MISFIRING ON INTERSTATES AND BUSY ROADS AT HIGH SPEEDS CAN BE VERY DANGEROUS, BECAUSE IT SLOWS THE CAR DOWN ALL OF A SUDDEN AND COULD RESULT IN A REAR END CRASH. THIS MISFIRING ALSO RESULTS IN FUEL NOT BEING BURNED IN THE CYLINDER AND IS WASTED. *TR

I HAVE A 1999 NISSAN MAXIMA, 5-SPD, WITH 142K MILES. GENERALLY THE CAR IS A TREAT TO DRIVE AND I HAVE HAD NO SIGNIFICANT PROBLEMS TO DATE WITH ITS OPERATION. HOWEVER, UPON TRAVELING WESTWARD, FROM VA ALONG I-70 IN OH, THE CAR SIMPLY CUT OUT FROM ITS CURRENT SPEED AND STOPPED ACCELERATING AND BEGAN TO HESITATE AND BUCK. IT WAS AS THOUGH THE IGNITION COILS BRIEFLY STOPPED WORKING OR THE FUEL FILTER SUDDENLY BECAME CLOGGED WITH PARAFFIN. SINCE MY WIFE AND I WERE TRAVELING AT FREEWAY SPEEDS, THIS WAS A BIT DISCONCERTING. I IMMEDIATELY MOVED THE VEHICLE OVER TO THE FAR RIGHT LANE AND DEPRESSED THE GAS PEDAL FOR MORE FUEL. THAT ACTION WORKED BRIEFLY, BUT THEN THE CAR BUCKED REPEATEDLY AGAIN. WE WERE ABLE TO MANAGE THE REMAINING 80 MILES TOWARD HOME THEREAFTER. I FEEL THAT EITHER THE IGNITION COILS ARE MALFUNCTIONING W/O WARNING, OR THAT SOME OTHER MECHANISM OF FUEL FEED SYSTEM IS FAILING ALSO W/O WARNING. THE CAR DOES NOT KNOCK OR PING, MAYBE THE GASOLINE OR FUEL INJECTORS ARE FOULING (HOWEVER, I USE 87 RON GRADE GASOLINE, AND OFTEN ADD OCTANE BOOSTERS, I ALSO CLEAN THE FUEL INJECTORS BY RUNNING CHEVRON'STECHRON ABOUT EVERY 3500 MILES). THIS MAY SIGNIFY A SEVERE PROBLEM LURKING; I HOPE YOU CONSIDER ISSUING A RECALL FOR THE 1999 MAXIMA. *TR

MIL LIGHT ILLUMINATED. KNOCK AND SPARK FAILURE TROUBLE CODES. ERRATIC IDLE AND POWER SURGE AT OR ABOUT 2000 RPM. IN SOME CASES THE IDLE HAS BEEN ERRATIC ENOUGH FOR THE ENGINE TO STALL. THE PROBLEM IS NOT CONSISTENT AND IS TEMPERATURE DEPENDENT. COLD MORNINGS (LESS THAN 50 DEGREES F) CREATE THE MOST PROBLEMS. SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER ON ACCELERATION HAS PROVEN DANGEROUS. REPLACED IGNITION COIL PACKS, SIX PER CAR. *TR