2000 Maxima service engine soon.

No way of telling without knowing the code(s) that have been set. Could be most anything.

Maybe you're gas cap was not screwed down tightly.

As said before, no codes, nobody knows could be anything.

Mine came on too. My 2000 has 117,000 miles and had coils and MAF replaced on warranty. I bet myself that it would indicate O2 Sensor. I went to my local O'Reilly Auto store and used their code reader. Sure enough, I got a PO140. That indicates heated oxygen sensor 2, bank 1.

The OBDII code (read at AutoZone) reads:

P0171 - The PCM has determined that during testing, the fuel system for bank

1 was too lean.

But the guy at AutoZ>> My 2000 Maxima with 80,000 miles just had the service engine soon light

Hmmm..I get the same "service engine soon" light on my just-acquired

1999 Maxima GLE. I got it at Carmax, which furnished a long list of checks they carried out (I hope!) finding everything OK.

So wondering how we can find out what, if anything that light means...

Chris, what do you mean about "codes"?

Thanks

Newbie

PO171 With the Air/Fuel Mixture Ratio Self-Learning Control, the actual mixture ratio can be brought closely to the theoretical mixture ratio based on the mixture ratio feedback signal from the front heated oxygen sensors. The ECM calculates the necessary compensation to correct the offset between the actual and the theoretical ratios. In case the amount of the compensation value is extremely large (The actual mixture ratio is too lean.), the ECM judges the condition as the fuel injection system malfunction and light up the MIL

Malfunction is detected when fuel injection system does not operate properly, the amount of mixture ratio compensation is too large. (The mixture ratio is too lean.) Possible Cause

I Intake air leaks I Front heated oxygen sensor I Injectors I Exhaust gas leaks I Incorrect fuel pressure I Lack of fuel I Mass air flow sensor

This is interesting but highly technical information that goes over the head of the average owner.

Any other "average owners" out there who have found solution to the "service engine soon" light?

BTW. Mine is a 99 Maxima GLE.

Its technical because there are over 300 different error codes that can cause the check engine light to come on,,,,,,,!!!

If you do not like the light, and do not want to fix the problem, then take the bulb out of the light - thats your "non technical" fix.

D>>

Thanks for all of your replies - it turned out to be the mass airflow sensor. As much as I dreaded to do it, I went to the dealer and after 1 hour of diagnostics and test driving they got it right the first time. All I got from other mechanics was "well we'll replace this and that..."

What will really grip your butt is that the Air Flow Sensor for this car can be had for about $110. See this site.

It was - it was nice to have a dealer do the up front diagnostic work to determine what the problem was instead of just replacing parts like other mechanics wanted to do. (Maybe the extra $ is worth it after all......)

I saw your answer to the poor soul who wanted non-technical input from other members.

"Dump"???!!!!!

That's pretty unfriendly.

Another non-techie

...snippage...

So you want a non technical answer to a highly technical problem?

I dont think "dump" was to harsh. One other poster spent his time to type up an entire page of possible "technical" issues that could have been the problem.

The response back was "oh thats to technical" can anybody just tell me how to make the light go off.

The non technical way to get the light to go off is to take it to the dealer. Only the dealers have the expertise and equipment to work of these cars.

N>On Sat, 19 Aug 2006 02:12:24 GMT, snipped-for-privacy@netscape.com wrote: >

I was among several who raised the original issue. I guess I was trying to ask whether the light is a real warning or just a buggy light. The fact that several owners of this model report the same phenomenon made me wonder if there is a real problem. Taking the bulb out is closing one's eyes to the issue. Some people can't afford a big dealer bill for what might be a chimera.

Pax!

Aspasia l

Aspasia