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1997 Nissan Maxima P0301 and P0325 Fault: Sputtering, Lurching, and Engine Dies in Drive - Diagnosis and Fixes

Model: 1997 Maxima Fault Code: P0301 Posted: 2012-01-30 15:59

I own a 1997 Nissan Maxima that has recently started throwing diagnostic trouble codes P0301 and P0320. The vehicle exhibits severe sputtering and randomly lurches back and forth while driving. Today, it performed this behavior approximately six times within half an hour before suddenly dying on the road. I safely pulled over, put the car in park, and restarted it. Normally, the engine starts immediately and runs smoothly—however, this time, after starting, it would die as soon as I shifted into drive. After waiting several minutes and retrying, I managed to get it started again and made it to work, needing to repeat the restart process once more. I have no clear idea which of these codes is responsible for the symptoms. Both components—especially the spark plug and coil pack—are quite expensive, so I need reliable advice before proceeding. I already replaced the #1 cylinder spark plug with no improvement. Tonight, I plan to test the ignition coil on cylinder 1 as a next step. Any insights or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Related fault codes
P0301P0325
Comments (2)
Anonymous 2012-02-07 06:51

P0301 indicates a misfire in Cylinder 1, and P0325 points to an issue with the knock sensor circuit. These codes often point toward ignition system faults—such as faulty spark plugs or coil packs. Given that you've already replaced the #1 spark plug without resolution, it's reasonable to suspect a failing coil pack on that cylinder. I recommend testing the coil pack next, especially since misfires in Cylinder 1 are commonly linked to this component.

Anonymous 2012-02-07 07:22

I replaced the coil pack for Cylinder 1 and it didn't resolve the issue. The car then triggered a MAF sensor fault code, so I swapped out the MAF sensor two days ago. Since then, the vehicle has not sputtered or died during operation—no lurching or stalling in drive. It appears the MAF sensor was the root cause. This is a helpful case for others facing similar symptoms on 1997 Maxima models with P0301 and P0325 codes.