Black Smoke & Stalling FX: MAF Sensor or Something Worse?

Hey there, I had similar issues with my 2005 Infiniti G35 last summer. The symptoms you're describing sound exactly like what I experienced the black smoke, stalling, and power loss were spot on. Initially, I thought it was the MAF sensor too, but when I took it to the garage, they found significant damage to the engine wiring harness. Apparently, some rodents had chewed through several important cables, causing multiple sensor failures and erratic engine behavior. The fix required replacing sections of the wiring harness and reconnecting several engine management sensors. It was pretty serious since the damaged wiring was affecting multiple engine systems. The repair took about two days to complete, but it solved all the issues no more stalling, smoke, or power loss. If you're in this situation, I'd strongly recommend getting a proper diagnostic done rather than just replacing the MAF sensor. Electrical issues can be tricky to diagnose without the right equipment. Hope this helps.

Thanks for sharing your experience! That definitely sounds similar to what happened with my FX. The wiring harness issue is something I hadn't considered good catch! Just wondering, do you remember roughly how much the repair ended up costing you? Also, has everything been running smoothly since then, or have you noticed any other issues pop up? I'm trying to get a sense of what I might be in for here.

Hey again! Glad I could help! Just wanted to give you a quick update I actually just got back from the mechanic yesterday for my final check-up after that whole wiring harness ordeal. The total repair cost came to 95€ for fixing the damaged cable harness, which honestly wasn't as bad as I initially feared! The best part? They found and fixed a defect in the air mass sensor while they were at it. My G35's been running like a dream since the repair no more black smoke, stalling, or any of those annoying issues we talked about. It's honestly like driving a different car now! I've put about 5,000 km on it since the fix, and everything's working perfectly. Looking back, I got pretty lucky catching it when I did these electrical issues can really snowball if left unchecked. With your FX showing similar symptoms, I'd definitely recommend getting it checked out sooner rather than later. Hope this gives you a better idea of what you're looking at! Let me know how it goes with your repair!

Thanks so much for all the detailed info! I actually just got back from the mechanic today, and boy, do I have a story to tell! Turns out I had a similar but slightly different issue. When I took it in, they found that not only was the wiring harness damaged, but there was also a crack in the intake manifold that was causing all sorts of problems. The total repair came to about 150 € a bit more than yours but still not as terrible as I was expecting. They had to keep my car for three days, but honestly, it was worth the wait. The difference in how it runs now is like night and day! No more black smoke, the engine purrs like a kitten, and that annoying power loss during acceleration is completely gone. Really appreciate you sharing your experience it gave me the push I needed to get it checked out properly instead of just assuming it was the MAF sensor. Definitely saved me from what could've been a much bigger headache down the road! Thanks again for all your help!