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Now back to our regular programming...
Quick question for any 5spd owners, anyone have a good recommendations for trans. oil? Is it worth it go to something like Redline??
Joe
Years ago we did not have this great resource. I think it is wonderful!
I'm the one that originaly posted about my light gray floor mats getting so dirty so quick and that I should have gotten the black floor mats. I mentioned this because it would have been something I would have wanted to know before I bought my Max with the Frost interior.
I'm glad Joenissan participates in here, I think it is great that we have a Maxima owner that works at Nissan to contribute to this board.
For example a while back, Joenissan posted great advice about changing the oil at 1000 miles and explained the benefits.
I love my Maxima.
And you are right -- both engines were ruined by the lack of oil. The rebuilt engine was mis-assembled and oil flow to one of the connecting rods was blocked off. That cylinder's piston, after about 1 minute or two of operation, seized in the cylinder. The connecting rod broke, spun around the crankshaft, sliced open the oil pan (dumping the contents all over) and then jammed against the cylinder wall of the opposite cylinder in the V-8, stopping the engine.
It was a marvelous disaster, particuarly since it wasn't my car, I didn't do any work on it, and the fellow who owned it (and had rebuilt the engine) chalked it up to a learning experience.
-- Walter
I do not understand the insults and attitudes here - I have been on other boards and not seen this. If you have an attitude, go hose yourself! (how's that for an attitude?)
I personally love technical discussions, but most of these general topics are dominated by people talking about what color their car is and any squeaks they have or other minor problems (also a few token irate owners who are disgusted in some way and venting).
One question ( and I can't seem to find a good search technique here so I apologize in advance if its a old rehashed question) --
My car with 200 miles on it has very mushy brakes. The dealer had their head mechanic drive it and he said it was "normal". I know better than that. I can push the pedal to the floor at a light, it seems like it has air in the lines. I'm going to the dealer to drive a few others to compare it to but I think its a bunch of excrediment that he said it was "normal" for a 4 whl disk brake car to have a soft pedal. He said "its the ABS" but the passat had a hard pedal.
Anyone care to chime in?
Slope
George,
Joe is a mechanic and he is kind enough to lend a helping hand to those that have technical issues in this forum. Mind you, Joe doesn't have to do all this, and most people (I included) appreciate the help he gives. So let's not devalue or judge Joe because of what he does for a living just like we don't judge or devalue you. Let's try to get along...
Speed <---- peacekeeper
Awesome deal, by the way.
And to the above poster, knock it off on insulting the mechanics! They might have less work to do if the engineers had done a better job in the first place! Joenissan has always been helpful to people here, his contributions are much appreciated.
Slope....You're right...you shouldn't be able to floor the brake pedal. And your diagnoses sounds spot on...you need to have Nissan bleed them.
George....Now that you've made that vain attempt at trying to boost yourself-image, do you feel better now ?..lol...I hope so. Then there's no reason to continually bombard me, and others, with your condesending remarks and attitude. All I do here is try and answer questions that people want answers to. But for some odd reason, that bothers you. Unless you were once labelled as "Doesn't play well with others", I still think the inferioirity theory holds true. Enjoy pal.
Joe
But really...I'm always glad to be able to help !
Thanks again
Joe
Joe - maybe you remember the number?
I took my car to the dealer to get it checked. They told me that the digital display unit is dead and I also need to change the control unit for the same. The representative explained to me that there is a solder problem, when the solder expands the contact is made and the dashboard lights up. This they told me was a common problem in all these models. The only way they can be repaired is by replacing the unit. Now even if one part is bad I have to replace both the parts, because they work in tandem, and replacing one will only cause the problem to re occur in a few weeks time. When I asked them that should’I Nissan be doing something about it, he said they did, they stopped putting the digital displays in any of their cars. The customers who have it basically have to live with it. The digital display and the control unit cost $1800 and $1000, and with labor and taxes, the total expenses involved is around $3300. The representative told me that because of the expense no one gets it done.
I therefore feel that Nissan should shoulder the responsibility and should have recalled all the Nissan with this kind of a display. I as a customer should not be the one to pay for a design fault on their part. Has anyone had similar problems with their digital displays? Any help/suggestions will be appreciated. Thanks
Do you read maxima.org?
There's plenty of stuff going on over there. If you're into the technical, or mods, I suggest you swing by over there. It's much more active than this board, and may have some of the discussions you seem to crave.
Everyone else - check out that site too (there seem to be some new folks here recently). They've got a BBS for each generation of Maximas.
Borsyst...yes...it's TSB #NTB99017A. This is the TSB for the blower motor noise but...it refers to a ticking noise, and only in the low speed. But it's quite possibly the same problem.
Mjrke...I totally agree. Find out from your dealer the name and contact of Nissan area rep and complain. If that doesn't work, try writing directly to Nissan. I wouldn't expect the work to be done for free but...I would suggest offering to pay for the labor...at least it shows that you're willing to negotiate in good faith.
Good luck...let us know how you make out.
LOL...Thanks everyone for understanding that this forum if for ALL Maxima issues. As for the one or two that feel the need to validate themselves in here, because of some deeply seated issues, their irrelevant tantrums simply show they have much broader problems to deal with...so...I, for one, feel sorry for them, and plan on ignoring all future posts by them.
Joe
Just like when the person in post 993 had a concern about the lemon law and you responded to him by saying "It sounds to me that you need to be driving a Mercedes Benz S500 and not an SUV", was that really called for to put down that person because he was having problems with his infiniti. You went on to make comments about the lemon law which you clearly do not know what the law states.
The person in post 994 stated how wrong you were about the lemon law and went on to say in post 997 that no current state lemon law requires that a vehicle be undriveable like you said. He said he was not sure what you really thought or were you just starting propaganda.
In post 1052 you criticized george2kmax because he did not have the same opinion as you again??? There seems to be a pattern here joenissan. Anyone that differs in opinion is criticized by you.
Please do not respond to this post with your usual name calling and criticism. In fact do not respond to anything that I post in the future. I am not interested in your responses.
What is allowed: Any polite discussion related to the Maxima, even cleaning products being used to clean one. If it dominates the topic, which I've not seen, maybe I'll ask that it move to another discussion.
What is not allowed: Telling other guests what they can and cannot post here.
What is allowed: Contacting me if you feel that this discussion needs direction or attention.
Thanks,
L8_Apex
Host
Sedans Message Board
As or the fellow with the QX4...maybe Frank was right....I was kind of hard on him...maybe because that's what I deal with on a daily basis...people who expect a vehicle to be something it's not..but....that's my problem, and I probably should have kept my mouth shut on the issue.
As for the Lemon law issue...I stand correct in saying that in all 50 states, the vehicle in question must be "UNSAFE TO MOTOR", or "IMMOBILE"...with each state having a different OOS time frame. Although it may not be what someone wants to hear...I refuse to blow smoke up their [non-permissible content removed]. Their going to get the facts. And those ARE the facts.
Now where this "gatekeeper" or "HOST" title comes from is news to me. people ask questions, and I simply answer them...you've not seen me "strong arm" anyone. If knowing the answers to the questions in this forum constitutes as "gatekeeper", or "host"...well then...ok.
I'll respond to any relevant questions anyone might have in this forum but....LOL...The kiddie bickering, although funny (no..really...I was laughing so loud, my daughter asked me what I was reading), is once again getting old.
Those of you who seem to feel somehow threatened, for whatever reason, by me...well....just skip over my posts.
Now...back to Maxima chat ! Thanks
Joe
There is a strange engine behavior, at just off of the throttle stop, the engine goes from nearly "off" to "on" like a light switch - you can go back and forth from full engine braking to slight acceration, and it is noticeable. With a automatic I doubt you'd notice it, but it was nearly jerking my neck a little bit just trying to sort of coast along with slow city traffic. Got better as it warmed up the motor. I dunno if its because the motor is so strong its pullling right from idle, or if the TPS is not set right or something to do with emissions related programming of the injection.
Will keep watching. Other than these things, the car seems strong. My 5th gear is only 400rpms drop from 4th, a big difference from my other car. This motor likes to rev, that's for sure.
Slope
Canadiancl....You're correct but you have to read the entire statute...part of which claims the car must be out of service for 30 calander days, and had to have been repaired to no avail four times by the dealer for the same problem. Although that maybe an AND/OR situation...I'll have to double check the NY statute. Thanks
Joe
ROFL...Why do I waste my time with folks who are either to bored, or too mentally challenged to keep on topic. You're dismissed...lol
Joe
cabowabodude......NOT JOE!!!!
I really love my Maxima, it is so much fun to drive, even too the dealer to fix a small problem like this squeaky fan, they treat me so well there.
If you are replacing your existing head lamp bulbs with higher intensity bulbs that usually means that the bulbs have a much higher wattage rating. The higher wattage rating bulbs could be over heating in the head lamp enclosure due to the higher wattage usage of these bulbs. What that means is if the head lamp enclosure is designed for say 100 watt bulbs and you put in 150 watt bulbs in the enclosure the enclosure temperture will get much hotter which could be causing the bulbs to burn out.
George
I researched new cars for like 4 months. I thought we were going to get an automatic to deal wtih slow traffic on our commute. Found a screaming deal on a 5speed 2000 SE loaded, bought it. Now I find out that Nissan has a defective design on the engine controls that make stop and go driving a nitemare. Yes, I read the maxima 5speed board - it just about made me sick to my stomach! I just unloaded a hunk of cash on this car that Nissan has not figured out how to make run right at low speeds in 1st gear. You get that on/off engine fuel switching that makes smooth driving difficult. That and a too light throttle spring and you have for a car that takes some concentration to drive in traffic smoothly.
My check just cleared the bank, but I'm going to see what recourse I have with Nissan. No wonder the guy wanted to get rid of it so bad! Comments or hints?
Slope
Unfortunately, it just proves that a "deal" is no deal at all unless it meets your particular needs. 5 speeds are better for people who do a lot of highway driving and not so much stop and go city driving. If you really hate it, any hope of trading it in for the automatic that you really wanted/needed in the first place?
But - and pardon me for asking - how long a test drive did you take in this? Did you try driving it in rush hour traffic before you bought it?
I have a 01 Maxima with fog lights, and I was curious about the bulbs (HID Xenon) for sale on eBay. Does anyone know if it will damage my car in any way and will it really make a difference? I am tempting to put those in my headlights and foglights because the foglights are not bright at all!!!
Thanks for any feedbacks,
Jerry
Maxima auto transmission aren't too good either... if you are going to get a used Max, then I suggest that you check the trans history for it. My brothers bought new Max (91 and 94) both suffered autotrans problems. Even the mechanic that I know told me to stay from the Max for that reason. Maybe the new engine/autotrans combo is more reliable (so far my mom's 96 is going well) Other than that, the Max is a very nice car. I hope that Nissan can do a better job with future transmissions.
Maybe I'm over- reacting after reading the 5speed board, but clearly the reviews and owner's impressions of this car on like carreview.com and here for the most part neglected to point out this engine driveability flaw with the new motor combination on the 2000+ Maxima. Dang, I read so much up on cars my wife thought I had lost it. But somehow I had not seen anything on this - but I'm accepting the blame for the purchase decision. My fault, should have driven the car downtown instead of in suburbs.
Yes, I had heard that max autos also have some trouble, and aren't as fun to drive. I guess I'm happy. A sporty car with a auto isnt' that sporty IMHO.
I'm used to commuting in a 5speed, as manuals are all I've ever driven besides my Ram pickup. I even drove a 3 on the tree 70 nova for a few years. So, driving a 5speed is not the problem, the engine behavior is.
Slope
Nice car otherwise -
Personally it is well worth it to me when there is no traffic, what a blast to drive! I don't spend much time in traffic anyway.
Sure, I wish it was perfect, but what is? (well I did find a similar optioned BMW 325 5spd, but for an extra $12k over the Max, but it is smaller and out of my budget range) I guess I have something to aspire too.
I love mt Maxima!
Good luck.
I'd expect that the idiosyncracies (sp?) of the car will grow on you and you will love it once you settle down a bit!
BTW, looks like I missed some excitement in this forum. Oh well, such is life on the internet, still worth it as long as Joe and other friendly souls are around!
Hey....nobody's perfect...and when I've been politely called on any information I've given that was incorrect, I've always checked my info and thanked the person who corrected me...you've just not been here long enough I guess to see that. Nobody likes to be verbally attacked...and unless I've been on the receiving end, you'll see my reply in kind.
Slope.....Those of us who do have all highway driving don't notice any problem at all. But I've read MANY posts from people saying the same thing...stop and go traffic can be a [non-permissible content removed]...until you learn to slip the hell out of the clutch...lol...good luck.
Jerry....You'll notice that those lights on EBAY are not real HID's but, coated bulbs that simulate the HID color. Unlike the old ones that used to give an awful rainbow effect, the newer ones tend to be nice and white, and as long as yo keep the wattage the same as stock...you should have no problems.
As for the pre-95 trannies....you guys are exactly right. Although I've never seen one just up and die, they have had many problems..especially with noise...I know...the same tranny from the earlier Maximas are still used in the Quest, and I've had noise problems with ours as well. The 95+ Maximas have a different tranny altogether to handle the extra power. I have no idea how the 190HP 94's tranny held up.
Joe
Sorry for the false alarm. I also did not notice the engine running up between shifts like some indicated. Maybe that is a user error?
The brakes are overassited IMHO, and stop the car ok, but with firm effort I can make the pedal go to the floor when stopped. I can get tires to squeak easy enough so its not dangerous, but will have to check another maxima out at dealer for brake action and see if its ok.
Why does the (bose) radio sound like crap and the CD player sound so good? Is it a antenna problem anyone ?
Have a good one, thanks on your comments.
Slope
sunlit sand 2000 SE 5 speed
6 days owned!
Robert
According to Edmunds --
Invoice = $23,769;
MSRP = $26,449;
Destination Charge = $540;
Dealer Hold Back = 3% of the Total Invoice.
Dealers seem plenty eager to sell a new GLE at "invoice" --
Is "invoice-minus-wholesale for the trade-in" the best I can expect, or are there some incentive programs available that might shrink the final number a bit?
On auto trannies.......I have had my license since 1974. Other than my mother's Pontiac Catalina wagon I have been a manual stick guy. In 1992 when I last bought a new car, I didn't spend much time looking at the Maxima, but I couldn't figure out the AT in a sports sedan. I ended up with a SHO. Over those eight years my many of my needs have changed, but I still like to DRIVE. I have been quite happy with the AT in my GLE. It can really throw you back in your seat! I can also drink coffee safely while driving now!
Also, I have noticed no problems with the BOSE radio. It is not quite as clear and crisp as the CD player but sounds very good just the same (as long as you are listening to an FM station).