Nissan Maxima Maintenance and Repair

josel1138 · November 2003

For the record, I checked my warranty and seatbelts are warranted for 10 years........that's what it says in the warranty, however, I had an '89 240sx and when it's seatbelts had trouble with the buckle mechanism, they replaced them for free (had to wait forever to get them).......so if you have trouble with seatbelts, I'd pursue getting the dealer to fix them even if you're outside 10 years........

p100 · November 2003

According to 98 Nissan Maxima owner's manual the seatbelts are warranted for the life of the car. I do not how many other year models are covered by this lifetime warranty, but it appears that Nissan considered this warranty to be too good and changed it to 10 years on later models.

dklanecky · November 2003

Accoring to my 1995 Maxima GLE warranty book the seatbelt warranty is lifetime.

According to my 2000 Maxima SE warranty book the seatbelt warranty is lifetime.

According to my 2003 Murano SE warranty book the seatbelt warranty is 120 months (unlimited miles).

Anyone know when they dropped the lifetime (obviously either in 2001-2002)and went to the 10 years on the seatbelts?

Karen_S · November 2003

...just want to give everyone a heads up about some changes taking place in an effort to organize and make it easier for members to find the most appropriate discussion for their question/comment.

This discussion's title will soon change to "Nissan Maxima Owners: Problems & Solutions" and it will reside in the Maxima Owners Club. However, it will also still be here in M&R. If you are subscribed to this topic now, the change should not affect that.

If you have any questions/concerns, please address them to me in email, karen@edmunds.com.

giponra · November 2003

Hi Everyone,

I am trying to replace the power antenna in my 1997 Maxima SE (car-wash accident!!!). My dealer wants me to pay $100 for the labor but I think I should be able to do it. I am trying to get suggestions and tips on how to replace it.

Does anyone have a copy of the repair manual, maybe you can fax or e-mail that page to me?

I thank you in advance for any help.

playgtr · November 2003

The inner tie rod/adjusting sleeve is bent. I need to replace it. Are there any tricks or special tools needed to remove and install. Thanks for your help

p100 · November 2003

Haynes manual # 72021 covers 93-99 Maxima models. It costs about $ 11 and is available in many auto part stores, such as Auto zone. It has a small section on how to replace the antenna.

You first remove the antenna mast retaining nut with an antenna tool or snap ring pliers (recommend protecting the paint around the antenna to prevent scratching). Then remove the antenna cover inside the trunk by prying out plastic clips. Disconnect the electrical connector and remove the motor retaining screws.

It is a good idea to disconnect the negative battery cable before starting this work.

kp40m · November 2003

I have a 2003 GLE that has the following problems:

The heating steering wheel gets very hot and stops heating after about 5 minutes. The orange light on the switch continues to stay lit and shuts off after about 30 minutes (as stated in the manual).

When I push the ECON button to turn the heat on, the fan speed is staying at "1" even though the car is cold. It does not adjust to the appropriate automatic speed unless I fiddle with the other settings, e.g., turn defrost or AUTO on then go back to ECON.

If anyone else has experienced either of these, please let me know how they were resolved.

p100 · November 2003

You can get rent a tie rod removal tool from Auto Zone for free (you pay for it and get a full refund when you bring it back in working condition). I recommend you do not use a fork tool on the tie rod but rather a screw operated separator tool which does not require using a hammer to drive to tool in and it is less likely to damage something. Both of these tools are readily available. Replacing tie rods is easy but then you need to have the front end toe-in setting readjusted. Toe-in alignment setting is adjusted by turning the tie rod adjustment sleeve. There is also a special spanner wrench to turn the tie rod adjusting sleeve.

aggiedog · November 2003

I have the same ECON issue on my 02 SE. I never think to ask about it with service. I just use auto or manually set it.

dklanecky · November 2003

It is not a vehicle defect.

Once you leave the auto Hvac setting, the system has been engineered to allow you complete control, including where the air is directed and the fan speed.

Auto means the car runs everything, you just choose the temp.

Anything other than manual, your responsible for choosing the way you want it to operate.

Nissan has had virtually the exact same auto Hvac system in production (operation and control wise) since it debuted on the 1995 Maxima in late 1994.

I have it on a 95 Maxima GLE, a 00 Maxima SE, and on a 03 Murano.

I just set it and forget it.

As far as the heated steering wheel goes, I've no experience with them but it sounds as if it may be defective. Aren't you still under warranty?

blh7068 · November 2003

I too have an 02 SE...

Isnt the econ setting for use with A/C?

What would the econ setting do when used for heating(not defrosting)when other resources(beyond beyond fan/blower pulling heat from the engine)are not used?

kennyg5 · November 2003

I do not believe the heated steering wheel design is defective. It heats up very quickly (within one minute) and maintains that high temperature for about four to five minutes, and then drops off significantly and supplies low heating. This makes sense because you do not need the sustained high temperature once the interior of the car warms up, which usually takes no more than 10 minutes.

As to the econ setting, I believe its main function is to provide air circulation plus heat in the winter. You may also use it to "cool" down the car's inside temp., but its cooling effective is limited to the outside temp. When you turn on the econ setting in the winter, the fan does not go to high because, I believe, it is designed to maintain engine temp first, and until the engine is warm enough, the fan does not automatically move to a higher speed. Once the inside car temp reaches your desired setting, the fan speed (as well as the vents) will be regulated automatically to maintain that setting.

I have auto climate control in both my 96 GLE and 03 GLE. The only difference I find is that in the 96 GLE, the recirculate button does not activate the dehumify function of the A/C, but so with the 03 GLE. Does anyone share my experience?

blh7068 · November 2003

"the recirculate button does not activate the dehumify function of the A/C, but so with the 03 GLE. Does anyone share my experience"

That sounds odd...I havent tried it
Since recirc is not real helpful when defrosting/dehumidifying, I just manually set it where I want it.

pathstar1 · November 2003

Just to restate the above.
1. If heating is required (determined by what temp you set it to), the system will not bring the fan speed up until there is heat in the heater core. Except when you press the defrost button. Then it runs the fans and A/C to blow dry air on the windshield and side windows. It's still cold air, but dry air is very effective. The A/C drys the air by the way.
2. The "Econ" mode is really for summer - it turns off the A/C, when you just want the system to blow air from outside or even just recirc. inside air, but not have the A/C going on and off. Obviously, if it's too hot outside the fan speed will just continue to increase to maximum. If you want the fan to come on when there is no heat, you have to select "Man" mode (which is selected automatically if you start to mess with the controls).

Oh, and if Nissan is reading ;-), please!!! put in heated steering wheels first. They are needed more than heated seats. Hard to drive with big mits on. My hands get very cold in my Pathfinder LE (no heated steering wheel option). Probably not needed in the southern US, but up here in Canada, when it's winter (now) it's often below -10 C (-16 last week, warm now at +3 C).

kennyg5 · November 2003

Pathstar, the heated steering wheel feature has been available in the Max since 02, but you can't purchase it as an isolated option. If I recall correctly, it comes with the cold weather package, which includes heated seats, heated outside mirrors and maybe traction control. I cannot recall the various option packages because for my 03 GLE, I ordered everything, including all accessories, except NAV.

Blh, the recir. button, from my understanding, is supposed to be used when you don't want outside air come into the cabin (such as when the truck in front of you is giving out noxious fumes) or you want to accelerate the cooling in the summer or the heating in the winter. I am just surprised that the recir button in my 03 GLE activates the dehumification function.

For defrosting or dehumidifying, I simply press the defrost/dehumify button because that is its function!

lichtronimo · November 2003

for some reason causes your windows to fog up in the winter. I use it only in the summer to keep the car cool. It's more efficent because the car is just cooling already cooled air versus hot air from outside.

Its really amazing how no one understands this button when switching from a domestic to Japanese car. It basically the same as "MAX A/C" that the domestics used to have. I like it better because you can still choose where the air comes out.

pathstar1 · November 2003

First, my request to Nissan ;-) was mostly concerning the Pathfinder (or any other model that currently does not have a heated steering wheel).

As for Recirc. Yes it does turn on the dehumidification function, because the humidity will build up inside as no fresh air is coming in to keep it at a reasonable level. We humans exude lots of water ;-). This is why the windows will fog in the winter as well. I never use recirc., but then I live in a climate where "max. A/C" is never needed. brrrr!

ksl820 · November 2003

does anyone know why nissan deleted HID headlight and replaces with halgoen when selecting driver preferred pkg( or elite pkg)

lichtronimo · November 2003

Where does the front passenger air bag come out of?

p100 · November 2003

I believe the term here is "recirculate", not recircle. In this mode, the fresh air intake is blocked off by a vacuum or electric solenoid operated door and the inside air is recirculated for maximum cooling.

q45man · November 2003

Generally the fresh air only flows 10-25% of the air depending on exit restriction [window cracked open to give the air path back outside].

On the Infiniti Q, recirculate [closed loop] vs fresh air drops the center vent temperature 3-4F [80% 75F inside air plus 20% 95F outside air feeding the evaporator]. Simple math problem measure the input/otuput air temperatures in both mode and calculate % of mix. Obviously the differences in humidity will tilt the answer.

tcdenver · November 2003

Hi, I have experience a noise problem. There is some noise, similar to power antenna retraction, on my 2000 SE Maxima, which does not have a power antenna. I believe the 2000 model comes with the integrated antenna system on the rear window. The noise is very clear when I opened the door and walked out the car after turning the ignition off. It is quite consistent. Occasionally the noise will also come up during normal driving condition. The car is otherwise in working condiiton. Any idea what that might be. It is from the rear. But I cannot quite pinpoint the source.

dklanecky · November 2003

That's a puzzler.

The antenna is in the glass so that's not it.

I have the same vehicle and the service manual too. There really isn't anything mechanical that would make a noise after the car is turned off as that kills all the power.

Any other symptoms?

Does the level of gas in the tank relate in any way to when the noise occurs? The fuel pump is in the tank and needs to be kept cool and lubricated (by keeping gas in the tank).

Fuel pump, maybe?

p100 · November 2003

I believe the noise you hear is the fuel pump. I have a 95 Nissan pickup with a V6 engine and the pump makes this weird groaning sound when purging itself. It does it more in warm weather after the engine is shut off, sometimes in normal drving, and occassionally after the truck has been sitting for a few hours. I have never experienced this with my 98 Maxima so I cannot positively state that the fuel pump is your noise source. If it is the pump, there is nothing to worry about. According to Nissan, the noise associated with my truck fuel pump is normal.

p100 · November 2003

I believe the noise you hear is the fuel pump. I have a 95 Nissan pickup with a V6 engine and the pump makes this weird groaning sound when purging itself. It does it more in warm weather after the engine is shut off, sometimes in normal drving, and occassionally after the truck has been sitting for a few hours. The purging cycle takes about 15 seconds. I have never experienced this with the 98 Maxima so I cannot positively state that this is your noise source. If it is the pump, there is nothing to worry about.

pathstar1 · November 2003

If the ignition is on it could be the fuel pump. If the ignition is off, which I believe you implied ("The noise is very clear when I opened the door and walked out the car after turning the ignition off."), then it's probably the fuel tank venting through the emmisions stuff. My Pathfinder gives a strange moan that can last a few seconds when it does this after I shut it off. The noise will be different from vehicle to vehicle, depending on the strength of the spring in the one-way valve and the size/length of hose connected to it.

tcdenver · November 2003

Thank you for your responses. My first suspicion was fuel pump too. It did make noise while in normal driving condition, though rarely. It is most obvious when I turned off ignition (power off) and got out of the car.

I took it to the nearby dealer twice. Both times, the car decided to behave itself and did not make any noise after several tries while there. As soon as I got home, it happened again.

The car is otherwise running fine. p100, I hope you are right that there is nothing to worry about. Did the dealer say why the fuel pump of your truck would make such noice?

tjackson2 · November 2003

I was driving down the road and my maxima died. acted like it wasn't getting any fuel, took bottom line off filter and tried starting to see if pump was working.. it wasn't. checked fuse and it was blown. put new fuse in and ran for 5 days and did it again. now when i change fuse it blows it right away. any suggestions if it might be the relay or is it the pump. thanks big logger

gregoryc1 · November 2003

Try running high octane fuel with an upper cylinder lubricant to control the "carbon issue". Suggested product: ---Marvel Mystery Oil. ( 4 ounces to each 10 gallons of fuel). It is safe for both the O2 sensor and the Cat converter. I use this product in the fuel of our 2003 Honda Accord and 2004 Honda Civic on a regular basis. I also use it in the fuel of our MerCruiser 7.4 marine engine, and our snow thrower. If it runs on gasoline I put Marvel Oil in the fuel. It will control and remove carbon. ----Just my opinion. ----Greg

viciente · November 2003

Hello!

I´m quite new on this forum, and I found it when looking for a solution for my Maxima J30 -92 (Automatic transaxle), now approx 164000 miles.
I had not ever had any problem with this nice machine until recently. It started to stall and choke. After been stalling for a while I searched the web, since I was by now tired to talk to the mostly incompetent Nissan workshop personnel. And actually this page helped me somewhat. At least I could rule out what my problem was not, and now it is fixed. I live in Sweden, but the Swedish version of Maxima is very similar to the Canadian versions, so hopefully this will help some of you with similar problems.

So - like a good doctor we must first come up with a diagnosis. The only leads to a proper diagnosis is checking out symptoms and make some probing.

First of all, when reading through all stalling related mesages including possible solutions, we can find out that stalling can have many causes. Therefore, the way your car stalls is crucial in order to get it fixed.

My symptoms were these:
1: Sudden loss of power - engine dies, especially when slowing down or at a red light stop.
2: Ocurred only with well warmed engine.
3: Ocurred mostly with shut throttle (idle)
4: Ocurred now and then during highway driving - need to stop for a minute and shut engine down then restart (just like Windows)
5:When the problem occurrs, the idle speed drops down to appr 500 RPM. If not just dying then and when trying to give some throttle, the engine may reach 2000 RPM, but not more, and then starts do undulate rapidly between 1500-2000 rpm. Finally it dies.
6: If shutting engine down for a minute or two, it would work just fine again.
7: Engine seems to run perfectly between the ocurrences of this problem.

What to do?
Well - if your symptoms does not look like mine, you may have another problem.
In this case I checked almost everything related to fuel, exhaust, air and ignition. The Air Flow Meter (MAF) looked and measured normally. But it was the MAF it had a damage and the signal to the ECU was not 100% good. I bought a used MAF for appr $ 150 and replaced the faulty one, and - voila!

It could hence be noticed that a faulty MAF not always present the fault very clearly. It is hard to detect. But some Nissan guys suggested this due to the symptoms (they did not even charge me for taking a look at the problem and a they also did a test drive, checked fuel pressure, adjusted the throttle valve sensor etc. What Good Guys!))

This particular problem may start with slight lack of power, and that will affect the automatic tranny as well - it will shift gears early. It is anyway a good idea to clean the throttle house, check the distributor and rotor and to check the throttle angle sensor when dealing with this kind of problem.

Good Luck to you all!

alvarez1 · November 2003

Hello. I recently had the tranny rebuilt on my 95 GLE. I am still having problems with the engine revving high at about 3000+ rpm when driving at 60mph or more. Driving at higher speed just increases my tachometer readings. I did notice that if I release the accelerator the readings go down to about 2300rpm. As soon as I accelerate the rpms jump back up to 3000+ and remain high as long as I have my foot on the accelerator. I had the tranny checked several times since but I'm wondering if my overdrive is the culprit. Can anyone help?

viciente · November 2003

Hello alvarez1,

The RPM at 60 mph indicates that your tranny runs on the third gear. 2300 rpm indicates the OD gear.
I assume that you have a well warmed engine and tranny when this problem ocurrs, and that the road is levelled (no uphill driving). Your gearshifting to OD semms to work fine since it happens when you release the pedal. In cold conditions, the OD will not operate until the tranny temperature is high enough.

Problems of this kind happens when the torque converter dirtributes less torque than expected for the automatic gearbox. I may have some different reasons:

The most probable:
The problem seems to me be of an oil level character, probably low level of transmission fluid, or (even worse) wrong type of ATF fluid. Be first of all sure that the tranny have the correct fluid at correct level. It is worth the money to take it to a Nissan workshop and let then do the change since it is quite hard to determine the correct oil level on the dipstick. If your problem remains, the tranny may not be properly adjusted during the rebuild and that is an internal tranny problem.

Other probable causes, to rule out:
Also, an engine not delivering the right power (torque) to the tranny may result in this problem.
If you feel like your engine lacks some power (could be as little as 10% below specifications) it will affect the tranny operation.

The ECU and the A/T-box controlling the gearshifting are interlinked, and the fault may also be here. Let your Nissan dealer check the ECU for any error code regarding the A/T control box, and the ECU for any malfunction.

Regards

Viciente

jimmy1958 · November 2003

About 6 months ago the USAF sent us and our '02 Max to The Azores - small island off the coast of Portugal. In the last month, the Max has been starting to get steamy on the exhaust upon start-up and worse at rev. Suspected it was because we were getting colder and 100% humidity, but today is 65 degrees and same thing. Nissan dealer here just shrugs when he looks at engine - this beast is beyond their 4 cyl minds. No loss of coolant. 91 octane fuel although I suspect No. Europe may be reformulated for winter already. Anyone have a clue?

alvarez1 · November 2003

Thank you Viciente!

I will most definitely bring the car to a Nissan dealer. I'm hoping that its an oil level or type problem. I will also have them check the ECU regarding A/T control box.

I will post the followup to this issue. Once again thank you.

Regards

Abel

ericu · November 2003

I believe this was brought up not too long ago... Why should I use premium gas? Prices are so expensive these days. From what I remember, there was a very mixed response. I hope the following sheds some additional light (obtained from a maxima enthusiast website).

For the 4th and 5th gen Maxima, it is important that you use a premium grade gas (i.e. 91 or greater octane). Using premium gas is not for increasing performance (not directly) or for giving you extra horsepower. What it does for you is to prevent detonation or pre-ignition. Detonation means that the fuel and air mixture ignite at the wrong time due to the high compression and heat. This is VERY bad for the engine. The effects of detonation is cumulative, meaning the damage adds up. Higher octane gas will be more resistant to detonation and allow your engine to run as intended.

-What about my knock sensor, doesn't it prevent detonation?
The knock sensor was designed to detect detonation/pinging/knock in you engine. When it detects a ping, the ECU will retard (pull back) the ignition timing to prevent further knocking. You may be asking then why can't I use 87 octane gas since there is this knock sensor. Two main reason: 1) performance will be impacted when the timing is retarded and 2) When the knock sensor does its thing, that means there has already been some knocking that occurred. Remember the effects of detonation/knocking is cumulative. It is possible that using low grade gas may not cause any problems, but remember it does not take that many detonations to break your engine.

So, stick to the good stuff...

lichtronimo · November 2003

I had a rental '04 Maxima SE. The label on the gas door said "Premium Recommended". What gives?

gerapau · December 2003

lichtronimo, what do you mean by "What gives?" I believe it is pretty evident that it means that premium fuel is recommended. All recent Maxima's (and many other recent cars which use high performance engines) should be fed premium fuel. Look to the previous post for a little info on why. Since it is a rental though I would not pay the extra and would stick to regular fuel.

lichtronimo · December 2003

Sorry, I left off "... for Maximum Performance".
The sticker suggests that premium is only required to get performance, not a critical engine saving function. As it was a rental, I didn't splurge.

However, I am planning on buying my own Maxima next year and would like to know ahead of time if it requires premium. I had a friend buy a Pathfinder without realizing it took premium gas and he wasn't very happy about this discovery.

What does the owners manual say?

mirth · December 2003

The owner's manual "recommends premium". That's all it says. If you decide to use regular, you'll have slightly reduced performance and you'll get slightly reduced mpg. You probably wouldn't even notice it. You'll probably save about $100-150 per year if you drive 15,000 miles per year. Not sure if this increases the wear and tear on the engine.

Personally, I use premium in my '02 since it's what the manufacturer recommends. I figure they know their engine. If it could run just as well on regular then that's what they'd recommend since it would increase the marketability of their car.

deciding3 · December 2003

I know this post is probably not entirely relevant with this topic, but I've got some great advice on the maxima problems discussion and wanted to see what you guys felt? Thanks

I bought a used Nissan Maxima 01 from a dealer sometime back. They told me they would change the title and send me necessary documents. However, according to them, before they could file it with the DPS/DMV, there was a fire at the dealership and the title got destroyed. Now, the dealer claims to be in court (as the car title was'nt apparently changed from the earlier party he bought it from) to get a new title issued.
Now, my registration sticker is expired and I want to get it renewed and get my title as its been several months since I paid the dealer for the car. I would appreciate it if you could advise me on what can I do. I paid the dealer by check, so I can prove I've paid him the money.

mirth · December 2003

I guess I would give them more time rather than think about a lawsuit just yet. You might want to post this on the Ask a Car Dealer topic under Smart Shoppers to see if other dealers can give you a perspective on this.

dirkwork · December 2003

My dad had a absolute nightmare with a car he bought at a dealer where they held the title on a used car like that w/o paying to change it. My parents live in multiple states and none of them would accept the title as the dealer gave to them. They kept sending temp tags (it was a Lexus dealer afterall) but after about 5 months it was getting very old. They eventually located a title document but I'd get serious fairly fast, as your car is useless if you can't get title.

My 2cents

jimmy1958 · December 2003

In many states you don't have a completed transaction until the title document has been registered. In effect, they haven't sold you legal ownership to the car. Researching the title and getting a new one issued isn't that complicated especially for a dealer. Ask them if they have also lost the Bill of Sale? I'll bet that didn't get lost. If they don't get real cooperative real fast, I'd call the State Attorney General's Consumer Fraud Division, the BBB and yes, talk to an attorney unless the Small Claims Courts in your state can handle cases of the amount you would be claiming. The dealer should be able to give you a no-kidding date when you will have a title or a refund. They got your cash and you got nothing but heartache. Their excuses(fire or not) are not your problem.

bsumm · December 2003

Hello all, my 95 maxima has 111,000 miles on it and won't start. The shop says it's not the starter, not the battery, and not the alternator. They are running diagnostics on it and think it may be a sensor or something. Any advice? Thanks in advance

dirkwork · December 2003

You have a strange shop if they think a starter problem might be a sensor. The starter just spins the motor. If its worn out it will either turn slowly (typically battery but can be starter) or not engage (solinoid/battery/connection) or grinds (solinoid/engine already running/flywheel gears messedup).

A sensor would be if it ran crappy or would turn fine but not start.

Check the o2 sensor, they have a history of wearing out on these engines.

DD

dklanecky · December 2003

The one your using is way off base in their suggestion and will no doubt cost you way more in the long run!

Does the shop your using even have a service manual for the Nissan or a code reader to pick up the OBD1 code that is thrown when there is a problem?

Try a Nissan dealer.

bsumm · December 2003

Yeah, I may have to end up taking it to a Nissan dealer; I was trying to go the cheap way. Also, I failed to mention that the car cranks and sounds as if it is about to start, but doesn't. Does that shed any more light on what the problem may be? Thanks again for any advice

bsumm · December 2003

Well, I just spoke to the shop and they stated that they put a new air filter and fuel filter and the car started but was missing. They then ran diagnostics on it and all the sensors checked out fine, so they reset or cleared it and they say it is now starting and running okay. Does this seem plausible? thanks again for any advice

sgrd0q · December 2003

No, it doesn't sound plausible at all. The car won't stop missing simply because they reset the computer. I'd go to a Nissan dealer and let them diagnose the problem.

Nissan Maxima Maintenance and Repair

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