Nissan Maxima Maintenance and Repair

eastcoastmax · October 2004

The Sunroof/Moonroof on my 2000 SE will no longer slide all the way back with the "one touch" button. I press it and it slides back about 2 inches and stops, so I have to press it like 15 times to get it to slide all the way back. The button that raises it up a few inches works, but I can also press it to lower and if I keep pressing it after it's all the way lowered it will slide it back a few inches at a time as well - weird!? I'm trying to find out if anyone else has experienced this, and if it is something that I can fix myself without having to deal with Nissan's annoying service and crappy customer service. Thanks!

kone · October 2004

Own an 03 GLE since new and would really like to do something about the soft, floating ride on this car. I don't want my teeth rattled out but this things is like a boat on the ocean (especially with some weight)! Any advice? I've read a few things about the cheap springs in the Maxima - is that the problem? Could the springs be replaced cheap enuf? Thanks.

ccermak · October 2004

Get some decent aftermarket springs for a couple hundred bucks, put in a front strut tower brace yourself in 10 mins, and a rear sway bar. All easy to find and purchase right online, then pay a local mechanic to put in the springs and sway bar. All done for a few hundred bucks and that GLE will be much better but not a tooth rattler. Basically like an SE (but better) which ya shoulda bought in the first place ;-)

aristotle · October 2004

Hi all,
In the last week or so it was really cold for a couple of days in Colorado and the acceleration of my 99 Maxima GXE was poor. While climbing a hill I had put the pedal to the metal and yet hardly saw the car move over 50 mph. I did not see any lights come up on the dash. Once I was over the hill I was able to pick up speed and thereafter cruise at 75 mph. I have never had problems in climbing the same hill at 70 mph in the summer.

But today the weather warmed up again and the car accelerates very nicely.

I have already replaced the air filter, fuel filter and the serpentine belt, and also did a fuel injection service when the car reached 60k miles 3 weeks ago.

What can cause such poor acceleration ONLY in cold weather? I replaced my spark plugs and all ignition coils at 40K miles. Is it time to change them again?

gfinner · October 2004

Have a 97 maxima with 130k on it and the check engine light has been on solid for about 7 months.
the code is 0901 right front heated O2 sensor. It was replaced with OEM and code cleared but it still comes up with the fault, 0901. Also now getting a 0304 knock sensor fault. The car drives fine, no noticeable mileage decrease, or power loss, starts fine. I also just passed my emissions test.

pegasus17 · October 2004

I just started hearing occasional engine ping/knock on initial startup/acceleration. I've been using the new and wonderful SHELL V-power premium fuel (93) for about 3 months. Wonder if there is a connection? Also, would a failed knock sensor trigger a CEL?

suydam · October 2004

Can't answer your questions about Shell gas, but a bad knock sensor could trigger a CEL. That happened to me with our Subaru Forester. Is your CEL on? That could be your problem rather than the type of gas.

funpolice · October 2004

I have a 2004 Maxima 3.5 SE Auto, and I'm averaging 19.7 mpg. This is well below the 20 city - 28 highway rating posted on Edmunds. I believe I drive pretty normally: commuting to work, weekend trips, parties, grocery shopping, etc... what gives? Anyone else out there with a 3.5 SE Auto? What are your mpg averages?

aristotle · October 2004

On my 99 Maxima GXE I got the serpentine belt changed a few weeks ago. I feel that the gas pedal is a little ( not a whole lot more ) harder to press than before. Is this normal or am I imagining something?

If you give more foot pressure the car reaches higher RPM, accelerates and then drives normally. But if you take the pressure off the foot slightly it seems to want to go at a lower RPM. Does the tight new belt have anything to do with this behaviour?

How long would it take for the stretched belt to get used to the new elongation and behave "normally"?

peter pan · October 2004

I had a brand-new 280Z years ago that had intermittent starting problem. Once in a while it would crank but would not start. It always started fine when I brought it to the dealer!

After a lot of troubleshooting, it was found that the wires on the floor to the gas pump had a loose connector. Plugged it back up and the car started like a charm.

You may want to check the gas pump and possibly its wires and connectors.

It could also be a worn or wet rotor or a cracked distributor cap ....

pegasus17 · October 2004

I have a 2003 Max SE with just over 20k miles. Gas mileage in city driving is about 19-20 and pure highway cruising (at 65-70) will get about 24-25. I believe that EPA highway calculations are done at 50mph to arrive at the 26 mpg figure.

aristotle · October 2004

Thanks for your response. My starting problem was finally diagnosed to a faulty key. So, that was a false alarm.

Again recently I thought my car had problems in accelerating in cold weather. After further research I found the problem to emanate from a taut new serpentine belt which is making the gas pedal a little harder to press. I guess this will go away in a couple of weeks once the elongated belt ( I hear that serpentine belts are elongated before they are put on the car ) gets used to the new length.

The car actually drives quite well now. Touch wood. I hope I don't raise any more false alarms, wasting other people's time in the process.

mlr5587 · October 2004

I just bought an 04 SE with the leather seat option. Both front seats have what my fiance & I think are very uncomfortable, bordering on painful, seat backs. There is a lump right below the shoulder blades that seems way too high to be lumbar. My back hurts after 10 mins of driving. I am 6' 3", she is 5' 9". Any suggestions or common experience? Thanks.

iwantonetoo · October 2004

What does the serpentine belt have to do with your gas pedal? How could that possibly make the gas pedal harder to push?

sweetwater · October 2004

I have a 2003 Maxima 3.5 SE Auto, and I average more like 22mpg city, but I don't do a lot of sitting in traffic which can drive down your MPG.

aristotle · October 2004

I am not a car expert by any means. I just thought perhaps the stretched serpentine belt is resisting the elongation and applying some resistance to the engine in the process.

Is that a wild theory? I may be completely offbase and am willing to accept expert opinion on this from anyone.

The car performance is slowly improving everyday. May take couple of more weeks before the belt is completely "at home" in its elongated state.

pegasus17 · October 2004

Went to NISSAN dealer today. Engine checked out good; within specs and no DTC codes, but the car is still knocking frequently. Hopefully, it's ONLY some bad gas (in the car). BTW, SES light was never on.

steven8 · October 2004

I am having the same front rattle when I drive on a little rougher roads. Does anyone have the same story on the 04?

lister · October 2004

How warm were your heated seats before they went out? I have a new 05 - which I LOVE, but the heated seats are barely noticeable, even on High. They are MUCH hotter in my wife's Cadillac and my son's Chevy Silverado. I tried the heated steering wheel just for comparison and it is quickly -- and noticeably warm. But the seats aren't.

Thanks,

Lister

gtgray · October 2004

Have the struts checked - see message #2048 - supposedly a common problem

maxising · October 2004

Has anyone ever bought any Nissan parts online before, and from where?

Is there any reputable sites for buying Nissan parts, bumper specifically?

carman4 · October 2004

I AM LOOKING AT THE MAXIMA 3.5 SL I JUST LIKE SOME FEEDBACK ON IT FROM SOME OWNERS OUT THERE THANKS
TOM

duke_wa · October 2004

Yes, Lister, I share the same experience with my y2k heated Maxima seats. They warm up in about 45 seconds and the high setting is very toasty! It takes about 5 minutes for my wife's Subaru's heated seats to warm up.

gtgray · October 2004

I have an 04 SL - it's my third Maxima. PROs - Great acceleration (albeit w/ some torque steer, great lines, not a ton of them on the road these day (then again, maybe that's a bad sign), the vehicle stability / traction control option makes it virtually impossible to get goofy in the snow, the cold package is a godsend - you'll love the heated seats - and love the heated steering wheel more (try finding THAT option on an Accord)
CONs - less visibility than previous Maximas, bulk (it's gotten pretty big), the absolute worst turning radius in the world (I can turn my wife's massive minivan around in tighter spots than my Maxima), bad front struts (see previous postings), too many electronic goodies that I fear will eventually get squirrelly and aggravate me. Pretty damn good car.

carman4 · October 2004

I ORDERED THE CAR WITH MOON ROOF ANTI SKID VDC,TRACTION CONTROL,HEATED AND MEMORY SEATS I PICK IT UP MONDAY I HOPE ALL GOES WELL THANKS FOR THE INTO

glmilmo · October 2004

I have checked out the posts that mention "vibration" but can't be sure we are talking about the same problem, because no one mentions the service advisory/warranty repair ...

I got my Maxima in Oct. 03 and only started daily long-distance driving in March ... soon thereafter noticed really intense vibration in the front end, particularly on the interstate at speeds over 70 (the service manager identified a less intense vibration even at lower speeds.)

When I first brought this to the dealership's attention, their approach was tire balance and then alignment, but with no improvement. By the time I returned in August, they had a Nissan service advisory which apparently identifies a problem with the hubs (I haven't see the actual advisory yet, but have requested a copy of it) and offers warranty repair. This repair has now been done twice, and new Michelins have been put on the car ... there was improvement in the range of 40-75 mph, but over 75 there is still vibration, sometimes pretty fierce.

The service manager at my dealership is very helpful and sympathetic about this issue, but he is running out of fixes to try. One thing that has been mentioned, if I continue to be unhappy w/ the car's performance, is a buy-back or trade-in on another Max ... but that's only a good solution if this is not a design flaw that affects all Maxima's. He has told me that he has driven other Maximas, where he could feel the vibration, but the car owners either did not notice it or were not bothered by it ... but it seems that it might be a pretty wide-spread problem.

Anyone have experience with this issue and know anything about it? Could this be the same issue that I've seen mentioned here in the forum w/r/t struts being a problem?

I really like the car in every other respect (OK, the turning radius is really poor, but otherwise it's a fine car.) I'd like to keep it, but I'd certainly like to have the problem fixed.

pegasus17 · October 2004

The guys at maxima.org rave about this site: http://www.nissan-auto-parts-dealer.com I believe they are a dealership in Colorado that sells nationwide at wholesale prices. I have not used them yet! good luck...

elchallenger · October 2004

I have a 2001 Pathfinder LE. The dimmer for the whole area where the Gasoline gauge is and part of the Odometer's left bottom corner does not light up like the rest of the bunch that are located on the right side of the board. I was wondering what causes this because it is partly lighted up but very dim. I desperately needed help and would love to know how easy if it is to change the bulb if this is what's needed to be done or replace other what? Thanks in advance... I would love to hear from you.

BTW, I have played with the control for the dimmer that is located on the left corner side close to the door and nothing helps..

marios · October 2004

My engine starts just fine, but there is a fluttering for about 10 minutes when I first start the engine. The temperature gage reads Cold for about 10 minutes, despite it being 80 degrees outside. If I try to drive the car during this time, the engine sounds as if it's cold, it sounds louder than usual and strained.

I find that when I drive my car to work and return within 3 hours, the needle quickly rises to the middle, between C and H. Any longer than that, then it's a 10 minute warm up again.

Any ideas?

wrkllc · October 2004

Hello, Fellow Maxima owners, Just a note to state I have a 1991 Maxima GXE with over 366,250 miles so far and drive it every day all over the state of Florida. It has only been to the dealer for two major repairs, (1) The front head gasket blew at 270,000 miles going at 55mph I shut it down immediatly. Had it replaced with a new Radiator along with the cooling fans, No head work. (2) Front steering rack, and both front control arms the rubber bushing were worn out. I have changed the oil every 3000-5000 miles, has a few small leaks now. The timing belt changed every 70,000 and only one water pump. the only other parts replaced other than normal wear items (Battery, Tires, Brakes, CV boots & joints etc...) was the Clock since it works when it wants to. This car starts right up, does not smoke and I went 365 miles on one tank of gas the other day. normal is about 325-345 if I stay of the pedal. When I change the oil I always add one quart of transmission fluid to keep the seals loose, ie the small leaks. So for anyone out there looking at the Maxima Look hard. I now own two the other is a 1994 GXE with 110,000 miles with no problems yet, I am purchasing a 2004 Titan LE, trading in the 2000 Tundra. Good luck. I wish they were all built like this one.

carman4 · October 2004

I got a question I just got a new maxima SL with automatic transmission I was told by the salesman today that the dip stick for the transmission can only be tested by nissan service I can not remove it anyone know anything about this. I know were it is but don't want to do anything wrong Thanks Tom

richard7 · November 2004

I have a 2000 Maxima SE with 37K miles. When I start up, I get an odd whirring noise that last for about 2 seconds. I'm on my 3rd set of ignition coils in case that makes any difference. Does anyone have any idea was gives? Thanks.

just_phil · November 2004

The alternator and/or power steering belts are probably a bit loose.

Kirstie_H · November 2004

A reporter is wondering if anyone has had trouble getting parts for cars and trucks from the 1985-1997 model year. If you have a story to share, please send it to jfallon@edmunds.com by Friday, November 19, 2004.
Thanks!

gtownguy · November 2004

Hello all. I have a 2000 Se and want to change the antifreeze and transmission fluid. Does anyone know what types to use? Is regular prestone ok? I know sometimes now you need a special type. Also the trany fluid can be dexIII, would it be ok to use dex+4? Any experiences? Also the power steer fluid is a Nissan brand, can I use another more widely available?
Thanks for all your help.
Tom.

duke_wa · November 2004

I seem to have seen some posts talking about situations where 3 of their Maxima warning lights go on at start-up, the "Service Engine Soon" (SES), "SLIP" and "TCS off" light. This is happening to my y2k Maxima sometimes. This afternoon, I started the car after work and everything was smooth and perfect. This evening, I started it up and the three lights all came on and stayed on and the car was idling roughly. This has happened on and off over the past week or so. On the weekend, the SES light was flashing for a few moments but has stayed on for over a week now.

Any ideas? Do I have to take it into a Nissan dealer? We don't have Autozone here in Ontario.

Duke from Ontario Canada

alcan · November 2004

Where in Ontario?

ciron · November 2004

I hope you have alot better luck with your maxima than I did. I had an 04 maxima 3.5 se. It was NOTHING BUT TROUBLE. It was a very good performing car,but it had ALOT OF QUALITY ISSUES. 1).The grill had to be replaced b/c the clear coat started to separate from the chrome. 2).The head lining started coming apart from the sunroof,it was fixed numberous times by the dealership with double sided tape,but it kept coming apart. 3).The driver side backseat rear molding for the roofline had to be replaced.It still wasn't right. 4).It had a cold start problem in cold and mild weather.It sometimes wouldn't start at all.It even made my wife 2 hrs. late to work one day b/c of it!!!Dealership 4x but couldn't ever find the problem. We kept the car about year,but was very tired of the reliabity issues among other things. So we traded in for a 04 Chrysler Pt Cruiser GT Turbo.We got a GREAT DEAL and my wife loves the car.I haven't given up on Nissan products yet.I'm still thinking of getting an 04 Nissan Titan KC 4x4.We probably got a car that was built on a monday or a friday.I believe Nissan is hitting a little patch w/their products,it doesn't make them bad,just annoyed by the bugs in them.They will get it right.GOOD LUCK!!!!!!!

dklanecky · November 2004

When this happened to my 03 Maxima SE, it was diagnosed as bad ignition coils. Once they were replaced, no further problems.

sgrd0q · November 2004

dklanecky - thanks for posting. This is interesting. I got the intermittent lights twice in the last two months. In both cases they went away after a while. Never got any engine roughness, though. Does that sound like what you experienced?

Currently have 81,xxx miles on my 2001 GLE. Original coils.

ccermak · November 2004

Just to chime in, I've got 74K on my 2000 SE Auto (leather, Bose, TCS, moonroof, basically loaded) and I'm on original coils, even original brakes believe it or not. I have had an alternator go out ($400 at dealer) and an 02 sensor go ($330 at dealer). Besides that, no major issues, had some squeaks and creeks that were solved with 6 trips to the dealer when new and are now acceptable for a 5 yr old car. Still wishing some days that I got the manual tranny, or had the 3.5 motor and 5sp auto tranny. Just an update that these Maxis are actually quite good cars, and a BARGAIN in the used market these days.

gleman · November 2004

I have a 2000 GLE with the same issue.
I just purchadsed this car a month ago w/70,000mi.
Especially on cold mornings [ outside Boston area] I'll have to have someone start my car and I'll pinpoint the area ... keep you posted.
Also my heater fan makes a rubbing noise when cold, almost as if the previous owners kid dropped a plastic styraw down the vent, however it goes away and can come back if I corner hard.

hound97 · November 2004

Was getting a knocking sound from the front when I applied the brakes at low speeds. Dealer says rotors need to be replaced for $360 due to excessive corrosion. Have been turned twice, once for new brakes, another time because they were warped. Only 49,000 miles on car. Can an individual with decent mechanical skills do this job on their own?

alcan · November 2004

Yes. Clean any corrosion from the hub mating surfaces for the rotors, put a light coating of silicone grease on the surfaces, use an aerosol brake cleaner to remove any traces of shipping lube from the rotors, replace pads as required, torque everything to specs.

sfreitag · November 2004

I have 2002 Nissan Maxima SE
My car is less then 3 years old, with 40,500 miles.
Went into Midas to check Brakes.
10 percent left on front brake pads.
I had them replaced.
Anyway, when they test drove my car (before they put the break pads on), the service engine light came on, and my vehicle loss power/acceleration.
I had no problems when I gave them the keys.
It turns out the problem was with the Mass Airflow Sensor. I took my vehicle to Nissan, who replaced the sensor... $822 dollars later. They are blaming my K and N filter, stating the filter was not seated or sealed in airbox properly, causing excessive amount of debris to destroy sensor. I really don't know how true this is. They also said I better stick with the regular air filter.

I know for a fact Midas did check my Air Filter...so I am trying to get them to fork over the money. They state the engine light came on before they opened the hood. Either way, the car was fine when I gave them the keys.

Any thoughts or comments? Am I going after the right person. I will know Midas's reponse tomorrow.

-Steve

just_phil · November 2004

At least your Nissan dealer knows what K&N is. I had an experience when a Nissan service manager was shoving my K&N filter in my face, claiming that it was dirty and needed to be replaced, when it in fact had been cleaned and re-oiles less than 10k miles before.

I doubt that MAF could be damaged by debris in the short amount of time that the filter was not seated properly. Also, I've been using K&N in the last 88k miles (I've got 178k now), and it's been fine. Maybe Midas spilled some brake fluid on the airbox, or knocked the harness out.

Good luck, anyway!

nel1 · November 2004

I am thinking about getting this model, but have read about the thefts of the HID headlights on previous models.

Is this still a problem, especially in the NYC area?

Thanks,
Nels1

ccermak · November 2004

I'm leary of Midas. I had them here in MN check my brakes and they told me the same thing, 10% left. I think they're full of crap. I didn't get mine fixed and I'm still running on same pads 6 months later with zero problems and zero squeaking, etc. I just brought it there for a free brake inspection because I have 74K on my car and haven't done brakes yet so figured I'd get them checked out. I then had them checked at the dealer later and they said 40% left. Midas may have just been looking for a sale, did you have brake problems before you went in?? As for the MAF sensor, that is a hugely common problem on 2000-2003 Maximas. If you go to maxima.org and search on MAF you'll find a TON of info. And a K&N filter will not hose your MAF, I've run one on mine since 25K. An aftermarket intake on the other hand, that's more likely. It is widely known that Nissan had a bad batch of MAF's, just like the coils. And for $822, I think you got hosed there too. It's a plug and play little sensor that you could buy and most likely change yourself. Do some research on MAF over on the .org. As for the brakes, upgrade to aftermarkets all the way around, something like Brembo blanks, bendix, etc and scrap the OEM. Once you have probs with OEM rotors on 5th gen Max they seem to linger. Pay the fee and junk em. For some reason mine haven't gone yet, but I baby them and I'm lucky, most others have probs.

johngo · November 2004

I found your message very helpful. Thanks. I lease a 2004 SE. Since I got it, I felt the front end was not right. Let's face it, with 265 horsepower, we knew there would be torque steer. But, I am 40 now, not 17. My tires have worn badly on the inner portion. I have documented with the dealership complaints of vibrations at different speeds as well as while braking. The solution was always to balance the tires. Now, I am not even halfway through my lease (15,000 miles) and I have poor treadwear and a bad "roaring noise while I drive. I am going to look in to this service advisor. Has anyone seen this. These tires are $250 - $300 bucks each. Ouch. I dutifully did all maintenance and now Nissan is saying I am responsible for what the dealership calls an alignment problem.

maximadan · November 2004

I have a '00 Maxima with 70,000KM (54,000miles)with my first experience with ignition coil problems. I have been told that all will need replacing next time the problem occurs. Upon my review of this message board I believe that there is some worth in chasing Nissan with a publicity approach. I could not find any hidden warranties, but it is obvious that this is major problem with thier design. Previously i owned a 1990 Acura Intergra GS with over 400,000KM (240,000 miles) with only one transmission replacement. NO engine work every required.

Has anyone tried a publicity angle to have the problem fixed? (i am not a lawyer or an ad guy but an accountant)

Nissan Maxima Maintenance and Repair

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