Edmunds dealer partner, Bayway Leasing, is now offering transparent lease deals via these forums. Click here to see the latest vehicles!
Options
Popular New Cars
Popular Used Sedans
Popular Used SUVs
Popular Used Pickup Trucks
Popular Used Hatchbacks
Popular Used Minivans
Popular Used Coupes
Popular Used Wagons
Comments
A. The rear piece of the driver seat is pulling away from the frame - you can see the inside elements of the seat
B. At 20-25 degrees F - the windshield wiper fluid will not eject. Driving in snow with no ability to clean your windows is a pain - I now carry a bottle of fluid in a water bottle that I can squirt on the windows - I feel like I am in a Cheech & Chong Movie
C. When it gets cold the door handle on the driver side will not close and lock the door. I drove off the other day from work and didn't realize this until the door swung open.
I just picked up this car in September - I can't believe the quality issues. I will drop it off in Jan at the dealership. Anybody else having 2004 problems? I am really surprised about the issues with this car. Maybe it not made for the cold weather.
Rindge
No. It is a Japanese car formerly made in Japan, now completely redesigned for 2004 and manufactured in a newly built plan in the US for the first time. I do not buy first year newly redesigned models, ESPECIALLY if they start production in the US for the first time. Ford Escort, VW rabbit, and Mercedes ML320 are good examples of dismal quality produced out of US plants during the first year of production. There are quite a few problems with Nissan Armada and Titan traucks quality as well.
When a vehicle undergoes major redesign, you are always taking risks, until all major bugs are worked out. Even Hondas and Toyotas suffer from the new redesign syndrome.
'17 Chevy Volt Premiere
And the cold from the cement garage floor penetrated the tires and drained them of air...
Seriously, your probable cause is just water condensation in the tank. Try some gas drier in your gas tank.
Your message is light on details but it seems like you are saying the ECM need to be replaced. This is a possibility, but I'd have Autozone or someone check the trouble codes stored on the computer, perhaps you are having trouble with a sensor or something. It also appears your shop is guessing if they don't know the difference between a valve and the ECM not working. There are diagnostics they can run to check each system.
I have a 00 and its been a good car, get it fixed and enjoy.
Scott
1. There is a metal on metal scraping nose about 80% of the time the car is moving (use to be a low groaning noise). Could this just be a timing belt issue? What would cause this noise and how can I fix it?
2. How do you change head lights?
3. How do you change the air filter?
4. My engine light is forever on. Since 95 Nissan Maxima's can't be given emissons test with the light on (and I have changed nox, O2, and everything!) what is the easiest way to make the engine light magically turn off temporarily? i.e. seperate the fuse for all dash board lights? Pull the bulb out (but this I think has to be done through the dash?)
5. My front wheel makes a sputtering noise (I think) may this have anything to do with the sprokets?
Sigh...please help! I should have been a automechanic major in colleg...lot of good neuroscience did me...ARGH!
Payal
The 95 Maxima doesn't have a timing belt, it has a timing chain which should be good for ~200,000k. How many miles are on your car?
Instructions on changing the headlight bulb are in the owner's manual. Did you get one? It's simple as access is from the back of the headlight fixture in side the engine compartment.
The check engine light is telling you something is worng. Take it to an Autozone store and have them read the error codes and they can tell you what to start checking first (for free).
One of the most common problems with 95-99 maximas was filling them with gas and either having the engine running while you filled up or not having a good seal with the gas cap.
Seriously, autozone is a great place to start fixing what's wrong, not just turning off the check engine light (which they can do also).
The biggest problem is my transmission. It has been to Nissan 3 times since October. The first 2 times they replaced 1 sensor, and the last time they told me that they were working with Nissan engineers to diagnose the problem. Basically, it shifts hard, squeaks between 2nd and 3rd gear, but the worst problem was I would get stuck in 1st gear after stopping at a stop light. It would rev up and would not shift out of 1st gear. I would have to pull over, shut the car off, and turn it back on. They replaced 2 sensors, and told me that there are 2 other Maximas in the country that have the same problem.
The second time it went to Nissan, they also had to replace the struts...and unknown to me...they also replaced the radiator, as they said it was leaking.
This morning, my sunroof wouldn't open. I am done, and will probably be trading it in this week. I truly feel I have a lemon.
How long should I expect to be able to go with these tires? I was thinking / hoping 40K miles, but I am afraid the sport tires on the SE wear out faster.
Thanks.
'17 Chevy Volt Premiere
I'm also a bit cheap and Texas resident, also going to ride these out over the summer and then look for some tires at about 40k. Yes, I realize there is safety to consider folks, I just don't have to drive like a maniac and they will be ok.
I had heard these tires were slick in the rain and they were never great but they have really gotten bad in their last bit of life.
thanks
Last night while driving back from Denver it was already dark and my windshield became totally opaque and I couldn't see a thing! It was so weird! I couldn't see the road, the exits, nothing. Cars were coming behind me at high speeds and I was very afraid that I would have an accident. Finally I managed to barely get off at an exit and wipe my windshield with some tissue and wiper fluid.
Has anybody had a similar experience in cold weather? When the car is in my garage I am able to use a pin to poke thru the ice in the nozzle and the wiper fluid squirts properly. But if I take the car outside, within minutes it freezes again.
In all my years of driving I have never had such an experience. I normally do not drive in very cold weather unless I absolutely have to. Any advice, anyone?
If you are looking for an instant fix, drain all the existing wiper fluid and buy some GOOD stuff, with adequate alcohol or whatever they put in there to keep it from freezing.
Cold weather is not a problem, you should be able to go much colder, I've driven -15 F and not had that problem.
In bad cold weather like that, folks I know keep a gallon or so in the back seat to refill, you use it a lot on a wet snowy roads when there isn't rain to clear the window.
D
just an idea. good luck.
Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.
Owner should do some research on internet, he might find some information of how to read these trouble codes. Here are the list that I have done for my 99 Maxima and saved alot of monies ever since.
1) I saved $70-$80 each time, not to bring my car to dealer for code reading.
2) My car had a code for EGRC solenoid/V. Dealer wanted to replace it with $140 part + $150 labor. At least, they should had narrowed down whether the wiring harness/connector was bad by measuring the resistance (according to the Haynes Book which I bought later). They didn't. I trouble-shooted myself, the problem disappeared without buying a new EGR valve. It might had been a loosen wiring harness/connector and vacuum tubes that run into the valve.
3) I had bad ignition coil code in the past, dealer wanted to replace all six coils ($700 parts & labor). They did not want to find out which particular coil(s) was bad. Later, I found only one coil and replaced that bad one ($80). I have been driving another 30k miles and have yet seen another ignition coil problem.
Let's see: The dealer cost for these coils is about $ 40 piece, or $ 240 a set. It takes about 1/2 hour labor to install all six (I know because it took me that long to remove them and reinstall them on my 98 Maxima when I changed the plugs.) So $460 for 1/2 hour of labor equals $ 920 an hour. I wonder how much they pay their techs? Maybe $ 25 an hour?
With this kind of profiteering, are you surprised that they are not interested in checking your coil resistance to determine which is defective? They just replace them all!
This helps explain why the owner of our local Nissan dealership drives a $ 200K Ferrari.
No shimmy problems out there? It's a major topic on other Maxima forums.
Brake light stays on- fluid ok, new brakes
Brakes squeal in any weather, especially loud in summer,
Bose system radio is fine, CD works when it wants to, usually when heater is on in car. No display lights on radio dial, must use psychic lady for correct scanning....
lets see.....
keyless remote stopped working, so I got battery replaced in both keys. Now nothing responds at all. Called dealership and they want me to "replace" system with new one, of course.
Was experiencing unknown phenomenon of windows rolling down on their own at night during thunderstorms, alarms sounding briefly and trunk popping-causing light to come on and drain battery overnight. Other than that, we've loved the darn car.
Checked with local dealer and BOSE wants entire system sent to them and $1500 to "look" at system, no repairs, no guarantees. The response made in 2001 of www.airmail.net/scutchen/max_faq/maintenance.htm this is NO LONGER IN SERVICE.
Q: regarding 2001 response: Which button do I press while turning the key in the ignition to reprogram the keyless remote? Do I do both keys this way?
I believe that there is a brake fluid level sensor in the brake master cylinder.
Brake squealing: did they reinstall the original brake pad shims when the pads were replaced? If not, you need to reinstall them, or at least buy anti-squeal paste and smear it on the BACK of the brake pads. This will usually solve the problem. You can get brake pad anti-squeal paste at any auto parts store. Just do not apply any on the busineess end of the brake pads.
Bose stereo: forget the $ 1500 checkout/repair deal - this would be unacceptable even for a brand new Rolls Royce radio. With some luck, you can find a good Bose radio in a local junkyard for $ 100 and install it yourself. Usually they will give you some warranty on it, so if it does not work, they will exchange it or give you your money back. Not long ago, I saw a Nissan Maxima Bose stereo on E-bay for a very reasonable price. You may check there as well.
To get remote programming instructions, go to any Nissan dealer service department, and ask them to print you out a copy of remote programming instructions. They did this for me for free. it takes only few minutes to do this. If this does not work, you will have an issue with the remote actuator in the vehicle.
Windows operating on their own and other electrical malfunctions during thundrestorms: the only correlation i see here is potential water leak into electrical components, such as power window switches, thus completing the circuit. However, ignition must be on for the power windows to work. You could have a short in the wiring somewhere.
I assume that they tried to rebalance your tires several times and it did not work. I would recommend finding a tire shop what has the new Hunter GSP 9700 balancer. This machine is not just a wheel balancer, but it has the ability to simulate on-the-road tire behavior. It has a roller which is forced against the tire while it is spun, and the machine measures the variations in the road force in the tire. The main reason for these road force variations is the fact that no tire is perfectly round, and if the tire is poorly made and egg shaped, these force variations will be excessive. Usually, a good tire will be in the 4-6 lbs road force variation range, a marginal tire somewhere around 10+ lbs. The machine will automatically diagnose a tire problem and display the results.
Low quality tires, especially in 18 inch size, are very difficult to balance. They must be mounted properly on the balancing machine and here is another problem. The best way to mount tires on a balancer is by using flange adapters with a centering cone on the back side of the wheel(e.g Haweka brand), which hold the wheel by the lug nut holes - same way they are mounted on the car. Usually, much better results are obtained this way. The worst and least reliable way to mount the wheel on a blalancer is by using a centering cone on the outside of the wheel, tightening the wheel against the balancer shaft flat flangen (unfortunately most places use this technique because it is the quickest way). If no lug hole adapters are available, a better way is to use a centering cone on the backside of the wheel, and a centering cup on the outside. Unfortunately, MOST places will use only a centering cone on the outside, and tighten the wheel too quickly, thus increasing potential for centering the wheel wrong, which will cause the wheel to be balanced totally wrong (the machine will still display all zeros when they tack the weights on, but the balance wil be wrong). One thing you can do in this case, if you suspect something, is to ask the technician to demount the wheel from the balancer, mount it again and spin it again to show you that it is still balanced. I tried this several times at the local tire shop and every time the results were unbelievable, usually .5 or even .75 of an ounce out on each side! This will cause terrible shimmy, believe me. In a passenger car, you will feel as little as .25 ounce imbalance on either side of tire at high speeds.
I would invest in a high quality set of Michelins and find a place that can properly balance them before starting lemon law proceedings. There are other reasons for front end vibration, such as loose or defective suspension bushings, bad struts, defective or damaged steering box, etc. It is possible that new Maximas have issues with some of these, but these should be well documented and identified problems by now. Check all tech bulletins to make sure they are not hiding something.
But tire quality and balancing are the principal reasons for shimmy/vibration. Front end vibration is usually perceived as shaking in the steering wheel, rear end vibration as vibration in the seat or floorboards. I have had very good luck with Michelin tires. Michelin LTX M/S is by far the best truck/SUV tire I have ever had, and Michelin Energy is the best passenger car tire in terms of smooth ride, even wear, and thread life. But even the best tire will cause an unpleasant ride when balanced wrong. An example: my coworker had Michelin LTX M/S tires on his Durango. He complained about vibration and had the tires balanced three times by the local Dodge dealer. They balanced them wrong three times! Rebalancing the tires on the Hunter GSP 9700 machine took care of the problem. When spun on that machine, all tires were ojut by as much as .75 ounce on each side! ?There was nothing wrong with the tires or with the vehicle. I must also mention that after the thrid unsuccssful try the Dodge dealer told my coworker that the vehicle needed new ball joints at the cost of something like $ 1000. He declined to have those replaced.
Let's assume that your vibration problem is not caused by faulty or imbalanced tires/wheels.
Other possible causes:
Defective inner CV axle joints can cause vibration upon accleration. I had this issue with my 99 Mazda. Replacing the inner CV joints and axle assemblies took care of the problem. I also had a problem with the left front hub assembly that was no pressed together properly and caused shaking of the hood and weird braking at times. The problem became obvious when I could not put the wheel on the hub without forcing it on because the lugs were not properly centered around the center of the hub.
Defective tierods, or defective steering rack- these are possibilities also. They should systematically check the front suspension. struts can definitely cuase a vibration. I remmeber reading posts about defective front struts that Nissan replaced on many Maximas.