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Comments
Yes,"unstable" means side to side steering wheel movement, occasionally. And the steering wheel is a little loose.
Tires are switched front to rear before the replacement of inner tie-rod-ends and struts.
Anyway, 2 tires are worn and about to be changed.
Joe
sorry to hear that you are experiencing the same problem as i am. to be honest with you i gave up on it. mainly becuase its out of warranty and i don't want to spend money since the car eventually starts after a couple of tries.
below is a bunch of responses that i got from different sources trying to analyze the problem. never got the chance to print it off and take it to a mechanic.
see below:
A hunch: this is a fuel problem rather than an ignition problem. Try this
experiment. Turn on the ignition, wait for three seconds, and then crank
to start. This gives the fuel pump some extra time to build normal
pressure in the fuel rail. If the car starts and runs normally with this
experiment you ought to have the fuel pressure measured. This is done by
"T-ing" a pressure gauge into the fuel line downstream of the filter. The
spec is something like 35 psi. If your pressure is substantially below 35
or if it fluctuates wildly you have a pump problem. It might be corroded
electrical connections at the fuel tank end. It might be a pump
approaching end-of-life. Did your Max ever run out of gas? This is
harmful to the fuel pump.
If this experiment does not provide relief from the start-then-stall
condition, the next things I would check are the Throttle Position Sensor
and the Engine Coolant Temperature Sensor.
Nissan owner and D-I-Y mechanic
Ø when turning the key (all the way) to start the engine,
> nothing will happen for about a second or two and then
> the car will start after a couple of tries.
This could be
- bad starter solenoid
- bad ignition switch
- bad inhibitor relay
The starter has already been replaced, and presumably the replacement
starter came with a solenoid. Therefore the problem is not the solenoid.
It is more likely to be the inhibitor relay than the ignition switch.
> Immediatly the rpm falls down from whatever idle
> its suppose to be at and the engine stalls.
> happens more often on cold or even cool weather
> conditions. it happens when the car has been sitting
> for few hours.
This could be
- bad Idle Air Control Valve - Auxiliary Air Control valve
- bad Engine Coolant Temperature Sensor
- sticking Positive Crankcase Ventilation Valve
- sticking Exhaust Gas Recirculation valve
- a vacuum leak due to a damaged or disconnected vacuum hose
Nissan owner and D-I-Y mechanic
I have a 1995 Nissan Maxima. Have had a intermittent problem over the years. It takes a least three tries to get the car started.( seems to only be in cold weather) They have changed the starter, battery, fuel pump, fuel filter, fuel resistor and rear computer and I still have the same problem. In one months time frame I had my car for about 3 days!!! Has anyone had the same problem? I posted in the wrong area more details under 1995 Nissan Max hard start problems.
Thanks
Has the coolant temperature sensor been checked? The engine controller needs to know the engine temp to provide additional fuel for cold startup
I appologize for the long message....hope it helps the people who have the same problem.
if you get yours fixed....i would appreciate if you took the time to send me an e-mail as i don't check this site often.
NOSPAMabachiy@mcmaster.ca
remove no spam from the address.
Here is a new one on me. I bought a 93 Maxima almost a year ago. The previous owner had just had the transmission R&R'd at a transmission shop with a 12 month warranty. 8 months later, it started to slip shift and have a loud whine at speed. I took it in and the shop replaced a valve assembly and other parts. This fixed the problem. Now, 2.5 months later, the whine has started again. I took it back and this is what I here....
"Your car might have an electrical problem. It could be creating a ground through the transmission and is burning out the gears. Vie seen this before in chewy trucks and cars,etc...." He looked me straight in the eye as he is saying this. Has anyone ever experienced this before? Since I have not detected any electrical problem, I find this very hard to believe.
I'm waiting for the verdict tommorrow.
Any comments are greatly appreciated.
If this were happening, would there be any other indications such as low battery charge, light output, or battery damage? If that much current is flowing through the trans, wouldnt my elec components start to act up?
Other problems:
The 92 - 94 SE's have a different engine than the GXE's. They are DOHC with variable valve timing (VTC) The VTC's tend to go bad, and this makes the engine noisy (and loose some low end power). Reparing them costs well over $1000, and it may have to be done again.
Another common problem is broken exhaust manifold studs. This is another high labor cost repair, but at least the newer studs are stronger.
BTW, there were TSB's issued for both of these problems.
I am new to posting on this board, but I have been lurking for months. I have an 88 Maxima GL that I was hoping my 17 year old could drive through high school. One of the rear struts has locked up. It has the electronic adjustable struts. The dealer wants $196.00 for one replacement cartridge and suggests doing both sides ($800 parts & labor for two wheels). I would like to replace it with the non-electronic non-adjustable cartridge for $27.00 but it won't fit. Has anyone found a cheaper fix for this system that is safe? So far the only place I can find the electronic replacement part is the dealer. I have the strut out and disassembled. Jr. would like a quick response because he really hates riding the big yellow bus. Thanks for any suggestions. John
Note: I have no connection with NOPI, or KYB, but have used both.
The interior noise appears a little excessive when getting above 25 miles/r. I noticed that the upper molding on the front windshield is not sealed tight against the glass, and thought that was contributing to the problem. The dealer attempted to glue it down(no charge), but with winter (in Ontario,Canada), that didn't last long.
They had said bring it back if it didn't help, so I plan to do that shortly.
Just wonder if any others have had this issue. I thought I read somewhere it(wind) was problem on earlier models; but I thought it had been eliminated on 4th generation models.
any input is appreciated.. thanks
mind you debugging this problem could be costly as they have to replace a sensor cool the car down test it and move on. Its better done in the winter.
The whining might be the belts because of the cold. Hopefully your alternator is fine. i replaced one of those too.
I am seriously considering purchasing a used 1996 Maxima GLE fully-loaded. It is in great shape and only have 50,000 km on it! Are there any suggestions on things I should look out for when I test drive it? Any known problems with the 1996 model? Any advice in general? What is everyone's opinion of the 1996 Maxima.
Thanks for your help. I really appreciate any feedback.
My say on this? A rack seal shouldn't be leaking now or at any time in these cars. I purchased this car because of its supposed mechanical reliability. Yesterday, I had to replace the alternator. I would not advise buying a Nissan if this is how they back their vehicles.
will have 276HP for the 2002 model coming
this summer or fall
any one has any correct info?
i thought it was suppose to get 260HP but now
i read 276
well its gonna be the 3.5V6 which is under the
hood of the new Z.
Also, I have the tan leather interior in my car, and there's a whole bunch of black spots and stains all over the seats and on the vinyl side armrests etc. What is a GOOD, QUICK and EASY cleaner to remove this without causing long-term harm to these surfaces?? Any suggestions? Thanks!
I had previously owned a 94 Altima which I got 240,000 miles out of with regular oil changes and maintenance, so when it came time to trade it in I went up to a Max GLE and thought I would get the same reliability, I was wrong. I guess when I trade the maxima in, within 2 years, I'm going to purchase a Toyota.
personally i think nissan has bad service dealers...the sales department has been exceptional but the service is horrible.
TOO MANY unresolved issues
but i would not question the reliability....and once again...if i wanted better service i can simply go to different dealer...thats why i will keep buying nissans.
its not cheep though. the extended warranty which you are still eligible for (as along as you do it around the time the original warranty expries) will go up to 100k miles and 6 years.
factor that into the price and see if the car is worth it. it will probably assure you that any problem you would get is not more of a wear and tear thing...brakes, and so on. so pretty much like buying a new car.
at least from my experience that has been the case, either covered under warranty or expected stuff like tires and brakes. my muffler was rusted and had a hole in it they replaced it under warranty. other than that...the car is really reliable...if i replace mine it would be with another max.
oh ya...oxygen sensor..many times.. under warranty though..
history in an excel file. i don't mind
sharing it if you are interested.
for a 95GXE now has 170,000km
original owner
Even if everything looks good enough to buy it I would get the transmission fluid flushed and install a transmission cooler.
Other items that may need replacement are the struts. The stock GXE struts were rather soft to begin with and the cars handle like a boat well before 100k miles. (I put in KYB GR-2's, and they work very well.) The other thing is the timing belt. This year car had a belt that was good for 100K miles, so you may still have the original belt.
There is a drain plug in the transmission, but only a portion of the fluid will come out, because most of it is in the torque converter. You can change all of it by either taking it to a place that does this, or do it yourself. When a machine is used for doing it the return line (the one close to the drivers side of the car) from the cooler is disconnected from the transmission and hooked to the machine. The transmission pumps the old fluid out into the machine and fresh fluid from the machine flows into the transmission (another hose hose goes from the machine to the return inlet of the transmission.
You can do this yourself by just disconnecting the return line from the transmission and putting the end of the hose into a container, starting the car and letting the transmission pump the fluid out. You do have to do this a bit at a time (a couple of quarts) so the transmission doesn't go dry. After a couple of quarts come out refill the transmission with new fluid. There is very little mixing of fluid. Keep repeating until the fluid coming out is clean. This would be a good time to put the additional cooler in, since it should go in the return path to the transmission.
From what I've read, the typical symptom of broken studs is that there is the sound of an exhaust leak, under the hood, for several minutes. In the begining, the noise will go away after the engine and manifold heat up, expand and seal the leak. As more studs fail the noise will no longer go away.
One note of warning: many people who start modifying these cars to go faster and then run harder start to have maintence problems (www.maxima.org). Although they don't look as good, to me, it might be better to start with a '95 or later Maxima, if speed is what you're after.
The salesman dropped the seat as low as he could but the wheel still touched the top of my legs. I adjusted the wheel to its highest position but it just doesn't go up enough. I've never run into this before except in a Maxima I rented several years ago. This is the only reason for me not purchasing the car. Anyone else run into this? Otherwise I'm off to Accura land.
mike
Is it possible to replace the mast and/or nylon strip without replace the motor? Where can I find those components?
March 11 I found little bits of rust all over the
area where the trunk hood fits in and across the
rear bumper. I tried rubbing them out with a chamois cloth, but some spots were really tough.
So, I took it to the dealer and the service manager said it was from the metal shards that were left over from where they drilled the holes to install the rear spoiler. He said it was probably a one-time thing and that they could buff out the rust
and then wax the area.
A lot of the rust came out, but some of it didn't and I am so bummed out. I bought a new car so I didn't have to deal with rust for a few years. The service manager said I should probably keep this area waxed. This irritates me because I don't really have the time or the energy to keep up with this. It's a new car--I don't want to have to deal with this.
Has anyone ever experienced such a thing?
Maybe the rust is really a one-time occurance, but
it just seems bizarre to me.
Any thoughts or feedback would be greatly appreciated.
Lucy