Nissan Altima Maintenance and Repair

liwriter · June 2005

does anyone know how to disable the alarm on the 2002 altima? it came with the car but i find it a nuisance. thanks.

maria44 · June 2005

Hello,
I bought a 2005 Nissan Altima in April of 04 and at about 7,000 miles the car needed a new engine. It started with the car stalling. I took for service and they told me that some butterfly screws fell into the engine. At that point they "replaced the engine with a new one." Now 7 months later the car stalled at a red light. I took it in for service this past weekend and they tell could not find anything wrong with it. I don't know what to do. Any suggestions.

vgup · June 2005

I have a Nissan altima 2001, GXE. Last night the service engine soon light came on and stayed on. I don't know much about the cars. Can anyone suggest how serious this is, roughly how much it will cost and how urgently does it need to get it fixed. I live near Farmingdale, Long Island, NY. So if someone can also suggest a reliable car shop, that would be great.
Thanks

bodhigan · June 2005

Hi, I just bought a used 1998 Nissan Altima GXE. Within 2 hours of buying it, the ECM blew off due to leakage from the AC, some luck !!!! Now I am getting it replaced.

However, my question is: the old owner used premium gas only for the car. I am a student and want to switch to regular. Is it ok if I do that? I understand there might be some lowering of performance, but I am happy as long as I don't get knocking and it gives me a smooth ride. I am going to use it for general driving only. I talked to the mechanic and he said the ECM will take care of that, but he didn't sound too sure. Could someone please clarify? I feel so bad already, car breaks down in 2 hours, and now if I have to buy premium gas, I will be in a total mess.

Thanks to all who respond, Bodhi.

bud_fox75 · June 2005

Brian

I also have a 2005 Altima and have had similar problems. You are correct it is the struts that are bad. Just today I had both the left and right replaced. This is my second time for the right strut. It sounds like you may need new struts. I asked them what is the problem with the struts seeing that I have only had the car for less than 3 months when the first strut was fixed. They told me that the struts installed in the car were defected and that new ones should be fine. Well, guess what? They were not. Lets hope that this time around it works. Good luck.

Greg

gtnissan · July 2005

The most frequent cause for the check engine light to come on is the oxygen sensor needs to be changed. The oxygen sensor should be changed every 30000 miles or so anyway because as they get older or go bad, they cause the engine to burn more fuel. The oxygen sensor tells the computer when to lean out the fuel mixture as the car comes up to temperature. If the sensor goes bad, it puts the computer into a default mode that simply feeds the engine a rich fuel mixture and bad gas mileage.
There are other reasons for the light to come on such as a loose or missing gas cap, a spark plug or cylinder misfiring, or a bad mass air flow sensor. Mass air flow problems are rare. Some auto parts store like autozone or advanced auto parts will reset the light for you for nothing.

96alty · July 2005

i have a 96 altima, my check engine light came on the guy at the dealership said the problem was the egr valve and the knock sensor. The egr valve was replaced but the guy at the dealership said the knock sensor only perfects your car's timing and is not needed.

civegra · July 2005

Ok I have a 1997 altima and a problem I have with it is that it shakes lightly vibrating the car. You can see the rpms moving up and down a little repeatively. The only thing that stops this is when I turn my ac on then the rpm steadies and the engines stops shaking. What the exactly is causing this, it's rather annoying.

Re: Air conditioning not effective [meegs24]
"I have the same problem in my 1996 Altima. For the last few summers i've almost died in my car. Sometimes my air works and sometimes it doesn't. It often doesn't work on really hot days. They air will blow cold for a second or two if at all and then it blows out hot, muggy, wet, nasty air. I had my a/c recharged last week but that didn't do anything. I've talked to many mechanics and no one knows what is going on. If anyone has any suggestions please let me know. My wife and two daughters are dying without a/c. Thanks"

My 97 GXE does the same. Not exactly like that but it doesn't get cool like other cars I've been it. It takes a while to cool down and when it does it's still a little muggy. Maybe Nissan put in a crappy A/C they have to save money somewhere when creating an "affordable luxury"

hutchy · July 2005

I have a 1995 Altima. When I get to about 35-40 mph, the RPM increases as I push the gas, but the transmission does NOT shift back down and increase my MPH. My car stays at 35-50 mph, while the RPM climbs to 4000 - 6000. I just let go of the gas and the RPM goes down. Along with this, the gear shifts are very jerky. Also, I have problems starting the car

I'm at a lost and been having this problem for about three weeks. Don't know what to do. Can't find a trusted mechanic, etc. HELP ME PLEASE.

duke10 · July 2005

Have the same problem. It is very annoying and it takes away all of the fun of driving.

amarc · July 2005

I have a question about the RPM and speed, when i go at 115 miles of speed, the auto trans, never changes to the fifth,and the speed never raise at 5000 rpm. the dealer say to me, that is normal, because the car has gobernor, also in the specs sheet. marks, 250 hp @ 5800rpm and the max speed in gages is 140 miles.
any of you have similar problem.
i have some troubles w/ unbalanced disk brakes, noisy tires, shock absorbers etc.
The car only have 6000 miles.
i think the problem is into the electronic computer.
please send me info about this, and technical data related that speed & relation of auto trans. when came the shift at what speed.
or if the computer is gobernated what is the maximum speed.
Regards.

sthomas · July 2005

I had taken my car to the dealership because the check engine soon light came on (code p1440) and the car would try to stall every time I would stop after the car was warmed up. They installed a new canister and control valve in the EVAP system. The car still acted the same way and the check engine soon light came on again less than two days later. I went back to the dealer and the code was still the same (p1440). Since they fixed nothing I asked to have my old parts put back on( I checked old parts and found nothing wrong). I still have this problem and am looking for advice since the dealer doesn't want to deal with me anymore.

sandman46 · July 2005

The dealer put in parts that didn't solve the problem and you asked for your parts back and hopefully a refund and now they "don't want to deal with you anymore". Sounds like you're better off. What kinda crap were they giving you. You paid to fix a problem they couldn't or didn't fix. I don't understand how their service department can stay in business and what happened to the customer should get what they paid for? Am I out of line here folks?
Go find another Nissan dealer or a trusted mechanic, word of mouth is the best recommendation of all and I'd personally write a letter to the owner of the dealership and the Consumer Office of the city you live in. You'd be surprised how that can help. No dealership wants negative publicity at all. Even call a television station that has a consumer watchdog and "sick 'em" on the dealership. Never underestimate the power of the consumer!!!

The Sandman :sick:

(We're no longer an Altima owner as we traded our Alty in for a new '05 Mazda3 S and are very happy. We're zoom zooming outta here. Ciao all!)

rayfeur · July 2005

http://www.tirerack.com

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/CompareMostPop.jsp?autoYear=2002&autoMake=Nissan&autoModel=A- ltima%203.5%20SE&autoModClar=&sortCode=49560&width=215/&ratio=55%20&diameter=17&minSpeedRa- ting=H&minLoad=S&search=mostpop&vehicleSearch=true&speed_rating=HR&speed_rating=VR&speed_r- ating=WR&speed_rating=YR&speed_rating=ZR&

146.00 each

big_guy · July 2005

It is almost a slipping type thing. I have noticed that if I am accelerating hard that the shift between first and second is pretty smooth. However, under light acceleration, the shift is a LOT less smooth and tends to jerk as it shifts. I know that the new 5-spd JATCO transmission on our Mazda MPV had a similar issue that was corrected using a transmission programming re-flash. Perhaps the same thing can be done for the Altima.

yimmer1 · July 2005

I drive a 1996 Altima and I think I have the same problem. The noise comes and goes with the braking and the acceleration. But I have noticed that it really seems to be related to the A/C! Only when the A/C is on does the screeching occur.
When I turn off the A/C, the noise temporarily goes away. I think the problem has got to be with the A/C... does anyone know what the problem is?
I thought I was the only one with the problem until yesterday I drove past another
old Altima and the same horrific screeching noise came out.
Help. I have suffered too long with this. If someone knows how to fix the problem please post it.
thanks.

altima6 · July 2005

Duke -

Was your sunroof factory installed? Mine is. And do you notice the noise constantly? I now hear the rattling/flapping noise when the sunroof is both open and closed. I'm taking mine to a different service center this week to see if they can diagnose the problem so I was wondering what exactly your issue is with the sunroof.

Thanks!!

al_t · July 2005

95 Nissian Altama, Blower selection speed dial works in changing the speed of the motor.
The deflection buttons do not change the choices, it's stuck on the center only, if you push either of the defrost choices neither ones change nor does the floor or any of the mix combinations. The AC does not come on either. I've checked all fuses in the driver compartment and under the hood beside the battery, they checked out ok. Could the AC unit being low of coolent cause this? Are their any other fuse locations?
TIA
AL_T

ssparti · July 2005

I had the same problem with my 96 altima. It has been screeching for almost 3 years. I have taken it to a million a/c guys and no one knows what the problem is. Now my a/c doesn't work hardly at all. It only sometimes works, but never if it is really hot outside. That's what is so annoying. I've had my a/c charged and it does nothing. I think what it is, is the compressor bearings are bad. But the only way to know for sure is to spend the $300-$400 dollars for a new compressor to find out.

tomslooking · July 2005

'93 Altima with 165,000 miles has had same problems. Source of problems is the distributor core. The Hitachi distributor has an internal seal around the shaft that leaks oil back into the distributor core, causing the intermittent rough running, on-again, off-again, and impossible to diagnose by mechanic without changing out the distributor body (not the cap, not the rotor). Eventually the distributor will fail. Solution: replace distributor (which I have done myself) either with new from dealer ($500+), rebuilt if you can find, or buy from junk yard. Most used parts dealers are VERY familiar with the Hitachi distributor, because they cannot keep them in stock. Going prices in SE are 150 to 250 as is, no warranty. Bad news is the cost, good news is that the problems go away (until next time).

ainge · July 2005

2000 Altima with 80k miles. Have been having a problem with it dying, especially at idle, or at low speeds with no arnings. Sometimes dies when turning a corner at low speeds. SOmetimes the engine tries to die, but catches itself and pops back on, with the RPM's dropping to zero and then back up to idle speed. Have taken it to two different Nissan dealerships and have let them keep it for several days, but they can never duplicate the problem. Computer shows no codes, according to them. Unbelievably, when I get back in the car and drive off, the problem seems to rear it's ugly head again. Even after it dies, sometimes several times during a run around town, the car never fails to restart.
I took it to a freind who has a shop, he hooked it up to his scope, drove it, said the cam sensor signal misses at times. (???) He also suspected a problem with the distributor. The dealers say they can't fix it if nothing shows up as being wrong. Also, occasionally the gauges die (speedo, tach, water temp). They just drop to zero for awhile, then mysteriously pop back on. The problem never replicates itself when the shop has it, but invariably comes back to haunt me.
I swear, if I took the car in for just an oil change or something, they would find 15 things on it that need fixing, but they can't seem to locate this problem.

Anyone? Please?

vanco · July 2005

I share your pain. I have an 1995 Altima and I just had the same problem 2 months ago. I found out that when the A/C is on, the a/c pulley stopped turning intermittently for a few seconds while the belt continues running, therefore creating a friction and screeching noise. I was told that the compressor has to be replaced.
I have encountered on the road other newer Altima models with the same problem. May be it is a defect. Have you had any other response from the forum?

vanco · July 2005

Same problem with my 1995 Altima and other newer models. When the a/c is on, the a/c pulley ceased/stopped for a few seconds while the belt continues running, creating friction and screeching noise. Beside changing the compressor, is there any other solution? Help!

crfritz · July 2005

I have an '97 Altima and about a month ago I found out that when the A/C is on, the A/C pulley stopped turning intermittently while the belt continues running, therefore creating a friction and screeching noise, making my A/C going on and off and most of the time staing off. I was told that there is a small gadget under the dashboard that should be changed that will eliminate the problem. Someone knows where is this part located exactly? May be it is a defect. Have you had any other response from the forum?

carsick · July 2005

me too, i have 13,000 miles only. and i neded new brakes and rotors

zapczyn · July 2005

:mad: :mad: :mad:
:lemon: :lemon:

Hello Everyone:

This is my first post to this board as I am a new (and unhappy) 2005 Nissan Altima 3.5 SE owner. Please bear with me while I explain my problem. I know that post #798 was similar.

I purchased the car on Friday, July 1, 2005 and immediately went on a 400 mile round trip for the 4th of July weekend. While on the Ohio Turnpike, at highway speeds, I notice that the car was running rough on absolutely smooth pavement. It remains constant while going from road to bridge surfaces and also when I put the car in neutral and coast. I would describe it as a low drone and vibration. I assumed that a tire (or tires) were out of balance so back to the dealership I went on the following business day which was Tuesday, July 5, 2005. The dealer balanced the tires and said the problem was fixed. I drove the car later that week only to find that the infuriating vibration was still present. Since it was the weekend and there is a very good Discount Tire store near my home, I took it there. They said that all of the tires were still out of balance. After a rebalance and match mounting the problem was still there.

I took the car back to the dealership on July 13, 2005 and returned to get the infamous Could Not Duplicate the Problem line. Now Im more than just a little bit perturbed. I drive to the airport on Thursday and you guessed it, vibration still there.

Back to the dealership for the third time on July 15, 2005 where I would end up spending most of the day. A service technician (and I use that term very lightly) went on a test drive with me. This guy said he couldnt feel what I was talking about! Now Im going nuts! They cant fix the problem so I guess they just decide to go into denial that it even exists. I test drove a 3.5 SL model and it was smooth as silk. I drove a different 3.5 SE and the same vibration was there. At this point the service tech AND the service writer where in the car and still refused to acknowledge the problem. They put 16 inch rims paired with Continental tires on my car and the vibration did not go away. Im being told that this is just the way the car rides. What a bunch of hogwash!

The service manager is now involved but Im not expecting much.

Can some please tell me what is up with the 2005 SE 3.5 model? Is anyone having a similar problem? If so, how did you deal with it? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Ive read some of the posts here and will have my dealer check out the force balancing, steering components and struts. Has anyone had this problem, had it definitively diagnosed and fixed so that it did not return?

Thanks

mo6697 · July 2005

Greetings from Canada,

I have a 1995 Altima GXE with 218,000 km on the odometer. The problem is while
driving at highway speeds and a little slower, all of a sudden the RPM needle goes to
zero, ( engine dies ) then it hesitates, then will fire up again and run for 15 - 20 seconds,
then dies. After turning the ignition off, I'll start it again, where it will run for a short while then repeats itself. Yet when I ran it down a 7 mile hill on idle, it did not quit. Error
codes read knock sensor and mass air flow sensor. Voltage for the mass air flow sensor
does not go over 2.250 volts , even at high rpm. Any suggestions?

Cheers,

codered2 · July 2005

I have a 2005 altima 3.5SE auto. I have had it for about a month and a half. I notice that at certain times when i am stop light there is a vibration that slowly creeps up in about a 5 second period and then goes away as i start moving. I also have the rough shift from first to second and notice it happens at about 25mph but doesnt happen on a hard accleration. My brother said that there was a white puff of smoke came out of my car when i acclerated away from him hard. Does anyone else have these problems? Is the shifting problem normal? I never drove a car with this much horsepower so i am not sure how to judge the problems

codered2 · July 2005

I have a 2005 altima 3.5SE auto. I have had it for about a month and a half. I notice that at certain times when i am stop light there is a vibration that slowly creeps up in about a 5 second period and then goes away as i start moving. I also have the rough shift from first to second and notice it happens at about 25mph but doesnt happen on a hard accleration. My brother said that there was a white puff of smoke came out of my car when i acclerated away from him hard. Does anyone else have these problems? Is the shifting problem normal? I never drove a car with this much horsepower so i am not sure how to judge the problems

codered2 · July 2005

I have noticed this A/C problem. If i push just the recirculate and not the A/C or the max A/C there is cold air coming out when i turn on the fan and set it to cool. If i push recirculate and A/C the "coldness" of the air coming out is the same. If I push just recirculate and let cool air come out for about a min or two and then turn off the recirculate button there is still cool air coming out. So what I am saying is that the A/C doesn't see to turn off once you hit the recirculate button. I have never known, on any other car, an A/C to turn on with the recirculate option engaged. Whats the point of the A/C buttton if the recirculate does the job of the A/C button. When I first got the car it was funny cause i thought that the car was sooo good at keeping the car cool that all I had to do was just get the car cool inside and the recirculate button would keep it cool without running A/C. Wow was I wrong. I went to the dealer to check this out on another altima and it seems to have the same problem. I think the altima design team dropped the ball on this one.

needsomehelp · July 2005

I'm having the exact same problem with my Altima. It is a 2001 with 107K miles. My mechanic suspected the distributor and has replaced it. Problem persists. He is stumped. Have you had any luck with your car? At lease I was able to reproduce the problem with my mechanic. He believes we have a real problem but can't isolate it. Please let me know if you've found a solution.

Thanks

roughneck · July 2005

codered2

I posted earlier the same exact things as yours. Except for the smoke. Mine is a 2.5 auto though. My guess is maybe your piston rings haven't set yet. Check your oil level. But I am just guessing. As far as the vibration I think it might be the electric fans kicking on. Except for the smoke I wouldn't lose any sleep over the other things.

albertjr · July 2005

Hello.
I worked for Goodyear for many years and also own a 95 nissan altima. I've had this car since new, I had the same problem with my nissan. The problem is the ignition coil, when the coil gets hot it makes the veh shoot down, yes it will restart but only if the ignition coil cools off. You must replace the ignition coil.

catwoman1 · July 2005

I had a nissan altima 1997 and I was having the same problem. For me it was the air flow meter. My car would stay in idle and the rpm would stay between 1 and 2. Is this happening to you? By the way the diagnostics will not pick up the problem, they found mine by running it on the emissions machine.

shekhar · July 2005

The car AC is DEAD. I bought "R134a PLUS System" from al-Mart with an intention to add 134a gas to the AC unit. With the AC ON and car engine running, I connected the pressure guage at the "low pressure end" hook up -to get the initial pressure reading. I was expecting to find low reading, from the empty system. Instead - the pressure reading was exceedingly high (more than 100PSI, which is the limit of the gauge). I am wondering what could be the cause of such a problem. I do not have the means to check pressure at the "H" end. Is there a remedy? Also, what is "AC tune up" service ? Any help will be appreciated.
Thanks
Shekhar

shekhar · July 2005

Mine idles at 700-800 rpm when AC is off. With AC ON idle speed goes to 1000-1200 rpm. Other than a slight shudder at the begining (after pressing tthe AC button to ON) there is no discernable noise. All the belts move normally without any screeching!
Did you get your car fixed? How much did it cost? Thanks.

altimagrrl · July 2005

Greetings! I have a 1995 Altima that I've had no problems with, with one exception: In cold weather, when I start my engine it will die unless I hold my foot down on the gas for 15-30 seconds, depending on how cold it is. During this time frame, the engine surges so badly that the whole car shakes and I fear for my engine. It then smooths out and has no further issues. What could this possibly be? Injectors? Ran some injector cleaner thru it, which seemed to help very very slightly for a short time.

romrarnissan · July 2005

I HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM WITH MY CAR .
CODE 0440 EVAP EMISSION CONTROL LEAK. CAN YOU TELL ME WHAT KIND OF PART DID YOU BOUGHT FOR THAT ?

vladp · July 2005

Hi to you all. I drive a '05 Altima and in the last couple of months I detected a couple of problems. First, at gear shifting from 1'st to 2'nd (green light start) the transition is very rough. Is this particular to my car or has anybody else encountered it? What could be the problem?
As for the interior comfort, lately the central piece of plastic imitating metal housing the air conditioning controls has started crepitating whenever the car slows down or accelerates, makes a turn or goes over a bump. I was thinking it could be the differential dilatation coefficient or simply poor assembly; does anybody have any idea if that could be mended (and, if so, covered by warranty)?
Thanks a lot.

Vlad

vladp · July 2005

Hi, Zapczyn!
I'm sorry to say, but I have the same problem in my 2.5S. I had a visible vibration in the steering wheel at around 55mph, but I thought it was from a light crash about 3 months ago. I went for the semi-annual maintenance and they confirmed a tire imbalance and "corrected" it. One day later, the vibration is there again, but at least not visible. Don't know what the problem is, but, to be honest, after reading the posts on this forum, I'm not going back to the dealer, because I already know the outcome. Sorry I can't encourage you more.
Vlad

roar1 · July 2005

I don't care HOW many times you have had your tires balanced or where! Your tires need to be balanced properly. DO NOT GO TO A CAR DEALER !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I suggest that you find a tire shop that has the Hunter GSP 9700 balancer.
This machine measures road force and a lot of other goodies ( of course you need a knowledgeable technician operating it )

Trust me . I've been down this road many times. This machine, along with a good tech., will solve your problems. You probably have a slightly out of round tire/tires,
and only the Hunter 9700 will tell you this. Call around and find a shop that has one of these machines. Since your car is new, you can use the machine print-out to take to your car dealer and get a new tire , if needed. But remember, don't have the car dealer mount and balance it. Go to the tire dealer.

ainge · July 2005

I got my Altima back after three days in the shop. They were never able to dupicate the problems. Charged me $210 for diagnostics, because they did put time in on the car. They said they drove it to lunch, one tech drove it home twice with the computer hooked up to it... Nothing.
I get the car back, and guess what. That very day, I'm driving it and the gauges all go dead again. I called the service advisor I had been working with and told him I'm coming back to show him. They see the problem and get to work on it. They say I have a short in my instrument panel cluster making my gauges go haywire, but can't say if that would contribute to the dying issues.
They've had the car for two full weeks because the part was on back order, but I'm supposed to pick it up tonight.
The dealership was kind enough to give me a loaner vehicle for the two weeks while my car was in service. (I had purchased an extended warranty when I bought the car and that was one of the provisions) As icing on the cake though, while I was driving the car I was involved in a parking lot incident that damaged the back bumper cover. Very minor, but the cover will have to be replaced, and guess who gets to pay for that...

romrarnissan · July 2005

:mad:
HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM WITH MY CAR .
CODE 0440 EVAP EMISSION CONTROL LEAK. CAN ENYBODY TELL ME WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THAT ENGINE LIGHT?

romrarnissan · July 2005

:mad:
HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM WITH MY CAR .
CODE 0440 EVAP EMISSION CONTROL LEAK. CAN ANYBODY TELL ME WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THAT ENGINE LIGHT?

jmcrouch · August 2005

When the knock sensor is bad, what type of symptoms does your car have? I was told that I needed to replace my knock sensor, is this an easy fix and where is the knock sensor located?

drewaltima · August 2005

Hi Brian & Greg,

I have a 2003 Altima 2.5 SL and I just had my front left strut replaced for the second time. I have less than 24K miles on it and it makes me doubt the reliability of the car. What also concerned me was the dealership started off by telling me it may not be covered under the warranty...what B.S. Fortunately, they changed their mind.

I have three year lease up in July 06 and was considering buying it, but now I am not so sure.

This was my first new car. All of my previous used cars never had a strut problem except for a twenty year old cutlass with 270K miles.

My advice to anyone out there with an Altima is to get the struts replaced or at least checked before your warranty expires.
:sick:

shekhar · August 2005

Paid $20 to "All Tune & Lube" joint for checkup. They checked the fuses, relays (all was OK) and finallyadvised me to go for a $60 removal & refill process. By that time the technician found one electrical connection to be broken, this is for the wire that goes into the compressor. They chartged me additional $25 for "splicing the wire" :mad: but that solved the problem. They wanted to sell me 1 lb of freon for $40 which I politely declined.
All in all, it pays to check the wiring "beyond the fuses and relays"
Lesson Learnt!

jft26 · August 2005

Does anyone know the location of the Flasher Relay for this vehicle? Thanks.

strokeman · August 2005

Any of you guys know where I can get some cheap airbags for my 98 alti. The dealership is saying they haved to order them at a cost of about $1000.00. Even if they are used but in excellent condition.

financ · August 2005

Codered2,

I noticed the same thing last week and I have an appointment with the local Nissan service this week to have this problem checked. How did they treat the case? Did they take it as a problem or did they claim it was a design feature that we should learn to live with?

Thanks for any response.

Nissan Altima Maintenance and Repair

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