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Nissan Altima Maintenance and Repair

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Comments

  • atma97atma97 Member Posts: 47
    Will get it done right away. Thanks.
  • ahriamomahriamom Member Posts: 1
    have you solved this problem yet? What did you do?
  • mets0626mets0626 Member Posts: 3
    I just purchased a 2003 Nissan ....experiencing the same heating problem at idle.........ANY LUCK WITH YOURS?
  • mets0626mets0626 Member Posts: 3
    hAS THE PROBLEM BEEN TOTALLY RESOLVED? i HAD IT TO nISSAN TWICE ALREADY....WITH POOR RESULTS.......
  • mets0626mets0626 Member Posts: 3
    Have you been able ot resolve your issue? I just bought my 2003 Altima...with same problems.and Nissan tried teice already.........
  • rgentzkergentzke Member Posts: 1
    I have a 2002 Nissan Altima with the same problem and no luck in finding a fix. Heater only blows hot when I am driving above 40mph. I would greatly appreciate anyones feedback on how they fixed it.
  • ray_h1ray_h1 Member Posts: 1,134
    Presumably both of the above posts reflect that the cars' owners have kept their cars' radiators topped up with the proper coolant/antifreeze diluted to 50% working concentration. If there is insufficient heat from the heater or defroster vents at idle and/or low vehicle speeds, then there is insufficient coolant, or insufficiently heated coolant, circulating through the heater core. The cause may be something as simple (and cheap) as a defective thermostat (stuck fully "open" or nearly so). On the flip side, the cause may be something as nasty (and expensive) as a nearly clogged heater core and/or heat control valve. (Heater cores and heat control valves don't come cheap - nor do the labor charges to access and replace heater cores.) There're a nearly infinite number of intermediate possibilities that may have to be explored to resolve an insufficient cabin heating problem - even moreso if automatic climate control is also involved. Good luck, guys.
  • jake38jake38 Member Posts: 1
    I have transmission oil getting into my water which is turning it into brown slush.I have a 4ltre ohc ford engine
    in a 95 ef falcon.Car is still running well and i have no probs any where else.what could be the cause of this????????
  • dsarnoffdsarnoff Member Posts: 4
    Hi,

    I am new to the push button start cars and was wondering how someone would listen to the radio and have the engine off. I do this now when I am early to work.
  • tarnmastertarnmaster Member Posts: 12
    Push the "Start" button without your foot on the brake ( the car won't start without your foot on the brake ) ; this will power the accessories ... NOW push the radio button to turn on the radio ...
  • bigbearsfanbigbearsfan Member Posts: 1
    Also know that you must completely turn the car off then push the button (without your foot on the pedal) to get the accessories to work, if you want to, say, drop a friend at the store and you wait in the parking lot listening to the radio. Nissan didn't program the car so that you could hit the button once to stop the engine and still be able to listen to the radio. This is not the most convenient way to go but push button starting is a very nice feature. My wife loves it.
  • electricdesignelectricdesign Member Posts: 681
    Yeah, we had push button start cars back in the 1940's, except the button was on the floor. I liked them back then too.
  • ray_h1ray_h1 Member Posts: 1,134
    Yeah - and then people raved when "the next newest thing" came along about how much more convenient things suddenly became, when (swoon...), it was only necessary to twist the ignition key a little farther to crank the engine with one fluid motion of the wrist! Push button starting is a solution in search of a problem as far as I'm concerned. But, for those who disagree, far be it from me to spoil the enjoyment of your toyz. ;)
  • jmewesjmewes Member Posts: 1
    I see many posts on this board about catalytic converters, heater problems, burning oil, etc. I've recently found out they're all related. The engine can be damaged by parts from the 'precat' or certain butterfly screws being sucked back into the engine. The symptoms of this damage are oil and coolant usage. The car shows no signs of leakage or burning, but yet they disappear. Your car is throwing oil and coolant into the cylinders and needs a new engine. The burning of the coolant reduces the coolant level in your car and it doesn't circulate through the heater core. Topping off your coolant will fix the heater problem temporarily. The oil that your car is burning can ruin the catalytic converter. I've heard people say the opposite - that parts from the catalytic converter are being sucked into the engine and causing the engine damage, but from what little I know I think the problem actually originates in the 'precat' disintegrating.

    No matter how it happens it doesn't come out good for us owners. The problems generally begin to appear around or just after the time the warranty expires, usually between 60K and 90K miles. I've read numerous posts around the web on the problem. Some people have had good luck getting their dealer or Nissan to help cover the costs of engine replacement, many haven't been so lucky. The verdict is still out on my case, I'm expecting to hear from Nissan early next week. I should also note that I've seen people getting quotes of up to $6000 to replace the engine. My local dealer, whom I feel has treated me well through the troubleshooting phase, quoted me $2898 for labor and parts to replace the entire engine ('long block'). I don't know if that's rebuilt or new.
  • skinsfan3skinsfan3 Member Posts: 78
    I learned the hard way. Had to do it a few times until I can get it shut easily into the closed position.. I rarely trust that it is fully closed, but I run my hand outside the window to feel if the gaskets on top are aligned properly.
  • skinsfan3skinsfan3 Member Posts: 78
    My local dealer tells me that it is time. I could not find anything in my owner's manual about that.

    By the way, for those having atarting prolems (I have a 2003), we ran into a no start after a few days of not running the car. I went to three dealers, one of ehom said I needed a new radiator and replaced it under a warranty that I would think Nissan would have questioned. I have been driving for a zillion years and as far as I know, I can't see any relationshipbetween failure to start and a radiator, unless there was a leaking hose getting on plugs. The final solution was a defective alternator. I was fairly sure that was the problem.
  • dtownfbdtownfb Member Posts: 2,918
    Follow your owner's manual.
  • skinsfan3skinsfan3 Member Posts: 78
    Thanks for the advice. Actually, I do not recall having seen itin the manual. I suppose I was relying upon my past experiences.I always stayed away from dealers, since I know of many cases where the costs of repair were substantially above the book value of the car. In my case, I had a 30,000 maintenance done ahead of time, which ran me over $800 at a dealer. On the other hand, other than plugs and air filters, I have had great success with oil changes at 3,000 miles despite supposed 6,000 changes as suggested by many auto manufacturers. I had over 290,000 miles on my 86' MR2 (which I miss now that I have sold it.) and 220,00 on my 68 Barracuda (I am original owner) sold it last year. So, I hope to get as much out of my Altima.
  • victrolajazzvictrolajazz Member Posts: 75
    Yes, and it would spit and sputter for five minutes before you could back out of the driveway. Then, you'd start down the street with the thing lurching and spitting every few feet. Finally, out on the highway, the engine'd be churning away at 3,100 RPM at 60 because of the 4.11 final drive and no overdrive, at least on GM cars.;)
  • rstewart99rstewart99 Member Posts: 1
    Help...I have a 99 Altima 75K and everytime I turn off the ignition the car acts like i am in a rodeo riding a bull starving for for gas to keep going..I recently had to get a new battery installed. Any ideas?????
  • klcfreespiritklcfreespirit Member Posts: 2
    I have a 2002 Altima. I have been slowly losing antifreeze for the past year, with no luck at finding the leak. I finally took it in and insisted that they find where my leak is. They have just informed me that I have a cracked head gasket (have no idea how that happened, since the car has never run hot). I would suggest for now to make sure you check your antifreeze level regularly, that's been a big problem with my heat and a/c not working while the car is idling (it happens when my antifreeze is low). The head gasket is a serious problem, so if you are losing antifreeze, I would suggest having it checked out.
  • klcfreespiritklcfreespirit Member Posts: 2
    Also, I would like some suggestions from someone who knows this car well. Although they say the head gasket is cracked, I have had no coolant in my oil. My check engine light indicates a problem with the catalytic converter. Also, I've had trouble with it starting rough or not starting when it is cold. It seemed like a spark plug problem, so we replaced the spark plugs 2 weeks ago. This made the problem a little bit better, but not completely. It still starts up rough sometimes, and tonight it took about 5 minutes to get it to start. Does anyone have any idea what could be wrong with the car? It doesn't seem to me that the head gasket would cause all of these problems, but I don't know a whole lot about cars, either. Please help me out! (I want an opinion other than the mechanics who would be making money off of me) Thanks!
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    You can be burning the coolant. It doesn't have to go into the oil. It can be dripping slightly into your combustion chambers, which would also explain the hard starting and the catalytic being not happy.

    HOWEVER having speculated on all that, it would be good to know HOW they determined a bad head gasket was the problem. A test or a guess? If a test, which test? Compression? Cooling system pressurization? X-ray vision (mechanic superpowers).

    so that would be good for you to know. A good mechanic can justify his assertions with tests than give actual data.

    If for instance, he did a compression test and found two adjacent cylinders with lower compression, that's a good hint of a bad head gasket; or if he did a cooling system pressurization and then removed the spark plugs, he could see coolant on the spark plugs--the coolant having been forced past the bad head gasket into the combustion chambers.

    You don't tear into an engine based on guesses in other words.
  • elnino2783elnino2783 Member Posts: 5
    Hey everyone,
    For the past 1.5 months I've been hearing a bubbling noise that sounds like a liquid moving through a tube when I rev my engine from a stop. It also needs a somewhat medium paced and steady acceleration for the noise to occur, and I was wondering if anyone had experienced this. I thought it might be my coolant being low but I topped it off and it still makes the noise. It sounds like it's coming from behind the passenger side dash board.

    Also, I was wondering if anyone has experienced uneven brake wear that makes the brake pads feel wavy from the inner radius to the outter radius. I brought it to Midas for an oil check and the mechanic brought it to my attention when inspecting the rest of the car during an oil change. He said it is typical for a car that's been on a long trip, because he thought I had driven it from NY to Washington state (2800 miles), when it was actually shipped there.
    Anyways, any help will do, thanks in advance.
  • tawilltawill Member Posts: 1
    Folks:

    I've got a 2000 Altima with an overhead console which has lights and a sunglass holder - this is NOT a sunroof console.

    The sunglass holder is broken. I bought a new cover from the dealer.

    The problem is I cannot figure how to remove the old console cover. It appears to have a screw in the front, then just push to remove. I've tried this but it doesn't work.

    I don't want to destroy the old console cover just to remove it, I might damage something I need.

    Advice??
  • 06rosie06rosie Member Posts: 1
    I am leasing an 06 Altima 2.5. I have taken it for its first 6000klm check up and they found low coolant. They did a pressure test and found nothing. They topped the coolant off and sent me on my way (air bubble in system?). 3 weeks later coolant is low again and heat is fading in and out with intermittant odour when A/C light is on. This vehicle had the engine replaced at factory due to the recall issue and engine now has 160,000 warranty. What could be causing this low coolant issue?
  • carguy8532carguy8532 Member Posts: 7
    I have an 06 Altima 3.5 SE that I leased about 10 months ago. Currently the car has 11000 miles on it. When it had 9700 I noticed the inner tread on the front tires was worn out, so I took the car in. All they did was rotate the tires and send me on my way. I pressed the issue about the 12/12500 warranty on tires and suspension. I had a 4 wheel alignment done last week and the car had been completely out of alignment since it left the factory so that was determined as the cause of the worn tires. Now the dealership doesn't want to pay/warranty a new set. Is there anything I can do here? I would appreciate any help as Im approaching 12000 miles and running out of ideas.
    Thanks
  • kaalubkaalub Member Posts: 1
    klcfreespirit,

    The information you are about to hear is not something you want to hear but it is the truth about Nissan Altimas. I own a 02 Nissan Altima 2.5 which has 122k miles on it. I recently noticed a oil consumption issue with my car a month or so ago. I have also had a check engine light on P0420 which is a o2 sensor / catalyst converter issue. I took it to the dealership and they told me it needed a new cat. It was going to cost me 1100 or so for the part and labor. I thought about replacing it and did some research on the issue and uncovered a make larger issue.

    There are thousands of Nissan Alti owners with the same issue. The problem is Nissans Precat has a design flaw causing debris to damage the precat and the catalyst converter. If damage takes place it may deteriorate the cat and then suck it into the engine creating major oil consumption issues cause you to have to replace the engine. Nissan is aware of the issue but you have to fight with them to replace your engine. I was told they were not going to assist me in replacing my engine because I was so far out of the warranty coverage. So in my defense I am hiring a lawyer and starting a class action lawsuit.

    This may not be the case with your car but I would definitly check your oil often and get your Catalyst convert checked out right away. If it is missing pieces I would have the dealership document it and then call Nissan NA and file a claim.

    GL
    with everything

    Kaalub Rittgers
  • jeaniefjeanief Member Posts: 1
    Hi, thanks for your post. I have a 2002 Altima with 112K miles on it. For many miles, I have been complaining of heating problems and what I thought were muffler problems/riding kind of hesitantly. They told me it was the catalytic converter, for which I paid like $800. They have replaced the thermostat for like $500. Still, it never seemed to fix anything permanently. I have had lots of situations lately where the coolant has been low. Then the mechanics said they hoped that the "old" catalytic converter did not break off into the engine and ruin it. Now, they are telling me that one cylinder is not working (it feels the same as always, like a noisy muffler and rough, hesitant ride). They said I need a new engine because it would be so expensive to take the engine apart to see what's wrong. I have seen other posts elsewhere about a design flaw causing the pre-cat breaking off and sending metal pieces into the engine. My dealer says this should not happen and is rare in a car as new as mine and tried to get Nissan to pay, they decline. I have filed a complaint. Do you have any thoughts? If you think it's related to your class-action suit, please let me know. I know nothing about cars but have been trying to research. Thank you.
  • 2003altimasuck2003altimasuck Member Posts: 4
    Please keep all of us "Unfortunate" Nissan Altima Owners posted on the status of your Class Action Law Suit. We live in Southern Ca. are very interested in any helpful information.
  • wildestkabswildestkabs Member Posts: 13
    Ok, long story short, I bought a used 95 Altima, and was told that it needed significant repair work. After being given a long list of "to-dos", I asked the mechanic to start off with the most important things (since I thought the budget was a little too high). Anyway, this is what he did/changed/repaired.

    1) 1 new master cylinder.
    2) 1 rear caliper.
    3) 1 rear brake pads.
    4) 1 front brake service.
    5) 4 OE type engine mounts, transmission mounts and torque mounts.
    6) 2 battery cable ends.
    7) 1 Engine steam clean & die (to inspect oil leaks)

    Even though the vehicle might have had problems, it was driving fine. Now after the repair, I am just plain scared to get this thing on the road. Here is what is happening.

    1) When I turn on the ignition, the vehicle idles way too high. If I press the gas pedal, it obviously idles faster, but when I release the gas pedal, the idling does not slow down. I have to push my foot UNDER the gas pedal, push it up (if you can visualise all this), and then the idling returns back to normal.
    2) Same while driving. Once I lift my foot off of the gas pedal, the vehicle will keep driving at that speed, if I push the brake pedal, the vehicle will slow down, but once I lift my foot off of the brake pedal, it will keep moving at the slower speed, as if it is on some sort of automatic city cruise control.
    3) The AC: The air condtioning worked fine before the repair, but ever since I have gotten my vehicle back, the ac only works when the vehicle is stationary. When the vehicle is in motion, the ac stops working.
    4) The transmission: When I put the vehicle in "P", it idles very high, when I put it in "R", the vehicle jerks off big time, and almost tries to make a leap backwards.
    5) I can also hear some kind of a squeal form somewhere within the hood.

    Has the mechanic screwed me? Am I driving a potentially dangerous vehicle? Is this thing going to explode in the middle of the road? I am very uncomfortable driving a vehicle that I don't trust.

    What do I need to do? What is wrong with this car?

    Please help!!

    :cry:
  • electricdesignelectricdesign Member Posts: 681
    Your mechanic has obviously screwed this car up, if it ran ok before he worked on it. What does he have to say about it? I'd take it back and tell him to fix it right! Sounds like the steam cleaning probably screwed up most of it. The throttle cable probably got the lube washed out of it or it rusted, it may just need some lubrication sprayed in the right places. The ac belt should be checked to be sure that the belt is not slipping while driving and that the compressor clutch remains engaged with driving.
    Good Luck,
    E.D. ISF
  • wildestkabswildestkabs Member Posts: 13
    electricdesign,

    Today, I was a lot more comfortable driving the vehicle. The ac worked at different times during the day but I am not sure whether it had to do with the weather cooling down a little bit because of the rain. When I had driven the vehicle yesterday, it was quite hot, so I am not sure whether the weather has any role to play here.

    The "check engine" light is still on. I have not been able to speak with the mechanic because had closed by the time I tried to contact him on Saturday and he remains closed on Sunday. The accelerator still gets stuck while driving, and I have to keep pushing the gas pedal up, to slow down the vehicle, otherwise it keeps cruising at constant speed. The transmission seemed to work fine too, today. I will bring up the points that you mentioned with him and see what he has to say. Thanks for the input. :)
  • hyperionhyperion Member Posts: 1
    I'm going through about 1.5 to 2 quarts of oil in between oil changes. Now I am quite certain that I have a blown head gasket. Rough exhaust sounds coming from under the hood and the cabin is filling up with exhaust fumes when sitting idle. I know it is the pre cat problem. Also The heater rarely works as well. I got on here to see if others were having this problem. looks as though I am not the only one. I'd be interested in a class action suit if I can't get it repaired. This my first Nissan and probably my last.
  • dw68dw68 Member Posts: 1
    hi i just found this site today . i have a 2002 altima and it takes forever to warm up . it will not warm up until after i have driven for quite some time . it has 77000 miles ,so i am wondering if there is something i might have checked before i get into big money problems ?
  • dude10dude10 Member Posts: 3
    I have an 02 Altima 2.5S, automatic transmission, with 55k miles. Recently I noticed that it is using a lot of oil between changes, so I switched from synthetic to synthetic blend. That helped a little, but did not solve the problem. It is also using a lot of coolant. I cannot find a leak anywhere for either fluid, and it does not seem to be burning any. The car also seems to idle a little higher than usual. Finally, when I accelerate from a stop, sometimes it seems to hesitate a little bit, and the RPM's get weird. Once, it almost stalled. What is up with this?
  • rcolanrcolan Member Posts: 1
    I have a 2002 2.5S with 90K miles. It started missing out a few days ago and gave a code that the No. 1 cylinder was misfiring. I pulled out the plug to check it and found that the plug electrode had been damaged and was completely closed so that it would not spark. Further inspection found a small round object like a ball bearing in the cylinder. I am assuming that it is a part from the converter that has gotten in to the engine. Car is running fine except that it idles too high, but now I am afraid to drive it for fear that more pieces will get sucked into the engine and ruin it. Called Nissan dealer and they said that Converter warranty was only good to 80k miles. Would like to know any information about joining a class action. :mad:
  • 03accordman03accordman Member Posts: 671
    I have a 2000 Altima with 138k miles; recently I noticed the driver side speaker has popped. To replace this, i need to open the inside door panel, but am not able to find instructions anywhere. Does anyone here know how to open the door panel? Help is much appreciated
  • jd10013jd10013 Member Posts: 779
    if its just a matter of the car taking awhile to warm up, you most likely need to replace the thermostat. If you don't know what it is, the thermostat is a part that controls water flow into the radiator. when its functioning properly, it will remain closed after starting the car so the water can not circulate through the radiator, thereby allowing you engine to warm up faster. one the engine reaches a certain temperature, the thermostat opens allowing the engine coolant into the radiator so you car doesn't over heat. the problem your describing sounds as though the thermostat is stuck in open and needs replced. Not an unusual repair for almost 80,000 miles, and not extremly expensive. I'd guess $300 or so.
  • smallcar1smallcar1 Member Posts: 76
    I had the heat on while driving and all of a sudden it just shut off. Both the fan and heat went off. Turning the fan on/off button did nothing on and pressing the A/C button did nothing. The A/C button would not light when pushed and the the vent buttons would not light when pushed although the light on the temperature slider stayed on.

    When I parked the car, I turned it off and when I put the key in the accessory position and turned on the heat and fan it came right on. What is causing this and what is the fix?
  • wildestkabswildestkabs Member Posts: 13
    smallcar1 ,

    I had the exact same problem with my 1995 Altima, little less than 1 month back. The A/C stopped working while I was driving and just would not turn on, no matter what I did. When I came back home, I turned the ignition off and then back on, and it started functioning, as if nothing had happened.

    It has not created a problem, since then, though. Read electricdesign's reply to my earlier post. That might answer your question.
  • aubrechonaubrechon Member Posts: 1
    Hello, I have a 2000 Altima. Diagnosed as needing cat replaced, Would like more info on joining the class action lawsuit. Troy Brashear
  • billrannbillrann Member Posts: 1
    I want to replace the headlights (they're really dim) and stereo, but our mechanic said it could overload the electrical system (car has power windows, locks, a/c, etc). I don't know a lot about cars (so I apologize if this is a real noob question), but I'm pretty good at diy projects, including electrical. So, I'm looking for advice.
    thx
  • jd10013jd10013 Member Posts: 779
    just put a more powerfull altanator in and you should be fine.
  • garth2garth2 Member Posts: 5
    Hi folks..Anybody have any idea what would cause my heat guage to be jittery to the point of annoyance? My 99 GXE is not heating, and when you are sitting still, it will most of the time go up to where it is supposed to be, but sometimes it still jitters. It never goes past where it is supposed to be, jittery or normal. Other than that, the car works great. I don't know if a thermostat would cause that or not..Help wanted!!!!
  • garth2garth2 Member Posts: 5
    I have noticed that the lights on my 99 GXE are also dim. My experience with my Nissan thus far is that electrical equals problems for some reason.. :(
  • ckeoughckeough Member Posts: 15
    My mother just had her 2004 Altima 2.5S at the dealer for recall work. They informed her the front and rear rotors were "gummed" up because the pads had not been cleaned are required. They had to replace the rear rotors and where able to clean the fronts. Also replaced the pads all around. Car has 29,000 miles on it. I've never heard of a problem like this, anyone have any experience? I have a 2006 Quest, some I'm trying to figure out if I should look out for this "gumming" problem.

    Chris
  • garth2garth2 Member Posts: 5
    To the above post, I am happy to say that my brother found the problem. It was the sensor and it was not secured correctly, causing it to jitter on the guage. Cost= a big thanks to my brother. :):)
  • garth2garth2 Member Posts: 5
    I would be suspicious of this, especially at such low mileage. What was the problem with the car to begin with? Was it making noise when the brakes were applied? Was it shaky in the front end when the brakes were applied? If there was no apparent reason why the shop did this, and she saw no difference in driving it afterwards, I would raise an eyebrow for sure.
  • electricdesignelectricdesign Member Posts: 681
    "My mother just had her 2004 Altima 2.5S at the dealer for recall work. They informed her the front and rear rotors were "gummed" up because the pads had not been cleaned are required. They had to replace the rear rotors and where able to clean the fronts. Also replaced the pads all around. Car has 29,000 miles on it. I've never heard of a problem like this, anyone have any experience? I have a 2006 Quest, some I'm trying to figure out if I should look out for this "gumming" problem."

    I was very surprised to see a post like this, because it is so idiotic! Whoever said this to your mother is a complete idiot. They only wanted to take advantage of her! This would #@#! me off for sure, if this was my mom. There is NO gumming of brake pads and NO required cleaning of brake pads. The only thing the brake pads make as they wear is DUST, which blows away. The only service required on the brake pads is to replace them when they get thin, or replace if they get contaminated by grease, and those pads should have lasted over 40,000 miles. If the rotors should happen to get contaminated by grease somehow, possibly by a leaking grease seal, they can very simply be easily cleaned off with Brake Kleen, a spray in a can that is inexpensive and available at any parts house. Rotors only need to be replaced if excessivly scored or worn. From what you have said, it sounds like they ripped your poor MOM off. If it was my MOM, I go back down there and start kicking some @#! right away!
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