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Nissan Altima Sedan 2008-2009

13

Comments

  • karsickkarsick Member Posts: 312
    2008 Altima was named recently as the #1 car on the market for tall people.

    Although I'm only 6'3", my legs are freakishly long :cry: , so that recently awarded distinction of the Altima helped guide my purchase.

    However, after a month, it became obvious that even with the seat ALLLLL the way back, I still lacked proper thigh support (even though we ordered the 8-way pwr driver's seat), and was getting an aching tailbone from having my knees in the air whilst driving.

    So............... I took out the seat, and had 2 steel spacers made to bolt onto the seat rails, effectively elevating the front part of the seat cushion under my knees.

    WHAT a huge difference!!! I love this car now :D:blush:

    Not only does the seat now support my entire thigh, but I'm able to avoid sliding the seat all the way back (making more rear seat room). As a result, the shifter (6speed manual), steering wheel & 3 pedals are in PERFECT position.

    I'm NEVER selling this car now :P ;)

    (now if I can just figure out a solution for the passenger seat that feels like sitting on a chair that's missing its legs.)
  • karpediemkarpediem Member Posts: 46
    I'm with you on the seat issue. The best solution for me is to raise the seat all the way straight up (toward ceiling, have to turn my head sideways because the seat could push you through the sunroof I think), then push the back end all the way down, so basically the seat is on a slant towards the back, and my thighs will hit the end of the seat....making a comfy ride.

    The passenger seat is bad, bad, bad...not only are you right about feeling like a chairt with no legs, but it feels like it slants forward as well. If just the front end could be propped up a bit, I think it would be a huge improvement.
  • karsickkarsick Member Posts: 312
    Karpediem-

    I'm so glad I'm not the only one who feels the seat cushions are angled too downward toward the footwells. If you can come up with a good solution for the non-adjustable type seats, please LET ME KNOW!

    On the ADJUSTABLE DRIVER'S seats, fortunately there are pivot mounts on the brackets so that if you custom-alter the bracket's front end, the rear of the seat bracket won't get screwed up.

    As mine is now, all the adjustments work as before, the entire seat assembly is just leaning back a bit more.

    (My current solution for the PASSENGER seat is to use an old-fashioned "wedge pillow" tucked under my knees when I'm riding shotgun).

    I'm not sure whose odd anatomy was chosen when Nissan designed the seat mounting, but my much-shorter-than-me wife also feels the seats are tipped forward (our only gripe with the Altima so far) and she makes use of a wedge pillow, too.

    Good luck & let me know. :shades:
  • norman11njnorman11nj Member Posts: 3
    Yep, the title says it all. My first Nissan ever, a brand new 2007 leftover Altima 3.5, 6spd totally loaded. Something snapped when shifting from 1st to 2nd less than 100 yards from the dealership and totally fried the clutch.

    So now it sits at the dealer, awaiting some parts so they can replace the entire clutch and I'm praying this isn't a sign of things to come.

    Anyone have clucth problems with a 6spd?
  • karpediemkarpediem Member Posts: 46
    Hey can you email me kind of a how-to....with pics maybe....about how you made the driver seat better?

    scottgarz@hotmail.com
  • tjmutlowtjmutlow Member Posts: 1
    mine also, so fed up with nissan, they have replaced my seat rails 2 time already and need to be done again, when you stop sudden seat slides forward, etc and you can grab steering wheel and pull yourself forward. They want to fix with the same faulty parts, also the swithces will not stay in the seat, but they can not fix that due to they attach to seat rails. Corporate tech told the dealer to not install new seat rails until there is a fix, the local area rep for nissan told the dealer to install them anyway. I put a buy back on that car, but nissan wants no part of that, I have had multiple issues with the car and have been at the dealer everyday this week for stuff to be fixed, It seems that the factory wants top not stand behind the product, even on day of delivery, my center console just popped off, they place no bolts in it. Actually had an 08 rental Altima and got in and what, not bolts in center console. This car qualifies fo lemon law in Texas, seat movement is a safety issue.
  • karsickkarsick Member Posts: 312
    karpediem -

    Trying to get a photo while the seat is in the car doesn't work, but I'll try to describe the alteration:

    1) Turn OFF the ignition (to avoid side airbag deployment from seat)
    2) Remember, this mod only works on the power adjustable seats\
    3)Tilt the seatback all the way fwd (makes it easier to get seat out of driver's door)
    4) Remove the 4 bolts holding the seat bracket to the floor
    5) Undo the electrical connections under the seat (airbag wire & pwr wire)
    6) Remove entire seat & bracket unit from car'
    7) Once the seat is out, you'll see that the rear of the seat is connected to the bracket with a pivot Leave this part alone
    8)Undo the 4 nuts on the front of the seat which attach the seat to the bracket.
    9)At this point, I had a local welder make two 2" high spacers (from steel square stock he had) and he also extended the existing studs (which protrude UP from the seat brackets) so the 4 nuts would reattach to them. He extended the studs using threaded couplers available at hardware stores. You can't reattach the 4 nuts unless the studs are lengthened this way.

    It will be obvious what to do once you pull the seat out of the car.

    It helped that my wife was out of town for the week so I could do this mod while leaving the car stationary.

    Good luck.
  • oceana143oceana143 Member Posts: 38
    I love the Altima but do not want the six. Anyone know if the 2009 will have stability control on the four? Thank you.
  • mfox1mfox1 Member Posts: 1
    I have only had my altima for a month. I noticed it clunking the first week I had it. Stayed in the shop for a week. They told me all 6cyl. altimas do it. One dealer told me it was ABS engaging. Another dealer told me it was the CVT transmission. According to the dealer they have had many complaints. I am very upset that I paid $32,000 for a car that clunks on take off. It does it between 5-10 mph. In the process of seeing what my options are.
  • ssspsssp Member Posts: 7
    Update:
    Just picked up my new 08 White Frost/blond leather Altima! This replaces my :lemon:
    NissanUSA offered a new replacement at no charge and I took it.
    I hope and pray that the problems with the little Precision Grey one were a freak of nature and isolated! :sick:
    Thanks to all who read and posted responses....that means a lot to this newbie! I do like this site now that I have discovered it. :blush:
  • milkman1milkman1 Member Posts: 80
    Okay, if I would get a 2.5 S without convenience package plus and placed my own16 inch rims on this car is Nissan going to stiff me on the warrantee? I mean if I dinged a rim on a trip and had that rim replaced with a rim not from the dealer they shouldn't void my warrantee. I don't see how placing my own rims on would be any different.
  • jd10013jd10013 Member Posts: 779
    as long as its the same size rim I don't see how it would affect your warranty. now, if you go bigger then that is of course a different story. a lot of people don't realize it but, bigger rims will cause excessive wear on your suspension, and if big enough, even damage your transmission.
  • busirisbusiris Member Posts: 3,490
    There must be a misconception here.

    You can change wheels and tires all day long and not void the warranty, as long as the replacements are the general size and specifications as the original equipment.

    However, if you replace the standard 16 inchers running 60 series tires with 22 inch rims with a 1/2 inch tire thickness, you probably will have a problem if the suspension has issues.
  • fjerinafjerina Member Posts: 9
    bv050506,

    I called Traverse Motors and Steve in Service was not aware of that fix. He said that if I knew your name he could look it up and see what they did to your car. If you could, could you email me with possibly your name or if you could call them and have them email me with the info, I would appreciate it.

    I am planning on bringing in my Altima this Friday, May 2, and want ammunition that other dealerships are fixing this problem and it is a known problem and they will take care of me.

    Thanks, Fred Jerina (fredjerina@msn.com)
  • milkman1milkman1 Member Posts: 80
    Is there a nismo air intake available for dealer install on a 2008 altima and if so is there a warranty impact if installed? I can get them put in with Mazda or VW with no impact to warranty, but the description I see in the online nismo catalog leaves me thinking the same is not true with Nissan.
  • milkman1milkman1 Member Posts: 80
    It appears there is no way to tow anything in an altima? Is anyone aware of why this is? It is a compelling reason to consider another vehicle. Must mid size sedans have a 1000 lb tow capacity.
  • lesmorelandlesmoreland Member Posts: 9
    Section 9-16 of the 2008 Altima Owners manual provides specifications for Towing. It has a 1000 lb. limit (including the weight of the trailer). They recommend no towing the first 500 miles of service.

    I have not purchased a towing package for my 2008 Altima yet, but expect to at some point to pull a lawn mower trailer. I have noticed a couple of vendors on the internet that sell a package for the 2008 Altima.
  • milkman1milkman1 Member Posts: 80
    That towing thing was really the last piece in the puzzle. Unless I decide to hold off for a really long time on buying I think this settles it. The Altima is what I need for me.
  • karpediemkarpediem Member Posts: 46
    Is there a nismo air intake available for dealer install on a 2008 altima and if so is there a warranty impact if installed?

    There is not, but there are 4 manufactures to choose from: Injen, Fujita, Weapon-R, and Stillen. Installing these will not effect the warranty, unless it's determined that the reason for whatever went wrong was caused by the intake. Fujita is your best bet, because they are all basically the same and it's the cheapest.

    Good info: Intake info for Altima
  • karsickkarsick Member Posts: 312
    Regarding the intake, is there something fundamentally wrong with the OEM item?

    In this era of horsepower & efficiency competition between the makes, I would assume the engineers had optimized most components like that. :confuse:

    If you're looking for some aural boost from the QR25, beware that they don't sound particularly tasty (not like a rev-happy SR20DE or Honda S2000) when they're louder.

    Trust me, I absolutely Iove the very ample low-rpm yank from our Altima 2.5, but it's better felt than heard. ;)
  • karpediemkarpediem Member Posts: 46
    You are right about the Nissan engineers. From what I have seen in both my Altima and '06 Xterra, their stock intakes are very well made. I still have aftermarket intakes for both of them. They both result in minimal horsepower gain, that you really can't "feel", but they do allow for better airflow and I have seen slight increases in mpg.

    I do have to disagree with you on the sound though. With the stock intake when you get on the gas, you hear the car rev up and it sounds like a weinie car...thanks to the 4cyl. Throw on the SRI, and you get a much lower tone, somewhat throaty, and not near as "weinie." This can cause a lower mpg though, because you find yourself wanting to hear that beautiful sound, so you get on it a little more often. ;)

    Also, it's a heck of a lot easier to see when the filter is dirty, and clean the filter. (don't have to buy new ones)

    I've gotten aftermarket intakes on my last 3 cars, and will continue to get them on all my future cars.
  • milkman1milkman1 Member Posts: 80
    Is there any after market grill or front fascia that gets rid of the stupid looking fog light plastic inserts? If not that, are there any after market fog light systems for the altima that look better than the factory lights?
  • karpediemkarpediem Member Posts: 46
    Here you go..... Stillen Front
  • milkman1milkman1 Member Posts: 80
    That is a really nice front end kit. I doubt it would be cheaper than actually getting the fog lamps though. Definitely will keep an eye on it though.
  • milkman1milkman1 Member Posts: 80
    It would be nice if they made some kind of custom body pieces to attach via the fog light holes to smooth out the front end like you see on rally cars sometimes. Cheaper and would get the job done. No more ugly.
  • nissan_altimanissan_altima Member Posts: 5
    Can any one tell me if there is difference in ride of SL and S model of Nissal Altima 08 ? I have 08 SL and i feel ride is rough .. any one have similar experience?
  • milkman1milkman1 Member Posts: 80
    the 4 cylinders all have the soft ride. The 3.5 SE has the stiffer suspension from what I have read. If what you have feels stiff, it doesn't get "less stiff"
  • sirreddsirsirreddsir Member Posts: 6
    I picked up my new '08 Altima (2.5 S, stationary mirrors) earlier this week, and thus far, it's great.

    However, I have noticed (similar to comments posted in some other threads around here) that when I get the car moving over 30-35mph, I hear a high pitched whistling from outside the car. If the windows are up, you can't really hear it... but with the windows down, even just a little bit, it's loud enough to be very obnoxious. The pitch changes with the speed and the gusts of wind, so it must be a gap or hole somewhere that's making the sound.

    Do other people have this problem, and what have you done about it? I suppose I'll bring it back over to the service department and see what they have to say... but before I do, any advice on what to call this problem would be greatly appreciated.
  • busirisbusiris Member Posts: 3,490
    I have owned an 08 Altima 2.5SL sedan since early January (South Carolina, where its warm and I drive a lot with the windows down), and I have never noticed anything like you described. I am fairly particular about squeaks and rattles, and I'm pretty sure that I would have noticed a sound like that...

    Sorry I couldn't be more helpful...
  • nissan_altimanissan_altima Member Posts: 5
    Ya mind is 2.5SL , it has stiffer suspension .. you can feel road as it is and on high speed it has vibration too .. i tried other 2.5SL and they had vibration too. Not sure if this is a design flaw in 08 ALtima 2.5 SL ?
  • jjk20jjk20 Member Posts: 13
    I am trying to find out if the '08 Altima SE 3.5 comes standard with "brake assist"? Edmunds' comparison page of features lists it as standard but it is not listed in the Altima brochure and it is not listed on the car's window sticker. I called the Nissan consumer affairs # but they do not see it listed.
    Does anyone know? Thank you!
  • angiezangiez Member Posts: 2
    I also have an '08 and have the same noise. High pitch noise with windows down. It is driving me crazy!
  • busirisbusiris Member Posts: 3,490
    I can't figure out why some have this noise and some don't.

    Do you have a sunroof? If so, is the noise the same with it open, tilted or closed?
    Are all the windows completely open when you hear it, or only the front?

    I have a pretty good ear for car noises, but I swear I haven't heard anything like what you all describe here...maybe I'm just lucky...
  • elron1elron1 Member Posts: 3
    Does anyone have any knowledge that the 3.5 V6 requires/recommends using only high octane fuel? I was told that you must use it for performance and if you do not want to spend the extra money for the gas, you are better off staying with the 2.5.
  • karpediemkarpediem Member Posts: 46
    To get the best performance and fuel mileage for the V6 they say to use premiumm you can however use regular unleaded and be perfectly fine. You will lose a little mpg and maybe 15 - 20hp.....which is still plenty more than my little 2.5.
  • elron1elron1 Member Posts: 3
    Thanks for your reply. I have the 2.5 which I have been happy with, although wouldf like the extra power. A friend is looking into getting the 3.5 and I advised him to first check out the octane requirement. Thanks again.
  • angiezangiez Member Posts: 2
    I don't have a sunroof. When I hear the noise, I have the driver's window slightly down. It sounds like a wheel bearing to me. I hear it at all speeds; of course, not as much on the highway because of the highway noise.
  • busirisbusiris Member Posts: 3,490
    I'll try to duplicate your conditions and see what I hear...
  • motov8motov8 Member Posts: 1
    "The MOST important thing is that you have this 2008 car serviced ONLY by a dealer while it is still in warranty! They know exactly what kind of oil to use in order to conform to warranty requirements!"

    This is certainly NOT TRUE!
    Your warranty will be honored by any Nissan dealer and the factory simply by documenting any service performed by yourself or by an independent mechanic.
    Any warranty requirement that dictates specific products or services be used on your car must be provided free of charge by the manufacturer. For further info read up on the Magnusson-Moss Act.

    Read your owners manual to see if there are any restrictions on type of mechanics used. Most manufacturers merely state the independent mechanic must be ASCE certified, or something like that.
  • lesmorelandlesmoreland Member Posts: 9
    My dealer told me it was fine to use a local shop to service my 2008 Altima, since the dealer was 40 miles away from my home. My maintenance shop did ask me to buy a supply of Nissan oil filters from the dealer. They have had some issues with non-Nissan brand oil filters. That was easy to do since they are inexpensive easy for me to keep on hand. The shop had no problem supplying the oil, and other standard servicing supplies.
  • adcz94adcz94 Member Posts: 11
    i am planning to buy a 08 Altima 2.5 S with SL package in Nashville. The best quote i have right now is 22240+tax. With tax the total should be just below 24400. I know this is a very good price but with 09 Altimas coming in should I try and bargain some more ?
    If anyone just recently purchased an Altima i would love to know what you paid for similar options.

    thanks in advance
  • bamamombamamom Member Posts: 3
    "I put a buy back on that car, but nissan wants no part of that, " Would you explain to me what that means? I have a 2007 with 6700 miles using 2 qts oil every 1k miles. Dealer wants to replace motor......
  • nissan_altimanissan_altima Member Posts: 5
    Try Nicholasville KY , i had purchased SL with connection package for 23k a year back but with rebates now you should get SL for 21k
  • texmigueltexmiguel Member Posts: 4
    I have an '08 Altima sedan and understand that the TPS system is standard on all 08's sold nationwide in the US.

    TPS tire pressure sensor equipped :)
  • milkman1milkman1 Member Posts: 80
    Might be time to start a new 2009 forum. I was looking at the price sheet. Looks like the connection package goes up in price, but SL price comes down. Might be a better deal for those SL with connection package types.
  • madpistolmadpistol Member Posts: 126
    Well, here I am, writing about my problems with my '08 Altima 2.5 SL. What's sad is I've only had it for about a year now, and the list of problems is driving me nuts! Here's what I've experienced so far:

    1. Brakes were squealing and shuttering under any sort of brake pressure.
    Solution: Brake rotors had to be rotated and brake pads replaced at around 11k miles

    2. Annoying rattle coming from rear right door panel.
    No solution yet.

    3. Loud "Thunk" noise coming from under the hood at 1-2 minute intervals during driving and idling.
    No solution yet.

    4. (just found this today) When starting the car from a cold start, the rear right exhaust (sounds like it's coming from inside the muffler) makes a metallic rattling noise. It sounds like either something is loose or something is stuck in the muffler.
    No solution yet.

    I'm calling the dealer in the morning. I'm also really tempted to start looking for a new car. While the car drives just fine, it seems like everything is going wrong with it. What's even worse is that I only have a little over 16k miles on the car, and I was planning on keeping this car for at least 4-5 years. Now I'm not so sure anymore.

    I wish I had bought an Accord. :sick:
  • madpistolmadpistol Member Posts: 126
    Just got my car back from the dealer with 2 out of 3 problems fixed.

    They replaced the right rear door panel, so the rattle is now gone!

    They also replaced the right rear muffler, so the exhaust rattle is gone too!!!

    For some reason, I think most of the rattles were stemming those areas, because on the way home from the dealer (roughly 30 minutes) I heard no rattles or squeaks in the car!

    My faith in Nissan is restored for the time being. Maybe it won't show up again.
  • jim321jim321 Member Posts: 1
    I have the same "thunk" noise as many of you coming from under the car. You hear it while idling or after the car is off. After 6 trips to the dealer, they replaced almost the whole muffler system with no luck. With help from a friend and an hour under the car, I figured it out to be the heat shield over the muffler system expanding and contracting. The dealer tightened it up and now 80% of the noise is gone. It's going in again!
  • sirreddsirsirreddsir Member Posts: 6
    YES!
    Mine just started doing that a few weeks ago! I wasn't sure if I was just imagining it, or if there was a real problem!

    So, you say it's the heat shield over the muffler... and that if they tighten it, that should fix it? I'll make note of that, and next time I bring it in, I'll let them know.

    Thank You!
  • patpat Member Posts: 10,421
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