On Nissans with automatic climate control systems you can improve your mileage by about 10% by following this procedure. (Been doing it on my 95GLE and on the 00SE for years.)
Turn the climate control system off completely. Hit the mode switch which will allow air to flow through the car but leaves the fan and compressor off. This only works (keeps the car comfortable) in the spring and fall for me but does significantly impact mileage.
FYI my 2000 SE auto has turned in (over 105k miles) an average of 24.2mpg with a low of 16.5 and a high of 30.1. I almost always use premium and about 90% of my miles are at 75-85 on the highway.
I also check the air pressure in the tires regularly (especially when the weather is changing like it is now).
r you saying you got more than 100k miles on your 2000 maxima??? i remember when i was researching for mine in 2000, your purchase was somewhat delayed due to whatever reason..but now u're at over 100k miles? YIKES!! i thought my 30k was high for 2yrs of ownership.
Using the ECON button instead of the AUTO button in the winter helps too, or at least it seems to for me. Maybe it's in my head?!?! I think it keeps the A/C compressor from coming on. I still think the largest factor for mileage is cruising speed. If you stay at 60-65mph (yeah right, I know I know) you will get WAY better mileage.
im looking into getting the Dunlop SP Sport A2 or the Kumho ECSTA Supra 712 tires from Tirerack for my 2k GLE... anyone done this? what happens? do they ship you the tires and you take it to a tireshop to install? how much does that cost? does a balance need to be done? an alignment?
cc: you're correct...the econ button does operate the hvac unit without the ac compressor, so that'll improve gas mileage. I use the econ setting mainly in the winter. I consistantly get 25-26 mpg with my 2000 SE (36k miles). But I got bad mileage early on (until the 2K mile mark).
kyle: i bought the Kumho's from tire rack about 2 years ago. Are you buying rims from tirerack too? if so, then the tires will come balanced and ready for mounting. You can have them ship to an installer or do it yourself (I did it myself, however it takes a while to install 4 tires without a lift). It's a good idea to get an alignment because you don't want premature wear on brand new tires. You'll be amazed at the wet traction of the kumhos, but they are not for the snow or ice. Let me know if you have any questions.
Man I love this board...I am also having problem, has happened three times so far. I thought it was wierd but very hard to cuplicate for dealer. The last two times it happened, I gave a solid thump with my fist to the area above the stereo on the dash and it started working fine. There's your solution until the radio pool fills back up I guess...
Yes I've passed the 106,000 mile mark on my 2000 SE auto and without any significant issues (that I had to pay for).
Warranty items replaced so far include:
HVAC fan motor=Twice (this is a weak spot on my particular car, probably related to the high mileage and the fact that it sits on the lowest fan speed for roughly 3 hours per day, my commute) Both front Struts=early failure <30,000 Windshield=it had a small crack coming up from the bottom, below the hood line. Map Light fixture=diagnosed as a short circuit
Stuff I had to pay for:
Brakes= at 90,000 miles, $315 New Tires (Pilot Sport A/S from Tire Rack, they're great in my opinion)$800 I also switched to Mobile One full synthetic and change it every 5k. One tail light bulb and windshield wiper blades a couple of times. IMHO, If you do the normal scheduled maintenance on these cars and don't abuse them, they'll last a long, long time and cost you relatively little to operate per mile! (I've got nearly 200k on the 95 GLE and it still looks and runs great!)
"learn how to drive" that is absurd. here is a brief litany of repairs that have been done a this fabulous piece of machinery: 2 ecu reprograms ignition coils one strut 2 steering racks rear brakes, then front brakes spark plugs (at under 12K)
then there are the problems that "cannot be duplicated" such as fuel cutoff, clutch slippage, water leaking through the driver's A pillar, car pulling, lack of acceleration, etc.
Finally, there are the dealers who write up one repair when in fact they did something else.
fuel economy is a minor issue. this car has been a dog for quite some time and continues to be one. the only good thing about the car is the radio and cd changer - oh yeah, they are aftermarket.
I think you shouldn't make ridiculous comments like learn to drive. If these cars were what Nissan claims them to be, there wouldn't be 31 discussions about problems, some with 5500 posts.
I am certainly glad that you like your maxima, but I keep hoping that a tree will crush it in the parking lot. It is worth more totalled then operating - and that is a fact.
I also have that same model.....Love IT!! I get around 19 mpg in town running the AC all the time, and I'm sure that is a big factor. I live in the deep Mississippi south, can't get by without the AC!! I'm sure I will do better on my gas mileage in the colder months.
If you are that unhappy with the car, why don't you take the hit and sell it. I doubt seriously that the value of the vehicle has dropped 50 % as you have said. Did you have an accident ??
lt's only money. Life's too short to be driving around in a car you don't like.
It sounds like you have a lemon. File for lemon law if its that bad or just get rid of it. Find a perfect car(good luck) and lose the sweeping generalizations that ALL maximas are bad. Lemons are to be found among all makes. Sorry you got one of them.
2k maxima gle in islandic pearl... after exactly 2 yrs of ownership and 30k miles, i still love it.. and i'm not one to get all luvy duvy over my car..the only trouble i had was the rotors warping which was fixed under warranty.. now i just need to apply a new layer of wax before the winter gets here in Massachusetts
Is there anyone in here who can post a website that shows the setup of my 02 Maxima SE's multi-link rear beam?
I got under the car yesterday and took a look. I think I understand why it is different from other rear beam suspensions, but I just want to see if I am correct. From what I saw, it is very, VERY close to looking like an independant suspension.
92drexel, I am also thinking bout buying from tirerack and having them shipped to me... I am only getting the tires.. although the Kumho's sound very nice, but they seem to be more Hi-performance tires where as the Dunlop A2 Sports are AllSeason performance tires.. I would have to think about which one I want...swapping for winter tires is not an option..
my question is.... should I order the tires, have them shipped to me.. then bring it to a tire place to install the tires onto my rims (what is balancing and mounting??... does this equate to just putting the tires on the wheel? and then putting it on the car? sorry if this seems to be a lot of dumb questions.. just trying to understand the whole process) ... then have them do an alignment?
I could go to the junk yard and have them put my tires on my rims then on my car for probably $15... that is why Im trying to figure out if I should bring it to a tire shop or the junkyard is good enough...
you got them to fix your windshield under warranty? how did it crack? did a rock hit your windshield on the bottom and it started to crack upwards? i sustained a nice fat rock chip and didn't think Nissan would fix it under warranty.. any info would be great..thanks..
I assume the Pilot Sport A/S are higher grade than the SP Sport A2s i might be getting... i assume you didn't get rims with it... did u bring it to a tire shop ..how much did you pay to get them mounted/balanced?
I have the same car as you and has also been perfect. I guess the milder weather here in Phoenix probably helps since it usually doesn't get below 50 and it is garage kept. My question is, when did you need to have the rotors turned? Is the problem still gone? Is it covered by the 3yr/36k warranty or is it mileage only? I have <15k on my GLE since its my 2nd car. Since the rotor problem is part of a TSB and is a known defect, I would think it should be covered beyond the 3yrs. Also, its been my experience from other cars, that turning the rotors usually fixes the problem for a short time only.
use a reputable tire shop, not the junkyeard (first time I ever heard that one).
Tirerack lists approved installers, found based on your zip code. Many of them accept drop shipping, so you just tell tirerack to send them straight there (no big boxes at your house). Just tell the shop they are coming.
mounting and balancing costs are listed on the tirerack site. Mounting is putting the tire on the rim, balancing is the little weights to keep them from shaking.
We were never able to determine what caused the crack but I first noticed it when I lifted up the passenger wiper arm to scrub the winshield. The was a tiny crack starting below the hoodline and moving up towards the center of the car(but the entire crack was still under the hoodline)when I found it.
The service writer at the dealer did suggest that something had hit the windshield but the crack was clearly starting (and ending) below the hoodline. By the time I got an appointment and they got the windshield to the dealer, the crack had moved slightly above the hoodline.
The replacement windshield was $700 and was covered under warranty.
Re: Tirerack, I paid $100 to the local installer to mount and balance the Michlein Pilot Sport A/S but that also included the installation of the 4 "Smart Tire" wireless tire pressure sending units around the stock rims first. (That part alone took the guys over an hour since it was the forst time they had installed the sensors.)
The tires and or wheels are send via UPS normally and don't come in boxes (at least neither of my shipments did). They just wrap the tires with a protective plastic and in the case of wheels, they had a slip sheet of heavy cardboard protecting each side of the wheel/tire combination.
Just mounting and balancing tires should run you somewhere around $10 per wheel (from my experience).
Thanks for all the comments/advice about mileage. I didn't buy the Max for the mileage, I bought it to drive and I love it. Only 800 miles on my '03 SE and I don't want to get out of it. It's a fantastic driver compared to my other vehicles: 96 Caravan, 84 Camry and 90 Celebrity SWG; and I had to compromise by getting a sedan instead of a coupe and auto (for the wife). But after the test drive, I had to have one. Love the styling, love the interior, love the power, love the ride. I look forward to 200k miles.
You shouldn't compare apples to oranges ie, Civics to Maximas.The vast majority of Max. buyers buy for performance. The Max. engine is more than twice the size of the Civic. Of course you will get fewer mpg with the Max. DUHHHHHHH !!
Btw, I recently got 26.7 mpg on a recent trip with my '00 GLE. I'm not complaining ! Zoom - Zoom !!
I ran the carfax on the 97 Maxima and it comes up clean. It was used as a company car in Atlanta and then auctioned to the dealer that sold it to me. It's an SE, not GLE but has all options. Some stuff we don't even know what it's for and will have to order an owner's manual for the car. The dealer's son put over 20K miles on it before selling it to my teenage daughter. He didn't want to part with it until his dad offered to let him drive a newer model Cadillac. With tax the bill came to $8995. With 76K miles on it we are pleased. The rear bumper looks a bit faded, but other than that it's perfect. Now my oldest daughter wants me to find her one, and even my 2001 Altima just doesn't measure up. No wonder you all love your Maximas . .
A $700 windshield? Was that the "insurance" price? I've had several windshields replaced, most recently a 2000 Dodge Dakota, and have never had to pay more than $300, with no insurance claim filed.
I would expect to find $700 windshield replacements on BMW's, Audi's, and Lexuses (Lexi?), but not on a Nissan Maxima.
Okay, I'm cheap, so I did LOTS of research on getting tires for my 00 SE Auto. I bought early so I have a 16"er. I mean 16"ers ;-). Anyway, I shopped around a ton and found that the best deal (for me) was going through a shop called Discount Tire. They are a huge chain that's all over the place. The price was around $10 more per tire than Tirerack, so about $40-50 more total, but along with that came premium service including initial mount and balance and FREE lifetime rotations and balances. Since I live in a townhome and don't do much maintenance myself (small garage with minimal tools, etc) this was a much better way to go. It usually costs me around $15-20 for a rotation and about $8-10 per tire to balance. I figure if I get both those things done twice I'm saving considerable ging. Lastly, I got the Dunlop SP-A2's. My impression is that they don't corner as well as the Toyos, but the wet weather traction is much better. I live in MN so all-weather tires are a must unless you get a set of snows. We've had rain and sleet this week and the tires are solid. I will report back as to how they do in the snow. I got through the first 2 winters with the Toyos and I guarantee these are much better than those. One knock, they whine over certain types of pavement, like the reddish colored concrete freeways.
If you're just looking at replacing your tires, then you may want to go to a reputable nationally recognized tire shop. The thing with tirerack is they don't offer a roadhazard warranty (I think they don't).
A roadhazard warranty means that the tire retailer will offer free flat repairs, free balancing, and pro-rated replacement should a tire fail (blow out, etc).
Tire rotations usually cost around $20, balancing unusually $40 or so, and flat repairs $25-30$ (because a proper flat repair includes re-balancing the tire).
So as ccermak indicated, paying an extra $40 or so more, but getting roadhazard will pay off in the long run.
Drex
PS: You're correct, mounting means placing the tire on the rim (this requires a special machine) and balancing is attaching weights to the rim to reduce vibration. Alignment (for lack of better words) is synchronizing all 4 wheels so that they roll straight. Cars out of alignment tend to drift left or right. When this happens, you're turning the steering wheel in the opposite direction of the "drift" to compensate. Eventually, this wears out your tires.
A rule of thumb for testing alignment is to find a flat, straight road, safely let go of the steering wheel, and see if the car drifts left or right. If your car drifts, then you may need to get an alignment...but since your getting new tires, its a safe bet to get an alignment anyway.
When you go through the dealer, it's always more expensive. I got a dealer estimate for a windshield in my 1999 Protege DX when I had it, and they said $522. I got it done by a local glass shop, and they came to my work even, for $310 or so.
Hey! I've read through some of the postings - good stuff. I am in the market for a 02' SE but am having problems finding one on the lot with a moonroof. I didnt think it was done but a local dealership said they install moonroofs which are then covered by the manufacturers warranty. Anyone have any experience with a non-factory installed moonroof? Thanks in advance for the help!
I had my blinking airbag light on a 1995 Maxima reset for $75 a year ago, but it recently came back on. Dealer says I now need a new "control unit". I find it amazing that the dealer indicates the airbags themselves are probably fine, its "just" the control unit and then quotes $1,100.
How many of you out there have had a similar problem? Is this just one more reason to dump today's high technology cars before 120k miles? I can't wait until I need a new ABS control unit or, in the current crop of high end cars, a new navigation system, brake assist control unit, anti-skid control unit, etc, etc,.
Maybe Dell should get into the automotive business, Dude!
An aftermarket sunroof will hurt the value of your car and probably won't be as reliable as a factory roof. And if it's a car that's available with a factory roof why not hold out for the real thing?
That's absurb. I'm 95% sure that the airbag should be covered under warranty for the life of the car since it's a safety item. You may want to look at your owner's manual. If your dealer won't fix it under warranty then take it to another (or call Nissan).
I recently had a problem with my fasten seatbelt light on my 92. Everytime I hit a bump, my seatbelt light would come on with that annoying "ding-dong" sound would follow. It was a loose contact switch in my seatbelt fastener and the dealer covered that repair.
Goodluck.
PS: Don't EVEN get me started on Dell. I'm on my 2nd monitor, 2nd hard drive (which I had to replace myself), and had noisy fan (bad bearing) in the past year and a half. Hopefully I'll have better luck!
Thanks for the tip. I didn't think anything was covered for the life of the car, but it's certainly worth checking into. I'll let you know what I find.
I have a 03 Max GLE with only 350 miles. The transmission seems a bit hesitant when shifting. Everytime I step on the gas to accelerate after the car stops for the red light, it hesitates by a fraction of a second before it picks up, and then it moves through the gears very smoothly. Has anyone experienced this? I also have a 91 and 97 Max; they never gave me this problem.
Also, when driving the 03 Max in excess of 70 mph, I notice the hood shakes very slightly. That has never happened to my two other Max. I recall this Board mentioning hood shaking in prior posts. Is this a common problem?
I know these are minor problems or maybe I am just overly sensitive or maybe the car needs to be broken in. I want to find out if anyone out there has similar experiences.
I had an aftermarket sunroof in the 1999 Protege DX mentioned above, with no problems in 38K miles. The sunroof maker even warrantied the roof for the life of the car too. It did lower the value though, according to Carmax, when I had the car assessed there for trade-in. Never a leak or anything with it though.
And the reason I got an aftermarket sunroof was because Mazda doesn't offer this option on the DX model.
I'm not sure why some of the mileage estimates have been so low on here. I've got over 20K miles on my 01 SE Auto and consistently get 24 mpg commuting in Atlanta traffic 5 days a week. Maybe the 255 HP engine gets less mileage, but it seems you would have to be constantly racing the car to get <20 mpg......
Unlike previous designs, the '02 / '03 Max's have a throttle by wire system which will occasionally produce a slight lag. Rather than having a mechanical cable linkage to the throttle like most cars, the new Max's have an electrical wire.
My '02 Max. will occasionally produce a lag but it doesn't bother me. IF your car lags EVERY time then I would certainly have it checked. When you take it to the dealer you can also have them perform TSB # 01-042 for the hood vibration. This TSB came out in Jan 02 so I would have thought that Nissan would have incorporated this fix into the ' 03's by now !!
Btw, these are awesome cars don't you think ? All you need to do is depress the accelerator a 1/4 of an inch and they flat move out. Extremely responsive engine . I was very concerned when I pulled my car up on my ramps to change the oil. I had to REALLY concentrate and pretend that I had an egg between the accelerator pedal and my foot and give it as little gas as possible or else I'd fly off the ramps like the space shuttle. Hey, sounds like this could be a new Nissan TV commercial. ;-)
These cars seem to always be " chomping at the bit ". Like a race bred horse, they just wanna run !!
habitat1: Maybe Dell should get into the automotive business, Dude!
I agree. What's up with all these expensive control units that require hardly any processing power for the small tasks they perform.
Put in a central processor and don't even think of charging more than $200 for it, considering how little processing power you actually need. Then load the right software for each function and run everything off your single processor. Simple!
Thanks for the advice. I hadnt really thought much about it lowering the value of the car. I really cant wait for a used one to come up for sale so I might just step up to the 03'. Thanks again, m
someone asked me about getting my warped rotors fixed under warranty.. i dont remember who... well, there's a tsb out for the 2k and 2k1 max for warped rotors... when i first brought the car in to get service, the guy told me that it could be normal wear and i might just be charged for it.... then i showed him the tsb, and he copied down the tsb# and when i got back the car, they didn't charge me for it... i am not sure what they did for it, but there is a specific way to turn the rotors on this tsb.. or maybe they didn't follow the directions at all.. i dont know.. but my steering wheel haven't been shaking when i hit the brakes.. so that's a good sign and it's been 5000 miles since. good luck
I had the same problem on my 2000 maxima gle. The dealer told me turning the rotors were not covered by warranty and it would cost around $124.00 to to this. I balked and showed the TSB. they said the TSB made no difference. Ten minutes later the service manager came out and said they found a "loophole" and they would order me 2 new rotors under warranty. I had them installed today. No more steering wheel shake or vibration.no cost too me. Interesting!
Now that you all mention it, the 02 Maxima SE rental I had for a day or so had warped rotors as well. The car only had like 14K miles or so on it too when I rented it. I was surprised, but thought it might have been abused (as most rental cars are) during its life with Budget.
I am the guy that asked you about the rotors on your 2k gle. I was wondering when the problem started, at what mileage. If I remember correctly, we bought our GLE's around the same time, Sept 00'. I see you drive yours since you are looking at new tires. For me its a 2nd car that I use seldom. Unfortunately for me, I will probably have to pay for my rotor repair because it will be out of warranty by then.
MXV4's are good all-season tires that will last you forever if you keep them rotated and balanced. The Dunlop A2's will give you better handling as they are more performance oriented but they probably won't last as long as the Michelins. So I guess it depends on if you just want a good, long-lasting tire to commute with or if you want a more performance oriented tire.
hey people my dad has a 1995 maxims SE with the 5 speed manual. Its a sweet [non-permissible content removed] ride no doubt... and i just got my license a while ago so i'm drivin it around alot haha.. I know its got power for its year... 7 years ago and your shooting out 190 horses?? thats nuts.. haha.. What i'm trying to wonder is what the 0-60 is for the 95 max se? i saw websites saying 6.7 secs, and others saying over 7.... I'm not sure which to believe... 6.7 seems FAST... compared to like a 2003 maxima se going 6.3 secs... 0.4 seconds is almost nothing! so yaab asically can soemone tell me the 0-60 on the 95 max SE! thanks~
Comments
Turn the climate control system off completely. Hit the mode switch which will allow air to flow through the car but leaves the fan and compressor off. This only works (keeps the car comfortable) in the spring and fall for me but does significantly impact mileage.
FYI my 2000 SE auto has turned in (over 105k miles) an average of 24.2mpg with a low of 16.5 and a high of 30.1. I almost always use premium and about 90% of my miles are at 75-85 on the highway.
I also check the air pressure in the tires regularly (especially when the weather is changing like it is now).
kyle: i bought the Kumho's from tire rack about 2 years ago. Are you buying rims from tirerack too? if so, then the tires will come balanced and ready for mounting. You can have them ship to an installer or do it yourself (I did it myself, however it takes a while to install 4 tires without a lift). It's a good idea to get an alignment because you don't want premature wear on brand new tires. You'll be amazed at the wet traction of the kumhos, but they are not for the snow or ice. Let me know if you have any questions.
There's your solution until the radio pool fills back up I guess...
Warranty items replaced so far include:
HVAC fan motor=Twice (this is a weak spot on my particular car, probably related to the high mileage and the fact that it sits on the lowest fan speed for roughly 3 hours per day, my commute)
Both front Struts=early failure <30,000
Windshield=it had a small crack coming up from the bottom, below the hood line.
Map Light fixture=diagnosed as a short circuit
Stuff I had to pay for:
Brakes= at 90,000 miles, $315
New Tires (Pilot Sport A/S from Tire Rack, they're great in my opinion)$800
I also switched to Mobile One full synthetic and change it every 5k.
One tail light bulb and windshield wiper blades a couple of times.
IMHO, If you do the normal scheduled maintenance on these cars and don't abuse them, they'll last a long, long time and cost you relatively little to operate per mile! (I've got nearly 200k on the 95 GLE and it still looks and runs great!)
2 ecu reprograms
ignition coils
one strut
2 steering racks
rear brakes, then front brakes
spark plugs (at under 12K)
then there are the problems that "cannot be duplicated" such as fuel cutoff, clutch slippage, water leaking through the driver's A pillar, car pulling, lack of acceleration, etc.
Finally, there are the dealers who write up one repair when in fact they did something else.
fuel economy is a minor issue. this car has been a dog for quite some time and continues to be one. the only good thing about the car is the radio and cd changer - oh yeah, they are aftermarket.
I think you shouldn't make ridiculous comments like learn to drive. If these cars were what Nissan claims them to be, there wouldn't be 31 discussions about problems, some with 5500 posts.
I am certainly glad that you like your maxima, but I keep hoping that a tree will crush it in the parking lot. It is worth more totalled then operating - and that is a fact.
hit and sell it. I doubt seriously that the value of the vehicle
has dropped 50 % as you have said. Did you have an
accident ??
lt's only money. Life's too short to be driving around in a car
you don't like.
I got under the car yesterday and took a look. I think I understand why it is different from other rear beam suspensions, but I just want to see if I am correct. From what I saw, it is very, VERY close to looking like an independant suspension.
Makes me happy! :-)
Obi
my question is.... should I order the tires, have them shipped to me.. then bring it to a tire place to install the tires onto my rims (what is balancing and mounting??... does this equate to just putting the tires on the wheel? and then putting it on the car? sorry if this seems to be a lot of dumb questions.. just trying to understand the whole process) ... then have them do an alignment?
I could go to the junk yard and have them put my tires on my rims then on my car for probably $15... that is why Im trying to figure out if I should bring it to a tire shop or the junkyard is good enough...
-Kyle
I assume the Pilot Sport A/S are higher grade than the SP Sport A2s i might be getting... i assume you didn't get rims with it... did u bring it to a tire shop ..how much did you pay to get them mounted/balanced?
Tirerack lists approved installers, found based on your zip code. Many of them accept drop shipping, so you just tell tirerack to send them straight there (no big boxes at your house). Just tell the shop they are coming.
mounting and balancing costs are listed on the tirerack site. Mounting is putting the tire on the rim, balancing is the little weights to keep them from shaking.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
The service writer at the dealer did suggest that something had hit the windshield but the crack was clearly starting (and ending) below the hoodline. By the time I got an appointment and they got the windshield to the dealer, the crack had moved slightly above the hoodline.
The replacement windshield was $700 and was covered under warranty.
Re: Tirerack, I paid $100 to the local installer to mount and balance the Michlein Pilot Sport A/S but that also included the installation of the 4 "Smart Tire" wireless tire pressure sending units around the stock rims first. (That part alone took the guys over an hour since it was the forst time they had installed the sensors.)
The tires and or wheels are send via UPS normally and don't come in boxes (at least neither of my shipments did). They just wrap the tires with a protective plastic and in the case of wheels, they had a slip sheet of heavy cardboard protecting each side of the wheel/tire combination.
Just mounting and balancing tires should run you somewhere around $10 per wheel (from my experience).
to Maximas.The vast majority of Max. buyers buy
for performance. The Max. engine is more than twice the size of the Civic. Of course you will get fewer mpg with the Max. DUHHHHHHH !!
Btw, I recently got 26.7 mpg on a recent trip with
my '00 GLE. I'm not complaining ! Zoom - Zoom !!
A $700 windshield? Was that the "insurance" price? I've had several windshields replaced, most recently a 2000 Dodge Dakota, and have never had to pay more than $300, with no insurance claim filed.
I would expect to find $700 windshield replacements on BMW's, Audi's, and Lexuses (Lexi?), but not on a Nissan Maxima.
Please excuse me!!!!! I LOVE my Maxima, just taking some getting used to on the gas part from a 4 cyl. to a 6.
Seeya
If you're just looking at replacing your tires, then you may want to go to a reputable nationally recognized tire shop. The thing with tirerack is they don't offer a roadhazard warranty (I think they don't).
A roadhazard warranty means that the tire retailer will offer free flat repairs, free balancing, and pro-rated replacement should a tire fail (blow out, etc).
Tire rotations usually cost around $20, balancing unusually $40 or so, and flat repairs $25-30$ (because a proper flat repair includes re-balancing the tire).
So as ccermak indicated, paying an extra $40 or so more, but getting roadhazard will pay off in the long run.
Drex
PS: You're correct, mounting means placing the tire on the rim (this requires a special machine) and balancing is attaching weights to the rim to reduce vibration. Alignment (for lack of better words) is synchronizing all 4 wheels so that they roll straight. Cars out of alignment tend to drift left or right. When this happens, you're turning the steering wheel in the opposite direction of the "drift" to compensate. Eventually, this wears out your tires.
A rule of thumb for testing alignment is to find a flat, straight road, safely let go of the steering wheel, and see if the car drifts left or right. If your car drifts, then you may need to get an alignment...but since your getting new tires, its a safe bet to get an alignment anyway.
Goodluck!
Thanks in advance for the help!
How many of you out there have had a similar problem? Is this just one more reason to dump today's high technology cars before 120k miles? I can't wait until I need a new ABS control unit or, in the current crop of high end cars, a new navigation system, brake assist control unit, anti-skid control unit, etc, etc,.
Maybe Dell should get into the automotive business, Dude!
I recently had a problem with my fasten seatbelt light on my 92. Everytime I hit a bump, my seatbelt light would come on with that annoying "ding-dong" sound would follow. It was a loose contact switch in my seatbelt fastener and the dealer covered that repair.
Goodluck.
PS: Don't EVEN get me started on Dell. I'm on my 2nd monitor, 2nd hard drive (which I had to replace myself), and had noisy fan (bad bearing) in the past year and a half. Hopefully I'll have better luck!
Also, when driving the 03 Max in excess of 70 mph, I notice the hood shakes very slightly. That has never happened to my two other Max. I recall this Board mentioning hood shaking in prior posts. Is this a common problem?
I know these are minor problems or maybe I am just overly sensitive or maybe the car needs to be broken in. I want to find out if anyone out there has similar experiences.
And the reason I got an aftermarket sunroof was because Mazda doesn't offer this option on the DX model.
system which will occasionally produce a slight lag. Rather than
having a mechanical cable linkage to the throttle like most cars,
the new Max's have an electrical wire.
My '02 Max. will occasionally produce a lag but it doesn't
bother me. IF your car lags EVERY time then I would certainly
have it checked. When you take it to the dealer you can also
have them perform TSB # 01-042 for the hood vibration. This
TSB came out in Jan 02 so I would have thought that Nissan would
have incorporated this fix into the ' 03's by now !!
Btw, these are awesome cars don't you think ? All you need
to do is depress the accelerator a 1/4 of an inch and they
flat move out. Extremely responsive engine . I was very concerned
when I pulled my car up on my ramps to change the oil. I had to
REALLY concentrate and pretend that I had an egg between the
accelerator pedal and my foot and give it as little gas as possible
or else I'd fly off the ramps like the space shuttle. Hey, sounds like
this could be a new Nissan TV commercial. ;-)
These cars seem to always be " chomping at the bit ". Like
a race bred horse, they just wanna run !!
I agree. What's up with all these expensive control units that require hardly any processing power for the small tasks they perform.
Put in a central processor and don't even think of charging more than $200 for it, considering how little processing power you actually need. Then load the right software for each function and run everything off your single processor. Simple!
Thanks again,
m
i've heard they're real good tires and can find them at Sam's Club at 125/tire...
i was considering the Dunlop A2's... figured i would get your input.. thanks again guys
i saw websites saying 6.7 secs, and others saying over 7.... I'm not sure which to believe... 6.7 seems FAST... compared to like a 2003 maxima se going 6.3 secs... 0.4 seconds is almost nothing! so yaab asically can soemone tell me the 0-60 on the 95 max SE! thanks~