Nissan Maxima Maintenance and Repair

brianzi

Hey CCermark, I read an earlier comment you made saying you know where I could order ignition coils cheaper than the dealer. Could you email me that info? BrianZi2@aol.com

jpelli

Thanks kp40m! Anyone else got any answers to this most elusive problem?

ccermak

I tried emailing your above mentioned email address and it bounced back as a failure. Are you sure it's correct in the above post? I'm familiar with another chat board that I can point you to that has TONS of info on coils, and a person on there who can get you parts. I believe he actually works at a Nissan parts dealer, but they do so much volume they sell cheaper than anyplace else.

brianzi

Ya, it's the right one. It's Brianzi2@aol
Perhaps you forgot the number 2 or you mistakened the second i for a 1

timadams

Thanks for the heads-up on the recall notice. My VIN# indicates I have two of the recalls: the Engine Sensor and the Transverse Link Replacement. I also have a question: I've been noticing a hesitation lately, and I know there have been some TSBs about Maxima hesitation. Will the engine sensor recall fix this problem, or should I figure out which TSB(s) to alert my dealer to about the hesitation?

qzhou

I have managed to retrieve the fault codes from my 1999 Maxima and they are p1320 and p0135 and p0320. The code reader indicates that Cylinder no. 2 misfire detected and ignition primary circuit fault. Also the "Upstream oxygen sensor heater (right bank) is a problem. I want to replace them myself but don't know which one is Bank 1 Sensor 1. There is one on the passenger side (close to the radiator, visible) and one underneath on the driver side (need to get under the car to see). I can eliminate the one further down the exhaust system.

Could anyone tell me which one is the right bank?

Also, is Cylinder 2 the middle one on the front row (close to the radiator) or on the back row?

Any help will be greatly appreciated!

Thank you very much in advance!

alcan

In the rear exhaust manifold. Cylinder numbering is front bank 2,4,6 from passenger side to driver side, rear bank 1,3,5 from pass. to driver side.

ocuihs

Since the 04 is another generation (6th), why buy the early production models especially those produced in the first/second quarter of 2003, yes that's 2003? Was it because you want to be the first on your blocks to own it?

Any new/redesigned car models may have "defects" no matter how aggressively tested.

My point is "defects" do happen. Best of luck to you!

qzhou

First, many thanks to Al from Canada (sorry I don't know your full name) who helped me in the previous message to locate the cylinder.

I got fault code P1320 IGN SPEED which is listed in the Maxima's manual as "Ignition signal primary circuit fault". Since my 1999 Maxima also tested with the fault code P0302, "Cylinder 2 misfire detected" I thought replacing the ignition coil would sure solve the problem.

So I bought an ignition coil (Hanshin) which is exactly the same as the original part number and replaced Cylinder 2 ignition coil. I started the engine but soon I noticed misfiring again. So I hooked up the OBD II scanner and tested again. The reading is the same even after I cleared the codes and retested. The reading also indicated "P1320 Ignition/distributor egine speed input circuit. Received from egine controller address $10."

I was very hopeful that the new ignition coil would fix the problem. Now I'm totally lost. Does anyone know if the code P1320 IGN SPEED means something else than the ignition coil problem? -- I still have an oxygen heater fault problem but I don't see it causing P1320, or will it?

Any tips would be greatly appreciated!

Thank you!

alcan

P1320: Ignition Control (IC) Module 4x Reference Circuit Intermittent No Pulses

Looks like there's a problem with the ignition module OR it's associated wiring. Remember, scan tools retrieve trouble codes which indicate circuit faults. They can NOT determine if a component has failed. That requires diagnosis of the fault.

btownmaxima

Hi there...
I have a '02 Maxima with 17,500 miles on it... I noticed hesitation on my car too! I thought it was just me being over sensitive...but yesterday i was driving on the highway and all of a sudden the "Service Engine Soon" light came on.... i did my business and went home and parked it... Im taking it to the dealer on Monday to get it checked out. I was wondering if u found out anything about ur car's problem. I too have made an appt for the recall... Im getting that done this monday... Could let me know if u have more info to bostonianthug@hotmail.com... Thanks in advance

roar1

I have a 2k Max. When I start the car in the morning when the outside temps are below ~ 20 deg., the engine will stall when I first put it in gear. The fast idle does work under these conditions. After one or two restarts it is then OK. Does anyone have any ideas.

Thanks in advance !!

ccermak

My 2000 SE used to do that once in a while. I now make it a practice to let it idle for a while first, usually it'll idle fast, then after a bit it'll like slow down RPMs for a second, and then pick back up a little and then I'll go and it'll be fine. Whole process takes maybe a full minute. If I just start cold and throw in gear right away I'd get same problem you mention. Seems like it has to do with the ECU (computer) and it's fuel mapping. It's like it floods out if put in gear during initial fast idle, which would make sense why hard to restart right away after. Just a theory. Regardless, I now let it warm up a while and haven't had problem since.

btownmaxima

I wanna recommend the service dept. of Frost Nissan of Newton, MA as the best for Service... Ask for Ruben or Stephen... they r the best and really cool. I bought my Maxima from Nissan of Natick in Mass. Phew.... what a bad service from the service dept. Sales was great though...

momzmax

Our CD Player skips randomly.
Car is only one month old.
Dealer replaced the original player and the new one has the same problem. Just wondering if anyone else is experiencing this with 2004 Maximas.

Thanks,

lichtronimo

I've read other people complaining about this same problem when the weather is cold.

momzmax

It's my wife's car, so I'm not in it very often to experience the problem.
I was in it today and the CD skipped. It was about 30 degrees. We're in Minnesota, so if it's going to act up when it's cold, we have a problem.

lichtronimo

and that's not good if its skipping with the weather we've had the last couple days. It probably froze like everything else a few weeks ago.

Where did you buy your Maxima? I'm buying one in October and am interested in your experience and what you paid. I know Walser sells everything at 93% of MSRP, so that's a start. I'm sure I can get a Luther or Morries dealer to beat that price. I may also go as far as Rochester, Mankato or St. Cloud to price shop via e-mail

drivenj

Any stolen xenon headlights on 2004 Maximas? Are they really more secure than 2003-2?

aggiedog

I have an 02 SE and have had 4 cd players replaced. Mine had nothing to do with the weather. They were all just junk. I finally have a good one now. I don't know if the same bose head unit is used in the 02-04 but I'd just have them replace it until you get one that works.

On a different cd issue, I have factory cd's that will stop playing in the middle of songs. I've burned copies of those cd's and the ones I've burned don't have any problems. Go figure.

04max

Are you using CD-R/RW ? Bose always had problems with CD-R/RW. If you have to use CD-R, dont use CD labels or any type of stickers on top of CD-R. Remember to use better quality CD-R

beanctr

I have a 02 Maxima SE with the Bose unit. It too skips when the weather is cold out (around 35 to 40 degrees). It would appear after reading other posts regarding this problem that Nissan has a defect in their expensive top of the line radio. It stinks because I am already past my warranty period.

ne0

I noticed @ lunchtime today there were tiny cracks on my rental of the 2004 nissan maxima, when I drove ther car back to enterprise in Jersey City, NJ. the roof started to crackle and collapse and flew all over route 80 in NJ, I explained to the rental agency that the damage on the car ssem defective on Nissan's part, the glass skyroof panel show damage of the cracks going from inside of the car, the glass panel formed a triagular shape and crackeled all in the middle of the skyroof, it's a goos thing I took photo's from my cellphone showing the clumping of the skyview glass roof being pushed inside out. It's been really cold here in the New Jersey & New York area.. I can't believe Nissan does not have a recall on this glass skyroof. Can anyone help me? Won't nissan cover this under warranty considering the model is 2004? Am I responsible for this damage? The rental car company charged me my deduction for my comprensive for this damage, I don't think this is fair for something I did not do.

Please email me at nirajpatel@covad.net

sox_in_04

I second the comment on Natick Nissan.
Worst Service Department I have ever encountered!
They replaced my Cap and wires ('93 MAX), and changed my timing belt, then 6 months later when the car started acting up again I found they had snapped the screw securing the rotor, and replaced it with a self-tapping screw!!!!
Then they told me that my car had so many problems (it needed a new muffler, and had just blown a radiator hose, and there was a loud whine from the power steering pump when turning the wheel fully that had been there since they replaced the timing belt) that I should just buy a new car! They actually said it wasn't worth fixing!
Well, as they were inexplicably turning down a significant amount of my money (estimated to be $3000), I believed them, took the car home and proceeded to buy another vehicle (Honda Accord).
After purchasing a new car, I finally got around to looking at my MAX myself...
Solution:
Replaced muffler, less than $50 at Autozone.
Replaced radiator hose ~$8
Tightened tensioner pulley on belt-no longer a whine.
So in less than three hours and ~$60 I had fixed my car that I had been told to scrap by the service department at NATICK NISSAN!

maxdel

My 7500 mile check up at dealer found a badly defective wheel bearing 2004 Maxima SL. Dealer said RF wheel was about to fall off - not very reassuring news, since I do lot of highway driving with my kids. The scary part is that there was no warning - dealer asked if I felt wheel vibration, steering problems, etc. None were evident - very smooth steering, etc. Now that's dangerous! No advance warning.

p100

When bearings go bad they usually squeal, or if they are pressed wrong into the hub/knuckle assembly, you will see other problems, such as hub being nonconcentric, so your wheel will not fit onto the hub without interference (happened to my Mazda, so I should know).

It is unusual that you had no warning symptoms at all. Did the bearing eventually fail to the point that the wheel would not turn?

mrtrace1

Warning!!! This post is long.

Good afternoon everyone. A few months ago I posted on this board as mrtrace (I am now using mrtrace1 as I've seem to misplaced my log-in password) regarding a purchase of a 2002 maxima gle that my mother made. There were a few mechanical problems at the beginning of the purchase but there haven't been any since and the only problem since then is that the rear bumper paint has began to peel. When my mother purchased this vehicle it was back in December and in the northeast there was plenty of snow so we could not really inspect the vehicle and she decided since she knew the dealer personally to not even worry about it inspecting the vehicle for body damage. At that time there were a choice of 3 other maxima gles' from other dealers that she was considering but decided to go with this one because of the black-on-black color and because she felt as if the dealer would not deceive her because of their personal experience and her constant referrals to them (she has sent about 10 customers who have purchased vehicles from them and she's also an employee of the credit union that is the lender on all those purchases). In the past I've also looked at a maxima but decided I would not purchase it because the back bumper looked like it had been replaced, which was a sign of significant damage to that vehicle, and it was always a thought that has stuck in the back of my mind including with my mother's purchase. Well getting to the main story now, I finally looked over her car once she bought it and I discovered that the left rear corner panel was misaligned with the bumper and the tailights (there are gaps where the corner panel meets the left tail-lamp and the corner panel and bumper are not flush with each other by more than 1/4 inch on both left and right sides) and might have been in accident but didn't say anything because that's the last thing you want to tell someone once they've bought a major purchase, especially your own mother. Well about a month after I discovered my finding about this body damage the paint on the rear bumper began to chip and at this point the bumper paint has all kind of nicks and cracks up and down it. She has informed the dealer about it but has not had the chance to take it to them and knowing my mother she doesn't want to stir up trouble simply because of the fact that she knows them (and yes I've been trying to explain to her that they weren't her associates when they sold her a wrecked car). Getting even more to the point, one day my mother and I went to a carwash and upon us inspecting the vehicle after the wash I said to her "mom, I think this bumper has been replaced and I noticed it when u first purchased this vehicle but didn't want to tell you but feel as if I should now because this really affects your resale value, and your drive and who wants to pay almost $20,000 for a wrecked car." She dropped me back home but proceeded to go to a body shop and asked if the bumper had been replaced and they told her yes and that there had been a shoddy paint job done on it at that. So its been a little over 2 months since she has had the car and there's been about 8,000 miles put on it (yes, alot). I am asking you guys what does it sound like she should do. I have told her to contact an attorney and lodge a complaint with the New York State Attorney General's office. However, I am interested in hearing what you guys have to say so she is not wasting her time by doing any of the above. I think her main concern is she just wants another maxima that hasn't been wrecked (even though I am trying to convince her to get a refund and get that caddy that fits more in with her over 50-year age range). By the way, when she purchased the vehicle she wasn't told it had body damage to it. She wants to trade it in next year for a used '04 and I've told her she wont get anything for a trade for a vehicle thats been wrecked. Please give your suggestions.

P.S. Tomorrow or on Monday I will be taking the vehicle to a body-shop and have them inspect the undercarriage of the car for welding and replacements parts and will let you all know the outcome.

Thank you.

gerapau

Are you sure the car has been wrecked? My wife just got into a small fender bender where some teenager ran into the back of our new Murano. The rear bumper was torn and had to be replaced. There was no other damage. I wouldn't consider this car as having been wrecked. I also doubt that any dealer who takes this car and sells it in the future will have to let prospective buyers know that the car has been in an accident since the damage was limited to the bumper. Unless you notice damage to other parts of the car I wouldn't worry too much about it. If the paint is peeling though you may want to bring it up with the dealer. You may find that they are more than willing to re-paint the bumper.

momzmax

Lichtronimo,

We shopped a long time, decided we wanted an SL.
Bought at Kline Nissan. I went in and offered 28,600, played the back-and-forth game with the "manager" in the back room and ended up at 28,800. Of course, we then spent a few hundred more on the undercoat, hood protection, etc.

lichtronimo

Did you get the 3M hood protection? I'm interested in that too because I want black, but put on lots of highway miles and want to prevent chips.

momzmax

Yep, a couple hundred dollars.
Hope it helps. Wouldn't want to put a bug shield on a car like this.

ericu

Do you think a nose mask would look bad? I already noticed a few paint chips on the front of my black 04 max :-( and it's only 2 months old. I do a lot of highway driving.

lichtronimo

is like a plastic film that fits right on the paint. It's not noticible unless you're looking for the seam.

mikef208

Okay guys, I finally joined the maxima club. I just purchased a 1997 MAX SE with about 66,000 on it. Got a good deal, but it wasn't without it flaws, so that brings me here.

MY first question relates to a metallic rattle in the drivers side door. It only rattles when going over hard bumps, and when you shut the door, you can here a metallic clang or whatever sound metallic objects make. All the elctronics in the door work fine and if I remember correctly, the window goes all the way down without problems. SO any guess as to what it is, and how hard is it to remove the door panel so i can get in there to see it? Any walkthroughs for this available?

I am also having a little trouble with the keyless entry remote they gave me. It was not the original with this car, it came from another nissan, but they said it could be reporgrammed, and I found out how online, but its not working, it could be a battery, can i replace this with a bettery from say radio shack as long as it fits, or do you have to get it from nissan.

Last but not least, my fog lights do not come on ever. I doubt it is burned out lights, since both probablly wouldn't burn out together would they? I will probablyl let the dealer chekc this one, but if there is some quick fix I can try, let me know.

Oh wait I alsmot forgot, this one is so much a problem any more, but a question none the less. As soon as I had purchased the car, I went to put gas in it and shortly later the service engine soon light came on. Now I know this is a semi common thing on the maxima. And I have read a bit about it. Let me first say I did not have the engine running while fueling, and I checked and rechecked the gas cap to make sure it was on correctly.

If it was indeed the gas cap, would replacing it correctly immediately make the light go out, or would it need to be reset either by the ECU or by sticking the key in the ignition a number of times?

The reason i ask is this. While I was trying to program the keyless entry last night, the walkthrough had a step in it that involved inserting and removing the key from the ignition 6 times. As I wasn't getting it to work, i did this several times. And then low and behold the SES light was gone next time I started.

So basically what I am asking is, did I solve the problem and then reset the light. And if I did not fix the problem, but still reset the light, will it come back on later since the problem is still there, or will it not since I already reset it without getting it fixed?

Hopefully I am not confusing you too much, thanks.

hammer19

Hey gang, it's been a while since my last post (a year maybe?) Anyhow, my '03 SE is in the shop getting CD Player #3 because of skipping, and the dealer is just going to send out for another one from the manufacturer, although, the service rep mentioned that they may be getting their new ones from Pioneer now instead of Bose/Clarion. Has anyone heard about this at all? I'm no expert on car stereos, so I don't know if this is a step up or down from the Clarion head that seems to be made so poorly for Bose? If anyone hears anything let us know. Also on the topic of quality, is anyone out there experiencing louder than expected road noise from their new/nearly new Max? My old winter-beater, a '93 Merc Grand Marquis is way quieter and it has over 200,000 kms (120,000 miles) on it!!! The general quality of this '03 Max pales in comparison to the '97 SE I used to lease. I'm seriously thinking of trying another brand when this lease is up. Any comments folks?

ccermak

I hate to say it but I have to agree with Nissan's quality slipping. This is my first one, a 2000 SE Max loaded. Overall, I'd say it's "Okay", but great, I think not. I've had an O2 sensor $300+ and an alternator $400+ both go out and I'm only at 63K miles. My next car/SUV most likely won't be another Nissan, and I even have a chunk of their stock. I'm leaning more towards something else, not sure what, but my wife needs a midsize SUV in about 6-8mos and I'm leaning towards a Pilot or an Endeavor. We like the Murano, but the interior just doesn't do it for me, kind of like ALL of Nissan's new products. I don't like one single interior in a 2004 Nissan, which is sad because the interior of my 2000 is what made me buy the car. Now they just seem cheap to me, almost like GM but not quite THAT bad! I checked out an Avalon this past weekend and I KNOW it ain't sporty, but it just seemed light years better put together than the new Max, especially on the inside. To me, the new Max is on par with a Buick. And the Ford F150 interior is way better than a Titan, even though a Titan will waste it in a performance test. Just my .02

mikef208

Well I did the ECU self check thing on my new 97 max I just bought. It showed code 0304(Knock Sensor) and code 0903(Absolute pressure Sensor). I know the knock sensor can be had for around 150.00 or so. How about the absolute pressure sensor. And forgive my stupidty, but I can't find any info on the last one. Is it the MAP sensor? With the M being manifold?

mikef208

Awe crap, I just realized I type the second code wrong. I think I put in 0803, but it should be 0903 which appears to be the EVAO Canister vent control valve. What is this and what does it cost to fix?

maxim96

MIL

(Firstoff, this kind of issue I see it has been posted before, but given Nissan's slipping customer service and less knowledgeable mechanics, I don't wish to get ripped off)

A) I'm a happy owner of a 96 Maxima GXE with 146K kilometers (about 91K miles). However, yesterday I went to change the oil at a local Mobil station and they suggested to also change the fuel filter, which I suspect hasn't been changed since the original. Well, later on that day, the MIL/check engine light came on. Could the fuel filter change have caused that or the O2 sensor going bad again?? I changed an O2 sensor (can't remember which one though) when I had ~ 65K kilometers when the same light came one and seemed to fix it...[FYI--> For the past 1.5 years I've only been using 91 octane from reliable gas stations (Mobil, Shell) ever since I started hearing some pings/noises in the engine when using the Hess 87 gas]

Overall, the car runs as smooth as it can for its age and miles. However, when waiting for the green light, more often than not I find the car trepidating as if it's not sure what to do, stall or go on. The idle speed ~600, but it varies as it never stays put. My somewhat limited knowledge tells me that I should check the TPS (throttle position sensor), but could it also be the fact that it may be misfiring a cylinder, fuel pressure regulator or some other sensor.

Please advise before I spend my last 2 years' savings! Thanks in advance.

P.S. Btw, you guys are awesome, by reading these postings, one can definitely learn alot...A hat tipping to y'all!!!!

jskho

Just came back from a trip to Canada together
with 6 ignition coils for my 2k GXE:)
Got them for about C$32 each (which is about
US$24) from a Canadian Nissan dealer.
If you live close to the border and need coils,
this is an easy way to save over 50%.

leoniv

Hi everyone,
This topic was addressed a year or two ago, but I can't seem to find the solution anywhere. I was under the impression Nissan covered warped rotors on the 01 Maximas for the duration of the 3 yr./36k warranty. I was just told by a dealer that they only cover it for the first 12k miles. Is this true or am I getting the runaround? Thanks.

Leon

mikef208

I have read through quite few posts now about alignment issues with the maxes, but did not really find any specific info. My car specifically tends to pull to the right, but on occasion has pulled to the left, maybe that was due to road conditions, not really sure. But mainly it pulls to the right.

Now I am not very car savy, I know a little but not much. One thing I am trying to remember from other cars I have owned. When there is an alignment/pulling problem, does the car just drift that way, or does it go that way because thats the way the steering wheel wants to go???

The reason I ask is because not only does the car pull to the right, but the steering wheel seems to want to always be like 5-10 degrees right of center.

I am just wondering if the pulling is causing the steering wheel to want to go to the right, or if there is a problem with the steering wheel that is just causing the car to drive to the right?

gawnfshn

I recently purchased a 2003 GLE with 15k miles. It's a beautiful car, better than my 1996 GLE in every way except my back hurts after only a few minutes of driving! I can't find a comfortable position despite all the power adjustments and lumbar support. Has anyone else had this problem? I've never had this problem with a car before and I'm at a loss what to do. I've never had back problems but if I continue with the seat this way, I'll become a regular at the Chiropractor.

bksward

A friend of mine with a lower back injury really likes a seat cushion that she bought from the healthyback store. Its on the expensive side at around $150, but really worked for her. While expensive, its still less than putting in a set of Recaros.

luky92104

Hi guys, this place was a great resource before we bought our loaded Black/Black '03 SE with automatic and Titanium package (everything but heated seats and Nav). It has been a great car for the last 15 months and 26000 miles, but then the right rear wheel started squealing last week. I pulled the wheel to check the pads and the outer pad looked only about 40-50% worn and OK (lots of life). I then had to pull the caliper off to see the inside pad (real PITA due to the emergency brake cable), and whoa! It was about gone! I bent the clip (that was rubbing) back a little and put it back together (another major PITA with the stupid metal anti-rattle clips) so my wife could take it to the dealer. I believe that the extremely uneven wear of the pad would be caused by a sticking piston on the caliper and it should be a warranty issue/repair.

We got it to the dealer (Pacific Nissan in San Diego) at 8AM this morning and I was less than thrilled that we had to agree to pay $42.50 for them to even look at it (if it wasn't a warranty repair). They failed to call us back by 1PM so my wife called to check the status and the (lack of) Service guy says that "it is just "normal" wear for 26k miles and they are worn out and need to be replaced." I told my wife to call them back and tell them B.S., the wear is way too uneven (and in the rear!), so then the guy finally goes and checks with the tech and they agree to be "good guys" and do us a "favor" and just replace the pads. He told my wife that it is effectively a "design flaw" with the emergency brake action on this model of rear caliper and it tends to put more pressure on the inside pad causing it to wear faster. They refused to address anything as a "problem".

What do you think about this? Has anyone else had an issue like this? I may not be a mechanic, but I am a Plastics Engineer, I've changed my own clutch before and I do all of the maintenance on my BMW motorcycle (adjust valves, sync the FI throttle bodies, filters, fluids, brakes, bearings, etc) and most of the maintenance on our cars and I think this is B.S.! I have never seen such uneven pad wear from normal calipers, let alone the rears burning out before the fronts (and I burn out front brake pads on my S-10 about every 10k-12k miles -(the life time racing pads pay for themselves eventually ) and I haven't changed the rear shoes yet at 65k miles).

Any suggestions for my next action? I believe they should replace the caliper or agree to keep replacing the rear pads for the full time I own the car if it is a "design flaw"... Should I contact the service manager or Nissan USA?

Thanks for listening (reading...) and your suggestions,

Eric

P.S. It just makes me chuckle reading about all of the people complaining about the "problems" with their 04 Maximas... Isn't it common knowledge not to buy the first model year after a redesign? I used to supply parts to Honda and GM and there are literally hundreds of ECN's (Engineering Change Notices) that go through in the first year to fix all of the "bugs"... Wait until 06 and it should be a pretty robust model again...

fish8

I am not sure of the laws in your state, but in GA it is the responsibility of the car buyer to have the car fully insoected before "signing of the bottom line". So, I can almost guarantee that the dealer will tell you.....tough luck. It is my understanding that the dealer is under no obligation to disclose the car has been in an accident. This is one of the reasons i will never buy a used car and if I ever did I would get it inspected by an independent mechanic. My brother experienced this same situation on an old Toyota celica he bought used in the early 90's.

Good luck to you and your Mom and maybe this will be a learning experience for you.

p100

When I replaced the original brake pads on my 98 Maxima SE at 72K miles, the rear pads were only about 1/2 worn out. The front ones were about 3/4 worn out. The rear ones would have lasted about 150 K miles. The wear was very even on all pads, front and rear.
It is possible that Nissan has deliberately made the rear pads thinner, or used less dense pad compound on rear pads on later Maximas so the pads would wear quicker, as there is only about 25% of brake force applied to the rear wheels.

ccermak

I have an early build 2000 SE Auto with 64K miles. Brakes are 100% original. I'm getting a nasty grinding & scraping noise from what sounds like the rear, but it only does it once or twice during my 1st and 2nd stops after the car sits parked. I'm well aware of this happening with "surface rust" on the rotors and this ain't the deal, at least it ain't visible like after the rain. I can leave the car for a couple hours and it does it again, then goes away after a stop or two. Usually squeaks in front and scrapes in rear and then work fine. Any ideas? I've now tried pumping my brakes 3 times in park after I started the car and before I backed up and hit the brakes to maneuver out of a parking spot and it seemed like it actually helped. I'll try again to see if I'm loony. Any ideas? Could it be invisible surface rust? There are no bad grooves in the rotors, no shimmy during hard stops, just a bad grind or scrape that sounds terrible and then goes away. Pads from what I can tell look like they have a decent amount left, especially in the rear, but I'm not 100% sure I'm looking correctly either.

p100

The scraping noise is caused when the brake pads become glazed or when the pads and rotors become coated with wax, as can happen if you use liquid wax to containing soap to wash you car repeatedly, including the wheels. I have experienced this several times. The solution is to replace the brake pads, clean and degrease the rotors with acetone, then sand them down with 100 grit sandpaper. This worked well for me. I do not like having the rotors turned because this removes metal and makes them more prone to warping.

After replacing the pads, I have not washed the wheels with wax containing soap anymore to avoid the same problem.

There is also another reason for scraping noise when brakes are applied lightly. The noise goes away during heavier braking. The cause are sticking caliper sliding pins, which need to be disassembled and lubricated. I had this problem with a 93 Mazda Protege.

ericu

These ECN's (Engineering Change Notices)... Do they just collect all of them and improve the following year's model or do they affect the production of the current model?