Nissan Altima Care and Maintenance

squirrel11 · January 2002

One salesman showed us this neat trick of the Altima 2.5SL ( I don't know if all Altimas have this), but you can do a check of the lights/horn/fan/windowwipers. I couldn't find a reference in the manual but it involved something like opening the car door and hitting the door frame button about 6 times...it goes through some sort of diagnostic check. I assume he had turned the car on to ACC but I was standing outside the car and couldn't really tell.

We bought the car at another dealership. We didn't do the test drive before we bought the car there because we had already had 3 test drives at other dealerships. The salewoman didn't show us this feature when we picked up the car because either A, she didn't know about it or B, it was cold and rainy and she didn't think about it.

Anyone else have specific insight into this?

piecekeeper · September 2002

Two dealers told me two different types of gas required by 2.5 Altima. One said regular 87 Oct., the other told me the engine requires 89 Oct., does anyone know what type of gas the engine requires?????Please respond to my e-mail, "piecekeeper2502@aol.com" Thanks

dibiase · September 2002

IF I WERE YOU I WOULD RUN THE 89 OCTANE. 87 SEEMS TO LOW FOR A CAR WITH THAT TYPE OF ENGINE, BESIDES, ITS A NEW CAR, YOU WOULD BE DOING THE ENGINE A BETTER FAVOR RUNNING ON THE HIGHER OCTANE.

afty · September 2002

According to the owner's manual, the 2.5 requires 87 octane, and IMO it is a waste to run anything higher than that. Contrary to popular belief, higher octane gas is not necessarily "better" gas, it just has a higher resistance to detonation. If your car is not designed for premium gas, using it can actually hurt your performance and mileage.

Here is what our federal government has to say on this issue:

"In most cases, using a higher octane gasoline than your owners manual recommends offers absolutely no benefit. It wont make your car perform better, go faster, get better mileage or run cleaner. Your best bet: listen to your owners manual."

http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/autos/octane.htm

1offroader · October 2002

I've been using 87 octane in our 2.5S, & until the last few days the weather here in So. Cal. has been extremely hot. The car runs great - no 'pinging', easy starts, no 'dieseling', plenty of power. I like cars that run on the cheapest possible fuel, and the 2.5 engine definitely qualifies. Except for a hi-perf. car that is driven only occasionally, I wouldn't own a car that requires premium fuel - it's a waste of $. That's just my 2c.

chrislig · October 2002

Does anyone know what the recommended tire pressure is for the Bridgestone Turanza 215/55 R17s? My car is missing the sticker on the door and dealers seem to give a generic response to my question.

afty · October 2002

33 lbs. front, 30 lbs. rear. The sticker is on the underside of the center console lid.

nrechtman · January 2003

We have until tomorrow to decide if want the Nissan extended warranty, it's supposedly a bumper to bumper type warranty, I'm very leery on warranties since I've been burned before by them.

I plan on keeping the car at least 5 years, so we would be buying an extra 2 years of warranty.

Is anyone familiar with this warranty, it's offered by Nissan.

cspete · January 2003

I am looking into buying a previously leased 2002 Altima. It currently has 22,000 miles on it. I will be putting about 30,000 miles on it a year. I have read lots of message boards and consumer ratings on this site as well as others, all of which tell me people are very happy with this car. But I have yet to read anything specific about high mileage. Any advice?

cjs2002 · January 2003

Greatings and Salutations,

I'm currently looking at buying a 2003 Nissan Altima 2.5 SL. I love the car and everything about it, even if it has a few inside look draw backs. Reciently I was washing my parents malibue and noticed that no matter what I did the car still looked dirty, and always had water marks aprearing on the hood. I'm a bit of a neat freak when if comes to my car because I like my car to look like it just rolled off the lot that day. to many this is a pain to keep washing your car but to me it gives me great satisfaction in knowing that as I go down the road I get comments on how nice my car looks. if any one could please give some tips on washing advice I'd be very appriciative

fastalt · January 2003

I own an Altima and have been using car care products by Zaino Brothers..I am not a Zaino delaer so I have nothing to gain from telling you this but the Zaino products are the best I have ever used for exterior car care..they are expensive but they do a supeior job...you can reach them at Zainobros.com

jax717 · February 2003

I bought a 100k zero deductible for $800.00.
Shop around and try the last day of the month.
Highest bid was $1600.00. I had 26k on my car when I bought the warranty.

ultima · February 2003

I found this info at: http://www.car-buying-strategies.com/2002-Nissan-Altima.html

"TIP: You can protect yourself from costly future repairs by purchasing an extended warranty -- Warranty Direct offers coverage at half the price that dealers charge." http://www.warrantydirect.com

Have never used myself, but worth looking into, I guess?

427435 · February 2003

My daughter-in-law has an '02 Altima 2.5. When idling, the heater blows cold air. Once the car is moving, heat comes out. The radiator is full of coolant, as is the overflow tank. I'm suspicious of a poor water pump.

She has taken it back to the dealer once and they "blew out" the coolant lines---which didn't help anything (if they actually blew air into the heater lines, that could have made it worse).

Has anyone else run into this issue in the cold?

Karen_S · February 2003

I found some archived discussions that may interest those seeking more info on Warrantydirect.

Anyone had experience with WarrantyDirect?

Warranty Direct

Check the Finance, Warranty, Insurance board for discussions of other extended warranty companies and issues.

dan517 · February 2003

In my 3.5SE, the seat heaters only generate heat once someone is sitting in them. I don't know if this is normal or not. The electrical obviously works, as the seats get toasty when sitting in them, but if I start the car for 10 minutes in the morning and then get into it, they are not already heated. Never having had heated seats before, I don't know if this is how they should work. Any comments would be appreciated.

jax717 · March 2003

I have 49k on my 02 altima.I understand the cabin
filter should be changed once a year or every
12k. Anyone tried to do it yourself? If so how
hard is it to change.

paula0612 · August 2003

hello, i just purchased a new altima. it just came off the truck when i found it at the dealer. does anyone know how long i have to waite till i put on my first wax job? also, what is a good wax to use? please advise. thanks

cshalayda1 · December 2003

Which gas is better to use for my 2003 SE Altima, unleaded regular or premium? Or does it not matter?

cajun_spice · December 2003

I own a 2003 Altima with the charcoal interior and it seems to be a magnet for lint. I tried vaccuuming the lint off the interior, but it doesn't help much. Does anyone have any suggestions? If so, please email me at: nikki_nicole26@yahoo.com

gsemike · December 2003

Nikki,

I've got it too. Looks completely sharp but shows everything. I carry a lint brush in the console. I guess that all you can do it be vigilant about it.

tomcat630 · December 2003

I got a 97 Altima last night and it's listed as a '97.5' model. Does anyone know of what makes this different?

jheinz57 · December 2003

I've had several experiences along with some of my friends and I wouldn't trust the warranties outside of Nissan. Yes you can get reduced prices from aftermarket groups but they charge you up front and then go out of business a year later and you have no where to go to get your money back. Check out the horror stories on the BBB web site, J.D. Powers and Kelly Bluebook. Some dealers use these outside providers, sell you the policy, and then tell you they aren't responsible, you have to go to the provider. Check with the BBB before buying. I finally went with Nissan because I'm confident they will still be there long after my cars gone. I got bumper -to-bumper 72K/100,000 for $775 from Nissan.

jmor · January 2004

paid 1355 dollars for a 72month 100,000 warantee . I am seeking true value of this gold premieum guarantee? appreciate information. paid 22500 for 3.5 se auto just mats and auto splash guards . jmor

ray_h71 · January 2004

I'm just a visitor who drives another make car. If your owner's manual specifies unleaded regular gasoline (87 octane), the use of higher octane gas is usually tantamount to burning money and farting it out the exhaust. You will usually experience NO increase in mileage or power with unleaded premium (91 octane). The exception to this is with engines equipped with "knock sensors" wired to the ECM. The sensors are essentially microphones (more correctly, "transducers") screwed into the block which feed the rappings of subaudible (to human ears) "pinging" to the ECM which will then retard the ignition timing to just under the threshold that set off the sensors. These engines give drivers the best of both worlds. They don't ping on 87 octane, yet when 91 octane is pumped, the ECM responds by advancing the ignition timing up but not above the setting that allows smooth operation without pinging. The engines with these devices are literally self-tuning while you drive. Bottom line? About 3-5 additional horsepower if you're willing to pay the price of 91 octane, but no engine damage if you're satisfied with the performance of 87 octane. I have no idea whether the engines installed in Altimas are equipped with knock sensors, but consulting your dealer's service department should provide the answer. Also, if your owner's manual or a sales brochure happens to list a compression ratio of more than 9.5:1 for Altima engines, it's a good bet there IS/ARE knock sensors aboard. (I-4s, usually one, but two for V-6s)

gsemike · February 2004

I'm closing in on 10k miles on my 2.5S. I know that the stock Conti tires have been largely criticized by many people here. I'm generally OK with them, but was wondering just how long should I expect them to last for? What have other people purchased and how did it go?

dibiase · February 2004

I purchased my 02 Altima with those horrible tires. They were very well, (atleast in my opinion) for the first 13000miles or so. After that first year, they were making this horrible howling sound. It seemed like all 4 tires were making that sound, the rear tires in particular were very loud. At one certain point, i had to raise the volume of the radio to downplay the sounds they were making. it sounded like i was running the car on flat tires. After numerous complaints to the dealer, they only wanted to replace the 2 rear with the same crappy tires which didn't help the situation at all. So I finally decided to purchase some new tires at a local tire shop in my area. Although I've never heard of these tires before (Sigma) they were very smooth, quiet, and had a very long warranty. I had to upsize a bit, cause I believe they only had 2 tires available for the altimas tire size. But, so far so good.

gsemike · June 2004

I ran over a bottle the other night in my 03 2.5S and took a flat. I had heard alot of complaints about the Contis but I never had a problem with my ties. The reason why, much to my surpise, I've got Bridgestone Turenzas. The cost almost twice as much as the Contis, but with tires, you get what you pay for. I'm just wondering, how did I end up with Bridgestones?

cedoman · July 2004

I have a 03 3.5SE...and yeah the continentals do suck very much due to the road noise, wear and hydroplane... I am thinking of buying the Yokohama H4's because of their price...and also because of the great rating they have on tirerack.com. What other tires should I consider that are less noisier and considerably priced?

cedoman · September 2004

I just bought the Michelin Hydroedge 215/60R-17. What a difference in every aspect. They are a perfect replacement the Brigdestone Turanzas and the Continetals. Very quiet, great on wet roads, excellent grip and they do not rub up agaisnt the tire wall if that is what some readers are thinking. The slightly bigger profile size of the tire prevents them from blowing when you hit a pothole and protects the bushings of the car from being pounded all day like the stock Turanzas did I bought them online for $544 with a rebate offer of $40 from discounttiredirect.com.

gsemike · September 2004

I have a 2003 2.5S with just under 16k. It's recently developed a problem where the engine emits a squeaking noise on first start up in the morning. The sound is definitely coming from the front of the engine. As the car warms up, the squeaking quiets down but I am not sure if it goes away all together. I haven't noticed any degradation in engine performance.

Since it's summer, the car is not getting overly cold so I'm worried that something may not be getting lubricated correctly. Has anyone encountered this problem or heard about a TSB on this?

Any info will be greatly appreciated.

kdarm · October 2004

I can't speak for the 02 but my 1994 model has over 200000 miles on it.

sujeet13 · December 2004

I have a 1997 Nissan Altima. I purchased the car last year as a student. Recently, the car which was running great suddenly started making a loud "boom" noise and when I took to Amoco Car repair they said that the exhaust pipe was rusting off and I needed to replace it. they quoted something around 600$ for this.

Is there a better way/ cheaper way to do it?

Since I dont use the car that much and it already has 125K miles on it (built in 1997) I was wondering if anyone could advice me of an efficient and cheap way to do it? If you guys feel that replacing the exhaust shall be the best way please feel free to say so.

Thanks a lot!
Suj, Minneapolis.

annie5 · March 2005

dear 427435 -

My '02 Altima is doing the exact same thing. Did you even figure out what it is that causes this weird phenomonon?

Thanks,

pbarnard · March 2005

I had a similar issue with a nissan truck many years back. You might need belts tightening. They squeak until they warm up.

gsemike · March 2005

I just had my 03 2.5S in for maintenance and inspection and was dismayed that I need new brakes pads all around. I live in an urban area so I do alot of stop and go driving, but I think that I'm pretty easy on the brakes.

Do new pads all around at 22k sound premature? Has anyone else done this this early?

botharam · May 2005

I bought a 1995 Nissan Altima with 138K miles on it. Its an Automatic transmission. The engine starter is going bad. I had got the brushes of the starter freed. But that is just a temporary solution. Is rebuilding the starter a good idea or just getting a new one would be the best bet. Also how much do u think it should cost.
THanks

imagemaker · July 2005

How do I reset the tire rotation and oil change warnings on a 2005 Altima? Is this something the dealer is going to overcharge me for? I had the oil change (Mobile One and rotation done for $75. I know Nissan charges a lot more than that.

carsick · July 2005

My 02 has 13000 miles and needed new brakes and rotors (rear). I called the dealer and the nissan HQ they did nothing for me and the bill was $525.00

koganmik · August 2005

Hi Sujeet13
I just repaired similar problem myself.

You will need to spend about 1-1.5hours under the car, have enough willing to save 600 and have few basic tools.

What I did: Went to Pep Boys and purchased the following, pipe extensor (about $3 each) that is wider on one side than on the other. I bought 3-4 different ones and retured the ones I did not need after I picked the correct one. I also purchased high temp resistent gasket, high temp resistant silicone filler and 2 clamps

It was all about may be $15 or so.

Actual steps are
If the pipe actually broke of you put in gasket first and than after you figure out which extensor fits the best you connect 2 pieces together.
You may need to muscle the pieces far apart in order to insert the extensor. But because the exhaust is placed on rubber holders it is not a big problem.
Make sure extensor piece sits very tight, after that you put silicone at the places of contact of extensor and both ends of pipes to prevent any small leak of smoke from it. Than place clamps to secure the entire set up on both sides.
In addition you may try to somehow secure the exhaust to the body, (optional, - you can purchase connectors at the store as well for about $5-6)
This fix will last for some time.
I just redid the work again, about 6 months after I first did it.

You can also find a mechanic who would agree to meld pipes together. That would cost about $50, if done well it's the best but it may brake at the site of melding if not done so well. Of course if the pipe itself is very rusted, than sorry buddy you need to change the pipe.
I'm sure in that case you can find used one at the junk for fraction of $600.

Good luck
Misha

stor0910 · September 2005

The reset is easy, turn the key on, but dont start the engine, push (to the floor) and release the gas pedal three times within five seconds. If you did it right the Change Oil Soon should flash, which means the system is resetting. Turn the key to off after the light has finished flashing, then start the vehicle. If the light comes back on, the system has not been reset. Just repeat the procedure. The Service Engine Soon warning light is a different story. That warning light is the vehicles engine computer letting you know that something is not right. There is no resetting this warning light with a hokey pokey move. Youll need to have a technician plug into your vehicles computer. The computer will provide a diagnostic trouble code (DTC) with a brief system fault description. Once that information is obtained, diagnosis of the problem can be performed.

cyrez · September 2005

Hello all,

I am new to this forum and just wanted to share my experiences with fellow altima drivers. I currently have a 95 with approx:133k miles on it. I was driving from NY to NJ and suddenly on a stop light my car began to sputter, like when it is not getting any fuel or your out of fuel running on fumes. I looked in my Haynes repair manual for the specific vehicle and retrieved the DTC(diagnostic trouble codes) for my car. I came up with code 11 (camshaft position sensor (CPS)) and code 34 Knock sensor. Unfortunatley I cannot replace the CPS because it is integrated with the ignition distribution unit (THE DISTRIBUTOR). so now I have to replace it and guess what I think it will work. Moral of this story it's wise to consult your ECM (ENGINE CONTROL MODULE) and research the trouble codes for best car maintenance resolution.

brama · September 2005

i have 1995 nissan altima. recently it just wont start. There is gas in the car and i getting spark. it seem like the gas is not goint to the cylinders. i have check the fuse for the injector and they are okay. what could be the problem why the car wont start?

gsemike · October 2005

Did you check the fuel pump?

markr5 · October 2005

Just bought a 2005 Altima yesterday with extended warranty. It is good nation wide and you can buy a rider for an additional $200. The rider stipulates if you don't use the warranty in 6 years or 100,000 miles you get your money back. You have to file within 2 months of the expiration of the warranty. Thought is a no brainer, just hope I don't need and remember to apply for the refund. :P

empi · October 2005

Hi nrechtman. I just saw your post. I am thinking of buying a 2005 Altima. Did you buy the 4 or 6 cylinder, automatic or manual? I have been following the forums and it does not look like a lot of people have posted an inordinate amount of problems so I am presuming it is a pretty good vehicle. Have you been able to check the kind of gas mileage you are gettting. I would like an automatic but I also want good gas mileage as I live in California and we pay very high prices for gas here. Uneaded regular is still in the high 2.80s and premium is $3.15 so it is becoming a factor for me even though I do not have a long commute it is mostly all city driving.

I had purchased a 2004 VW Beetle Convertible GLS Turbo but I am so disappointed. It barely gets 15-16 miles per gallon. I had a Fuel Consumption Test done on it but the dealer says the computer it not showing "any faults" whatever that means so basically they say there is nothing they can do so I am selling it. As a result of this forum, it seems the VWs have a lot of problems so I am going to cut my losses

Any information you can give will be appreciated. Can I ask what you paid and where you live because in california we pay more for everything. I think they charge us extra for all the great weather and sunshine(smile)

That warranty you mention sounds pretty cool. If it is what thet say it is you can't go wrong especially if you are plannning to keep the car beyond the warranty period. Repairs can be very costly. I probably would buy an extended warranty. What is the warranty that comes with the car?

empi

nortonnfriends · November 2005

Your knock sensor generaly goes bad on a oil change. Its right under the oil filter and there is almost no way to stop the fluid from hitting that sensor. Common i guess. My 93 altima runs great 245000 miles on it. Dosent eat, burn or drip oil. Just changed the trans pan out due to a pothole but she works well.

nortonnfriends · November 2005

Had the same problem. Its prob the distributor cab assembaly. On the 93 it has a sensor on it. When that goes bad the car will crank and act like it wants to start but no joy. That assembly isnt too expensive. If ya got spark then the coil pack is good. (another way to check a coil pack it to shake it near your ear. If ya hear the liquid in it its prob. good. There either good or bad, no middle)

nortonnfriends · November 2005

Exausts are a dime a dozen. Its the caddy and or the muffler. Sounds like the car backfired and blew out a baffle in the muffler. Have you emission tested it since the bang noise? If so and it passed then its the muffler. If it didnt pass the caddy prob blew out on ya. Speekin from experence. 93 altima 245000 miles.

nortonnfriends · November 2005

If your seat belts dont retract and or move with key anymore and its happening to both, check your accident sensor in the trunk. For some reason it effects my seat belts and not the fuel pump like in every other rig ive ever owned. Its on the left hand side of the trunk behind felt at about the area of the hinge for the deck lid. A little ball breaks out of a surrounding and prevents a circuit of sometype from completing. Check that. Still think'n about what else ive learned about the rig. Anyone know the fluid specs on the altima around 1993? Advance auto said it could take 10 yes 10 quarts to fill the trans. To me there is no way! Can someone help?

msempress · November 2005

MY CAR HAS BEEN FINE I STARTED IT THIS MORNING TO WASH IT AND WHEN I WENT BACK TO START IT, IT WILL NOT START. IT IS TURNING AND IT SOUNDS REALLY STRONG BUT WHEN I GIVE IT A LITTLE GAS IT SEEMS LIKE IT WANT TO CATCH BUT WILL NOT. CAN SOMEONE PLEASE SHINE SOME LIGHT ON WHAT MY PROBLEM MIGHT BE

Nissan Altima Care and Maintenance

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