Nissan Quest 2004+: Problems & Solutions

garycox

Sorry, I had thought I only posted a few messages, the rest was in response to people who responded to me that my experience was "normal". You know, I had "dumb luck" with "old technology" as to why I've never experienced this sort of thing. I wanted to make it clear (while apparently my opinion) it wasn't "normal". O yea, I added the 30k maintenance thing onto it all. That was my fault, I just got taken on that one for being stupid.

I wish I had read these sort of arguments before I decided to purchase my Nissan. I think I may have seen a few messages on brakes but just brushed them off as not typical experiences or I only saw a few messages so I ignored it. I sort of thought that this forum was to express experiences as well and we had the right to respond to those who disagree? I don't think I was SHOUTING? SHOUTING would have been in CAPITAL LETTERS unless of course, you have the volumn turned up on your computer?

It's hard to shut up when people keep responding, telling me it's "normal".

No life shortening here, sounds like everyone is more irritated at me than me at Nissan? Sometimes I like sturring things up...

I would like to suggest to the forum moderator that he just delete all the messages relating to 04 Quest Brake Pads and maintenance that was from me or in response to me. That way you don't have to scroll past my messages and the forum can go back to a couple messages a day and we can go on as if no problem ever happened. Plus then I won't feel like I need to respond back... Your right, these are too many messages.

... Gary

famof3kids

Looks like a good price to me! We got a 10yr/100k mile warranty on our 2004 SE through the dealer. We negotiated the dealer to 'throw it in' so, not sure 'what' we paid for it.

Of course, an Extended warranty is simply a 'bet' that you will have a problem. I've had times in years past when it paid for itself many times over, and other times when it was a waste. Oh well...

vonbill3

After reading about all the brake problems reported here, I checked the pads on my 04 Quest with 30,000 mi. The front pads are still about 7mm thick which means that they are wearing at about 1mm/10,000mi. At that rate they won't need replacement until about 80,000 miles on the car. The pads new are 10mm thick and Nissan recommends replacement at 2mm. It probably helps that we do very little stop-and-go driving--mostly highway. The rotors on the car are fine. This also agrees with the mileage I got on our 93 Villager which required new front pads at 85,000 mi.

I recommend that Quest owners check the pads themselves. Don't take the dealer's word for it. There is a small window in front of the caliper for checking wear.

I also recommend do-it-yourself installation. It's really quite simple as discussed elsewhere in this forum.

The rear pads new are 8.5mm thick and again should be replaced at 2mm.

garandman

After reading about all the brake problems reported here, I checked the pads on my 04 Quest with 30,000 mi. The front pads are still about 7mm thick which means that they are wearing at about 1mm/10,000mi. At that rate they won't need replacement until about 80,000 miles on the car. The pads new are 10mm thick and Nissan recommends replacement at 2mm. It probably helps that we do very little stop-and-go driving--mostly highway. The rotors on the car are fine. This also agrees with the mileage I got on our 93 Villager which required new front pads at 85,000 mi.

You have to check the insides as well. If the caliper slides are not lubricated periodically, one side may wear out faster than the other, ruining the rotor. This is true for any vehicle with disc brakes, not just the Quest. I've only seen that item listed on our truck (Ford Econoline and Chevy Express) maint. schedules, though.

vinhphuc

We've had a Quest 05 SE for almost a year and accumulated ~10K. The owner's manual suggests to change the in-cabin filters about this time. Here are my questions:
1. Has anyone done it yourself? How easy (or difficult)?
2. Where to buy the filters ( website or store name)?
I remember reading some posts in this forum in the past, saying the dealer would charge quite a bit for this simple service so I thought to do it myself (if I can).
Second, we plan to go on a long trip in July having 3 kids and 4 adults in the van. I thought to buy a cargo container for the rooftop.
3. Which rooftop container did you buy for the van and where?
4. Does the container sit on the crossbar racks, or directly on the van roof and then wedged in by the crossbars?
Any information is greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.
Phuc

garandman

We have a Yakima RocketBox that is mounted to the crossbars. I marked the inside of the rails with a magic marker to make mounting faster. RocketBox is about 15 cu ft.

vonbill3

The caliper slide pins on the Quest are sealed with rubber boots. I have not found any requirement for periodic lub of the pins in either the owner's or shop manuals. The shop manual does recommend that the boots be lubed with a rubber compatible grease whenever worked on. Also the pad shims required a silicone-based lub.
My maintenance plan is to simply check the pads whenever I rotate the tires (approx. every 7,500 mi.). If there is significant uneven wear, then check the pins. Right now inner and outer pads are wearing evenly. The outer pad is
readily viewed from the caliper rear. The inner pad is viewed from the window in front of the caliper.
Lucky I guess that I've never had to replace or turn rotors on any car.

Claires

Hi, folks,

Since someone started a topic about the Quest's tires, I've moved recent posts discussing replacement tires over there so that they'll be easily found by folks having the same questions/issues.

Nissan Quest: Tire Issues

bperk

Hi all, back again from a few busy weeks. Well as promised I am here to update you all on the Frozen Rotors I installed on all four wheels. I am please to say that since we installed them (i think it was 40K, could be less) we have had no more issues with the brakes, all is super. We now have 44K miles on the van and the brakes are performing very well. Also, we just changed the tires to Toyo Proxies from STS, they are 10mm wider than the OEM's and are a much better ride. The van is now so smmoth and quiet with the new brakes and tires is like new again. Ah, one more thing I also just changed the cabin filter for the first time. I had such a tough time finding how to do this until I found these great instructions http://questdriver.com/node/64 . Anyway, take care be back soon.

sopecreek

I have 2005 Quest SL (18k miles) and experienced this morning (almost) no power as I was trying to turn at the stop sign coming out of parking lot. I pressed on the gas pedal and I could feel the van is not responding (it was going forward but with less than 10% of normal power) to the input. The van basically was crawling forward. Service engine soon light came on as well as the traction control off light. So I put the gear into reverse and then parked it at which time the traction control off sign disappeared. Then everything went back to normal again except the service engine light. Anyway I'm bringing the van to the dealer for check up. I'm thinking maybe there was water in the fuel from the last fill up. But I've used major brand premium gas only except for the very first fill up done by the dealer. The engine air filter was not changed during the 15 k service. Could it be possible cause?

eyeblind

Go to www.nissanhelp.com. Look under technical service bullitens. Bulliten #04144 "2004-2005: lack of power A/T
in fail safe(3rd gear.) This was primarily a problem with 2004, but does apply to some 2005's. See if this sounds like what you are describing. To me,aside from the "service engine soon light" and the "traction Control Light", It sounds like what this bulliten describes. Since they fixed mine the lack of power hasn't happened again in over a year. Let us know how it goes.

sopecreek

Thanks. It looks like the bulletin item is for the 4-spd auto model. My van has 5-spd. I'll report back after it's checked out.

sopecreek

I also hear rattling noise with windows open coming from outside whenever I accelerate at low speed. One of the bulletins (#05095) "a rattle or buzz noise during acceleration AND/OR A MIL 'ON' with DTC P1273 A/F sensor" makes me think my van may have experienced both. Then, it will be the three way catalyst problem. This is emission item (or is it part of the engine?), so I suppose the warranty runs out faster than other parts. I'll find out tomorrow, hopefully.

dtownfb

Check the owners manual but I believe emission items are covered up to 50k miles.

sopecreek

For those who may be interested, the tech found engine code P2135 and eratic throttle unit voltage and replaced throttle unit and performed idle learn - not sure what this is -.

The rattle turns out to be due to corrosion and was taken care of.

They also machined the rotors which I thought only had minor vibration while braking. I'd rather not have them machined since I don't like them getting thinner unnecessarily.

All work done under warranty.

f1236089

Thanks a lot.

ydchoe

My car just went in for 30,000 miles service and my dealer just told me that I will have to change all four pads and resurface the front rotors (quote was $500). Here is my question. I read from the manual that there is a Brake pad wear indicators on Quest as with every other vehicles I owned. Currently, there is no audible high pitch sound to indicate that my car needs new pads. How can my rotors need to be resurfaced? Isn't that what this indicator design to prevent? Am I missing something here? I don't mind paying for it if I really need them, but I really don't want to be taken advantage of. Can someone please shed some light on this? Thanks.

vonbill3

Check my earlier posts (1999, 2004). Recommend you check the pads youself which requires that you pull the wheels. The pads have slots. It looks like when the slots are not visible that only about 2 mm of pad remains and should be replaced.

If you don't feel any significant vibration when braking, I would assume that the rotors are fine.

garycox

That's not unusual. It seems average around 30,000 miles you must get the brake pads replaced and rotors turned (if you have a vibration while braking). I'm at 33,000 and I'm on my second rotor turning looking at possibly needing it again soon. Check your tires, they are probably also nearing their end of life. Goodyear indicated to me the 225/65/16 tires that came on my Quest would last about 30,000 miles...

garandman

We have an 05 Quest with 33,000 miles and it will probably need brakes soon (they were OK when checked at 30K).

That's not covered under the warranty or extended warranty, is it? That would seem to be a normal wear and tear item.

bperk

Hi all, Just found out from my dealer that the ABS Acuator on the van is blown. I had it towed to the dealer last night after my wife called and said "I got no brakes". Anyway, it feels like the ABS kicks in constantly and you cant stop, kinda like braking on snow or ice, it just rattles. Anyway, the GOOD NEWS, this is covered under the 50K extended warranty they gave all us 04 owners. Get this...The part is $1200.00, plus labor. WoW... Hey Nissan, thank you for the free extended warranty.

eyeblind

Last August I was parked outside my daughters school waiting for her to get out. I live in Phoenix, Arizona, so it was 100++ degrees. I had the car on, in park, and the A/C running. All of a sudden the cold air coming out of the vents turn "HOT!" It appeared I'd lost A/C. I turn off the A/C and turn it back on, but still hot air. We drove home with the A/C off. I called my service advisor and scheduled to bring the van in the next morning.

The next morning I start up the car, try the A/C and it is working fine. From past experience( Intermitent transmission and radio issue) I have an idea how this service experience is going to go. I can hear it now " If we can't duplicate the problem." Incidentally the two other issues I mentioned were eventually fixed by my dealer, one even though they could not duplicate the problem. Took the van in, they checked it out. Cooling system operating fine, no leaks. What happened was a big question mark. A/C has been working just fine since

Fast forward to a week ago. My family and I were in Las Vegas, visiting relatives. We'd just finished seeing the "Sharks Reef" exhibit and lunch and Manadlay Bay. It was 112 degrees that day. We pile in the car, crank up the A/C and get stuck in some heavy traffic trying to get out. So, I put the van in park and tapped the gas to rev the engine and all of a sudden the cool A/C air turns hot. Rewind back to last August. I was in park and I tapped the gas to rev the engine when the A/C went out. I didn't connect the engine reving last year until I did it this time. So, I shut off the car and turned it back on and I get the A/C working again. It has been working fine.

I haven't tried to duplicate the incident again. Past two days here were 118 and 116 degrees. I ain't messin with the A/C since it is working fine. I have to take the van in for an oil change in 700 miles, so I figured I'd try to duplicate the incident the day I take it in. :confuse:

I have an aquaintance who i s a mechanic at a Nissan Service department. He is a " front end guy " what ever that means. I asked him to take a guess. He said it could be something in the wire harness. He's noticed a lot of them having to be replaced on Nissans. We'll see.

dtownfb

the common "theme"is that each time the warm air blew the van was in park (at least that is what you indicated). My guess is the AC is not designed to pump out cool air while in park. I have noticed on other vehicles tht to get maximum efficiency from AC you have to be driving.

It may not be anythign "wrong" but I think it is worth getting checked out and confirming that all is well esp. since you have 100+ heat. Luckily you don't have the humidity like we do in the Northeast.

user777

it may actually be designed to dis-engage the clutch or something when the vehicle isn't moving for a period of time, or the engine temperature is climbing. infact, it may be a self-preservation mechanism to lower engine temperature. what does your manual say?

ivan_99

I thought…not a mechanic…that automobiles will turn off the AC when the vehicle is under heavy acceleration i.e. WOT or 80%+…something like that. The reasoning being that you need (emergency) the maximum amount of power.

Maybe there is something wrong with this sensor.

Not like this should cause the problem…but why are you tapping the gas while in park?

Revving your engine to entice Sienna’s into a drag race is not conducive to the mini-van lifestyle

bravesirrobin

Vinhpuc, I got a great deal on a cargo box for my Quest SE, below is the link to where I purchased my Yakima cargo box. Don't think you'll find a better price on the web.

http://www.racksforall.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=558

eyeblind

The common theme was "in Park" and "tapping on the gas", though perhaps I should rephrase "tap" I moderately revved the engine. (Ivan99 I'd thought about drag racing a few Sienna's in the past couple of years, but you are right, what would be the point. Besides, it would hurt my gas milage-a concern more in line with our mini-van lifestyle .) Why did I rev the engine? I guess I thought(wrongly) that if I did so it might help the compressor along.

Though I know the A/C doesn't blow as cold when parked, this was unreasonably hot air. The A/C was defiantly not working. I checked the buttons, turned them off, then turned them back on. The A/C on light was being displayed. User777 I looked in the manual and couldn't find anything that might explain it. If and when I get this figured out I'll let everyone know.

garycox

Looks like I won the fight. After a lot of letters and working through BBB Auto Line I was able to obtain a reimbursement for my brake repairs!

... Gary

dtownfb

Congratulations!!!!! i doubted it but am very happy you won this battle.

First round is on Gary!

plashenick

Quest 04SL with 35k. Felt roughness during breaking, dealer says rotors need turning. We just had brakes done at 32K. Since turing them again 9would be third time) would leave them too thin, dealer is replacing under warranty (all 4).

I did not have to say a word, our dealer has been with us through every issue! The only headache is a 2 week wait to get no rortors due to "nationwide backlog" (per dealer).

mnance

Did you ever find out what was blowing the BCM fuse?Mine blows about 1 min. after a new fuse is installed.We have had the van for almost 3 years now and this just started.

vinhphuc

Thank you for the info. I haven't checked back in these forums for a while and thought to share some news. A couple of weeks ago, we took a trip to Outer Banks, NC (from Potomac, MD). The whole trip with all its driving was ~650 miles, and the MPG is ~21. This of course was better when calculating only the highway driving, ~25-26 MPG. As mentioned in my earlier posts, this Quest 05 SE performed flawlessly. Plenty of room to carry all our luggages, the 2-screen DVD system kept my daughter entertained the whole time, and gave us some peace.
I still wondered why this van didn't fare better in some current comparisons (Someone mentioned it ranked 3rd after the Honda Odyssey and Kia Sedonna (!!!). I believe the major mistake Nissan made when releasing the Quest in late 2003 is they rushed it out on the market too fast. They should have worked out all the kinks, IN PARTICULAR all the quality controls. IMO the Quest interior is not the major factor this van wasn't sold out well. As a matter of fact the more I drive it the more I like it including its center gauges. I think their location give a better vision. Glare, awkward position, hard to read, etc. as deplored by many reviewers. One word for them: WHATEVER!

Phuc

garandman

I still wondered why this van didn't fare better in some current comparisons (Someone mentioned it ranked 3rd after the Honda Odyssey and Kia Sedonna (!!!).
That was Motor Trend. In the test, the Quest had arquably the best overall performance. And the most elegant 2nd row seat solution. But it was optioned out to cost $40,000 MSRP - then faulted for being too expensive. A Quest comparable to the others in the test would have been under $30K street price.

For example, the multi-piece sunrrof is not available in any other van. But the package is over $3,000.

ivan_99

Plus…when we purchased our 05 Quest SE we negotiated approx 4K off MSRP and a 3.x% interest rate. Ours was loaded except Nav.

We thought the Quest as BY FAR the best of the mini-vans and our final sale price was better than other manufacturers moderately equipped models.

Not too pleased with Nissan service…but love our van.

mwokes

How did you get the dealer to replace brakes under warrenty with that amount of miles?? I was told that they would only cover brakes for the first 12 months or 12,000 miles. I also have an '04 sl that the dealer replaced the front rotors on at 4000 miles. When they went bad at 16000 miles, I was told I was out of luck. Have since had all 4 rotors cut once(at 23000 miles), then had the fronts replaced at 29000 because they were too thin to cut again. Still have slightly warped back rotors because they weren't bad enough to justify the expense($150 per rotor from the dealer-couldn't find an aftermarket supplier other than frozen rotor which were just as pricey).

plashenick

To be honest I never had to "do anything". I brought the car in, the dealer looked at it. Told me the rotors were warped (I just had them do brakes about 3k miles earlier). They said they were aware of issues with the rotor and turning them would leave them too thin My rotors had been turned once (warranty) and another time for the brake service.

The dealership, Freehold Nissan, NJ has always worked with us. Good pricing on work, if they make a mistake they own up to it. Once the forgot to balance my new tires (vibrate at 70mph). They fixed and picked up my next service cost., I just had to mention the Service Mgr name. I bought 4 tires more then $100 below what Goodyear wanted, after install!

When we purchased we made sure to checkout the service dept. before we bought the car. A lesson I learned when I had a Ford Probe 17 years ago!

imwalking

The electrical systems went haywire on my 04 Quest, which has gone about 30,000 miles. When I turned on the ignition, nothing happened with the motor. The motor didn’t even start to turn over. Instead, I heard whirring and clicking sounds, like the sounds of moving electronic components. I tried to start the car several times, and each time I got an earful of those robotic whirring and clicking noises. If I left the ignition switched on, the whirring continued until I turned the ignition off. It sounded vaguely as if the sliding electric door might be latching and unlatching on its own, but the robotic whirring noise really did not seem to be emanating from behind me on the second-row passenger side of the car. Nevertheless, I looked around to see if the electric door was going to open all by itself. About that time, some of the overhead cabin lights came on by themselves. There is a pair of lights over the front seats; one of those lights came on, the other one didn’t. I had to reach up and turn off the illuminated light manually. I didn’t know whether to call a mechanic or an exorcist, but I phoned the local Nissan dealer (Sparks in Monroe, LA). After explaining the nature of my emergency (I was stranded on the side of the road in 100-degree heat; and No, I can’t leave a message and wait God-knows-how-long for someone to call me back), the dealership finally put the service manager on the line. He advised me to call a wrecker. While waiting for the wrecker, I got out of the car and noticed the power door locks seemed not to be working. When I pressed the button to lock the doors, I didn’t hear door locks snapping shut, and the horn did not beep as it normally does. Still waiting for the tow truck, I found a lady with jumper cables. The van jumped off right away, and I thought I would be able to drive it to the dealership. No such luck! The vehicle died in the middle of the road after traveling less than half a block. It would not re-start, and it was no longer making whirring or clicking noises. It was completely dead. I couldn’t even shift the gears to neutral so that we could push the vehicle out of the road. Now the dealership can’t figure out what’s the problem. First, they said the battery shorted out, but the alternator looked fine. Since the battery was still under warranty, repairs would be about $58. Now they say that a number of electrical systems appear to be damaged, they can’t trace the source of the problem, and they don’t know how long it might take them to do anything. The dealership won’t provide a loaner car, and customer relations are not important enough at Nissan for them to provide a rental. So now I’m walking and wondering whether this ****** van will ever get fixed. Anyone have ideas or suggestions?

bendupre

Sounds like a burned up ECU, but that's just a guess. The dealer surely would be able to fix the problem quickly if that was it.

Ben

tamu2002

Our 05 van with 19k miles recently developed a buzzing noise whenever the motor is running. It's not terribly loud but is definitely audible when the windows are down. Does anyone know how big a concern this is? Our van is perfect otherwise. Thanks!

garandman

Does the buzz increase when you rev the engine? Almost all cars have a shield over the catalytic converter and they are prone to cracking.

Take a piece of garden hose, open the hood, and put one end to your ear. Use the other end to try and isolate the location of the noise, if it's underhood.

cleeland

Does this TSB address your problem?

http://www.nissanhelp.com/Ownership/Bulletins/Nissan/2003/NTB03-085.htm

cleeland

Did you have the "Air" control on outside air or recirc? It could be that the evap started to ice up.

Also, most A/Cs have a pressure cut-off sensor that disengages the clutch (and, thus, the compressor) when head pressure goes too high. In temps like you're talking, while sitting still, the head pressure could easily get high enough to cause the cut-out.

Finally, this sounds similar to a problem that I had in a '94 Volvo 850. After much diagnosis by an excellent shop (Brentwood Volvo in St. Louis, btw), they found that the electrical cooling fan wasn't working properly. Most cars don't have engine-powered cooling fans any more, but rather electrical cooling fans. On the Volvo, there's one fan with three speeds. Apparently, top speed wasn't working. So, when temps got really high and the control system for the A/C told the fan to kick it up a notch, the fan didn't and kept spinning at medium speed. Eventually the head pressure would get so high that the A/C kicked off.

Note that this was accompanied by higher engine coolant temps as well. So, keep a lookout for things like this.

Then again, it could also be that the system in the Quest wasn't designed to operate parked at ambient temps of close to 120F. Foolish design decision, but possible.

bperk

UPDATE: Finaly got the van back after 3 weeks of waiting for the part. The dealership gave us a loaner for 2 weeks and a rental minivan for one week that needed as we were going on vacation. They paid for the rental. Also they replaced a wheel bearing hub (under warranty) while replaceing the ABS acuator. I also had them flush the cooling system. So far so good, van is driving well. All I can say is thank god for the extended 60K warranty, otherwise I would be in the hole 2K for the ABS and wheel bearing.

tamu2002

Thanks! I did some search and wonder if this bulletin has anything to do my problem.

http://www.nissanhelp.com/Ownership/Bulletins/Nissan/2005/NTB05-021.htm

As far as I can tell the noise stays constant and comes from under the hood.

rich21093

I have a problem..the "service engine soon" warning light came on. The manual says to make sure gas cap is on correctly and if light stays on then to take in for servie. They tell me the converter needs to be replaced. I have 61,000 miles on it. I was surprised. The reason for this posting, my engine seemed to be running at a higher rate of rpm's while I was waiting for the part to come in. They said that it is probably from the clogged converter. Is this reasonable?

user777

you probably have two lights. consult your owners' manual.

one may be a "service maint required" light or some such meaning bring it in for scheduled service like oil, brake checks, etc.

another is the "check engine" light (CEL). there are stored codes associated with that light comming on. presumably, one of the codes indicated Catalytic Convertor Efficiency Low or some such. Hard to tell.

the former is no big deal. the latter could be a big deal.

i presume you are dealing with the proper indicator.

a bad CAT will force you to hit the accelerator harder to move. it might take a lot more fuel to get you up a hill or incline. will the engine RPMs be higher? I don't know - conceivably.

look at your warranty. chances are any emissions related equipment (and the CAT is or should be) should fall under a longer warranty (for 8 to 10 years or some higher mileage than 61K) than the other warranty. i think this is mandated by the government - but not sure.

it could be your dealer should replace it free of charge.

it seems to me 61K on a convertor is a premature failure. perhaps your vehicle has been running extra rich because of a marginal 02 (oxygen) sensor or something. that fuel goes somewhere. i've heard running rich for extended periods can kill a CAT.

still every part has a curve to it's lifing characteristics. some CAT longevity will get more than the mean life, and some will get less. who knows though what the distribution is.

but like I said, the CAT should last longer. maybe a call to Nissan can confirm what is the coverage period for this part. worth a call.

good luck.

dtownfb

rich21093: Who is "they" that you are referring to?

If the service engine soon light is on, there is most likely a code stored in the computer. Go to an auto part store like advance Auto parts, Pep boys, or Auto Zone and they wil read the code for FREE. I believe they will also print it out for you. Post the code on this forum and most likely someone will be able to point you in the right direction.

If the dealership diagnosed the problem, then forget what I said above. Also check your warranty information. I know there is a special warranty for emmissions. It may be 5yr/50k miles or 8yr/80k. It covers the catalytic converter.

rich21093

What's up with these sliding doors? It seems like my side doors have a mind of their own. About 30% of the time, when you push the button to close them, they move to about 6 inches away from the closed position and then open back up. You push the close button again and they close all the way.

rich21093

Thanks dtownfb!

rich21093

thanks user777