Nissan Maxima

kyleknicks · October 2003

huh?

p100 · October 2003

Your estimate of $ 300 to $ 450 for wheels, tires, shipping, installation,etc. was realistic in the seventies for a typical full size American car. New steel wheels cost about $ 25 a piece and a nice set of radials about $ 200.

Tirerack charges about $ 10 to $ 12 shipping per tire. Tire mounting and balancing nowadays is about $10-$15 per tire.

gerapau · October 2003

I had a 2000 Max SE with 17" wheels stock and replaced them with 15" steel wheels with good winter tires for the winter and they were great. The 15" wheels did fit on the previous generation (<=2003) Max. Not sure about the 2004 though.

sgrd0q · October 2003

p100  ok, let's see:

I was assuming you were looking for winter tires in the following size - 215/70/15.

Cheapest from tirerack: Winterforce M+S: $41 per tire for a total of $164 for a set.

Quality tire from tirerack: Michelin Arctic Alpin: $81 per tire for a total of $324 for a set.

Shipping charges (for my ZIP code, others may vary): $30.68

$25 per steel wheel is a lot. But I'll take your number. So this is $100.

Mounting - let's say $50 for all four.

So cheapest option is: $344, most expensive: $504.

I was a little off, but then again, I am not spending $25 per wheel for a steel wheel.

sgrd0q · October 2003

gerapau - yes the 15" also fit on my Max, but mine is not the 2004 model. As dklanecky pointed out - make sure the wheel fits before buying anything.

p100 · October 2003

Where are you going to find new steel wheels for less than $ 25? Maybe for a wheelbarrow. What I meant in my previous post was that new steel wheels cost about $ 25 a piece in 1970's for a large American car. I remember that 15 inch steel wheels for a 1976 Olds 98 cost about that in 1978 becuase I bought a set for less than $ 100. Are you suggesting that steel wheel prices came down since then? Last time I checked, Nissan wanted something like $ 120 for a 15 X 6 plain steel rim for a 1995 pickup.

sgrd0q · October 2003

Oh sure, you can spend a lot of money on a wheel. Particularly for an OEM one.

But you'll be surprised how cheap a generic steel wheel can be.

It is really a question of aesthetics vs. price. That is, can you live with generic steel wheels for the few winter months every year? I personally even like the generic look.

Option # 1: Go to tirerack, select a winter package for a 2001 Maxima GLE, and you'll see their steel wheel is $44. However they mount the tire on the wheel for free, so they are really charging $30-$35 per wheel.

Option # 2: Search online and you'll find even lower wheel prices.

Option # 3: Go to a local garage in your area, and work out a good deal - they should be able to beat tirerack prices.

P.S. I just priced at tirerack a winter package for my 2001 Maxima GLE for $426.24, including a shipping charge of $58.24. My local tire place can definitely beat this price.

regfootball · October 2003

wheelmax.com has cheap wheels

bowke28 · October 2003

every time tires are brought up in a specific vehicle discussion, it almost comes to a halt.

pat · October 2003

Well, then, why don't you post something on topic?

(I do not agree with that observation, though.)

s852 · October 2003

If I were to get a new Maxima, I would get an SL for the more luxurious interior and quieter ride. However, I don't know why Nissan gave an all-new design a 4-speed automatic in this day and age. 5-speed automatic is the norm for new design now. Is Nissan really saving very much when they have to manufacture 2 different automatic transmissions for the Maxima?
I hope they update the grill and make the 5-speed automatic standard on the SL by 2005 instead of waiting until the 2007 or so revision.

sgrd0q · October 2003

I don't think Nissan stands to save much by dropping one of the two transmissions from the Maxima lineup - I am sure both are used in a number of vehicles.

If top performance/acceleration is not a priority I'll take the four speed transmission any day. Every time you go from a full stop to cruise you have one less shift. Which translates to less stress on the transmission, which in turn translates to better longevity.

Five speed transmissions are generally fine, but I'll be wary of using any new one before it is thoroughly tested by time - look at all the Acura TL problems.

habitat1 · October 2003

Qualification: I am not likely to buy an automatic transmissioned sedan as a replacement for my Maxima SE 5-speed, unless it happens to be the forthcoming Mercedes E320 turbodiesel which will employ a 7-speed automatic.

That said, I have driven a number of Maxima competitors with automatics and have found the former Maxima to be sorely lacking as far as it's automatic. Granted, the TL 5-speed has major reliability problems, but it felt lot smoother and quicker shifting than the Maxima. So is the Accord V-6. As are the G35's. And, in performance tests, no car suffers more by equiping it with an automatic than the Maxima.

I cannot think of a single car in it's class that has a better engine than the Maxima (which I give a solid 8 out of 10), but I only rate the automatic transmission about a 5 out of 10, above its domestic counterparts, but below most of its Japanese and all of its European ones.

So, it also perplexes me that Nissan would split the model between 4-speed (presumably a carryover?) and 5-speed (presumably an improved upgrade?) automatics. This was one mechanical area that I thought warranted improvement, even more than the independent rear suspension.

sgrd0q · October 2003

My 2001 Maxima GLE is my first car with an auto transmission. Actually, I wanted to buy the 5 speed SE initially, but didn't like the stick shift at all. I test drove two SE's and both were not satisfactory, IMO. My previous car was a 97 M3 and the manual transmission shifted a lot better.

However, I really like my auto transmission. I think it shifts very smoothly. Maybe I am not too picky?

hound97 · October 2003

I'm heading in for an oil change next week on my 2001 Maxima SE. Can people let me know how much I should expect to pay if rotors can be turned? If rotors must be replaced? I had the rotors turned under warranty at about 20,000 miles due to vibrations.

Also, I killed a 17" rim last winter on a curb and the dealer wanted $375. My guess is the new 18" rims are easily over $400. These rims and tires are extremely expensive!! Good luck replacing them. FYI, I ended up buying a refurbished rim for $150.

monte4 · October 2003

Th 4spd spd auto in the 02/03 Maxima is much improved over the 00/01's, Nissan beefed it up and is noticeable. As far as performance the auto 02/03 Max acceleration times are just as good as the TLS's and many guys at Maxima.org have better times than TLS's. What the Max lacks in gears it makes up for in torque being underrated for 02/03 and 04 as well many Dynos prove this. Most people buying SL's could care less about a 5spd auto most are going for luxury not sportiness, the revs are low in enough in the 4spd auto at speed to give decent MPG.

sgrd0q · October 2003

hound97 - rotors - my dealer charges $110 plus tax to resurface the rotors. If you want new OEM rotors, all I know is that the parts cost the dealer about $90 per rotor. Then, you have to add their markup and labor on top of that.

Also, have in mind they may want you to change the pads as well. (Probably change them if you are getting new rotors, otherwise leave them alone as long as they are not almost or completely worn out.)

In your case if you've turned the rotors only once, the chances are you can get away with turning them again.

You can pay a lot less or a lot more with aftermarket parts and work done by a mechanic. Unless you know what you are doing though, it is best to stick with the stock stuff.

Finally, make sure the lug nuts are torqued to spec (80 lbs per sq. inch), otherwise the rotors will warp again in 5 to 10 thousand miles.

s852 · October 2003

Is not all about sportiness. Most newly-designed higher end luxury-oriented cars have the 5 speed automatic.
The ratios are closer together with less jerking and rpm drop between gears making the shifts more seamless.
It will also have a higher top gear giving it a more quiet highway drive and better fuel economy. So, it is not all about racing and saving 3/10ths of a second at a drag strip or they could go back to 3 speed automatics from the 70's.

cohenfive · October 2003

we've been looking at saab 9-3's to replace her old 9-5 but i told her to go check out the new maxima. she liked the car a lot, not sure about the seating comfort (she has short legs and on lots of cars the seat bottom cushion is too long, causing an uncomfortable seating position). i have read through this forum a bit and haven't found any glaring issues (other than lights getting stolen, not much of a problem where i live). am i missing anything, what are your major dislikes with the car?

also, haven't seen any recent pricing discussions here, curious where these cars trade. my dealer said only about $2k off sticker which doesn't sound like as much as i would like....:) lots of hail damaged cars on ebay/traderonline though!!

thanks!

sgrd0q · October 2003

s852 said: It will also have a higher top gear giving it a more quiet highway drive and better fuel economy.

Not at all. Normally the top gear (and even the one before top) is the same, and you just get more gears between first and top.

Applies to stick shift too. Take the RSX and RSX-S (we have an RSX-S in our household). First gear is exactly the same. 4th in the RSX is EXACTLY the same as 5th in the RSX-S, and 5th (top) in the RSX is EXACTLY the same as 6th (top) in the RSX-S. (I got this from the user manual which lists the gear ratios for both cars.)

p100 · October 2003

If your rotors are not warped or have deep grooves in them, you should not have them turned again. Turning the rotors reduces the thickness and makes rotors more prone to distortion. You obviously must stay within minimum allowable thickness in any case. I do not turn rotors on my cars unless absolutely necessary. I am very careful not to let anybody use pneumatic impact wrench to tighten the lugnuts. Overtightening and uneven tightening of lugnuts with an impact wrench is one of several causes of rotor warpage and distortion.

German manufacturers, such as Mercedes Benz or BMW do not recommend brake rotor turning on their cars, not even once. They specify replacing rotors along with new pads.

Note: The torque units you specified as pounds per square inch should be ft-lbs.

sgrd0q · October 2003

p100 - yes, thank you for the correction. Torque is measured in pound-force foot (i.e. lbf-ft also sometimes abbreviated to ft-lbs). So I meant to say the lug nuts for the Maxima should be torqued to 80 lbf-ft.

Pounds per square inch (abbr. psi) - what was I thinking - this is a unit of pressure, and has nothing to do with torque.

ccermak · October 2003

I've routinely heard that the auto tranny for 02/03 was "beefed up" but I haven't heard exactly what was done. Anybody know? I have an 00 SE auto and the one thing I don't like is the tranny. When it goes, will one of the newer "beefed up" ones bolt into my 3.0 motor???? Or do they only fit the new 3.5 Maxis?

monte4 · October 2003

Versus my old 00 it shifts crisper, downshifts better to name a few. My old 00 didnt shift as crisp or as smoothly and the thing with the 00/01 they wouldnt redline so you couldnt maximun power out of them unlike the 02/03. My sevice guy/mechanic at Bankston Lewisville said that they did some changes internaly in it so it could withstand the extra torque of the 02, he did say that they had lots of complaints with 00/01's and they had a TSB out on the 00's tranny.

kyleknicks · October 2003

speaking of rotors.. i need to get mine turned too at 41k miles.. it's so bad that it shakes the steering wheel pretty bad when i apply the brakes.. i'm going to go to my mechanic and have him do it instead of the dealer.. plus, this time i'll make sure to torque my lugnuts myself... i was thinking if i needed to replace the rotors, i would go for drilled rotors.. who knows

sgrd0q · October 2003

kyleknicks - if you got 41K miles out of the original rotors you did well! I had my rotors turned twice and replaced once, and I am about to turn the current ones again. That is FOUR brake jobs in 2.5 years and 49K miles! And I don't drive aggressively - never wore out the pads (even though I changed them when I installed new rotors but I didn't have to) and I got 43K miles on the original Toyo Proxis tires. Basically I put mostly easy highway miles on my car but the front rotors always seem to be problematic.

By the way, getting the lug nuts torqued to spec didn't help in my case.

Changing the rotors to a different brand didn't help either (actually I think the OEM rotors are just fine).

Changing the pads to ceramic ones that are supposed to be very easy on the rotors (as they do not produce much heat) proved to be of no help either.

I am starting to think that that the problem may be with the calipers. Maybe even a perfectly true rotor is out of round relative to the pad when installed on our wheels.

I'd like to try resurfacing the rotors with an on-the-car-lathe which is supposed to make the rotor true relative to its axis of rotation when installed (and therefore true relative to the pad), but I can't find anyone who can do this job in my area. I think even a brand new rotor needs to be resurfaced with an on-the-car-lathe in my case, as I believe it will be out of round even right from the start.

dklanecky · October 2003

You can get a high perormance rebuilt tranny from an aftermarket shop for a very reasonable amount, compared to what Nissan would charge you for a 02/03 tranny.

I also have a 00 SE and the weakest point on the car is the tranny.

Do a google search and you'll find lots.

You can also check out the other Maxima web sites for more specific information.

sgrd0q · October 2003

Tranny - I wonder if the 2001 tranny is different from the 2000 ones. I really have no problems with mine (2001 model) and I am pretty happy with it.

I wish I could test-drive a newer model to appreciate the difference.

habitat1 · October 2003

Wow, that's a lot of brake/rotor work in 2.5 years and 49k miles. I take it you have a 00/01 model year?

Did Nissan change their brake / rotor design between between 1995 & 00/01? I have a 95 SE w/ 144k miles and just had the front pads replaced a second time; the rears were replaced once at 110k miles. The rotors have never been turned or replaced and were deemed "fine" as of my most recent regular service. Did Nissan cheapen the brake system or am I just lucky?

p100 · October 2003

Yes, Nissan made their brake systems on Maximas cheaper and less durable beginning in 2000. The rotors in particular are either thinner or made of substandard materials because they warp easily. I have a 98 SE with 71K miles and still have original pads and rotors and rotors have not been turned and there is no indication of warpage. My 99 Mazda 626 has 72K miles, still has original brake pads and rotors and no problems at all. My Nissan 95 pickup front rotors have never been turned, they are fine with the second set of pads at 78k miles.

One comment on correct torquing of lugnuts: Just one uneven tightening with an impact wrench can be enough to warp your rotors. Subsequent retorquing to spec does nothing because damage has already been done. You cannot straighten out a warped rotor just by correctly tightening the lugnuts. You simply must insist on use of hand tools when having wheels reinstalled. Removing wheels with an impact wrench is OK, but not installing them, unless they use a torque stick which assures even torquing, but I would not trust even that.

kennyg5 · October 2003

Everytime I had my tires rotated, the mechanics never used hand tools to tighten the lug nuts. I don't know if damage has already been done to the rotors of my 97 GLE with 36k miles (since I have not yet experienced any unusual brake problems), but next time I do tire rotation, I will insist on having the lug nuts hand tightened. Thanks p100 for the advise.

p100 · October 2003

I just replaced all four brake pad sets on my 98 Maxima SE. I sanded down the rotors because they were somewhat glazed, but there were no grooves and no warpage. I used Nissan replacement pads. The front ones were 2/3 worn after 71K miles, rear ones only 1/3 at most. The replacement Nissan brake pads now come with only one pad with a squealer on it. They must have saved a fortune by eliminating one squealer from a set of four pads. At first I thought that they packaged the pads wrong so I looked at another set and it too contained only one pad with a squealer (wear indicator). You are supposed to place the squealer pad on the inside of the right wheel according to Nissan, becuase this pad wears at the fastest rate according to them.
The new front pads do not have holes for the anti-rattle clips, so I assume they are no longer necessary with new pads. You must reuse the metal spacers installed on the original pads. The rear ones are pain in the butt. It is very difficult to get the calipers of the rotors and you need a special tool to rotate the piston in. The front pistons are just pushed in with a C-clamp (a big 9 inch one in this case).

The cost of Nissan brake pads was $ 130. I wonder what the price would be if they added an extra squealer per set.

akoni3029 · October 2003

Would like to swap out engine from GXE to SE model. SOHC to DOHC. Is this possible? Original has 240K and is not going to be givin up by wife. Has 2000 Acura TL but still drives Maxima over Acura. Need some help here Gents, please.

norbert444 · October 2003

Turning the rotors with the on-wheel lathe is the only right way. You have to make sure, though, that the shavings do not get trapped on the ABS magnets or some other moving parts.

One more comment: Glazed rotors are usually an indicator of high heat which is typically produced by warped rotors. The remedy for that is the turning job as above.
Just my 2c

sgrd0q · October 2003

norbert444 - I agree with you, but nobody in my area seems to have the equipment to do this.

And with the traditional off-the-car method I seem to get at the most 10-15K miles before warping the rotors. By the way the replacement new rotors lasted 7K miles before the front started shaking. I pushed it to 10K miles but then I had them warped so badly the whole car was shaking when applying the brakes even at 20 mph.

My car is at the dealer right now (2001 GLE) - 4th brake job in 2.5 years and 49K miles!

p100 · October 2003

Just because my rotors were smooth in appearance (perhaps glazed was not the right word) does not mean they were warped or overheated. In fact, they were not warped at all because I did not,and do not have any brake chatter or pulsation in the steering wheel when I brake. I just sanded the rotors by hand with 80 grit sandpaper and installed new pads. There were no grooves worn in the rotors and I did not even have to remove them from the hubs. I could have gotten another 30k miles at least from the front pads and probably another 100k out of the rear ones based on the measured wear.

My car has a manual transmission and I suspect that this is one reason why my brakes last a long time. With a manual you simply use engine and downshift into lower gears to slow down. This avoids overheating of brakes in prolonged braking situation. My other car (99 Mazda 626 V6 too has a manual transmission and the original brakes and rotors are still good at 72K miles.
Saving on brake wear and tear is one of the benefits of driving a manual. However, I do believe that the new rotors are simply junk. Also, every time you have a rotor turned, you make it thinner and even more susceptible to warpage. So it is a no win situation when even new ones warp after 10k miles. I would try to find higher quality aftermarket rotors, like Brembo.

ohcello · October 2003

If anyone has had this repair done to their car, please sign my
petition as I'm trying to get Nissan to issue a recall for these
defective parts!!!

Thanks

http://www.petitiononline.com/NIS_IGN/petition.html

maddermax · October 2003

I bought my '01 Max SE in Nov. 2k...Felt some play in the RFW, so I took it back to dealer. Was told i needed new front hub assembly and replace the bearing, total $800.00 + Tax...is this normal for under 100,000 miles? Then I decided to take it to my mech, he said the nut holding the assembly had rattled loose & that both R/L wheels were missing a cotter pin to keep nut from moving(he charged 1/2 what dealer wanted)...How does dealer miss this, when i took it back to them for regular maintenance & check up...Do i have a recourse from dealer/factory rep? Do Maxs have this problem? Any recalls? thanks for any advice or light you can shed on problem...MM

vanbo57 · October 2003

I had one of the bearing housings replaced at somewhere a bit under 20K miles on my '01 SE. There was a creaking / snapping type noise when the wheel was turned all the way and car was moving slowly. Had it replaced under warranty. I forget what side it was, (left I think) but apparently the bearing housing had cracked. Weird.

p100 · October 2003

I had a problem with the left front hub on a brand new 99 Mazda 626 ES V6. In this case, the axle nut did not come loose, but the hub itself was not concentric around the center, i.e. when I tried to remove the left wheel, I would have to pry it off, and similarly, putting the wheel back on meant forcing it on by tightening the lugnuts, thus gouging out small part of the alloy wheel hub because it would not fit without interference. Of course, the first Mazda dealer told me that nothing was wrong. I went to another one and got the hub, bearing, and knuckle replaced under warranty. They also had to replace the brake rotor because it was stuck so badly on the hub that it could not be removed without damage. I believe that the original hub had the bearing pressed in incorrectly.

In your case it appears that they did not properly tighten the axle to hub nuts at the factory. The torque on these should be about 170 to 230 ft-lbs and this is about twice as high as your wheel lugnuts. So if they were tightened properly to begin with, there would be no need for the cotter pins, which are there as a last resort to prevent the nut from backing completely off, if it got loose somehow. Some cars, like Mazda, do not use cotter pins, but instead the nut itself has a collar on one end which is staked against the notch in the axle shaft to prevent the nut from backing out.

On a typical rear wheel drive car, the front wheel bearing nut is kept from backing out by a cotter pin, but in this case, the nut is a little more than fingertight. So the cotter pin is a must. A special type of nut called a castellated nut is used. In case of your front wheel drive Maxima, the high torque on the axle nut should not even require a cotter pin. My Suzuki motorcycle rear axle is held in place with a single nut torqued to about 90 ft-lbs and it does not have a cotter pin to keep it from backing out. And if this nut came loose the consequences would be a lot more severe than on your car.

I mentioned several times that I believe that the Nissan quality is slipping. I have been very fortunate with the 98 Maxima SE which has been troublefree to date. Nothing but routine maintenance.

ramped1 · October 2003

Maxima owners were interested in giving us an update on their cars. Are the 04s living up to expectations?

kyim67 · October 2003

I took my 2003 Murano into the dealership for repair (accident), they give me a 2004 Maxima SE as a service loaner. Had it for 3 days now. WOW!!! THIS BABY CAN MOVE!!!

ramped1 · October 2003

does anyone think the new Maxima is a better value? It seems as though Acura hit a homer with the TL, and it prices out about the same as a loaded Max. It's tough to pull the trigger on a Max with that kind of competition.

ccermak · October 2003

I agree on the TL. I haven't sat in or driven one yet, but I've read a lot and I have driven an 04 SE 6-spd and I wasn't overly impressed. As much as I am a Maxifanatic I'd be leaning towards the TL ;-(

kyleknicks · October 2003

has anyone that own a 00 or 01 maxima changed their headlight bulbs? is it easy to replace it? i'm thinking about replacing the oem bulbs with Sylvania Silver Star bulbs... i'm looking for a nice bright light for driving at night...

any thoughts? thanks

habitat1 · October 2003

I am interested in driving both, but it would seem that the price difference would be at least a few thousand dollars. My Nissan dealership has already quoted me $200 over invoice on a 2004 SE 6-speed; I suspect Acura will try to hold the line on pricing a bit longer.

ccermak · October 2003

I've replaced one. Took me about 20 minutes because of some fiddling and I'd never done one before. There's a rubber boot type thing that covers the connector. You'll need to move it out of the way, and then it's just squeezing a metal piece that holds things in place and pull straight out on the connector. Hard to explain but once you get in there it'll make sense. If I can do it anybody can. You'll need some good light though so outside on sunny day or have a good work light in the garage. Remember not to touch the bulb itself on the new ones! I went with the normal one and the bulb was like $10. The super whites or cool blues were like $30/ea and I didn't wanna spend $60 changing both.

seeya

ramped1 · October 2003

What price were you quoted, and what was the equipment on the Max? I would have to get the power sunroof if I were to buy one. I'm not a big fan of the sky roofs or whatever they call those panels. Still not thrilled about the front end styling, either, but in a lighter color it doesn't look too bad.

kyleknicks · October 2003

thanks for the input on changing light bulbs.. i've decided to go with some nice bright bulbs since i wanted xeon lights.. and they're $1000 and $60 is alot less than $1000..

p100 · October 2003

My 98 Maxima SE hood support gas cylinders were getting weak so I thought about replacing them. First I called Nissan to see what is their price. A mere $ 110 a piece! Found a set of aftermarket ones that fit and work just fine. They come with new anchor bolts that screw directly into existing threaded holes. You cannot reuse the original anchoring bolts because they cannot be removed from the strut socket joints.

The replacement gas charged lift supports from Auto Zone:

Mighty Lift, part # E 95784, Made in USA. Cost: $ 20 a piece. That's less than 20% of the Nissan price.

Nissan Maxima

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