Nissan Maxima Maintenance and Repair

bill_l · April 2003

I have 96' Maxima. It has 105K miles. The gas milage is low, a little bit lower than 26 miles/gallon. I checked the spark plugs, they are in good shape. The air filter is not very dirty. Does anyone have any suggestions or advices on this problem. Thanks.

dklanecky · April 2003

Near 26 mpg is pretty good depending on the grade of gas you use, and your driving habits.

Have you (or anyone else) ever used any fuel injector cleaner in the car? I run a bottle of Justice Brothers fuel injector cleaner through my 95 Maxima twice a year. I also use premium gas exclusively and have averaged right at 26 mpg over my first 188,000 miles.

How's your tire condition and how diligent are you with monitoring the air pressure in them?

What were you expecting to get for mileage?

collinjeremy · April 2003

What are the recommendations for first oil change? At what miles? I have almost 500 miles on my '03 now and am wondering when/if I should change it at 1,000. Also, what grade of oil is best for the Maxima? I think the manual states 5W30 (if I remember correctly).

I've been averaging 23.5 mpg according to the trip computer so far.

bill_l · April 2003

I am using 87/91 gas. According to the specifications, the gas milage shoud be 21/28 for city/highway, but I only have 18/26. I never accelerate fast or brake hard, so I would expect closing to 21/28. I used a bottle of cleaner, but forget the brand, and ran out 2 tanks of gas, not find any obvious improvement. I usually set the tire pressre at 30psi, they are new.

p100 · April 2003

Read other message boards. There is no reason why there should be a service bulletin on warping rotors. These rotors are deliberately manufactured cheap and thin so they must be replaced frequently.

I know several people with later model Maximas that have annoying problems, such as air whistling past the window seals, which nobody seems to be able to fix.

Finally one frustrating experience: Just recently I found a new 03 6 Speed SE with the right equipment and right color that I intended to buy. When I test drove the car, the hood shook violently up and down when I hit the slightest bump in the road. I could also feel some vibration in the steering wheel. If this is the best Nissan can do, they can keep it, I will look elsewhere. By the way, I also test drove another new 6 speed, and it too had a vibration in the steering wheel at 60 MPH, although the hood did not shake. This experience does not make me a believer in Nissan quality control.

dklanecky · April 2003

That 21/28 is only an estimate of the mileage you'll achieve, no where is it listed as a specification (there's just too many variables with how people drive, the gas they use, etc.)

The difference between 87 and 91 octane is the difference between regular and premium, which do you use? I get a 7-10% difference is gas mileage between the two (premium being higher).

The EPA runs some type of highway test to guess-estimate what the mileage will be and the "highway" speed is something like 48mph.

That means that no one in the US is likely to get the highway EPA estimate (unless you'll drive at 48 which if you do around where I live, you'll die quickly from being rear ended by a giant truck).

bill_l · April 2003

dklanecky, Thanks for your information. In last couple of months, I got 24.6 using 87 octane and 26 using 89 octane at 75mph on highway. I have a 88' Mazda626 (4 cyls) with 190K miles and it can still give me >32 miles on highway with 87 octane. So I expect the Maxima can give me something higher than 26 though I know it has 6 cyls.

rcmax · April 2003

I have 97 Maxima with 80K miles on it and always used 89 octane fuel. My driving is 40%town and 60% highway. Till recently I used to get 23mpg but after the 75K miles service it went down to 21mpg.

p100 · April 2003

My 98 SE has about 60K miles and according to the owner's manual it is time for spark plug replacement. I do not have the shop manual for the car, and at first glance it looks like I must remove the intake manifold (and a bunch of other parts)to get to the rear plugs. What is the cost of the OEM spark plugs? Replacing the plugs on this car looks like a real chore. What are some pitfalls to avoid when doing this yourself? This car has individual coils over each plug. Will the original plugs last well beyond 60K miles?

kagedude · April 2003

Hi. My 2002 Maxima SE started to have a problem with the turn signal. If I signal left, it flickers really fast. If I signal right, the internval is normal. I thought this usually has something to do with the signal bulbs being burnt out but they are still good. Anyone come across this issue before? Thanks.

p100 · April 2003

Most likely you have a defective flasher unit.

kagedude · April 2003

Whew. I think I found the problem. One of my bulbs is out. I thought it was just a front deflector but its actually a working front side lamp. Thanks for the response.

kennyg5 · April 2003

Tried to get the road salt off from the bottom of my 03 GLE, I took it to a car wash on Saturday instead of handwashing. I noticed a small leak from the sunroof just above the left edge of the passenger seat. Has anyone else experienced the same? I remember seeing one or two posts in the past regarding this problem, probably from Nissangirl (wonder where she has been). Any suggestions? Hate going to the dealer service.

beanctr · April 2003

Kennyg5,

You're right about nissangirl mentioning that she had a leaky sunroof. I remember she did get it fixed but don't recall what was done to fix it. I have never run my 02 Max through a car wash, but wouldn't be surprised if it leaked too. The sunroof on my car does not fit flush with the roof. It dips down slightly in the rear. The dealer gave me the response "they are all like that" . . . and that is why I love going to the dealer.

lmp180psu · April 2003

You can try using the "search this discussion" feature to search for Nissangirl's post about how she solved the problem, but I do remember she did take it to a dealer

90max · April 2003

My 02SE is at the dealer today for a number of warranty items, including a leaking sunroof. I agree with the observation that the sunroof does not appear to be flush and instead dips at the rear portion of the sunroof.

kennyg5 · April 2003

I found her post -- it was #6248 on 1/24/2003. She did not explain how her sunroof was fixed, but only indicated that a Nissan engineer said the glass needed adjustment.

Beanctr -- it appears from your post that your dealer did nothing. How can all sunroofs leak? I also own a 97 GLE with sunroof, and I never experienced any leaks going through the same carwash ... many times.

90 max -- was your sunroof fixed today? Did you take it to a carwash afterwards?

Although the leak is small and the sunroof does not leak even when it rains hard or I wash the car with a garden hose, IMO, it looks like Nissan is slipping in the area quality control.

p100 · April 2003

Concerning your last sentence, refer to post # 1288. Some people strongly disagree, but I believe that the quality IS slipping on new vehicles. New gimmicks are being introduced to impress potential customers at the expense of quality and longevity of parts. BS like climate controlled seats is a good example. Unfortunately, this trend appears to be widespread - there are numerous quality complaints even on some new Mercedes Benz vehicles, for example.

st_pu · April 2003

Dear all, in case of accident with injuries, car detail breakdown or flaw, any other serious problem with your car, please go to NHTSA address http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/ivoq/ and fill complaint form. This way NHTSA will request answer from manufacturer. And makers will fix problems soon, and increase quality of cars.
NHTSA have great database with various complains about each car http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/problems/complain/complaintsearch.cfm. I found my Maxima 1999 ignition coils issue there also.

90max · April 2003

According to the dealer, the sunroof in my 02SE meets factory specs and therefore there is no "fix" to be made. I hand wash the car and don't take it through car washes (I don't think the infamous Nissan paint will hold up well in a car wash). After owning many Nissans/Datsuns over more than 20 years, I have to agree that Nissan quality has dropped. In my view, while Renault has infused Nissan with much needed capital and design improvements, Renault simply does not have the same commitment to quality as Nissan did before its marriage to Renault.

p100 · April 2003

Is this option worth getting? It costs over $ 300 and I found several 6 speed SE models with this option. I can see one on a RWD car, but on the FWD? What would be the real benefits of having this option if you do not drive in snow?

greenmax · April 2003

is most definitely worth it for a manual tranny Maxima. Get it, you'll thank me when you drive hard, especially on wet roads. Unlike Audi and Honda, Nissan can't seem to get rid of terrible torque steer in the Maxima and V6 Altima.

westpro · April 2003

Hi Jamie from Toronto Canada here. I had the pleasure of driving my dealer purchased 2000 SE for 8 whole days. I left it parked while having dinner and an hour later came out to the smell of an electrical burn. I tried to start the car but it would not kick in. The dealer told me the whole main brain melted down and he showed me the box. When he opened it, it was charred. Anybody heard of this one. The boys at the dealership said it was a new one to them? The car has 73k km's on it and I'm worried that they will try to stiff me. Paranoid about dealers and manufacturer's I guess. Thanks

p100 · April 2003

Several months ago Nissan issued a safety recall for 97 and 98 Nissan Maxima vehicles. Reason:

"On some 97 and 98 vehicles, there is a possibility that the alternator may contain a damaged diode. This could eventually result in an electrical short which may cause a fire in the alternator and could spread to the engine compartment."

This recall does not involve 2000 model year vehicles and has probably nothing to do with your computer meltdown. However, there is a possibility that you had an electrical short in your computer due to some deffective component, just like a diode in this recall.

Use this information if it helps at all to convince them that they owe you a new computer. It is bound to be expensive to replace. I assume your vehicle is out of warranty now. 73 K kms is about 45 K miles and the car is three years old. What are the new car warranties in Canada?

georged98 · April 2003

I have a 2002 Maxima GLE with about 17,200 miles on it. The rear rotors, both rotors, have several grooves in them, unlike the front rotors, which don't have any grooves. The front rotors are smooth. The rear rotors feel like what you would get with worn brake pads. I checked the rear brake pads and they are just fine. They are far from being worn down. Has anyone seen this on their cars??
Thanks in advance.

p100 · April 2003

Rear brakes on your car provide only about 25% of the total braking force, the rest is done by the front brakes. Shallow grooves on rotors are nothing much to worry about. Do you experience any abnormal braking problems, e.g. chatter, strange noises, pulsing of the pedal? I would be concerned only if the grooves were really deep and there were some abnormal braking symptoms.

Some time ago one of my coworkers had his front brake pads replaced at a local service station. When he gave me a ride in his car and stepped on the brake, there was this horrible metallic screeching sound. I mentioned that this did not sound right. He replied that the pads are "breaking in". Two days later he came back with one of his brake rotors in his hand. It had a groove in it that went 3/4 of the way through the rotor! The moron who replaced his brake pads put them on backward, i.e. metal plate with exposed rivet heads facing the rotor and the brake lining facing the caliper!!!!!!!! The rotors were completely ruined in no time at all. He could have been killed or kill somebody else in that car, as the braking capability was greatly reduced. Sounds incredible? But it really happened. The morale of the story is that you need to be careful where you take your car for service.

georged98 · April 2003

reply to p100
I called the local Nissan dealer and spoke to the service manager. He stated that as long as the pads are not worn and I don't hear or notice anything unusual, I shouldn't worry about it. The car stops without any noise or problems. I guess I am used to a smooth surfaced rotor and since both rear rotors display the same type of groove, I won't worry about it.
Thanks for your help.

bill_l · April 2003

My maxima (gold) was seriously scratched by some kids yesterday. They feel like notches. Anyone knows how to remove those scratches or notches? Thanks.

p100 · April 2003

If the scratches are not too deep they can be buffed out by using a rubbing compound and/or polishing compound. You have to be careful not go too far with this, especially when using a power buffer, because you could remove your paint down to the primer. Body shops generally use power buffers and polishing compound to remove minor scratches. The disadvantage for using this technique for deep scratches is that by buffing out the scratches, you are actually removing portion of the clearcoat, which then becomes thin and fails to protect the paint underneath from oxidation. Very deep scratches may require repainting of the affected areas.

Buffing with an abrasive compound is also used to remove scratches from glass. Typical compound used for this is cerium oxide paste. Interestingly enough, wet buffing with a cork belt does an amazing job polishing glass and removing scratches from it. I have seen this done in glass manufacturing plants.

Suggest you consult a reputable body shop on the best way to take care of the scratch problem.

naved · May 2003

My 03 Max SE has SES light always on, but it's very dim (only visible at night). It seems to me that I have the same problem as the guy in the post #865. Any ideas/suggestions? Thanks!

blh7068 · May 2003

Hey thats me!!

Yes, My 02 SE(still)has the same problem. I have kind of put it on the back burner because I havent had the time to bring the car in(also no other probs).
The problem is if the dealer cant see it, nothing will be done. Now that the days are longer it will be next to impossible to bring the car in when the problem will be "visible".

I happened to run into the new car manager of the dealer whom I purchased from at the local auto show a few months ago. He suggested the following-
Probably what we should do is call the nissan customer care/service number and explain the issue. He said that this is the best way to get an issue resolved. I feel he may be right. I like the car just fine(paint quality another issue), and not really calling to complain but to figure out the best possible way to get this unusual problem resolved.

BTW- I think the problem may be a faulty circuit panel.

naved · May 2003

Here is what I found from http://www.freshalloy.com:

There is a Nissan TSB out for the 'Dim SES Light'. Your Nissan dealer has to call the Nissan tech line and they will authorize a new instrument gauge panel replacement. It is an easy swap out and takes less than an hour to do but they will have to order the part. I have a 2k3 SE and had this problem. Most dealers are unaware of it however and they should call the Nissan tech line. It will become clear to them after they talk to the tech what to do. Nothing wrong with the car however...just a short in the gauge cluster which is one part.
--------------------------------

On a different note, what's your avg. mpg? Any tips you got? I am thinking about K&N air filter... any other mods that you have done?

Thanks!

blh7068 · May 2003

Thanks for the info! That should help a lot.

I couldn't find on that website the actual TSB though. Would you be able to link me to that specific page?

As for mods...none yet, mine is bone stock...but a K&N filter would be cool. Any paint issues with yours? I didn't do myself any favors by settling for majestic blue(sounded good at the time), but I did not have many choices since it was at the end of the 02 model year. Again, Thanks!

ahlin · May 2003

About ten days ago the light came on and my 2000 GLE maxima began missing,vibrating,shaking, etc.Later in the day it stopped and the car ran smooth with none of the above problems. it has been running with no problems since. However, the service engine light is still on. The dealer says it will cost $79.00 to plug into the diagnostic computer to see what the problem may have been. They say it probably will not show anything now that the car is running fine. Anyone out there have this problem? Will this light go out on its own?

p100 · May 2003

If I were you, I would have the diagnosis done for the peace of mind. It could be an intermittent minor problem, but could be the beginning of something that may leave you stranded on the road. Also, I believe that the light has to be reset to go off if the problem is not eliminated and it may come on again. I have seen people with old cars ignore the engine light and drive for years. This was entirely possible with cars like the 83 Pontiac Boneville which had computer controlled carburetor. If the computer failed, however, the car would merely revert to a fully rich mode and keep running. The only penalty was a slight drop in fuel economy. This is no longer the case with new cars that rely on multitude of sensors to feed the information into the computer, which then controls timing advance, injector pulsing, etc.

alexjr1 · May 2003

I have 99 gle with 48,000 miles, I bought it about 3 months ago and I love it I love everything about it but a couple days ago I started to notice this groaning noise when i go really slow. I was wondering if anyone could explain what it is and whats the proper way of fixing it.

Thanx,
Paul

plaxco · May 2003

Do any of you mechanically inclined know what happened to my car? I was driving along to work on a highway at a leisurely clip of 70. I started to notice a slight feeling of the car lurching - or more likely losing power for fractions of seconds. Then I noticed the car was losing power, causing me to press the peddle down more. After about 6 miles I was pulling into town and started hitting stop lights. The engine idled roughly and I needed to really press the peddle down. I could hear the engine revving up but there was very slow acceleration. It wouldn't go above about 20 miles per hour. By the time I got into the parking lot at work I could tell it was a goner. I turned the engine off and then back on. It wouldn't stay on. I had it towed to a Nissan dealer. They inspected it and said that, whatever happened, it had lost adequate compression in all cylinders. (BTW, I have had the car for about 8 years; it worked like a dream, and there was a total of 164,000 miles on it when it died.) It accelerated wonderfully -- and I swear -- it took just 15 minutes for it to go to it's maker. I towed it to a second mechanic in my home town, who I have trusted with the car for the last 8 years, and he gave the same diagnosis. No one knew just what happened to it. And it's not worth going inside the engine, apparently. I was baffled because if it was the rings or valves I wouldn't have expected them to all go at once. I loved that car. --------
And don't feel too sad for me, I just bought a superb looking 2002 SE that is a gorgeous silver. Not that I'm fickle but . . . I love it too. Oh the shame of it.

phillyblunt · May 2003

My 00 SE SES light came on about a week ago and I decided to take it in. It cost $42 to code check it in the computer and they came back with both rear O2 sensors were bad. They were wide open with no response. This could never be a major problem but why take the chance. The final bill was $397. Good Luck...

p100 · May 2003

Oil pump failure could account for this series of events. Did your oil pressure warning light come on at all? Another possibility is that your engine was was badly gummed up internally and that critical oil passages got completely blocked by crud. I know somebody whose engine (GM 350 engine in this case) quit much the same way as yours because the oil passages were completely blocked off with parrafin or similar crud. What kind of oil did you use in your car?

plaxco · May 2003

Reply to p100: The oil pressure light didn't come on. No warning lights ever came on. Neither of the mechanics mentioned a problem with the oil. The car has been having oil changes religiously every 3,000 miles. I don't know the oil that was used, but the auto clinic I have taken it to has been consistently rated highly by drivers in the northern Virginia area for years (Wiygul in Alexandria). None of the mechanics wanted to go further into the engine. The minimum for fixing it was estimated at $4800. So I decided to apply that to buying the 02.
The mechanics report says they checked the spark, fuel filter, fuel pressure, "broke down everything and removed front cover/ T-belt and valve timing good, cams OK, performed dry compression test - no pressure in any cylinders, performed wet compression test - varied readings in cylinders (90-140 psi). Probably bad piston compression rings." The second mechanic, at Wiygul, said they found the same compression problems, but couldn't definitely say what it was due to without going further into the engine.

p100 · May 2003

How did they come up with the $ 4800 minimum repair estimate if they do not even know what is wrong? You should be able to get a complete rebuilt engine for this car for half that much, including installation. Zero gauge pressure reading in all cylinders when doing the dry compression check and climbing all the way to 140 psi when squirting oil in? Does not sound very credible to me.

plaxco · May 2003

Reply to p100: The first mechanic said he could replace the "engine assembly" for $5600. I wasn't sure what he meant exactly. I assumed he was talking about the main block and everything in it. But I didn't ask further about it because I had no intention of pursuing it. I felt suspicious -- because I had a different theory about the collapse of the engine's power. That's why I towed it home to the mechanics (Wiygul) who I have trusted for years. My initial theory was that the symptoms came from water in the gas -- that was just wishful thinking -- but that's what I wanted them to find. No one found that.
I don't really know enough about engine mechanics to have a really educated guess about all of this.
Anyways -- the $4800 was what the second mechanic thought the whole job of putting another engine into it would cost -- but as I said, I had no interest in putting that much into the car. I wasn't up for the disappointment if, the next week, somehow the transmission suddenly went. Thanks for your comments p100.

warrenul · May 2003

I was reading some discussions on this thread and came across message #830 that was posted back in August of 2002 for a stalling condition on a 5 Speed 2000 Maxima.

I am currently experiencing the exact same problem that his Maxima was doing. When I get off the highway and put it in neutral, the rpms will drop down to around 200 rpm and then rise back up to 700-800 rpm. Many times it will just stall if I don't feather the gas. This also happens alot when in the middle of a turn, just as the original post stated. It just started doing this once or twice during the past few months, but it just began to do it regularly. It was so nerve wracking to always be on guard in case it does stall! Usually I pop the clutch while in gear and it starts back up, but it so frustrating.

I did not come across any responses or find a follow-up posted to this problem in this discussion.

When I brought it in for service, Nissan found that the idle was too low. They performed an Idle Relearn and readjusted the idle. I emailed the original poster and found out that his Nissan service facility changed the coils on multiple occasions. However, his Maxima is still stalling, on ocassion.

Has anyone else experienced this anomily?

p100 · May 2003

Several years ago there was an entire forum with hundreds of complaints dedicated to just this issue. I do not know what happened to this forum, but the complaints were pretty much like yours. This was the major reason why I stayed away from the 2000 model Maxima 5 speed. I have a 98 5 speed and it has been absolutely trouble free so far. What I do not understand is this: why can't Nissan leave a good car design alone? These problems did not exist on the 98 or 99 vehicles. I never heard about any coil problems either. I have 61K miles on my car and so far the only thing I have done is changing oil and filters and replaced one battery, and just got a new set of Toyo tires. No problems or anomalies of any kind. I certainly would be upset if I had problems like you.

warrenul · May 2003

That particular thread was about the "Fuel Cut" problem that many 5 Speed Maximas was experiencing. Generally, at low speeds the vehicle will buck on and off due to engine being starved of fuel caused by an attempt to control emissions at slow speeds.

Fortunately, I never had that problem. Since then Nissan came out with at least 2 ECU updates to resolve the low speed sensitivity problems on M/T Maximas.

My problem was the car stalling at highway speeds when letting up on the gas and putting it into neutral. I had to bring back the car to Nissan service for a "Service Engine Soon" problem. This time they reprogrammed the whole ECU under TSB NTB00070. I hope that this fixes this once and for all.

vanbo57 · May 2003

Hello all.
I had the TSB on the rotors done, no questions asked at around 21,500 miles. I asked what will happen when they warp again in another 8K or so? Service said they will replace before the warranty is up if that happens. Fine. That was around 2,000 miles ago. Now, I have a scraping , crunching kind of noise after the brakes are heated up and the brake petal is half way pressed. The sound coinsides with the wheel turning, like there is a high spot somewhere. It's weird and definatly not right. Service also told me on the initial brake "visit" that my rear pads were 70 to 80% used up while the fronts only 40% or so. I am going to let service know that they should give me new pads as this shows me that there is some problem with the rear brakes which should not wear faster than the fronts. Do you agree so far? One more thing - all 4 calipers have surface rust on them. Looks crappy. Is this common on these cars?
Going in for all this Friday. By the way, other than these brake issues and the TSB on the front end part a while back, the car has really been great. Thanks much for your input.

vikd · May 2003

...car. Didnt come with a manual (surprise) and it's time to change the oil. Want to do it myself and thought some of you experienced Max owners would know what weight oil this beast takes. I know a call to a local Nissan shop would answer my ? but since I'm currently browsing Edmunds, thought I'd throw the ? out there...

Thanks for the help...

Regards... Vikd

p100 · May 2003

Nissan recommends 5W30 oils for most climates. For warm climates where temperature does not drop below 30F they recommend 10W30 or 10W40. Summertime is now approaching so I would recommend 10W30 weight. This is what I use in my 98 SE all year round. BTW, I use Castrol GTX oil.

vikd · May 2003

...I live in the NW where the weather is pretty temperate...not too hot, not too cold. Summer does get pretty warm though...would you still recommend the 10w30 or just go with the 5w30?

Thanks again for the help...

Regards... Vikd

p100 · May 2003

Go with 10W30 weight.

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