Nissan Maxima Maintenance and Repair

johnny2003 · January 2005

Thanks again. The tech that has been working on my car was not in Saturday, so I am hoping to provide him with this additional information on Monday. The dealership, if I didn't mention this before, is now waiting on a "specialist" to come in and see the car.

I'm curious, since the vibration doesn't start until approximately 20 minutes or so after driving the car, will the items you noted still hold true??

I did speak to a Goodyear store manager who stated that the GY tires where created specfically for the 04/05 Maxima and he has seen nothing but trouble from them including cracks and was not surprized by my comments about the car's behaviour.

He said the only other tire he knows that will fit the car are Bridgestones, as the Continentals are worse than the GY's.

Thanks again!

max05 · January 2005

open the center console and remove the tray to access the area where cd's can be stored. At the bottom of this there is a black cap which can be removed....there is an outlet there, which does not have a lighter, but looks like one would fit.

karen p · January 2005

I have replaced 7 coils on my Nissan Maxima 2000. The first went at 30,000 miles, the next two went at 67,000 miles. The dealer persuaded us to replace the additional remaining four to avoid additional labor charges. I have filed a complaint with Nissan at 1-800-nissan1. I encourage all to do the same. This will help to get a recall, at which time I was assured by Nissan that all who have spent hundreds of dollars, as I have, will get reimbursed. The individual dealers should be held responsible as well. I was leaving the dealership when my third coil blew!!! What a coincidence. They wanted to charge me again for the labor on the additional coil, and I wasn't even out the door! They ended up only charging me for parts after some heated discussions. A complaint was file against them as well.

merdie · January 2005

We've had our 05 for 2 months, 600 miles. Vibration is bad, begins at about 70 mph and above. Contacted the dealer and one of the service personnel rode in the car and acknowledged the problem. The technician, whom we have known for several years and thru 4 Maximas, knows there is a problem. He called the Tech Line Specialist and got no help and called Nissan North America and was told since the problem happened above 70 mph, the posted speed limit, that he was not to do anything to fix the problem. So Nissan knows there is a problem but doesn't want to admit it. We had an 04 with the problem but thought it was fixed in the 05. Last Nissan we will buy and like you, we might be getting a Consumer Advocate attorney.

luvmymaxie · January 2005

Have you read about the complaints on this on the NHTSA.dot.gov website? Many people have complained about this to them. I hurt a lot of people had strut problems also.

gtgray · January 2005

I picked up a 2004 SL with all the goodies in October 2004 - my 3rd Maxima. I am becoming increasingly concerned over Nissan's quality - as I have had a strut replaced, a side view mirror replaced due to faulty motor / memory mechanism, and now one of the steering wheel radio buttons is acting up. Nissan is replacing the whole steering wheel for that one (about a $3000.00 item from what I'm told). The car has 18,000 miles and is still under warranty.

Has anyone purchased an extended warranty FROM NISSAN (not one of the independent services I receive daily spam about)on a vehicle this long after the original purchase? What can expect to pay for that? (i.e. - I don't really expect to pay full price - I realize that extended warranties can be had at roughly 50% the first price the dealershipos give you when you negotiate the price of a vehicle.) Thanks!!

hdao · January 2005

It may be the time that you might need to learn how to read the code and change these faulty ignition coils. It could save you alot of $$$. The link below is an sample of how to get the flash code.

http://vbxmaxima.8m.com/ecu.html

I also bought a Haynes Repair Book for Maxima. Changing a ignition coils is not really hard. I changed one of my coils instead of the dealer wanted to changed all six. Yet, I have been driving for 30k and have yet seen the problem again. When you buy a new replacing coil, make sure that the part number on the new remanufactured coil different than the part number of the orginal old coil. Tell the dealer allows you to look up on his computer database or catalog... I believe that the new one has the last number with "2" where the original one is "1"

luvmymaxie · January 2005

I purchased my 04 SE when they came out in the Spring of 2003. I only have 9500 miles on it....drive our huge F-250 diesel on trips....anyway for about 6 months now I get a rattling sound coming from the back window area? At first my husband and I thought it was because the brake light cover was not secure and hitting the window after having the windows tinted? But, it is secure. Anyone else having this problem? Thanks for any ideas? Yes, it will go to the dealership if we cannot find the problem.

alcan · January 2005

Might save a trip to the dealer if one of you drives while the other sits in the back seat and see if you can track down the source.

madmax2 · January 2005

I made the same mistake with my 00 Maxima. I believe the owners manual warns against using any type of cleaners on the cover. There's really nothing you can do about it besides replacing it with a new one if its really bothering you.

luvmymaxie · January 2005

Yep, my husband sat in the back seat and cannot pin point the noise. He is going to get into the truck and check and see if there is anything loose around the speakers? When I'm seating in the driver's seat, to me it sounds like it is coming from the brake cover? Hopefully we can find it. It is driving me up the wall!

alcan · January 2005

When I was an apprentice I used to get driven around in car trunks with a flashlight listening for noises while one of the licensed techs drove. It pinpointed lots of rattles and squeaks, but not the hot setup if you have motion sickness. LOL

pam00se · January 2005

Wow, I just entered the forum and was blown away by all the folks that have had ignition coil problems with their Maximas! I'm in the same boat!

I had all six coils changed @36,000 miles. The dealership treated the service as if under warranty. A year later #2 coil went bad. I paid for replacement. 10 months later #6 coil went bad. So I replaced that coil and remaining four. I've spent over $700 total for repairs! Thanks for link to determine service engine warning and ECU code diagnosis. I will not take car to dealership for repair if it happens again. Seems as though Nissan should offer a recall with this many people experiencing the same problems!

nryder · January 2005

I purchased a Nissan Certified used '99 Maxima in 2001 and went ahead and picked up the Nissan extended warranty while I was at it. Funny thing is, I never had anything happen with the car while it was under warranty (other than brake pads and the usual regular maintenance). I now have just over 100K miles on the car and some things have started happening (timing chain tensioners have failed, drive axles needed replacement)...but alas, my warranty expired at 100K. I've seen people say it's not worth the money or you can bargain the price down.

However, I say if you can get the price on the warranty dropped and have it included in your financing, why not buy it...at the very least for the peace of mind. I know it helped me rest easier at night knowing that if the engine dropped out of the car for some reason, it would be covered.

nryder · January 2005

Ok...let me start by saying I'm a poor college student needing the ultimate in car advice right now. First off, my '99 Nissan Maxima has been in the shop for a little over two weeks now. The first issue was new drive axles. They were quite noisy...lots of bad noises when turning. After those were replaced, my mechanic indicated that he heard a noise that indicated to him my timing chain was slipping. His shop got down to the timing chain and said that the tensioners on the chain were not working properly. Thus, the chain slipped. Does this sound unusual for a '99 Nissan Maxima with a little over 100K miles? I'll admit, this car has been driven very hard...lots of road trips, etc.

Secondly, I told him to go ahead and continue looking at the engine and before I know it, he's sent my heads out for re-machining (without even telling me or asking before-hand). Why would those need to be re-machined and is it plausible that it was caused by a timing chain issue?

suydam · January 2005

To both of you who have Maxes with over 100,000 miles: they are going to need things. CV boots split, timing chains loosen, batteries die. Older cars with lots of miles cost money; the question is, how much and how often? If you haven't had much problems up to now, that's a good sign and all you can go by.

want a maxima · January 2005

I have always wanted a nissan maxima but the cost was outrageous. I have found a used one that is a 2001 and has 104,000 miles one owner I am carrying it tomorrow to have my machanic look it over. I have been reading alot of bad things about maximas that scare me. I was told to make sure to have the timing belt or chain checked. Is there anything else that I should have checked before I decide to buy the car.

ccermak · January 2005

The most common failures on an 01 Maxima are going to be the coils, 02 sensors, MAF sensors, tranny and the brakes. Beyond that, they're pretty solid and should go 150k easy. I've got 75K on my 2000 and so far needed an 02 sensor and an altenator. That's it, nothing else, not even brake pads yet at 75K!! Yes, you heard me, I'm on original brakes, pads and all, at 75K. Had them inspected recently and mechanic was astonished and said don't think twice until summer, and the rears are more worn than the fronts.

sab227 · February 2005

SO true about the struts...I had mine replaced last week after less than 2 months on my '04 SE, roughly 4300km.

The shimy I have felt as well but only around 80-100km/h (50-60 miles/hr) and the tires were caked with snow. Very cold out as well. -24 degC.

The only other things about mine that are suspect are the mysterious water dripping from the upper console (sunglasses holder) and the cloth on my headrest un-stitching. The dealer has given me no reason to complain about them though. Very helpful, so far.

carman4 · February 2005

I HAVE A 2005 MAXIMA SL WHEN MY OTHER HALF DRIVES AND LEAVES THE CAR THE SEAT ONLY GOES BACK AUTOMATICALLY A LITTLE AMOUNT MAKING IT HARD FOR ME TO GET IN SHE IS SHORTER THEN ME . IS THERE ANYWAY TO SET THIS UP TO GO BACK MORE WHEN THE CAR IS TURNED OFF TOM

zoner1 · February 2005

gtgray - trust me, getting the extended warranty won't help - I know from experience. I own a 2001 SE. I purchased the extended 100k mile warranty while the car was new. While owning my Max has been an overall positive experience, trying to make a warranty claim was a dismal experience - the extended warranty will not cover most of the parts that will break (I'll mention why in a second), and the dealership and Nissan will try to squirm out of any claims that could be honored otherwise. Total cost of repairs for my Maxima - $1500. Total covered by warranty - $0. Brake rotors (a common problem for my model), air control valve, ECU reprogram (a problem from the factory), wind noise, front axle nuts were lose (from the factory),...the list goes on.

Nissan will not offer an all-inclusive or bumper to bumper extended warranty. Instead, they'll present an impressive looking list of components they will cover. Don't be fooled - most of the items are repeated 2 or 3 times on the list. Keep in mind that Nissan retains a database from each dealer on what models have what problems. They use that information in many ways, one of which is to statistically predict which components may fail in the next 100,000 miles. Also keep in mind, they wouldn't offer to sell the extended warranty if they didn't think they could make money on it. Another trick - the extended warranty will also only cover labor if a part is replaced (which is why they wouldn't pay for the ECU reflash or axle nuts). The dealership made a couple of extra bucks off of me from that one!

If you're seriously concerned about the quality of your vehicle, you might want to trade it in for another vehicle. I love my Nissan, but I won't buy another due to the lack of customer service.

roar1 · February 2005

I've got a 2k Max. with 73,000 mi. on it. At 35,000 I had the front rotors turned because they were warped. I now need to replace the front pads. I will also probably replace the rotors.

Do you know what the minimum rotor thickness is ?

How much material is normally removed to true up a rotor ( .020 in., .030 in.) ?? I know it will vary but approx. how much material will be removed if the rotor is warped ? I know, it depends on how bad the rotor is but, just give me a ballpark number if you can. Thanks in advance !!

gtgray · February 2005

Zoner1 - Thanks for your input - food for thought. The truth is...I love this car - except for the few annoyances and the crappy turning radius (I still can't park it straight!)

I was looking to get extended warranty because I'm either keeping it for the long haul...or handing it over to my mother (1996 Maxima GLE w/ cold start problem) and checking out a TL. Maybe Honda's quality is still up to snuff. Boy....I'll miss my heated steering wheel, though.

lyyy · February 2005

Shortly after we purchased our 1st Nissan Maxima in July 2001, there was strong odor inside the car. As we were in Las Vegas at that time and have dirty laundry in the trunk, we attributed those smelly odor to the hot temperature plus our dirty laundry. This bad smell went away as soon as we returned to LA. Soon, this incident was totally forgotten.

Late last October, just 2 months after the manufacturer warranty expires, we paid nearly $800 to replace 2 rear oxygen sensors. Now, Jan 31, 05 one of the front sensors needs to be replaced.

We followed all the scheduled maintenance at a Nissan Dealer and it only has 33K miles--so much expensive repair so soon. So, we contacted the Nissan HQ's Consumer Affair department for assistance.

However, we have been passed around like a ball between dealer's maintenance personnel and Nissan's Consumer Affair Staff.

Wonder if we have any recourse in this case. We appreciate advise from anyone.

p100 · February 2005

Tell these hypocrites that quite a few US states in the midwest have a speed limit of 75 MPH on their interstate highways. Last time I checked, you do not need to apply for a passport to drive in one of these states.

I am becoming more and more convinced that this company is going down the toilet very fast. I do not think they will be getting my business any time soon.

They took a great car like Maxima and turned it into a POS, because of neverending greed and using ever cheaper and lower quality parts in this car. Cheap parts + shoddy workmanship = junk

The formula above works equally well in any country, on any product.

mushtaq555 · February 2005

Do you hear the rarrling when sound system is on or all the time. I had the same issue when I bought my Maxima 2005 SL. I had to tak eit back to the dealership couple of times.

Even now I hear that rattling some times butwhen i opena dn close the trunk a couple of times it goes away. I normally hear the sound when I am playing a song which has more bass.

Anyways, what they did was that they replaced the insulation in the area where speakers are installed. I guess this is a problem with more than one cars.

Maybe you want to take it back to the dealership and have them check the insulation in the rear speakers and break light area.

Good Luck.

pgrage · February 2005

The braking system on the 2001 Maxima SE is woefully underdesigned. The TSB has been out for some time indicating that the answer to warped rotors every 10K miles is to cut them down. I replaced the OEM parts with PowerSlot rotors, Hawk brake pads & Motul 5.1 brake fluid. The difference is truly amazing, my max now stops on a dime. Other than the brakes, this car has been a dream for 30K miles (manual transmission).

nicky owns max · February 2005

I bought this brand new nissan maxima about 4 months ago of power nissan at elmonte. After driving 4000 miles, I just noticed that the hood and the trunk lid were out of alignment. The hood looked pretty bad if you are a detailed person. I took the car for a fix to the dealer service center, and one of their specialist told me that the car MIGHT have had an accident before. I was very angry because there was no way the car had an accident. Anyway they told me that they would have nissan to inspect the car if it has been in an accident. After 4 days they did not contact me at all. When I asked them, they told me to speak to a person who I have already contacted but never return my call. I went to 3 bodyshop to confirm this. 3 of them all aggreed that the back bumper had been repainted, but whoever did it, they did not do a good job. 2 of bodyshop also suspected that front bumper might also repainted or replaced. Please if anybody has been situation like this, what should I do ? What is my right ? Is it possible for me to pursue a lawsuit?

p100 · February 2005

According to several dealers I talked to, when you buy a new vehicle, the dealer must reveal at the time of delivery if the vehicle has been in an accident, in a flood, hailstorm, stolen and recovered, etc. This is required by law.

I would contact an attorney and go from there. It is possible that your vehicle was damaged in transit, e.g. they partially dropped it off the truck when unloading, or it was not properly secured on the truck so the bumper got damaged. All such damage and subsequent repairs should have been disclosed at the time of delivery. typically, dalers will offer additional incentives to get rid of new vehicles that have been repaired. (e.g. car damaged by hail). they had tons of these for sale following intense hailstroms in Tennessee.

p100 · February 2005

It is required by law now that any repair facility that turns the rotors or brake drums, must measure the thickness of the rotors or drums to make sure that they meet the minimum thickness requirement. Only then they are allowed to turn the rotors or drums.

Typically, only few thousands of an inch of metal thickness are removed from a rotor in a single pass. Rotors that are deeply grooved should not be turned because many passes will be required to machine out the grooves and they would reduce the rotor thickness beyond the minimum allowable thickness. On most modern cars nowadays, there is not a lot of extra "meat" so that some rotors can only be turned once. Some manufacturers, such as VW or Mercedes do not turn rotors at all, but replace them at every brake pad change.

So if you are having your rotors turned, they will have to measure the rotor thickness and tell you if they can be turned. There are specs available for each rotor. I am not sure what it is for your Maxima, but your local Auto Zone store can tell you that.

I would not recommed turning rotors that require more than about 2 millimeter of thickness per total 1 inch (25.4 mm) rotor thickness of metal removed to make them true. What happens is that the rotors become thinner and more prone to warpage.

dirkwork · February 2005

If you are cheap and do your own work, you can have them turned, but like p100 says, you get a rotor that doens't work like a new one and costs you money to get it turned, won't last very long, warps. personally, I usually do my own work and "splurge" on parts since my labor is free.

Good luck

DD

alcan · February 2005

Rotor specs

2000-01 Maxima

Front

1.024" original thickness

.945" discard thickness

.0004" thickness variation

.0028" lateral runout

Rear

.354" original thickness

.315" discard thickness

.0008" thickness variation

.0028" lateral runout

Machining usually removes about .010" each side, reducing thickness by .020". Should leave at least .020" above minimum thickness for wear after machining

greymax · February 2005

Hello all.

My front passenger side speakers are intermittent. They will cut out except, the A pillar speaker will stay on, very low. If I adjust fade / balance, system sounds okay but I want it corrected. Again, this is an intermittent problem. Audio shop guy says may be the "coil" in the speaker. Wants $270 to replace all 4 front speakers - says that he has to do the whole set but doesn't seem sure that is the problem. I dont think so.

Any thoughts to help me out here?

By the way, this is the standard system, not the Bose.

Thanks in advance.

luvmymaxie · February 2005

Found out what made the rattling noise!!! It was in the back window panel which holds the speakers! I had some thick chair batting, you buy at fabric stores to make chair cushions, we cut several small pieces. My husband took out the brake light and stuff it under the panel. It does not make the noise anymore! I hope I explained it so you get the picture? If not, I can email you a photo to show you what I am talking about.

dhamp · February 2005

Nryder,

The advantage of timing chains in general, is that they don't require repetitive replacement and maintenance like belts do. I have a '96 GLE w/187k miles on it. Never done any timing belt work. I have several acquaintances that drive them as well, and no one has had such a problem.

That being said, mechanical things are unpredictable, and tensioners such. They're helpful from the technician's view because they take the guess work out of if a chain or belt is too tight or loose. However, it just adds another piece in there that can break. Mechanical things break unexpectedly. Just an ugly fact of life. I wouldn't worry too much about that.

Now the heads are a whole different issue. Unless you're rebuilding a motor or it's been run hot, you don't machine heads. Not sure, but if the chain was loose, I guess it could have damaged the outside, but not where the seal is, and that's what matters. If they didn't okay it first, I would contest paying for it, and ask for proof that it was even necessary.

p100 · February 2005

My 98 SE 5 speed has 102K miles now. Service/ problems to date: regular oil changes every 3K miles, manual transmission oil replaced at 70k miles with synthetic Redline MTU 90 gear oil, all four original brake pads replaced at 80K (still had plenty left on them). I only needed to sand the rotors because they were not grooved or warped. OEM spark plugs replaced at 60K miles. Engine coolant changed every 15k miles.

Had the alternator replaced under Nissan recall (never had any problems with the original one. Replaced the hood gas struts because they wore out with age.

Warranty issues: zero, not even an adjustment required.

Tires replaced at 60K miles, right now on the second set of Toyos. Still on the original clutch - no problems. No sensors replaced, no check engine light on ever. No coil problems so far. Not a bad record for a car with over 100k miles. This is the most troublefree car I have ever owned.

ely · February 2005

Oxygen 2 sensors, 2001 Maxima GLE, I have the same problem at 26500 miles and out of warranty. Think there is a pattern here with the 2001?

plasticpro · February 2005

Welcome to the wonderful world of Nissan. Their customer service is a complete joke as they rarely ever follow up and treat you like you're an idiot, as if you're expecting too much out of a "new" car. Anyway, I had a similar experience with the hood of my 03 Maxima which I leased "brand new". The paint was lifting after 15,000 miles and was shifting color in this same section. After fighting with the dealership, Nissan did me a "favor" and repainted the hood. This is Nissan's attitude toward issues like this. In addition, the service manager informed me that if a repair costs less than $1,000 they don't have to report it to the consumer. Surprisingly, he also admitted that the hood was repainted somewhere along the line. I hope this info helps.

gtgray · February 2005

DO NOT LET THE DEALERSHIP OFF THE HOOK!!! I had an identical experience...and got the matter resolved in MY best interest. (MY best interest = a new car!)I will gladly share with you the process I took to get the dealership to make this right...but would rather do it privately for legal reasons if you're willing to provide email.

HINT - the pen is truely mightier than the sword...don't show your hand...and write letters....lots of letters...to people at Nissan in very high places

dave2000se · February 2005

I really like my maxima except for a few things.

First, those darn coil packs! Paid $700 for six new ones, mechanic said more than one was bad and that the rest would go as well. Second thing that pissed me off was the tires! The OEM tires sucked, they lost effective tread at 20k. Replaced at 40k with KUMHO ECSTA KH11 225/50WR 17 and i love them, made it feel like a whole different car and they only cost $400 a set, plus balance and mounting. I also have a set of 16" steel wheels w/ firestone winter fire tires, I can drive faster and safer than any SUV can in the snow, haha let it snow. Third, the wimpy brakes, warped rotors at 40k, replaced rotors and pads. I am considering new brake system, any suggestions?

The windshield wiper system sucks, only one sprayer works and the wipers barely do the job.

I installed a courtesy Nissan strut tower brace and was really impressed with the improved stiffness from the front end handling. Any suggestions on how to improve the rear end handling from the solid axel? Running premium fuel over regular is about a 20hp difference, I pump the good stuff. I have only used 5W-30 Mobil One since new, why stop a good thing going. Transmission flush at 40k, getting time for another flush soon.

I will never go to a Nissan dealership after hearing the crap they pull.

nissanowner · February 2005

Thanks for the most valuable information on balancing maxima tires in your posting. I followed what you have told in the posting. That made totally different feeling. The floor vibration is gone in my Maxima.

Before on this problem, I have taken the vehicle to dealer 3 times and balanced the tires and replaced the tires( dealer said they were replaced, but I am not sure). But the vibration is not gone. On top of that dealer said the tires are not good and replace with Michellin.

After reading your posting, I have taken my vehicle to Discount Tires at Indianapolis ( who had the Hunter GPS 9700 balancer). I taked to the technician personally and prepared to pay $15 dollars per tire for checking the tire and re-balance. The technician here at discount tires is very experienced and he knows what is doing and taken me to the machine and explained step by step how he is doing to balance the tires. He brought down the the force variation to 8-10lbs (maximum he can go for continental tires).

In that process he found the front drivers side tire was in bad condition. He tried to bring the force variation from 28lbs to 10lbs. But the test did not pass. So he ordered/replaced the tire free of cost. So he did not charge $15 for that tire. My problem is solved in $45 instead of going to dealer again.

So my suggestion is not to go to dealer if you have a tire problems. Nissan dealers do not know any thing on tire issues. They even send the vehicle to outside. Call Continental tires, if you have continental tires and register the case and take your vehicle to the any tire dealer who had the Hunter GPS 9700 m/c with case reference number.

warrior_pr · February 2005

2005 Maxima SL

I bought this beautiful car looking for peace on streets nevertheless I found a busy change transmission that are always going up and down looking for the best gear. For example if I down my speed to 15-20 MPH when I press my accelerator back to resume the car speed the transmission shift abruptly to first and quickly get the second and third gear moving all the car abruptly too. Also if I am going down the street the transmission start shift from 4 or 5 to 3 or 2, making hard ride again. I believe re-programing transmission shifts will resolve the problem. If anybody has been situation like this ?

kw_carman · February 2005

My girlfriend recently obtained a 1990 Maxima with a keyless entry keypad. The previous owner of the car is deceased and I have no clue where to look for a code. I tried looking for the computer because that's where I found it on a family member's Taurus, but no luck there. Any suggestions?

Thanks
kw

dave37b · February 2005

I just bought a 2000 I30 and the SES warning light came on, I have read most of the posts regarding flashing the ECU and great job at getting to the root cause of this issue with the maximas. That will save people loads of frustration and cash in the long run. Can I read out the code without buying the special box. My ECU box does not have the screw to turn like the 99 maximas. No decal to peal back either. Perhaps a diagnostic port under the hood?

roar1 · February 2005

I don't know about the 2000 I30 but, the 2000 Max
has the diagnostic port under the dash just to the left of the steering column. Take your car to AutoZone....they can read your codes. ( no charge )

poole2 · February 2005

I JUST RECENTLY BOUGHT A 1994 NISSAN MAXIMA WHEN I DROVE IT HOME THE CAR FELT FINE. NOW THE MPH GETS STUCK ON 25 AND THE CAR DRIVES SLOW. COULD MY TRANSMISSION BE GOING.

poole2 · February 2005

IM PRETTY MUCH HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM AS THE 2005
MAX WHEN I DRIVE MY CAR MY GEAR GETS STUCK ON 25 WONT GO NO HIGHER ONE DAY I NOTICED THAT THE OVERDRIVE BUTTON WAS ON I TURNED IT OFF AND THE CAR STARTED DRIVING OK WHEN I TRIED TO DRIVE IT LATER THAT DAY IT STARTED GETTING STUCK ALL OVER AGAIN CAN ANYBODY HELP

lyyy · February 2005

It does sound like it.

Although I was told by friends who are mechanically oriented that O2 sensor is not too expensive to obtain.

However, as an ordinary consumer, we neither have the proper tool nor know-how to change this component by ourselves. In the end, we all have to bear to high maintainence cost charged by car dealers's service centers. God help Californian--we need an efficient alternative commuting means.

jrchvatal · February 2005

I bout a 2005 Maxima SL in January. Recently, I have been noticing some erratic behavior from the RPMs. Most noticably, between 20 and 40 mph. For instance, I'll be driving about 45 and be coming to a red light. As I take my foot off of the gas pedal to brake, the RPMs drop to about 1000, then bounce back up to about 2500, causing a noticable jerk in the car. Another instance is when I'm driving in my parking garage at work, at 10 mph. When I hit the gas the RPMs surge and the car jerks badly. I took it to my dealership, but because the check engine light isn't on, they don't have anything to assess. 3 technicians took it for a drive and couldn't replicate the problem. Any thoughts or ideas appreciated!

aheath1 · February 2005

I don't know if you still have your 2k Max.- I finally got rid of mine (2000 Maxima SE). I was dealing with the stalling every cold morning for a lot longer than I ever should have. I took it to several places including Marlborough Nissan in MA (...I have NOTHING positive to say about them!!!). No one could figure out what was the situation-even after installing new ignition coils, spark plugs, and even a new computer. Eddie at Totten Pond Shell in Waltham MA finally found there is something with the computer code that needs to be reset but to get it done I would have to go to a Nissan dealership. I had planned to until the rear wheels began to lock up on me (even after driving 1/4 a mile!!!). I spent a lot of $$ on the piece of )%#& and finally had enough and bought a toyota. My suggestion=get rid of it and buy something other than a Nissan. Good luck with yours. P.S.-I also had the upgraded Bose system and noticed the CD skipping sometimes but thought nothing of it compared to the car's other issues.

Nissan Maxima Maintenance and Repair

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