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Nissan Maxima Maintenance and Repair

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Comments

  • wayne12wayne12 Member Posts: 6
    One additional question,dmaljunk the dealer thinks he can use the wall instead of the screen. Can you tell me something about the screen and if it is necessary or not, thanks. wayne12
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    It's probably running on spoiled rotten gas for one thing. You might try draining your tank or at least putting in fresh gas and some water-absorbing chemical. Also change out your fuel filter.
  • ecarlson8ecarlson8 Member Posts: 1
    I was driving today and my car stalled twice. The battery had recently been replaced. The radio and everything didnt die as if the battery had gone dead but the gas pedal basically locked and the power steering went out. I basically just pulled over and put the car in park and restarted and it started and drove fine again. Then about 10 minutes later it did it again. This time while i began to accelerate it just went dead as it did earlier and i had to restart again. Any ideas on the cause of this??? After those 2 times the rest of the drive home from work went fine.
  • sawneybeansawneybean Member Posts: 3
    Thanks. That was one thing that I had thought about. Thanks for confirming for me. I'll certainly give that a try.
  • lope1496lope1496 Member Posts: 1
    Did you find a solution to this problem? I have the exact same thing going on with my 2000 maxima SE. I have been removing the eng cont 2 fuse everytime I stop somewhere to shut the damn thing up. How could an engine mount be the issue? Im just trying to find some logic in that. Please let me know if replacing the motor mounts fixed the issue before I do the same. Thanks
  • themanqthemanq Member Posts: 10
    Hi All
    I have a 92 Maxima GXE auto trans. The problem is when I step on the gas to accelerate, the rpm will climb all the way up to 4k or even 5k (depending on how hard I step on the gas) but the car will NOT move. Nothing! The speed remains the same. This had landed me in quite a few close calls when I needed to accelerate away from traffic but couldn't. I have replaced TPS, fuel injectors, distributor & coil wires, air filter. I don't know what else to do. Any input is greatly appreciated. Thanks.
  • dmaljunkdmaljunk Member Posts: 160
    I am not sure about that. I can send you the diagram on how the screen should be used via email. I am not making much sense of it myself. Your email is not listed, send me an email and I will reply with the diagram.
  • wayne12wayne12 Member Posts: 6
    I tried to send you my email but the site pulled my email address, I clicked on your name but no email, when I go to send an email I need to know your email address in order to send an email....I don't know how to get your email or for you to get my email address....help.
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    he can just click on your name. It shows up, I checked. We ask people not to post their e-mail addresses publically because "spiders" crawl the site from spammers and you don't want that.

    Or, you can just ask him online to click on your name and send you an e-mail with his address.
  • dmaljunkdmaljunk Member Posts: 160
    Ye, both of our emails show up as private. Without spelling out mny email address, it is my user name at this form and just attach @yahoo.com
  • wayne12wayne12 Member Posts: 6
    Hi dmaljunk, thanks for the help guys; sent you an email tonight. Thanks again, Have a great New Year's. wayne12
  • dahuberdahuber Member Posts: 53
    Probably just air in the system. I did this job a few months ago. When the front end is up during bleeding, you have to slowly turn the wheels back and forth to expel the air. Not fast ( or locked all the way), or you get a lot of little bubbles.

    Maybe the level dropping means that air is gradually working its way out. Hope this helps.

    Dave
  • killdot1335killdot1335 Member Posts: 3
    My car does that as well, best not to worry about it
  • killdot1335killdot1335 Member Posts: 3
    once i have driving My 95 Maxima for about 10-15 min, A nasty Rubber Screech Will appear! It drives me nuts! What can i do
  • killdot1335killdot1335 Member Posts: 3
    Drivin...*
  • Thanks for your suggestion on expelling air fromy Maxima's power-steering system. I'll give it a try tomorrow.
  • sweep2002sweep2002 Member Posts: 19
    First post here, so please be gentle.

    I've recently decided to buy a '97-'00 Maxima (leaning towards 5 spd) because it seems like a good blend of styling, durability, and performance in my price range. But reading about some of the issues that seem to quite common among Maxima owners gives me some second thoughts and I'm wondering just exactly how widespread these problems are since they are pricey repairs.

    On the list I've got:
    Ignition Coils
    MAS
    Throttle Response Sensor
    O2 Sensors
    "Fuel-cut" problem I read about on maxima.org

    Could someone clarify exactly which years suffered from these problems and how prevalent they are?

    Are there specific ways to identify these problems when examining a car by a somewhat car-illiterate person? Or would mentioning them to mechanic be enough?

    Can I assume that these things will need to be fixed if the previous owner hasn't already fixed them? Or can I assume that they don't have these defects if they haven't encountered this problem after X number of miles?

    Also, are there any other "problem areas" in the Maximas to look out for?

    I've identified several good candidates in my area and plan on looking at them this week, but I want to armed with enough information so I don't stuck with a something that's going to be spending a lot of time in the shop and a source of many headaches.

    Thank you very any insight into this.
  • dahuberdahuber Member Posts: 53
    Well, FWIW, our 2001 Maxima GLE hasn't had any of the problems (yet) that you listed at 73,000 miles.

    One item you didn't mention is common-warping brake rotors. Check for pulsating brakes on whatever you test drive.

    Dave
  • sweep2002sweep2002 Member Posts: 19
    Dave,
    Would this pulsating be pretty obvious when braking, or would someone have to really concentrate on detecting it?

    Also, would this be the kind of thing that any decent mechanic could detect when inspecting the car?
  • jspeckjspeck Member Posts: 1
    I to, am having a pulling issue. I bought an '04 Max with 30k, the second day I owned it I noticed that it pulled to the left. Assuming that all it needed was an alignment, I brought it to the Nissan service center where I bought it. They confirmed that it did need an alignment, made the correction and I was off. On the way home home I noticed that it still pulled to left. I brought it back a week later and made them check the tires and re-align the front end. They confirmed that the tires were OK and that they adjusted the toe in. Once again on the way home I noticed the car pulling to the left. Again, I brought it back to the dealer. This time they told me that a belt had slipped in one of the tires and that it needed to be replaced. Now my car pulls to the right?? Did they replace the wrong tire? Is this not the problem? I'm beginning to think that the problem is in the transmission, though no one seems to want to check that. My can is again at the service station and I am patiently waiting to here from the mechanics!!
  • 99maxima199maxima1 Member Posts: 2
    has anyone had any luck with their problems?

    i'm having similar start problems:
    i have a 99 max with 60k, and often it doesn't start on the first try. it will crank when i turn the key, but won't fully turn over (just keeps cranking). i called my dealer, who told me to press the gas pedal a quarter of the way down, and then turn the key. the situation improved slightly, but it still has about a 30% failure rate.

    also, about 5% of the time, it does turn over completely, but the lights on the dash fade out and the car will stall. other times it will just run rough for a few seconds. i have no problems once it is up and running.

    i bought the car in august, so the problem has been around before the cold weather.

    does anyone have any suggestions? all are welcome - i'm avoiding taking it to the dealer and then have difficulty reproducing the problem.

    thanks
  • lquanderlquander Member Posts: 2
    My keyless entry remote is not working properly, I think maybe some wiring is loose on the module, I wanted to look at it, does anyone know where the module is located on a 1995 Nissan Maxima?
  • lquanderlquander Member Posts: 2
    Last time that happened to me on my 1995 Maxima, My starter eventually went bad (took a while though). When it was replaced, I didn't have the problem any more.
  • kw_carmankw_carman Member Posts: 114
    Nope--never did...
  • sawneybeansawneybean Member Posts: 3
    Kind of hard not to worry about it if you cannot get the car running~
    Obviously that's not your case...
  • pjnpjn Member Posts: 4
    I have a 97 Max and the SES light is on frequently. Had it checked a while back and it was determined to be a "knock sensor" problem. Knock sensor reads the grade of gas in the tank and adjusts the engine accordingly. Fixing it would cost $500-$600 mostly labor since it is in a tight space. The car runs very well and gets good gas mileage. I had my O2 sensors replaced in 2004 thinking that was the problem, but it did not help. In fact, the dealer wanted to charge $600 to reconfigure the cars computer with the new O2 sensors. I declined. Since you mentioned that it goes off when you fill up, I'll bet your knock sensor is to blame. Compute your MPG periodically and if it remains consistant, then it's just a matter of dealing with that annoying dash light being on. Hope this helps.
  • chris47chris47 Member Posts: 25
    Sweep,

    I had the ignition coil problem. Other than that, my Maxima has been incredibly problem free for 100k miles. The engine still runs great and the car has not turned into a rattlebox even in Northeast winters. It’s comfortable, fast, and has never left me on the side of the road. With the manual transmission I get 25-26 mpg in mostly highway driving (70-80 mph).

    One non-routine repair bill for less than $1,000 at 100k seems like a good record to me. I have been very diligent in keeping up with the routine maintenance schedule - I would recommend the same to you.
  • dahuberdahuber Member Posts: 53
    Yes, it will be pretty obvious, especially braking from highway speeds. When we had this problem, I had the rotors turned at the dealer and its OK now ( for 30k miles).

    But, I have heard that other Maxima owners aren't so lucky and have had to change rotors and pads to solve the issue.

    I would think a decent mechanic would catch it in a routine inspection. A mechanic could check the thickness left in the rotor and tell you if they could be turned ( or maybe already have been turned) :confuse:

    Dave
  • bobm10bobm10 Member Posts: 3
    Thanks for the info. Was it necessary to remove the intake plenum to change the spark plugs?

    Thanks, Bob
  • dmaljunkdmaljunk Member Posts: 160
    sounds like a starter, just get your replaced with a rebuilt unit. I found a shop in my area that rebuilds alternators and starters, got starter replaced including labor for $150. Doing it yourself is also possible but the whole air duct and many hoses/sensors/harnesses need to come off to get to it...
  • 89nissanmaxima89nissanmaxima Member Posts: 1
    Does anyone know a good website for car tutorials that will help fix some of the problems I have with my 89 Maxima. I need to get tutorials on:
    How to install and fix: Car Window Regulators
    How to install and fix: Car Brake Pads
    :sick:
  • merdiemerdie Member Posts: 12
    I hate to tell you this but we went thru this same problem and after much negotiation with Nissan NA, they told us this: "Don't drive over 70 mph (that's when our vibration was worst), don't put a Nissan nose mask on your car and don't bother us again, we are not doing anything for you" Our local dealer knew of the problem and did all they could but again Nissan NA told them not to do anything else. Your best bet is to get rid of Nissan and never buy another product made by them, they don't care about their customers. We are out of the Nissan products forever.
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    give a try at www.autozone.com and go to 'repairs'.
  • jjr1jjr1 Member Posts: 16
    A mechanic told me that when putting lug nuts on they should only be torqued to something like 76 foot lbs. If you over tighten they will contribute to rotor warping.
    Hope this maybe will help.
  • mastjmastj Member Posts: 14
    I have an '05 and have the steering wheel pull problem. I have never had it aligned, because if the alignment were off, it would pull all the time. Rather mine, and I suspect yours, is a pulsating "pull" as you decelerate - I believe it coincides when the transmission downshifts. Also, I notice it with the cruise on going down steep hills, the engine "breaks" - which causes it to pull to the left. In this situation, the engine breaking engages for a second, then disengages, repeating this until you are down the hill.

    Also, before I bought my '05, I test drove an '04 that was used. The '04 did this pulsating pull to the left as well, I thought something was wrong with it, so I didn't buy it.

    Does yours do it all of the time or is it just sporadic? Can you duplicate it? Are you coasting with your foot off the gas? Automatic tranny right? Would be interesting to hear others thoughts on this issue.
  • dahuberdahuber Member Posts: 53
    Agreed, this could be the case. I think my shop manual says 80 ft/lbs. for a 2001 Maxima. Watch out for those air guns at the tire shop! ;)
  • p100p100 Member Posts: 1,116
    Even more important than the correct torque is UNIFORM torque on all lugnuts. Whether you torque all of them to 80 or 85 ft-lbs will have no impact on anything, but make sure they are all torqued to the same number.

    It is permissible to install lugnuts with an air impact wrench provided: (1) the lugnuts are started by hand, and (2) they use a torque extension with the gun. The torque extension will guarantee proper torquing of all lugnuts.

    But it is always safer to torque lugnuts by hand.
  • p100p100 Member Posts: 1,116
    Most likely you have a tire with a loose belt. No amount of balancing will correct the problem. Suggest you take it to a tire place that has a road force tire balancer (such as Hunter 9700) , that can measure the road force variation on your wheels/tires. Excessive road force will indicate a bad tire which should be replaced. I am almost certain that this is your problem. Nissan got cheap and started putting really cheap tires on their vehicles sometime in early 2000.

    In my opnion, you are better off investing in a set of good quality tires, rather than getting rid of the car, which will be a lot more costly.
  • heart2heart2 Member Posts: 38
    My 2K Maxima driver window is slow and sounds squeaky. Both raising it and lowering it is slow. Works but slow. I am tempted to spray the channels with WD-40 but do not really want to take the door apart. Any suggestions?
  • p100p100 Member Posts: 1,116
    Most likely you will need to take the door apart and grease the window track. However, before you do this, try using silicone spray on the rubber window trim around the glass. Friction between glass and rubber stripping can cause the window motor to slow down appreciably.
  • jefferjeffer Member Posts: 31
    I don't know if you've gotten this fixed yet but I just had a similar thing on my 2000 Max. It seemed like the engine would turn but just wouldn't kick over. The lights and all seemed OK. Then the car just died. When I turned the key there was nothing, no movement, no sound cept for a click on the steering column.
    Had to have it towed to the dealer. Ended up it was the starter and the dealer said I needed a new battery. I think the battery was probably OK but it was 3 years old so I decided to go for it - it being winter here at the time.
    So parts totalled $316, 2 something for the starter minus $60 core return and $69 for the battery. That wasn't that bad but $379 for labor, add some tax, and that got the total just over $700 - ouch!
    At least the car ran great for a month. Now I have a new problem and that's why I'm back. I will outline that in another post though.

    tx
    Jeffer
  • zhekazheka Member Posts: 18
    I bought a 5-speed '97 Maxima SE with 70k miles several months ago. The car had starting problems: When you turn the key and hold it, once in a while it would start immediately, but most of the time, it would not. You would hear the starter turn, then the engine turn a little, then the starter would give up(dashboard lights would blink) and then start again – this could repeat multiple times. In any case, when the car would finally start(which did not happen every time), the RPMs would jump .5k-2k and back, several times, as if something was holding the engine back, and then settle at normal RPMs.
    The mechanic changed the starter, fuel filter and the upper crank case sensor, but this did not fix the problem - starting is still a gamble. Now it is going back to mechanics for more diagnostics.

    I see many similar posts for the Maximas. Has anyone been able to fix the issue?????

    I am hoping for any advice!
    Thank you, Eugene
  • zhekazheka Member Posts: 18
    I just posted a alarmingly similar issue with my car: post #3077 in this forum with heading "More starting problems (97 Maxima SE)".

    The mechanic I go to - who is a Nissan trained Master mechanic, is puzzled by the problem. They already replaced the starter, the upper crank case sensor and the fuel filter, but the problem is still there. The car is going back to them today for more diagnostics. At this point they think it is a failure of a sensor, likely the other (lower) crank case sensor.(could be a cam sensor - I might have gotten the name wrong)
  • fofclubsfofclubs Member Posts: 1
    i have a 2001 maxima the central locking will only work when the car is on or the key is in the on position the remote key also does not work and one last thing every time i turn on the rear defroster the open trunk and open door lights in the dash light up also the dome light and map light do not work all problems happened at the same time thought it might be battery switched with my other cars battery (which is new) problems still happened...thank you for any help
  • gengen Member Posts: 5
    My 1995 Maxima GLE was shaking badly while in gear, but not in N or P. Acceleration was slow and caused shaking too. CEL showed 0604, cylinder 5 misfire. Spark plug was clean and ignition coil was good. Nissan confirmed bad fuel injector and wanted to replace all 6 for $1450. Bought 3 injectors, O-rings and intake manifold gasket for $275. Although it was only cylinder 5 that went out, best to replace all 3 injectors while I have the intake manifold up. Car is running fine now. I had a tough time, and would like to know a couple things which would have made it much easier for me. First, the old plugs were very tough to pull out, probably due to fuel in the fuel rail making a vacuum suction. After removing one, I thought the pressure would be totally released, but the other two injectors were just as tough. Before all this, I had pulled the fuel pump fuse and tried to start the car a few times in order to relieve fuel pressure. I even removed the fuel line from above the fuel filter. How can I relieve the pressure in the fuel rail so the injectors come out easily in the future? Secondly, the intake manifold has two rubber hoses connected to it at the driver side rear bottom corner, next to the EGR mount and metal tube. How can those 2 hoses be removed more easily? Thx in advance for your replies.
  • gengen Member Posts: 5
    In my experience, this is the $20 coolant temperature sensor. You should also check for cracked hoses at their end points. This sensor is very important in the startup process and will make all the difference. It is a very cheap solution and well worth the try. Make sure to get the right thread size for your car.
  • gengen Member Posts: 5
    I have a 1995 GLE and the cold start problem was solved by replacing the coolant temperature sensor. Make sure you get the right thread size for your car. It's a relatively cheap solution at about $20 and well worth the try.
  • Is it possible to remove the complete Bose units (not just the speakers)from the trunk of my '90 Max? The speakers are easily removed, but the assemblies to which they're attached appear to be permanently fixed to their mounting surface. I'd be grateful for advice.
    RLN1
  • tsempletsemple Member Posts: 1
    I've got exactly the same problem and two, count 'em, TWO Nissan dealerships said they could find nothing and could't reproduce the problem. One even kept him for two days so they could test the transmission cold. Overall, I agree with the comments here that the quality is slipping on the Maxima. My 1996 was smoother, quieter, had higher low-end torque and just seemed to be a better-engineered product. :P
  • warrior_prwarrior_pr Member Posts: 28
    I am with you !!!! NO MORE NISSAN PRODUCTS in my home !!!!!!! :mad:
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