Nissan Maxima Maintenance and Repair

kyleknicks · December 2006

was wondering if anyone experienced this before.... my front passenger tire on my 2000 maxima is wearing out alotttt quicker than my other 3 tires... it looks to be wearing evenly though, so i don't think its an alignment problem... anyone have a clue?

Mr_Shiftright · December 2006

That would not be uncommon on a FWD car with decent horsepower, especially if you don't rotate the tires frequently. The right front tire generally takes the most torque from the engine.

maccri · December 2006

Mike, Did you ever get an answer to this question? Jane

gtw · December 2006

Does anyone have a link with instructions on replacing a Xenon bulb? It is not as simple as raising the hood and replacing one from what I see. Looks like several pieces need to be removed in order to get to the housing.

rrachapudi · December 2006

I seem to have similar problems. Could you please guide me? Five months ago I got a SES light and stalled car. Took the 01 Max to a mechanic and he said I had to have MFC replaced and I had it changed (~$700). A month ago the SES light started coming back on. I took it to a parts store and they gave me the two codes you mentioned in your earlier posts, P0420 and P0430. The mechanic told me that I have to replace the whole catalytic converter etc (>$3000). The car is not under warranty since it has 93000 miles. According to one of the TSB's I read, ECM reprogramming may be a solution. But since I got both the codes now rather than earlier, I am suspecting that may be something wrong on some parts. May be my oxygen sensors are bad. Do you think that may be something I should try? Do you suspect I may have to go through the expensive cat replacement?

beeb4269 · December 2006

I have a 2002 Maxima SE and occasionally when i use my cd player the left speakers front and back go completely out and most recently the front passenger side has been going out but once i switch back to the AM/FM stereo all speakers work again. So its only when the CD player is on that this problem is occurring. I have no clue where i would begin to look for the problem. Has anyone else experienced any issues like this? I have been debating to just take it to a nissan dealer but i just dont want to spend a whole lot of money... I appreciate any help i can get.

Thanks!

pho · December 2006

I had the same problem years ago .I went to the dealer & they fixed it for free. This is a known issue on that problem because Nissan use the cheap Bose system. There is a TSB# but I could not find it.Anyway the dealer should replace the system with no charge. Good luck

dmaljunk · December 2006

I am not sure what's MFC, may be a MAFS (Mass Air Flow Sensor)? - that costs $105 from dealer and replacement is 15 minutes, if that was it then you should use another mechanic.

Any way, P0420 and P0430 are specific codes for three-way catalysts. Your car has 2 pre-cats and then one big main cat. You seem to have error codes, which may indicate that both pre-cats are bad. These codes are produced as a result of rear O2 sensors monitoring the amount of oxygen exiting the catalysts. Some people say that replacing rear O2 sensors is the right thing to do. I don't really know, a bad O2 sensor has its own error code... When I had P0430 code, it was really one of the cats but the dealer made me change the rear O2 sensor on it as well otherwise he wouldn't honor the warranty. The O2 was good, that I know for sure. So, I am not sure if your O2s are bad.

Bad catalysts usually smell, give your car some gas, see if you feel the sulfur smell, if you do then this is it.

Search online for Technical Service Bulletin(TSB) NTB00-070a. There is a ECM number under your hood and if it matches the ones listed in this TSB then your ECM needs to be reprogrammed. Should be around $90 at Nissan dealer. You should also check for intake and exhaust leaks as they can be the cause of these codes as well.

rrachapudi · December 2006

You are absolutely right. It was the Mass Air Flow Sensor that the mechanic changed and charged me $700 for it.
I am not sure if the dealer would honor my catalyst warranty since the car has >93000 miles, but as you suggest, I shall take it to the dealer to see if they say I need to replace the entire catalytic converter or change the O2 sensors.
You guessed it right again. I was getting sulfur smell when the car was parked in the garage immediately after it came back from a road trip. I had the TSB you referred to for the last month or so and was hoping that it might just be a matter of reprogramming. It does apply to my car. There was no easy way for me to locate the ECM part #. The only suspicion I have is why didn't the SES light come on now rather than long ago. It kinda leads to me to agree with your earlier statement that there may be bad catalysts or malfunctioning O2 sensors. There may also be intake/exhaust leak as you suggest.
So, I guess I will take it to a dealer and have them analyze and hope it is not the same $3000 job the other mechanic says my car needs.
Thanks a lot for taking the time to analyze my problem.

dmaljunk · December 2006

well, if are taking it to the dealer then keep in mind that the dealer is always interested in replacing parts and as many parts as they can justify. I am sure they would suggest replacing both cats and all O2 sensors. The visit to them with SES light on will definitely cost you $90 just for diagnostic and in that case you should get the dealer to re-program your computer as per that TSB and clear the error codes at that visit. Do that and drive until you get the SES light again, it's possible that because of reprogramming, the codes may be more specific to O2 sensors next time.

abern01 · December 2006

Fully loaded 2000 SE auto bought new (now has 68000 miles). My first problem with the car happened yesterday. Tried to start the car and nothing happened. The battery is new and is fully charged (lights, wipers, htr, fans, etc all work). Tried to jump the battery twice...no results. All the instrument lights come on and don't dim when I try to start it. All the fuses and relays check out perfect. I tried wiggling the shift lever in case it was the neutral switch...no results. Tried wiggling the key in case it was the ignition lock...even tried a different key...no results.

After about 120 attempts...all of a sudden...all by itself on the 121st attempt, it started perfectly. I tried it 20 times in a row after that and it started 20 times. Then the identical thing happened today. Used it all day with no problem, then at the mall, it just wouldn't start again. After 2 hours, it started just fine.

What's up with that???? Any ideas? thanks!

youknix · December 2006

I have a 2004 Maxima SE with 70k+ miles. According to Nissan I need a new engine. I am taking the car for a 2nd opinion next week, but considering NISSAN is saying a new engine is needed I'm wondering what the...

I realize 70k is alot for an '04 (even though it was purchased in '03), but still a new ENGINE?

My question is simple... has anyone here heard of or experienced any engine problems from the 6th generation Maximas? Thanks in advance!

PS... I'm considering purchasing an engine from eBay. Nissan is quoting me $8k for a new one. yikes!

dmaljunk · December 2006

what's wrong with the car? what are the symptoms?

lansdale · January 2007

We have had this problem with our car before. Nissan replaced the ECM and some sensors. It never fixed the problem. We also have other problems as well that Nissan has been unable to fix. I apologize for not being able to hlep you out.

youknix · January 2007

i took it in because there was a definite power loss (seemed "sluggish"). once i actually listened to the engine i was able to detect a pinging...

i took it to nissan and they replaced multiple sensors, in the end they said it's "likely" the engine. i would need to pay another $400 to have them diagnose the problem and they recommended that i didn't go down that road since it would basically mean a new engine. they quoted me $8k for the engine stating "the nissan engineers helped us diagnose this". i decided to seek a second opinion from a local mechanic who specializes in engine upgrades for those who wish to race or improve performance.

i'm waiting for the second opinion. i've also starting looking for a used engine finding a couple on ebay $1k with $400 shipping. not too shabby... averaged 10k-20k miles on the engines.

kads · January 2007

Is this a common problem with 2005 maxima, or just unique to mine?

The automatic temperature control is nearly worthless, however, the dealer claims it is normal.

1. Occasionally it locks on in heating or cooling and won't control. Have to shut it off to go back to normal operation

2. It won't allow cooling compressor below 60F, so on sunny days I have to go to manual mode to get enough outdoor air in upper vents to be comfortable

3. Cabin temperature is nowhere near setpoint. Had to set it at 80 on a 35F morning to be comfortable. 3 hours later, had it set down to 70 trying to cool the car in 60 ambient.

Would appreciate any feedback on similar problems and fixes.

Thanks

Kads

mitech · January 2007

I just bought a 93 Max with the DOHC, I already have a 94 SOHC that runs great. But the 93 has a problem I have never seen, there is one cylinder that keeps flooding with fuel and I have already replaced the coil, fuel injector, and spark plug ran great for 3 days then started flooding that cylinder again and now blowing white smoke out of the tail pipe, smells like fuel and oil. There is a loud knock coming from the rocker arm on the opposite side of the head. I don't think this would effect this cylinder. If I pull the plugs from the front (left) 3 cylinders only the flooded one is smoking. I'm stumped....Help

rrachapudi · January 2007

I finally took it to the dealer who checked and said that the ECM was reprogrammed earlier with the Mass Air Flow Sensor replacement. They also suggested that both my catalysts and oxygen sensors were bad and need to be replaced ($1600 total) with after market parts. There was also a ruptured transmission line they found which were also replaced and serviced along with new front & rear brakes. Chaged a couple of belts. After all these they were cheaper than the previous mechanic who quoted $3000 for just catalytic converter replacement. So I went for it. Thanks for your suggestions and time. That is how I had the SES light problem with (P0420 and P0430) taken care of along with other necessary repairs.

tomsobby · January 2007

I had a similar problem last week. The engine was not turning over - got the starter motor replaced.

cowans · January 2007

Hi,new to the forum, have 01&03 maxes, o6 Murano! Problem is with son's 03 max. continuously getting both O2sensor 1 codes(P0132,P0152).
P0132 - Heated Oxygen Sensor 1 Circuit High Voltage (Bank 1)
P0152 - Heated Oxygen Sensor 1 Circuit High Voltage (Bank 2)
I changed out the rad side sensor(new OEM), still both same codes. If you drive this car with a light foot, no codes will be created! As soon as it's spiritedly driven these 2 codes will appear. It, very occasionally runs rough at a stoplight. My thinking is the maf sensor. Today, I cleaned the maf with some MAF cleaning fluid, but still the codes appear! Should I(or my son!) bite the wallet and spring for a new Maf or is there anyone out there that has had this problem and solved it! His 03Max has only 37K kms on it!
Anyone????
thanks, Sandy

dmaljunk · January 2007

if you are using regular gas then switch to 93 Octane. If already using 93 then switch to another gas station. Reset the codes and see if they come up again. O2 sensors may get fouled by bad gas or gas additives.

It is also definitely possible that your MAF is bad but it would usually throw its own code, I would just replace it, it's expensive on a 93 Max since it has a heated element built in. What you can try on the intake side is clean your throttle body and check your air filter too.

kwk1 · January 2007

The '02+'03 MAF's have a heating element that the older one's don't. You can buy a MAF for an '01, take the element out of your's and put it on the '01 MAF. There is a spot for it to go, just not sure if it has to be soldered on or not. It's a little work but a MAF for an '01 is about $90- ish and the MAF for an '02/'03 is about $400.
So quite a substancial savings.
Read about this on a big Maxima forum.

cowans · January 2007

Thanks so much for your reply. My son is now back at University,(another city) so he will be taking it in to the stealership to get a diagnosis (only). Your info on the MAF is great! I will research that changeout(heater element) and (if needed) send him the info.
much appreciated. He does run premium, as he occasionally listens to his dad!!! LOL! Maybe I'll suggest for him to change his gas station(although, to come home at Xmas((8 hr drive))he's filled up numerous times..... this problem with the o2 codes has been around a few months!His air filter is new!
Sandy

maro1 · January 2007

I have a '95 Nissan Maxima. i love the car - but why is it so hard to maintenance. i had my check engine light come on over a year ago, and the engine sometimes has trouble turning over(about once every three times i turn it on). It cranks but it just doesn't turn on or if I keep the key turned after about 10 seconds and lots of "bad" noises it will start.it doesn't matter if it's the engine's hot or cold - it does it whenever it feels like it. I have taken it to 4 different shops and all have told me something different. I got the sensors checked and two sensors showed - the knock sensor and the crank shaft position sensor. I had both crank shaft position sensors changed, and did the diagnostic again, and it still shows the crank shaft position sensor. I've spent over $400 trying to fix this problem and am scheduled to go to Nissan's service place on tuesday, but i know they will rape me on cost - is there anyone that can help me or tell me what they think? Or even direct me in the way of a good mechanic? I live in fairfax county, VA. Please help!

Thank you

heart2 · January 2007

Own a 2K Maxima with only 32K miles mainly driven locally. Had transmission fluid flushed and drained a little over 3 yrs ago at 16K miles. No problems with car but thinking about flushing it again not so much for miles but time and type of driving. Actually dealer did it last time to the tune of $150. Is it reasonable to do it again at this time? I know with the Maxima they do the full flush etc and with other cars like Acura they do not rec a flush but just drain and replace. Nissan dealer says for maxima the flush is the correct way to go.

cowans · January 2007

UPDATE:.... As it turns out the stealership comes up with the same diagnosis.... replace the MAF and reprogram. I have sent him a good MAF, he will clean throttle body, install MAF, and take it back to the stealership to reprogram ($100.with idle adj,). Incidently, they quoted him $1000.CAN to do the complete job! Unreal!!!
Sandy

kwk1 · January 2007

they quoted him $1000.CAN to do the complete job! Unreal!!!

That is insane! But it is what they charge.

Let us know how the car is after the MAF and re-programming is done.

Good Luck!

dmaljunk · January 2007

transmission isn't really supposed to get serviced, at least not that often. It's not even listed as a serviceable item in the service manual. All you get is a piece of mind if you do it every 15K. I would stick with older car rule - every 30K miles for tranny fluid change. As far as getting a flush - yes, flush is better then drain and refill but not because the dealer said it, if you know what I mean.

aventures · January 2007

Nissan would have cover it if your car has less than 12000 miles. Things such as brake, wiper blade are covered for 12 months or 12k.

forceful7 · January 2007

Hi, I saw that you posted your message over a month ago and was wondering if you ever discovered what the problem was. I'm having the same issues and refuse to pay someone to lie and overcharge me, i.e. dealership work. My engine turns over but will not run. When I turn on the ignition I can hear the fuel pump boot up, but seconds after the ignition is on, the security light illuminates and then the engine refuses to start. Anyway, I would greatly appreciate some advice.

forceful7 · January 2007

Hi, I'm having similar problems and am considering re-keying but I'm worried I will have the same problems as you. What ended up being the final diagnosis?

morides4chefs · January 2007

My '91 maxima ,w/202k, speedometer stops working sometimes.The needle just pegs out and the odometer stops working.Any ideas on what could be wrong and the location of the part that needs to be replaced.Thanks

cowans · January 2007

Update: When my son's dealership diagnosed a MAF, they said he had a lean condition, and promptly stated he better change out the MAF, before the lean condition killed his CAT! He called looking for help;, I sent him a good MAF, and instructions on changing it out, (cleaning the throttle body, etc)! He succeeded, and drove back to the dealership to reprogram the idle, etc. (I'm told that it probably wasn't neccesary, but advised him to 'kiss' the stealership's [non-permissible content removed] and do it! (that way there is NO excuse!). Well....The codes are still there!!!!
On another forum, a member stated that those 2 codes actually percieve that the engine is running rich!!! WTF! Spoke with my son this am. Still the same codes (P0132,P0152) and uneven idle (possible stumble) after MAF replacement and re-program. I suppose running rich would probably be fouling plugs at idle and therefore creating a stumble at times..... He also stated that his gas milage is down, a little better after Maf replacement, but still below his norm! Anyone with suggestions on why this 03Max is running rich??? What else can I check/verify??? Any guesses???
thanks, Sandy

kwk1 · January 2007

Sorry to hear the MAF didn't solve too much Sandy.
Coils and O2 sensors come to mind with a rough idle and poor gas mileage. they are known problem parts on 02/03
Maximas along with the MAF. The Idle Air Control (IAC) valve can also cause an unsteady/rough idle.
Good luck and keep us posted.

forceful7 · January 2007

Dirty injectors can also cause this symptom as well. Frequently driving the vehicle with less than 1/4 of a tank and especially less can cause rough idling as well. It's something which most people neglect to think of plus it's a cheap alternative to buying pricey sensors. The best product on the market is called Guaranteed To Pass (G2P). You can get it at O'reilly auto parts or autozone. Not only does it clean your injectors but also dirty valves. Of all the b/s fuel injector products on the market, this stuff actually works. Besides, for $10 you might as well give it a try and even if it doesn't work at least you'll have cleaner valves and injectors. And btw, don't let the dealership trick you into spending $400 on an injector flush, it's a scam and only needed in SEVERE circumstances. Good luck

mitech · January 2007

I have a 93 max dohc with the sonar II suspension. and right now the left side is all the way down, but this morning the front end was all the way down. is it possible there is a bad relay? I really don;t know where to begin.

tb4me · February 2007

How in the [sam hill]do you get to the back 3 plugs? Front 3 are very easy. All help appreciated!! :confuse:

badmax · February 2007

I have an `04 maxima, I took to dlrshp for oil chng. They clld and adv the sprk plg needed chngd also. I don't know the lifetime of them,so told them to go ahead. When I picked up the car, I was told they may hv splld some oil in the sprk plg and there was smoke burning off. Well, there was smoke, but it was coming from the exhaust. Two weeks later, I checked the oil bcs the car was still smoking. I had no oil at that point. I added and since still smoking 2-3wks later, chkd oil level again. Mch sd that since I was late on an oil chng there was a lot of sludge and needed to have the car flushed every 500ml. I did NOT do that! It sounded ridiculous. I took to another mech and started the car for him (by now there was a rattle in the engine)He said sounded like there was something dropped in the spark plug (chamber?) Anyway, now the engine cylinder is blown and dlrshp still telling me due to dirty oil.....help I don't think that it is possible that a car with 16,000 miles should have a blown cylinder just from missing an oil change! Thanks.......badmax :sick:

pat · February 2007

Welcome to CarSpace! I hope we can help. And I really hope that our knowledgeable members are better at deciphering your shorthand than I am!! :sick:

ytim · February 2007

I have 1996/Nissan Maxima/GLE/V6/3.0 Automatic Transmission/100K mileage.

Recently I am getting problem with My vehicle code error "P0500" (Vehicle Speed Sensor). 1st time my mechanic got in his meter codes are P0500 and P0600.At that time he changed my Vehicle speed sensor with new VSS .

After I drove my car for 3 days again I got check engine light. My mechanic checked again on his meter and got P0500 again.He Said he will findout solution. But He did get solution.

Please Auto Professionals help me on this.

When he was checked my car, meter has reading 1700RPM and 0 MPH

crash1978 · February 2007

I have a 2000 Max SE 5 speed with 102.5 k miles on it and the car was exhibiting the same symptoms that you are describing. The car needed a new clutch assembly.

Today I had my mechanic change the retainer, clutch disc, bearing and clutch cover (approx $ 300 worth of parts from the dealer) and now the car drives like new. The dealer here in NYC wanted to charge $ 660 in labor plus parts and tax, but I got a local guy to do it for much less.

Its also a good idea to have the flywheel reconditioned once you have the transmission torn down and that can be done for fifty to seventy five dollars.

gc8059 · February 2007

Had same problem with 95 Maxima, MAF fixed the problem. I am still left with the tachometer jumping when getting past 2500 rpm, it just jumps up and down 2500-2900-2500 continuosly, speed is not changing just RPMs. Any ideas?
Before replacing the MAF the tachometer was not getting pass 2000 RPMs even though the car was going 70MPH it just hit the 2000 rpm ceiling and stayed there. After the MAF it goes smoothly to 2200 shifts smoothly down but when you reach 2500 it stars jumping, jumping. Does not bother me that much but would like to fix it if it is cheap. If not then I'll just put black tape over the tach and forget about it.

Thanks

luvmymaxie · February 2007

I would like to know how many people have had trouble with their 04 & up front Struts? I have 9 pages right now from the NHTSA website (www.nhtsa.dot.gov) of complaints about them. I baby my Maxima. I bought it a month after they came out in 2003. I only have 23,900 miles on it and for the last 8 months have had a rattling noise from the front. Now I am having a clucking noise. Had my husband checked them out and the left side is going. Took it to the dealership where I purchased the car three weeks ago and they claimed they couldn't hear the noise. Supposily they put it on the rack and said they were fine. Well, now my left one is just about gone. After reading forums of people complaining and the NHTSA website complaints, I am wondering why NISSAN has not recalled these pieces of junk struts. Also, these cars have the crappiest rotors and brakes!

MACPHERSON STRUTS STINK! :lemon:

kselzer · February 2007

I baby my 04 Maxima SE with only 21000 miles on it and have had new struts, rotors, brakes and tires(original tires pretty much disintegrated). I also had a big problem with the antilock brakes that kept disengaging whenever I applied the regular brakes. That took 3 trips to the dealer (3 days,7 days and 1 day)to fix that problem. Struts and ABS covered under warranty but that is up in a month so I'm not sure what I'm going to do. Anyone else have problems with their ABS--seems to be triggered by the cold weather?

chaswick1 · February 2007

my bose radio display light does not work
anything i cant do beside replacing the radio?

richard7 · February 2007

is there a way to disable the security feature of the chip in the key. the one that starts the car? Per the dealer, my keys need to be "reprogrammed" (even though it starts up fine). Now that it is 7 years old, I'm not too worried about it getting stolen. Is there a way to disable this security feature? Thanks.

pegasus17 · February 2007

It's not an easy task but here's what i found on the maxima.org web site. it's step-by-step with photos: http://www.greghome.com/Greg%27s%20Garage/2002MaxSE/SparkPlugReplacement.htm
Also, remember not to put in cheap plugs; stick with NGK platinum (~$10 each).

stetson1 · February 2007

Ihave 210,000 miles on it. Never had a problem with it till the other morning i went to start it and it wouldn't. I put a new battery in it and still nothing. My lights, radio work. It'll atempt to start then dies right away. Any ideas? :confuse:

luvmymaxie · February 2007

I thought I read about the ABS problems also on the government website www.nhtsa.gov. Go to the site and see if you find it?
I took my car back to Nissan and they supposily didn't hear the clunking noise, even though my husband saw the left strut leaking and four people have ridden with me heard it, the service manager is really nice though and call NISSAN and asked since I am such a good customer and the car has only 23,900 on it at almost four years old would they do a "good will" service on the struts. Nissan refused. So, I did a complaint to the goverment website on this problem and also I am writing Nissan a nasty letter with information I found on 10 pages of complaints on the struts, brakes and rotors and mailing it to them and saying I will never buy a NISSAN again. By the way my husband went to an out of town Nissan dealership and bought the struts for it, put them on and I have not more clunking noise or the steering wheel does not shimmy!

carman4 · February 2007

I posted this but did not see it go up on the screen so i'm doing it again i have a 2005 maxima i have been getting a average of 17.5 mpg. I just had 22,500 mile service they also gave me a fuel and oil additive, since that service i have been averaging 13.4 mpg. The dealer said to change my octane it can't be anything he has done. Any ideas out there

Nissan Maxima Maintenance and Repair

Comments

Helpful Tools

Most popular vehicles