Nissan Altima Maintenance and Repair

donna_bun · October 2005

Hi,
Did you find anything out about the engine knocking? I have had my 2005 Altima to the dealer twice for this problem. The dealer told me that it is supposed to sound like that. I don't like it. I plan to take it to another dealer to have it checked. Is this a common problem with these cars?
thanks. ">

chub03 · October 2005

hey sir I'm gar an i was just wondering what happen with your oil problem cause I brought a brand new 2003 Nissan Altima 2 year ago. Now at a lil over 25,000 miles It stated having engine trouble blowing out white smoke. I took it in to the dealer where I brought the car. The dealer told me i have sludge in the engine and it came from lack of maintenance. I show them receipts where I did get the maintenance done and The Nissan Dealer and Nissan refuses to fix my car.

chub03 · October 2005

I brought a brand new 2003 Nissan Altima 2 year ago. Now at a lil over 25,000 miles It stated having engine trouble blowing out white smoke. I took it in to the dealer where I brought the car. The dealer told me i have sludge in the engine and it came from lack of maintenance. I showed them receipts where I did get the maintenance done and The Nissan Dealer and Nissan Motor Corp. still refuses to fix my car.

captain_sex · October 2005

Hey I have a friend with a 03 2.5s with the same seat noise problem. Has anyone heard of a fix for it.
Thanks

mrtude · October 2005

1993 GXE, brake lines just replaced due to rust (Norther car for years). Two days after repairs, backing up, heard grinding noise and kind of a popping noise. Stopped car, looked underneath and saw nothing. Put it in drive, drove a block or two and heard/felt a major bang like when you hit a hole in the road. Stopped, drove some more and it did it every little while, but major thump. I have it in the shop now. No noise in engine, trans, anywhere. Just this like hitting a hole thing. Any thoughts?

nages04 · October 2005

:mad: My 2002 Altima is having a continuing problem with water leaking in from the right side door frame. The water leaks from the interface with the interior cloth and platic shell adjacent to the windhield. The point is higher than any glass on the windshield which makes me think it is not associated with the windshield. Has anyone else ever reported this problem. The car started showing signs at 45-50000 miles. My AUTHORIZED dealer has gallantly tried twice to fix it. Of course now that I am over 60,000 I belive there is no help coming from Nissan. During the winter as snow melted and entered the car and subsequently ran down to the dash, the dash board actually began to displace because of freeze/thaw.

Any help or insight is greatly appreciated.

Jim Nagle

doubov · October 2005

I was driving home from work and the car engine just turned off. I tried starting again; starter made the noise but would not start. Similar thing happened one day prior to this on my driveway, the car wasnt used for 4 days and I tried to start it the starter would sound but the car would not start. After pumping the gas petal and trying to start it on about the 10th time it finally started. It worked fine until next day. This doesnt help anymore! Anyone have any idea's what it could be?

garcmann · October 2005

I'm having the same problem with a 2000 Altima. I found that the only way to try to engage the clutch was to place a jumper wire in the clutch relay switch. But the clutch continues to make the screeching noise. It may be that the compressor is locked-up. $$$.

recceman · October 2005

I just fixed a problem like this on my sons 97. Over certain bumps there was a thump or rattle from the L/S front. Found the front L/S lower control arm rear bushing was worn out and the control arm was loose in the bushing. Bushing is pressed on so have to replace the control arm as an assembly. Cost about 150 for the part and took about an hour.

recceman · October 2005

Also check for worn out lowewr control arm bushings. Just fixed a similar problem on my sons car

potts1 · October 2005

I have a 1999 nissan altima. It quit a week ago. I have bought a brand new battery and altornator for it, but it still will not run. What is the problem? How can it be fixed?

mrsks · October 2005

I own a 2004 Altima 2.5S which I purchased in December of 2003 and have been dealing with problems with the tires/balance/alignment since the fall of 2004. I noticed that the front end of my car started to shake when I reached about 50 mph but not below and not above. I have always had the tires rotated and balanced on schedule. When this started, I had them done at the dealership where I purchased the car and another Nissan dealership in a town close by. The shaking went away for a couple of months and then came back in the spring of 2005. I again took the car to the dealership where I purchased it and they informed me that the car was balanced and in alignment :confuse: . A week before my wedding this August, the shaking returned. I took it back to the dealership and they took one look at it and informed me that I needed new tires because they were all worn. My car only had 22000 miles on it :surprise: ! My husband and I had a horrible time with the dealership's service department. They said they would put the car up to check for alignment but that if it needed it they would charge us the service fee :mad: . They finally agreed to put the car up and they replaced the two front tires after much deliberation. Needless to say, the shaking did not stop. When we returned from our honeymoon, we took the car to a friend of ours who owns a tire shop and has a front end specialist who works for him. He looked at the car and told us that the two front tires are out of round. He balanced the car as best he could but said the only way to fix it would be to replace the tires Nissan put on the car. They informed us that this was a problem they had seen before from these tires and that they don't even work with them they are so bad

. ANYWAY, I said all that to say this, in our case it is TWO SETS of bad factory tires but I don't know that I am completely convinced that there isn't something else going on here. Now we are dealing with a rushing water noise under the dashboard on the passenger side which we have taken the car in for twice. They flushed the coolant system the first time and said it was "fixed" but are now telling us that it is a "standard" noise for Altimas since they don't have a heating filter in the coolant system and the water flows freely back and forth. I just want to know why I don't here it all of the time and I don't really care to have a car that makes strange noises that are "standard."

gino45 · October 2005

I have never heard of a heating filter? I would carefully check the coolant level for the next few weeks. If you are loosing coolant, bring the car back to the dealer and tell him to perform a pressure test on the cooling system. This will tell you whether you have a head gasket leak or leaking water pump. I had a similar problem with my Toyota and it turned out to be a leaking head gasket.

scott_houston · October 2005

Hey group,

2004 Altima 3.5 SE has been completely enjoyable in the 19 months I have had it. I have noticed some bumps and noise on rough roads. I expect to have some of this because of the low profile tires and the fact that many Japanese sedans have a slightly bumpy ride (late model Hondas are much the same way).

I have noticed a muffled thumping noise that appears to be coming from left-front when I go over rough or wash-board type roads. This does not happen when going over single bumps, and is only audible from the interior. I have heard that Nissan suspension components aren't that great, but I haven't noticed any of the hallmark visual signs that my struts need replacing. Anyone else have this problem? I will probably have a dealer take a look at it and replace the struts before the 36/30,000 is up. I would like to know if anyone else has had a similar issue. Is this possible some other loose equipment (besides suspension) that is rattling?

phillys70 · October 2005

I had the same problem with my 97 the cure was to change the Distributor there is an o-ring in the distributor that fails and lets oil in. what stinks is that that distributor [used] is about 400 clams. Good Luck

jmarrari · October 2005

My 2005 Altima 2.5S Odometer seems to be off a bit. I've had a hunch since purchasing the car that the speedometer read a bit higher than actual speed traveling. So I did a little test while driving on I-94 in Wisconsin. Checked my odometer against mile markers. After 50 miles, my trip odometer read 50.9 and main odometer read 51. I know this is off only 2 miles per 100, but when the car's gone 98,000 miles, it will read 100,000. Anyone else experience this? Would you recommend I demand it be fixed? Thanks...

alpine1 · October 2005

The difference between 50.9 and 51.1 is 0.2 miles or 0.4 miles per 100 miles. After 100,000 miles it will be off by 400 miles. Totally unacceptable!!!! Demand it be fixed immediately!!!!

taz1 · October 2005

At about 105,000km, my Altima engine is noisy on a cold startup (marble type sound). Goes away in less then 1 second. The engine runs fine and will startup without the noise, if the engine had been running less then an hour ago. I imagine that as long as all engine components are wet with oils, there is no sound. If the car sits for a while, some components are no longer wet with oil, and make the marble type sound on startup. Would this be a sign that the rings are bad?? or worse??
Please advise.
:confuse:

rumans · October 2005

I think he was talking about the difference between the 50 mile marker and the 51 miles showing on the odometer. This adds up to 1 mile extra on the odometer every 50 miles driven. It will come out to an approx imate 2000 difference at 100,000 miles on the odometer.

jmarrari · October 2005

Yes, rumans is correct. Both the trip odometer & the main odometer are off 1 mile after going 50. This is easy to test. Try it out and let us know what you find. Thanks, Jack

hollys1 · October 2005

I have a 1997 Altima and have not had any trouble out of it except this. My volume will not go down it is stuck on the highest volume. All of the other knobs are working so I am not sure if it is something to do with the knob or some sort of short. I am not sure if I should take it in but it is really annoying to have to listen to the radio full blast or nothing at all. I read the manual and of course there is nothing in it concerning this sort of issue. What should I do?

dflatgard · October 2005

Hello,

I own a 2003 Altima 3.5 l., and I just had my car in for minor maintenance. I had the same rushing water sound under the dash on the passenger side, and I took it back to the mechanic, who said there was air in the system, which had gotten in there after they flushed my radiator. It's a little tricky getting the air out of the lines of an Altima, and with my car, they ended up hoisting it up in the air at an angle to get the air out. My mechanic also said that he would use a vacuum to get the air out as a last resort. It is not standard to hear this water sound. Good luck.

Dan

bgpabs · October 2005

i own a 98 Altima, great car but just last week the dashboard lights went. I tried checking the fuses but they are fine, i tried playing with the dimmer switch, still nothing any ideas what can it be?-bgpabs

mjjm · October 2005

Any help out there? My 05 Altima has terrible but only sporadic vibrating at highway speeds. Seems to occur after car has been sitting awhile. Dealership blamed it first on balancing of tires, then replaced the tires, but problem still occurring. Like the car, but getting sick of being in and out of service dept..
Any help would be appreciated??

london1 · October 2005

I have the same problem except mine want go up higher when i have a cd in and sometimes with just the radio.
Also on my electric windows on the driver side when it is cold i can hardly get it to go up. When it warms up there is no problem. What could this mean. Is the motor bad or is it just a cold natured puppy. all the other windows work great. I think it is the lever that rolls the window up. any advice is appreciated.
I just found out to day the cv boot is busted ont he right side. Where can I get on cheapppp! It's a 99 Altima

london1 · October 2005

sounds like a front end alignment. Shouldn't have that problem on 05. I would demand it be fixed you should still be under warranty

rodleo · October 2005

Hi everyone,

I am having a 2002 Altima with about 68K miles on it. Recently, I discovered the engine oil level was extremely low or nearly empty. I had the oil changed (filled up, in fact) 2 weeks ago and the oil was burnt out completely in spite of just driving <1000 miles in these 2 weeks. Then I brought it to the mechinaics and they told me there was no oil leak.

Does someone have any insights? Any comments are welcome.

Thanks,
Leo

gsemike · October 2005

The shop probably didn't fill it up all the way. If you were burning it that fast, you'd see black smoke everywhere you went.

bdtyrrell · October 2005

I have an 04 Altima 2.5 S with the same symptoms. I took it into the dealer and they told me I needed new brakes (at 32000 miles). I have never had a car that developed a front end thumping noise due to brakes! I did not accept the repair and have not had a chance to get the car to an independent mechanic yet. One reason for the delay, is that I am now dealing with a bad radiator. Seems the top seam has come apart and I am now out of warranty. Trying to deal with Nissan Motors to get that rectified first!

maxamillion1 · October 2005

I got a recall notice from Nissan over the weekend for Engine Repair and/or Replacement.

It came just in time, as I was on vacation going through the Mountains of Tennesse and Kentucky when my check engine light came on.

I'm getting rid of my Altima as soon as I graduate.

dowo75 · October 2005

Hello,

I have a 04 2.5 S and sometimes in the morning i can't be able to move the shift from parking to reverse. It takes me like 2-5 minutes to get it in reverse. I read the manual and they said to released the brake pedal and it wont move till i began to pump the pedal back and forth till i hear a click noise in the shift selector. Anybody with that problem here? another question is regarding warranties. I have 35,300 on it and the nissan dealer around here is taking them forever to get me a quote cause they are doing the 10% down and 11 months installments. If i don' t hear from them and i might have to get another warranty like warranty direct or another independent warranty. Any good ones out there? which independent warranties are the best?

acg123 · October 2005

I had the same problem and it ended up being the rear wheel bushings/bearings. Try turning back and forth and see if it shifts depending on which side you are leaning to. Just a thought...

jdberkov · October 2005

I have a 2005 Altima S and I've been having a very weird problem. While I'm driving, the gas pedal will suddenly disconnect from the engine. I can mash the pedal to the floor and nothing happens, no noise at all. After 10-15 seconds, the car is ok again but I have no idea what's causing this. Is the transmission slipping? Has anyone encountered a similar problem? The car still moves, though it slows to a crawl as if I had the car in D and just let it roll along.

altimagrrl · October 2005

Hi Rob- did you ever figure out what the problem was because mine is doing the same thing

akaspere · October 2005

The liquid volume can be reduced when cooled down.

scottb5 · October 2005

I have this same problem in my '02 Altima. The dealer keeps telling me it is an air lock and "fixes" it and the problem returns in about 6 weeks. I get heat at speeds greater than 70 mph, but as soon as the speed drops below that the air turns cold. I don't have seat warmers and I'm freezing to death.

Is this still a problem for you?

lxgw · October 2005

Hi, folks,

it has been some time when i notice my Gas Empty light turns on quite early than it should be (I think). If i filled it as soon as the light is on, i can put in no more than 15.5 gallons into the tank, which means at least 4.5 gallons were still in there when it warns the tank is empty. Also, the trip computer DTE (distance to empty) then blinks. To me, it's annoying to see the empty light as you still can drive another 100 miles safely.

Anyone has the similar thing? or any ideas about it? :confuse:

thx!

marshals · October 2005

I had a strange clicking under my gear shift. took it into the shop and they said I needed a gear shift damper repair kit. Part was $5.80, installation was $320.00 so needless to say I just got the part. I looked in my repair/maintenance book that I bought and looked on line and I cannot find any pictures or information on where this part goes. i do not want to just start tearing things apart and the dealer could offer no guidance. can anyone help? Thanks. :confuse:

big_guy · October 2005

I have noticed that the gas gauge on the Altima is pretty smooth and accurate above half a tank. As soon as there is less than half a tank left then the needle tends to jump around a lot.

I experienced an example of this just a couple weeks ago. I was traveling home from work and noticed the gas gauge just above 1/4 tank. I got home, shut off the car and went inside. I then got a call to go pick up my kids. So I went back outside and started the car to go get me kids. I noticed the fuel light was on and the needle was registering near empty. As I drove the mile and a half to get my kids, the needle swept back up to above 1/4 tank and the fuel fill light went off. I am not sure if the shape of the tank makes it so the guage is not very accurate on lower fuel levels but I have noticed the gauge is all over the place once you get below 1/2 tank and even worse when you are below 1/4 tank.

myusername1 · October 2005

I have and 05 Altima 3.5 SE and have the exact same problem. When the empty light comes on, I fill up and can only get about 15.5 gallons in, if I really push it. This must be some sort of design flaw. There is no way it should be reading empty when there is 1/4 of the tank still remaining.

This is just one more thing in a long line of annoying problems I have had with this car. I bought it in July and only have about 6000 miles on it now. It has been in the shop about 8 times already for numerous squeaks, vibrations and noises coming from the engine. This has been the worst new car buying experience I have ever encountered in my life! I thought Nissan's were supposed to have much better quality than that. There is no way my next car will be a Nissan product!

lxgw · October 2005

check w/ two dealers about this. Both 'told' me that nobody ever complain about this. One said it is normal and ask me to drop the car to them RIGHT AWAY once the light turns on(!!! how?). A mechanics from the other said it happens to many viehcles,'you americans never be so smart to notice that', then he suggests me to drive another two days before fill it. I think i have to call Nissan directly to check .

The worst case, to me, is that it relates to the trip computer. Then it would be sth. Nissan would not like to address.

big_guy, you are right. the gauge runs faster in the second half, they told me that it is designed to be so. (who knows why?) But I never experience the 'coming back' from warning thing. is this problem relates to the position of the car? i mean uphill or downhill? if the sensor is positioned at one end of the tank, sometime it might happen.

myusername1, my experience w/ my 2.5S so far is good except this and the glare from radio sometime made it unreadable. But Nissan really should train their dealership better.

lxgw · October 2005

what is it about? any details?
reply is appreciated!

codered2 · October 2005

You may think its a 20 gallon tank ...thats what I thought. It says 20 gallon but it only seems to hold like 16-16.5 gallons. I think there is something in the owners manual about it. At least you get the light...I brought it down to like 30 miles on the dte and got no warning. I have a 05 3.5SE. What does the warning light look like? I was wondering if there was a light since the whole dash board is lit up with that orange color. Does the light change color? I dont think you can have a light for gas if you get a dash board that is always lit up.

jdberkov · October 2005

I noticed the same issue with mine. I know the 3.5S is supposed to have a 20 gallon tank, but is that true for the 2.5S as well? If so, then I am experiencing the same problem with my car, though I wonder if the 2.5S really has a 16 gallon tank.

I also have issues with the gas gauge jumping all over the place. If I turn off the car for awhile and then start it back up, the gas gauge jumps up a bit and doesn't settle back down until I drive for a few minutes.

I'm also still having trouble with my gas pedal disconnecting from the engine which I mentioned in an earlier post, and the dealership couldn't find anything wrong with the car. I will NOT be buying another Nissan anytime soon.

jdberkov · October 2005

the warning light is just below the gas gauge and only comes on if you have a gallon or less I think.

lxgw · October 2005

I am pretty sure there's more than 16.5 galllon space in the tank since my one-time fill record is about18.7 gallon. (that's after driving over 100 niles since the light first lit up as i REALLY feel uncomfortable:) The warning light is a little spot beside the Gas gauge near 'E'. u wont notice it untill it turns on to orange and suggests ur tank is 'empty'.

amarernd · October 2005

I leased a 2003 Altima,22900 miles. I noticed that when my car is stationary with the heat on high it blows cold air. I warmed up my car for approx 10 minutes this morning and when I came back to the car it was still freezing inside with cold air blowing. Not until I was actually driving the car did it start to blow hot air. It seems to change to cold when at a stop sign or especially a stop light as well. It was running fine up until the point that they replaced my radiator 3 days ago. (They told me the radiator had a known mechanical flaw on 2003) Could the 2 be related?

teparie · October 2005

Hello,

I also have been experiencing the same problem with my shift selector. It will not shift from park to reverse some mornings. I was wondering if anyone has any information about what the problem may be. Thanks.

winsan · October 2005

Mine is 03 Altima, and yes, it has the same problem. There is a service bulletin regarding this problem. I've had no luck with dealers (2 of them nearby home) to fix it. One service manager said he couldn't hear that (I don't know whether he had hearing problem or not ...). One mechanic said it was normal and also he suggested to replace the strut ($420).
BTW, you can search the the TSB on edmunds or alldatadiy.com.

winsan · October 2005

You may want to go to alldatadiy.com.
Disclaimer: I'm just a regular customer of the site, and receive no kickbacks from them.

Nissan Altima Maintenance and Repair

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