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Nissan Altima Maintenance and Repair

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Comments

  • maxamillion1maxamillion1 Member Posts: 1,467
    I have looked all through my manual, and I can't seem to find it. Does anyone know when the first oil change for altima's is due? I have almost 4K miles on the car now.
  • Karen_SKaren_S Member Posts: 5,092
    While you're waiting to hear from other Maxima owners, you might give our Maintenance Guide a look.
  • ultimaultima Member Posts: 96
    Assuming this is a brand new car/engine, I'd suggest changing at:

    At 1,000 miles (with regular oil)
    At 2,000 miles (with regular oil)
    At 3,000 miles (with regular oil)
    At 6,000 miles (with Synthetic oil)

    Every 6,000 miles thereafter with Synthetic oil.
  • corvettecorvette Member Posts: 10,236
    According to Nissan, the first oil change is due at 3,750 miles for severe driving conditions or 7,500 miles for normal conditions.
  • ultimaultima Member Posts: 96
    That may be true, Max, but being a "new engine breaking in", I think if you speak to most folks who are in-the-know, they'll agree that the freqency in changing the oil as I've suggested is supported.

    Also note that the schedule I've suggested only adds 2 more oil changes initially. Given most places (at least here in Los Angeles) will change your oil for $20 or less, we're only talking about $40 bucks.

    If people want to save a few bucks, I'd suggest the following:

    At 1,500 miles (with regular oil)
    At 3,000 miles (with regular oil)
    At 6,000 miles (with Synthetic oil)

    Every 6,000 miles thereafter with Synthetic oil.
  • zanderson1977zanderson1977 Member Posts: 4
    There is a voluntary notice (not exactly a recall) about the front passenger airbag in the 93-97 Altimas. Ask a Nissan dealer about it and they will put in a depowered one that should fix the problem. They should do it for free because this action was part of settling a lawsuit of some kind.
  • Zanderson1977,

    Thanks for the info. I just had the car in for an airbag recall from Nissan. Not sure if it addressed the light. It's only happened 3 times in 2 years, and not for awhile. I have a reset procedure for the light that always works. If it happens again, I will call Nissan. My son has had the car for the last five or so years, so I don't drive it very often. Car has 119,000 miles now and no leaks or problems of any kind. Just routine maintenance.
  • dancingdesertdancingdesert Member Posts: 3
    Visited dealer, with "light on", he replaced Canister valve, something to do with evaporation, or emission.

    The light was back on after two days. Visited three times in past three weeks - Computer Code tells the same problem - I do not know what to do. Recently they replaced cap on the fuel tank. They think it is some kind of small "undetectable" leak....in the evaporation system.

    Visiting the dealer tomorrow again...any ideas?
  • lpjplpjp Member Posts: 1
    Can you damage/cause a head gasket if engine flush/fill done improperly
  • maxamillion1maxamillion1 Member Posts: 1,467
    Well, I have noticed that when driving the Altima, the car has a hesitation, like it is downshifting when I take off. I mean, this happens even when I don't take off hard.
  • ultimaultima Member Posts: 96
    Max,

    Print this and take it to your Nissan Dealer:

    http://maxima.theowensfamily.com/tsb/ntb03-023.pdf

    Hope this helps.

    (:-D
  • onerepaironerepair Member Posts: 3
    Hi guys! I presently own an '00 Mercury Sable LS Premium. So what the hell am I doing in your group, right? Well, I'm going to purchase a new car shortly, and I've become quite partial to the '05 Altima 3.5 SL. Rather than read recent reviews of people who have just bought new Altimas, (and of course 99 out of 100 tell me what wonderful cars they are), I like to get right "down in the dirt", and find out what problems have been occurring in later year models.

    To understand my concern, let me tell you my '00 Sable has been to the dealer only once in the last 4 years, (not counting oil changes). They replaced an emmission valve, and installed a new brake switch wiring harness. Just dumb luck, right? Nope! I had a '96 Sable before the '00, and in three years that car never cast its shadow in a dealer's garage. Now are you beginning to understand my concerns about how much time ( or should I say how little), a different car will spend in the repair bay ?

    Alas, the Sable will be gone after this year, and while Ford will still have that marvelous Duratec engine, it simply boils down to wanting something different.

    I detest "down time" in a car - especially at a dealer. I'm not that concerned about depreciation, or the fact that I might have to pay a few thousand more for a Nissan. I AM concerned most of all about overall reliability with the absence of repeated nagging problems and/or repairs. Could I get some HONEST opinions from some of you present long term owners? Thanks!
  • maxamillion1maxamillion1 Member Posts: 1,467
    Go for the V6, the I4 seems to be more troublesome so you will be fine if you get the 3.5SL.

    My I4 is having transmission problems. I hate to say it, but I will probably trade this Altima in in 07 and get the redesigned V6 if I like it enough.
  • gunnersmategunnersmate Member Posts: 243
    Greetings all, I own a 2003 Altima 3.5 SE Black w/ auto. We love the car so far but have recently had to take up an issue with the paint, dealer, inspector and Nissan. No one seems to think it is a defect and I have to say this car is garage kept at home as well as at work and it is meticulously hand washed in the most retentive fashion possible. I will be happy to share the methods I employ should you want but you will probably think I am sick individual when you hear them.

    Any way the problem with the paint has to do with the coat on the trunk deck lid on the passengers side. The paint has a solid coat from the drivers side to about 2/3 of the way to the passengers where it begins to speckle and gives you a view of the primer.

    The dealer says they have no say in it and the inspector took a photo, which will not properly portray this issue due to the fine speckling, and not to be age discrematory but he was 80+ and mentioned that he could not see it but didnt matter casue he gets paid either way and doesnt make the decision.

    Nissan-1 my rep, rather non-rep, lucia is not only disrespectful but she is also unknowledgeable of the processes involved and has demonstrated that she is not the least bit concerned about the problem. The impression that I got from her was that there is no grievance process and that I have no recourse.

    She seemed to be stuck on this loop of telling me to go to another dealer to have it inspected when she know darn well that the dealer has nothing to do with the inspection or approval/disapproval process.

    I would like to know if anyone else has had to fight them on this issue and what I can expect.

    At any rate this is my last Nissan despite my years of happy ownership of various nissan cars.
  • cenglishcenglish Member Posts: 2
    Thanks for the info Bill. I was looking a a used 2003s today that had 34,000 miles for $12,900....good looking car but everything I have read in here from this message board makes my stay away from it now. Thanks!
  • msahmedmsahmed Member Posts: 13
    Hi all,

    I have a 95 Nissan Altima that has both CV boots almost torn and the lubricant has started to come out. I have checked with different shops (including dealers) to have the CV boots replaced. But all of them are interested to have the complete drive axles replaced. The cost estimate varies significantly from dealers to other shops ($600+ for dealers and about $320 for other shops with remanufactured parts). The dealers provide 1 year/12000 miles and the other shops provide 3 year / 25000 miles warranty. So I have decided to go with the non dealers shop.

    Any one has any suggestion if I should be able do the CV boots replaced by myself?
  • altimasstinkaltimasstink Member Posts: 2
    Onerepair,
    No, no, no. If you are afraid of one repair on a car do not buy the Altima. My wife and I have had nothing but problems with our manual transmission. We bought our 2002 3.5SE with high hopes. Those hopes were quickly destroyed when we took this junker in for its first of many visits to the dealer. Six months after we bought it, the dealer had to replace the clutch plate. We hoped this would be a one-time ordeal. Much to our surprise every five months after that we have had to take the car in for service on the clutch. The clutch finally went totally out two days ago. We have 34,000 miles on it and the dealer said that after 10,000 miles the clutch is no longer covered. I was tricked into buying the $1,600 extended warranty which of coarse doesn't cover this. So, long story short, the Altima has plenty of power but requires a DEEP pocket book and plenty of patience. Please let me know if you end up succumbing to the need for speed, I am very interested in knowing if you have any problems. Take care.
  • altimasstinkaltimasstink Member Posts: 2
    Vinder,
    I too have a 2002, the reflection is horrible. Has anyone given any fix for this?
  • waidadawaidada Member Posts: 2
    After I handwash my 02Altima, it could not start! And it wasn't just once! It happened 3 times! The first 2 times, I thought it just ran out of battery even I am sure I didn't left the headlight on, nor I left the radio playing while I wash the car. The third time I am sure I didn't do anything wrong. All I did is to pull the car out of the garage, turn off everythign and take the key out. I spend about 2 hrs on washing and afteward the car wouldn't start!

    This is driving me nuts because I don't know what's wrong w/ the car! Anybody could give me any light on this? Thanks!
  • ediamiamediamiam Member Posts: 17
    I believe you managed to flood your engine. You need to let the engine run for a few minutes to burn off the rich fuel mixture when starting from cold, otw the fuel wets the sparkplugs and there is no ignition. I've managed to do this twice over the last ten years on fuel injected cars. Not as much as a problem on carbureted cars, as you can just hold the pedal down and crank to void the cylinder.
  • abenissanabenissan Member Posts: 1
    My Altima stalls once or twice a week after being driven for a while in an intersections or at red light, BUT also after being driven then parked for 15-20 minutes...after that it wouldn't start. it does crank but wouldn't start. I leave it for 30 minutes or more then it will work fine. I took it to a mechanic and he kept it for a week but he couldn't duplicate the problem. I took it back and the problem happened the next day...any idea?
  • gunnersmategunnersmate Member Posts: 243
    Yeah we have an 03 and it is down right unsafe at times. There come points during driving that the reflected light is so bright that it becomes a hinderance to safety.

    In fact when i clean the car I no longer dust the dash in hopes that the build up will reduce the glare.
  • ediamiamediamiam Member Posts: 17
    get one of those dash covers, or put black carpeting cut to size, over the dash. that should kill reflections. can buy that stuff at the auto stores.
  • rollyso2rollyso2 Member Posts: 7
    My 2002 2.5S makes a swooshing noise on takeoff. It sounds as if it's coming from the front right side. Other than this noise, my car has been trouble free. Any suggestions or others with the same condition?
  • citygirlcitygirl Member Posts: 1
    I am thinking of buying a 93 GLE w/ 132K, only problem I know of: when you start the car it idles high for about 20-30 min. until about 40 mph then goes back to 0mph. I have never heard of this. Anyone else? HOw much to fix? The purchase price is about $1500. Should I even bother?
  • corvettecorvette Member Posts: 10,236
    Take it to an import mechanic and have it inspected. It's worth the cost of the inspection! If it's nothing major, and the car is otherwise in good condition, that sounds like a good deal for the money.
  • mrholtymrholty Member Posts: 10
    Ok- I hope someone can help me figure out what I need to do with my car.

    History: Feb 2003- Driving home from airport at 1:00am on Sunday night, I start to hear a schreeching and figure its a belt. I get it home and on the way to work the next day it breaks before I can set up an appointment. Local gas station repairs serpentine belt (fine) at reasonable cost. However, summer of 2003 comes along and guess what my air conditioning doesn't work. I don't worry about it as I was busy and I like to drive with the windows down.

    Unfortunately, in fall of 2003 the drivers window starts to stick, (sometimes it would work after holding the button down for 20 seconds or holding both driver and passenger side window down until the driver side started). After a few weeks of this, the issue stops with the driver side but the passenger side doesn't work at all. At this point I take it to local dealer to check out a/c and window. He tells me the compressor motor for the a/c is frozen (I have no idea) and needs to be replaced. He also tells me I have to replace a window motor in the passenger door. I agree to that. When I pick up the car, the driver's side seems to be fine ( a little quicker than before) but the passenger side still doesn't work. I fight with him that he is charging me $300 for work not completed and I get into an argument with his boss. I eventually leave after I see enough crap at this dealer to last me 3 lifetimes, between how I was handled and two other customers. I contacted Nissan by email and phone to no satisfaction, ultimately giving up and eating the $300 repair that wasn't.

    Now about two months ago, with the drivers side window still not working I bring it in to a different shop and he gives me a quote for a new a/c compressor and a new passenger motor. he tells me "I am lucky about the a/c compressor being purposely disconnected or I could have had an engine fire" additionally he tells me can replace the window motor on the passenger side and it will be fine. Strange enough the next day while I am waiting for him to give me a full quote including labor, the back rear window stops working as well, and the drivers side window feels underpowered. Sometimes in winter with snow on window it would not work even after heating up.

    So my questions are:
    1. What do i need to get replaced to get all my windows working again with adequate power?

    2. How does the a/c system work and what do I need to get that replaced?

    3. Could this be all related, after all this all started after my serpentine belt broke. the second mechanic I spoke with (believes they unhooked my a/c when replacing my serpentine belt but didn't rehook it up, causing the a/c compressor to run all the time allowing it to freeze. (that is how I understood what he said, I may be screwed in the head) If it is related, do I have any way to go back to the original gas station that repaired my serpentine belt to pay for these costs?

    Suggestions, comments please?
  • corvettecorvette Member Posts: 10,236
    If you were holding down the buttons for 20 seconds the motors for the power windows are probably toast. Wiring may be suspect as well, but if there was too much current flowing through it should have blown a fuse, in theory at least.

    If the gas station disconnected the a/c, it would just never run, not run all the time, besides lots of cars with auto climate control have the compressor running all the time without problems.
  • mrholtymrholty Member Posts: 10
    Thanks for the reply. this is only the second car I have ever owned and I trashed the other one. How does one go about checking the wiring, is there any equipment I can get to check it out to see if there is arcing or anything.

    Thanks, for the note on the a/c conditioning as well, I thought that if it was disconnected it wouldn't work.

    I'd really like to work on the window issue myself and see if I can fix that. Any suggestions where to start. Hopefully, I can learn a little bit about some wiring of cars and that would help me in the future.
  • corvettecorvette Member Posts: 10,236
    And get out your multimeter. See if the window motor is getting +12V when you press the button, if so, replacing the motor is probably a good place to start. If you are looking to save money, try to find one off a junkyard car (they aren't interchangeable so you'll have to get one corresponding to the door you want to replace). Check for carbon trails, frayed wiring, etc...
  • david7david7 Member Posts: 1
    I just purchased a '98 Altima SE for my daughter and am having trouble activating a new remote control she purchased on line. The existing remote that came with the car is burnt and cracked so we want to replace it even though it worked with new batteries. I followed the instructions that came with the new remote and ended up deactivating the old one. Now I have two remotes but still cannot get them to operate. Both have new batteries.

    Another point to mention is that the old remote takes 2 batteries (CR2016) but the new one takes only one (CR2025). Does that make a difference? Can anyone assist me so I don't have to pay the high hourly rate at the dealership?

    There are several TSB's on this year Altima and I've experienced some of these issues. Is the dealership obligated to correct these at their cost?

    Thank you.
  • boyandboyand Member Posts: 2
    I am having the same problem right now. Worse still, I have to pass the IL emission test soon and this "check emission control system" lamp is what they are looking for. I had to change my catalytic converter 1 or 2 years ago, but since the Nissan dealer wanted $700, I went with a local repair shop that used a generic converter in which they placed a Nissan original oxygen sensor. Now I don't know if I take the car to Nissan, if they will blame it on the generic part, and even if I change the catalytic converter again, can I be sure the light will go off?
  • gjeangjean Member Posts: 3
    Get some polarized sun glasses, you will be amazed. No more reflections, that is what the polarized glasses do, remove reflected light.
  • samiam1223samiam1223 Member Posts: 2
    I get the same swooshing noise in my 2002 2.5 SL when the car accelerates. It sounds like liquid moving rapidly and the sound does come through the right vent. I hope someone can help explain this one.
  • samiam1223samiam1223 Member Posts: 2
    Is this true?

    I just took my 2002 2.5 SL to the Nissan Dealer for a myriad of issues (including the SERVICE ENGINE SOON light issue AGAIN, random car stalling, shocks leaking).

    The AC & Heater don't seem to "kick in" (so to speak) until I accelerate in the car. Once the engine idles (while driving or stationary) the AC & Heater seem to just shut off completely while the fan continues to blow air, and the car warms up (when the AC is on) or gets colder (when the Heater is on).

    The dealer informed me that for this particular make and model of the Altima, the thermostat is the problem, and that the thermostat needs to be replaced every 50,000 miles. Replacement of this (which is NOT covered under my extended warranty apparently) will cost near $600.00. Needless to say, I declined this work, and since I thankfully live in a mild climate, I can live with the AC/Heater not working at full force for a while until I can figure out what all of my options are.

    $600.00 every 50K miles for a THERMOSTAT? This seems ridiculous to me. Any thoughts or related experiences would be greatly appreciated.
  • corvettecorvette Member Posts: 10,236
    Poor heater performance in these cars is usually due to air bubbles in the heater core. There is a TSB with procedure to bleed the bubbles out. There is another TSB on poor A/C performance. Heater performance will decrease at idle but if the car is warmed up it shouldn't blow cold air.
  • melissajomelissajo Member Posts: 2
    FYI- I have no advice what so ever, but I wanted to share with you.
    Your post sounds a little bit familiar!! My serpentine belt went on my '96 and I had it replaced; since then I am too embarrassed to even turn on my air conditioner, because I turn so many heads with the screeching coming from under the hood. Someone has told me, it's because the folks at the Nissan dealer replaced it with a cheap belt?
    My last day to drive my '96 will be this Friday the 13th; I upgraded to a newer model. Other than that, for the 5 years that I drove it, I had NO problems what so ever. My husband has a 2000 and I am a new owner of a 2002.
    Good luck. :)
  • peterdh2000peterdh2000 Member Posts: 54
    You've probably figured it out by now, but...

    Congrats on your purchase. I have owned a 98 Altima SE since new and it continues to serve me well. Other than oil changes and 30/60k services, a battery and belts are all the repairs i've made in 78k miles. Car has been from WA state to Louisiana and back twice and I'd take it again tomorrow.

    Regarding the remotes and otherwise, check www.altimas.net which is full of Altima-specific forums which usually have the programming instructions. You do have to program both remotes at the same time, which may be the source of your problems, plus programming two different remote models may be a problem. Factory remote is a CR2025; mine is still going strong on its original single battery.

    TSBs, as far as I understand, are basically solutions given by the factory to dealers for problems that recur commonly in its cars. The dealer is only obligated to correct the problem gratis if the car is still under warranty. If the car is recalled (which AFAIK the 98 Altima never has) then repairs are gratis.

    If you don't mind, would you post the details of your purchase (miles/color/options/condition of car, location, purchase price) as I am entertaining the thought of selling mine and wondering what it's worth.
  • rholtrholt Member Posts: 1
    I just recently purchased an '03 Nissan Altima 2.5 S also. It had 24k when we bought it a month ago. I've run 3 tanks of gas through it and got 27, 30, 28 mpg with each respective tank.

    In Utah, we use the air conditioning quite a bit and I run it up a few canyon roads here locally so I'm not complaining.

    I've also found the using premium gas helps with the mileage.
  • maxamillion1maxamillion1 Member Posts: 1,467
    Hi Everybody,

    Since I moved and went to college my gas mileage has gotten much better.

    Here at Clemson, there are far more hilly areas and what not but there is far more highway driving as well.

    The reason I got bad gas mileage in the first place was my heavy lead foot. I laid it off the gas pedal and now I at least get 27.7 mpg. Better than the 23 and below that I was getting.
  • pplcreolepplcreole Member Posts: 1
    silver58,
    I was just checking to see if you are still having stalling and stumpling problems since you fixed the air mass sensor in your 97 Altima?
    I am having the same type of problem. Maybe I should fire my repair shop and have someone else look at the air mass sensor.
    Let me know how things worked out.
    pplcreole
  • maxamillion1maxamillion1 Member Posts: 1,467
    Hi everybody, I was wondering if any of the Altima owners, mainly 05 Alti Owners had the following issues...

    1) My glove box is misaligned....the thing has been uneven since the day I bought it.

    2) I have a front passenger seat rattle that developed because the screws that hold the seats down have come up and are GONE...

    3) My power window switches come up out of there socket whenever I go over bumps and rough roads.

    4) My speakers sound busted and I DON'T play my music loud. Especially the front speakers

    5) The automatic tranmsission sometimes has a loss of power...Like when I take off the car will hesitate then TAKE OFF like a bat out of hell.

    6) The radio reception SUCKS...major sucks.

    7) The carpet actually comes up from the floor board when I vacuum the car.

    Have any of you guys had these issues?

    I sometimes wish I had just bought the Accord instead...the Altima is a better looking car, but clearly inferior to the Accord IMO.

    I am beginning to really dislike the damn thing.

    Thanks in advance
  • melissajomelissajo Member Posts: 2
    I am a week old owner of an '02 (notice earlier post) and I too have notice the hesitance (when compared to my '96). Other than that, I am a very happy girl - so far, so good!!
  • gwndrivergwndriver Member Posts: 1
    Hi, newbie here!

    I have a 2002 2.5S, and I notice when the engine is cold, I hear valve clatter. Once the engine warms up, it goes away. Dealer said it is normal. Do they all do this?
  • peterdh2000peterdh2000 Member Posts: 54
    Max--

    I've had a 1998 Altima since new, and it required quite a few trips to the dealer in its first year with me. Various squeaks and rattles, plus both front struts, and a clutch bearing were fixed, but all under warranty.

    Make a list of: what when where how for each problem. Take it with you to the dealer. Ask that a technician ride with you (not the service writer) and use the list to make the problems appear for the tech. My car made a noise going over a certain speed bump at a certain parking lot, so I took the tech to that parking lot and it made the noise. It is not unreasonable to ask a tech to ride with you, and most techs are happy to have a stab at actually fixing your problem with you, rather than trying to go off the work order which says "customer reports passenger seat rattles" which usually leads to "could not reproduce problem" on the receipt.

    On the inside, Nissans aren't usually known for their exquisite interior materials, but I think you'll find that the carpet in most cars (and houses) pulls up a bit when vacuuming, and the glove box is probably an easy fix.

    The good news is that once you get the problems ironed out, you should have smooth sailing. 6.5 years and 78k later, i've only had to do routine maintenance, and replace the battery and belts once. I'm even on original brake pads. Plus, even the most die-hard Honda fan has to admit that the Nissan has quite a bit more soul, and you might have gotten one of the many new Honda/Acuras that have dropped their transmissions.

    Besides, you're into the car now and you'll get soaked trying to get rid of it, so make the best of it and enjoy.
  • bigtapperbigtapper Member Posts: 3
    Question that needs answering please....

    Recently purchased 2002 3.5 SE. Was wondering if there is a problem with the trip computer? When pressing the "trip" button, I am only able to get trip "A" and "B" to display?? Manual indicates that I should be able to get Outside temp, DTE, MPG, and trip time display...etc. Can someone explain why I am not able to get these other options to display? I have tried resetting the trip and it only changes the mileage on the computer back to 0. Thank you!
  • artyarty Member Posts: 3
    yes, it is a complete waste of time. so a search for BBB autoline and look for my post to see what I discovered.
  • joycejoyce Member Posts: 1
    Re/water on door sills after washing, I noticed same. I have a 2004 Altima. Never had it w/my Camry. ??
  • bcumminsbcummins Member Posts: 16
    Ultima, I've been using synthetic in my 2000 Impala since I bought it with 28K miles on it. I used to drive alot and hated to get oil changes so frequently.

    I just bought my wife a 2005 3.5SE and was wondering about moving to synthetic. Can you elaborate on the reasoning behind the repeated regular oil changes in short intervals before the first synthetic change? I assume it has to do with removing debris knocked loose while the engine breaks in?

    Also, any idea how this impacts the warranty? Ultimately I think synthetic is just superior since it doesn't break down as much, but I'd hate to have a failure put back in my face b\c I broke the recommended regimen... Any thoughts?
  • bcumminsbcummins Member Posts: 16
    Hi guys, just looking to find out there are some common problems or TSBs that I should be looking out for with our 2005 Altima.

    I have been noticing a creaking noise that sounds like it's coming from the passenger side of the dash whenever the car rises and then sinks (almost like I'm hearing the strut). Has anyone else had a similar experience?

    Thanks,
    Brian
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