was at a junkyard yesterday and saw one in the trunk of an 85 maxima. now it seems that I have the only 2nd gen maxima without the stop/tail sensor and I'm kinda jealous... I think it's a really neat feature.

my question is....is there any way to use it if I get the sensor and harness from the junkyard? any way it can be wired in? I figured I'd put another warning light on the dashboard for it, next to the one I put in for the fog lights. I have an FSM but I don't know if it gives details about it.

Dan

 

What's a stop/tail sensor? I guess I'm missing that feature too if I don't know what it is that you're referring to.

-C-

 

uhh...the sensor that tells you your tail lights are out?

i figure if you want to know if you tail lights are out a brick on the brake pedal and a quick walk arround the car would be easier than installing a sensor

 

maybe it's a pre-88 thing then, cos the pre-88s also have the low coolant and o2 sensor light. the 87s and 88s are almost exactly identical.

 

Yeah, I don't have the sensor that tells you when the lights are out, or the low coolant light, or the O2 sensor light. Also, I think there was an oil pressure light that was on the earlier models that we didn't get either.

I think the O2 sensor light was only used on California models in '88. As for the other two sensors, I'm not sure. Maybe they stopped using them on the '88's for some odd reason, or maybe they're just not used on the floaters.

The O2 light is just an automatic reminder light that goes off every 30K, it really doesn't monitor the O2 sensor, so it's not even necessary. As Niku said, you can just test the lights every now and then. After 15 years and 125K miles, I still have all of the original light bulbs on this car, so they're pretty sturdy, I don't think a sensor or light is necessary. I would like to have the low coolant light, that light would definitely come in handy. I'd also like to have the oil pressure light since it's a pain to try and read the gauge when it hovers so close to zero.

-C-

 

Yeah same here I dont know why Nissan left us without the notification lights to good vital info. Kinda retarded.

 

here's what I was thinkin of doin about an oil pressure light. I need a new sending unit as it is for the gauge, so I was thinking of getting a T-fitting for both the gauge sending unit and a light sending unit. indicator lights work really easily, the light bulb gets the positive battery power when the ignition is turned to ON. it gets the negative from the sending unit, which is grounded to the engine. when the range falls below acceptable parameters, the sending unit completes the path between engine ground and the light, causing it to go on.

anyway, I was going to get a sending unit for a light from another 88 nissan with an oil light, like a sentra or stanza, and use that in the T-fitting with a warning light on the dashboard, and maybe a buzzer or something..... it seemed like a good idea.

 

man i've got sensor lights up the wazoo....i know i have coolant and oil pressure....i have a light for low winsheild washer fluid...i think one for O2....i mean they go from the driver side console all the way down to the passengerside door...they are factory and theres mabe 1 or 2 blank spots....

its werid because i even have a sensor sensor light....i have no clue what that one is for

 

nothing at all, really. it doesn't "sense" anything. there's a small control unit with a reset button that monitors mileage, every 30,000 miles it makes the "SENSOR" light come on as a reminder to go pay a Nissan dealer to check the sensor and push a button. to shut it off all you gotta do is hit that reset button... any service manual should give its location.

I think the california models had a check engine light too.

I only have these: alternator light, door open, seat belt, defogger light, washer fluid, low fuel, cruise, cruise cont. nothing about sensors or coolant or tail lights .... it must be a pre-88 thing cos when I was looking at 2nd gens in a junkyard for parts there was an 85, 86 and 87 and they all had everything - coolant, sensor, tail/stop, etc.

I think not putting in an oil pressure light is dumb. even if you have a gauge, it reading zero doesn't come to your attention right away... which could cause severe damage.

 

I check my oil pressure all the time now. Of course I have my leak but thats besides the point, lol. After reading the fsm about all the things to keep track of and know now where it starts to get bad. I keep track of all my gauges. Does any of you alls Gas gauge read E but doesnt really get low on fuel till about a centimeter behind the E. Cant trust my Gas gauge it says E but I can still run for awhile before it actually runs out fo gas it starts going behind the E and even then Im still able to run atleast for a few more days.

 

Yeah, I don't even go by the gas gauge anymore. The thing will stay on E for a few days and the light will be on, but when I go to fill it up, it doesn't even take more than 15 gallons of gas. The tank in our '88s holds something like 18 gallons of gas or so. Assuming you need at least a gallon in there to keep the car running, a true fill up should be around 16.5-17 gallons.

I go by the trip meter to monitor how long until I need a fill up. I usually run it for about 300 miles and then I go and fill up. That's usually good for around 15 gallons. I could probably push it for at least another 20 miles but it gets kind of nervewracking, especially considering the gauge reads empty at 250 miles.

-C-