countzero

This is puzzling me but one of you may have a quick answer based on the clues.

1. Car was running ok but then sat for a while (months), timing belt had recently been changed.
2. Sold the car but had to do some misc. repairs - bad brake caliper, etc.
3. Got the stuff done I knew about, car idles and revs just fine sitting in park. Now for some reason as soon as it's put in gear, it starts running rough on acceleration, almost like it's misfiring.
4. If driving the car it's ok at low rpm's but 'misses' and has little power when trying to accelerate.

My suspects (not necessarily in this order):

Throttle Position Sensor
O2 Sensor
MAF
Distributor cap/wires
Injectors

I believe I have a spare TPS and MAF around here somewhere, and they aren't that hard to change but I've already done a MAF when it turned out not to be the problem. Hoping to hone down this list a bit or focus on something else you think may be more likely. O2 sensor can be a bear to change but not bad, I'd have to buy one though.

Any thoughts? Either on what it might be and/or the easiest way to rule things out.

The girl who bought this car is a good friend of the family and she's been waiting for weeks....

Oh yeah, the radio is dead too, but the fuse in the fuse box isn't blown. Is there another one behind the radio? Seems I remember that there was an in-line one somewhere. (This is the AM/FM/Cassette/Equalizer-booster model). The power antenna got trashed so it's disconnected. Didn't think that would cause the radio not to power on at all.

arsonist63086

for the stereo i believe it does have a fuse with the stereo and eq.... af for the ruff car might be the injectors since its been siting for a long time just poor some Lukas fuel treatment (like 2 lil bottles) in the gas tank to clean out some build up.. also clean out the plugs (with a wire brush) if you don't want to replace them, just for a quick fix.. and for the misfire while the car is on unplug one spark plug cable at a time to (from distributor, less hassle then doing it at the plugs see if there's a diff in cars idle... one other thing that all Nissan's are prone to is crack on the the rubber intake boots after the M.A.F. they will cause a huge vacuum leaks. they are not noticeable at times since they are nice and tight at idle and in park but when in drive the engine moves and jerks which causes them to open up and then u get the crappy misfire affect... quick fix to that is to get some good electrical tape (3m prefer) and wrap away nice and evenly all around the rubber boot..

misaligned t.p.s. = rich mixture or to lean = sluggish acceleration
bad O2 = to rich or to lean = ecu code = kinda smelly exhaust
bad M.A.F = scrap car = ruff start and crap above 1000 rpm..

hope this helps you out..

p.s. if my info is wrong please correct me...

vernk

be sure to check your plug wires if one is cracked it could cause the issues you have due to the spark jumping the gap with no load on the engine but once you start putting load on there isn't enough energy to jump the gap in the wire and create the spark needed to ignite the fuel at the plug, had this issue with my 87 turned out to be the #1 plug wire

Edge

Did the ECU throw any Codes?

Mr. Blue Sky

iTrader: (1)

to add to all the recommendations, check the vaccuum lines for leaks as well. My 86 max has not stopped giving me rough idle issues for a while now, but when it warms up a little, it drives fine(albeit a bit sluggish almost like the brake is being applied, which it is not). I hope you can easily find what has been causing your issues, as it can be very annoying when you try everything( in my case, switching distributors, plugs, wires, injectors, intake manifolds, sensors, lines, etc just to find that nothing helped) and it does nothing to help.

LastTraintoMEM

I have the same problem with my radio on my '87 GXE. Where exactly is this fuse? I found a big fuse under the hood that says "RAD", but it looks good, and I don't know if that means "radio" or what. It would be cool to get that original radio/eq working again just for nostalgia sake!

LastTraintoMEM

Well, there doesn't seem to be a lot of activity on this section of the forum, and getting 15 post to start a thread might take me a couple of years, so I am going to high jack this thread. My apologies to the original OP, but I have questions I need answered about my recently aquired '87, and this original post is about an '87. I have read all the post on other threads, and see no answers to my questions. I have also been unable to locate a repair manual for this car, so I am flying blind.

1. The radio question. I have a perfectly good looking radio, but nothing works. I don't want a radio made in this century, and I don't want to have to rewire the entire audio system, I just want the factory system to work. From what I have read this seems to be a common problem, so where does the problem lie and how do you fix it?

2. My '87 has 154,000 and I know it has never had the trans fluid changed. It looks like it is a simple process of draining the old fluid out of the 3/4 inch bolt on the front drivers side of the case and adding new fluid. Is there a trans filter or anything else I need to worry about?

3. Is there any links to an online pdf. file for the repair manual for this car?

4. What's the highest mileage someone has gotten out of the timing belt? I know this belt has never been changed, but I want to drive the car a little while before I invest the time to replace it and make sure the trans doesn't fry itself or something else. This car is not a museum piece, but it is in decent shape.

Thanks in advance!

Edge

2. You probably get different opinions on this, but with that many miles on the trans without a fluid change I would not change the fluid. You might cause a trans failure. The old fluid has likely started to varnish, which are hardened deposits that form on the internal parts. This creates a seal on the internal parts in some cases. The old fluid cleaning agents (part of the fluid additive package) are now depleted and causes this condition. If you put in new fluid, the fresh cleaning agents will dissolve the varnish and could plug the valve body or cause leaks. The only way to consider this is to drain some of the fluid and SAVE it. If the old fluid is in good condition: red in color, no deposits and no burned smell then you might be able to change it without damage. You want to drain some to check the deposits at the bottom of the pan, which you can't see on the dip stick. If the fluid is in bad condition, refill with the old fluid. But a new fluid change it is too big a risk IMHO at this mileage. There is no replaceable filter in the pan, only a filter screen just below the valve body I believe.

3. None that I know of off hand. You can try here http://pdftown.com , not too search friendly. A google search may turn up something quicker. Autozone does not have any tech info on this car. Check out your local library, they sometimes have a manuals or Alldata subscription.

4. I wouldn't push the timing belt too far past the 60K replacement. There are a few ways for it to fail - the belt, the idler pulley and the idler pulley stud. The cam and crank oils seals should be checked, since they can leak and get oil on the belt and weaken it.

arsonist63086

1- check the fuse in the engine bay and under the dash. there sometimes a switch on the fuse panel that's should be in the on position.. the radio and amp/eq have the own fuses installed in the units them self by the plugs i believe.

2- as for the randy fluid i would Chang it. it true about the build up the old fluid does to seal some small leaks but you sond want to be running oil that has dirt in it or normal wear material in it which will help and wear down other parts. when i swapped my tranny fluid i put Lucas oil treatment witch helped smooth out my smooth out my shifts compared to running with only atf fluid, and it helps reduce leaks and maintain oil pressure (my .02 cents on the Lucas atf treatment)

3- as for the repair manual i found the haynes manual to be adequate or you can order a cd just for your car from alldata.

4-when i had my maxima i never replaced the belt since we bought it but from a dealer as a used car, so not sure if they did the change. but i would swap it out with the cam seals and check the police for wobbles and noise bearing and change out a if any of that is present..

LastTraintoMEM

Thanks for the info guys! It IS very hard to find a lot of info on these cars. It's a shame because there neat old car and most people probably trash them and send them to the yard.

I was planning on using Lucas with a trans fluid change, so thanks for the confirmation. I understand the don't change reasoning, but I just feel better having new fluid. The fluid is still red, but is looking a little burnt. One question: I had the car jacked up to change to oil and was looking for a transmission pan, but all I saw was more of a gear box with a big 3/4 socket bolt facing forward. I ASSUMED THIS WAS A DRAIN PLUG, but I didn't really see what I thought was a traditional "pan". Am I looking at the wrong thing?

I did check the fuses under the dash and under the hood, and they looked good. I assume it is the one on the radio or amp then. I wanted to make sure there was a fuse back there before I started tearing everything apart. From the maintenance records it was shown to be check by the previous owner by a mechanic in the mid ninties, but they elected to not do anything about it. So it has been out for some time.

I just got an estimate from a shop to change out the timing belt for $550 with parts and tax. I'll have to think about this. It looks like a full day of work, if I did it.

thanks again......I'll try and post some pic's. It is the 2 tone gold/champagne color with gold seats.

arsonist63086

yea i believe that's the drain plug. i was like wtf when i had to chang the fluid to since i saw no pan ether, but to fill it back up it threw the dipstick..

LastTraintoMEM

It kind of reminded me of the gear box on my riding mower. I just hope that bolt isn't a pita to get off.

alllw86

The 1st thing I would do is replace the timing belt if you know for sure it was never changed. These engines are “interference” type meaning major damage if the belt breaks. I know that as my belt went bad helped along with leaking cam seals at 91k. Suppose to be changed at 60k. You can check the condition of the belt by removing the upper belt cover.

Over $500 is the going rate here in Ca. But if your game its easy to do it yourself and save a bundle. Give it a day to do.

The radio and amp has a fuse mounted on the back of each unit probably fed by the fuse in the fuse box. They will need to be checked. There are also grounds that could be bad .

A factory service manual used can be found on eBay with various condition and price. Well worth it in my opinion.

LastTraintoMEM

Yea, I know it's like driving a time bomb. I am in a restoration mode with it right now. I bought it from a friend who was down on his luck. He got it from his father who died a couple of years ago. I know it's complete history and they had all the receipts in the glove box. My friend said he never changed it and he thought his father never did either. It's not mentioned in the maintenance records. I might do it myself. It's just cold and miserable here and I have no place to work on it. I might make it a couple of weekend project.

Is the fuse in the radio the typical replaceable kind, or is it hot wired in?

Edge

2. A lot of good feedback on this thread. My trans drain plug is a "allen" (internal hex), maybe yours is a later revision with the bolt. As mentioned there is no removable bottom "pan" on this trans, just a I term used for the bottom trans fluid sump . The pan on the this trans in on the top and covers the valve body. Sorry for the confusion. Keep in mind if your fluid is burned, the trans might be on its way out. This trans is expensive to replace as a reman. My trans is a little stiff shifting, but the fluid is in great condition and was changed as part of maintenance since new.

3. Good point Alllw86, I got my factory manual on Ebay for about $15. Make sure ask questions about condition, missing pages etc.

4. Some added thoughts on the t-belt. You should probably do the water pump and accessory belts as well. While you can do the water pump separately from the t-belt job, you risk ruining the t-belt if the water pump leaks enough. I replaced the idler pulley, small insurance IMHO. If you don't go OEM I have had good service with Dayco aftermarket accessory belts, Gates belts have not lasted for me. I did the t-belt and a full day is about right. I would recommend to follow the revised factory procedure to tension the t-belt with 1/2" between the cams with 20 lbs. The original factory procedure was complicated and required loosening the rocker arms. Around here a shop gets $350 for the t-belt without the water pump or seals.

LastTraintoMEM

Yes, lots of good info! I'll have my 15 post a lot faster than I was expecting...lol

I did buy a Haynes manual off ebay last night for $9.99 with shipping included. Hopefully it will be here before Christmas. Does the Haynes manual give the less complicate procedure you mentioned for replacing the timing belt?

My bolt is an internal square bolt, which looks to be 3/4 inch socket. I think it had trans work done sometime in it's life, so maybe they replaced the bolt. How much is a trans for this car? That is what I am scared of is investing a ton of cash and something like a trans goes out. I just can't afford a money pit right now. I paid $1000 for the car. Now that I know about the timing belt I think I paid a bit too much, but I was helping a friend out so it's all good. A mechanic for the company I work for said he had a Towncar that had a trans that was slipping bad. He dumped some Lucas in it and it actually stopped slipping. He said it only slipped occasionally when it was cold. He swore up and down about the stuff. Maybe it will buy me some time!

I was thinking about replacing the water pump too. It would be my luck to replace the timing belt and a month later the water pump goes out. I dread doing this myself. I haven't owned a lot of Japanese cars, but the ones I have owned always seemed to be harder to work on. It took me an hour to change the oil on this thing last weekend. I have never seen a more awkward place for an oil filter! Especially one that was torqued on by some Quicky lube place. They also torqued the hell out of the drain bolt which I stripped! I was really beginning to regret my purchase! Everything worked out okay, but I hope this doesn't foreshadow headaches to come. I like driving unique vintage cars, but ones that don't give me a lot of headaches.

Edge

I am not sure of the Haynes manual procedure. If it states to loosen the rocker arm rack, it is the old procedure. If it says to press on the belt between the cams with 22 lbs to remove the slack and then adjusted the tensioner with a feeler gauge/spring force, it is the new procedure. The revised factory procedure is in Nissan TSB (technical service bulletin) TS88-062. Check for the leaking cam seals BEFORE you remove the belt. Stick your finger under each cam area and use a bright light. The reason is you want to loosen the cam bolt with the t-belt still ON as a safety precaution. This way if the wrench or cam slips the crank will spin in sync and not trash the valves/pistons. You will need a tool to hold the cam pulley. Once the cam bolts are loose, remove the old t-belt and cam pulleys.

I've seen reman trans for $1500 to $2500. If you can get a good low mileage trans from a junkyard that might be a way to go - maybe $ 500. The problem is to make sure it is good, although some JY may give you a guarantee. It depends how long want to keep the car.

Yep, the oil filter is a pain to get to. I get to it from the top and snake it behind AC hoses ,place on the exhaust and then pick it up and screw it to the mount. I screw a fill plug from a motorcycle into the threads to use as a handle. But I am going to see if can find an easier way by getting to it from the bottom at the next oil change.

Basically this a reliable car, but there are higher costs for some repair items. And there can be electrical gremlins to deal with in the ignition system too. The joy of vintage cars.

LastTraintoMEM

Thanks! Lots of good info here!

It had a oil filter wrench cap in the factory tool bag in the trunk. I thought that was mighty nice of Nissan! The owners manual said to use this to get the oil filter off, but it was too BIG to fit the new filter and the filter that was already on there! What the heck!

I will check with my manual when I get it. It's hard to imagine this without a visual reference like a pic or diagram. You would think they would use a chain or a belt that would last longer than 60,ooo miles.

I've heard this engine is bullet proof except for the timing belt. I can see this whole car being full of Gremlins. Everything is electric! My current/for sale toy is a '75 Pinto Runabout. The only frill it has is AC. No power brakes, steering, windows, locks, and now I go to a car on the total opposite end of the automotive spectrum! Let the fun begin!

Thanks again for all the insight. I will probably be back with new questions in the future. I am glad there is a sight like this around. Maybe it will inspire some more people to keep their Maximas running instead of trashing in the JY!

MAX.Graff

Have you ever came across an old car, and appreciated that an old car such as that is still runnin' on these streets? ANY old car, that isn't from current generation. If you think about it, these vehicles used to be top of the line and when you see it rollin' by next to you, do you kinda think "Damn! That's one old *** car but it still feels good to see that it's livin'."

Even though we have 0,1,2,3 generations do you think people say somethin' like that when we pass by them? I think it's a shame that people just take it to the junkyard once it starts failing, it ain't right but still how could they let this happen?

I don't know, but what do you think? What do the current generation of Maxima owners think?

chrome91

iTrader: (1)

i was kinda depressed because i felt that older imports werent getting appreciated, but that guy following me home in his truck, and saying hes been looking for a 3rd gen in great shape forever because they were top of the line and offering to buy it on the spot for cash revived my faith. naturally i said theres no price he could put for me to sell it

thats the only reason i post in the 3rd gen and 1st/2nd gen section only, 4th gen and above totally lost the old school look and 3rd gens were the last old school style model

most people here just **** on their old cars and sell em for $100 to the junkyard when half of them would run, i would pay them double to just drop it off at my place. old school Celica are only of my favorite cars, RWD and all, and theres always a dozen going to the junkyard every month and some even have no rust or body damage. ive seen many 3rd gens in the last few months and some 2nd gens, mostly its interior parts that get taken. with the Celicas, its usually just the emblems, then the car gets crushed 99% complete

theres a few other people here that appreciate old school cars, theres a older guy with a mint light blue 240z, and a 240z by me that hasnt been registered in 6 years that i'm going to leave a note and see if the owner will sell it, 5spd and in good shape. JDM gets all the love here, with tons of old school Skylines and Z31/Z32 and those rarely get sent to the junkyard unless theyre beyond repair

what sucks though is Maximas were never really popular in Japan, and a buddy of mine there said he rarely sees a 3rd gen or 2nd gen. i would pay a rediculous amount of money for a JDM 3rd gen

chrome91

iTrader: (1)

one thing though was i sold a bunch (and i mean crapload) of aquarium stuff i had around and made $2000 total out of it. i posted a online ad looking for a RWD import, can be rusty, dented, anything as long as i can drive it for a hour on the highway to get to my other house. got 1 friggin reply out of 2 weeks, and it was for a 1990 240sx which i would want but the area code was like a bazillion kilometres away. i had seriously no expectations, i can do body work and i wanted something that i could learn to do a engine swap and tranny swap on.

what comes up after? Clean Toyota Cressida for $500, 3rd gen Maxima for $150 obo (running but bad shape, not RWD but still woulda got it), Hachi, yes, HACHI Trueno AE86 for freaking $600, older 200sx for $200, and a 280zx for $700

http://edmonton.kijiji.ca/c-cars-veh...AdIdZ169682672

i got my Sparco seats instead, i'm a one car guy really and i cant stand the people who can own a car for 2 months then get a new one. only room for cars in my life is my 3rd gen, a summer car (which will be a JDM R32 GTR Skyline soon), and a project car (a 240z). just shocked at what all comes up right after i put up the ad. i'm fine with having a FWD car but i just wanted something i could drift, constantly nail the rev limiter with and just screw around with and repair without caring alot

MAX.Graff

I appreciate my max. When people ask me why I don't move on to a newer model, I simply reply," There's nothin' wrong with the car to consider buyin' a new one."

There was a point in time though when I really didn't want it. The car's been with us since the 90's and we're the 2nd owners. I actually thought about gettin' a different car instead of keepin' the Maxima. Eventually, I thought about what I was thinkin' and went through with keeping my car there was nothin' wrong it and with some TLC, I can make it look like when it came out of Japan.

How does the expression go? A wolf in sheeps skin?

LastTraintoMEM

Presently driving a pea green '75 Pinto Runabout, I am used to people following, taking pictures and thumbs up'ing me. It actually starts getting a little old after a while. I like finding cars like the Maxima and giving them a second life, and I wish more people would do the same. I have no preference for any year or make, just as long as it is a dying breed that I can save from the junk heap. I drive them for a couple of years and then sell them off to someone who appreciates what it is. My Pinto was given to me by an owner who was going to have it hauled to the junkyard after letting it sit in their driveway for 10 years. A little cleaning, fixing, tuning up and I drive it daily and gave it a second life. I hope to do the same with the Max. It is not as bad off as the Pinto was. Over the years I have rescued a '85 RX-7, a '72 Buick Lesabre Convertible, an '87 Mustang GT, 71 VW bug, and the Pinto. Keep the old cars alive!

chrome91

iTrader: (1)

85 RX7 are crazy nice. todays nice junkyard cars-

5 3rd gen Maximas, all VG's and 2 of them SE

literally 14-15 old school Celicas

1986 MR2

3 Cressida

1990 240sx

2 85 RX7, one that looks like it would run and one that got fking plowed on the drivers side (even the dash is deformed from the hit)

73 Celica, solid body with no rust



whats kinda sad is one of the 3rd gens was a builder for sale, $1299 i believe with 220,000km and a bit of rust, white 91. noone bought it so its for parts now good thing with winter is the cars stay around longer, in the summer usually its a month til the crusher but some from late October (73 Celica, 240sx, Cressida, etc) are still there.

MAX.Graff

I wouldn't mind takin' one of those Celicas. Seein' that there's a sufficient amount of parts, it seems good to me.

Still the sad thing is... WHY ARE THEY THERE?!?!?

chrome91

iTrader: (1)

i dunno, so many are low mileage with no rust. i think people are stupid and dont try to sell them before they give them to the junkyard makes me want to buy a acre of land for a few grand and buy a cheap flatbed truck for a couple grand and just store them away myself, in 10 years we're gonna be wishing we had pre 1995 cars around

you could honestly pick the most beat up one there and make a mint car with parts from all the good ones, theres just that freakin many. for fun i push in the clutch on the 5spds and every single one shifted fine, i was actually going to buy the MR2 whole but i couldnt get it to shift out of R or 5th so i think the tranny went.

funny thing is on one 3rd gen (RIP), the one that i FINALLY found manual seat brackets from for my Sparco seats, it had sick Momo rims. i couldnt get them off, they had locking lugs but i could get my ratchet on them. the guys insurance card was in the car so i was going to call him and ask him where the hell the key to the lugs was, i spent a hour searching the car and so did a bunch of people , theyre expensive rims and only $40 for a set at the junkyard and someone got them because i said screw it, my ratchet got stuck and i had to sparta kick it to get it free

what sucks is they had a 5spd 3rd gen, and i was going to get the tranny out for my 5spd swap but by the time i got someone to help me, they crushed it

coolest thing i still have is a full set of gauge pods from a 280z (which i almost bought whole), someone already had them out and sitting on the seats might wire them up to my 3rd gen and place them on the dash

LastTraintoMEM

From my limited experience with Japan's cars, I think a lot of the problem is that finding new parts is becoming harder for older import cars, and the parts that are available tend to be more expensive. I can find parts for my 34 year old Pinto all day long at any Autozone for cheap. I recently replaced my squirl fan for the AC for $30 brand new from AZ. I tried to find an air filter for the Maxima at the Walmart last weekend.....N/A. That should be something readily available. They had one for the Pinto! Most people don't want to bother looking for parts in a junk yard, so off the the JY their 20 year old import goes!

chrome91

iTrader: (1)

i think Maxima aftermarket kinda killed it too, really for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd gens all you can find are cold air intakes and the odd body kit. 4th gens and above you can get far more aftermarket, but as far as i care i'm happy that our cars have little aftermarket because few people rice out our cars, unlike Hondas with a huge aftermarket that are always riced

arsonist63086

for the maxima oil filter removal i strongly recomend useing the universal 3 claw wreanch to remove the oil filter... http://www.machinemart.co.uk/images/.../040211424.jpg
it is a wonderful tool and you can use extentions.... my my life a breez..

p.s. lucas rocks

LastTraintoMEM

Well, to continue highjacking this thread, I thought I would give an update and ask some more questions and ad some FYI. It was cold and miserable, but I did get some wrenches on the Maxima this weekend.

I did change the trans fluid. The owners manual claims 7 and 3/8's quarts, but it only took 4 plus a 24oz bottle of Lucas. I guess some stays in the torque converter or something. The magnetic drain plug didn't have much "goo" on it which was nice.

The sensor light is on in the dash. The manual says this is the exhaust gas sensor. Is this the same as a n O2 sensor? If it is, how many does it have? I see one on the front, but does it have another some where. What problems does this sensor being on cause?

Another FYI: You do not need to remove the radio or amp to get to the fuses on the back. I unfortuately didn't realize this until I tried to pull the amp out and found the electrical plug was too short and had to reach around to unplug it! After peaking around the corner, I see the fuses. DOH! The fuses are the typical automotive fuses 3amp radio and 10 amp for amp. The radio one can be a b*tch to get to, but it will work out. The radio fuse was blown and I thought that was the problem, but after replacing it....no luck. With a blown fuse, I am thinking it must be a ground as mention by someone else. Does anyone know where the ground is? Does the antenna run through the radio or is it separate?

arsonist63086

yea most of the atf stays in the converter...
but i bet the trans is smother with lucas...
as for the sensor light the manual says to unplug it after a certain amount of miles. the plug is located under the dash with a lil sticker saying what to do, there is also a reset button some wear (i believe its in the driver side kick panel. the light usually means to check or replace the o2 sensor (but just replace it) an there is only one o2 sensor..

LastTraintoMEM

Thanks for the help. I got my Haynes manual today! Hopefully I can figure some stuff out on my own now.

LastTraintoMEM

The manual says that the sensor is triggered every 30,000 miles. That makes me wonder if there is a real problem with sensor, or it is just the scheduled trigger. Does anyone know if the O2 sensor is a problem on these cars? Do you really have to take out the passenger seat to get to the ECU? I saw a thread where you could do a check without removing the seat, but the link was dead to the article.

LastTraintoMEM

Another update:

I ran through everything on the radio, and figure it was shot. On a whim, I popped in a tape and bingo! I got music, the eq lit up, the light bars dance. Sweet '80's retro! The speakers are rough, but they do what I want. I hit eject, and dead again. No radio, no antenna, no nothing. Any ideas? A ground? I did notice a sharp crack over the speakers when I adjusted the volume up or down. At least I can play tapes, but I listen to more radio than anything.

Another step in the restoration!

thanks in advance!

arsonist63086

no there's no prob. with to o2 sensor on this cars.. its just a maintenance thing and there's a reset button some where (forgot where) and if you look under the dash of the drivers side there's a plug with a sticker tape that say to unplug after sirtine miles... but just swap the o2 out for maintenance sakes.. as for the code retrieval the ecu can be removed by moving the front passenger seat forward and unscrewing on screw holding the back of the ecu, then move it all the way back to find 2 more screws. once its out there's a procedure that is in the haynes manual that will show you how to retrieve the codes and its also on the ecu itself..

arsonist63086

your power/volume control **** doesn't work. volume might but the push/power on function dose not..... just go to the pick your part and get a tape deck from there and if that one dont work well and your good a soldering you can just swap out the *****...

LastTraintoMEM

Well, you are a wealth of information, my friend! Thank you very much for your expertise! Just to help out others who may stumble into this thread; the Haynes manual says the reset button for the sensor light is behind the passenger kick panel. I haven't been there yet myself, but I hope it is easy to get to!

LastTraintoMEM

Hey, I got over 15 post, so I can start my own thread! Thanks arsonist63086 for the help!

Thanks for also narrowing down my radio problem here too. I would have been guessing at a ground. Is the **** a common piece you can pic up at Radio Shack, or is it specific to Nissan radios? Or is it something I can solder the original **** and fix myself?

LastTraintoMEM

FYI: It's not hard to get to. 2 screws hold in the kick panel. I would also unscrew the first screw in the trim piece that runs along the entry. There is a gold colored box screwed to the car body. The button is on the backside of this box. Unscrew the 2 screws that hold it and it makes it a lot easier to get to. Quick fix!

countzero

WELL....I see my thread has been hijacked..... No problem, always good discussion and useful info.

Ok, I finally got around to checking the ECU codes (it's been *****in' cold here and I don't have a garage). That and <ahem> I've never checked these before and had to hit the manual to check the procedure, and I found this link in the FAQ: http://torquespecs.tripod.com/maxima_85-91_codes.htm

Darn thing is throwing a 44 if I'm reading it right, and that code isn't on the list I have. Anyone know what a 44 is? Wondering if I should disconnect the battery and start fresh...

Haven't touched the radio yet, not bothering with that till I can get it running right.