LarryR

I cannot use a radar detector, charge my cell phone or hook in my scanner receiver because my cigarette lighter doesnt work. it IS plugged in in the back, and im sure the fuse to it isnt blown. Could the lighter just go bad in any way? and is it expensive or hard to fix and get a new one?...
Also, our cars (VG engine) do not require premium fuel... so is it just my imagination, or does it seem like when i put in PREMIUM, the car doesnt perform as well as REGULAR gasoline.???

FroMan

you can actualy run 87 octane with out detonation in stock form. (the VG30E in the villager/quest is identical except for cam profile and only requires 87 octane)

I had a problem with the cigarett lighter also. it is almost as if the contacts wear out after a while. Try using a bit of sand paper (fine grit) on the contacts and see if you can clean off some of the oxidation.....

torontomaxima

My lighter is busted too... went to the dealer, and it's $42 CDN to replace the holder and the actual piece that lights up.

torontomaxima

I'm not going to pay for a new lighter when I don't even smoke... can anyone help me out... here is the problem:

-The piece that lights up will not physically go into the holder... nothing seems to be blocking its path, and both pieces are OEM parts... anyone?

thanks in advance

mtcookson

iTrader: (2)

i usually have to spin whatever i'm using in the lighter hole to get it to work. i smoke cigars every now and then and i have to push the lighter thing in and turn it a little bit to get it to warm up. i also have to keep it pushed it because it won't stay on it's own.

nismobaron

1) replace cig light with junkyard unit - should be REAL cheap. Take your's out & go to junkyard - you'll probably find same unit used in number of different Nissans so doen't have to be a Max original.
2) Your car won't necessarily perform better on Premium gas as it's tuned to Regular. The ECU profile is set up for Regular gas & has to try and compensate for the Premium fuel.
I'm not sure what Regular & Premium gas is in US as in New Zealand, Regular gas is 91 octane and Premium is 96. We don't have 87 octane (probably only old cars could use that crapola...). Wouldn't recommend 87 octane unless desperate - the Villager VG30 has a non-interference type head which means it probably has lower compression - hence being able to run on 87 (Max VG30's have interference heads - when you timing belt goes, so do your valves).

mtcookson

iTrader: (2)

dang... i didn't know that about the Villager VG. I wonder if the internals are the same. I would use that for a performance engine instead of our interference crap.

nismobaron

Interference design heads standard in modern autos - higher compression gives better performance & is more efficient. Rule of thumb used to be you couldn't go higher than a 9:1 compression without detonation problems - now most engines run at 10:1 with no problems.
Fortunately, most manufacturers in the last 10 - 12 years have moved away from timing belts & gone to timing chains - VQ in 4th gen a good example.
Villager engine could be good for turbo / supercharging though...

mtcookson

iTrader: (2)

yeah, i would definately boost it. a nice, low compression engine that won't blow to pieces if the timing belt breaks would be awesome.

unsprung

Damn, 91 is regular & 96 is premium for your guys?! Could explain the argument as to if we're really all that much cheaper in gas prices vs the rest of the world...

Around here, it's 87 (or was it 89... forget exactly since it's been premium the whole time I've owned the car) for regular, 91 for the middle one, and 93 for premium. Sunoco also sells 94 octane for a few cents more / gallon for those wanting it, but I see no difference personally.

As for if premium is better, the timing has something to do with how the car will react.

nismobaron

Yeah, timing does need adjusting if you want to use a different grade of gas - part of tuning the car to suit the fuel. In Japan you can get 100 octane easily enough - not good for valves, though. There's a place here in Auckland that'll sell you 104 gas in 5 gallon cans

Gas prices here in NZ are about NZ$1.06 per liter (91). Multiply that by 3.8 to get US gallon & that's NZ$4.03 per gallon or US$2.25 at current exchange rate. Brits are paying around US$2.80 a gallon right now!

torontomaxima

That's pretty good for 91 octane... up here it's been $1.15NZ (According to my calculations)... or about .92c CAD... so you can imagine that my car hasn't been getting the proper treatment - however my engine, the VG30E, can run on as low as 87 octane (as indicated in the owner's manual)... but should I really be filling it up with that crap?

nismobaron

Luckily your ecu has been mapped to use 87 - it's okay to use although 91 would be preferable. We b*tch & moan about gas prices here - was under a buck a liter 4 months ago (US$2.08 / gallon). Looks like our gas isn't that expensive after all

jkmay01

iTrader: (3)

i have had the same problem with my lighter!! Pretty easy to fix just remover the lighter assembly, and take a flat head screwdriver and bend the two negative contacts on the inside towards the middle of the lighter so that when you put the head of the lighter in it, it makes contact the positive contact or that little circle contact in the middle. should be good as new!!! Let me know!!!???

torontomaxima

IT WORKS!

Hey thanks alot!!!! With this forum I'll never visit my dealer againm, nor will I have problems using my lighter! Thanks again!

jkmay01

iTrader: (3)

Did my suggestion work for you? Hope it did!!!

torontomaxima

yeah it did thanks! just bent the 2 contacts in and presto - "let there be light!"... thanks again!

azmalu

Mined works off and on and Im going to use the suggestion but one other question. Id like to tap into a 12v constant source so i can charge my phone and smoke a blunt. Is there any particular wire to tap into or the closest one I find should be okay? I thought about running a 4 ga from batt through firewall so I could have a constant wire but how hard is it to get it to the area behind AC and CD controls?

torontomaxima

1) LOL

2) It's a bit of a pain in my opinion if you want to have all obstructions out of your way, you've got to get almost every piece of the dash out... check out Craig's Site, http://www.prism.gatech.edu/~gte671n/mymax.html goto How To > Fixing my dead clock... a great resource for where all the screws are located/how the pieces come apart... in addition you'll need to get the CC out and perhaps even that whole centre piece (from the parking brake to the centre of the dash)... but then again you might not depending on if you've already got enough access.

azmalu

pullin apart the dash is nothin did that to install indiglos and the 1 ga jus runs along lining under carpet I guess i could tap into that and run short run from firewall to back of ac cd area

torontomaxima

I find it anoying cause I've done it on separate occasions to do: the indigos, deck, clock, CC, burnt out bulbs, then finally the cigarette lighter - fun the first time, a pain the 6th time.

nismobaron

Run a wire from the fuse box or ignition switch - easier to get to & plenty of constant feeds. Make sure you either solder the connection or splice the wires together - don't use a snap connector. Add a 10amp inline fuse at the lighter end as added protection against overload - 'cause smoking bad for the health...