Crud. Right blinker. Electronics.
05-22-2008, 04:00 PM
#1
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2007
Posts: 58
Crud. Right blinker. Electronics.
So after the fire issue with my car, a lot of the electricals went to ****. I found out what caused it, it was a cig cherry that fell in the right panel of the car where all my cars papers were (the important stuff surprisingly survived... the ****). After the fire, basically, the auto windows died, the power locks became manual (a real pain in the *** to lock the car considering when you lock from the inside and close it they unlock, and the cars main key broke off in the drivers side door and i have yet to get that sucker out... it's a process), and really the only things electrical that survived were the sunroof and the head unit and the rear speakers (the front left one comes on and off as it pleases).
To top it all off, my right blinker is going crazy fast now, not only is it annoying to listen to when i bust a right but the front right blinker... which is a nasty shade of yellow and I don't know how to get that thing back to clear, is out.
My questions are:
What fuses exactly do i need to replace to get the windows and power locks back? And what fuse if that's the case do i need to replace to get the right blinker to slow the hell down... and do I need to replace the front right blinker? or is that just a side effect of the electricals going bonkers?
I love my max... The engine compartment and undercarriage are CLEAN. Only a few rust spots that popped up this winter along the bottom trim of the body that I want to fix, and the engine is literally sparkling clean (detailed it myself, that was fun!). This max is pure gold, it gets 22 MPG in suburban stop and go driving, And I haven't been on the highway in a while so I'm sure it gets 24-25 there.... Mechanically, this thing is brand new. It's just the cosmetics I need to fix, and considering this car will be with me forever (ya, i take care of my car), I don't care if it would cost more to fix the cosmetics then it would to get a new car... Because no car can be this reliable! Hell, she's gorgeous. HELL even the bose still work! Only thing that's kind of off is the bass when i really blast them.
Oh, and she needs either glass glue to seal the interior crack in the windshield from the fire, or a new windshield. And she needs the steering wheel re-aligned as well. other then that, it's just the windshield wiper bar that needs to be replaced. And she's set.
Rust
Winshield wiper bar
Windshield
Fire damage
Rust spots
Re-alignment
I'm saving this beuty, and she's going to be the prettiest max ever to run the chicago interstate one day!
To top it all off, my right blinker is going crazy fast now, not only is it annoying to listen to when i bust a right but the front right blinker... which is a nasty shade of yellow and I don't know how to get that thing back to clear, is out.
My questions are:
What fuses exactly do i need to replace to get the windows and power locks back? And what fuse if that's the case do i need to replace to get the right blinker to slow the hell down... and do I need to replace the front right blinker? or is that just a side effect of the electricals going bonkers?
I love my max... The engine compartment and undercarriage are CLEAN. Only a few rust spots that popped up this winter along the bottom trim of the body that I want to fix, and the engine is literally sparkling clean (detailed it myself, that was fun!). This max is pure gold, it gets 22 MPG in suburban stop and go driving, And I haven't been on the highway in a while so I'm sure it gets 24-25 there.... Mechanically, this thing is brand new. It's just the cosmetics I need to fix, and considering this car will be with me forever (ya, i take care of my car), I don't care if it would cost more to fix the cosmetics then it would to get a new car... Because no car can be this reliable! Hell, she's gorgeous. HELL even the bose still work! Only thing that's kind of off is the bass when i really blast them.
Oh, and she needs either glass glue to seal the interior crack in the windshield from the fire, or a new windshield. And she needs the steering wheel re-aligned as well. other then that, it's just the windshield wiper bar that needs to be replaced. And she's set.
Rust
Winshield wiper bar
Windshield
Fire damage
Rust spots
Re-alignment
I'm saving this beuty, and she's going to be the prettiest max ever to run the chicago interstate one day!
I'd quit while I was ahead and start with a better donor.
05-22-2008, 06:11 PM
#4
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2007
Posts: 58
What? You mean a new car?
Pff!
All it needs is re-alignment. some interior work on the right hand side above the door, a new seatbelt, a new... whatever you call the slider thing that the seatbelt hooks into. New windshield wiper bar, new fuses, a new windshield/Glass glue the current windshield, and fix a few minor rust spots along the bottom trim on both sides. Oh, and new fuses... I'm guessing. I'm guessing the smoke from the fire ****ed up the fuses that control the power locks and power windows.
That's it! oh, and a new paintjob come whenever. This car's never broken down (well... except for lack of gas last winter :X), and it's always held up mechanically, perfectly. Perfect!
Last edited by Maus; 05-22-2008 at 06:15 PM.
05-22-2008, 06:48 PM
#5
as for the blinker, are all the bulbs lighting up? also, perhaps the only real need would be to replace the doors wiring harness. was it the passenger side that burned? (the other thread was in the general maxima discussion forum.) btw, still no pics?
05-22-2008, 07:23 PM
#6
What? You mean a new car?
Pff!
All it needs is re-alignment. some interior work on the right hand side above the door, a new seatbelt, a new... whatever you call the slider thing that the seatbelt hooks into. New windshield wiper bar, new fuses, a new windshield/Glass glue the current windshield, and fix a few minor rust spots along the bottom trim on both sides. Oh, and new fuses... I'm guessing. I'm guessing the smoke from the fire ****ed up the fuses that control the power locks and power windows.
That's it! oh, and a new paintjob come whenever. This car's never broken down (well... except for lack of gas last winter :X), and it's always held up mechanically, perfectly. Perfect!
Pff!
All it needs is re-alignment. some interior work on the right hand side above the door, a new seatbelt, a new... whatever you call the slider thing that the seatbelt hooks into. New windshield wiper bar, new fuses, a new windshield/Glass glue the current windshield, and fix a few minor rust spots along the bottom trim on both sides. Oh, and new fuses... I'm guessing. I'm guessing the smoke from the fire ****ed up the fuses that control the power locks and power windows.
That's it! oh, and a new paintjob come whenever. This car's never broken down (well... except for lack of gas last winter :X), and it's always held up mechanically, perfectly. Perfect!
05-22-2008, 08:17 PM
#7
a new to you car, yes. another 3rd gen is fine. but if the car is from chicago and you already say it has rust spots, plus it had a fire, I would pitch it and look for a better build candidate. minor rust spots = major cancer and more trouble after this last winter than they are worth
+2
05-22-2008, 09:53 PM
#8
a new to you car, yes. another 3rd gen is fine. but if the car is from chicago and you already say it has rust spots, plus it had a fire, I would pitch it and look for a better build candidate. minor rust spots = major cancer and more trouble after this last winter than they are worth
05-23-2008, 12:26 AM
#9
Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: EU Scandinavia
Posts: 4,323
All depends whats behind 
Typically 1% is seen, the chassis is the asset and should be maintained from very beginning. Oftentimes that is not possible - but there are cheap well kept maxima alternatives without rust. Rust with fire damage - desperate choice one has smtimes try to live with.
The smoke fuse -story is just a nice wish gone up in smoke. Quit smoking and youll possibly have long life patchin u max.
Typically 1% is seen, the chassis is the asset and should be maintained from very beginning. Oftentimes that is not possible - but there are cheap well kept maxima alternatives without rust. Rust with fire damage - desperate choice one has smtimes try to live with.
The smoke fuse -story is just a nice wish gone up in smoke. Quit smoking and youll possibly have long life patchin u max.
05-23-2008, 05:00 AM
#10
05-23-2008, 05:05 AM
#11
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Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: EU Scandinavia
Posts: 4,323
05-23-2008, 06:33 AM
#12
based on what I see around it, I would seriously want to sand through that paint and see just what is under there. for any rust to show up in the middle you either have MASSIVE rust problems hiding or there was a scratch that went all the way through the pain to the metal, but they typically look more ~ish than o-ish. just my .01 (can't afford to give away .02 anymore)
05-23-2008, 07:08 AM
#13
From the picture, I see several problems.
1. It looks like the rear fender lip has been pulled out to form a scoop, picking up all kinds of debris and packing it in. This dirt/dust/debris will hold moisture in.
2. I see cracks in the paint right next to surface rust. Those kinds of cracks and their proximity to rust without actually having rust poking through usually means there is bondo behind that paint. Depending on how well that area under the bondo was prepared you could have lots of rust damage under between the bondo and metal, or rust coming through behind becasue they only fixed the visible surface.
3. I can see rust all along the bottom edge of the fender all the way to the right side of the picture.
I'll bet that that entire lower half of that picture is bondo covered in paint and that under the bondo is some icky brown rust. From the looks of dark brown rust on the wheel well lip and along the bootm of the fender I'd say you could have some serious issues building up under the bondo.
If you lived in TN, that fender could go years without the rust doing much more damage then what's showing. If you live in the salt belt it might go another year or two before the bondo falls out and the holes appear.
05-23-2008, 08:32 AM
#14
You never know. LOOKS like surface rust can often times end up as "Oh Sh*t, does this rust never end?" once you start trying to repair it. Rust is most often like an iceberg. Very little seen, lots of it hiding.
From the picture, I see several problems.
1. It looks like the rear fender lip has been pulled out to form a scoop, picking up all kinds of debris and packing it in. This dirt/dust/debris will hold moisture in.
2. I see cracks in the paint right next to surface rust. Those kinds of cracks and their proximity to rust without actually having rust poking through usually means there is bondo behind that paint. Depending on how well that area under the bondo was prepared you could have lots of rust damage under between the bondo and metal, or rust coming through behind becasue they only fixed the visible surface.
3. I can see rust all along the bottom edge of the fender all the way to the right side of the picture.
I'll bet that that entire lower half of that picture is bondo covered in paint and that under the bondo is some icky brown rust. From the looks of dark brown rust on the wheel well lip and along the bootm of the fender I'd say you could have some serious issues building up under the bondo.
If you lived in TN, that fender could go years without the rust doing much more damage then what's showing. If you live in the salt belt it might go another year or two before the bondo falls out and the holes appear.
From the picture, I see several problems.
1. It looks like the rear fender lip has been pulled out to form a scoop, picking up all kinds of debris and packing it in. This dirt/dust/debris will hold moisture in.
2. I see cracks in the paint right next to surface rust. Those kinds of cracks and their proximity to rust without actually having rust poking through usually means there is bondo behind that paint. Depending on how well that area under the bondo was prepared you could have lots of rust damage under between the bondo and metal, or rust coming through behind becasue they only fixed the visible surface.
3. I can see rust all along the bottom edge of the fender all the way to the right side of the picture.
I'll bet that that entire lower half of that picture is bondo covered in paint and that under the bondo is some icky brown rust. From the looks of dark brown rust on the wheel well lip and along the bootm of the fender I'd say you could have some serious issues building up under the bondo.
If you lived in TN, that fender could go years without the rust doing much more damage then what's showing. If you live in the salt belt it might go another year or two before the bondo falls out and the holes appear.
05-23-2008, 03:25 PM
#15
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2007
Posts: 58
These rust spots are new. When i got the car less then a year ago, it was garage kept its whole life. With no rust spots. Now, it has a few small ones along the bottom black trim on both sides. I doubt it's... THAT unsalvageable. As for the gold painted parts, no rust at all. It's just the bottom trim that's got it. You know, the lowest part of the car...
Jeese I love my max. It's so unbelievably reliable. I can't just pitch it. Would a tru max lover just, give up and toss? PFF!
And no, no pics yet.
Jeese I love my max. It's so unbelievably reliable. I can't just pitch it
. Would a tru max lover just, give up and toss? PFF!And no, no pics yet.
05-24-2008, 08:02 PM
#16
Supporting Maxima.org Member
iTrader: (21)
Join Date: May 2001
Location: Toronto, Canada
Posts: 1,179
As a smoker myself (bad me), and a tru max lover, I can say with confidence that I wouldn't start a fire in my car.
Just kidding guy (sorta)
.
As far as electrical goes, you may have burned more than a fuse for the window. Your blinker light has gone haywire for example. That's in addition to broken windshield, rust, and cosmetic damage.
Considering the replacement cost of a 3rd gen (sadly not that much these days), a new donor just might put you ahead of the game.
Aside from a replacement possibly working out for you better financially, it may also save you from the mental torture of tracing down electrical gremlins, which has been known to illicit many combinations of profane words from even the most seasoned mechanics.
Even if people on here do want to help, and there are surprisingly more than one may think lol, there's no way anybody on here is going to be able to effectively help you without seeing the extent of the damage firsthand. You need to get ahold of a shop manual and a multi-meter and start tracing problems, not asking 'what fuse does this and that?' And I say this not to be rude, or unhelpful - just the opposite actually. If you just had a window stop working, or door locks, we could point you in the direction of the 'usual suspects' -- but you had a fire dude! For all we know you need to replace a relay, not a fuse. Or it wasn't the relay, you needed a whole new door wire harness. Or it was none, or all of the above, plus you shorted other things on top of it not mentioned...
My point being with all of us guessing, and you spending based on our blind guesses... you just spent the cost of a replacement Max down the street for $600 or the like, and you still haven't spent any money on all the other things that will make you the prettiest 3rd gen Max in Chicagoland.
All that said, anyone looking at my CarDomain page will know I'm the last person to say 'don't rebuild her'. It's just got to be a worthy donor in my opinion.
Good luck getting her back in shape, and be careful with your cherries man!!
Just kidding guy (sorta)
.As far as electrical goes, you may have burned more than a fuse for the window. Your blinker light has gone haywire for example. That's in addition to broken windshield, rust, and cosmetic damage.
Considering the replacement cost of a 3rd gen (sadly not that much these days), a new donor just might put you ahead of the game.
Aside from a replacement possibly working out for you better financially, it may also save you from the mental torture of tracing down electrical gremlins, which has been known to illicit many combinations of profane words from even the most seasoned mechanics.
Even if people on here do want to help, and there are surprisingly more than one may think lol, there's no way anybody on here is going to be able to effectively help you without seeing the extent of the damage firsthand. You need to get ahold of a shop manual and a multi-meter and start tracing problems, not asking 'what fuse does this and that?' And I say this not to be rude, or unhelpful - just the opposite actually. If you just had a window stop working, or door locks, we could point you in the direction of the 'usual suspects' -- but you had a fire dude! For all we know you need to replace a relay, not a fuse. Or it wasn't the relay, you needed a whole new door wire harness. Or it was none, or all of the above, plus you shorted other things on top of it not mentioned...
My point being with all of us guessing, and you spending based on our blind guesses... you just spent the cost of a replacement Max down the street for $600 or the like, and you still haven't spent any money on all the other things that will make you the prettiest 3rd gen Max in Chicagoland.
All that said, anyone looking at my CarDomain page will know I'm the last person to say 'don't rebuild her'. It's just got to be a worthy donor in my opinion.
Good luck getting her back in shape, and be careful with your cherries man!!
05-25-2008, 10:48 AM
#17
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2007
Posts: 58
Hadman, that was the most helpful post yet 
.
Hell, I think I'll just use this as my everyday driver from now on. The body will rot to nothing before the engine EVER goes... That's for sure. It's a shame really. But first, i just need to get my auto seatbelt on my drivers side working again >.<. And I'll be set.
.Hell, I think I'll just use this as my everyday driver from now on. The body will rot to nothing before the engine EVER goes... That's for sure. It's a shame really. But first, i just need to get my auto seatbelt on my drivers side working again >.<. And I'll be set.
05-25-2008, 11:54 AM
#18
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2007
Posts: 58
Or better yet...
I'll powersand ALL of the rust off, in every little nook and cranny. Clean the thing up, then store it til I have the funds to fix this baby up.
I was in the market for a new car anyway...
I was thinking,
Either a mercedes benz 300SEL, 420SEL, 560SEL (lol)
Another nissan maxima, 3rd or 4th gen.
or a crown vic police interceptor ^^.
I'll powersand ALL of the rust off, in every little nook and cranny. Clean the thing up, then store it til I have the funds to fix this baby up.
I was in the market for a new car anyway...
I was thinking,
Either a mercedes benz 300SEL, 420SEL, 560SEL (lol)
Another nissan maxima, 3rd or 4th gen.
or a crown vic police interceptor ^^.
05-25-2008, 02:43 PM
#19
I was in the market for a new car anyway...
I was thinking,
Either a mercedes benz 300SEL, 420SEL, 560SEL (lol)
Another nissan maxima, 3rd or 4th gen.
or a crown vic police interceptor ^^.
I was thinking,
Either a mercedes benz 300SEL, 420SEL, 560SEL (lol)
Another nissan maxima, 3rd or 4th gen.
or a crown vic police interceptor ^^.
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