have a 1994 nissan maxima I NEED TO KNOW IF IT IS MODEL SE OR GXE TRYING TO CHANGE ALTERNATOR
VG630E
KEYLESS ENTRY (DRIVER SIDE)
DOOR HANDLES THE SAME COLOR AS BODY
NO CHROME TRIMMING
MODEL # HLJ30DARUB96

 

VG is mainly GXE in 1994.
See this page for reference
https://maxima.org/forums/3rd-genera...-bay-pics.html

 

Thank You so much. I thought it would be I just wasn't sure.

 

Also I am trying to replace the alternator can you tell me where it is located. I cant seem to find any DIY info online.

 

The alternator is located on the bottom corner of the engine, passenger side, in front of the firewall.

I don't know of any diy for this.

 

Yeah ok thats where I thought it was just needed to make sure....Thank you so much for your help and I sure do appreciate this forum....take care.

 

Provided you are mechanically inclined the altenator isn't crazy difficult to change on the gxe. If you have the red valve covers you have the sohc (gxe) if not you have an se. Can you post a pic? VG=(gxe) VE=(se)

 

You have an automatic GXE, federal spec with an airbag and no additional options.

 

Hey everyone, sorry to bum in. But I got this electrical problem with my Maxima 95 standard GXE.

It was heavy rain this day and I was at a light waiting for the green, and my gauge cluster shuts down. I went and got gas and came back everything was normal (except the gauge cluster is down). Went to the store and on the way my friend plugged in his phone through the aux to play music, and as he rolled his window down it made a buzzing noise, and then when I pressed my window button; the audio system turned off (its an aftermarket); then the car started to misfire, rumble and jerk until it died shortly. I have a VAFC2 installed and the monitor kept flashing.

We got back by pushing it and jump starting it until it wouldn't jump start anymore, and luckily somebody stopped and towed us home. I checked all grounds and they all have good contact. when I attached booster to the battery the car runs fine, as soon as I take it off the car begins its misfires and rumbles then shortly it dies. I took the alternator for a test at a shop and they said it gives voltage.

I decided to test it myself and unplugged the alternator from any power, with the booster on the battery turned the car on (alternator installed of course) and measured the voltage to find that it wasn't generating anything at all (I did this by connecting the voltmeter's positive wire to the positive bolt of alternator and negative wire to the engine (ground))

I have had random events of smoke smelling like burnt wire coming from under the steering wheel, possibly the ignition switch, but it was about a year ago or less and it all seems to work just fine. The guage cluster is still down, but the little VAFC2 monitor works as well as the a/m air fuel ratio gauge.

The voltmeter shows 10v from and to the alty at standby. When on it shows 12 and disconnecting the battery it goes down to 8 until it dies.

Please help, I have ran in circles around, and underneath this car. Am I doing all the testing right?

 

From experience My cluster doesn't light up is because I had a short in the tails, which caused a fuse to blow. If the Alternator didn't generate additional voltage, 14V, I think, I recommend replacing it. A friend told be its good to have a spare anyways.

But I recommend chasing any shorts you may have. If you smell burnt wire under the steering wheel, start look from the fusebox inside the car.

I how a more experience person will chime in.

 

When you have all the wires connected as they should be and the engine is not running, a good, fully charged battery will measure approximately 12.5 volts.

When the engine is running and the alternator is charging the battery, the voltage is supposed to measure 14.1 to 14.7.

From what you wrote, the alternator is not working.