1994 Maxima SE car feels like it's falling apart
07-18-2019, 03:23 PM
#1
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2019
Posts: 5
1994 Maxima SE car feels like it's falling apart
Hello everyone. I bought my car about 3 years ago with about 125k miles and I only drove it for an additional 22k miles.
During that time I had to replace the fuel injectors, clutch pump, timing belt, and several suspension and steering parts. I also had to get the alternator fixed.
Even after all those repairs, some issues never really went away at all, some were only partially fixed and feels like there's a new problem every day.
Most repair shops do not even want to work on my car and the only one that does just focus on getting it running again when something actually breaks, but they always ignore any other problems as long as the car runs.
This is my first car ever and I know nothing about cars but I feel like I'll have to learn to at least diagnose the problems so I can request things to be fixed instead of trying to describe symptoms when taking my car to the repair shop.
Here's a list of problems my car currently has.
I also have a few questions.
During that time I had to replace the fuel injectors, clutch pump, timing belt, and several suspension and steering parts. I also had to get the alternator fixed.
Even after all those repairs, some issues never really went away at all, some were only partially fixed and feels like there's a new problem every day.
Most repair shops do not even want to work on my car and the only one that does just focus on getting it running again when something actually breaks, but they always ignore any other problems as long as the car runs.
This is my first car ever and I know nothing about cars but I feel like I'll have to learn to at least diagnose the problems so I can request things to be fixed instead of trying to describe symptoms when taking my car to the repair shop.
Here's a list of problems my car currently has.
- Suspension feels super rough after I changed the suspension struts (along with other suspension parts). I believe non-compatible struts were adapted for my car when I got that repaired.
- Car pulls to the right, especially when accelerating. Everything is perfectly aligned and I took it to three different shops to get it checked so that's not the issue here. (this is not related to the previous point because that only happened after a repair and this is a problem my car always had).
- Temperature fluctuates a lot, like if the sensor fails and the radiator fans are not turning on as soon as they should?
- Power is inconsistent, sometimes feels sluggish and makes a rattling noise when I accelerate, sometimes is just smooth and nice like it should be.
- Engine doesn't seem to be running as smooth as it should and it makes an intermittent screeching noise
- 1st gear feels weird, like it pulls too much.
I also have a few questions.
- Where is the knock sensor exactly located? I have a spare one and wanted to replace it to see if it fixes anything but I can't find where in the engine block it's located.
- How can I read car codes to diagnose any engine problems?
- How and where do I check fluid levels aside from oil?
Last edited by Rubus Dragon; 07-18-2019 at 03:37 PM.
07-19-2019, 07:55 AM
#2
Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: Ontario, Canada
Posts: 1,114
Your sway bar has been shifted to the right. Do the alignment and check if the sway bar is symmetrical against the suspension.
Replace the engine coolant temperature sensor with Nissan OEM. you probably had some garbage aftermarket or used sensor installed.
And download the FSM for all your "where it is located" questions.
Overall, you are fighting an uphill battle. This is an OBDI car where pulling codes is not as easy as with OBDII. Google is your friend.
Replace the engine coolant temperature sensor with Nissan OEM. you probably had some garbage aftermarket or used sensor installed.
And download the FSM for all your "where it is located" questions.
Overall, you are fighting an uphill battle. This is an OBDI car where pulling codes is not as easy as with OBDII. Google is your friend.
07-19-2019, 08:02 PM
#3
The pulling to the right when accelerating may be a bad lower control arm bushing. When the power steering hose leaks (and it does on 99.9% of all Nissan cars) it drips on the lca bushing and rots it out.
The engine temperature fluctuation could be from air in the cooling system. The cars with the VG engine are difficult to get all the air out.
The engine rattling might be the engine pinging. Try using a better grade of gas (mid-grade instead of regular) and see what happens. Also, buy your gas from a different station.
The squealing could be a loose belt on the alternator or a/c compressor.
The engine temperature fluctuation could be from air in the cooling system. The cars with the VG engine are difficult to get all the air out.
The engine rattling might be the engine pinging. Try using a better grade of gas (mid-grade instead of regular) and see what happens. Also, buy your gas from a different station.
The squealing could be a loose belt on the alternator or a/c compressor.
07-20-2019, 11:41 AM
#4
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2019
Posts: 5
The pulling to the right when accelerating may be a bad lower control arm bushing. When the power steering hose leaks (and it does on 99.9% of all Nissan cars) it drips on the lca bushing and rots it out.
The engine temperature fluctuation could be from air in the cooling system. The cars with the VG engine are difficult to get all the air out.
The engine rattling might be the engine pinging. Try using a better grade of gas (mid-grade instead of regular) and see what happens. Also, buy your gas from a different station.
The squealing could be a loose belt on the alternator or a/c compressor.
The engine temperature fluctuation could be from air in the cooling system. The cars with the VG engine are difficult to get all the air out.
The engine rattling might be the engine pinging. Try using a better grade of gas (mid-grade instead of regular) and see what happens. Also, buy your gas from a different station.
The squealing could be a loose belt on the alternator or a/c compressor.
About gas, I'm using 95 octanes. I'm gonna try with 97 as that's the only other option I have. Getting fuel in a different station won't make a difference because all of our fuel is made by a monopolic state owned company.
About the squealing, you're right, it's totally a belt and I think it's the alternator. Sounds like there's something off center though, not really just a loose belt. I live by the countryside and the roads out here are ****, so my car is constantly covered in mud and the belts are exposed, I'm thinking it may have something to do with that.
About air in the cooling system. How do I check for that? How do I fix it? There seems to be a lot of rust dissolved in the coolant inside my radiator, and I also can see the fins if I take the cap off. I don't know if that's normal or what, but the coolant reservoir is full.
07-20-2019, 11:51 AM
#5
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2019
Posts: 5
Your sway bar has been shifted to the right. Do the alignment and check if the sway bar is symmetrical against the suspension.
Replace the engine coolant temperature sensor with Nissan OEM. you probably had some garbage aftermarket or used sensor installed.
And download the FSM for all your "where it is located" questions.
Overall, you are fighting an uphill battle. This is an OBDI car where pulling codes is not as easy as with OBDII. Google is your friend.
Replace the engine coolant temperature sensor with Nissan OEM. you probably had some garbage aftermarket or used sensor installed.
And download the FSM for all your "where it is located" questions.
Overall, you are fighting an uphill battle. This is an OBDI car where pulling codes is not as easy as with OBDII. Google is your friend.
I did check the alignment three times already in different shops and they told me everything was fine. Last time I took my car to the best alignment shop in my area and the poor guy spend like 3 hours trying to figure out what was wrong and couldn't find anything wrong in the car, but he did notice how it was pulling to the right after he drove it for a while. He didn't even charge me for it.
I'm gonna check the manual, is it available somewhere in this forum?
Thanks
07-20-2019, 12:27 PM
#6
you can read or download the Nissan service manual form here: http://boredmder.com/FSMs/Nissan/Maxima/1994/
It sounds like the engine cooling system needs to be flushed. The fact that you can see the radiator fins means that the cooling system is not full. When you remove the radiator cap when the engine is cold, the coolant should be all the way to the top, no room for air. Are you in the United States or another country? I ask this because in the United States, our cars have a coolant overflow tank that allows us the have the radiator completely filled.
To bleed the air out of the cooling system, you want to raise the front end of the car. Park on a hill or incline or use car ramps. The higher the better. I like to go for 12 to 18 inches. Remove the radiator cap, fill the radiator, leaving the top tank about half full. Make sure the heater controls inside the car are set to full heat. Start the engine and allow the engine to warm up so that the thermostat will open and allow coolant to flow through the radiator. When the thermostat does open, the trapped air will come out. The coolant will sometime spray out the filler opening, so don't be looking in the opening. When the thermostat opens, the radiator level will be low as the coolant has now replaced the air in the engine. Refill the radiator and let the engine to run for several more minutes before turning off. Check the coolant level in the radiator, add more if needed and replace the radiator cap.
It sounds like the engine cooling system needs to be flushed. The fact that you can see the radiator fins means that the cooling system is not full. When you remove the radiator cap when the engine is cold, the coolant should be all the way to the top, no room for air. Are you in the United States or another country? I ask this because in the United States, our cars have a coolant overflow tank that allows us the have the radiator completely filled.
To bleed the air out of the cooling system, you want to raise the front end of the car. Park on a hill or incline or use car ramps. The higher the better. I like to go for 12 to 18 inches. Remove the radiator cap, fill the radiator, leaving the top tank about half full. Make sure the heater controls inside the car are set to full heat. Start the engine and allow the engine to warm up so that the thermostat will open and allow coolant to flow through the radiator. When the thermostat does open, the trapped air will come out. The coolant will sometime spray out the filler opening, so don't be looking in the opening. When the thermostat opens, the radiator level will be low as the coolant has now replaced the air in the engine. Refill the radiator and let the engine to run for several more minutes before turning off. Check the coolant level in the radiator, add more if needed and replace the radiator cap.
07-20-2019, 01:39 PM
#7
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2019
Posts: 5
you can read or download the Nissan service manual form here: http://boredmder.com/FSMs/Nissan/Maxima/1994/
It sounds like the engine cooling system needs to be flushed. The fact that you can see the radiator fins means that the cooling system is not full. When you remove the radiator cap when the engine is cold, the coolant should be all the way to the top, no room for air. Are you in the United States or another country? I ask this because in the United States, our cars have a coolant overflow tank that allows us the have the radiator completely filled.
To bleed the air out of the cooling system, you want to raise the front end of the car. Park on a hill or incline or use car ramps. The higher the better. I like to go for 12 to 18 inches. Remove the radiator cap, fill the radiator, leaving the top tank about half full. Make sure the heater controls inside the car are set to full heat. Start the engine and allow the engine to warm up so that the thermostat will open and allow coolant to flow through the radiator. When the thermostat does open, the trapped air will come out. The coolant will sometime spray out the filler opening, so don't be looking in the opening. When the thermostat opens, the radiator level will be low as the coolant has now replaced the air in the engine. Refill the radiator and let the engine to run for several more minutes before turning off. Check the coolant level in the radiator, add more if needed and replace the radiator cap.
It sounds like the engine cooling system needs to be flushed. The fact that you can see the radiator fins means that the cooling system is not full. When you remove the radiator cap when the engine is cold, the coolant should be all the way to the top, no room for air. Are you in the United States or another country? I ask this because in the United States, our cars have a coolant overflow tank that allows us the have the radiator completely filled.
To bleed the air out of the cooling system, you want to raise the front end of the car. Park on a hill or incline or use car ramps. The higher the better. I like to go for 12 to 18 inches. Remove the radiator cap, fill the radiator, leaving the top tank about half full. Make sure the heater controls inside the car are set to full heat. Start the engine and allow the engine to warm up so that the thermostat will open and allow coolant to flow through the radiator. When the thermostat does open, the trapped air will come out. The coolant will sometime spray out the filler opening, so don't be looking in the opening. When the thermostat opens, the radiator level will be low as the coolant has now replaced the air in the engine. Refill the radiator and let the engine to run for several more minutes before turning off. Check the coolant level in the radiator, add more if needed and replace the radiator cap.
I hope this fixes the temperature issue, thanks for the suggestion.
I'm trying to pull ECU codes now. I don't know how useful that is because I never had a check engine light before, but figured I should check anyway.
I'm only getting codes in the full clockwise position, but no codes when I revert back.
This is what I'm getting:
One very long blink
pause
Two long blinks
pause
3 short blinks
pause
4 short blinks
pause
5 short blinks
I don't know how to interpret that or where to get the actual codes. The few references I found online say I should get codes with the screw turned all the way counter-clock wise, not the other way around.
Do you know where I could get some info on those codes?
Thanks
07-20-2019, 04:30 PM
#8
The meaning of the blinking of the lights on the ECU is different for the VG engine and the VE engine. Because your Maxima is the SE model, I think you have the VE engine, but I may be wrong.
The blinking light on the ECU is explained in the service manual, specifically the file EC.pdf. I gave you the link to it earlier, so you have the information.
Page 190 is the start of the Diagnostic section for the VE engine and goes on for a bunch of pages. The Diagnostic section for the VG engine starts on page 34.
The blinking light on the ECU is explained in the service manual, specifically the file EC.pdf. I gave you the link to it earlier, so you have the information.
Page 190 is the start of the Diagnostic section for the VE engine and goes on for a bunch of pages. The Diagnostic section for the VG engine starts on page 34.
07-21-2019, 08:46 AM
#9
Member
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: Fl, USA
Posts: 249
In regards to the car pulling to the right, rotate the two front tires - meaning move the one on right to the left and vice versa and see if the puling shifts to the other side. Back when I had my sentra I had this issue that drove me and all the alignment shops crazy until someone changed the wheels around and figured there was something different with that rim/wheel.
07-24-2019, 10:20 AM
#10
Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: Ontario, Canada
Posts: 1,114
It sounds by 95 ad 97 octane like you are in Europe. In the UK? I find it hard to believe that the best alignment specialist in your area could not find the root cause of pulling to the right. If not alignment, then it is usually tire pressure, seized brake calipers, different tires such as worn vs new between the driver and passenger side, or damage to the subrame or body.
07-24-2019, 12:17 PM
#11
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2019
Posts: 5
In regards to the car pulling to the right, rotate the two front tires - meaning move the one on right to the left and vice versa and see if the puling shifts to the other side. Back when I had my sentra I had this issue that drove me and all the alignment shops crazy until someone changed the wheels around and figured there was something different with that rim/wheel.
07-25-2019, 04:02 PM
#12
In regards to the overheating, since the coolant in the engine was rusty, flushing and refilling with fresh antifreeze may not be the total answer. Something had to rust. A possibility is the water pump impeller blades.
Click on the link and scroll down to post # 31 for some photos of rusted off impeller blades. If your car were to have this, you would still have overheating problems. The only way you can find out if this is your problem is to remove the water pump and look. This is a worst case situation.
http://forums.maxima.org/5th-generat...-speeding.html
Click on the link and scroll down to post # 31 for some photos of rusted off impeller blades. If your car were to have this, you would still have overheating problems. The only way you can find out if this is your problem is to remove the water pump and look. This is a worst case situation.
http://forums.maxima.org/5th-generat...-speeding.html
07-26-2019, 02:52 AM
#13
Junior Member
Join Date: Jul 2019
Location: Earlton Ontario Canada
Posts: 20
If the temperature fluctuates a lot you may need to change the thermostat senor, and get a new thermostat those two easy fixes should clear things up, I had problems with this a while back I did those things and it runs great. Sensors are fairly cheap so try that, and thermostats have a wax in them that can wear out so older cars will need new ones and that could be the main issue here.
10-17-2019, 11:25 AM
#14
Member
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: DFW- Texas
Posts: 115
the pull to the right, as I've experienced on my 94 GXE is torque-steer. Previous poster said to swap front tires left to right, rt to left and see if the pull goes other direction. I did this on mine and it reversed. I believe it's caused by the directional treaded tires- i.e. tires that were designed to rotate in one direction due to the tread design. Also, this suspension system design IMHO is an obsolete mushy sloppy flexxy design. Not designed to be a maneuverable car- it was designed to be a comfortable "sporty" sedan, in stock form there's no sub-frame or multi-link members to control body lean etc. So when they get old they get more flexible and are susceptible to torque steer etc.
The 3.0 sohc engine, though is bullet-proof smooth and silky but not designed to deliver much power- only 160 hp in stock form. 9:1 compression ratio I believe so 87 octane is ok. Using premium you're just wasting $$$'s.
these cars also had heater core problems- they sludge up. I replaced mine and it blows hot. If you can't power flush the system and get decent heat, there's only one remedy- replace the core. Pretty daunting job.
Find my write-up from 5 years ago.
The 3.0 sohc engine, though is bullet-proof smooth and silky but not designed to deliver much power- only 160 hp in stock form. 9:1 compression ratio I believe so 87 octane is ok. Using premium you're just wasting $$$'s.
these cars also had heater core problems- they sludge up. I replaced mine and it blows hot. If you can't power flush the system and get decent heat, there's only one remedy- replace the core. Pretty daunting job.
Find my write-up from 5 years ago.
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