I took my 95 SE (5-speed) into a local Minit-Tune today and had them flush the brakes and replace the fluid with Dot 3. This has never been done and I have owned the car since new. It has 57,200 mostly highway miles on it and the original brake pads still have 50% on the front and 40% on the rear.

I was told that I had a leak from a transmission seal on the left side. I just had the transaxle gear oil replaced about 400 miles ago for the first time at a Mr. Lube and they did not comment on this problem. Is this a cause for concern?

Secondly, I was told that I had a slight leak from an engine oil sensor and the sensor could be replaced. I have noticed a modest amount of fluid residue on my garage floor over time but nothing to write home about.

It strikes me that one would have to be rather **** to go ahead and spend money to get these things resolved. Is this a fair assessment, ie. what is the downside if I do nothing and just monitor the amount on the floor?

Lastly, Nissan recently told me that my brakes are in good condition. Yet the shop told me today that I had a sticky caliper and that my right brake pad had warped and both brake pads should be replaced and I should have a rebuilt right caliper installed. He referred to noise when the wheel is turned. There is absolutely no noise when I drive the car. I believe they are trying to blow smoke up a certain orifice.

I have never been to this shop before and today's visit may be my last, although they undercut everybody I checked with on the brake flush.

Any comments please?

 

Why not do the inspection yourself and determine it for yourself as opposed to taking other people's words for what they are worth, and basing your decision on someone else's opinion?

If you have a leak from your transmission, go see where it is leaking from, then from there you'll have an idea of why it is leaking, and whether it needs immediate attention or not.

If you have a leak from the engine oil sensor, why not replace? It's even easier than doing an oil change.

Whether it is **** or not will depend on what your opinion of proper maintenance is. When I first noticed my oil pressure sensor leaking, it would only seap, and never drip. At the next oil change, I replaced it. Whether you would decide to or not is up to you.

As for the brakes, check them out for yourself. Either that or take it to someone you trust, so that you don't go onto a board passing along information hoping to hear what you want to hear.

If you don't trust anyone to check out your car for you, and would second guess them for whatever reason, whether it's because you don't think they know enough, or you don't trust them, learn for yourself and diagnos yourself.

 

Thanks, I think I'll start doing my own dental work while I'm at it, lol!

 

It would be like finding a dentist you trust, or learning about dentistry yourself.

Make all the jokes you want. It's your time and your money. If you want to pay other people that you don't trust to make an assessment for you, then either live with it, or figure it out yourself so you can diagnos it.

 

^^^If they'd hand out syringes of novacaine, i would

 

Actually, self dental care is not that rare. I know a lot of learned people, especially in the US, that practice their own dental care up to pretty major stuff like root canals.

 

that's pretty interesting, i would guess if you numbed yourself up it really wouldn't be too big a deal.....just gotta know what you're doing

beats having someone else's hands in your mouth and a big bill

 

I recommend cutting your own hair first, then perform a lobotomy, then go for the root canal.

 

I'd slip in, learn basics of automobiles before root canal too.

 

lobotomy?? hey buddy you're the one who took their ride to "Minit-Tune"

 

what color fluids are on the flood? red? or motor oil kind? if its red, its atf, if its dark, motor oil..

monitor ur fluids and see how the car feels. if braking is wierd and funny, then maybe u should check it out. Also, a routine checklist of what has been done is useful.. I've begun a record to check what I have done and what needs to be done as well. I'm doing my brakes and learning how as soon as the pads come in.

i would trust nissan dealer. i went good year and was told my pads didn't have to be done yet, yet i experienced screeching during brake, and bruning of brake fluid. i plan on changing it as to learn and it couldn't harm to get some new pads in either if anything... if anything i'l probably get the shop to flush and fill my brake fluid after im done w/ the job.

good luck..

 

 

Well enough of playing silly b!gger. Any and all input is appreciated. I was just hoping someone would have experience with a leaky transmission seal and an engine oil sensor, but I understand each situation is somewhat unique. The stealership (as much as I detest going there) has not said anything about a) a leaky transmission seal, b) an engine oil sensor leak, or c) a problem with my brakes. Minit-Tune said to monitor the situation leakwise so I'll do that.

I enjoy driving. I hate getting my hands dirty, damn OCD I wish it would go away, lol!
I have no tools and have no intentions of buying any. However, I have a friend who is a mechanical wizard and has every tool known to man including air tools and an engine puller, but is not conversant with my Maxima. I will get him to look at the car. He has done a million brake jobs, clutch jobs etc. However, he is from the old school and I'm sure he would say don't worry about the leaks.

As far as the brakes are concerned I'm convinced there is no problem and will have my friend look at it as well as he has rebuilt the calipers on my 85 RX7 and replaced the pads and would know a warped disc pad and a sticky caliper if it existed on my car.

The owner at the Minit-Tune could tell right away that I was rather **** about maintaining my car.

By the way, how is the weather in Toronto?

 

If you are serious about figuring out these leaks, start by cleaning EVERYTHING down. Use an engine degrease, brake cleaner, etc. Just wipe down everything. That way, any new grease/oil/etc will be fresh, and tracing it to the source will be much easier.

After that, once a week or so or once a month or so, depending on the rate of leakage, take a look. That way, the leaks are fresh, and the different colours of various fluids/lubricants is more obvious.

As for the engine oil pressure sensor, I'd just do it regardless. Like I said, it's easier than doing an oil change.

And there is no need to defend yourself. If you are **** or not about your car, who really cares? I was bustin' your chops because you can easily figure out a lot of this without paying people you don't trust to diagnos it. A lot of the diagnoses that you are looking for, you can do yourself, for free, when you are free. As opposed to paying someone, going to them most likely on your time, etc. And best of all, you can be certain of the problems then, and how you want to address them.

 

i have the same feelings toward dealerships, with the leaks do keep an eye on them along with your fluid levels to make sure nothing dips below normal

for your brakes, i'm sure the minit-tune was just trying to rustle up some extra odd jobs for their employees and make some extra income

the easiest way to detect a sticking caliper is after you drive your car touch each rotor down where it comes in contact with your wheel.....judge the front and rear ones seperately since they will give off different amounts of heat.....but if one side seems much hotter than the other there is a good chance that caliper is sticking

 

Thanks, I'll go to my friends place. He has ramps etc. I'm not supposed to be jacking up my car and doing maintenance in my townhouse complex as the bylaws are rather strict and some of the owners are even more **** than me if you can believe it, lol!

I'll take you up on the engine oil sensor and replace. I've never added a drop of engine oil to the car between oil changes and religiously have the oil changed - sometimes as low as 4,500 km between changes and never more than 6,400 km.

The owner at Minit-Tune said he had to remove the CV joint (boot or whatever?) to replace the tranny seal. Does this make sense?

The car has also had the power steering fluid flushed and the radiator flushed in the past 6 to 9 months.

In fact the only things that have ever gone wrong with the car before mentioning the above are: an O2 sensor on warranty about 6 years ago, a new battery, a front headlight bulb recently and a blown sidewall on a rear tire.

I never did find out how the weather is in Toronto!

 

Darn it, Sin must have gone to bed!

 

for the tranny seal, i believe you have to remove the axle....which goes into the tranny, the cv boot is just apart of it

 

Dude, you waited 6 minutes. If you're that impatient, learn to check things yourself so you can check them when you want.

As for oil, it's good that you are religious about your oil drain intervals. But are you also using a quality synthetic, i.e. AMSOIL? If not, you could be doing a lot more to protect your engine than you know. In fact, just running Mobil 1 and doing it yourself, instead of paying a quick stop will cost you about the same, and again, the most important part, you'll know it was done RIGHT. And I bet they use generic filters. A good oil filter is also very important. Arguably, more so than low oil drain intervals.

Before I answer your question about whether the axle/CV needs to be removed, you should go learn about your car some more. Go get yourself a Haynes/Chiltons. They are like $15 Canadian at Canadian Tire. And it'll teach you more than you ever thought you'd know about your car. Hell, even an undercar picture, or your looking under your car when it's being worked on will teach you a lot. Enough to answer this question.

Not to mention, there are multiple pdf versions of factory service manuals out there floating the www that you can download for free.

Weather in Toronto? Well, lately it's been about -5 highs for day time, and -10 to -15 lows for night time. Take off another 5 to 10 deg or so when there's wind. We had a really cold spell for a while, lots of pipes were breaking and what not. The roads were OWNED by the winter this year. But things are already getting warmer. During early January daytime highs of -10 to -15 with windchills 10 deg lower was normal, and night times about 10 deg colder. But it's been getting warmer lately like I said. And it's still pretty volatile, like every now and then, we'll get a nice warm spell that's like 5 or more deg warmer than normal. But they don't last. At the most, they're around for 3-4 days.

 

I believe Haynes is recommended over Chilton's for the 4th Gen. I've been thinking about switching to synthetic, say Mobil 1 which I can buy at Wal-Mart or Canadian Tire and I hear you on using say a Nissan filter over whatever the luby-loos use.

However, I don't drive the car that much and I really don't know what benefits synthetic will give me over the Castrol GTX 5W-30 that I always use, other than what the dreaded stealership pumps in in bulk.

I was going to go synthetic with the transaxle fluid and said to hell with it and just went with the Quaker State GL4 75W-90 and for Cdn$29.99 thats good enough for me.

We don't get the cold winters at the coast you would get in Toronto. It was 16 Celsisus in Vancouver today and we are setting an all time record for hours of sunshine in February. With the clear skies it's getting down to -2 or -3 at night. So the jury is out with me as far as synthetic oil is concerned. I believe one of the benefits is cold startup. If I was living in Prince George it would be another matter.

 

If you've got an automatic, the only thing i'd recommend getting from the dealership is the nissan tranny fluid

i think its called D-matic or something, but its the stuff the car comes with and it probably costs less than full synethic trans fluid

 

The car is a 5-speed manual and I don't drive it like a rented mule. Been there and done that and have the T-shirt to prove it, lol! I respect this car too much to beat on it. I have been faster in it once on the Coquihalla highway than in any car in my life and I grew up in the muscle car era. My dad had a 1967 Mustang, 2-door coupe, with a 390 engine, rated at 320 hp at the time and I drove it like a rented mule, lol, as well as several cars I have owned over the years. Consequently I believe proper maintenance of this Maxima will result in years and years of driving pleasure for me as it still runs and looks like new.

 

One amazing automobile

 

The fuel economy wasn't amazing, lol! But gas cost peanuts back then.

 

back before they realized the concept of conserving fossil fuels

 

Given the number of SUVs, vans, trucks, etc. (that people really don't need) on the road today, "the concept of conserving fossil fuels" is not going to be a reality any time soon.

 

very true, just glad to know i'm playing my part with a 3.0 liter