coming home to night after class my max died on me. I really mean it one minute i am listen to music the next minute total darkness headlights, radio, dash, powerwindow nothing worked even the trunk opener, So i naturaly think its my battery connection and pop the hood. i check the connection and its well connected. I then remove the battery and clean the ends and the contacts but still no results. luck for me a couple of guys help me push the max to an area where there is light. we try a jump start, when their car was connected to my car the lights came on and less then 30 seconds later we see smoke coming from the alternator.

i just got back home less then an hour ago (left car at location arranged for towing by 3 AM) and searched the board for some reason why my car just died on me. All the other post i read say their car died but still had some sign of life (headlights or even the dash) but mine is dead no sign of life

does anyone know what might be the problem?
and with the smoke that came out from the alternator is it possible that i might have fried other electrical units? (don't want to be replacing the whole electrical system due to that mistake)

its past 1 AM and i am freaked out this really caught me at a bad time I dont have that much money and if it turns out that i can't fix the problem for less the 300 i am $crewed

any inputs ?




ohh fyi I have a white 98 Se 5speed (never had problems with her)

 

i dont think a new alternator would cost you more than 300 bucks....

 

well isnt it obvious its your alternator ..... holy CRAP i just remembered your in serious luck!!!! ..... most 98 maximas have a recall on the alternators!!! .... if yours hasnt been replaced before then you may qualify .... call up nissan early tomorrow morning and give them your VIN number and tell them to check to see if it qualifys!!!!!!!... good luck !

 

Yeah, happens when you drive a Nissan.

 

^^^don't even listen to this guy. He's probably some guy that got banned and is trying to get 'revenge' or something... :gay:

 

No, I drive a Pontiac

 

 

ohhh, well that explains a lot. if i had a POS domestic, i would try to e-thug in forums too...

 

Yeah, well...too bad this POS domestic eats your tiny V6 alive

 

This guys just asking to get banned....

 

still doesn't change the fact that it's a domestic. can't win em all, can ya? Potiac forum is thataway!

 

 

http://www.userloser.net/

 

LOLLOL .. ban this newb for 2 reasons .... 1. hes STUPID... and 2. he really thinks a pontiac could beat a ..24v DOHC 3.0 Liter 205foot pounds torque with 190 horse putting out 6.6 0-60 in a stick ...... this guy is WACK

he was banned afterall .. thank you MODS !

 

Sorry to hear. happened to me as well 2 years ago. My alternator went while driving on the highway in Montreal during rush hour. Pretty scary, i had to take off my t-shirt and wave it like an idiot so that cars coming around the corner wouldnt hit me. Had my alternator rebuilt and it cost around 400-450 canadian so around 300. Id find out how much you can get a used one for and find somesone to install it. Might save you a hundred bucks. goog luck

 

By the way im kinda in the same boat my starter is acting up and i need a new one think its around 250 to get it done at shop vs finding a part at discount and shopping for someone to install. Time is money and money is time so if your in a hurry go ahead and spend the 300. and get over and done with and enjoy being free.

 

Yeah, but we can drive around and not look like a total guido.

 

My alternator just died the other day also check this thread it has info about the recall in it.

http://forums.maxima.org/showthread.php?t=436311

 

pontiac eats too much gas. and that's all there is about it

 

 

hahaha damn aliens

 

Where does the term "firehawk" come from? Is that what the firebird was called back in the day, around the time of Smokey the Bandit?

 

I think the troll means sh!thawk!

 

P O N T I A C, " We build $hitboxes....... Pontiac. American POS, junk at 50k and not worth a penny on a trade-in.

 

Do what I did. Go to the junk yard and get a used one, go to a auto part store that tests alternators and starters. I got one for 50 bux + core exchange and installed it myself. that is pretty economical.

 

not far off from nissan

 

but after install i heard many people started getting electrical problems does anyone know if this is true.

 

Well back to this kids problem. You should have noticed ur battery light go on and your car slowly dieing once ur alternator went. Your battery will still have 12 volts left in it once the alternator goes. When mine went on my 92 my e-brake light was on along with my batt light , i guess that was common with 3ed gens I dont know about 4th gens, and i was able to drive for about 5-10 minues before she died. Anyway bust out the trusti mulitmeter and test the batt.

 

Firehawk is a special Trans Am made by SLP in 2002 . Its a vette-beater, so its not such a POS after all.....

Don't hate on V-8 f-cars. Go waste him in your own......buy one for $5000 or less.........


Back to topic, My car is doing the same thing, when I push the window or lock buttons the lights dim slightly......

That said, its likely the battery. Don't know when it was last changed, so's now a good time to fix that.....

 

Firehawks are fast and I hate to admit it, it would easily beat our v6 maximas in stock form, but above all its still a pontiac
firehawks dont come that cheap for 5000, they are priced around 25 grand

 

ok back to the main alternator topic

 

the F-car its based off of cost $5000. Buy a used Trans Am and mod it. You will save about $20,0000

 

ohh ok Im not that much familiar with american cars

 

Hey I just had this problem. I bought a 95 max for 500 (the battery light and brake light were on) on the way home it died made it about 75 miles during the day. had to go back to get it the next day. I took 2 fully charged batteries with me to make it home, got just under 40 miles (on 1 battery) and it died cuz I had the lights on. I just bought a used alternator on ebay for 42.99 shipped. Hopefully monday it will arrive. A new alternator is gonna run about 150 so... hope this helps

 

Back onto topic, I just had the same problem a month ago, my alternator crapped on me and I tried to restart car and it caught on fire. Call Nissan or a Nissan Dealer closeby and give them your VIN# and ask if there is a recall. There was a recall on 97 and early 98 maximas because the alternator would catch fire. My 98 max was under the recall and I got it replaced for free, all I had to pay was for towing. Call up Nissan and ask, if nothing else got burned and it was just the alternator, you may not have to pay a cent at all.

 

pontiacs are for grandma's

 

what the hell is wrong with u people hating on domestics...and the other idiots hating on nissans..???? grow up !! both sides act like the other side is a hater...and then there u are talking smack about another car company.....thats just lame.....it makes u seem like fans of ur cars instead of a real enthusiast.

losers

 

I experienced some road rage with a Pontiac last night. He was upset that I changed into his lane--here in PA, people don't pay attention to solid lines and don't know how to merge. He merged early and I did so where I was supposed to, and ended up in front of him which he didn't like. He tailgated me so I drove about the speed limit, and was the last car that could make a left turn with the arrow--the dude ran the light (not unusual in Phila.) and almost got side-swiped by ongoing traffic. That made him even angrier so he tailgated me with his brights on. I got tired of all this so I pulled over and gave him the beating of his life. Just kidding, I don't do that anymore. But I did pull over and let him by so I could at least get his plate down and see where he lives. Just kidding again. It was one of those ghey Grand Prix 4 drs with the fake dual exhausts. I drove one on a 1000 mile trip, it's powerless, although it did get 31 mpg. Motorweek does like the new one, though, with the small block V8......but FWD? c'mon now

 

There's nothing wrong with driving a domestic that someone else owns, it's just a losing proposition to buy one. Look at GM and the rumors of impending bankruptcy, when a co. is backed into a corner, it's not as if they're in a good position to build great cars.

Anyway, Chevy Cobalt is a fun car to drive. Electric power steering is a treat, short of the active steering on my I mean the new 3, it's nearly the best steering I've ever felt. Drive the Cobalt and you'll hate the Maxima steering to no end. But I still don't want to own a Cobalt.

Corvette, of course, is an exception. And Cadillac seems to have some decent products. But who wants to own one if you're not 3-5 years from retiring?

 

See any '95 GM cars that run as good as our Maxes? Corvettes need not apply.....

If I had to own a "domestic" car (keep in mind a lot of Japanese cars, Including the six-gen Max, are made in USA) It would be a GM car. Goodness no way EVER would I drive a Ford, unless I had a dealer mechanic and a lawyer for relatives.

Back to topic. Do the alternators in '95-'96 Maxes have any problems?