NOOBIES: "I AM NEW HERE BUT HAVE A QUESTION" thread. Read FIRST post BEFORE posting!
#8521
New cluster is the easiest. In my opinion, and after screwing with mine to fix it when it broke, It's not worth the hassle when they can be found easily on the org.
Mileage is no biggie even if you get a new one with higher miles. Just record what the mileage is on it when you install it and record the mileage of the old one (your actual mileage) then just add mileage accumulated from what it was when you installed. For instance, you have 100,000 on broken one, new one has 150,000 (50,000 more than you have on car). So, you record the 150,000, drive to 155,000 so you'd add 5000 miles to your old (100,000 mile) cluster. That's what I did. Having higher mileage cluster is really no huge deal. Just explain the situation if you ever have to sell and make sure you keep the recordings. Make sense?
Mileage is no biggie even if you get a new one with higher miles. Just record what the mileage is on it when you install it and record the mileage of the old one (your actual mileage) then just add mileage accumulated from what it was when you installed. For instance, you have 100,000 on broken one, new one has 150,000 (50,000 more than you have on car). So, you record the 150,000, drive to 155,000 so you'd add 5000 miles to your old (100,000 mile) cluster. That's what I did. Having higher mileage cluster is really no huge deal. Just explain the situation if you ever have to sell and make sure you keep the recordings. Make sense?
#8522
another thing..when I'm driving, I feel a rub on my front drivers side wheel..I asked a mechanic that lives by me he said it could be the plate behind the rotor that's rubbin against the rotor, I pushed it back as much as I could without doin damage to that area and I still get that rubbin feelin. I think its the wheel rubbin on somethin but can't find what, any ideas?
#8523
Search the 4th gen for sale section for "cluster" and start reading thru the threads and asking to see if they still have them. You can also start a "wanted to buy" thread in the same section. Also, you can try pm'ing maxima_joe and ask him if he has any since he has a ton of 4th gen parts.
#8524
I actually have 2 questions
First off, I want to know how I can tell if I have a 1995 GLE or GXE (Dealer didnt know) and second I am looking into programmers that plug directly into the OBD2 port so that I can tune the engine, and I dont wanna hear that Im going to blow up the engine because that really doesnt matter (im under warrenty, yes really).
My '95 maxima:
168,000km (104,000 miles)
Dark Green, almost black
Mods:
Cold Air Intake (came already on car)
maybe aftermarket muffler (came already on car)
Whole car costed me $2900
My '95 maxima:
168,000km (104,000 miles)
Dark Green, almost black
Mods:
Cold Air Intake (came already on car)
maybe aftermarket muffler (came already on car)
Whole car costed me $2900
#8525
First off, I want to know how I can tell if I have a 1995 GLE or GXE (Dealer didnt know) and second I am looking into programmers that plug directly into the OBD2 port so that I can tune the engine, and I dont wanna hear that Im going to blow up the engine because that really doesnt matter (im under warrenty, yes really).
My '95 maxima:
168,000km (104,000 miles)
Dark Green, almost black
Mods:
Cold Air Intake (came already on car)
maybe aftermarket muffler (came already on car)
Whole car costed me $2900
My '95 maxima:
168,000km (104,000 miles)
Dark Green, almost black
Mods:
Cold Air Intake (came already on car)
maybe aftermarket muffler (came already on car)
Whole car costed me $2900
http://forums.maxima.org/4th-generat...hread-yet.html
For all your other 4th gen questions...
http://forums.maxima.org/4th-generat...on-maxima.html
I don't think you can tune the stock ECU but I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong.
#8526
I30 TPS Test
Good day all,
While testing the TPS on my 96 I30, the multimeter shows 600 ohms when throttle closed and 3900 ohms when throttle fully opened.
I let my friend press on the gas pedal slowly, the resistance increased but then right at the middle, my meter shows OL. I did it a few times to confirm it and it always shows OL right at the mid point.
The TPS seems to have been changed before by the previous owner since there is a green dot like the one junkyards do to mark parts.
Is the meter showing OL normal or that my TPS is bad?
Thanks in advance.
While testing the TPS on my 96 I30, the multimeter shows 600 ohms when throttle closed and 3900 ohms when throttle fully opened.
I let my friend press on the gas pedal slowly, the resistance increased but then right at the middle, my meter shows OL. I did it a few times to confirm it and it always shows OL right at the mid point.
The TPS seems to have been changed before by the previous owner since there is a green dot like the one junkyards do to mark parts.
Is the meter showing OL normal or that my TPS is bad?
Thanks in advance.
#8527
I have a 96 and my A/C isn't working right. It will blow cold for about 5 minutes and then blow like I switched it to economy. If I turn the system off wait a while then back on it will work again for about 5 minutes. It will do this constantly any ideas
#8528
I have a 99 maxima se auto. i posted a question about my CV joints a while back. i got them both replaced about 3 weeks ago and everything seemed fine after that up until the last week. when i brake the car it makes the same clicking sound i was hearing while i turned the car when i had bad cv joints. it only does it when i am going like real slow and gently on the brake pedal, prob under 10-15 mph. this happens if the wheel is straight OR if i turn it like im pulling into my driveway. it does it almost every time when i pull into my driveway but usually when its hot out i would hear it better.
now my question is could this be a CV joint related problem? or could this be something else? i ran it by my father and he thinks its coming from my left front wheel and he thinks that its my rotors because my car doesn't exactly stop real evenly it has a "pulsating brake" according to him so he doesn't think its my CV joints at all, but i argued with him that i feel as if it is the same sound i was hearing with the CV joints. could my mechanic have done something wrong for this to happen, like forget to put something in or over tighten something, ect?
now my question is could this be a CV joint related problem? or could this be something else? i ran it by my father and he thinks its coming from my left front wheel and he thinks that its my rotors because my car doesn't exactly stop real evenly it has a "pulsating brake" according to him so he doesn't think its my CV joints at all, but i argued with him that i feel as if it is the same sound i was hearing with the CV joints. could my mechanic have done something wrong for this to happen, like forget to put something in or over tighten something, ect?
#8529
95 won't start sometimes
I am sure this has been covered somewhere. I just can't seem to get the problem nailed down. Have a 95 that just started dying on me all of the sudden. Checked fire and it was ok. Checked fuel and it wasn't. Replaced fuel pump. Didn't fix issue eventhough there was no fuel pressure before and now there is. Replaced IACV, TPS, cam pos sensor. Car will run great for maybe an hour and then die and will restart after maybe 20 mins of spinning engine. Don't know what else to do. Any ideas?
#8530
P0500 wont go away for me to pass insepection
i know im late but i have the same problem i though it was because i did the speed limiter cut of the pink and blue wire...i cant pass inspection.. i have tighten the screws and a new VSS help please..i have also tried to add wire to the limiter and electric taped it back together....i did see this thread in the past but no one answered it nor either of the methods were succesful
i know im late but i have the same problem i though it was because i did the speed limiter cut of the pink and blue wire...i cant pass inspection.. i have tighten the screws and a new VSS help please..i have also tried to add wire to the limiter and electric taped it back together....i did see this thread in the past but no one answered it nor either of the methods were succesful
#8531
Hi I have a 1996 nissan maxima SE my check engine light is on had the codes ran and came up with this P0446 which is the charcoal canister purge solenoid and P0440 which is the canister vent control valve i need both of theses parts but when i went to the nissan dealership to buy the parts they said that they did not know what i needed because they might be called something else because of japan parts can anyone help me all i want to do is buy the parts so i can get this fixed thanks
#8532
Hi I have a 1996 nissan maxima SE my check engine light is on had the codes ran and came up with this P0446 which is the charcoal canister purge solenoid and P0440 which is the canister vent control valve i need both of theses parts but when i went to the nissan dealership to buy the parts they said that they did not know what i needed because they might be called something else because of japan parts can anyone help me all i want to do is buy the parts so i can get this fixed thanks
Depending on when your car was manufactured, it is either part number 14935-54U00 (replaced by 14935-54U1A) or 14933-54U00 (replaced by 14933-54U0A). List price is $127 but you can find them on line for around $102 and up.
Tell the bozos at the dealership to look in section D (engine electrical) then sub-section 223 (vacuum piping) of the parts manual.
http://www.nissanpartszone.com/Page_...2&PageID=17320
#8533
P0500 wont go away for me to pass insepection
i know im late but i have the same problem i though it was because i did the speed limiter cut of the pink and blue wire...i cant pass inspection.. i have tighten the screws and a new VSS help please..i have also tried to add wire to the limiter and electric taped it back together....i did see this thread in the past but no one answered it nor either of the methods were succesful
i know im late but i have the same problem i though it was because i did the speed limiter cut of the pink and blue wire...i cant pass inspection.. i have tighten the screws and a new VSS help please..i have also tried to add wire to the limiter and electric taped it back together....i did see this thread in the past but no one answered it nor either of the methods were succesful
Since cutting the wire gives you a permanent check engine light, you would have a problem with the annual vehicle inspection that many states require. To get around this, connect the ends of that wire to a switch. That way you can turn the speed limiter (and the CEL) on and off.
Last edited by DennisMik; 05-23-2012 at 07:39 PM.
#8534
The service manual says that if you have both the P0440 and P0446 codes at the same time, fix the P0446 code first and MAYBE the P0440 will also go away. The P0446 code is the EVAP Canister Vent Control Valve. It is bolted on the top corner of the charcoal (EVAP) canister right behind the driver's rear wheel. Many times you can take this valve off and clean it with WD40, rather than buy a new one.
Depending on when your car was manufactured, it is either part number 14935-54U00 (replaced by 14935-54U1A) or 14933-54U00 (replaced by 14933-54U0A). List price is $127 but you can find them on line for around $102 and up.
Tell the bozos at the dealership to look in section D (engine electrical) then sub-section 223 (vacuum piping) of the parts manual.
http://www.nissanpartszone.com/Page_...2&PageID=17320
Depending on when your car was manufactured, it is either part number 14935-54U00 (replaced by 14935-54U1A) or 14933-54U00 (replaced by 14933-54U0A). List price is $127 but you can find them on line for around $102 and up.
Tell the bozos at the dealership to look in section D (engine electrical) then sub-section 223 (vacuum piping) of the parts manual.
http://www.nissanpartszone.com/Page_...2&PageID=17320
thanks brah so you saying change the first and the other should be good and i can past inspection
#8535
The service manual says that if you have both the P0440 and P0446 codes at the same time, fix the P0446 code first and MAYBE the P0440 will also go away. The P0446 code is the EVAP Canister Vent Control Valve. It is bolted on the top corner of the charcoal (EVAP) canister right behind the driver's rear wheel. Many times you can take this valve off and clean it with WD40, rather than buy a new one.
Depending on when your car was manufactured, it is either part number 14935-54U00 (replaced by 14935-54U1A) or 14933-54U00 (replaced by 14933-54U0A). List price is $127 but you can find them on line for around $102 and up.
Tell the bozos at the dealership to look in section D (engine electrical) then sub-section 223 (vacuum piping) of the parts manual.
http://www.nissanpartszone.com/Page_...2&PageID=17320
Depending on when your car was manufactured, it is either part number 14935-54U00 (replaced by 14935-54U1A) or 14933-54U00 (replaced by 14933-54U0A). List price is $127 but you can find them on line for around $102 and up.
Tell the bozos at the dealership to look in section D (engine electrical) then sub-section 223 (vacuum piping) of the parts manual.
http://www.nissanpartszone.com/Page_...2&PageID=17320
#8536
what should i do?
ok so im confused earlier today my rear brake locked up on my 99 maxima se auto. i was 2 blocks away from home when i realized a burning brake kinda smell and a decrease in exceleration so i pulled over and there was a massive amount of smoke pooring from my left rear brake it was so intense that someone decided to called the cops and the police and fire dept. showed up it was pretty retarded if you ask me. so then after letting it cool down i drove it home (since i was 0.2 miles away from home right down the street) so i poped the wheel off and since i know nothing about this i pretty much stared at it cuz i had no idea what to do then put the wheel back on.
now i just got in it to see if i could drive it to my mechanic since i was assuming that i would need to replace the caliper the rotor and the pads ect. and it seems to not be locked up anymore. i drove it around my block and it seemed fine, other than the rotor making a small scrapping sound on my pads from the imprint it left from the heat when it locked up. also the wheel never fully locked up. there was never any skidding or anything the only thing i noticed was the smell and decrease in excelerartion so it technically just tightened up.
so now i dont know what to do should i not drive the car? what causes the caliper to randomly cease up like that also since i have the imprint on my rotor should i replace that? im so consused
now i just got in it to see if i could drive it to my mechanic since i was assuming that i would need to replace the caliper the rotor and the pads ect. and it seems to not be locked up anymore. i drove it around my block and it seemed fine, other than the rotor making a small scrapping sound on my pads from the imprint it left from the heat when it locked up. also the wheel never fully locked up. there was never any skidding or anything the only thing i noticed was the smell and decrease in excelerartion so it technically just tightened up.
so now i dont know what to do should i not drive the car? what causes the caliper to randomly cease up like that also since i have the imprint on my rotor should i replace that? im so consused
#8537
ok so im confused earlier today my rear brake locked up on my 99 maxima se auto. i was 2 blocks away from home when i realized a burning brake kinda smell and a decrease in exceleration so i pulled over and there was a massive amount of smoke pooring from my left rear brake it was so intense that someone decided to called the cops and the police and fire dept. showed up it was pretty retarded if you ask me. so then after letting it cool down i drove it home (since i was 0.2 miles away from home right down the street) so i poped the wheel off and since i know nothing about this i pretty much stared at it cuz i had no idea what to do then put the wheel back on.
now i just got in it to see if i could drive it to my mechanic since i was assuming that i would need to replace the caliper the rotor and the pads ect. and it seems to not be locked up anymore. i drove it around my block and it seemed fine, other than the rotor making a small scrapping sound on my pads from the imprint it left from the heat when it locked up. also the wheel never fully locked up. there was never any skidding or anything the only thing i noticed was the smell and decrease in excelerartion so it technically just tightened up.
so now i dont know what to do should i not drive the car? what causes the caliper to randomly cease up like that also since i have the imprint on my rotor should i replace that? im so consused
now i just got in it to see if i could drive it to my mechanic since i was assuming that i would need to replace the caliper the rotor and the pads ect. and it seems to not be locked up anymore. i drove it around my block and it seemed fine, other than the rotor making a small scrapping sound on my pads from the imprint it left from the heat when it locked up. also the wheel never fully locked up. there was never any skidding or anything the only thing i noticed was the smell and decrease in excelerartion so it technically just tightened up.
so now i dont know what to do should i not drive the car? what causes the caliper to randomly cease up like that also since i have the imprint on my rotor should i replace that? im so consused
#8538
Open the driver's door and there is a white sticker on the pillar between the front and rear doors. There is a white sticker with the info. The top line says Nissan Corporation and the second line says DATE. Date is the month and year of manufacture.
#8539
This exact thing happened to me about 2 years ago (except it was my right rear brake). I was almost home and all of a sudden it felt like my ebrake was on full. I had a burning smell but not really any smoke yet, I only had to drive a block to get home. Everything was normal the next day. I ordered a new caliper online and drove around the next few days on the old caliper while I was waiting for it to get shipped to me. Then I replaced the caliper, I just kept my old rotor since it looked ok. 2 years later, no problems.
#8540
I have a 99 maxima se auto. i posted a question about my CV joints a while back. i got them both replaced about 3 weeks ago and everything seemed fine after that up until the last week. when i brake the car it makes the same clicking sound i was hearing while i turned the car when i had bad cv joints. it only does it when i am going like real slow and gently on the brake pedal, prob under 10-15 mph. this happens if the wheel is straight OR if i turn it like im pulling into my driveway. it does it almost every time when i pull into my driveway but usually when its hot out i would hear it better.
now my question is could this be a CV joint related problem? or could this be something else? i ran it by my father and he thinks its coming from my left front wheel and he thinks that its my rotors because my car doesn't exactly stop real evenly it has a "pulsating brake" according to him so he doesn't think its my CV joints at all, but i argued with him that i feel as if it is the same sound i was hearing with the CV joints. could my mechanic have done something wrong for this to happen, like forget to put something in or over tighten something, ect?
now my question is could this be a CV joint related problem? or could this be something else? i ran it by my father and he thinks its coming from my left front wheel and he thinks that its my rotors because my car doesn't exactly stop real evenly it has a "pulsating brake" according to him so he doesn't think its my CV joints at all, but i argued with him that i feel as if it is the same sound i was hearing with the CV joints. could my mechanic have done something wrong for this to happen, like forget to put something in or over tighten something, ect?
#8541
thanks for ur help
#8542
The service manual says that if you have both the P0440 and P0446 codes at the same time, fix the P0446 code first and MAYBE the P0440 will also go away. The P0446 code is the EVAP Canister Vent Control Valve. It is bolted on the top corner of the charcoal (EVAP) canister right behind the driver's rear wheel. Many times you can take this valve off and clean it with WD40, rather than buy a new one.
Depending on when your car was manufactured, it is either part number 14935-54U00 (replaced by 14935-54U1A) or 14933-54U00 (replaced by 14933-54U0A). List price is $127 but you can find them on line for around $102 and up.
Tell the bozos at the dealership to look in section D (engine electrical) then sub-section 223 (vacuum piping) of the parts manual.
http://www.nissanpartszone.com/Page_...2&PageID=17320
Depending on when your car was manufactured, it is either part number 14935-54U00 (replaced by 14935-54U1A) or 14933-54U00 (replaced by 14933-54U0A). List price is $127 but you can find them on line for around $102 and up.
Tell the bozos at the dealership to look in section D (engine electrical) then sub-section 223 (vacuum piping) of the parts manual.
http://www.nissanpartszone.com/Page_...2&PageID=17320
Last edited by sonnybaby; 05-29-2012 at 12:40 PM.
#8544
ok so i replaced the parts and had my check engine light turned off how many miles or how long do i have to drive it before my not ready codes are ready because i am trying to pass inspection i already drove 138 miles half city and half interstate can anyone help me on this
If you don't live in Calif, car parts store will check codes for you for free. In calif, car repair shops got that made illegal.
#8545
Noobie - Glo Gauges inquiry
Good afternoon Forums i have a Black 99 GXE and i was looking to change from the stock black gauges to a SE "like" white glo gauge. looking all over i can't seem to find a kit that fits a digital odometer & doesn't look cheap: what is the best option available? i have a 4 dial cluster (left to right) gas, Speedometer, RPM, Temp
i did review this forum for glo gauge information: and most of the threads had comments from back in 2010 and earlier
thanks in advance for any information
i did review this forum for glo gauge information: and most of the threads had comments from back in 2010 and earlier
thanks in advance for any information
#8546
Good afternoon Forums i have a Black 99 GXE and i was looking to change from the stock black gauges to a SE "like" white glo gauge. looking all over i can't seem to find a kit that fits a digital odometer & doesn't look cheap: what is the best option available? i have a 4 dial cluster (left to right) gas, Speedometer, RPM, Temp
i did review this forum for glo gauge information: and most of the threads had comments from back in 2010 and earlier
thanks in advance for any information
i did review this forum for glo gauge information: and most of the threads had comments from back in 2010 and earlier
thanks in advance for any information
#8548
You can get ES (energy suspension brand) bushings for the lower control arms, you can get sway-bar end links and outer /inner ie rod end links as well to stiffen things up front.
Also, you can lower with a spring/shock/strut setup, or you can lower with coil-overs. Browse the "handling and suspension" threads for all the info you've ever wanted.
#8549
#8550
Thanks for the advice i was on the classified last night and found some gauges that I’m interested in. I have another noob question: is there a cheap solution to adjusting the mileage on the SE gauge to match the mileage on my car, also where can I find some plug & play LEDs that will make the new dash pop
Here is a thread that has pictures of 5th gen clusters (Nissan used more than one). Look at post # 12.
http://forums.maxima.org/5th-generat...nt-2002-a.html
As for the led lamps, search. There have been lots of threads about leds. Search both the 4th and 5th gen forums.
#8552
Thanks for the advice i was on the classified last night and found some gauges that I’m interested in. I have another noob question: is there a cheap solution to adjusting the mileage on the SE gauge to match the mileage on my car, also where can I find some plug & play LEDs that will make the new dash pop
Post #29 for pics and #36 for the leds used. You don't have to use the same website he used...I went thru amazon.com cause they were cheaper...but I'm 97 so different bulbs to.
#8554
Ok so i have a 99 maxima SE auto, through my mechanic i just got my knock sensor done. back in feb. about a month after i bought the car the code came up for the knock sensor. so i was informed by the .org to just buy an eBay one because there is no difference besides saving $100. so i did that and 2 days before it got shipped to my house my check engine light went on so i thought ok, no big deal ill just save it. last month my cel came back on same codes as was before one for knock sensor oh and also i forgot to mention the code also for the egr valve. so i thought now would be a good time to get it replaced since i have the part.
so i brought it to my mechanic and he did it for me. i drove the car back home and as soon as i pulled in my driveway it was like hyperventilating, the rpms gauge kept fluttering up and down so i started to panic. i then called my mechanic and he said that "since my car isn't used to my sensor due to me not having a working one for a while the computer needs time to adjust to it and it should re-time itself after driving it 50 or so miles". so i probably have driven about 100 miles or pretty close to it by now and the hyperventilating thing DID go away, but now when i sit at a stoplight in drive sometimes my car would start to shake, when this happens my rpm's reads around 500 rpm, also i do notice that while in park just sitting ideling the rpm's needle starts to flutter a little but not much. it bounces in between 800 and 1000 rpm. when i had the knock sensor not working it would sit and idle at about600-800 rpm. so idk if this has anything to do with the problem.
also my maxima had some weird ideling issues going on. it would idle at 2000 rpm or more randomly after starting it but this wouldnt happen all the time, but this would even happen in like 85 degrees so i know that it was not the cold that caused this. after starting it and it having some pretty high idle i would put it in drive and it would like slam itself into gear, then if i let off the brake it would go pretty fast probably up to 20-25 mph without me even touching the gas. after 5 to 10 mins of driving it the idle would calm down and become normal. i posted a question about this before and someone said it was normal, BUT now that i got the sensor replaced, this issue has seemed to disappear. its been about 5 days since i got the car back and it hasn't done it since. but it did do it today but it only lasted for about a minute or two then corrected itself.
so my question is why is my car doing this shaking thing while im in drive? also is it normal that while idling my needle bounces between 800-1000 rpm? what can be the cause of this?
any suggestions?!? please help this is starting to become frustrating
so i brought it to my mechanic and he did it for me. i drove the car back home and as soon as i pulled in my driveway it was like hyperventilating, the rpms gauge kept fluttering up and down so i started to panic. i then called my mechanic and he said that "since my car isn't used to my sensor due to me not having a working one for a while the computer needs time to adjust to it and it should re-time itself after driving it 50 or so miles". so i probably have driven about 100 miles or pretty close to it by now and the hyperventilating thing DID go away, but now when i sit at a stoplight in drive sometimes my car would start to shake, when this happens my rpm's reads around 500 rpm, also i do notice that while in park just sitting ideling the rpm's needle starts to flutter a little but not much. it bounces in between 800 and 1000 rpm. when i had the knock sensor not working it would sit and idle at about600-800 rpm. so idk if this has anything to do with the problem.
also my maxima had some weird ideling issues going on. it would idle at 2000 rpm or more randomly after starting it but this wouldnt happen all the time, but this would even happen in like 85 degrees so i know that it was not the cold that caused this. after starting it and it having some pretty high idle i would put it in drive and it would like slam itself into gear, then if i let off the brake it would go pretty fast probably up to 20-25 mph without me even touching the gas. after 5 to 10 mins of driving it the idle would calm down and become normal. i posted a question about this before and someone said it was normal, BUT now that i got the sensor replaced, this issue has seemed to disappear. its been about 5 days since i got the car back and it hasn't done it since. but it did do it today but it only lasted for about a minute or two then corrected itself.
so my question is why is my car doing this shaking thing while im in drive? also is it normal that while idling my needle bounces between 800-1000 rpm? what can be the cause of this?
any suggestions?!? please help this is starting to become frustrating
#8556
I need a new driver seat and all I can find around me for parts are black leather cars and 4th gens? So I have come here to ask if a 4th gen (96) electronic seat will work in a 5th gen (00)? Bolt up and actually move, assuming the motor is still good.
Thanks for the info in advance.
Thanks for the info in advance.
#8557
Also there is an update, driving it today I noticed it did the shaking while at a stoplight thing, but then it stopped and started idling normal at a little bit higher of an idle so that happened 3 times today it like corrected itself. I feel like it's getting better, also last time i filled up was yesterday I used shell gas and supposedly that's supposed to be better for your car than any other fuel.
#8558
Hi everyone, I have a difficult problem to pin point on my car. For the past year or so I've been using these forums to solve all my problems, but now I just can't seem to get a clear answer so I had to create an account and ask about it directly. My maxima has been overheating for the past week. I replaced the thermostat, flushed the radiator, checked ALL the fuses, and looked at the ects and temp sender with no luck. While I didn't actually check the resistance of the sensors, they don't seem corroded or loose. I also did a full coolant system flush and filled it with toyota red coolant and distilled water last year. Its a 5 speed with almost exactly 200k on the clock. As far as I know, all parts of the cooling system other than the thermostat are OE.
So here are the symptoms: The car gets to operating temperature at idle very quickly but doesn't overheat at a stand still. The heater blows cold air even on high set to 85 degrees. If I take it out on the freeway, the needle on the gauge almost instantly rises to the H. It has never actually shut down from overheating, though I normally don't risk driving too long when it says it's hot. When I take the radiator cap off and look inside, the coolant doesn't appear to be moving even after the thermostat should be open at op temp, but I can see steam occasionally coming out. I don't see any leaks at all and my coolant level has never been lower than usual. The upper hose is very hot while the lower hose is typically cold while running, but after I shut the engine off, the lower hose gets warm. Neither upper or lower hose feel firm like they should. Both fans kick on after idling for about 5 minutes and spin much faster than normal. Lastly, the gauge needle fluctuates between H and op temp, but never goes lower than that.
As I said before, I've replaced the thermostat this week. Just today I took the radiator off and flushed it out with a hose. I also sprayed the sides down to remove any dirt or built up debris. I don't believe the sensors are wrong because it definitely feels like theres a problem. My current thoughts on the culprit are between a clogged heater core, a faulty water pump, or possibly a lot of air in the system. I tried to bleed it earlier but its possible I didn't do it long enough.
Any insight would be greatly appreciated. Thank you all for your time and for making these forums such a great resource for DIY mechanics like myself.
So here are the symptoms: The car gets to operating temperature at idle very quickly but doesn't overheat at a stand still. The heater blows cold air even on high set to 85 degrees. If I take it out on the freeway, the needle on the gauge almost instantly rises to the H. It has never actually shut down from overheating, though I normally don't risk driving too long when it says it's hot. When I take the radiator cap off and look inside, the coolant doesn't appear to be moving even after the thermostat should be open at op temp, but I can see steam occasionally coming out. I don't see any leaks at all and my coolant level has never been lower than usual. The upper hose is very hot while the lower hose is typically cold while running, but after I shut the engine off, the lower hose gets warm. Neither upper or lower hose feel firm like they should. Both fans kick on after idling for about 5 minutes and spin much faster than normal. Lastly, the gauge needle fluctuates between H and op temp, but never goes lower than that.
As I said before, I've replaced the thermostat this week. Just today I took the radiator off and flushed it out with a hose. I also sprayed the sides down to remove any dirt or built up debris. I don't believe the sensors are wrong because it definitely feels like theres a problem. My current thoughts on the culprit are between a clogged heater core, a faulty water pump, or possibly a lot of air in the system. I tried to bleed it earlier but its possible I didn't do it long enough.
Any insight would be greatly appreciated. Thank you all for your time and for making these forums such a great resource for DIY mechanics like myself.
Last edited by Maxima Spec-R; 06-08-2012 at 10:55 PM.
#8559
Hi everyone, I have a difficult problem to pin point on my car. For the past year or so I've been using these forums to solve all my problems, but now I just can't seem to get a clear answer so I had to create an account and ask about it directly. My maxima has been overheating for the past week. I replaced the thermostat, flushed the radiator, checked ALL the fuses, and looked at the ects and temp sender with no luck. While I didn't actually check the resistance of the sensors, they don't seem corroded or loose. I also did a full coolant system flush and filled it with toyota red coolant and distilled water last year. Its a 5 speed with almost exactly 200k on the clock. As far as I know, all parts of the cooling system other than the thermostat are OE.
So here are the symptoms: The car gets to operating temperature at idle very quickly but doesn't overheat at a stand still. The heater blows cold air even on high set to 85 degrees. If I take it out on the freeway, the needle on the gauge almost instantly rises to the H. It has never actually shut down from overheating, though I normally don't risk driving too long when it says it's hot. When I take the radiator cap off and look inside, the coolant doesn't appear to be moving even after the thermostat should be open at op temp, but I can see steam occasionally coming out. I don't see any leaks at all and my coolant level has never been lower than usual. The upper hose is very hot while the lower hose is typically cold while running, but after I shut the engine off, the lower hose gets warm. Neither upper or lower hose feel firm like they should. Both fans kick on after idling for about 5 minutes and spin much faster than normal. Lastly, the gauge needle fluctuates between H and op temp, but never goes lower than that.
As I said before, I've replaced the thermostat this week. Just today I took the radiator off and flushed it out with a hose. I also sprayed the sides down to remove any dirt or built up debris. I don't believe the sensors are wrong because it definitely feels like theres a problem. My current thoughts on the culprit are between a clogged heater core, a faulty water pump, or possibly a lot of air in the system. I tried to bleed it earlier but its possible I didn't do it long enough.
Any insight would be greatly appreciated. Thank you all for your time and for making these forums such a great resource for DIY mechanics like myself.
So here are the symptoms: The car gets to operating temperature at idle very quickly but doesn't overheat at a stand still. The heater blows cold air even on high set to 85 degrees. If I take it out on the freeway, the needle on the gauge almost instantly rises to the H. It has never actually shut down from overheating, though I normally don't risk driving too long when it says it's hot. When I take the radiator cap off and look inside, the coolant doesn't appear to be moving even after the thermostat should be open at op temp, but I can see steam occasionally coming out. I don't see any leaks at all and my coolant level has never been lower than usual. The upper hose is very hot while the lower hose is typically cold while running, but after I shut the engine off, the lower hose gets warm. Neither upper or lower hose feel firm like they should. Both fans kick on after idling for about 5 minutes and spin much faster than normal. Lastly, the gauge needle fluctuates between H and op temp, but never goes lower than that.
As I said before, I've replaced the thermostat this week. Just today I took the radiator off and flushed it out with a hose. I also sprayed the sides down to remove any dirt or built up debris. I don't believe the sensors are wrong because it definitely feels like theres a problem. My current thoughts on the culprit are between a clogged heater core, a faulty water pump, or possibly a lot of air in the system. I tried to bleed it earlier but its possible I didn't do it long enough.
Any insight would be greatly appreciated. Thank you all for your time and for making these forums such a great resource for DIY mechanics like myself.
The 2nd possibility is that the water pump is bad, There have been cases where the impellor blades have corroded off, reducing the air flow. I don't know you could diagnose this without pulling the water pump out. There are some posts with photos, if I can find one, I'll post the link.
The radiator fans are 2 speed, controlled by the ECU based on the coolant temperature, so I'm sure they are no doubt running on high speed in your situation.
edit - add link
Here is a link to photos with a corroded water pump. Scroll down to post # 34:
http://forums.maxima.org/5th-generat...-speeding.html
Last edited by DennisMik; 06-09-2012 at 07:14 AM. Reason: added link
#8560
No heat from the heater means that you don't have any water flowing through the heater core. This could be that the coolant level is low because not all the air got out when the system was re-filled. To bleed any air out, elevate the front end of the car and run the engine with the radiator cap off until the coolant starts circulating. This can cause some coolant to spill out, so be forwarned.
The 2nd possibility is that the water pump is bad, There have been cases where the impellor blades have corroded off, reducing the air flow. I don't know you could diagnose this without pulling the water pump out. There are some posts with photos, if I can find one, I'll post the link.
The radiator fans are 2 speed, controlled by the ECU based on the coolant temperature, so I'm sure they are no doubt running on high speed in your situation.
edit - add link
Here is a link to photos with a corroded water pump. Scroll down to post # 34:
http://forums.maxima.org/5th-generat...-speeding.html
The 2nd possibility is that the water pump is bad, There have been cases where the impellor blades have corroded off, reducing the air flow. I don't know you could diagnose this without pulling the water pump out. There are some posts with photos, if I can find one, I'll post the link.
The radiator fans are 2 speed, controlled by the ECU based on the coolant temperature, so I'm sure they are no doubt running on high speed in your situation.
edit - add link
Here is a link to photos with a corroded water pump. Scroll down to post # 34:
http://forums.maxima.org/5th-generat...-speeding.html
Wow, that pump looks awful. That's definitely a possibility because I didn't get my maxima until there were already 189k miles on it. While it does seem like oil changes were done regularly, I doubt she thought to ever have the cooling system flushed, and I'm also fairly sure that if she did, it was one time and she used prestone or something with dexcool in it that I've heard to avoid so often on here.
So knowing that, I just have one last thing I'd like to clarify on before I get to work on my car today. Is it possible for the engine to overheat if the pump is good, theres no air in the line, but the heater core is clogged? Or can the coolant bypass it? The fact that I did the system flush a year ago with no problems makes me wonder how any air could have gotten into the system since I didn't do anything else to it since then. I'm gonna have to say that the pump's finally had it at this point. I'll try bleeding the system one more time before I spend any money. With how many miles my car has, even if it is air lock, replacing the pump, chain tensioner, and refilling with nissan coolant/distilled water probably isn't a terrible idea anyway.
Thanks for your fast response
Edit- After reading the thread you linked dennis, it seems like he was having the same problems. The fluctuating I mentioned does seem like it was going higher past 60 mph. I can also hear a strange ticking noise near the timing chain cover now, which I'm sure indicates that the pump is shot. Still no coolant leaking though.
Last edited by Maxima Spec-R; 06-09-2012 at 09:49 AM.