Well we don't have a filter, per-se; it's a screen, no need to replace it. Just spray it down with brake parts cleaner.

http://forums.maxima.org/5th-generat...lter-bolt.html

Drop the pan, the bolts to remove for the screen are fairly evident.

 

I have a couple of questions, mind you they might be simple but I'm new to the Maxima and kinda to cars in general so just bear with me. The car is a 1996.

1. How do you differenciate from GXE, SE, and GLE? I have this problem, my car doesn't have a badge in the trunklid that says GXE, SE, or GLE, so i can't figure out which model it is. It has the chrome wheels, the wing in the back, and the fog lights on the front bumper, i have pictures up on my profile if those help.

2. My shifter seems to have this issue, whenever I go from park (its an automatic) to drive, or even reverse, it takes a lot of effort trying to get the shifter out of park, is that normal or is that something I should get checked?

3. Everyday I wake up to an empty radiator, the reservoir tank is full, but I take off the radiator cap and its empty inside. This only happens overnight and when the engine is cold in the morning, I think it may be my water pump leaking, but I usually dont find any water where it would fall if it was leaking, the only water that falls out of my car is my A/C, which blows cold. So what's going on?

4. This is happening really recently, but only at night, the engine wont start, however, the starter will still crank. I usually have to turn off my lights before I turn the car on in order for it to start. The lights dont dim or anything if I have them on and I try to start the car, and I've been told it could be a bad battery, do you guys know anything about this?

Thank you in advance for those who can answer these questions for me =]

 

1. Read the stickies, the answer is right there...
2. Do you park on a hill/incline? Do you not use the parking brake like you should?
3. Is the coolant finding it's way out of the rad overnight as you say, or is this happening while the car is cooling down? Have you filled up and bled the cooling system properly?
4. Why do you have your lights on before the engine's started anyway? So the starter cranks and yet the headlights don't dim at all? They should, considering the amount of power the starter requires to operate. If you think it's a bad battery, have you had it tested? Have you checked to see why the car won't start? Of course, codes?

 

96WhiteMaxima! I have a solution to your number 3:

Pmohr told me this a while ago and I use it till this day on every car I drive. When you are stopped, put your foot on the brake, shift to neutral, and pull the E-brake, then let go of the brakes your foot was on and let the car move a bit, then shift your car into park.

I have had the exact same shifting problem because of my E-brakes letting the car slide too much, therefore putting all the weight on the transmission. But thanks to this technique every time I park, all the weight goes to my brakes and not my transmission.

 

Oh I see..., thanks for the explanation. I think I found them:

http://pics.livejournal.com/rudder1976/pic/0000657s

http://pics.livejournal.com/rudder1976/pic/00004xrt

but these are bad news then..., I mean, if they reset automatically they probably will be ok. How can I check them?, I just need to pull them out and check they have continuity, right?.

They look very delicate where they clip into the connector (should I just pull them out?, no fear?).

And if they are ok...?, what I have to do next?

Thanks a lot!.

 

I was just wondering now if I would be able to drive the car when I will get the new solenoid.

I am sorry if I am asking a silly question again but is there any "vital" system that is governed by the BCM or by the circuit where the circuit breakers are involved? and could they be damaged with the symptoms I´ve got if I attempt to drive the car (providing she will start)?.

What I mean is that I could live without alarm, power locks, seats and windows for a while and get them fix later but I am really struggling without the car now.

 

I don't mean to be a nuisance, but I was just wondering if you had indeed found anything. If not, not a big deal, just curious. Are there any kinds of basic diagnostic for this stuff? Thanks.

 

Heh yah I know I'm not a n00b, but i've searched for a bit and could not come up with an answer....

I know people are making their own leds now, but I don't have any of my tools up here in KS nor am I willing to buy any so don't get started on that....

Quick question... Using the test fitment guide I could not find any bulbs on V-leds website, so I was wondering since these numbers are close will they fit into the socket for the Map/Reading light for the front passenger/driver light?

http://www.v-leds.com/194-168-158-LE...orLanding/true

 

I dont park on a hill or incline, and my car's an automatic, not a manual, so I shouldn't need to use the parking brake it am I right?

And the coolant finds it way out overnight because I check the water in the morning by taking off the radiator cap and there is no water when you look down the radiator like there should be, however when I turn on the car, it warms up quicker than most and stays at optimum operating temperature when I'm moving, however, when I'm at a red light, it warms up just a slight bit and then goes back down to optimum temp, so I'm a little confused on what I think it is.

 

NEW QUESTION

97 GLE: While driving, i randomly get the all the service lights flick on then off. It can occur at any point: accelerating, breaking, AC/ heat on, going over a bump...it stays on for milli secs..you kinda have to catch it and i cannot duplicate it by doing anything specific...

What's wrong with it?

Please note the check engine light is always on as i need an O2 sensor.

Please advise, thanks in advance

 

I did a search for dash light flicker and found a few suitable answers. You might want to try that. It's probably the best way to find info around here (searching, that is). Sounds like an alternator problem. Maybe get it tested?

 

What you described are tell tale signs of the alternator going out. Get it tested first, then replace if deemed bad.

 

I had it replaced in 06. Should it really be going bad so soon? Furthermore, when it needed replacing, it never did this and this flicking has been present for 6 months.

Do alternator issues show up in many different ways?

In any case, i'll have it tested again.

Thanks!

 

It shouldn't be going bad this soon, but then again, I don't know how many miles you've put on your car since 06. Alternator could have been poorly rebuilt, or maybe you bought a poor quality alternator to begin with. Not sure, as you haven't given specifics about the alternator yet.

Yes, alternator symptoms show up in many differnent ways. Have you checked the plugs/connections at the alternator? Maybe something is a little loose.

 

I put on an average 23km per year since then. I did buy a rebuilt one, probably wasn't that great.

I think you're onto something with something being loose as it just seems to be likely. I'll have it checked as i got a 9 hr drive to CT in a couple of days... i don't need to be losing power on my way.

Thanks again!

 

Does anybody know if there is any "trick" to pull the circuit breakers out?, they are firmly attached to the connector. I tried to pull them out before but I don´t have a proper light to see what I am doing and I am afraid to break something and make the situation worse.

Thanks for the help!.

 

i was changing my spark plugs today. I take off the coil on the 2nd cyln. and its full of oil. im predicting a blown head gasket. Is it safe to take out the spark plug or forget about it? ive had stumbling upon exeleration and white smoke out my tailpipe after 6hr+ of sitting for about a month now. i know thats the sign of a leak but i dont quite know how to handle this kinda thing.
so. after soaking up all the oil with a rag can i replace the spark plug?
and is saving 700$ to get it fixed professionaly my only option?
edit-after about 45 mins of soaking up oil. its still full. any ideas how to get it out?

 

Oil in only one spark plug tube indicates the tube seal has failed. You can remove the valve cover and replace the tube seal. Probably you should replace the valve cover gasket and all three tube seals on that bank.

White exhaust on starting doesn't necessarily mean anything - does it stop smoking after a few minutes?

 

it stops smoking after a few seconds. ill search for a write up on hwo to replace those

 

what is a tube seal look like? is it a o-ring or some kind of gasket? my spark plugs has oil too.

 

It looks kind of like the washer that's inside the end of a garden hose. Thick, black, stiff polymer ring, a little less than 2 inches in diameter. It press fits into the valve cover bore, and seats on top of the spark plug tube. You can pull it out with a seal puller, or drive it out by placing a screwdriver tip through the top side of the valve cover bore and striking it with the palm of your hand. Then press in the new one with a big socket or a seal driver.

 

oil leaking under the steering reservoir the tubes clamps are tight don't know why is still leaking do i have to replace the tubes? there's no crack or hole on the tube. how to fix it? please help. also my engine oil is very low when i checked my dip stick it was way below the low level just the tip of the stick has oil so looks like almost like no oil in the engine. what happen if you drives it in that condition for a long time that i don't even know does that mean my engine is burnt? but i don't feel anything i feel like my car still running good.

 

I have a bad rear o2 sensor still waiting for the replacement . Its been a month can it lead to other problems? Seems when I start the car it takes a while to start (a long crank).

 

New Questions - TONS OF CODES/ Crank - No start

The situation: ~3weeks Ago I did a tranny swap auto to auto. Prior to this, no problems. (aside from the missing 2&4th gears). Car ran fine. I did notice a slight hesitation when starting. However, battery turns out to be bad.

After swap: Starter Goes bad - Replaced. New starter sounds like its not catching the flywheel/drive plate. Makes a clunking/chatter noise. But, during this time, it started every time. Ran fine. Eventually starts became hard. *STARTED 1 IN 20 ATTEMPTS* Bought new battery, fired up 1ST, 2ND & 3rd time. 4th time, CRANKS and NO START. I pulled the following Codes:

Day 10100, p0325, p0110 , p01335, p0600 , p0105, p0720, p0134
The codes of interest (COI) to me right now are 1335(0407). I pulled and cleaned the sensor (according to search results). Didn't start. Next day. Fires up. Take it for a run, noticed Low rpm hesitation and rough IDLE. Doesn't restart.

I tried readjusting the starter position and it's grounds. Battery terminals are clean, checked tranny harness. No solution. Pull codes

x2 = seen twice
Day 2: p0325(x2), p0600(x2), p0110, p301, p0720, p0174
COI : P0301 - MISFIRE cycl #1, p0174 - fuel injection left bank / lean

Pulled plugs: plugs 1 & 2 look carbon fouled. -Replaced. Crank engine. No start. Pull plugs - covered in Fuel. Haven't checked the coils with multireader yet. Pull CKPS. Full of magnetic shards. Clean replace. No improvement

Later this day. After switching some coils around. Checking fuses/switching relays *doing this the entire time* car starts. Observations: Battery dies, every "dummy light" turns off. I back off the key and throw foreward and it starts. I let it idle. Check exhaust - WHITE SMOKE. Fuel smell *makes sense, probably a lil' flooded?* Car eventually stalls ~2.5 mins

New codes: p0110 (x2), p0105 (x2), 1760, p0740(x2), p01490, p1492, p0446, p1400, p1760, p0745 (x2), p1105. Since this, All i have gotten is a temporary crank. It DOES NOT CRANK while THE KEY IS IN THE START position. It'll instantly make the CRANK NOISE and then stop. All I can hear is the Starter spinning along with the flywheel?


ANY Ideas would really help! I Have the appropriate manuals and I've been going through it. I know what all these codes mean. However, the manual doesn't exactly say which components are necessary for a successful start.

I'm currently working throught the symptoms matrix. Again, any ideas will be glady accepted.

Any one know how the ignition system works? I saw in the manual the component that lead to the ecu sending power to the transistors. Can anyone quickly list major components for starting?

SORRY FOR the long post. I did avoid this for sometime. And thanks again!

 

I checked the ignition harness to ground *TERMINAL 3 TO GROUND*voltage = .02 all around. range = .01-.1. It's barely reaching requirements is there an issue somewhere in the circuit?


Any thoughts outh there?

 

Could possibly be that your thermostat is sticking and causing the car to overheat to the point that the water evaporates. A faulty thermostat would not give you proper readings of your thermostat gauge. The first place i would start is checking for any leaks. Then i would look at the cooling components and check to see if they are faulty. My wifes Van did the same exact thing yours is doing. The thermostat was the culprit. They cost anywhere from 5-20 dollars and are pretty easy to change out.

As far as the shifter being harder to move than most...either live with it or put your E-brake on before you shift to P. That normally happens when your car is sitting on an incline and all the weight is pushed on the transmission. Mine does that...I just pull the E-brake every time i park. Kind of awkward at first but now i dont even notice i do it.

 

You should search a little to make sure, but I don't think that a bad oxygen sensor would cause other problems. There is also some stuff out there about fixing long starts too.

 

I don't see anything leaking in that photo.

Did you check the oil level after it's been sitting for about 10-15 minutes? Otherwise it won't be accurate. You should probably top it up, cause running without or excessively low oil is not good. Check for oil around and above the pan area, also around the valve cover gasket area. There could be a leak there. You might also be burning oil. White smoke at all? Your best bet is probably to search for info on oils leaks, etc. Good luck.

 

Check through this thread http://forums.maxima.org/4th-generat...first-cel.html and try to fix some of the problems. I'd guess some of the stuff is unplugged. But that thread would be a good place to start.

 

I've been through tons of threads. I know what all the codes mean. I have the FSM. I'm trying not to replace working Items and I know that slow starts can trigger a bad cps(REF) code.

Here's the problem. When I turn to the start position the engine makes the cranking noise for a moment, then it sounds like the flywheel is making no contact. However, I see that the tach is rising to ~ 500 RPMs. This is not associated with cranking noise.

My quesiton is...what components are responsible for the "cranking noise". Is it electrical or mechanical

I've searched many threads and I have many theories. I just need some more experienced org members to bounce Ideas off of. "I've seen the sticky's and such AND again I have the FSM"

 

is it possible that i could fit a 97-99 stillen lip kit on my 96? because even tho the front bumper is different the car shape remained the same.

 

Sure, with lots of modification and $$; anything is possible. Keep in mind, the rear bumper is different too (although it appears to be the same) so more time and $$ will need to be spent to get those rear pieces to fit right as well. Only the side skirts will fit w/o modification.

My suggestion, get the front and rear bumper covers from the 97-99 years so you can have the 97-99 kit. IMO, getting the bumper covers will cost you some additional $$, but in the long run, will be cheaper and easier than paying a body shop to fit the new kit on your older 96 Max. Or just purchase the 95-96 kit and save yourself some headaches and $$.

 

I recently took out the drivers side seat to install a ham radio underneath it. The radio went in without a hitch. When I put the seat back in the horizontal position switch no longer moved the seat back and forth. Up and down movement is fine as is the recline movement.

I can't think of anything I missed. Both connectors under the seat were reconnected. The connector between the left side of the seat and the right side (underneath also) is also connected. Anyone got an idea as to what is the problem? Thanks!

 

Maybe your ham radio is touching/obstructing the gears of the seat preventing it from moving. Have you checked for clearances?

 

I've checked for clearance and there is plenty. I've taken the seat out(removed the 4 bolts), connected the connectors and no change - the recline works as well as seat up and down but the horizontal movement is not working. Any other ideas? Thanks!

 

how to test coil with a multimeter?

 

I have a volt meter but not sure how to test the coil. If there are only two leads then I can do that but some of the connectors have multiple leads.

 

I'm having problem after problem with my 95 5spd maxima, i don't know a whole lot about cars but i learn as things start to break. I was thinking of just getting the vq35de engine to solve the problem, but I know my mechanic won't install it. Do you think this is a good idea? Does anyone here in the NJ area be willing to install one. and how much would it cost? -Thanks

 

I just bouth my 97 Maxima, engine runs great only 40K miles on it, super leather interior, nice BOSE stereo, brillant green paint, but terrible suspension. What should I look first to fix it. OG

 

Well I did a test in the past couple of days, I would think its antifreeze, because I found a leak underneath my engine on the passenger side, around where the water pump is supposed to be, and since antifreeze doesnt evaporate as fast as water does in this Florida heat So I think my water pump is screwed. Whats the pricing you guys have gotten on replacing one with labor and everything?