I have a 98 Maxima SE with 160K miles. Rundown of mods: lowered on Sprint/GR-2's, intake, exhaust.

Just recently got a code for a Vent Control Valve and have not fixed it, just merely got it diagnosed.

This past weekend I noticed a pretty serious side-to-side vibration upon accelerating. Really noticeable during 40 - 60 mph range. Sunday, took in to get the tires rotated/balanced and the car aligned. Even after the alignment, the car is still shaking.

Any ideas. your help is greatly appreciated.

 

does it shake at idle as well.?
sounds to me like your misfiring.juel injectors gave out probably.

 

nope. Only during acceleration. Car rides smooth when coasting.

 

I have the same problem, no codes. Only mods are that I'm lowered on Nex SS coilovers about 2.5" in front. I replaced 5 out of 6 coils in November when I got the car; vibrations most noticeable in 2nd and 3rd around 2KRPM only under acceleration. Don't know if the mounts are bad but I will probably look this weekend.

 

never replaced any coils. As far as fluid levels go, oil is consistently good and transmission fluid as well.

no noticeable fluid pools after long sitting.

 

im thinking its something like the motor mounts, my cars do that during accel but its very light vibration, they are not throwing any codes but i think its just rubber parts wearing out and have to be replaced now

 

my car also does this but usually only at low speeds and when braking, looking at my rotors, I think one or more of em might be bent.

 

Possibly bad inner cv joint(s) . Even more likely on a lowered car.

 

u need to change your tie rod. its most likely worn out. jack your front end up until your two front tire is off the ground. If your wheel wiggle from side to side then your tie rod is worn out.

 

its one of your axles or even both i had the same problem

 

kinda sounds like an injector crap out to me. I've had that happen and it threw no codes...

with the engine running, pull the coils of each plug, one at a time. Each time you take one off, you should notice the rpms drop and it sound a bit rough. If you take a coil off and nothing happens, for some reason that cylinder is not firing. Could be an injector or a coil.

 

I live in an apartment and dont have the ability to jack the car up. The car has historically had a rough idle when at a stop light, especially with the AC on.

The vibration is only when I am accelerating. The vibration is really felt along the floor board especially with my left foot when driving. The CV joints have been replaced previously. There is a bit of a "clunking" noise when going from park to reverse.

Any ideas? I am pretty certain it is the motor mount(s) or one of the CV joints.

How much would I be looking at?

 

I had the same thing happen to me with my old car It felt like the tire had a busted belt or something. It got worse over time and only happened during acceleration, there was a carrier bearing that went out on the axle where it goes into the tranny.

 

IF there's a clunk when you shift it is probably mount related.

 

Well I took it in to Firestone and asked them to get it up on the lift to inspect the CV joints, well basically the front end. They took the car out for a drive and felt this vibration.

The findings: they said it is an "internal / drivetrain issue". They believe it is something to do with my transmission. My transmission was worked on / repaired around 2 years ago and have not had any issue since.

I dont know what else to do besides take it to the stealership and get their idea.

Your thoughts?

 

i wouldnt go to the stealership quite yet.to check your front and rear motor mounts.start car pop the hood and put it in drive but keep your foot on the brake,hit the gas and bring the rpms up but dont mat it.think about what your looking at than do the same in reverse.good mounts will let the engine move a little bit but if they are work you will notice the engine is moving too much. because you said you heard a clunking when going from park to drive or reverse thats usuall a dead giveaway that its the mounts on FWD car.

 

Well I can tell you something from experience. I have a 1996 Nissan Maxima, but it isnt in that great of shape, it has been wrecked, the frame is severely bent in the front end (it was driven off a small dropoff (no I wasnt drunk, just not payin attn))
Anyway, to get straight to the point about this, I have had this car for about 3 years now, and it was perfectly smoothe until I wrecked it, now when I allow the torque converter to lock and for it to shift into high and overdrive at about 35 MPH, if I ease down on the gas pedal at this point, I feel extreme vibrations all throughout the car. This is caused by the fact that the cross member, radiator core support, and frame are twisted, this is putting the rubber engine/transmission mounts into a bind, causing the rubber vibration absorbing components to not properly absorb that vibration from the engine. So this vibration on acceleration is most likely caused by your mounts either being in a bind, or the rubber in them is completely bad and hardened or cracked.
So definitely check your mounts before going into anything deep like misfires.

 

You said that the car is rough when idels, than you should clean your TB and IACV. It is really not hard. Only things basically you need is the range, both gaskets (they cost $2-3) and can of TB cleaner and Carb cleaner.
Keep us posted

 

I agree to check the the injectors. I have the same issue. The number 3 fuel injector is leaking fuel into the cynlinder. The result is low compression in the #3 cynlinder.

I need to change the fuel injector. Has anyone done this?

 

no way if it was injector you could hear the skip at idle and cel blinks just went thru this sounds more like axles to me<---

lol going thru this now take it how u want it

 

I agree

I have the same problem as I mentioned... plus I know my axle's bad as it's clicking now, but unfortunately it's stuck in the tranny. I'm havin a local Max mechanic drop my tranny tomorrow to replace it, HOPEFULLY that will solve the problem.


*EDIT* I also have a slight clunk when I shift from neutral to 1st.

 

This is a very good suggestion...
quick version of story...a customerer had the same complaint and we couldnt find ANYTHING .the customer wanted it fixed at any cost so we got to spend some time....the outcome was the inner cv joints were cupped where the ***** go into the housing ,these were relativly new (remans) that were on the car...replaced axles, vibration gone. after that we found a couple more with the same problem...Iwould not say its common but when a vibration cant be explained , new axles seem to fix it..
just my 1 1/2 cents hope it helps

 

hallelujah praise the lord lmao

Now were all on the same page Literally

 

Try using redline mtl gear oil or some performance synthetic brand
i changed mine and no clunkin wat so ever and shifting into 1st feels like a virgin even while moving

*ABOSOLUTLEY ONLY GL-4 YOU WONT FIND IT IN WAL-MART OR ADVANCED SO DONT BE CHEAP IF YOU TRULY LOVE YOUR MAX

 

Sounds like the exact same issue i had, it turned out to be the **** motorstorm u.d. pulley started to wear apart at the spot were the allen screws were, and it basicly started to fall apart and pass bad vibration durring acceleration


Seeing you dont have a aftermarkt pulley your case might be diffrent but its somthing to look into..

 

Yea I'm gonna try and get the best gear oil I can find, gonna be kinda tough on such short notice tho

 

http://www.redlineoil.com/products_g...7&categoryID=7
$10 a QT and worth every penny
gonna have to wait to be shipped unless you can find a local dealer or redline

HMMM MINES LOWERED TOO!! ARE WE NOTICING A PATTERN WIT THIS AXLE ISSUE

 

Our cars are not meant to be lowered

I was slammed on my Honda and didn't have anything like this. It's the strut design, the camber change doesn't coincide with the angle the axle is at... puts stress on the axle and bearings, eventually destroys the CV joint and bends the axle makin for clickin and shakin... sucks, I hate the Maxima suspension.

 

are you suggesting that even with a slight drop and a camber kit you can't get stock specs?

 

NO im suggesting that droppin ur car especially in northeast anyway
(roads blow) will def wear axles bearings and balljoints faster then stock suspension theses parts arent getting the same shock absorbency as stock.

i have perfect even tire wear with 2" drop wit kyb struts and tokico coilovers.

but when things are off a lil these cars r so damn picky. calls for neutral toe, most cars are toed in

 

Yea plus with a camber kit u compress the CV joints which accelerates their death. I had my car at slightly negative camber and my axles died in about 5 months, clicking up a storm. Put it back to full positive and the one I changed is going strong, the one that's stuck isn't making as much noise

The real solution would be a slightly longer LCA

 

your camber kit has cam shims to make up any diff tho correct?

 

i have the same problem ever since i lowered mine...it starts around like 50mph.....so all i kno is that it has something to do with lowering the car because the day i lowered it and drove it,the noise started and i checked everything but i still get the little vibration.

 

i just lowered my car today on tein s-tech and kyb gr-2, and i am also feeling vibration, and only when giving it gas around 40-50 mph