has anyone ever had their 99 max not recognize therte keys anymore? i replaced the o2 sensor on my car and then tried starting the car and it would crank but not start...tried pop starting it too and it would die immediatley after even if i tried to keep it at idle... the security light stays on when i try to start it and im not getting spark or pulse from the injectors...so i came to the conclusion that my ecu or key slot isnt acceptin my chip in the key anymore or my ecu probaly shorted out...i even tried my spare key too by the way...nissan said its about a 300$ fix...anybody have this happen to them before or is there any more things i should check before taking it to the dealer?

 

fookin POS security-crap, another way to chisel your money from you.
sorry about your situation & hope you get it sorted cheaply

 

tell me about it bro...manditory dealership = empty wallet

 

Most good locksmiths can reprogram it. Call around before you pay the dealer price.

 

the ecu? iknow where i can get the key reprogrammed but for both keys to not work, its definetly gotta be something wrong with the signal

 

You dont reprogram the keys. The dealership has to use consult to reprogram the ECU with with your key code which as chiseled in stone. I dont know of any locksmiths that would have Nissan consult .

We need to make a stickie DONT BUY '99 MAXIMAS

 

exactly...stickie sayin no maximas after 97...but yea imma try some tricks and if they dont work imma shoot to the dealer and let them drain my wallet...luckily i can drive the 01 maxima i just brought from my buddy for 500...he sold it so cheap cuz he couldnt figure out wut was wrong with it..i looked at it it and the radiator at a huge hole in it....STEAL FOR ME!!!!!! thats when u keep ya knowledge to yaself when a price looks that low..just say i have no clue..lol

 

Wow he must be good buddy, anyway, I had this same problem and there was no way around going to the dealer for the Consult. I ended up paying 450 or so. I had to replace the control unit that recognizes the key.

 

REALLY?
THEY TOLD ME 300...I GUESS THEY ALTAR THE PRICE DEPENDING ON THEIR MOOD

 

hack? now u talkin my language...wut are the steps to that

 

[quote=lux97Max;7782123]hahahhhaa[/qu
how bout u post the link instead...ive done enough searching on this problem

 

http://hackaday.com/2008/08/15/how-t...-your-own-car/

 

That how-to is so generic that it's almost useless. But buried way down towards the end, the writer says that if your car uses a RFID chip in the key like 99 and newer Max's do, it ain't gonna work. And that's the bottom line.

 

yea i just checked that out to..what a waist of time and reading...i might as well convert to a 95...if im correct, i need a 95 harness, ecu, dash harness, and key cylinder right?

 

I don't know enough about this to say definitely but I don't think you would need to change the key cylinder. There is a box mounted in the steering column called the NVIS NATS immobilizer that senses the key. It's right next to, but not part of, the key cylinder.

 

thats a good point...i gotta figure it out soon though...i know for a fact the ecu and harnesses have to be changed....ill try it and try to start it and if it doesnt start up then we kno wthe next step to take...the key transmitter is spidered into the dash harness right?

 

i have had this issue, did you relocate your grounds that bolt to the valve cover area, or maybe check them for tightness, i had all sorts of funky issues when i did that, and the key not working was one of them. nissan should only charge you a half hour to reprogram the key on your car. its a cakewalk, since you already have the keys cut, just go in and say i need these programmed. make sure you bring all keys or they will charge twice.

 

yea i checked the grounds on the valve cover...i dont think that has anything to do with the security light staying on in the on position..it blinks normally when off until i switch it to on, then the light stays on so my immobilizer willingly died without asking me if it was ok...lol

 

Find a local locksmith to do it, it will probably be less expensive. I bought 2 blank keys on the internet for my 2K max and found a locksmith that cut them and programmed them all for $40. I had this done by a national chain A1 Locksmiths.

I don't know what a Consult unit looks like, but the locksmith guy used a Dell laptop that he plugged in under the dash.

 

a locksmith can "copy" duplicates as long as you have a good working original.

In op's case, he needs to have the key reprogrammed as the ECU has lost the key code. Duplicate a key will not fix his problem.

For the 99, the cylinder ring, the black box to the right of the steering wheel and the ecu have to be programmed. Its very easily done with Nissan consult tool.
The newer maximas only need the cylinder ring and ecu reprogrammed (with keys of course).

I had a 99 that lost the original key codes, towed it to Nissan, had a new key cut and programmed for $150.

 

its not the keys...its the transmitter on the cylinder!!!

 

Exactly - it's the NATS unit in the steering column. The keys don't get programmed. The keys constantly emit a radio frequency code. The NATS unit is a receiver that is programmed or "told" to accept that RFID code.