JayMaX96

Ive had the Max for about a month after egr, tb and iacv cleaning it runs like a top except for an annoying exhaust leak. Today Im out riding and the CEL pops on so I hit "Slorielly's" since they were right there and I didn't feel like doing it myself. After at least 7 tries and what seemed like every employee they had and maybe a few from other stores, they COULD NOT scan my car for tc's. Visually baffled and angered they resorted to tell me that my car was "some weird foreign ****" and to take it to the dealer. So we went to Old Reliable AutoZone, after the same shenanigans i took the reigns and had to change their scan tool settings to read Japanese. Got a bunch of symbols and a bunch of gibberish, guess i should have paid attention instead of lusting after that chick that tried to teach me Japanese or mandarin which ever. I digress they also said to go to the Ship. This is of course after they called other stores and their cousin jethro...he was no help got a great shine though recipe if anyone needs it. I know how to pull codes at home but was out so decided to let them.

What Ive been told by a few other Max owners is that the car(ecu) is not American but Japanese and most people cant work on them if so. Even so this car is a 96 are you telling me that the biggest parts stores around here (N.W AL) have never scanned a Maxima or a Nissan for that matter. ARENT ALL NISSAN'S, TOYOTA'S AND HONDAS JAPANESE just made in America or Canada. And why does my Nissan have Mitsubishi parts on it too? Has anyone else run into this issue? Is the car special like my friend says or is he just special. Btw he drives a Honda.


Also got some great shot's today wanna post but dont know how can anyone help thanks.

The Wizard

iTrader: (43)

There's nothing unusual about the Max.

One of the fuses sends power to the OBD connector. If that fuse is blown, the scanner won't recognize the car. It is fuse # 40, located under the dash, in the top right corner.

To post pics, get a Photobucket account, upload pics, then click the IMG link on the right of the pic you want to post, then paste it here using the "insert image' tool.

asand1

iTrader: (1)

Mitsubishi makes components for many japanese auto makers.

JayMaX96

I got the scan tool at autozone to work, it just ran the codes out in Japanese not english. I had checked all my fuses yesterday dues to a lighting issue and all checked out. Like I said my friend said that the car Japanese completely with the exception of right side drive. Isn't Nissan a Japanese auto maker?? So in theory if you or any other Max owner 95-99 went to have your codes read you should have the same issue right. I downloaded the Fsm but its in English not Japanese the entire obd2 reading was in Japanese numbers for the codes and all. Idk got a buddy that works at the dealership gonna let him scan it there just for ***** and giggles. Free diagnostic for a wash in and out great deal considering my wash price is like 1/4 the price of the diag. Is there something i need to do to the ecm or is this some kinda rare bird like the flying penguin.

JayMaX96

Yea I didnt think about automakers sharing parts but Mitsu Parts on my Nissan kinda got me a little booty hurt. Btw are those Stang wheels I see.

Fakie J Farkerton

iTrader: (51)

Dark_man_x

iTrader: (4)

Slamrod

iTrader: (11)

I feel like that emoticon is WAY too overused... Instead of contributing to a thread people just post that and nothing else for another tick of the post counter.

Anyways in regards to OP that is a very strange problem. The only possibility that i could imagine is that perhaps someone with a US max somehow got their hands on a japanese ECU. Maybe they are cheaper over there and the previous owner had it shipped over?

Unless the car itself came from japan, and someone swapped it to lefthand drive, but i cant see why someone would go through the trouble for a simple maxima. See if you can look up and identify any parts/features that wernt offered in america (power folding mirrors i think is one).

dwapenyi

iTrader: (3)

The technical model name for the 95-99 Maxima (and Infiniti I30, like mine) is the A32. All A32s were made in Japan. The 95-99 Maxima is a special version of the A32 that was also made in Japan but built for the American market only. In the rest of the world, all A32 Maximas look like my I30, most of which are more commonly called Cefiros. But even some of those a32s in other parts of the world are called maximas, too. So if someone from another part of the world met you and you told them you owned a maxima, they would think of my I30. Confused yet?

The USA Maxima is unique in terms of looks.

Anyway, it looks like your USA Maxima got a Japan market ECU put into it. How that happened..... Anything's possible.

One thing you could try is to take the information that the ECU is spitting out in Japanese, use Google translate to change it to english, then go from there.


Also, take your VIN number and check it against this 4th gen FAQ to see if you find any unusual anomolies (look at posts number 3 and 4);

http://forums.maxima.org/4th-generat...hread-yet.html

Also, you should download your FSM from here;

http://boredmder.com/FSMs/Nissan/Maxima/

Let us know what you find. Also, I'm curious what your engine bay looks like. The USA Maxima has one particular part that stands out as USA only. Post a pic if you can.

The Wizard

iTrader: (43)

If you don't know the Japanese language, how do you know it was displaying trouble codes (numbers) in Japanese? You sure about that?

I could be wrong, but I think when you changed to scanner to Japanese and hooked it up, the scanner merely showed a bunch of gibberish and no actual trouble codes or real information. Who knows, maybe it said "Unable to connect" or something to that effect in Japanese.

When the scan tool was in English, did it say "Unable to connect" or anything to that affect?

njmaxseltd

iTrader: (19)

The ECU doesn't use language it uses binary code to transmit data. (1's and 0's) Same code used around the world, it doesn't come in any different languages.

As the wizard just pointed out, the device that's reading the code is what's translating it into a language that we understand.

D.Stillwell

^^^ Finally someone got it right. Codes should be numers, check your OBD connector and check for blown fuse. Or perhaps switch it back to English, because Japanese numbers look like this:



Maybe this pic can help you figure it out? I think #10 is racist

BTW post pics of the Mitsubishi parts you have, that sounds very interesting. I'm pretty sure I've seen zero Mitsu parts on any of my Maximas so this sounds interesting

L_U_D_I_AMaxima

iTrader: (3)

all cars after 1996 which were sold in the US were forced to use the OBD2 universal interface. And yes, your ECU was made in Japan, so as I mine, but I never had problems pulling codes from it and even reading life data. As someone mentioned before there is no such thing as a Japanese, American, or German or what other language in computers... Its all "1'' and "0''
Seems like you got the "best of the over the counter employees" to help you with a simple task.

Derpington

I have a 95 and the only time ive had a problem with codes being pulled at autozone or anywhere else is when the employee doesn't believe me when i tell them that the port for OBDII isn't under the dash on the drivers side, then we argue for a minute, they find out im right, and i laugh at them.

Never had a scanner say "unable to connect" or anything like that, even bought my own off ebay. (got tired of being told i was wrong about stuff on my own car) lol

Amerikaner83

iTrader: (17)

Are you sure you didn't get the scan tool to DISPLAY THE OUTPUT in Japanese?

maxfever1987

iTrader: (93)

might be silly, but was your key in ignition? meaning all your dash lights were lit up but the car wasnt running? because i have done this many times myself plug up the scanner and press read on the scanner and scanner says link error or unable to connect only because i forgot to turn the key into ignition,

Amerikaner83

iTrader: (17)

not just key in ignition, key has to be in the ON position.

aackshun

iTrader: (3)

This thread is way too long for it's own good

asand1

iTrader: (1)

My ebay bluetooth scanner works great.

bewrong

There are five different signal protocols that an OBDII car may use to communicate through its port. My scanner that I bought in 2009 can only speak VPW, PWM, and ISO 9141. I've never been able to get it to work with a car newer than 2003, since it doesn't speak CAN.

max ride 41

iTrader: (4)

my ebay scanner i bought for my 95 only works when the car is running. if its off, it will say " error, cannot connect" i turned the car on after going to another forum and seeing another guy had the same scanner and year as mine. 95's are the difference when it comes to 4th gen max's including the stupid tailpipe test which 96 to 99's didn't have to do.

4thGenTuner

iTrader: (1)

Do not take automotive advice from autozone employees or honda drivers.


This is how one kills a perfectly good Nissan.