jpick

I have a 2002 Maxima SE with less than 8000 miles. On acceleration the cars pulls to the right. I've had the tires aligned and wheels balanced twice. I've also had the Transverse links recall fixed. D Has anybody else had or heard of this problem and if so do you have any suggestions as to what needs to be done to have it fixed. The dealer says there is nothing wrong with the car, but I find that hard to believe.

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks

John

jjs

First of all, what tranny do you have?

TDoyle

These cars (and the Altimas) suffer from a good amount of torque steer. Since you're saying it only pulls under acceleration I'd say you're experiencing torque steer.

If you have any doubts though I'd go to your dealer and ask to drive a brand new Max that matches your powertrain (auto or manual, HLSD or not) and see if its present on the new car. If you notice the same bahavior then its normal and you have to live with it, if you don't experience it then take the service manager for a couple drives and let him feel it too.

studman

Based upon acceleration, transmission, and the "rate of acceleration", this could be considered normal. However, if you are a "Sunday driver" and the car pulls, this is NOT normal. In order to help you with your question, provide the .org with a little more information. Things that would help are:

Time of Day (Morning/Afternoon/Night)
Weather Conditions (Sunny/Rainy/Hot/Cold)
Rate of Acceleration (Flooring It/Gradual Acceleration)
Transmission Type (Manual/Automatic)
Location/Condition of Road (Highway/City Street/Downtown NYC-Type Road/Smooth)

With those things, plus any information you can provide, it will help us be able to determine if anything is wrong, and if so, where the problem may be, and how to fix it.

jpick

Automatic

jpick

I would say I have this problem under all weather conditions and all times of day. It is worse under heavy acceleration, but is noticible under most types of acceleration. The transmission is automatic, and most of the roads suck as I live outside of Chicago.

Thanks for the help.

Vadim

iTrader: (8)

check your tire pressure as well it should be 30-32 psi

2k2kev

it doesn't need to be 30-32... some are running 34-36, others 38-40. I have mine all at 34.

But I do agree, check the pressure and make sure both fronts are the exact same.

edit: duh on me, and make sure the back match as well

studman

If the pull happens under normal conditions, then I'd start looking into the front axel and steering assembly. It could have a bend, fracture, etc in it, or could be improperly aligned to the frame. I saw a car today that had a similar problem. The car was driving straight, but the front end was further to the left than the rear end of the car. The car drove forward and was perfectly aligned, but the chassis was crooked. There is a possibility that you'd have the same problem, except that the frame is straight, and the axel/steering components are slighty misaligned, causing the car to go to the side.

One thing I would try. Take it back to the place where you got it aligned. Have them re-align the car, but tell them to align it to the steering wheel instead of the frame. If it still pulls after an alignment, take it to Nissan. Show them what it's doing. They'll want to align it (but they'll align it to the chassis). That way Nissan will see that it's not the alignment that is the problem, but something else.

Nissan service centers are quick to blame someone else for a problem. Nissan service DOESN'T EVER need to know that you have your car serviced anywhere else. If they do, they blame everything on the other service center. So just tell them it's "messed up", and you want it fixed. They'll give you the whole "you need an alignment" speech. Accept it, and have them try it. When it doesn't work, then you'll make them actually ADMIT there is a problem, and they'll fix it. And BTW, don't pay for the alignment from Nissan UNLESS that is what fixes the problem. Argue it to the pavement if you have to.

transportchef

iTrader: (2)

this might sound crazy but i experienced the same thing whenever i did medium to hard acceleration. i bought a rsb and fstb from Foozed a fellow org member(thanks Foozed). i no longer have that prob. the difference is night and day. best thing to date i have done. Frankencar would be second(just waiting for the maf problem to settle)

jpick

Thank you all for your help. I have an appointment with the dealer to see if I can work this out.

Thanks again,

JPick