bitar_19

Is it difficulty replacing ignition coils; is this very popular with this generation maxima. Where can I buy ignition coils for a cheap price.

adithius

I'd give it a 2.5 rating for a novice DIY'er. Check the stickys. The dealer probably wants 2-3 hours for the replacement.

It could be done in 30 minutes. You need simple tools, and an allan key.

Make sure you dont drop the screws in the engine when working with the rear coils.

sloppymax

iTrader: (8)

call dave burnette at town north nissan. 888-254-6060. last time i checked, it was aorund 300 shipped for all 6. coil failures are very prominent on 99,00 and early build 01 just for reference.

CCS2k1Max

iTrader: (2)

Check the changing the spark plugs part of the DIY maintenace section in your owner's manual. It shows how to remove the coils to get to the plugs. Not that hard. on the call to DaveB.

bitar_19

Thanks I'll try all the advise I got

2000 Maximus

iTrader: (4)

hey man, actually pretty easy to do the fronts and a bit harder to do the rears as i have read.
Check your PM's

MrPoisse

http://www.nissanx.net/tanman
very good write-up.

its important to have a magnetic rod if you dont have a sparkplug socket (I only had a normal deep socket 5/8 and the spark plugs sometimes stayed in the hole).

But dont bother if you dont change the plugs. just changing the coils is very-very easy for the front coils and very easy for the rear coils.

CCS2k1Max

iTrader: (2)

If he's going throught the trouble, it wouldn't hurt to change the plugs, unless he cross treads one of them....

grimm2708

Pretty much like changing the spark plug wire on any other car. The back ones are a little harder to get to like everone else has said. But it is not hard to do, just don't drop the screws. Have a magnet ready just in case!!

bitar_19

Thanks very one for your support

cabernet

Tanman, where are you? I had this bookmarked too but now it's gone. Wish I had saved a copy of it.

rsmrsm

Simple question: The L and R coils have different part numbers. Are they really different components?

What would happen if you used the wrong coil?


My 2000 has the pinging noise and the dreaded P code. Since the bad coil cannot be pinpointed, an idea is to replace 3 coils and see if the pinging noise disappears. Would this work? The intent is to pinpoint in which bank the bad coil is.

Thank you.

SSandMaxima

They are shaped differently, they are different components. I dont think that it is even possible to use the wrong coil.

Originally, I bought all six coils and did as you are suggesting... replaced the front coils first. This fixed my problem... for about a year. Then one of the back coils went and I finished the job! When they say that you need to replace them all, you really do. If you just replace a single coil, or just the fronts or backs, another one will go and you'll be back to replacing them.

It is a *very* easy task, though. So if you feel like replacing three at a time, no harm no foul.

rsmrsm

Thank you. I don't know how to replace them myself, I would if I had the tools, but I have a good mechanic who will do it. He bought the coils for $48 each, which seems like a good deal. Sounds like the idea of identifying the bad coils and keeping the good ones for possible future reuse is not such a good one.

I wonder if there is more than one manufacturer for these coils, and whether the coils were upgraded from the original ones, which were obviously not up to par.

My car had a slight pinging noise since it was brand new), at the first maintenance they told me it was normal... Here we are. The pinging noise is quite loud now, yet the car seems to drive ok.


Thanks again.

nsnrider

iTrader: (59)

what do you mean it is not a good idea to find out which coil is bad? it will help to know which one was malfunctioning in the first place, for your records at the very least. You can pinpoint which coil is going bad, you should get a cel which should tell you just that. I have replaced a single bad coil on my car before and drove 25k miles after that with no problems to the other coils.

SSandMaxima

The cel does not tell you which one is going bad and there is no reliable way to tell which it is. There was a whole thread in here with people trying to figure it out, and while patterns emerged, there was no 100% accurate method for statically determining a bad coil. A dealer might be able to do it.
As for the "I dont have the tools"... it takes a ratchet wrench and an extension. If you do the spark plug too, and you should, it takes a couple of extensions and a spark plug socket. That's about $5 of tools.

vinco

iTrader: (3)

Amen. "I don't have the tools" is really a poor excuse for not doing this job yourself. Tools requirements are really minimal.

NmexMAX

iTrader: (22)

Jesus, here we are, 3 years later.

SoonerFan

iTrader: (5)

rsmrsm

Here's an update. I had a friend help me replace the 3 front coils replaced (left bank), it was indeed very easy. However, this did not solve the engine knock problem. The code was reset.

Today I removed the the back coils myself. I am not mechanically inclined at all, it was not as easy for me, but I am sure for anyone not totally incompetent as me it would have been easier. I took pictures along the way whcih I will post later, dropped a screw, ran out of gas in the middle, but, hey, it's done.

The bad news: after replacing the first back coil, the SES light came on. This however, was at the same time the car ran out of gas. I have not checked what the code is for now.

I have less engine knock/pinging, but I still have some.

On this picture, just curious, are the white circles the fuel injectors? http://playumbrella.com/temp/front.jpg If so, where are the back ones? Thank you for education...

The car has less than 50,000 miles on it (82,000 km).

BTW, pages MA-18 of the service manual explains how to change the spark plugs. http://playumbrella.com/temp/ma.pdf It mentions three types of spark plugs. In my case, city driving in Ottawa (cold winters, hot summers), used 4 times daily, low mileage, not really sure which spark plugs should be used.

Thank you.

rsmrsm

Folks, I replaced all six coils, the engine knock was reduced, but is still present, and... the engine light came on again, while driving, with the same code.
The code was then reset, then it came back yet again just 15 miles later, at the next time I started the engine.

I now have 6 brand new coils (they were manufactured August 27 2007 [edit]).

Would you have any suggestions? The car runs fine otherwise and gives great gas mileage.

Shall I replace all spark plugs, knock sensor, wiring harness, what is it going to take to fix this car? I'd like to stop throwing money at it.


BTW, I always, always use Shell Premium gas. The car has only 48k miles.

Any help much, much appreciated.

NmexMAX

iTrader: (22)

August 27, 2008? Them are some new asz coils

Try 1 step colder (6) plugs.

rsmrsm

I am likely running with hot spark plugs since I am in Canada, are you saying to replace them with standard plugs? Is this going to trigger the P1320 code? Then what happens when it's -30 in the winter?

Thank you.

(coils were made Aug 2007, sorry).

NmexMAX

iTrader: (22)

it wont trigger the code and they'll be fine in any weather.

rsmrsm

Thank you for replying. I already have the code and the light on, my question was, can the spark plugs have caused the code to show up now (and possibly before I changed the coils too)?



From the service manual, pages MA18 and MA19:


I

NmexMAX

iTrader: (22)

Just change the plugs and see what happens, it's not that big of deal. Here's a little more information.
http://www.ngk.de/Spark_plugs.649.0.html

And no, the plugs wont cause that code, improper installation will.

rsmrsm

Thx a lot. It's just that my pocket is finite. At this point I don't know what caused the P1320 code since it does not seem to have been the coils.

If spark plugs don't cause the code, then it does not seem likely that replacing the plugs will get rid of the code. (?) It may help with the engine knock though.

The spark plugs are original.

Thanks again for the education and tips.

NmexMAX

iTrader: (22)

Well, yeah dead plugs can cause it too . Typically, when changing the coils, it a good practice to change the plugs while you're in there.

rsmrsm

Ok, I'll try changing the plugs (I read NGKs are the best).

Wouldn't a dead plug cause other symptoms? The engine runs quite smooth (other than the knock when accelerating hard) (and I get great gas mileage too).

Thx a lot.

NmexMAX

iTrader: (22)

Dead plugs will cause that, but failing plugs might not. I recently changed the plugs on my 03 and WOW, it made a HUGE difference.

cabernet

What is improper installation? Over tightening, not fully tightening, wrong gap...?

NmexMAX

iTrader: (22)

Forgetting to plug the coils back in

rsmrsm

Thx. My plugs are original, have never been changed. The coils were replaced, connector attached and locked, and the screw tightened.

If the coil replacement had not been done properly, wouldn't there be other symptoms like a rough engine?

NmexMAX

iTrader: (22)

Yes, so cancel that out.

rsmrsm

Thank you. So the mistery is what is the cause of the P1320. It will take me several days until I can replace the plugs, will report back then.

BTW, tomorrow I am going to do a sound recording of the engine "knock" noise just to make sure what I call knock is really engine knock.

NmexMAX

iTrader: (22)

Rod knock and spark knock often get confused, and are generalized as knocking noise, when they are 2 different noises with different causes.

SoonerFan

iTrader: (5)

and a "rattle" is different

NmexMAX

iTrader: (22)

Yeah, stupid noises.

rsmrsm

I prepared a website on how to replace the ignition coils. I replaced them myself and it was a bit of an accomplishment since I am most definitely not mechanically inclined .

The site, with pictures and step by step instructions is at:

http://maximacoils.googlepages.com/


As for my car, still have not replaced the spark plugs. I should post this on a seperate thread but the system does not let me do it.

I hope this is useful.

NmexMAX

iTrader: (22)

very nice.