Ok. I think I have a few of the problems figured out but I want some opinions from people who have owned the car a bit longer then I...

I have 2 weeks to take this back to the dealership and tell them x y and z are wrong, fix it... I would rather go in knowing the problem, then go in saying yea, this happense, this happense, and this happense, because it is much easier to fix the problem if they know what it is up front...

at high speed when I use my brakes the steering wheel shakes (Rotors imo)

after a drive, and a warm car, the car itself (2002 Maxima SE) will idle semi low (causing the car to shake somewhat) - Think it MAY be a vacuum leak, the reason I beileve this is a vacuum leak is because I feel it is tied into this problem as well... when driving and shifting at any RPM decent for shifting (usually 4k+) when I engage clutch / release gas (same time) the RPMs rev about 1k and then drop, this is NOT a once in a while thing. This happense everytime I am above 4k RPM and attempt to shift, I know it is not my foot on the gas because I have tested that out, and it isn't.

The only other problem I have noticed is once in a while, and it has not happened in a while... which I feel it might be driver error since it only happense when going all out (5,500 - 6,500 RPM shifting) I can NOT shift into gear, I have tested this however, and it seems to not be driver error (atleast the times i tested it), I have grinded my gears probably 4 times since I have owned the car and it usually happense from 2nd to 3rd high RPM. I feel this might be a bad syncro. Any opinions as to what you all beileve the problems could be?

Thanks in advance

 

well the clutches i believe are hydraulic operated. so if your slave cylinder has gone bad then that would cause to grind gears because the clutch is not fully engaged. the idle problem sounds like a slight misfire but could also be a vacuum leak. thats what i thought for mine but it turned out to be an ignition coil. about the 1k over rev problem i have no idea?

 

I have same problem when I brake in my 01 max. Took it to a mechanic and got my wheels balanced, rotated, and aligned, but I still have the problem . My brakes are fine. The guy said maybe my rims are bent.
Does it happen only when you're braking?

 

the first problem is most likely the rotors, like you said.

BTW Blessed Hammer, you probibly need to change your rotors as well, maybe they were too messed up for resurfacing, its damn hard to bend the rims, so its unlikely (and would always vibrate, not just when u brake)

if u think its a vacume leak just check all te vacume hoses and intake, if its not i guess it could be a misfire, buta that will likely give u a SES light & code. could also be a bad MAF, but 02 are not as prone as 00. the shifting above 4k further leads me to believe it may be the MAF, when my maf blew it always dropped rpms excessively when out of gear, its one of the sighns but not the classic sign.

another opinion on the last problem i can give u is that the 3rd gear is perhaps the harder one to get into (and 4th gens and 3.0 5th gens, ive heard, have weak 3rd gears, but not sure about this) maybe u are shifting too fast and w/o a sts it may be a bit harder, test it out, even if u shift at 5500-6500 try to do it slowly and see if its still shifts bad then its likely not the driver if its always ok then just practice and get a better feel for the gear. btw, whats the milage?

 

I REALLY am not good at diagnosing stuff but it sounds like a lot of the systems I used to have. As for the idle speed, Try a new pcv valve and for the shuddering wheels, have your tie rods checked. If you have factory rotors, yeah, that warping can definitiely be an issue. Thats what worked for me and it was pretty inexpensive.

 

The shaking issue while braking is most likely warped rotors, get them resurfaced or replaced with new pads. Nissan rotors are garbage! Your idle problem sounds like a MAF to me, a lot of people have had problems with their MAF sensors. On your second to third transition I would have to agree with super6. The third gear sucks. I have a 02 six speed as well and my second to third shifting was extremely notchy and grinded a few times, but it's weird because it doesn't do it anymore. I installed a short throw shifter and replaced the trans. fluid with mobil 1 synthetic gear oil and it shifts great! If your vehicle is under warranty that's the only time I would say go to the dealer, rape them for everything you can. I recommend doing it yourself if you feel comfortable, if not, then take it somewhere else to obtain a lower price. Good luck!

 

Hey. Thanks for the advice. I'm going to get my rotors checked out next chance I get.

 

I do most of the work myself, but hey, under warrenty, time for some old school rapeing. Mileage, 569xx. I am probably going to head out there on mon / tuesday to ***** and complain about whatever I can find to get free work.

btw, Thanks for the opinions / help.

 

if ull end up getting new rotors, i highly recomment getting brembo slotted (just for looks) or blanks (i have the blanks) they are cadium plated, more than a year in NY and no rust at all. for only $200 shipped (group deals forum) you cant probly get anything better, and the only thing cheaper are cheap generic rotors made in china.

 

I called my local Nissan dealership today and talked to a tech there. I have an appointment thursday... I told him to drive the car hard and to determine if anything is out of the ordinary. so, $45 to get my questions answered on a nissan letter head and have them fixed for free... that should be fun.

 

The 1k RPM rise you speak of... think its from delay between have and throttle by wire and a hydraulic clutch. I noticed that if I let go of the throttle just before I press the clutch it will get rid of that 1k RPM rise.

The shake at hi speed when braking.... Rotors....

The slight rumble at idle....I eliminated 90% of it by installing the grounding kit and installing a new battery...... The battery made more of a difference for me....it was still good but It had a hard time cranking the engine below 15 degrees ..... It also improved drivability....seemed like the Throttle would react quicker.... Dash lights seem brighter also....

Good Luck

 

rotors could be warped or you mght have bent wheel, bad alignment or bearings
if you lived in my area my best friends uncle owns a shop you could of come take a look for free and i have another question how is your wheel is it steady.

TopSpeed

 

When you say steady? do you mean when driving, does the wheel jerk? No, the car seems to have good alignment, I looked at the rotors today on both my 93 Probe GT and the 02 Max and I noticed on the Max rotors their are a lot of blemishes. I know that is not common for rotors. I know I will be atleast getting some OEM spec rotors out of this, or atleast a resurfacing, but I plan to have the nissan tech write down what HE plans to do to the car and go to them and say, well Nissan, the maker of this car feels they need to be replaced, kinda thing.

 

I just want to mention one thing. The RPM "rise" when shifting a 6-speed is a normal feature and happens on my car as well. 1K RPM sounds like a lot, but it is normal for it to rise somewhat when you shift even if your foot is not on the gas. I thought this was bizarre when I first got my car too but I have read several times on this site that this has something to do with emissions.