Thanks for the thoughts. Definitely checked Fuse I, in fact, what started this all was that it blew and I replaced it. Only to find that things still didn't work. I'll have to try your experiment, it'll take me a day or three before I can get time. That circuit breaker is really hot any time I touch it. Like, uncomfortably hot. Would that indicate a "bad" circuit breaker? And I was thinking more about my thoughts on the bad part being the drivers side main switch - the fact is that there is power there and trying to use the door locks actually makes something click in the SECU...so maybe it's not bad?

 

I have a 2000 GLE and have purchased a used spoiler I would like to mount. Has anyone out there done one? Looks like I am going to have to drill through the trunk deck so I want to get it right the first time. Thanks and sorry if this is the wrong spot.

 

It sounds like a clogged cat. Can be the main cat or one or more of your pre-cats. You'll have to remove them to physically check and see if they are clogged. It is a relatively common issue.

If you are in an area with no emissions testing then you can get by with punching out your cats, but may continue to throw an SES code unless you get a O2 sim or something like that.

The rubbing in the rear may be a tire rubbing against your wheel well. Have you looked into this at all? Sometimes the rear beam shifts over and can cause rubbing. Check your trailing arm and linkage bushings for excessive wear as this will contribue to the beam movement.

 

I have never touched that circuit breaker in any of my cars, so I don't know what to say. Any electrical device will get warm when electricity is flowing through it, so you can't say it's bad just because its warm. But I would think that it should be cool when you haven't used any of the accessories that it powers.

The drivers door switch panel is a monster device that has a low level cpu chip in it. It has functions in a lot of things that makes me ask "WHY?". But because it deals with door locks, that means it is part of the security system.

 

anyone know where i can get or find a rear spoiler for a 02 maxima? mine didnt come with one and would like to add one. what am i looking at cost and to install?

 

Something like this?

http://www.carid.com/2002-nissan-max...ler-41756.html

I'd suggest doing the install yourself or maybe find somebody from the forum that lives nearby to at least help. There are lot's of articles online on this topic, there is also this post.

If you'd really rather not screw with it, I'll bet it wouldn't take a dealer/auto shop more than 1-2 hours - especially if they've done it before. So you're looking at shop cost / hr * 1 or 2? Maybe $200 for the install roughly?

 

Bought myself a 2002 Maxima SE w/58k miles on the odo yesterday, I got an OK deal ($7000+ttl) but the used car market is insane right now. Anyway, it's pretty mint so I'm OK with the price. Few questions though:

1. If parked on an incline I have a tough time getting it into reverse..I hope that's not an expensive problem to fix? I can reverse park it to avoid this issue, but it's my wife's commuter car and I don't know how I feel about her trying to reverse park beside my Acura..

2. Is HID theft still an issue? I know there are some locks for these, how do I tell if I already have them? What's the best way to secure these? I may be moving next to my wife's medical school which isn't in the "nicest" neighborhood so I'm trying to figure out if we can street park this or I need to keep it garaged.

3. How do I tell if I have traction control, stability control, etc? It came with manuals but no window sticker.

Thanks guys, my dad still has his '93 Maxima he bought new when I was a kid and this brings back good memories! Loving the insane smoothness and power this car's got!

 

Decided to buy the driver side power window main switch before digging into the circuits much further. These are known to be the source of the very same problems I'm having. If it doesn't work, I'll be listing it on the board soon.

 

Anyone have a rough estimate how much would it run to sand down a bumper and repaint it?

 

Anywhere from $175-$500, depending on the quality and shop.

 

Just had these two codes pop up along with what feels like transmission problems. I'm starting to search through the forum now for answers, but if anyone can direct me to a thread that deals with either or both of these codes, I'd sure appreciate it. Thanks.

 

I just bought a 2003 maxima se and the left steering wheel controls aren't working. I have an aftermarket stereo that came with the car so I know the volume control won't work but what about the mode, trip, and up/down buttons?

 

I'm planning to flush the clutch fluid since its very black. Which brake fluid i should use for the clutch fluid?
Thanks.

 

please help!!!

 

You have to ground the brown w/yellow wire on the secondary radio harness.

While you're back there, install an Axxess ASWC to regain your steering whhel controls.

 

Anybody need a driver side main switch?

Seriously - it wasn't the main switch. My current leads are the hot circuit breaker and maybe the SECU. Sunnuva!

 

So, I'm not sure if this is a real problem per se, but I've had a couple of gear shifts recently where the shifter has gone into gear (3rd or 4th, usually) but not gone into gear. By that I mean it isn't clicking all the way in (doesn't happen if I slam the gears in) and it kind of will sit half in and half out. Slip and chatter, of course, result.

I don't recall this happening until recently. I'm more concerned that this may be a precursor to something more sinister.

For reference, she is a 2002 6MT with MT-85 in the tranny for about a month or 2 now and ES shifter bushings. The shifter used to be pretty clunky and, while not slick as a whistle now, these steps have really helped.

Since I've only had her for 6 months I was hoping a more knowledgeable person might have insight.

 

I'm a little surprised that you tried the window switch as you said you couldn't find any interconnection with the seats and sunroof, which would be true. But now you know that is not the problem. I would suggest you focus on the circuit breaker. When you say it's hot, is that all the time? That should not be.

Since Fuse I was blown originally and you say the circuit breaker is hot, this could imply that there is a constant electric flow in the circuit - which should not be. When the car is not running, there is no power to the windows and sunroof. There is power to the seats and door locks. Maybe you have a switch that is sticking.

I suggested earlier to unplug the circuit breaker and put a jumper in its place. I would still like you to try that. But also, I would be curious to know what the amperage is that going through the circuit breaker, however very few people have an ammeter capable of 40 amps.

By the way, what year is your car?

 

I guess my thinking was that once I verified that I had power to the switch, I figured, "How could it be the cb or relay when obviously there is power getting to the switch?" And my thoughts were the same wrt to the cb - why put a jump around it when I know there is power coming out.

Then the other night it dawned on me, exactly what you just said here - if that thing is hot, it means there are amps running through it, and with how hot it is, probably more than there should be. Right, my multimeter doesn't even come close to 40A, unfortunately.

Another interesting data point - I noticed that the replacement I put in for fuse I is now discolored on the bridge part, apparently confirming that yes, too many amps are flowing through that circuit. I don't know what to do about it now though. This means that something is drawing on those amps...now to find it.

I disconnected several of the harnesses under the driver seat, not all of them yet, but most - no changes. I'm getting close to taking this thing in, I just don't have the time necessary to screw with it.

The car is 2001 GLE...

 

For a fuse to start showing signs of high current flow such as discoloration, warping of the fuse wire, that implies amperage flow close to the fuse's rating.

If the circuit breaker is hot, that implies current is flowing throught the breaker.

If the circuit breaker is hot all the time, I interpret "all the time" to mean even when the car is shut off.

If there is electrical current flowing through the circuit breaker, at an amperage high enough to discolor the fuse (30-35 amps?) when the car is turned off, after several hours (much less overnight) you wouldn't be able to start the car. You haven't mentioned that you have a dead battery problem, so I've gotten something wrong.

I guess that disconnecting things is probably the best course of action. The sunroof would be the next thing to unplug. Unplug the motor, not the switches.

 

I am replacing my spark plugs and realized you have to take the intake manifold off. Does anyone have the part number for the upper manifold gasket. Its a 2003 Nissan Maxima SE
Is this the one?
http://www.autopartswarehouse.com/de...e&apwidcaZO3NQ

 

I just went out to the car. Put the CB back in (I've been taking it out after troubleshooting as I know it gets too hot for my comfort). Closed the doors. No keys in the ignition. I sat that for 5m, felt the CB, and I could tell it was getting hot. Waited a few more minutes, sure enough, it was HOT.

I am not having trouble starting the car from the battery perspective but since I started this troubleshooting (disconnecting battery, components, SECU, etc) the car has had more difficulty starting. It starts cranking right away but takes a few seconds for everything to fire up, like i have to keep the key turned about 5s for the engine to turn over. But what you say makes sense, how could the battery not be drained after that thing being hot all night like that? It was surely like that for several days before I started yanking the CB and only putting it in during troubleshooting...

I need to completely disconnect all the plugs under the seats and test again. Then I'll do the sunroof, is the motor under the switch cover?

 

I searched and haven't been able to locate my specific problem. I need help.

When I start my car my dash gauges do not work, no speedo, no fuel, no oil temp, no tach, AC doesn't function, steering wheel doesn't automatically go into place. The radio works, the blinkers work on the outside but do not blink on the dash, same with hazard. The wipers work, the radio controls on the steering wheel works. I have no idea what is going on.

I'm thinking it's a fuse but I cannot locate the fuse that controls the dash gauges. I checked the boxes on drivers side, near battery and under left panel near washer fluid tank and can't see to figure out which one controls the dash based on the abbreviation on the panel.

 

So I took my engine cover off of my 02 Max to paint it, and my sister cracks it almost in half... Is there anywhere I can buy a new one?

 

http://forums.maxima.org/5th-generat...-2000-2003-42/
http://www.courtesyparts.com/maxima-...03-c-1956.html
http://forums.maxima.org/5th-generat...onth-sale.html

Try the cabin fuses located near the hood popping mechanism.

The link was dead. But honestly, I've removed my upper IM many times over the years and have yet to replace the gasket.

If anything, I'd get it locally or from courtesy nissan.

 

The sunroof motor is under that bulge with the switches.

I went and touched the circuit breaker on my 97 max that has been parked for about an hour and it was room temperature. The circuitry is almost identical to your car.

The way the car is wired, the power from the circuit breaker goes directly to the sunroof motor, not the switches.

For the windows and doorlocks, the power goes to the master switch in the driver's door on a white/red stripe wire. The power also goes to the switches in the other 3 doors, white/red stripe wire.

For the seats, the power goes to the switches on the yellow wire.

 

I want to connect the stock fog lights on my 2002 SE maxima, how do I do that? Mine don't come on...

 

Do you know for certain if the lights are truly disconnected? Or are you assuming that the lights are disconnected because they don't come on?

There are fuses to check, light bulbs to check. What have you done, what have you verified?

 

I have a 2000 Maxima and today the air from the AC started getting warmer? I figured the AC was broken and was driving to my mechanic when the car started to run rough, like it was running out of gas.

Then the check engine light came on, I noticed that below 2000 rpms the engine ran fine, but it would not run over 2000 rpms? I figured it was an emissions problem and continued to drive a few miles to my mechanic and as I was two blocks from the mechanic I noticed that the thermometer was approaching the H. I drove into the mechanics parking lot I noticed that the thermostat had pegged on the H. I parked and opened the hood and there was some small amounts of coolant on the top of the engine, like it had squirted out? I touched the radiator cap and it was not hot, but not very warm? The overflow reservoir was bone dry. I got back in the car and turned the key and the temp had dropped down to normal, in 5 minutes?

I had not seen any smoke in my rear view mirror and did not see any smoke or signs of coolant in the engine while I was driving?

It does not seem to me that I overheated the car. I've done it before over the decades and it did not seem like that was happening?

What in the world does it sound like? The coolant sending unit? If it went out, could some coolant spray out? How possible is it for me to loose all my coolant without seeing any smoke or anything in my driveway?

Thanks
Bill

 

You have a coolant leak, that's why you saw coolant on the engine and because the engine is low on coolant, the engine is overheating and the gauge on the dash is telling you. The temperature sensor is telling the ECU (Engine Control Module) that the engine is overheating and the ECU has turned on the Check Engine Light to tell you there is a problem and is also cutting back on the engine power output to try and save the engine.

When the car is cold, take off the radiator cap and I'm pretty sure you will not see any coolant in the radiator. My first guess is that the radiator is leaking at the top driver's side corner where the black plastic tank is attached to the metal fins.

 

Thanks. The coolant was on the radiator. A couple table spoons. How much damage could I have done to the engine? Warped head? Also, is the warm AC air related to the coolant? I wonder why I did not see any smoke from the leak when driving? Thanks Bill

 

It's hard to say how much damage could have been done to the engine. The answer is determined by a bunch of inter-related variables: How much coolant has been lost, how long time-wise was the car driven like this, driving conditions, are the major ones.

The A/C going warm is probably normal for an over-heating engine. The ECU is what tells the A/C to run, not you pressing the button on the dash. Pressing the button sends a signal to the ECU. The ECU checks several conditions and if they are all OK, the ECU turns on the A/C. The program that the ECU follows says that when there is a problem with the engine that could cause damage, reduce the power output of the engine. This is called "LIMP MODE". The timing gets retarded to reduce the power output of the engine and the rpm's may be limited to 2500, depending on the problem.

Smoke - steam actually, is only seen when you have a major leak, like when a radiator hose bursts. A small leak such as you have produces so little steam that all the air blowing under the hood dissipates the steam and you don't notice it. And for what it's worth, this problem did not just happen today. You've had the leak for several days and the loss of coolant became critical today. The empty reservoir tells us that.

 

Thanks, what you said sounds like what happened. I appreciate the help. Thanks Bill

 

I have a 2001 Maxima automatic with no traction control. The ECU is supposedly faulty and supposedly cannot be programmed for new IAC and new MAF. The ECU has A56-Q79 ZA0 stamped on it. I used Car-Part.com to get a used ECU that was supposed to be a match for the specifications that I provided. However, it has A56-R63 ZE7 stamped on it. I called Nissan Parts and they said that they could not tell me anything based on those numbers, that the Nissan part numbers started with 2######. They did say that it was unlikely that the ECU would work. Can anyone give me any guidance on this? Thanks.

 

If its installed you can try the ECU reset and do the Throttle Position and Idle relearn procedures first before you take it out

 

The IAC and MAF were recently replaced and the MAF is a new style that cannot be relearned, and I was told that the original ECU was faulty and could not be programmed. Because the original ECU cannot be reprogrammed or apparently relearn, the idle RPM is high, power oscillates in park and neutral, and there is hesitation / jerkiness when backing off the throttle. Thus this issue with getting a replacement ECU that can be reprogrammed for the new IAC and MAF. I cannot figure out the deal with Nissan ECU numbers. There are no numbers on the ECU similar to what the Nissan dealer told me. I'm not sure what to do next except for put the replacement ECU in and see if the car starts.

 

I put the replacement ECU in and the car would not start, so I put the original ECU back in and the car is back to running in degraded condition. I'm wondering if I went back to old-style MAF if some of the problems with the hesitation, oscillation, etc. would go away. Or am I locked into getting an ECU that can be programmed because of the new idle air control? What are the Throttle Position and idle relearn procedures?

 

This was it! Early on I disconnected some of the harnesses under the driver side seat but not all of them. Today I did all of them and to my surprise, everything started working again (except for that seat of course). I have yet to see if plugging everything back in will still cause problems, it is about to pour here so I figured I'd do that later. Now that I'm over my 15 post restriction, I do plan to break this issue into it's own thread. Especially after I fully resolve it down to the particular harness or area that is causing the problem. DennisMik, thanks so much for all the advice! I'm soooo relieved now, yes!

 

Hey guys i got an 02 maxima se 6 speed. i want to start doing a few mods and trying to spend under $1000 for the moment. any suggestions? what brands are the best? CAI? Headers? ehaust? for best hp results. thanxx guys

 

Well, the fuse is in there, I don't know how to see if it's good or bad but this is for getting the factory fog lights on the 2002 maxima to work.

What else needs to be done? I'm working on it right now.