Yea, don't buy the car.

 

I would always take it to a reliable mechanic and have it checked for past accidents and do a check-up

 

FS threads or ebay/amazon. just dont buy anything that seems really cheap and read reviews

 

For anybody who's interested, I ended up buying the 2000 Nissan Maxima with 185K miles. One owner, no accidents. When I test drove it, I noticed it was idling rough, so I did quite a bit of research on here, and figured it might be a coil pack. Before I bought it, I had the dealer check the computer for codes, and there werent any. Well, this morning I brought it into autozone, and had them check it out, and I got a p1320 and a p0306. I knew right away what it was, so I picked up a front bank coil pack, and changed it out, and it runs awesome! Easy job too. Not that expensive either at $58. The old coil said Nissan on it, so it was either an original or a coil pack bought from a dealer. The check engine light was not on either, so either the bulb is burnt out, or it is missing entirely. Anybody know what size that bulb is?

 

hi guys i got '03 gle and would like to get clear turn signal lenses, is it a lot of work to get it done?

 

Does the bulb light when you first turn the ignition on? That's the bulb check... if it doesn't only then do you know the bulb's burnt out. The light may not have been on because it had a pending code.

Be prepared for other coils to go bad... when one does, they all do soon after. Just suck it up and buy the remaining 5. You can find deals on e-bay or amazon, but shipping kills you one-at-a-time. Be careful though: one of my coils left it's boot behind when I went to remove it to change plugs. Pisser. Otherwise they're perfect.

 

Good strategy: just make sure he tells you if there are pending codes and sensors that aren't ready for testing. That alerts you a CEL was recently reset.

 

buddywh1 you were spot on. The awesome performance was short lived. I drove to the store tonight, and the rough idle and overall performance was down again, just like it was before I changed the first coil. What would make another coil go bad so quickly after I changed the first one?

The cel does not come on when I turn the ignition to ON. So, its either been removed, or is burnt out.

 

Or the dealership removed the bulb...

 

OK... I'm getting my plan together for replacing motor mounts (front/radiator and rear/firewall)... parts are on the way and I've been reviewing every comment I can find on the Org covering the subject. Even 4th Gen forum! But I'm not sure how hard it will be to break loose the the sub-frame (aka cross member) bolts and (especially) the two (one each mount) through-bolts.

I'll have the car securely in place on jack stands, will juice up the bolts really well with WD40 and let it sit overnight and a nice long breaker bar. But will there be room to swing it working from underneath? Other than an impact wrench and compressor... any suggestions for tools... common or uncommon... that might be useful?

 

Personally I use ramps instead of jackstands. By having the wheels sprung the downward force on the transmission (when jacked up) is alleviated.

You'll need to use your floor jack to hold the engine/transmission at what I call the 'sweet spot' - the exact height in which the center bolt through the mounts is aligned with the motor mount brackets. It helps a LOT with the rear mount, which is a pain because it's tight back there. The jack will also help you re-align everything when you reinstall the new mounts.

A good breaker bar should be fine, and if it's ratcheting it's even better. I don't usually use air tools when I do motor mounts, I prefer to remove the bolts by touch.

Not sure where you're located but before you remove the front crossmember bolts, do a thorough check of your lower radiator support. If it's rusted through really badly and you remove the crossmember bolts, you may not be able to get them back in.

Good luck!

 

Sometimes when i my car is warm, it hesitates to start. I absolutely have no hesitation of starting when the car is cold, ever.

What could be the problem?

 

i am most likely buying a 5th gen maxima tomorrow - i am a college student and live on campus. do you guys think the mpg on this car is bad for a college student? should i look for another car?

 

THAT... scares me. I live in Philly rust belt and only the first two or three years of my 2k1 were in desert southwest. I'll check it really good before taking the crossmember out. Thanks for the pointers... unlucky I don't have ramps so I may take wheels off instead to reduce weight.

My plan is to loosen the mount bolts, put a board across tranny/oil pan and a jack underneath then unbolt cross member and lower it leaving it resting on the driver/passenger mounts. Then remove mount bolts and take out cross member. Replace the mounts leaving bolts loose to facilitate alignment. Then reverse the order of assembly torquing everything as I can.

L36: it could be the starter taking a dump; I just went through that. The way I figured it was starter was it just clicked under the airbox and voltage at the battery stayed really high.

 

Well, depends on how much you have leftover each month for expenses. Maximas are about comfort and style, not fuel economy.

 

i have a question.
and im probably considered a noob
i got a 2000 gle, my back sidemarkers dont light up. are they just reflectors?
I seen a few 5.5's with there back sidemarkers lit up with led / blue lights
are my lightbulbs just burnt out or does the 5th gen have reflectors and 5.5 gen have bulbs in them?
Thanks for the feedback.

 

The side markers on all models use lightbulbs, type 194. The front & rear side markers, the front parking lights & tail light are all part of the same electrical circuit, so if the tail lights work, you probably have burnt out bulbs.

 

More performance and style, IMO. Older Max's kinda fail on the comfort part as motor mounts crap, bushings harden, power seats and windows don't move, radio controls don't work, brake rotors warp. You get the picture.

And to get the performance and what fuel economy it's capable of you have to use premium gas. It's definitely not a car you buy with 'economy' in mind.

 

Hi. I am new to posting in the group. I have been reading info from here for quite a while and decided it was time to join in. I have a question about my motor mounts on my car. I took it in a while ago for an oil change and the guy at the counter told me the next expense I should put into the car would be new motor mounts. My question to you guys is, how do I know this guy isn't yanking my chain? I want my car to be sound performance wise before I go and start modding and upgrading it. Any help on this subject is greatly appreciated.

 

Did your mechanic say which motor mount(s)? What were the symptoms that gave him that indication?

There is a procedure you can do to test your mounts:
(You'll need a friend for this)
1. Open your hood.
2. Turn on engine and put car in drive
3. Engage e-brake and hold brakes FIRMLY
4. Rev the engine. Minimally at first, then increase intensity. The engine will move in the engine bay as the RPM's go up.

One person performs the above procedure while the other sees just how much the engine moves in the bay. If there seems to be a VERY significant amount of movement, it's a good gauge that your mounts are on the way out.

How many miles on the car, and where are you located?

 

He suggested all four motor mounts be replaced. And thank you. I will use that procedure when I get a trustworthy friend to help me out. I have a little over 115,000 miles on the car. I am a college student and am attending Oklahoma State University in Stillwater. My family lives in Kyle, TX. The mechanic that told me the above was located in Kyle, TX.

 

I'm skeptical, there is no simple procedure or indicator that would tell you all 4 are bad at the same time. The procedure above will identify the front/rear mounts, and the passenger mount visually only. His diagnosis might have been a 'might as well' thought process.

At 115k it's certainly possible your mounts are worn.

Regardless, do your research before you buy. You'll find that you don't need to replace with OEM electronic F/R mounts, and you CAN replace your F/R A/T mounts with M/T mounts to save quite a bit of cash.

 

Ok. Thank you for clearing that up. And not to contradict myself, but I would also like to say that I do notice both audible and physical shaking of the car when put into gear after starting it up. Would this lead you to believe worn motor mounts? I feel this might have been what tipped him off.

And if I want the best for the car, for both performance and longevity purposes, would the OEM replacement parts be the better choice? Or does it matter that much? Referring to the "OEM electronic F/R mounts" vs the "M/T mounts." Once again, I'm not sure what those acronyms refer to. Is that Automatic Transmission and Manual Transmission? And once again, I want to thank you for the advice and patience.

 

Yea, sounds like it's possible that it's your mounts.

Aftermarket mounts are fine. eBay, Amazon, www.rockauto.com, all fine.

F/R is Front/Rear
A/T and M/T are Auto/Manual Transmission

The story is this. Assuming you have an automatic, your front/rear mounts are electronic. There is no need to spend on expensive electronic replacements (which are only available from Nissan). The motor mounts in a manual transmission Maxima are not electronic, and will fit your vehicle. So just buy the mounts for a manual 02/03 maxima and you'll be fine. For the other two mounts. And just get whatever standard recommended replacements for the other two mounts.

 

Ok. Got it. Thank you very much. I will look into it and find what is needed. And I assume, since I don't have very sufficient knowledge of engine components and installation, a professional installation is recommended?

 

That's debatable. Someone that has basic mechanical knowledge and tools could probably replace their motor mounts. It's not a technically complex job. Takes a few hours if you take your time. No specialized tools are necessary, except some larger sockets and a breaker bar.

also, I just sent you a PM

 

Ok. I'll look into that as well and see if it is within my skill range. I am confident in my abilities, so I might just try it. haha

 

Check post #13811 in this thread - just scroll up. There's a few tidbits of info about replacing the mounts, and plenty more if you search.

 

Yep, my 2000 has "lights with bulbs"....I know because I changed the amber fronts and red rears to clear all around, and had to buy orange bulbs for front and red bulbs for rear, so they still light up appropriately, but lenses are now clear.

 

Ok, regarding the engine cover, I do have the one that shows in your picture in silver and read, I was just wondering if there was something further that covered the black area behind this cover (closer to the firewall) that would hide the black top, wiring harness, injector wires and cables, etc....I have holes with threads in several places with nothing in them, so I just thought it might be for a large shrowd cover of some kind to cover up more or less the entire engine top. if not, no worries then.

On the topic of my car, and not clearing codes, I towed it to the dealer, and they immediately diagnosed it as a replace MAF as well as all coils. Then they said it should have plugs changed and a injector flush. Then it would all need to be reprogrammed / re-learned.

Costs were horrific for all of this....$1000 for coil replacement, $800 for MAF sensor, $175 for plugs, $175 for flush, and $100 for re-learn....

My concern is that this is all to familiar, to just change parts based on codes. Because I am on my 3rd MAF sensor, and have replaced coils and plugs recently. Now granted, the parts have been by the company Standard, but I would think they should still be ok? Thoughts?...my only hope is that this time, if "they" do the repair with "their" parts, I might get some warranty when the codes and rough idle/stalling comes back....nitoce I say "when" rather than "if"...because my thoughts are that it will be good for a while, like it always is, then slowly come back to the same problem, then lights again. What is everyone's take on using non-Nissan parts? Does it make a difference?

I have found online stores that sell genuine OEM Nissan parts like MAF and coils for about a third of what the dealer tells me. They are also telling me that labour for MAF is 2 hours...I have a hard time with this, since I can do it in less than 5 mins and I am no tech'n....

What to do? Bite the bullet and have them do it, or pay the diagnostic fee of about $200 and do it myself (this time with genuine Nissan parts bought online) I changed plugs at Christmas , which involves taking out coils, and did the whole car in less than an hour...can't see how they say 3 hours to do coils.....

And for a 2000, is it true the MAF change needs to have a re-learn process done....I have read mixed thoughts...some say leave battery unplugged for 30 mins, others say overnight....others say not at all, that your initial start up and drive will reprogram/relearn the car....I would like a definitive answer...I have done through the shop repair manual and kind find reference to this.

By the way, I had also changed the idle air control valve,,, with improvement for a while, then back to same problem....WHAT IS THIS GREMLIN in my car that is causing the stalling at idle?

 

I have done through the shop repair manual and kind find reference to this.

Sorry, I meant to say that I have "gone" through the shop manual and find "no" reference to this....thanks

 

Nope, that's the extent of the cover. If you want anything more you can try to purchase the cover from the 2001 AE version....


OEM coils are $60 a piece, $360 for all of them. A MAF is $80. Plugs are $90 for the good ones. $175 for the flush should be $90 if you go to an aftermarket shop, and $100 for re-learn is fair.

If you can do a MAF, you can do plugs and coils.

I've always used OEM MAF's and coils - I'm sure there are aftermarket parts but I don't know how well they perform.

That's how the dealer makes money....charging standard rates and doing them in shorter time.

I'd do it yourself, but then again, I recall telling you to replace the parts using the knowledge on here and not having it towed in the first place.

I go the 30 minute route or not at all.

IACV is EXTREMELY finnicky. You seem to have your head on straight so I'm going to assume you did the re-learn and all that? A bad IACV can fry the ECU - are you sure you replaced it in time?

 

i almost bought a 01 maxima se today but the abs light was on, it needed new rear rotors, tires before winter and some minor problems. i also realized that being a college student means saving as much money, for example gas. What do you guys think about a sentra spec v? would you consider it a four cylinder maxima?

 

I'd consider a Spec V a 4-cyl Maxima the same way I'd consider a Geo a 3-cyl Ferrari...

 

Hey everyone I have an 2000 maxima SE which is having trouble starting and when it finally starts it dies. Has anyone had the same problem or knows what it can be. I recently replaces IACV and the car has been running fine until today. I'm pretty sure the battery is good. If anyone can help me I would greatly appreciate it.

 

alright i get your point lol he was going to give me the car for 3700. should i have taken it?
good: car had 128k mi, greddy exhaust, stillen intake, no leaks
bad: needed tires before winter, needed rear brake rotors, needed new drive belt, abs light was on, 2 unset monitors

 

I thought he said he wouldn't go lower than 4500?

I'd have brought it closer to 3000 and taken it as is, then put a few hundred in repairs into it.

 

The price is not so bad. Well it depends how well the kept the car is, if there no rust, leaks ect. Just make sure to check under the car if you can and check the radiator support.

I got my maxima with injen intake, pretty neat sound system with a sub that takes up half of my trunk space for $2400 with 120K miles on it. So far ive replaced/added:

-Front rotors and pads - done myself.
-Rear calipers and pads - done myself
-Bought OEM 17 inch wheels just cause, came with tires for $330 - done myself.
-New alternator - did not do labor.
-New front cat between the rad and engine, along with a new y pipe, test pipe, and intermediate pipe - did not do labor
-New power steering pump - done myself - still have steering whine.
-Clutch - done myself.
-Power steering high pressure hose along with all belts - did not do the labor.
-Torn boot - done myself.
-Bank 2 o2 sensor - did not do labor.
-Drivers ball joint - done myself.
-Other things like an oil change, new gear lube for M/T, random interior fixes like broken appilar, clove box, new head unit because old one pooped the bed, sound system rewiring, in cabin air filter in which Ive done all these things myself.

Overall in total the car cost me $4200 to $4400 with all this done including the price of the car, title fees and everything else. Somewhat too much for a car like this, but i got a car that fixed and ready to go without bull****.

TL;DR prepare to shell out for repairs.

 

he changed his mind, he went down to 3700 but the check engine light and the abs light are scaring me because i had a bmw before and it ended up being the abs module which costs 1000 dollars. i need help! lol i really want the car but i want to know the problem for sure before i purchase it

 

In the Maxima an ABS light is USUALLY indicative of one or more bad ABS sensors, which are about 100 each.