Best place to start is with the FSM. See my signature.

 

There are 2 "flaps" as you call them that are involved. In the manual, Nissan calls them "doors". The Mode Door controls which openings the air blows out of and the Air Mix Door controls the temperature of the air.

Each door is operated by a small electric motor that gets its power from the heater controls.

You could have a blown fuse since thee are 2 doors that don't work. The manual heater controls use fuses 10 & 19. The auto heater controls use fuses 12 & 19. These fuses are in the fuse block to the left of the steering column.

Fuse 19 is a 10 amp, center row, 2nd from the right end (don't count the spare fuse).
Fuse 10 is a 10 amp, top row, 2nd from the right end (don't count the spare fuse).
Fuse 12 is a 10 amp, center row, 1st one on the left.

If you have additional questions, tell us if you have the manual or auto controls and what year the car is.

 

just bought me a 2000 gle 5th gen and it has slight mods but im pretty sure theres nothing performence related except mabey the exhaust. it has a nice hum to it but that could just be somthing added for the sound. im not a gear head never had anyone to teach but wanting to learn on my own by doing my own low rpm mods to maxima. any tips on what i could do to my basicly stock maxima. or the thing i would have to do to get my car turbo ready all the things i would have to replace/add so i could install a turbo. and mabey a website that could teach me how to get under the hood to do these things myself telling tools i would half to buy. im realy good with my hands so with basic instruction im confindent that i can most of anything

 

Will a busted Alternator Harness prevent a car from starting?

 

No. The battery is what starts the car, not the alternator. The alternator is to charge the battery.

 

Okay so i replaced my starter a couple of weeks ago with a remanufactured one from advance. I try to start it now and it just makes a whirling noise from the starter area. You think the new one went bad?

 

From what you say, it sounds like the gear in the starter is not engaging the flywheel gear. So I would say the starter has crapped out on you.

Unfortunately this happens way too often with rebuilt starters.

 

I've got a question about sway bar links. I've had a clunking sound when going over bumps at low speeds so I jacked my car up to do some diagnosing. I grabbed onto inner and outer tie rods as well as sway bar links and nothing appeared to be an obvious culprit. I ended up putting the wheel back on and lowering the car, but decided one more time to try grabbing onto the sway bar links. With the wheel back in place the sway bar links are obviously loose and appear to be what's making noise.

My question is, if I try replacing them should I put the jack under the lower control arm to release any pressure from the sway bar links? By not doing this will there be too much pressure on the bolts, not allowing me to remove them? Or is this a bad idea?

 

You can do it 2 ways. Either jack up the car and allow both wheels to hang or jack up just one wheel under the lca so that the coil spring doesn't expand.

You would have more room to work in if you jack up the car and let the coil springs expand on both wheels.

 

Hey guys, I've got a question regarding electric motor mounts on my 01 . I've got an ominous whining noise after startup, which sounds close to the firewall. I can tell my mounts are bad, most likely both front and back, because of the movement of the engine block when switching between drive and reverse especially with the handbrake engaged. I've read that this whine is notoriously acquainted with electrical motor mount failure which can risk frying the ECU. Should I just disconnect the mounts?

I also think I recall reading that if you disconnect them with the engine revved you can keep them in the "firm" position while unplugged. Is this true? If the mounts aren't leaking at all should I do this? What if they were leaking?

 

To avoid serious/expensive trouble, you should disconnect your mounts ASAP.

The electronic mounts are in "soft" state when the engine revs at less than 1000 RPM, and in "hard" state when it revs above 1000 RPM. At least, that's the theory.

I disconnected my mounts while the engine was not running at all, and I am happy with the result. I can't detect a noticeable difference in vibration or otherwise. My car is a 2000 SE.

 

If you can see the engine jumping when shifting between drive and reverse, the motor mounts are shot. There are 2 ways for the mounts to go bad.

1) the rubber tears open and the oil leaks out. This would allow the engine to jump.

2) the electric motor built onto the motor mount that pumps the oil never stops running. This will burn up components in the ECU.

1 and 2 have no relationship to each other. If one of the problems happen, it will not cause the other. Could they both happen at the same time? Sure, why not?

It sounds like you have a bad motor mount, maybe both. You may as well unplug them until you get new ones, just in case.

 

Thanks guys, you rock!

Yeah, the rubber appears to be intact, at least on the front one. Haven't had the chance to get under and inspect the back. Gotta go buy some jack stands ASAP.

Also, I noticed while disconnecting the mounts that my coolant/refrigerant reservoir for the radiator is nearly empty. I had thought it was fine because its a little stained and looks full! Do I need to do a full coolant flush or should I just fill 'er up?

God this car is a lemon. Just wait til you see my radiator support....

 

The overflow tank will tend to look crappy because the water can evaporate out of the coolant mix and leave the chemicals as a stain. Remove the tank and clean it out and then add some water in there. But to say whether you need to flush the engine, look in the radiator, not the overflow tank.

Nissan does not do well with rust. Back in the 70's when they called themselves Datsun, I could 4 to 5 years out of a car before the rust ate through the structural parts and you couldn't jack the car up to change a tire.

But if you have a rusted out radiator support, that's why the engine moves. The engine, via the motor mounts, is supported by a frame cross member. One end of this cross member is bolted to the lower radiator support, so if it is rusted out, the engine is hanging loose on the one side. This is not a motor mount problem.

Back to the motor mounts themselves. If the motor mount hasn't lost the oil, the engine isn't going to "jump" that much. With good mounts the engine moves a little. The real test is to put the car in drive, step on the brake and give it the gas. A bad motor mount will allow the engine to jump or rock 3 to 4 inches. A good motor mount is maybe an inch. You also do this in reverse. Drive checks one mount, reverse checks the other.

But you can't test the motor mounts if you have a rusted out lower radiator support.

 

Thanks Dennis. Looks like I need to find a friend who's handy with a welder. I can't afford the replacement in a shop and I have no idea how to spot weld to do it myself...

 

Ive seen people ask what black rims look like on a Maxima.
Well here you go...
(Pictures in order from oldest to current)

Stock:


After:











I also did the grille, tinted fog lights, side markers, and side mirrors and replaced the lug nuts with white ones

 

Hi. New to the forum! Feeling like I'm at a bit of a crossroads with my 2002 GLE (170,000 miles). Left the country for about two years for a study abroad program. During that time, it was my little brother's to have and maintain. Now that I'm back, there have been a few things that seem to have popped up.

Cracked radiator: Happened going over a pretty steep incline on a blazing hot day. Car massively overheated. Pulled over within a couple miles. Had a buddy come pick me up, diagnose the problem, went to Autozone, and had the new radiator (and thermostat, to be safe) installed the next day.

Leaky power steering hose: Brother said it was leaking almost from the get go. I've been reading up on it, and I guess a bunch of 5th gens have this issue eventually. He said he would give it more fluid when it needed it, but then got tired of that and drove it without it (no idea why you'd want to do that). I've found where the leak is, and after reading some of the threads here, I'm thinking I want to order the OEM part and install it myself. Is it really that hard or just a time-consuming m-f'er? And did driving without the power steering fluid do any additional damage? (it drives just fine when filled with fluid, until the fluid drains)

Engine ticking: Thinking it's noisy lifters/valves from what most people have said on this forum about a similar sound. Brother said he changed the oil when needed, which I think he did. BUT I KNOW he didn't change the filter ever. Could these two issues be related? I Seafoamed it the weekend I got back, but the noise remains. Any ideas?

Finally, what could be worst of all of them, or what could be all in my head and an overreaction: I feel like it revs higher when at a consistent speed (ex. at 60 mph its hits about 2,500). I also feel like it takes forever to change gears when speeding up on an onramp. It'll rev to 5,000 when accelerating, unless I take my foot off the gas to allow it to change gears. I swear I never had to do this before, and that there was a lot more "get up and go" when I last left it. Is it just getting old? Am I being way too concerned? Or is it a sign of something far worse?

If people could help me out with these issues, it would be super helpful. This has been my favorite car, and I really want to find a way to keep it for as long as possible.

 

Hi, new guy here. I have a 2002 nissan maxima with very rough idles. I took it to the meineke and they said it was the cam shaft sensor and it would cost $1,200 to repair. I read that there was a recall on the cam sensor. So would they be able to replace it?

 

Do you have any videos of these sounds etc? Have you noticed it burn oil, as in dip stick showing low after a few k miles?

I think you're concerned for the right reasons. Also, I'm assuming you changed the filter? If you did I'd probably run another oil change shortly after, say 500-1000 miles. VQ's tend to be a little noisy, that's why I'm trying to get a handle on how noisy it really is.

Here's mine:
http://s4.photobucket.com/user/nmexm...G0431.flv.html

Also it seems as if maybe the car is struggling and that's why it stays at a higher RPM before up shifting. That "small" loss of power might just mean it needs a tune-up. And finally, is the SES light on, if so, what codes if any have popped up?

 

$1200? Are you kidding me? Were they wearing masks and holding guns? If it was just a cam shaft sensor like you said, that's about $1000 - $1050 too high.

Yes, there was a recall on the camshaft sensor and 4 other recalls on the 2002 Maxima:

Report Receipt Date: APR 12, 2013
NHTSA Campaign Number: 13V136000
Component(s): AIR BAGS

Report Receipt Date: NOV 17, 2003
NHTSA Campaign Number: 03V455000
Component(s): ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
(this is for the camshaft sensor)

Report Receipt Date: MAY 30, 2002
NHTSA Campaign Number: 02V146000
Component(s): SUSPENSION
(this is for the control arm)

Report Receipt Date: FEB 12, 2002
NHTSA Campaign Number: 02V043000
Component(s): VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
(this is for the throttle)

Report Receipt Date: JAN 11, 2002
NHTSA Campaign Number: 02V010000
Component(s): POWER TRAIN
(this is for cars with traction control)

Call or stop by the dealer and talk to them. Have the VIN with you as they will check to see if the recalls have all ready been done. If not, they will do them at no charge to you.

You can also call Nissan Customer Service at 1-800-647-7261.

 

Had some work done over the weekend on my '03, they replaced the valve cover gasket. When I picked it up, the climate controls weren't working (fan didn't come on, rear defroster doesn't seem to work). My guess is that they forgot to reconnect something during re-assembly, I'm wondering if it's easy enough to access without going back? Thanks -LJ

 

I can't think of any one thing that would cause both problems that would be under the hood. There are fuses (2 of them) for the fan under the hood in the box by the battery. But I don't know if the wires go near the cylinder head.

There is a relay for the rear window defogger that is under the hood in the box by the power steering oil reservoir. There are fuses for this, but they are inside the car.

I don't know what the mechanic could have done to cause these problems. It may be a case of unfortunate co-incidental timing.

I would check fuses # 4 and # 7 inside the car for the rear window defogger. These fuses are both 20 amps. When you look at the fuse panel, look at the top row and start counting from the left side.

For the fan, check fuses # 51 and 52. The cover is labeled BLOWER MTR.

 

Called Nissan, they won't cover it.

Now here are the error codes my car has:

P0021
P0011
P0301

 

The price quote is still 1000-1050 too high.

 

So it should only cost like $300 to get all of that fixed? And isn't a diags at least $100 at a Nissan dealer?

 

So I recently replaced my Cam Shaft Position Sensor (Bank 2) on my 2003 Maxima SE after a scary incident that occurred about 3 weeks ago. Since replacing the sensor myself, I noticed the car is back to it's normal self (no driving issues) although I did notice it takes a couple of seconds longer to start. This would go on for about 3 weeks until the other day my check engine light returned. I immediately thought that maybe it was the new sensor that I just put in. (It was OEM by the way). So off I went to Auto Zone and they did a scan and told me I had P0021 and P1610 Codes. First thing I checked was my oil level and it was within spec. I had just did an oil change about 3 weeks ago using Penzoil Platinum full synthetic. So now I'm not sure what to check. I'm thinking about replacing that cam shaft position sensor again because I was a little suspect with the longer cranking time. Anyone know what else that I can rule out myself before replacing the sensor or bringing it to a mechanic? Thanks.

P.s The P1610 code is anti-theft (Nats) failure. I don't know what that means but my factory alarm seems to work fine. Maybe this has something to do with the Viper alarm that I had recently uninstalled? Both anti theft systems did seem to work fine when they were both installed. I don't think this code is really an issue but if someone wants to chime in that be great.

 

Apparently, the car agrees with you, cuz it self-repaired when I got in to go home last night.

178K miles = Automotive Alzheimers, apparently.

 

200 Maxima - Apologies if this is in the wrong place but my mechanic called me to tell me my ignition key isn't working, and is still dead after having a locksmith reprogram my keys. He wants to replace "the ring" around the ignition key slot that reads the key for $288+Labor. Is that reasonable?

 

OK, pretty sure the defroster is fine, and the blower relay is shot, I think... Where is it?

 

The relay is inside the passenger cabin. You remove the passenger side kick panel and the relay is hiding behind it.

but relays don't go bad anywhere near as often as other parts of the circuit. It is much more likely that it is the blower motor resistor or the fan control amplifier. It depends on which heater control system you have, manual or auto.

 

No. The price is incomplete. How much is the labor?

But there is a BIG problem with what you said. In order for a locksmith to program the keys to the car, the "ring" has to be able to sense/read the key(s).

So either the locksmith didn't program the key(s) like you said or the mechanic is wrong on what the problem is. And the "ring" around the ignition switch has nothing to do with sensing/reading the key. The ring is just a light. The part that reads/senses the key is under the plastic cover, just forward of the ignition switch.

What is making you say the keys need re-programming?

 

So - I'm new to the site and I have a question.

I have and AU/NZ 2001 Maxima (VQ30DE-K) and all of a sudden it seems like my IACV has gotten very noisy when adjusting. At least I think it's the IACV, it could be something else ...

I've posted a video of the noise on youtube here (car sounds like a diesel but that's just the poor mic on my phone):

The car seems to be running fine, and I've checked the error codes etc. with both Torque and Car Gauge Pro and nothing is showing.

Thoughts? Comments?

 

I have the auto, and the fan isn't working at all, regardless of setting. I'll be going under the dash shortly to take a look, but my money's still on the relay.

 

The main thing is that you are doing diagnostics and not just blindly buying parts on a guess and hoping that you guessed right.

One way to test the relay would be to check and see if 12 volts is at the fan motor when the ignition switch is in the ON position. If the relay is good, you will have 12 volts. If it is bad, you won't. The wire with the 12 volts is a thick white/blue stripe wire.

 

So I went both to the Nissan dealer and called Nissan Care. The dealer quoated me $489 for the cam sensor replacement. But I have a '02 nissan maxima. Nissan said they don't see my VIN number listed under the recall campaing, just the airbag.

Shouldn't the cam sensor be covered? Why would it only be with specific vins when a lot of them seem to have issues with the cam. No other issues with the car. Anybody have tips?

 

The manufacturers get parts in batches and keep track of what parts go in each car. They got a batch of sensors that ended up having a high failure rate but your car didn't get one of those.

But in spite of your car not getting a sensor that Nissan considers to be defective, I don't know why the sensors fail.

 

What makes you think it's your IACV?
Does your car idle poorly?

Your audio is not very good, so it's hard for me to tell. However, what I can hear is quite a bit of clatter. Perhaps your chain tensioner, or valves ....

 

Wasn't the relay, it was the "Fan Control Amp" - rather than fork over the $120 for a new one, I'm going to try to replace the MOSFET in the circuit board. After shipping, a new MOSFET is $8 and a few minutes soldering.

 

Hey guys i am having a problem with the air conditioner, the car is a 02 se with the automatic climate control, i thought the system needed a recharged i did, and still no cold air, also on the dashboard (where it is supposed to state the outside temperature) it only shows ---F and it says icy even though its like 93 degrees outside, idk where to start troubleshooting honestly so any but of help, would be gladly appreciated

 

your ambient temp sensor has failed.