Anybody know what the difference is between the oil filter on a 2000 max and a 2001 max. I went to Pepboys and they had different filter numbers for the 2000 and 2001. Anyways..i bought the 2000 and it fit on my 2001 but it was just a little bit longer.. Does anybody know why this is...or why they would change it..if it is the same engine.

 

The 2001 is supposed to use the smaller filter, but the bigger one will fit without leaking and add a little more volume. The factory fiter that came on mine was the smaller filter. If you do a lot of short trips you should use the small filter, since it fills quicker during start-ups. I don't have an explanation as to why Nissan switched the recommended part number for 2000 to 2001 model years and neither did the "parts girl" at a local Nissan dealership. Steve Richardson from Courtesy Nissan sent me the larger filters when I ordered replacements and so far no leaks.

One guess is that Nissan tried to make it cheaper by using the same filter they had been using on previous gen Maximas and Sentra 2.0-liters and then retooled in 2000. The air filters are also the same for all Sentras and current Maximas.