Here is the sound from the previous motor.

Click Here

Question, HONESTLY, when you first heard this video or at anytime, what did you think the sound was? What was the problem? Answer honestly.


The Maxima is running again thanks to mine and my brothers efforts. Total cost for the project was around $2500.00.
We put two motors in it, the first a 39k motor from a salvage, looked bad but we dropped in anyway, it came up with loud rod knock 20 minutes into the idle, oh well, got it replaced with a 79k motor which coincidently look like a
39k motor, humorous huh? I thought so. So far that motor is running fine.

After we got the second motor running I tore into the block to find the root of the problem, what do you know there was a piece of metal on top of cylinder #1. It was an ex-screw from the secondary butterfly inside the intake manifold. Wonderful eh? I could of probably sucked it out with a magnet but was so much damage to the piston, chamber and valves that it probably wouldn't have run right.






I'm at a loss for what to do now. It's quite humorous *sarcasm*, that Nissan can fail to put locktite on a part and charge me out the wazzou for it. That's a simple quality control issue and one of the bigger reasons that this will be my last Nissan vehicle.
I've tried to get a hold of Nissan quality control or goodwill department numerous times today without luck.

Does anyone have a number that I can call? I was on the phone with consumer affairs forever and they just gave me the run around with no hope to ever getting through to someone, they wouldn't even let me talk to a supervisor.

Andy

 

Wow...that sucks.

 

First time I've ever heard of this.......

I'm also betting Nissan will do squat as well.

 

should be a coincidence.

 

Well it doesn't really surprise me. The 04-05 spec-V had this exact problem with the butterfly screws coming loose and they finally issued a recall on it. This is however the first ive herd of it on the VQ35

 

Ditto

 

This happened to a guy on the org...years ago. The screw actually made it past the cylinder and into the catalytic converter. They took a picture of the intake valve (sans screw) and took it to the dealer. The dealer denied the problem and sent them home. When they got home, there was some odd screw (not like the second one) on the valve. The dealer got caught big time. I'll see if I can dig up the thread.

I was following your post on BITOG, glad you found the problem.

 

Here is the story:
http://forums.maxima.org/5th-generat...story-far.html

 

That blows but I wouldn't go as far as saying never buy a Nissan again, there isn't an automobile manufacturer on the face of the earth that hasn't had an engine problem at one point or another.

 

Nissan didn't tear the engine down, they'll deny warranty on that point alone.

 

I once dropped the air cleaner stud down into my carburetor one day, went right into the engine and held open a valve. Had to run up to the store and get new intake manifold gaskets and yank the intake to get at the stud. I had to tap the top of the valve with a hammer to push it down enough to get the stud out. Luckily it didn't damage the valve. No suing Chevy over that one, it was completely my fault. Lesson learned though.

 

apples and oranges, you dropped it, in his case the screw fell out

 

Yeah, said that. I lucked out since I had no engine damage either.

 

HT--"well, um, well, WELL UM AHH, i don't understand that"

Priceless.

 

i thought there was something in the engine couldn't tell u wat though... but like someone said, i wouldn't write off nissan on a whole for that, everyone has problems

 

This is not the first time Nissan has screwed either my friends or my family and myself. The fact is GM's goodwill department is much better, if they want to ignore my persistent request to talk to someone in the know then that is fine with me.
They sold me a faulty product and they refuse to acknowledge it's existence, for some reason people give automobiles manufactures a pass when it comes to things like this, any other product people would discontinue use. The truth is, give me a push rod v-8. Corvettes routinely get 28mpg...with 400hp.

Andy

 

So, you base your purchase of your vehicle on the service you receive at the dealership?

 

Uhhh...wouldn't you see that as a MAJOR contirbuting factor in the reasoning of purchasing a certain vehicle? If you get sh1tty service everytime you go in, then why would you want to buy another feel from them?

 

Has nothing to do with dealership but that would certainly be a reason I wouldn't by a vehicle, it has to do with the Nissan's refusal to acknowledge their faults or make any attempts to give goodwill back to their loyal customers.

Andy

 

actually this is not only the max. i happen to read about the pathfinders 01-05 with the vq engines in them and alot of owners had problems with screws being fallen into the cylenders causing the engine to blow and having to puta new engine into it.here is a link if anyone wants to read it http://x.nissanhelp.com/forums/pathf...ne-damage.html i was hoping it wouldnt affect our cars but its pretty sad. sorry this happened i begining to question nissans work and the things they put out these days. i still love my max though

 

I don't think I understand your situation entirely. Did you buy your vehicle brand new from Nissan? If not, did the previous owner have all maintenance/work done at Nissan? I don't know all the details, but I find it humorous you blame Nissan for your problems when it sounds like its someone else' fault that had their hands on your engine in the past. Be it some Nissan tech, or not. That to me has 0 to do with Nissan as a company and/or their build quality of their vehicles.


Well, I was referring to the service department only. Not sales, management etc. Although all of it is important, its hardly any factor for me as I do all my own work to my cars anyway. I hate just throwing money at any shop to do something I'm entirely capable of doing myself, not to mention I always have the piece of mind that the job was done right, or at least if there WAS an issue, I have no one else to blame but myself.


Well, as I said above, I don't know the entire story so someone please fill me in if I don't, but why would Nissan acknowledge fault and replace something for no reason? It didn't roll off the assembly line like that. It appears to me it was clearly some incompetent, lazy joke of a mechanic who reassembled the TB/Intake manifold assembly.

 

HAHAHAHAHA.....you think Nissan has bad quality control? You clearly have never: owned, operated, driven in, had a friend who's driven in any car that rolled out of motor city. This is probably the most isolated case possible. My family has had Nissans/Datsuns for the last 25 years, and never once has any serious work had to be done to it (except that time my mom backed up the pathfinder onto a boulder and ripped off the whole exhaust system ), never once was there a quality control issue. I'm sorry that you had this problem, but saying you'll never buy a nissan again is like going on a hunger strike...after two days you realize its to good to ignore

 

Sounded like pop corn to me. I wouldn't totally diss nissan though just the place that gave you crappy customer service.

 

matter of fact i just my motor coz of that sound ibut i havent had a chance to look at the old one and tear it open

 

yup you are right there. I have seen 3 pathfinder engines blow because of that with my own eyes. They have a long butterfly assy with one flap per cylinder.
ALso we all know about the spec V powervalves.
Not too many 3.5s though in maximas

 

I just checked mine this morning. I checked it about 4 years ago when I read the thread I posted. Checked it again today and the screws are still there. I can't remove either one of them, so it seems I'm in good shape.

I did notice that the "catch" for the vacuum arm (small metal stop arm that catches the butterfly when open) on the outside, has worn a groove into it. It was getting stuck open when I was cleaning it.

 

Alright, brand new user here who's appreciated this forum for the last 6 weeks. Really, this forum has thoroughly impressed me almost as much as Nissan's engineering impressed me, RIGHT UP UNTIL I LOST THE SAME SCREW!!! I purchased a 2002 Maxima from a good friend who drives like a grandma. His mom was the first owner, I actually saw my car roll into her garage when I was in high school. She had an excellent mechanic who took good care of her car.

At 181,000 (2000 miles after I bought the car) I started my Maxima and heard a loud rattling, banging, knocking sound. I turned my engine off, researched this thread, went back to the parking lot where I left my car and dropped a reaching magnet into cylinder 1 and pulled out the mashed VIAS bolt. The engine no longer rattles as the metal that was bouncing around in the cylinder is no longer present. The engine still knocks and will die if I let it run long enough. I'll be pulling the heads tomorrow to see if I need to replace a valve or something that is simpler and cheaper than an engine replacement.

Bottom line, I will never give Nissan a dime of my money. I wouldn't hesitate to buy a used Nissan and fix this problem, but this is still flipping pathetic. Ford also uses an intake restriction plate on the 4.6 DOHC and they've NEVER HAD AN ISSUE WITH BOLTS FALLING OFF. Go ahead, Google "ford IMRC bolt fail." Zero results. Pics below.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?f...1&l=ffb2a13238

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?f...1&l=330acd29ef

 

i reckon everyone with the vq3.5 engine should chk their screws and put some loctite on them.

 

That's exactly why I posted this. Granted, I'm venting a bit, but had I known that this issue might pop up I would have dropped RED Loctite on the screws and moved on. Keep in mind, I've had to use a torch to loosen Red loctite.

 

02-03 specV's had it as well. I had an 02 the first year they came out....at 40k miles and 2 years into ownership it happened to me(WAY before they ever admitted a problem). Took it in and the dealer said my intake caused it and denied any work.

anyways, i regapped the plug and went on my way
loctited the rest before eventually pulling them out for the turbo kit

anyways, i dont buy new anymore and I research known problems of the Nissan I get so I can fix them. My wifes vehicle is a 2006 pathfinder. search pathfinder transmission/radiator to see what comes up lol.
GREAT truck, just had to pull the transmission radiator lines off and couple them together to bypass the radiator(it has an extra oem external cooler on it). $2 spent...........$4500 saved

anyways I can confirm dechard,tn built engines have loctited butterfly valves.

Aguascalientes, Mex built the specV motor and Iwaki Japan built our Maxima VQ's up to 2003.

 

I also lost the screw on the butterfly plate in the throttle body years and years ago. Freaking nissan dealer tech said he "Revved the engine to blow the screw through" and wanted ME to pay $1600 for the new throttle body. Was a good thing I made the dealer I got the used Maxima from toss in the gold extended warranty. A few calls to them and I got it done under warranty. Ugh.

 

Its sad all these dealerships wont honor hardly defects but blame the person who actually puts food on their table.

I wonder if blue loctite would be fine just in case someone wants to pull the butterfly off one day?

 

i used the lower grade version meant for just holding screws in place...forgot what "number" it was. I was able to break them loose fine later down the road.

 

Phewww I have a BOP!