Restoring a 2003 Maxima SE
04-13-2009, 07:53 PM
#1
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Birmingham, Alabama
Posts: 38
Restoring a 2003 Maxima SE
Hi all, my girlfriend has a 2003 Maxima SE auto. It has a few issues I want to correct. I'd really apprieciate any input on what the following problems might be and where I can purchase the parts.
1. Rear Bumper is dented, an entire bumper is needed.
2. Left tailight is cracked and needs replacing.
3. The sunroof is leaking water during heavy rain, also the interior sunroof panel has come off.
4.The heater fan no longer works, before it completely died, it was making a whirring noise.
5.The steering wheel leather is poor and needs replacing.
6.Some sod stole the nissan grille badge, where can I find a new one.
7.There is a low pitched whirring sound, coming from the front low down, could it be the wheel bearings?
8.There is a strange chattering noise coming from the front of the car.
9.The car's power is down. Sometimes it will not go over 2500rpm. The engine service light is on. Could it be the service light has tripped the ecu to run the car in service mode?
I was told that if the oil may have been low (which was the case) a sensor can malfunction and will need to be replaced, any ideas what sensor?
Express oil change checked it on the diagnostics and it came back with error 21, intake valve timing.
1. Rear Bumper is dented, an entire bumper is needed.
2. Left tailight is cracked and needs replacing.
3. The sunroof is leaking water during heavy rain, also the interior sunroof panel has come off.
4.The heater fan no longer works, before it completely died, it was making a whirring noise.
5.The steering wheel leather is poor and needs replacing.
6.Some sod stole the nissan grille badge, where can I find a new one.
7.There is a low pitched whirring sound, coming from the front low down, could it be the wheel bearings?
8.There is a strange chattering noise coming from the front of the car.
9.The car's power is down. Sometimes it will not go over 2500rpm. The engine service light is on. Could it be the service light has tripped the ecu to run the car in service mode?
I was told that if the oil may have been low (which was the case) a sensor can malfunction and will need to be replaced, any ideas what sensor?
Express oil change checked it on the diagnostics and it came back with error 21, intake valve timing.
04-13-2009, 08:17 PM
#4
04-13-2009, 08:20 PM
#5
Send hardincah a pm, he's in B'ham also. In fact theres a meet there this weekend that you should go to and meet some other people in your area who can help you with parts, shops and may be able to give you a hand fixing some of the easier problems with the car. Take your girl too. I can't make this meet due to a business trip but tell hardincah that MaxGig told you to contact him via pm. Good luck.
04-13-2009, 08:27 PM
#7
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Birmingham, Alabama
Posts: 38
That zip manual is awesome, thank you.
Thanks hardincah already pmed me the other week but I havent been on since. Im not sure if the bham meet is still on as its the mustang 45th anniversary at barbers so I will be there with my foxbody. A maxima meet will definately be in hand though, ill speak to him.
Rebuilding is a strong word too. Makes me think of replacing the pistons and crank
I prefer repairing.
Thanks hardincah already pmed me the other week but I havent been on since. Im not sure if the bham meet is still on as its the mustang 45th anniversary at barbers so I will be there with my foxbody. A maxima meet will definately be in hand though, ill speak to him.
Rebuilding is a strong word too. Makes me think of replacing the pistons and crank
I prefer repairing.
04-13-2009, 09:17 PM
#9
Supporting Maxima.org Member
iTrader: (3)
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Baton Rouge, LA
Posts: 5,432
Hi all, my girlfriend has a 2003 Maxima SE auto. It has a few issues I want to correct. I'd really apprieciate any input on what the following problems might be and where I can purchase the parts.
1. Rear Bumper is dented, an entire bumper is needed.
2. Left tailight is cracked and needs replacing.
3. The sunroof is leaking water during heavy rain, also the interior sunroof panel has come off.
4.The heater fan no longer works, before it completely died, it was making a whirring noise.
5.The steering wheel leather is poor and needs replacing.
6.Some sod stole the nissan grille badge, where can I find a new one.
For the above, check copartfinder.com for maximas in junk yards. They can normally pull and ship the part to you if it's not a reasonable distance away, although shipping a bumper will be costly. That interior sunroof panel is kind of a pain to replace, but definitely doable.
7.There is a low pitched whirring sound, coming from the front low down, could it be the wheel bearings? More detail is needed. When does the sound occur? Does braking make a difference in the noise? Does turning make a difference in the noise? My advise is to first check the brake rotor dust shield. It's behind the rotor and can easily be bent and come in contact with the back surface of the rotor, making a noise.
8.There is a strange chattering noise coming from the front of the car.Again, I'm gonna need more detail. When does it occur? Does it sound engine or suspension related? etc.
9.The car's power is down. Sometimes it will not go over 2500rpm. The engine service light is on. Could it be the service light has tripped the ecu to run the car in service mode? Get the code read for free at autozone, but I'm almost certain this is the MAF. Call Dave B. (seach this site) and order a 2000-2001 MAF and transfer the thermister inside of it. This will cost you $90 as opposed to over $400 for the 2002-2003 part. Dave will know what you're talking about if you mention the 2Y001 MAF for a maxima. Mention maxima.org for a discount.
I was told that if the oil may have been low (which was the case) a sensor can malfunction and will need to be replaced, any ideas what sensor? Never heard of this before. Is the oil light on? I'd worry about other damage besides a sensor if the oil was really low. It's pretty common for these engines to burn oil, so check it every 1000 miles or so. There's not any pinging/knocking, is there?
Express oil change checked it on the diagnostics and it came back with error 21, intake valve timing. Again, any rattling? Your VVT solenoid may be bad, which could contribute to the loss of power in the upper RPMs as well as increased engine noise. Either try to pull one from a junkyard or see how much it costs from Dave B. You may just be better off buying a new engine if you have the means to replace it... you can pick up a short block VQ35 pretty cheap.
1. Rear Bumper is dented, an entire bumper is needed.
2. Left tailight is cracked and needs replacing.
3. The sunroof is leaking water during heavy rain, also the interior sunroof panel has come off.
4.The heater fan no longer works, before it completely died, it was making a whirring noise.
5.The steering wheel leather is poor and needs replacing.
6.Some sod stole the nissan grille badge, where can I find a new one.
For the above, check copartfinder.com for maximas in junk yards. They can normally pull and ship the part to you if it's not a reasonable distance away, although shipping a bumper will be costly. That interior sunroof panel is kind of a pain to replace, but definitely doable.
7.There is a low pitched whirring sound, coming from the front low down, could it be the wheel bearings? More detail is needed. When does the sound occur? Does braking make a difference in the noise? Does turning make a difference in the noise? My advise is to first check the brake rotor dust shield. It's behind the rotor and can easily be bent and come in contact with the back surface of the rotor, making a noise.
8.There is a strange chattering noise coming from the front of the car.Again, I'm gonna need more detail. When does it occur? Does it sound engine or suspension related? etc.
9.The car's power is down. Sometimes it will not go over 2500rpm. The engine service light is on. Could it be the service light has tripped the ecu to run the car in service mode? Get the code read for free at autozone, but I'm almost certain this is the MAF. Call Dave B. (seach this site) and order a 2000-2001 MAF and transfer the thermister inside of it. This will cost you $90 as opposed to over $400 for the 2002-2003 part. Dave will know what you're talking about if you mention the 2Y001 MAF for a maxima. Mention maxima.org for a discount.
I was told that if the oil may have been low (which was the case) a sensor can malfunction and will need to be replaced, any ideas what sensor? Never heard of this before. Is the oil light on? I'd worry about other damage besides a sensor if the oil was really low. It's pretty common for these engines to burn oil, so check it every 1000 miles or so. There's not any pinging/knocking, is there?
Express oil change checked it on the diagnostics and it came back with error 21, intake valve timing. Again, any rattling? Your VVT solenoid may be bad, which could contribute to the loss of power in the upper RPMs as well as increased engine noise. Either try to pull one from a junkyard or see how much it costs from Dave B. You may just be better off buying a new engine if you have the means to replace it... you can pick up a short block VQ35 pretty cheap.
Hope that answered some of your questions. Good luck, sounds like you have your work cut out for you.
Last edited by LA02MAX; 04-13-2009 at 09:20 PM.
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