So I let my mechanic drive my car today
#1
That's Mr. Detail to you
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So I let my mechanic drive my car today
Took it in to have the throttle body, intake and combustion chamber/valves cleaned. He has a pressurized atomizer made specifically for it (as opposed to pouring Seafoam into the brake vacuum line while someone revs the engine) so it can all be done with the car idling. Plus it does a better job. Anyway, he tosses me the keys and tells me to take it on the freeway to blast the rest of the stuff out. I told him he could do that and drive around 4-5 miles with a cloud of smoke behind him.
Anyway, he comes back and says "wow, your car is a lot quicker than I expected it to be, it pulls really good". Said he hit the gas getting on the freeway at 60 and looked down and was over 85. Considering he actually does performance work on cars and has build Olds, Pontiac and Chevy engines for street/strip use, it isn't like he's never been in a quick car before so I was kind of surprised when he said that.
My car definitely idles smoother, plus it is up to around 700 vs 650. Throttle tip-in feels sharper too, more responsive.
Anyway, he comes back and says "wow, your car is a lot quicker than I expected it to be, it pulls really good". Said he hit the gas getting on the freeway at 60 and looked down and was over 85. Considering he actually does performance work on cars and has build Olds, Pontiac and Chevy engines for street/strip use, it isn't like he's never been in a quick car before so I was kind of surprised when he said that.
My car definitely idles smoother, plus it is up to around 700 vs 650. Throttle tip-in feels sharper too, more responsive.
Last edited by Scottwax; 04-23-2010 at 06:46 PM.
#4
Scott...it is so true though....matter of fact...for as long as I have had my car...the power that the 5.5's have always seems to surprise me when I decide to mash on the pedal a bit here in there.....it's like you are going 40 one sec and you look down and you are creeping on 90......funny....one of the first things I did when I got the car was buy a good radar detector!
#5
x2. I couldn't even go WOT for a while after I got my Max. Coming from a 7th gen Celica with 125 ft/lbs of torque, it took me a while to adjust.
Kind of OT, but what's the best vacuum line to seafoam the engine from? I need to do that.
Kind of OT, but what's the best vacuum line to seafoam the engine from? I need to do that.
Last edited by Z-Powered; 04-23-2010 at 07:32 PM.
#6
That's Mr. Detail to you
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It was about $100 for decarbonation and fuel injector cleaning. I had him run a full scan on the engine too (goes far beyond what a code reader can do). Everything checks out good and in spec. Not bad for 174,750 miles on her.
#7
Aww....that's nothing....relatively speaking...she's still practically brand new...
#9
Use the master brake line hose, just disconnect and very slowly suck up 1/3 of the can idle will need to be keep up or you will stall out (sometimes best to have two people) ... turn off the car for 5 mins. and then restart keep the engine revs between 2000-2500 to blow off most of the smoke and then take the car for a little drive to blow off the balance of the smoke ... I would also suggest go for an oil change after using seafoam.
#10
On a side note: idle is supposed to be 625 +/- 50 or something like that, so it sounds like yours is getting further out of spec
#11
Use the master brake line hose, just disconnect and very slowly suck up 1/3 of the can idle will need to be keep up or you will stall out (sometimes best to have two people) ... turn off the car for 5 mins. and then restart keep the engine revs between 2000-2500 to blow off most of the smoke and then take the car for a little drive to blow off the balance of the smoke ... I would also suggest go for an oil change after using seafoam.
#12
If so, I've used SeaFoam on three cars without changing the spark plugs. No issues whatsoever.
And honestly, SeaFoam in the brake booster shouldn't be done more than every 60-75k miles. There's a slick coating on our engine from the factory to keep things lubricated that SeaFoam will eat through if it's over-used. Using SeaFoam too often can actually shorten the life of our engines.
#14
I had what reads like the identical service at my dealership last Fall. It was a BG Products, upper-engine service, for the same price. Something similar, I think, with a high pressure delivery of chemicals directly into the fuel rail. Unfortunately, the IM cleaning process whacked my throttle body. But BG Products totally manned up and payed for the TB replacement.
I'm still planning on Seafoam this summer.
Good that your mechanic knows what to say to make you happy. That's important to feel good about the guy who works on your car.
I'm still planning on Seafoam this summer.
Good that your mechanic knows what to say to make you happy. That's important to feel good about the guy who works on your car.
#15
I had what reads like the identical service at my dealership last Fall. It was a BG Products, upper-engine service, for the same price. Something similar, I think, with a high pressure delivery of chemicals directly into the fuel rail. Unfortunately, the IM cleaning process whacked my throttle body. But BG Products totally manned up and payed for the TB replacement.
I'm still planning on Seafoam this summer.
Good that your mechanic knows what to say to make you happy. That's important to feel good about the guy who works on your car.
I'm still planning on Seafoam this summer.
Good that your mechanic knows what to say to make you happy. That's important to feel good about the guy who works on your car.
#16
That's Mr. Detail to you
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I had what reads like the identical service at my dealership last Fall. It was a BG Products, upper-engine service, for the same price. Something similar, I think, with a high pressure delivery of chemicals directly into the fuel rail. Unfortunately, the IM cleaning process whacked my throttle body. But BG Products totally manned up and payed for the TB replacement.
I'm still planning on Seafoam this summer.
Good that your mechanic knows what to say to make you happy. That's important to feel good about the guy who works on your car.
I'm still planning on Seafoam this summer.
Good that your mechanic knows what to say to make you happy. That's important to feel good about the guy who works on your car.
I guess my car is the first Maxima he has driven with the VQ35, I know he's worked on some 4th gens. Good mechanic too, best trouble shooter I've run across. He isn't dealership expensive but he isn't exactly cheap either. However, he knows as a detailer, I pretty much only have rain days to get my car worked on and he's really good about accommodating me with a day or two of notice.
#17
I guess my car is the first Maxima he has driven with the VQ35, I know he's worked on some 4th gens. Good mechanic too, best trouble shooter I've run across. He isn't dealership expensive but he isn't exactly cheap either. However, he knows as a detailer, I pretty much only have rain days to get my car worked on and he's really good about accommodating me with a day or two of notice.
You're the detail guy, Scott... what do you think of Maguiar's NXT? I just used it on the Maxima, and am extremely pleased.
#18
That's Mr. Detail to you
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Meguiars NXT is a really good consumer level product, Meguiars has some killer professional products too. Mostly I use Optimum Opti-Seal on customer's cars. All you have to do is spritz a bit on a foam pad, spread on the paint and that's it. Clears itself out without having to buff off. Looks really, really good.
Last edited by Scottwax; 04-24-2010 at 08:32 PM.
#20
#23
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In the gas tank, into the crankcase just prior to changing the oil and into the combustion chamber. Take your pick or all three.
If you like paying mark-up and shipping for repackaged Duragloss products, I guess. I've tried Zaino and I don't get the hype at all. Plus, while it may last a long time, it doesn't seem to protect very well.
You are much better off putting your money into a good DA polisher (Porter Cable 7424 XP or a Meguiars G110 v2) pads and polishes than spending a lot of money on a wax or sealant. The real shine comes from removing swirls and other defects than it does with what you use to protect the paint.
Trust me, no wax is going to fix this:
Meguiars #105 compound and #205 polish. No wax, no sealant.
jowo9-I go inside to out. That way no vinyl or carpet cleaners get on freshly polished and waxed paint.
Here is a detailing thread I made and is stickied in our detailing forum:
http://forums.maxima.org/detailing/5...hour-less.html
and bty zaino for the win on polishing the car
You are much better off putting your money into a good DA polisher (Porter Cable 7424 XP or a Meguiars G110 v2) pads and polishes than spending a lot of money on a wax or sealant. The real shine comes from removing swirls and other defects than it does with what you use to protect the paint.
Trust me, no wax is going to fix this:
Meguiars #105 compound and #205 polish. No wax, no sealant.
jowo9-I go inside to out. That way no vinyl or carpet cleaners get on freshly polished and waxed paint.
Here is a detailing thread I made and is stickied in our detailing forum:
http://forums.maxima.org/detailing/5...hour-less.html
#25
That's Mr. Detail to you
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It goes through the intake manifold and into the combustion chambers and helps burn carbon off the back sides of the valves, top of the piston and the combustion chamber, then out the exhaust. You get a lot of carbon build up on the valves and it can hurt airflow and make them not seat properly if it gets really bad.
#26
Hi Scott,
Please take a look at this contraption sold by 3M. Do you think your mechanic used something similar? One component goes in the intake and has the curved tube to hook up at the entrance of the throttle body. The video explains it much better. I would love to hear your comments.
3M Do-It-Yourself Fuel System
http://www.shop3m.com/60455031587.html
Thanks,
- Vikas
Please take a look at this contraption sold by 3M. Do you think your mechanic used something similar? One component goes in the intake and has the curved tube to hook up at the entrance of the throttle body. The video explains it much better. I would love to hear your comments.
3M Do-It-Yourself Fuel System
http://www.shop3m.com/60455031587.html
Thanks,
- Vikas
#27
That's Mr. Detail to you
Thread Starter
iTrader: (8)
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Arlington, TX
Posts: 4,014
Hi Scott,
Please take a look at this contraption sold by 3M. Do you think your mechanic used something similar? One component goes in the intake and has the curved tube to hook up at the entrance of the throttle body. The video explains it much better. I would love to hear your comments.
3M Do-It-Yourself Fuel System
http://www.shop3m.com/60455031587.html
Thanks,
- Vikas
Please take a look at this contraption sold by 3M. Do you think your mechanic used something similar? One component goes in the intake and has the curved tube to hook up at the entrance of the throttle body. The video explains it much better. I would love to hear your comments.
3M Do-It-Yourself Fuel System
http://www.shop3m.com/60455031587.html
Thanks,
- Vikas
#28
Its funny how everybody is suprised the first time they experience the power of the 3.5... most people think Im an idiot when I say that the car has good pull, until they actually experience it they have no idea
#30
I've just picked up my Maxima a couple of weeks ago, it does pull well but I think I've got some plugged pre-cats, Power really seems to taper off above 5K...Hopefully the Cattman/NWP/JWT Parts will address the issue.
#31
+1 on that. My car impressed a STi owner as well. Its not just a grocery getter anymore to him
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