DivaGal

OK, I have an 01 Max, Auto. I bought it from shoddy dealer, hood was slightly damaged, I'm a chick, figured that was a minor accident. Figured WAY WRONG. Anyhow, sunk 600 just in parts last week, for new wheel hub, new bearings and two front KYB Struts. Still need to do the rear. Need new front motor mount, the electronic one I guess. I get so ANGRY when I go to the parts stores and they look at me like I've bumped my head! Nobody usually has a clue what I'm talking about. Anyhow, there are a bunch on ebay, so I dont care, I'll get one.

The previous owner destroyed the A/C. We have to run the fans on a toggle switch, although we have no idea why. When just driving, the fans come on fine, but when the A/C is on, we have to turn them on with the switch. Then, I am told the compressor is ALWAYS on. When I'm driving, and the fans come on, my feet get cold. A/C, Not on.

I had been having a problem with the idle when I got the car, and someone tinkered with my throttle body. Everything went fine after that, until yesterday.

Yesterday, had the A/C on cuz hubby refuses to NOT have it on. With all the problems, I just leave the dumb thing off personally, and I'm in Alabama, trust me, it's HOT. But I have post traumatic stress, my other vehicle, a van, left me and the kids on the road THREE times last summer. So, this summer, I got it running, and chose to sell that thing instead of my pretty little Max. Now my husband is MAD, LOL! I want to rebuild this car. He hates this car, he knows nothing about it as he used to work on older American things.

So, once again, my idle problem came back, along with a few other things. First, with the A/C on, the engine rattles, if that is the right word, whatever it is, the engine gets pretty mad when the A/C is on and you rev her up. Turn it off, and she's all happy.

Then, I get to the driveway, throw her in park, and vroom! The idle went mad! Gets up to at least 2500 RPM before I have a panic attack and shut the engine off. If I take her out of park, she will also drop that idle, but throw her in park, and bam, there she goes!

Then, hubby comes out and lets her cool down. He can't reproduce the problem just sitting in the driveway, but I bet she does it again. She did it to me when I bought her, then the tinkering with the throttle seemed to calm her down for quite a while, but now it's back and I dont want to deal with it anymore.

So, there are two things I figured might need replacing. The IACV and the TBS. Oh, and I also need O2 sensors and the motor mount, and the new struts on the back. I've replaced one ignition coil and a temp sensor. I want new plugs and wires, and I'm running synthetic oil in her now and I only use 93 octane, I treat her really nicely actually. The previous owner, OBVIOUSLY hated her and abused her and wrecked her and did nothing for her.

Anyway, what are your thoughts on the IACV and the TBS? Now I read my ECU might be fried too?? Is it going to be worth it to sink all this money into this car?

One last thing. Anyone ever use the chiltondiy.com? Where you can subscribe and get your repair manual etc? They have the book NOWHERE in this town. Hard enough to just get parts.

Thanks for opinions! Pamela

boneebone

iTrader: (3)

I don't too much about 5th Gens, but you can download the Nissan Factory Service Manual here.


http://www.nicoclub.com/FSM/maxima

yankeefan13

Well a simple question here but is your car showing a service/check engine light?

FlawleZ

iTrader: (1)

First of all I'd be embarrassed to be your husband and know far less than you about cars. No offense, its just a guy thing for me. Secondly, you definitely have some vacuum related problems. It sounds as if the previous owner or some shotty shop tried troubleshooting the AC in the past and rewired the on/off. Probably bypassing the factory relay and fuse. As mentioned above me, does the car have any check engine lights on? Have you checked for any codes from the ECU?

DivaGal

My husband is a truck driver, he wasn't even here when I bought this car. I did it on my own. I did take another guy with me, but I guess he had no clue. My husband knows plenty about cars but, not this one. He's never worked on this car. You'd have to see everything about this car that someone did to it. I have no trunk liner. Apparently they had a big system in the car, and were far more worried about that system than they ever were about this car. When i got the car, there was no toggle switch. The guy I bought it from installed something while I waited and then this other guy put in the toggle when I got home. I purchased a new relay but that didn't work. All we are told is, the fans will NOT come on by themselves when we run the AC. Thus the reason for the toggle, which turns them on. BUT, the fans come on by themselves when the A/C is not running, just when the car needs them to come on, they do just fine. Unfortunately, the compressor comes on every time the fans come on. I feel like ripping out the entire A/C system and installing from scratch a completely new one. HAHA, I said FEEL like it, but my wallet would not agree. I dont even know if that could be done anyway.

Meanwhile, yes my car has thrown a code. It's on O2 sensor. And on a better note, we did buy the Haynes Manual for the car. Nobody had the other manual, I dont know if that matters. Today, my husband put in the new IACV and the new TPS. My IACV was covered/caked in carbon, and cleaning it was not going to help. My TPS was reading bad when they OEMed it. So, now I have new ones. And now when the fans come on, the car doesn't try to stall as it had been doing. I personally have not driven it yet but it was driven. Now, how do I know my ECU is fried? I mean, how can I tell? It's running fine, and the code for the O2 sensor was able to be pulled and all that. No other code was showing, except a while ago, it did say it was running too rich or lean. Which I read was part of the IACV or the TPS problem, I forget which one now. I am going to replace the O2 sensor, and then I have to do the motor mount. Interestingly and annoyingly enough, I cannot find the motor mount. All the parts dealers I go to look at me like I've lost my mind when I say electronic motor mount. So, what do I ask for?? There are a bunch on ebay but I dont know exactly which one is mine. Anyone want to take a look at the listings and link me to MY motor mount? I'd sure appreciate it. My husband COULD do it, but, he's leaving again, and when he's gone, I try to get the parts cuz he's only here on weekends, once a month. I have to rely on my brother in law between that, and I hate to pay a mechanic but will if I have to.

Thanks y'all for your help! Pamela

DivaGal

Right now, no the SES light is not on. It is intermittent. Comes and goes. When it is on, it's just an O2 sensor. Except once, it was a coil, and I replaced it. But normally, just the O2 sensor. Yesterday, no light, but they still pulled the O2 sensor code.

knight_yyz

iTrader: (40)

The only way to tell of the ECU is fried is to remove it and open it up. You can then look at the circuit board and physically see that the circuit for the IACV is burnt on the board.

nelledge

iTrader: (6)

Why???

yankeefan13

Well I would defintly replace that o2 sensor and see if that will turn off the code, otherwise you might have an exhaust leak somewhere if the code still persist.

cjandura

iTrader: (3)

If your worried about the front motor mount just buy a non electric one its really not going to make a difference at all and it will be way cheaper.you can hit up ebay or amazon and get all 4 mounts for around $100 and any year from 98-03 will work for the automatic.as far as your A/C is going make sure someone didnt use a switch at the acumilator valve it will destroy your compressor because when you Jump/Bypass that switch it keeps the compressor on all the time ie: no on and off cycle.trace the wires from that switch thats installed and see where they go.