So, I bought my 2000 Maxima GLE last year in January and I must say I was very happy to finally own one. For a 2000 it had less than 100,000 miles on it and I bought it in 2012, go me.

But, I've run into a dilemma. Sometime within the last year my the pipes that come from the resonator and muffler broke away from one another due to rust. Without the money to repair it I just kept driving on it. Now it's a year and some months later and my car has started to sound like a lawn mower when I drive it and I still don't know whether I have a Federal Emissions or California Emissions vehicles and don't know how to go about replacing them parts that I need to. Can anyone start me off and point me in a good direction?

 

just go to a exhaust shop and have them take a look. shouldn't be much if they are just replacing some piping.

 

Ya your title is deceptive lol. Your car just needs a new catback.

 

The reason I asked is because I don't know what a cat back is and I don't want to just take it to an exhaust shop. I do know however some pieces that need to be replaced, I said I don't know how to go about replacing them. I also believe I need a new suspension.

I don't know what a "catback" is, but I do know some pieces that need replacing and what they are. I also may need a new suspension. I was asking for tips on how to go about replacing them, not taking it to an exhaust shop, which I've already done and is how I found out I had the problem in the first place.

 

Have it done at a shop.
Trust me, you don't want to deal with rusty exhaust bolts with only hand tools.
A catback is piping from the cat all the way back to the muffler.

 

Look under your car from the driver's side, outside the driver door. You'll see a pipe running from the engine down teh center of the car...this is the base of your Y pipe. You'll see that run into a thicker tube, this is your CATalytic converter. About 4-6 inches past the cat, you'll be able to see a sensor wire sticking out...if you do, then you have a FED spec maxima. If you don't, then you've got cali spec.


FED spec:

 

Looking under the car is a good way as long as no-one has screwed with it.

Another way that does not require you to get down and dirty would be to look at the identification tag under the hood that is attached to the firewall. It is a silver aluminum plate located on the left side (driver's side) of the cruise control actuator. You will see the car's VIN number and right below that is a string of letters and numbers that starts with a B for Maxima, a C for Infiniti. Count over to the 12th character from the left. V = Cali emissions, U = fed emissions and N = Canada.

See page 41 of the GI section of the service manual for more info.

http://boredmder.com/FSMs/Nissan/Maxima/2000/GI.pdf

OH - and please don't create 2 threads for the same subject anymore.

 

Thanks for your help, this solution is less taxing. The second thread has been deleted. Now can anyone answer my second question/topic on how to go about getting a new suspension? Or let me know if it doesn't need to be changed at all. As it is, it doesn't handle slight bumps in the road well and is terrible with pot holes. Also, are there any after market catalytic converters and mufflers that people can recommend?

 

search around...exhaust and suspension are the top two questions asked around here You ain't gonna get spoonfed all day kid

Look at the stickies at the top of the subforums...

 

Here is a full picture of the exhaust system to give you a better idea of the parts break out.



As for fed / cali fornia spec difference it takes just 2 secs to look under the car if you have the (S) shapped pipe with a O2 sensor on the car its fed if not its california. Or even just open the hood and look by the front valve cover if there is 2 connectors its fed spec 4 connectors its california.

 

Right. If simply looking under the car is too taxing, then I don't know how he's gonna make progress on fixing it.

It literally takes longer to unlock the car, open the driver door, pull the hood release, close the door, waddle around to the front of the car, lift the hood, then find the VIN and count over to the 12th character and see if it's a V, U or N than it does to look under the car.

 

Not everyone likes to ben dover if they don't have to

 

If you'd like to check under my car be my guest. I change all my own parts on my car, with the exception of what it is I'm asking for help with. If I don't want to get dirty, I don't want to get dirty. I don't think that's a problem Deputy Director Bullock

 

Just get down on your knees, bend over and keep your eyes open... It won't hurt ya if you stop resisting it

 

Sounds like you've changed a few radios and maybe your oil? It's a car forum.. to discuss how to work on and mod these cars (or how to get dirty). If your too lazy too look under your car it's prob not a good idea to attempt this project yourself. You might ruin a pair of jeans? Maybe bleed bust a knuckle... then you'll be injured

 

Right, because breaks, rotors, axles and doors count as radios and oil.

 

You went from being a contributor to being a rapest. Nice.

 

What's a rapEst?



Do you seriously not want to take literally two seconds and look under the car?

 

 

Remember the meet in Bellevue last year...I think it was either your car or Iziah's...how long did it take me to look under the damn thing to say it was a fed spec?

 

to the OP - have you figured out yet if you have cali or fed spec? But realistically, it doesn't even matter since all you need (as stated earlier) is a catback...which, as was stated earlier, is the piping from the catalytic converter BACK to and including the muffler.

 

Looking at these two comments...

...it seems you guys are being trolled. IBTL

 

 

you mean brakes?