I bought my 2000 Maxima SE (Auto) in August of 1999. It was more expensive than I wanted (leather, traction control, automatic AC), but I couldn't find another option that I liked. I'm still driving that car 24 years and 142,000 miles later, so it turned out all right.

I loved it for a long long time and It's a very tired car now. The engine runs, everything works, it doesn't burn oil, but it's got a lot to do to be back in "love it" territory. I would like to find someone I trust to look it over and make a list of what needs to be done, but I don't know any of those people locally. First and foremost I need someone who knows this generation of Maxima and can handle stuff like an ECU reprogram. I can't imagine that place is Mossy Nissan, and the trouble with asking a mechanic if they're good with your car is that you can only trust a "no" answer. So that's the first thing I'm hoping someone here knows.

Once that list is made, I can choose how much to put into it and make the decision about whether I'm going to keep it or move on. Since it's an auto I don't think there are a lot of people on this forum who are looking for it, but I'll for sure take less from someone who's excited to get it than get potentially more from randos on CL or wherever. If it can get back to feeling like the car I loved, I'll gladly keep it another few years and hope the car market regains its sanity.

Things I've had done:

1. New MAF (from the 5.5 gen). This was done at the dealer and the ECU should have been reprogrammed then, but I don't trust them and have no way to confirm it.
2. New coils/plugs. Had a lot of knocking until these got replaced with OEM parts. Since then it's been way better.
3. New O2 sensors. It took two tries for the last mechanic to get this right and I don't trust that it was done correctly, so that might have been a wash.

Things I think need to be done:

1. Active motor mounts. I haven't had anyone do anything to them and I gather they're often a problem. It's probably best to disable them.
2. Suspension. I had the struts replaced probably 12 years ago and it's time for new ones. The ride's never been super plush, but it's worse in recent years.
3. IACV. Haven't had this touched. Never had a P0505 code, but I'm guessing it's just a matter of time.
4. Address some very slow fluid leaks. One requires dropping the transmission to get to so that's not getting fixed unless that's happening for another reason.
5. Address TSB NTB02-051a completely. This has to do with the O2 sensors, knock sensor, and ECM, and it's complicated by the fact that I have a newer MAF and federal emissions (not CA). This is the one that needs a real pro.
6. Replace the dashboard lighting. At least one bulb is out and the rest are dim. Consider a bluetooth retrofit if this is happening.
7. Bodywork, paint, etc. I've been saying I need to get the windows tinted since 2003.
8. General wear items. The seats are cracked, the steering wheel is worn, the keyfobs are unreliable (though this thread suggests that's pretty simple to fix on eBay), I'd love better headlights, etc.

So... yeah. Anyone in or around San Diego who can recommend a good Maxima guru? Anyone have good questions to ask a mechanic to see if they're actually a Maxima guru? Anyone interested in helping me sort out what's important and what isn't? I'm still in the research phase for a lot of this, and the amount of misinformation / clickbait out there is only getting worse. Hopefully there are still enough people reading here to be able to point me in the right direction.

 

Hi Ed and welcome to the forums!

Great job in doing your research, it definitely shows that you have been doing some reading. Also, congrats on holding on to the Maxima for a while!
You'll find a wealth of information and support around here. There is a SoCal Maxima group on Facebook and they often get together for Maxima meets. Those guys are pro's with motor and transmission swaps! The next meet is this Sunday 16 July at Round Table Pizza in Garden Grove.

If your motor mounts are intact, I'd just leave them alone. If they are torn and your engine moves a lot when shifting gears, you might want to look into changing them.

For the suspension I would normally recommend going with KYB struts from RockAuto.com and using new strut mounts, boots, strut mount bearings and re-using your existing springs if you are after a compliant ride and not looking at lowering the car. Or you can also go with "Quick Strut" ready assemblies which will restore a decent ride quality at least for a while, but it all depends on how much $$$ you want to put into the car and how much longer are you willing to hold on to it.

IACV coolant bypass, it's something that you should be able to DIY, there is a write up on my4dsc.com

Can't comment on TSB NTB02-051 since I have not done it to the 2000 SE that we owned briefly

For seats, steering wheel suggest checking local junkyard such as LKQ, you might get lucky and find some interior bits in pretty good shape. Quality Discount Auto Parts | Salvage Yards | LKQ Pick Your Part

 

Hah, it's funny I'm listed as a "newbie" when I created this account 9 years ago (and have been lurking longer), but this is only my third post so whaddayaknow. Thanks for the tips!

 

I have a saying …

”Any dib-sh** earning a paycheck can buy a new car. It’s a special person who can keep an old one.”

And to add …

I purchased my ‘99 brand new as well.

I’ve completed many repairs, replacements and tasteful upgrades over the years with fairly ****-retentive receipts and invoices being kept.

Based on my long running calculations, since the car’s 36 month new purchase note has been paid off and the manufacturer warranty having expired, with the needed fixes, the ‘in anticipation’ replacements and the stuff done or added just because I wanted to, being included … the monthly cost of my car (excluding routine maintenance) is right about $37/mo.

Another up side to the ‘keeper’.

 

Perform the coolant bypass for the IACV. As preventative maintenance I replaced mine and it leaked a few thousand miles later further damaging the ECU. So buy a good brand such as Hitachi vs lowest price.

I decided to strip the paint and replace a few bits that were rusting.
https://i.imgur.com/tleNgZv.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/fltcp2y.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/IBZWuGe.jpg

It should be good for another 10-20 years now.

 

That's a nice paint job! Would you mind sharing how you decided on the place you used?

 

As for your ECU, it's relatively simple to determine if you are running the latest firmware. A Bluetooth scanner and a free version of NDS2 will inform you.
If you want to freshen up the performance, I world suggest a reflash from Nisformance.
If you want to make sure that the ECU never suffers any shorts from the motor mounts, you could unplug them or install more reasonable size fuses inline.

 

the Nisformance tune made a huge difference on my original motor, but I did a lot of bolt ons first. I'll be sending them my ECU soon to get it flashed again for my 7th gen swap..

 

@Tricky Ed
I do all the work myself. Easy decision.