juanwoo

hi everyone, i just bought mr 2k4 maxima sl with nav and 5 speed automatic but i noticed when im driving over 60mph the starts to vibrate,any suggestion, i already did the balance and still vibrate. i need help

CanadianMoFo

Nope. Never heard of that problem. lol

cmbott

I had a similar issue with my SE...vibration was slight, but annoying when driving 150 - 200 miles a day (mostly NJ Turnpike, so was going quite a bit more than 60). In any event, after trying to balance the tires 2 or 3 times, the dealer apparently swapped/crossed the two front tires (which had recently be rotated from the rear). I've had no vibration issues in 2000 miles since this has been done, and hopefully won't again.

lightonthehill

juanwoo - the vibration problem has been without a doubt the most prevalent problem with the '04 Maxima. We have had thread after thread on vibration for over a year.

These threads are not tied specifically to either the SE or SL, or to auto or manual tranny. They are omnipresent and non-discriminatory. There is no 'magic pill' solution.

One of the sad realities of moving upward in wheel size (like 17" and 18") is an equivalent move upward in difficulty of getting perfect balance and symmetry. Unfortunately, the '04 Maxima seems to have inherent problems in this area which result in shimmy at certain speed ranges.

Some vibrations were helped/cured by finding a shop that balances more carefully and to a finer weight than most places do.

Some vibrations were helped/cured by replacing the tires (the originals having been determined to be defective in any of several ways).

Some vibrations were helped/cured by replacing the wheels, which were determined to be defective in some way (warped or out of round).

Some vibrations were helped/cured by adjusting/raising/lowering tire pressure.

Some vibrations were helped/cured by adjustments to the steering rack tension.

Some vibrations were helped/cured by swapping the car for another '04 Maxima that didn't vibrate.

Some vibrations were helped/reduced by shaving off rubber to make the tires exactly round.

Some vibrations were helped/cured by moving the balancing weights outwardly or inwardly on the wheels.

Some vibrations were probably helped by visiting a psychatrist who worked to convince the driver there was no vibration (mind over matter).

Some vibrations were helped/cured by trading the Maxima in for a G35 or a TL.

Some vibrations were never helped/cured.

I am leaving out several solutions that are no longer on the tip of my tongue. If early attempts are not successful at fixing your vibration, you may wish to dig back through the past year of posts here and find other possibilities. If you become a 'donating member', one of the benefits is the ability to use the site search engine.

The '04 Maxima SL is a fine automobile, and I wish you the very best of luck in fixing the vibration.

CHASE_BXMW

Check The Rear Sway Bar. There Might Be A Loose Screw. Just Look Under Your Cars Underside And Check The Rear. A Few Cars Have Come Out Of The Factory With The Screw Off.

04RedOpMax

Hate to burst your bubble Chase, but there is no way a loose rear sway bar would cause a vibration in the tires and/or steering wheel. You may hear a noise or clunk, but you would not get a vibration.

The (anti) sway bar ties into the suspension on the car and basically just sits there, doing nothing. It doesn't come into play until the car enters a turn and the body starts to lean, or maybe if you hit a large bump with one tire.

I just put aftermarket wheels and tires on my car and experienced a lot of vibration and "shake " from the steering wheel. After installing a set of hub-centric rings (which I custom made myself from aluminum), the vibration comepletely disappeared and the car rides smooth as silk. Hub-centric rings are a must in my book.

Chris_RI

Can somebody please post a picture of where I should be looking for this missing screw, I have the clunking noise when going over bumps, its heard at very low speeds.

RaTgoesMaX

First off, if you have a SL 5 speed auto then you have a vehicle you can`t get in Canada. There are only 4 speed auto`s on the SL. The SE has the only 5 speed auto .

The vibration: This is a long shot but it happened to me with I had my 2k2 Altima. The shop over torqued the wheel nuts and it threw the balance off just enough that at 60 to 65 I had the vibe (wabble)in the steering wheel. That is what they concluded after trying rebalance several times.

GrayArea51

iTrader: (1)

I've had the small shimmy in the steering wheel since day one of purchasing my '04 SE 5spd. Balancing did nothing. I finally purchased new wheels and tires (same size as stock, but lighter!) and due to poor balancing the problem was only amplified. After 4 returns to the shop they finally got the balancing correct (I think) but the original shimmy problem is still there.

An interesting thing pointed out to me by one of the techs was that the left front wheel had a little play in it once bolted on to the car. By play I mean that you could push in and pull out on the wheel and the whole assembly moved a slight bit (rotor and all). The right front was tight as could be. Not sure what could be loose or if this would even have any bearing on the shimmy issue, but it's possible.

If anyone knows what would allow this very slight movement I would appreciate the info so I could attempt to fix it. Maybe the rotor is not seated properly?

The Maxima seems to be very sensitive to these various issues relating to wheel shimmy/vibration. It's too bad there have been too many manufacturing inconsistencies preventing us from nailing down the problem easily.

RaTgoesMaX

I would go to the dealer and tell him. This may also be a safety issue. You have warranty.

GrayArea51

iTrader: (1)

Yeah, I need to take mine in. I really dislike our local dealer though, they have a terrible service dept. Either the techs aren't too bright, or the management cuts corners. It also seems that every time I take my car in they can't help getting the interior dirty with grime. It's the last time I buy a car with light color leather (frost). What a pain to keep clean!

RaTgoesMaX

That`s too bad. You could complain to Nissan head office or tell the serving clerk to be more carefull. I haven`t had that problem. They are good here in my little neck of the woods.