NismoMax80

iTrader: (6)

every 7500, i know it's in my dash reminder. Do most have the dealer/other shops do this or do you rotate them yourselves? I know the rotation: Driver front to passenger rear, etc. If you use the dealer, how much is it? I plan on doing the maintenace and oil changes myslef.

If you rotate yourself, when and where should you get them balanced?

Buying tires at Costco and some places, this is included, but while my factories last...

Also, can we change the mileage intervals for the oil change(3750) and tire roatation(7500) or disable them? When I switch to syn (@ 10k), I'm going to change oil on the 5k mark and won't need it flashing at me every 3750.

thanks,
Justin

me&maxine

I was told that with radial tires you don't have to switch sides. You can do front to back for driver and passenger sides. This is what I was told with my 03 max. The tires should always stay balanced after rotation unless you have lost one of the weights on the inside. And their should be something in the manual on how to change the intervals for oil changes and tire rotation.

VTmaximaVT

I just do tire rotation by myself every 7500 miles, I think that's what manual
recommends. for the tire balancing, I just get tire balancing only when I
think it's needed. like when steering is vibration at high speed and stuff.
I don't have to get tires balanced unless you have problems with them.

you can change the settings for rotation and oil change interval.
if you push maintenance button, you see the numbers. after couple seconds,
you'll get two bars flashing like " | 3500 |" then you can change that number
by using center control **** (the joystick looking one).

and IMO, i get better engine condition with regular oil change at every 3000 miles than synthetic oil at every 5000 miles...just my opinion.

VTmaximaVT

i thnk it's good to switch sides since the tires on the left(i think) tend to get
more wear on the outside.

even if you don't lose the weights, the tires can go unbalanced as they wear out.

jrussell915

I had the dealer do it the first time because the car was due and it was in for other maintenance.

They charged me $18. I'll be doing it myself from here forward.

NismoMax80

iTrader: (6)

thanks for the great responses

PETZUK

How do you get better engine condition????? And how do you know?????

Oil can last 10, 11, 12 K with no harm to the engine. Consumer Reports proved this with NYC taxi engine tests a decade ago.

Synthetics such as Amsoil and Mobil 1 have been proven by measurements that they lubricate better than mineral oils.

Changing oil at 3,000 miles is a waste of money and resources unless you are running an engine in very severe conditions, such as racing.

I'll post some reference web sites when I get a chance.

bluemaxx

Just leave them where they are. When the front ones get ground off replace them. When the 2nd set get to about ~30% remaining, trade it.

lightonthehill

With bias belted tires, the rotation was in an 'X' pattern. When radials began showing up in the US in the '60s (they had already been in use in Europe for several years), it was absolutely essential these tires stay on the same side. Changing the direction of rotation sometimes caused the belts to come loose. Not good.

About twenty or twenty-five years ago, radials improved to where they could be moved from one side of the car to the other. But the recommended rotation for radials did not change: Front-to-rear, with tires staying on the same side.

My tires tend to wear evenly on both sides, and I have not switched sides with tires since the '60s.

Another reason it might be good to keep tires on the same side: more and more tires are now available that are asymetrical. Some asymetrical tires can be used on either side of the car, but some are actually sold as 'right side tires' and 'left side tires', and can only be used on one side of the car. In most cases, that is because the tread is designed to channel water away from the center of the tread. Running these tires backwards collects water under the center of the tread. Not good.

My wife and I have always rotated every other oil change on every vehicle we drive.

Speaking of oil; it is a marvelous product. Regular engine oil driven in normal conditions will easily still have good lubricating qualities for 20,000 miles or more, and synthetic may be good for over 100,000.

BUT . . . in addition to lubrication, the oil serves another critical function: it holds fine grit, tiny metal particles and other impurities in suspension, and carries them out of the car when the oil is changed. Oil can still be lubricating just fine, but need changing in order to get the trash out of the engine.

I change every 5,000 miles with normal conditions. After I switch to synthetic, I usually go around 10,000 miles between changes.

VTmaximaVT

i wouldn't know the difference in regular and synthetic for maxima since i've
never tried synthetic for my max.

from my experience with previous car(99 prelude)...
mobile 1 synthetic with 5000 miles interval gave me more engine vibration than
regular oil with 3000 mile interval...
well...as i said before...it's just my opinion.

sorry if i gave you wrong info, I was telling you guys my opinion and my
experience. so correct me if i'm wrong...that's what maxima.org is for...

NismoMax80

iTrader: (6)

bluemaxx I'm the first owner and plan to be the last, except for maybe grankids (I'm 24). To prove my dedication to owning my Max for as long as possible, I ordered 20 filters from Jerry Rome. Came to 3.86/each with (Maxima) discount.
I know the -98000 were recommended here for their metal end caps, but I ordered the new -CF500. Based on my questioning of a few mechanics and that the 04 was built with this filter. Anyone else see that the original filter was -CF501? The holes inside were smaller.

Changed my oil for the first time yesterday at 1180 miles. Next will be 3000 then 6500, each with Castrol GTX. At 10k I'm switching to Mobil 1 and changing every 5k.

Had my first car for 7 years: '88 Buick Century. Used Mobil 1 with 10k or more intervals (still running great, giving to my sister).
So I know it lasts, but this Max is worth the extra attention and pennies.

lightonthehill ...More great info. Well, guess I won't cross them. Maximas already run for 100's of 1000's of miles. With the vast rich knowledge on this site, I'm shooting for a million. (Well at least a half mill.)

Maximaino

The owners' manual expains how to change the maintanance settings on the info center and also the appropriate tire rotation pattern.

{-_-}

iTrader: (2)

i was going to write the same thing

PETZUK

Speaking of oil changes... Anyone do their own? I take off the front right wheel and the small plastic wheel well cover to easily get to the filter.

How 'bout you guys???

lightonthehill

PETZUK gets my 'admiration from afar' award. It is around 90-95 degrees (with horrible humidity) almost every afternoon here south of Hotlanta, and the tarmac is easily 120 degrees. No way I brave the heat just to get greasy.

The breaking point for me was back in 1958, when I drove my '55 Pontiac Star Chief (firegold and white mist - ugh) to the top of Mule Pass (between Bisbee and Tombstone, AZ), where there was a dry ditch that was perfect to straddle and drain for my quarterly oil change. Everything went well until I reached in the trunk for the new oil and realized I had forgotten to bring it.

There were no cellphones in those days. And very little traffic on that road. The lack of humidity in desert areas allows the temp to rise and fall very sharply. It is amazing how a 90 degree day in the desert can easily be followed by a 40 degree night.

I have other sad memories for any masochist posters here.

SilverBelle04

Good one !

Bob

Bobo

My '95 SE came with Goodyear Eagle RSAs which currently have 53,000 miles on them. I took my car to Nissan for the first while up to 35,000 miles at which time I belatedly had the 30,000 mile service done. I rotate the tires every 7,500 miles, but when it doesn't coincide to a trip to the dealership I just go to the main local Goodyear dealer and they do it for nothing.

I went back to the dealership recently after a 4-year hiatus and was very dissatisfied with the service I got at 52,000 miles and I am not going back, particularly given warranty is long gone. They are bloodsucking double-billing leeches!

{-_-}

iTrader: (2)

so what happened at the end?

i don't suppose they had AAA back then, or did they?

NismoMax80

iTrader: (6)

Of course they had AAA then, my Grandfather's been a member for over 50 years, but don't think they were any help in light's situation.


PETZUK - just changed my oil for the first time (ever) onb my new Max. Had very easy access to my filter. never even thought of removing the wheel. used some weird 3 fingered claw that when ratched gets smaller, grips the filter and "removes" it. took me forever. it kept slipping and opening. just got this bar with a seatbelt-like strap for next time from advanced.