One Exhaust Tip is Higher
01-03-2005, 07:41 PM
#1
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Location: Staten Island, New York
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One Exhaust Tip is Higher
So I was cleaning my car the other day, I noticed that when I stuck my sponge on top of one muffler tip my hand fit fine and then when I stuck my sponge on top of the other one my hand didn't fit. You think they would do anything about this? I checked it and the left side is a lot lower then the right. Its time for an oil change so I am gonna tell them about the smell, exhaust, and change my oil.
Edit : I check my car domain page and you can actually see that the left side is lower then the right.
Edit : I check my car domain page and you can actually see that the left side is lower then the right.
01-03-2005, 09:07 PM
#4
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Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: San Antonio, Texas
Posts: 262
Originally Posted by EdRomo86
mines the same as well!! i thought the same thing, that i hit a curb but now that you guys mention it. is there anything we can do to it?
Jimbo
01-03-2005, 09:13 PM
#5
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Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: San Antonio, Texas
Posts: 262
Originally Posted by MAJ_Jimbo
Hey I noticed this too when I went to the dealership when I was going to initally by a SL (2005)...they fixed it on the spot...I didn't by the car, but bought a SE...I'll have to check to see if this is the case on my SE...didn't notice it, but now that it's mentioned...I'm going to check it...
Jimbo
Jimbo
Jimbo
01-03-2005, 09:16 PM
#6
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Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: San Antonio, Texas
Posts: 262
Originally Posted by NismoMax80
OMG me too! I thought maybe I bent it on a curb or something. anyone else notice this? I swear a pic I just saw today looked similar (left/driver side lower) but considered it wishful thinking.
Jimbo
01-03-2005, 11:34 PM
#8
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Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: a meadow south of Atlanta
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Very strange. This was a major problem when the '04 Maximas came out. Half the cars my dealer got in March and April of 2003 had crooked tailpipes. Either one pair was lower than the other, or one pair was twisted (one of the two 'paired' outlets higer than the other outlet in the same pair).
By summer of 2003, Nissan had virtually fixed this problem, and I saw very few instances of unaligned tailpipes during the past year.
And now the problem returns with the '05s. Very strange . . .
Fortunately, the fix is fairly simple. But the dealer needs to put the car on the rack to do it correctly. I would advise against trying to 'force' the pipes level by hand.
By summer of 2003, Nissan had virtually fixed this problem, and I saw very few instances of unaligned tailpipes during the past year.
And now the problem returns with the '05s. Very strange . . .
Fortunately, the fix is fairly simple. But the dealer needs to put the car on the rack to do it correctly. I would advise against trying to 'force' the pipes level by hand.
01-04-2005, 05:52 AM
#9
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Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: San Antonio, Texas
Posts: 262
Originally Posted by lightonthehill
Very strange. This was a major problem when the '04 Maximas came out. Half the cars my dealer got in March and April of 2003 had crooked tailpipes. Either one pair was lower than the other, or one pair was twisted (one of the two 'paired' outlets higer than the other outlet in the same pair).
By summer of 2003, Nissan had virtually fixed this problem, and I saw very few instances of unaligned tailpipes during the past year.
And now the problem returns with the '05s. Very strange . . .
Fortunately, the fix is fairly simple. But the dealer needs to put the car on the rack to do it correctly. I would advise against trying to 'force' the pipes level by hand.
By summer of 2003, Nissan had virtually fixed this problem, and I saw very few instances of unaligned tailpipes during the past year.
And now the problem returns with the '05s. Very strange . . .
Fortunately, the fix is fairly simple. But the dealer needs to put the car on the rack to do it correctly. I would advise against trying to 'force' the pipes level by hand.
Jimbo
01-04-2005, 06:44 AM
#10
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Join Date: Oct 2003
Posts: 880
Mine are pretty well lined up, but they're lower than I'd like. I see Maximas that have them tucked up nicely under the bumper and then look at mine and see they're sagged down a couple inches.
Per the service manual, the exhaust pipes are hung from a central bracket roughly under the back seat and a hanger at each of the mufflers at the rear. I don't see why you couldn't loosen the brackets, ease the pipes up with maybe a small hydraulic jack, then retighten the brackets. I'm sure that's what the dealers do.
I haven't had the time - at the right time - to try this myself, but if anyone does, let me know.
Mike
Per the service manual, the exhaust pipes are hung from a central bracket roughly under the back seat and a hanger at each of the mufflers at the rear. I don't see why you couldn't loosen the brackets, ease the pipes up with maybe a small hydraulic jack, then retighten the brackets. I'm sure that's what the dealers do.
I haven't had the time - at the right time - to try this myself, but if anyone does, let me know.
Mike
01-04-2005, 07:51 AM
#12
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Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: San Antonio, Texas
Posts: 262
Originally Posted by Mike_TX
Mine are pretty well lined up, but they're lower than I'd like. I see Maximas that have them tucked up nicely under the bumper and then look at mine and see they're sagged down a couple inches.
Per the service manual, the exhaust pipes are hung from a central bracket roughly under the back seat and a hanger at each of the mufflers at the rear. I don't see why you couldn't loosen the brackets, ease the pipes up with maybe a small hydraulic jack, then retighten the brackets. I'm sure that's what the dealers do.
I haven't had the time - at the right time - to try this myself, but if anyone does, let me know.
Mike
Per the service manual, the exhaust pipes are hung from a central bracket roughly under the back seat and a hanger at each of the mufflers at the rear. I don't see why you couldn't loosen the brackets, ease the pipes up with maybe a small hydraulic jack, then retighten the brackets. I'm sure that's what the dealers do.
I haven't had the time - at the right time - to try this myself, but if anyone does, let me know.
Mike
When I was at the dealership, I watched them adjust them (from a distance) and it looked like they did some manual bending with elbow grease so to speak...it aligned it, but they had it up on a lift. I actually noticed this misalignment on 4 Maxima SL's in their dealership lot. So not sure why this is not caught on a quality control inspection of the vehicle prior to leaving the plant...
Jimbo
01-04-2005, 01:20 PM
#13
Originally Posted by MAJ_Jimbo
NismoMax80...just checked out your cardomain page...where did you get the foot pedals? and the neck rest? Do the foot pedals fit on well?
Jimbo
Jimbo
My Max was built in May 04. I only recently (w/in a month) noticed this lower left pipe situation. Maybe it's from taking so many hard left turns?
01-04-2005, 01:46 PM
#14
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Join Date: May 2004
Posts: 140
I was driving behind a Red SL just yesterday and I said to my husband that I hope my tailpipe doesn't look like that. I thought maybe it had been vandalized or something. It looked like someone had taken their foot and pushed down on it to bend it. I kinda forgot about checking mine until today when I was washing my Max. Mine fortunately looks pretty good.
01-05-2005, 08:09 PM
#18
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Location: a meadow south of Atlanta
Posts: 8,143
MAJ_Jimbo - No, there was never any 'official' thing (TSB) from Nissan on this, probably because the dealer's service tech should be able to fix this quickly without technical guideance. It is something that is unquestionably a warranty item, and that every dealer should be able to fix well.
The reason a small difference in height between the two pairs of tailpipes is so noticable is that the bottom of the bumper and the surface of road offer two straight level places in which to frame the tailpipes, and there is nothing else in that space to draw one's attention.
In that situation, differences as small as 1/4 inch in height are visually noticable.
Such a discrepancy on items on the sides of a car are meaningless, as one can't see both sides simultaneously for comparison.
The reality is that, as we are driving, other drivers catch only brief glimpses of the front of our car, and little more than passing glances at the sides (unless we are 'pacing' other traffic on a multi-lane road). But drivers can be behind us for many miles, will draw very close to us at stop signs/traffic lights, and the smallest defect on the rear will probably be noticed.
I am very particular about the rear appearance of my Maxima.
The reason a small difference in height between the two pairs of tailpipes is so noticable is that the bottom of the bumper and the surface of road offer two straight level places in which to frame the tailpipes, and there is nothing else in that space to draw one's attention.
In that situation, differences as small as 1/4 inch in height are visually noticable.
Such a discrepancy on items on the sides of a car are meaningless, as one can't see both sides simultaneously for comparison.
The reality is that, as we are driving, other drivers catch only brief glimpses of the front of our car, and little more than passing glances at the sides (unless we are 'pacing' other traffic on a multi-lane road). But drivers can be behind us for many miles, will draw very close to us at stop signs/traffic lights, and the smallest defect on the rear will probably be noticed.
I am very particular about the rear appearance of my Maxima.
01-05-2005, 08:43 PM
#19
Originally Posted by lightonthehill
...... But drivers can be behind us for many miles, will draw very close to us at stop signs/traffic lights, and the smallest defect on the rear will probably be noticed.
I am very particular about the rear appearance of my Maxima.
I am very particular about the rear appearance of my Maxima.
but it hurts when you point this out b/c of the nicks on my rear due to 2 times I backed an inch too far back.
01-06-2005, 08:57 AM
#20
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Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: San Antonio, Texas
Posts: 262
Originally Posted by NismoMax80
yet another classic great post Light.
but it hurts when you point this out b/c of the nicks on my rear due to 2 times I backed an inch too far back.
but it hurts when you point this out b/c of the nicks on my rear due to 2 times I backed an inch too far back.
Jimbo
01-07-2005, 04:58 AM
#22
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Location: San Antonio, Texas
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Originally Posted by Mike_TX
Major Jimbo? Is this the "New Military"? When I was in the Corps, I never had a Major I would ever even consider calling "Jimbo". "Sir" was his name! 
Mike
Mike
01-07-2005, 08:16 AM
#23
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Join Date: Oct 2003
Posts: 880
Originally Posted by MAJ_Jimbo
Mike...I just go by MAJ Jimbo for my "screen name" here, but my Soldiers definitely call me Sir...I would never allow any of my Soldiers to call me MAJ Jimbo
Mike
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