Okay, so I have finally been able to do something about the infamous valve body problem on my Max. Its an 04 Max SE with the 5 spd auto and 136k miles. I took it to an independent shop and they said they could install the valve body and everything for under $1200. Just to make sure nothing else was wrong, I took it to Nissan just to run a diagnostic on everything. I have just had them run one of these in December/January and they told me nothing was wrong. Now, they have a laundry list of problems and the way they are talking, it sounds like my car will implode within a matter of days.

Sorry if this sounds vague but I really need some advice as to what needs to be done immediately, versus down the road and what are some things I could do myself.. I personally think some of the problems they have found might not be real issues, just them trying to make some money. I have always worked in dealerships so I do understand there are some things here to raise their profit. Before anyone questions me, I am very OCD about my Max. Even though it isnt in perfect condition, I go to the extremes to make it last. On the outside, it gets washed about once a week, waxed once a month, I do my oil changes every 4-5k miles and use a high mileage oil filter. Also, I make sure to get an inspection whenever it is in a mechanics hands just to make sure everything is well.

I have uploaded a copy of the estimate so maybe some of you can decipher what it really means..

 

i've gone into the dealership maybe 6 times in my life. 5 of those times, they told me my ac is leaking. out of those 5 times, my ac was fine. the last time i went (5 months ago) I actually tested my AC after the visit, even had my boss (master mechanic) look at the AC and confirmed it was fine, went back to the dealership, and said i would like to speak to your mechanic, they asked why, i said because i instal, fix, and recharge AC units on big rigs as a job, there is nothing wrong with my system yet you want me to shell out money to you, i want to teach your mechanic about AC systems so he can stop costing loyal nissan costumers like me, money for something that doesn't need fixing.

they said no, i said so your ok with running a scam behind your desk as your career job, she showed me the door, and i showed her the finger.

ill never return to the dealership unless its a warranty covered item.

if a nissan mechanic sees any oil what so ever on the hose next to the fitting they will claim AC leak... which is bull, just because your hose leaked maybe 1/8cc of coolant oil (like 0.001% of what in there) and its collected on the edge of the hose for the 8 years its been on the road doesn't mean your AC needs to be fixed. its a scam. stealerships are a scam. you should always get a second opinion. in order for an ac to have a leak worth fixing, you should be able to notice the temperature of your AC take a dive in a short amount of time weeks-months. unless this happens your fine. AC refrigerant slowly leaks over the course of 10-15 years and evaporates on even the best of systems, its normal and doesn't need any special attention other than a simple recharge.

 

Hey Boss.. Congrats on the ownership of the Maxima

From the looks of it I can't speak on clutch packs.. However there are some known issues with the timing chain tensioners. The timing chain should last the life of the car.. however the tensioners are made of inferior materials and if their is a grinding sound like some other threads here have mentioned they may be right. I would definitely post a video and let some of the people here with experience in that area tell you if they think it sounds the same as their issue.

We are all somewhat OCD about our max - it's not a bad thing it's just a hobby! Someone may better be able to tell you about the manual tranny and those leaks and what to look for. That write-up is pretty straight forward though for the most part.. Nothing crazy in their like blinker fluid :P ! I am sure someone else can chime in on this thread and give you some better direction. I only know what I have read/researched over several 6th gen forums etc.

Best of luck

 

1) Transmission clutch packs are worn - this is bad
2) Valve body is gone bad - common problem in 6th gen
3) Transmission fluid was found burnt. - did you ever replaced/serviced transmission fluid?

They are telling you to rebuild or replace transmission + new valve body + TCM reprogramming

4) Timing chain guids are broken - immediate attention require
5) Radiator hose is leaking coolant - easy fix
6) Low pressure AC hose is leaking - easy fix
7) Cam sensors are leaking oil - easy to replace

They are telling you to replace timing chain guids with pretty much new timing chain.

Edit:
For transmission problem, do me a favor and try what I have done.
You may be out of $150 by doing this. By all means do it at your own risk.
1) Pour half can of transtune in transmission fluid.
2) Drive for 20 to 50 miles
3) Drain and refill transmission fluid - 1st
4) Drive everyday for one week
5) Drain and refill transmission fluid again - 2nd
6) Drive everyday for one week
7) Drain and refill transmission fluid again - 3rd

99% of the time I never advise anyone to add additive in transmission fluid.
However I did extensive reading on transtune and I tried all above steps myself.
After 15k miles or more and I now have less gear slams and minor cut-loose in gears.
Here is the original post I used to edit. http://forums.maxima.org/7811770-post316.html

For leaking radiator hose, I would just replace the botton radiator hose.
May be $25 for radiator hose, $25 for coolant, and 1 to 2 hours of your time.

For leaking low pressure AC hose, get the new AC hose
May be $90 for AC hose, $30 for refrigerant recharge kit, and 1 to 2 hours of your time.

For oil leaking cam sensors, get all sensors and replace yourself.
May be $80 to $90 a sensor, and 1 to 2 hours of your time.

For timing chain issue, pretty much you're out of luck if your engine is wining like a fat hoe.

 

OMG!!!!!!!!............GL bro

 

if you open up your ac system and let the gas excape you won't be able to use the recharge kits from autozone. you'll have a full, but dead system. you need an ac manifold gauge set and refrigerant reservoir to drain and/or balance the lubricant and R-134a gas. too much lubricant will prevent your ac from working. too little and your air will blow hot.

don't mess with the AC hoses unless your air is not cold. if its cold, don't fix what aint broke.

 

1) I opened my AC system more than once, let the gas excaped, and I was able to recharge AC using simple 134a kit from autozone and my AC is working cold ice from years. This includes replacing the low AC pressure hose in parking lot in 30 minutes or less.

2) I do not suggest others to do anything in most cases unless I have tried that myself.

So, you better stay with that plastidip experiments......we all love some free entertainment.

 

Thanks for everyones opinions.. The quoted price from the other shop is much less than $6k so I will be keeping my Max

The guy at this shop is the same one who rebuilt the transmission on my 91 Chevy Z71 and he normally does a lot of race cars, etc. When I took it to him he already knew how terrible the valve bodies were on these cars and even knew the other cars that had these transmissions. Nissan, however, told me that they have no information regarding premature valve body failures on Maximas and that mine is an isolated incident. :matt93se:

When I questioned them about some of the leaks and sensors, they told me that they did not go deep enough into the inspection to see if those were really serious problems or not. So anyways, it just breaks down to another case of dealerships hoping that the customer doesnt know enough about their own car so they can charge exorbitant amounts.

 

The lower hose on mine needed the clamp tightened but I did it myself. The cam sensor thing sounds like BS. As does the AC. Funny how when times go bad shops start to upsell big time knowing people will put off new car purchases.

 

then i call B.S. your ac blows cold out of pure dumb luck, the way our car is set up you probably unknowingly allowed SOME of the lubricant part to drain allowing this rinkydink service to be done. but i can guarantee it doesn't blow as cold as a professionally done ac with the right equipment. your saying that a can of autozone refrigerant with a 3 cent plastic pressure gauge will adequately take the place of a purpose built 4 way ac manifold gauge set? lol not only does your ac not blow as cold as it should, but you are probably going to have a problem with your impeller later on down the road if you didn't drain your system before you did the autozone recharge. those cans are made to act as an additive, to replace what is generally lost though normal operation and time. not a replacement. how about you read the directions, or do you know better than the company that makes the stuff?

I also know of an time where a buddy of mine replaced the return hose on the ac compressor, did exactly what you did, and came crying to me because his ac blew hot air when he was finished. what he did was fill the ac unit with the autozone can putting in more lubricant and not enough gas, (did you even know there are two parts to it? lol) and i needed to drain his unit, and do it the right way, you know they way they do it in professional shops. you won't see a nissan mechanic taking a trip to autozone for a can of R-134a in big blue lettering with the phrase saying "its easy" on it. lol

when it comes to Plastidip and the looks of a car, it all reversable with little to no cost (no cost for PD) when you start messing with mechanical parts, only a fool cheaps out on it. so how about you stick to judging the appearance of other people's cars, and leave the mechanic work to a trained mechanic, you know one who is paid by a company for wrenching, like myself.

FYI: i don't take disrespectful comments from ****ers like you, if you want to insult me, better be prepared to be served the same dish back. if you want to respectfully disagree then we can have an intelligent conversation. its your pick, i never take the first swing.

 

This dude who spray plastidip on car and claim himself a professional wrencher? Get a life dude you, were you born from back hole of your moms azz? Let me tell you your plastidip car look like a professional hooker in downtown streets lol

 

only a dumbass could relate spraying paint to mechanical ability.. thats like saying? oh you like fish??? fish is stupid... how can you claim to like food ooooh go get a life dude and then make an immature comment about someones mother like we are in 5th grade. lol

kick rocks newb none asked you, i am glad tho that i made your #5 post, what a great way to introduce yourself. we are going to have some fun in the future.

there are alot of people here with plastidip, your not just calling my car a hooker. lol a f'n hooker, god dude, you need to search "good insults" into google and come back with some better ones, seriously, go spend 5 min and come back so we can play comment wars... LMFAO!!

actually i just made it a rule. no comment wars with people that don'tt deserve it. unlike kevmaster who may have something intelligent to say, newbs don't get this chance. have fun reaching your 15 posts with insults, and when you have a problem instead of helping you out, like i have single handedly help many users on this forum solve theirs.. we'll see how many come to help you.

 

I have got no business with your mom neither with your hooker ride or anybody here...lol. It's just you are fvcking annoying on this forum. First you decorate your hooker with plastidip and then come over to this forum to ask for an opinion and when folks gives their opinion then you rub that up your azz. You talk like a sh!tt and smell like a sh!tt makes me wonder were you born from back hole? Get yourself a big banner "how's my plastidip hooker looking?" and take a hike from this forum dude. Oh and number of posts on this forum = not newbie dumbazz. Later---

 

Try to check all your wires make sure the 1000% good b/c when i was having problems with me valve body , my mechanic found out that it was just a crack wire and it was not getting any power to the resister so that is why was just a lil kick so check that with your personal mechanic someone you can trust.

 

Take your car to the dealer with the same problems while it is still under warranty and they will report back: No problems found, everything normal!

 

^^ so true. I have a TSX purchased new which, exactly 2 years after purchasing had a 3rd gear synchro failure. Took it to the dealership, they made me bring it in 3 different times to "confirm" and finally said they would rebuild it. A day later they told me the clutch was (suddenly) bad and I had to pay for that out of pocket.

Worst part was they gave it back to me worse than it was, I'm certain they used the wrong fluid in the tranny and combined with the winter cold it blew all the synchro's. Kept taking it back and was told the popping/grinding was "normal," that it meant the synchro's were "doing their job." (wtf)? After repeated visits/complaints I found out the tech on the workorder didn't even rebuild my tranny, a new kid LEARNED how to rebuild a transmission for the first time on my car.

That's kind of why I bought this '02 Maxima for the wife...too many dishonest/shady dealerships in NJ to even think about falling back on a warranty.

 

Hey if this was my ticket from the dealer, I would replace the CSP sensors, and have them do a trans flush. I would also replace the Coolant hose and refill the coolant to proper level. Also might want to try changing your oil to a thicker oil. this might get rid of the chain noise. you timing chain could be fine, when not oiled properly they make a lot of noise. To do the things I mentioned, you could save thousands in repairs. If your CSP sensors have problems, they could give you symptoms of a bad transmission. Also there is no Fing way a mechanic can tell whether or not the clutch packs in a trans are worn unless he has it torn apart. If you do these things first and still have trans problems, look at the 5AT trans fix at the top of the forum. Hope this helps. GL

 

Ok, I just got my Maxima back from getting the valve body replaced and I am in love with it all over again. I felt like it would be wrong to not put it through some corners and when I did it was an experience like no other. I can truly feel the difference between before I was lowered and now because there is no worry about banging or delayed shifts so I can push my Max much harder than I used to. It feels like a brand new car

Thanks for the help everyone!

 

how much did the value body cost ? where did you get it done @ ?

 

I paid right under $1300 for the valve body to be replaced and had it done at my dad's friend's shop. I dont know the name but he primarily builds cars for racing and when I first asked him about it, he knew exactly what cars these transmissions went in and knew exactly what to do. That made me feel much better than Nissan or other shops who claim to have never heard of this problem.