I am a new owner to the Maxima club. I came from a highly modified 500hp 2002 Audi S4 twin turbo. Maintenance hell. Because of that i decided to get a new good looking cruiser with decent power and I work at a car lot so Im picking up a relatively low mileage 2011 Maxima and I'm very excited about the amenities.

I have a few questions,

1) what if any are the main maintenance issues with these cars?

2)this car is a 2011 with 40k, it has a spoiler, moonroof, leather, heated steering wheel and seats, backup camera, and ipod integration and bluetooth, HALOGEN HEADLAMPS We have it listed as a S trim level, is that correct? where would the bose emblem be? I cant tell if it has bose or not.

the only plans i really have for the car are some LED lighting, HID's up front because they're halogen, and some subs.

with that said
3) does anyone have a writeup anywhere for an hid conversion on this car? and are the projecters the same for the halogen and xenon lights? the bulb is an h11 correct?

4) lastly, i guess i need to figure out which system is in the car, but i plan to install some subs. I have some kicker CVR's that were in my Audi and a 1,000 watt Massive Amp. I intend on using the factory radio and controls, i dont want to lose any functionality, but i would like to be able to turn the bass up and down independently of the setting on the radio. Basically, i'd like to be able to crank the subs sky high, but get only mids and treble to the cabin speakers. Can anyone assist with this? A write up, will i need converters, ill obvioulsy need a dial to turn the bass up and down to the subs. Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks

 

I can't answer many of your questions, but did want to tell you that you do NOT have the base 'S' Maxima.

The heated steering wheel is available only as part of the Cold Package, Sport Package and Premium Package, and none of those packages are available on the 2011 Maxima 'S'. You have the 'SV' Maxima, and you should be able to confirm that by checking and seeing the turn signal lenses on the outer edge of the outside mirrors.

The fact you have a rear view monitor, but no HIDs is telling. The rear view monitor (camera) comes only with the Premium Package and the Technology Package. If you don't have the double paneled roof, then your rear monitor came as part of the Technology Package. That would also explain why you don't have the HIDs, which are part of the Sport and Premium Packages, but not part of the Technology package.

But the Technology Package DOES include the Bose system, plus the Music Box, which enables you to copy dozens (maybe a hundred?) of CDs onto an internal hard drive, from which you can play them any time you wish, while all your CDs are stored safe at home. I have that system and love it. You are correct that the word 'BOSE' does not appear anywhere on the dash.

Your spoiler was added either by the dealer or the original owner, because, for 2011, it was standard only as part of the Sport Package. The leather is standard on the 'SV'.

IN SHORT: You have a 2011 Maxima 'SV' plus Technology Package, to which a spoiler has been added. Very nice car.

I'm running late for a doctor's appt, so will let others fill you in on what to watch for with this car.

 

Common issues:

Rocking chair effect with drivers seat. (Not all, but many)
Vibration in passenger seat. (May have been fixed in later models)
If you have factory battery, they are "junk" and you'll be replacing it soon.

 

s4boost - You may wish to keep an eye on your tires. Many here on Maxima.org were never happy with their Goodyear RS-As, and replaced them early on. But there are others here like me, who have an '09 built in Sept of '08 with 34K miles on the original Goodyear RS-As, lots of tread left, have never had to have them balanced, and only rotated at 15K and 30K. The tread is wearing very evenly on all four tires, the ride is smooth, and I love the way they feel and handle. Go figure.

Many folks go through an early stretch where they are uncomfortable with the CVT, which gives a totally different feel to driving a car. It took me a few months, but I gradually came to love my CVT.

There is evidently a form of stress put on the windshield when these 7th gen Maximas are built, as dozens have had their windshield crack fairly early in the life of their car, many while near no other vehicles that could have thrown a rock, and, in some instances, only the inner shell of the windshield cracked, with the outside part remaining perfect. I don't see that type of crack being caused by a rock.

The sensor which enables the outside temperature to be displayed on the dash can be painfully show to react to a suden rise in temp, but will fall instantly when the temp drops.

Nissan recommends 91 octane premium gasoline for this Maxima, but 89 (midgrade) and 93 octanes both work just as well. Please do not use regular (87 octane) in this car. Several here are doing this, while others could not get their car to run smoothly with 87, which the fuel system on this car does NOT handle EFFICIENTLY.

If you hear a strange noise from under the car around 17 MPH (just around the time the inside door locks all click shut), it is the ABS system checking itself. This only happens after the car has been sitting several minutes or longer.

Nissan recommends 33 psi in the tires, but I find the car steers more precisely and, with my driving situation, the tread wears more evenly with several more pounds of air in the tires. I carry 37 front and 35 rear. Several here carry 35 front and rear, which means no psi adjustment is necessary when rotating tires.

The 'low fuel' light will come on when there is still around 4 or 5 gallons left in the 20 gallon tank. This insures that the driver will have time to refuel before the fuel level gets below the level of the fuel pump, which is located inside the fuel tank, and which depends on being immersed in fuel in order to avoid overheating.

Running completely out of fuel in this car can result in needing a new catalytic converter, which will usually cost between $399 and $900, depending on where you get it replaced.

Do not get caught up in the 'miles per tankful' mythology, as many here do. Going further on a tank of gas means nothing more than that it will take more gas to refill the tank. And we are also risking ruining the fuel pump and possibly the catalytic converter.

The 7th gen Maxima has only 4 1/2 inches of ground clearance at its lowest point, so this is not an off-road car, nor will it do well in more than a few inches of snow or slush. The very low front bumper will not clear half the curbs around where I live, the car drags on many speed bumps, and turning into a slightly steep driveway can be a real problem.

This may sound like an unacceptable littany of problems, but the reality is that this is a fairly reliable car. Other than the windshield crack early on, I have not had any problems in the almost four years I have owned this car. Better yet, I absolutely love driving it. The turning circle is 4 feet tighter than the 6th generation Maxima, and makes for far easier turnarounds. All the power and speed I can use are at my fingertips. I get 27 to 30 mpg on long freeway trips, which is great for a 3600 pound car with 290 HP that was designed around six years ago.

Enjoy your ride!

 

You have hids bro, they are just 4300k color. Easiest way to tell, pull up to your garage door and flip the lights on. You see a color change usually light blue to yellowish white.

 

theyre definitely halogen bulbs. Does anyone have any recommendations for an HID conversion kit? also, I curb rashed the crap out of my wheel tonight
and there is condensation in the driver side mirror blinker causing the lights to be very dim and barely work.... im outside of my bumper to bumper coverage with 40k on the clock but im gonna take it to the dealer anyway and see if theyll have it replaced. there's not a DIY to fix that mirror issue is there?

I think you're exactly right about the trim level. And I think these tires have never been replaced. they are loud!!! and they have a terrible vibration at interstate speed.

If anyone wants to let a clean wheel go for cheap let me know!

 

Sorry about the wheel but this forum has a classified section in which you may find a wheel for sale.

http://forums.maxima.org/7th-generat...fieds-2009-82/

 

I have the same problem as you...but is there a solution for the rocking chair effect? thanks.

 

dam you curbed the wheel already?? is it that bad you need a new one already? can it be cleaned up for now? or it may be cheaper to let an alloy wheel repair company repair it.

 

no its not that bad... im just not used to this large of a car... and i was sending a text at about 4 mph in my neighborhood and then a culvert ate it for about 1/4 of the outer diameter and put a small nick on the spoke. its really not a big deal. if its something i continually notice ill have it repaired.

for right now i really need to get some HIDs ordered. i may go with retrosolutions for the main bulbs and buy an ebay kit for the fogs. does anyone have an suggestions

 

Not used to a big car?? Your last car and the max is not that far off. Maybe you should use your hands free and not text. Crap I go from my max to a lifted 2012 F-150 with a modified ecoboost witch is faster then the max and I can still park a 7500lb 22 ft long vehicle

 

Go with THERETROFITSOURCE.COM 35W H11 kit you wont be disappointed by them

 

yeah, at least dont tell us all that you were texting and driving. you seemed to be trying to buy a new wheel already so i was just advising for the repair instead.

 

Thank you for the suggestion that's what I'll end up doing if I decide it bothers me enough.

My s4 was a completely different car. Yes both are 4 door sedans. That's where the similarities end. The s4 was lowered to about coke can height, I had put a lot of money in the performance. And I curbed the wheel on it about a week after it had it to, that was the last time that happened. The bulge and height of the hood on the maxima kinda mess with my depth perception a bit, I'll just have to get used to the size difference. The s4 was a driving machine and a maintenance nightmare. I loved it, but needed something more practical and still very nice. So now I'm here. And I love this maxima. It will stay stock except for some aesthetic changes. I've already ordered an led interior light kit, and I'm about to order some hids and fog lights.


Does anyone know which harness I need from theretrofitsource?

 

2 years ago a guy was texting and driving and rear ended my standing still at a traffic light 2010 Accord. My car was totalled and I suffered whiplash and lots of pain and months of physical therapy. I hope you don't try this again as the consequences may be more severe the next time to yourself and inoccent people around you. Personally I think the phone gps should disable the phone while the cars is in motion so irresponsible drivers are not tempting faith.

 

Like I said. I was in my freaking neighborhood not driving down the freeway. Good lord. Lets not get off topic and overreact to a 4mph wheel scuff. It was night time I has just gone over a speed bump at a couple miles about hour I looked down to send a text. Don't sit there and call me an irresponsible driver. I have been driving a 500hp car with about 550ft lbs tq for almost 5 years that'll easily kiss 180 and never wrecked it.

 

this is why i said to just leave the texting part out of this