Hi all, new to the site and new the Nissan family. I bought my 09 Max SV w/ sport and tech at the end of October and have put about 5k miles on it. It was certified preowned. When I was driving home the night it got picked up the TPMS light came on and I ended up having to put air in them. The light has continuously been coming on once a week around the same time. I fill tire and 5-7 days later it comes on and again the tire is down to 28psi. I brought it in to my local dealer in MA, not the dealer I bought it from because I bought it in NH (an hour away) because it was the only white w/ sport/tech around. The dealer told me it was because of temperature change and they reset the TPMS system. Complete horse crap because if that was the case it would happen everyday and not once a week where I actually have to fill the tire(s) up. I also had a light clunking coming from the front suspension. They couldn't hear it so nothing got done. Feels to me like the car is riding like crap. a month later I brought it in for an oil change and to see why it was vibrating so bad at highway speeds and he told me my tires(GY eagle RSA's) were wearing very uneven. At this point I called the dealer where I bought the car and they said to bring it and they would look in to it and help me out. After 2 hours service advisor came back and said all my tires were at 28-30psi, but when I drove the car up there that day the TPMS light was not on. They also took it for a ride and felt the vibrations and recommended a wheel balance, alignment, rotation-something they should've done 5k miles ago before I got the car? Also, on the sheet they gave me specifying the inspections of the car they do for CPO's the box next to "check for uneven tire wear" is checked "adjust/repair" so they were obviously aware that the tires were wearing uneven. Anyways wheel alignment/balance/rotation did not do anything at all. On way home my passenger seat and water bottle, and visor, and driver seat were all vibrating like crazy. Service guy said the TPMS lights are due to temp. change as well. This is crazy, it did it all throughout winter where its continuously cold; day and night. I've owned three Acuras since I was 16 and have never had a problem with tires doing this.

Any suggestions?

 

Hmm ... it could be a temp thing. Especially if you are filling with air (as opposed to nitrogen). If the tires have been replaced recently (like just before you bought the car) the bead could be bad.

What's the pressure look like when you check them?
You said a rotation didn't help. Does the vibration location change when the tires are in different positions?

Either way, I'd have the dealer give you a free nitrogen fill next time you're there.

 

I've always filled all my tires with air.The tires have definitely been replaced because i bought it with 36K and there's still a lot of tread left (7/32nd according to dealer). i'm guessing my tires are filled with nitrogen now if they were low when I brought it in yesterday. Is that standard practice for dealers? I can't pinpoint the vibrations, I feel it throughout the whole car. All tires are wearing uneven and I have a feeling they were like that when the car was sold to me.

What is a bead?

 

The 'bead' is the edge of the tire where it rests just inside the lip of the wheel.

And I can assure you that, having owned at least one Maxima from each generation since the 1985 2nd gen, what you are going through is not normal. I can also assure you that, unless the weather has gotten very slowly colder each week since October, the weather has nothing to do with your TPMS light.

When I first began reading your post, I was thinking 'slow leak in a tire.' But if ALL FOUR tires are gradually losing air, then we have a very strange situation. I keep 36 or 37 psi in front, and 35 psi in the rear (gives me more even tire wear), so have not experienced the TPMS light coming on.

Those who carry 33 or lower psi should see the TPMS light when the weather turns colder each fall. Adding air should get rid of the light. But once we pass the depth of winter, and the coldest time has passed, then you should not be seeing any more TPMS lights. I have used regular air (not nitrogen) since my first car in 1949, and have never had (or heard of) the exact problem you describe.

Are all four of your tires losing air in equal amounts every week or so? If so, that is the strangest thing I have ever heard. I could understand if it was fall, and the temps were gradually getting cooler. But this is March, and the temps should gradually be getting warmer.

Have you checked the valve cores in each valve stem to be sure they are snug? Have you tried taking off the valve cap and putting soapy water over the opening and waiting to see if the bubble gradually bulges out (showing slow air loss through the valve core)?

I have 36,000 miles on my original RS-A Goodyears on my '09, and still have around 5/32nds to 6/32nds of tread left. But my tires are wearing perfectly evenly. With the wear you describe, I bet the dealer measured a spot where the tread looked deepest, rather than a worn area where it is less than 7/32nds, because he wants you to think the car he sold you has 'good rubber.'

With uneven tire wear, I am not surprised that the ride is not smooth. You have the 'Sport' package, which means you have 19" wheels and lower (40) profile tires than the 'S', 'VS, and 'Premium' Maximas. Your ride will be a little firmer than non-Sport Maximas. But it should not be vibrating. Vibration is tied in with the tires and wheels, because they are the only part of the vehicle contacting the road.

With vibration, you will see things vibrating inside your car. Uless these 7th gen Maximas are PERFECTLY aligned and balanced, and with evenly wearing tires, the passenger's seat will vibrate very noticably.

It is clear to me that there is some kind of problem with the tires or wheels on your car. At the price the dealers sell a four year old Maxima for, the tires should be in good shape and wearing evenly.

I would keep bothering that NH dealer. It is too far to drive every day, but you can phone him regularly and, in a calm and civil voice, tell him something is not right with the car he sold you, and you are very disappointed they would sell you a car in this condition, then not make it right.

 

I meant to reply last night, but forgot to hit 'submit.'

Though I'm glad Light replied because he's has a wealth of info on Maxima's. That said I'm inclined to still believe that it's weather related. 7-10 days is a slow leak.

The temperature changes in New England this time of year are not gradual. We've had 55F days and below freezing nights (20-25 degree swings). It's been like that more than once each of the past three months with that occurrence happening more frequently; twice this week so far.

I do agree that all four tires losing air is a bit strange but it still can't be ruled out that the rims have some rust (due to air fills) where the bead is. This was the exact problem on two of my tires a few years ago on my 03 Max.

I don't think nitrogen fills are standard. Unless they specifically told you they used nitrogen I would not assume.

There are several benefits of using nitrogen - reduction of water vapor, less resistant to temp changes, etc. IMO it's not worth it to pay for an N2 fill, but if the dealer offers it (complimentary) I wouldn't pass on it.

The other thing that Light brought up was the specific tires and suspension. The sport package does tighten things up a bit so you tend to feel a little more from the road. Further, people have reported previously that the RS-A's are crap, and I tend to agree.

FWIW, I notice my sunglasses rattling in the holder at highway speed. But my TPMS never comes on and I don't experience the type of vibration you're describing.

In the end though, if you are not satisfied keep taking it back to the dealer. They will figure it out eventually.

Please keep us posted.

 

The 'bead' is the edge of the tire where it rests just inside the lip of the wheel.

And I can assure you that, having owned at least one Maxima from each generation since the 1985 2nd gen, what you are going through is not normal. I can also assure you that, unless the weather has gotten very slowly colder each week since October, the weather has nothing to do with your TPMS light. The weather didn't get very slowly colder. The light has been coming on since I got the car, every week, with not one week missed.

When I first began reading your post, I was thinking 'slow leak in a tire.' But if ALL FOUR tires are gradually losing air, then we have a very strange situation. I keep 36 or 37 psi in front, and 35 psi in the rear (gives me more even tire wear), so have not experienced the TPMS light coming on. Sometimes it's all four tires, sometimes it's just one or two, but no matter what it's always the same one (front right), by itself or included in the 2, 3, or 4 tires low.

Those who carry 33 or lower psi should see the TPMS light when the weather turns colder each fall. Adding air should get rid of the light. But once we pass the depth of winter, and the coldest time has passed, then you should not be seeing any more TPMS lights. I have used regular air (not nitrogen) since my first car in 1949, and have never had (or heard of) the exact problem you describe.

Are all four of your tires losing air in equal amounts every week or so? If so, that is the strangest thing I have ever heard. I could understand if it was fall, and the temps were gradually getting cooler. But this is March, and the temps should gradually be getting warmer.Nope, the PSI was all over the map-ranging from 27 to 30 psi.

Have you checked the valve cores in each valve stem to be sure they are snug? Have you tried taking off the valve cap and putting soapy water over the opening and waiting to see if the bubble gradually bulges out (showing slow air loss through the valve core)?I have not checked any of these thing, but I figured the dealer had figured both dealerships had done this. I will try this tonight though.

I have 36,000 miles on my original RS-A Goodyears on my '09, and still have around 5/32nds to 6/32nds of tread left. But my tires are wearing perfectly evenly. With the wear you describe, I bet the dealer measured a spot where the tread looked deepest, rather than a worn area where it is less than 7/32nds, because he wants you to think the car he sold you has 'good rubber.'This is a solid point, I will bring this up when I call today.

With uneven tire wear, I am not surprised that the ride is not smooth. You have the 'Sport' package, which means you have 19" wheels and lower (40) profile tires than the 'S', 'VS, and 'Premium' Maximas. Your ride will be a little firmer than non-Sport Maximas. But it should not be vibrating. Vibration is tied in with the tires and wheels, because they are the only part of the vehicle contacting the road.The ride is not even smooth at all, it's annoying to drive in on the highway. How do I know if my car has ad the suspension recall done? Could this be the problem? I saw on the carfax that it had struts replaced at 18k, but I don't know if it was done as part of the recall or something else. The work was done at a different dealership in MA.

With vibration, you will see things vibrating inside your car. Uless these 7th gen Maximas are PERFECTLY aligned and balanced, and with evenly wearing tires, the passenger's seat will vibrate very noticably.How does one get it perfectly balanced and aligned?

It is clear to me that there is some kind of problem with the tires or wheels on your car. At the price the dealers sell a four year old Maxima for, the tires should be in good shape and wearing evenly.

I would keep bothering that NH dealer. It is too far to drive every day, but you can phone him regularly and, in a calm and civil voice, tell him something is not right with the car he sold you, and you are very disappointed they would sell you a car in this condition, then not make it right.I am calling the dealer back today. I've read on this site that some dealers have replaced the GY's with Michelin Primacy's and the problem has gone completely away and the ride was significantly smoother. What are the chances of this happening? The sales department at this dealership was superb, I hope the service department follows suit.

Thank you for both of your responses I will keep you guys posted.

 

So, this service adviser finally agreed that it's definitely not the temperature. He had me explain where the vibrations were coming from (visor, passenger seat, water bottle in cup holder) and he asked if I felt it through the steering wheels at all and I said no because its smooth feedback from steering wheel. Made an appointment on Saturday for a "Road force balance" free of charge since the last alignment and wheel balance didn't fix anything? I also mentioned about the struts being replaced and he thought that was extremely odd as they usually last a very long time. I al;so mentioned how I've been reading all over the internet, including this forum, that the RSA's are a crappy tire and he agreed they are not very good. Wish me luck!! Will post back up on Saturday.

-G

 

I would bet the front right tire has a slow leak, since it is always low.

I mentioned before that I carry 37 psi in front and 35 in rear. You might try filling the tires to 35 psi and see if anything changes. If the psi drops from 35 to below 30, then, whatever the reason, we can be positive the tires are losing air.

Many posters on this board carry higher than the 33 psi Nissan recommends. I suggest maybe a 35 psi because this slight increase in pressure means the sidewalls will be slightly stiffer, which means the car will be more maneuverable, especially at speed. This higher psi also means the car might get a tiny bit higher MPG, although not enough to matter. Of course the higher psi also means the ride will not be quite as soft. Everything is a trade-off.

I would not carry more than around 37 or 38 psi, because this can result in the center portion of the tread wearing out before the shoulders do. Also, a psi as high as 40 definitely results in a very firm ride, and leaves less flexibility in the tire sidewall, which means the tire has less ability to protect itself when we hit a pothole. A very high psi also transmits much sharper movement to the chassi, which increases wear to chassi parts and struts. A very high psi also reduces the size of the 'footprint' of the tire against the road, increasing emergency stopping distances.

A psi of 35 gives many benefits with few drawbacks. But I ramble.

 

Have you checked for something simple like a bent wheel (s) ? That can cause vibration and leaks

The Hunter Road force machine can balance out small wheel bends but it sounds like you could have several issues such as the previous owner hit something and threw the allignment out of whack/ damaged the suspension and bent the wheel (s)

http://www.gsp9700.com/

Hopefully that's not it/

Good Luck

 

I would bet the front right tire has a slow leak, since it is always low.I would bet that too, but the dealership has told me otherwise. They checked all tires and wheels and nothing seem to be out of whack.

I mentioned before that I carry 37 psi in front and 35 in rear. You might try filling the tires to 35 psi and see if anything changes. If the psi drops from 35 to below 30, then, whatever the reason, we can be positive the tires are losing air.

Many posters on this board carry higher than the 33 psi Nissan recommends. I suggest maybe a 35 psi because this slight increase in pressure means the sidewalls will be slightly stiffer, which means the car will be more maneuverable, especially at speed. This higher psi also means the car might get a tiny bit higher MPG, although not enough to matter. Of course the higher psi also means the ride will not be quite as soft. Everything is a trade-off.I really don' want to raise the psi as the ride is ridiculously firm as it is. I'm convinced there's something wrong with the suspension/wheels and or tire(s). I test drove a sport with sumer tires before this one and it rode so smooth, could barely feel and bumps. With this car I feel EVERYTHING, it's so odd. The test drive I went on this only included smooth roads (maybe on purpose)? I really feel I should've got the premium and not the sport, but I loved the way the sport looked versus the premium.

I would not carry more than around 37 or 38 psi, because this can result in the center portion of the tread wearing out before the shoulders do. Also, a psi as high as 40 definitely results in a very firm ride, and leaves less flexibility in the tire sidewall, which means the tire has less ability to protect itself when we hit a pothole. A very high psi also transmits much sharper movement to the chassi, which increases wear to chassi parts and struts. A very high psi also reduces the size of the 'footprint' of the tire against the road, increasing emergency stopping distances.This is all excellent information and I'm so glad I came to this site and have someone like you to spill your knowledge out to me. Grateful is an understatement.

A psi of 35 gives many benefits with few drawbacks. But I ramble.

 

I believe there is something very wrong with the suspension. The dealer closer to me called me in to the shop area while my car was on the lift and asked me if I hit anything and I said no. He showed me there were bad scrapes on the under carriage between both wheels. I have hit nothing and travel mostly highway to work. I really feel like they need to go through the suspension and check everything. When I brought it in they did the multi point inspection and said there was no problems. How deep do they go in an inspection like that? I can clearly feel something loose in the front end, but they insist nothing is wrong. I may end up having to get rid out of it. I drive an hour each way to work and it's just not enjoyable to drive at this point, it's a nuisance.

 

If it's CPO I believe that should all be under warranty. Did the actually remove the tires and rebalance the wheels ?

 

Yes, I believe they did. It is a CPO and I bought the extended Nissan warranty good to 100k miles. They need to fix this problems so I can start enjoying the car!

I will ask more questions this weekend when I bring it up. My Dad is also coming and he knows a lot more about cars than I do so he will ask better questions.

 

IF they took the tires off the wheels bends are easy to spot, with your complaints I would think that is the first place they would look. Unless you car bottomed out it's hard to damage the suspension without doing at least some damge to the wheels, that leak is pointing towards a bad seal on the rim from what I have heard so far. Good Luck

 

I had a similar problem on my 6th gen. I eventually got sick of filling up the tires weekly, and took the car to a shop and had them re-mount the tires and balance the wheels. I did find out that I had a slightly bent rim, but this did not explain me loosing pressure in all the tires. The bead area of the rim looked really rough and gummy, so they took an abrasive pad to it before they remounted the tires. After that, I did not have the problem anymore.

 

Another problem; VDC light and light with the car and skid marks are on. What could this be?

 

Likely that brake fluid is a little low - happened to many of us.

 

Are you sure you didn't just turn the VDC off by mistake ?

 

Yes, both lights were illuminated.

I dropped car off at dealership yesterday. Will hear back from them today on all the above issues.

 

UPDATE-Bottom line Nissan said no to replacing tires at no cost. Not sure I'm done fighting it yet. They offered two free tires and I pay for the other two. If I do go that route the choice of tires are limited. Has anyone heard anything about the Michelin Pilot Sport A/S?

 

Is swapping all 4 tires ging to fix the air leak or the vibrations ?

I'd have them pop on 4 tires/wheel from a used Max on the lot before I would buy 2 new tires just to make sure the vibration goes away, even then it doesn't rule out a bent wheel

The best tires dollar for dollar for a Maxima IMO are Continental Extreme Contact DWS

 

Thats exactly what I told the Service Rep today. The wheels are cupping/wearing uneven for a reason. I could only email today so I haven't heard back from him yet. I want the Conti DWS, I had them on my TL and loved them, but the Nissan dealership doesn't offer them. The best tire in the list they gave me is the Michelin, at least thats what some reviews are telling me. Will update when I hear back.

 

I'm sure the dealer can get any tire they want, if not have them pick up 1/2 the tab and have the Conti's shipped from the Tire Rack to the dealer. Michelins are $$$ and they probably make enough profit on you buying 2 tires to give you 2 and still break even

I have had many vibration issues over the years and never was it a tire problem.

 

UPDATE: Didn't feel like bringing my car back up to the dealership (an hour away) so I took it to a local tire shop here to see if they could figure out the problem with the front right tire keep going low. Took 10 minutes and came back and said there's a nail in the tire. I have no idea how both Nissan dealerships did not find it, pretty sad if you ask me. Got it plugged for $20 bucks, but we shall see if it comes on again, fingers crossed. I've narrowed down some tires and I think the Michelin Primacy MXM4's are a solid bet. Read great reviews on them and they have an excellent tread wear warranty. What do you guys think?

 

I think if there was a nail in the tire there is NO WAY the dealer took those tires off the wheels to look for bends the may be causing your vibration issues

 

Hope you kept the nail. Next time you're near the dealership be sure to drop it off.