A Big Thumbs Up For Nissan On Ignition Coils
05-26-2004, 11:40 AM
#1
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2001
Posts: 212
A Big Thumbs Up For Nissan On Ignition Coils
I also have a '99 Maxima SE which was throwing the 0201 ignition coil code and 0304 knock sensor but no specific misfire location. I talked to Nissan 1-800-
and they opened up a file and ask me to call them back with the time my appointment with the service department to verify the code. The car has 77,000 miles on it and was out of warranty. I also gave them the TSB for the coil problem.
When I got to the service department the manager had a tech pull the code and apparently they now have this process down to a system for approval should the service manager want to go this route. He entered the milege, the codes being thrown and the TSB. The system looked up how many Nissans I had bought over the last five years (lots) and recommended approval. It was that easy. I signed the paperwork and they installed 6 new coills free.
Moral of the story other than Nissan really coming through on this is have complete information (i.e., TSBs), the vins of Nissan cars you have purchased and be polite/professional. Nissan is looking to make a sound business decision. They feel the money spent on fixing this out of warranty will come back to them in new car sales in the future.....and it probably will. Also, go to a Nissan service department where your have a relationship with the manager; if not, start building one with the service manager.
I routinely give Nissan a lot of crap for using cheap parts these days across their platforms. Service like this will ensure I stay with Nissan for when the cheap parts fail and need replacement and when Nissan knows there is a 'bad' part.
So again....kudos to Nisan and the dealership.
and they opened up a file and ask me to call them back with the time my appointment with the service department to verify the code. The car has 77,000 miles on it and was out of warranty. I also gave them the TSB for the coil problem.
When I got to the service department the manager had a tech pull the code and apparently they now have this process down to a system for approval should the service manager want to go this route. He entered the milege, the codes being thrown and the TSB. The system looked up how many Nissans I had bought over the last five years (lots) and recommended approval. It was that easy. I signed the paperwork and they installed 6 new coills free.
Moral of the story other than Nissan really coming through on this is have complete information (i.e., TSBs), the vins of Nissan cars you have purchased and be polite/professional. Nissan is looking to make a sound business decision. They feel the money spent on fixing this out of warranty will come back to them in new car sales in the future.....and it probably will. Also, go to a Nissan service department where your have a relationship with the manager; if not, start building one with the service manager.
I routinely give Nissan a lot of crap for using cheap parts these days across their platforms. Service like this will ensure I stay with Nissan for when the cheap parts fail and need replacement and when Nissan knows there is a 'bad' part.
So again....kudos to Nisan and the dealership.
05-26-2004, 12:02 PM
#2
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Join Date: Jul 2001
Posts: 7,060
wow...that's amazing! 
Nissan voluntarily replacing something out of warranty FOR FREE?
Maybe they've finally realized that poor customer service is hurting their long-term business and that they should think long-term instead of short-term like they have been. Wouldn't that be nice.
I also had a coil go out on my 99 at around the same mileage. Knock sensor went too so I replaced that also. Will they replace the knock sensor?
That thing is a PITA on 99 Cali specs due to the swirl control valve junk. 
Nissan voluntarily replacing something out of warranty FOR FREE?
Maybe they've finally realized that poor customer service is hurting their long-term business and that they should think long-term instead of short-term like they have been. Wouldn't that be nice.
I also had a coil go out on my 99 at around the same mileage. Knock sensor went too so I replaced that also. Will they replace the knock sensor?
That thing is a PITA on 99 Cali specs due to the swirl control valve junk.
05-26-2004, 12:22 PM
#5
Donating Maxima.org Member
Join Date: Jul 2002
Posts: 188
Originally Posted by SteVTEC
That thing is a PITA on 99 Cali specs due to the swirl control valve junk.
Did you do it yourself? If so, how did you get past the swirl valve? If not, how much did you pay for the job?
Have a Cali spec also and can't get a straight answer on how to proceed. Taking off the intake manifold would be too much for me.
05-26-2004, 02:30 PM
#6
Originally Posted by nick778
I also have a '99 Maxima SE which was throwing the 0201 ignition coil code and 0304 knock sensor but no specific misfire location. I talked to Nissan 1-800-
and they opened up a file and ask me to call them back with the time my appointment with the service department to verify the code. The car has 77,000 miles on it and was out of warranty. I also gave them the TSB for the coil problem.
When I got to the service department the manager had a tech pull the code and apparently they now have this process down to a system for approval should the service manager want to go this route. He entered the milege, the codes being thrown and the TSB. The system looked up how many Nissans I had bought over the last five years (lots) and recommended approval. It was that easy. I signed the paperwork and they installed 6 new coills free.
Moral of the story other than Nissan really coming through on this is have complete information (i.e., TSBs), the vins of Nissan cars you have purchased and be polite/professional. Nissan is looking to make a sound business decision. They feel the money spent on fixing this out of warranty will come back to them in new car sales in the future.....and it probably will. Also, go to a Nissan service department where your have a relationship with the manager; if not, start building one with the service manager.
I routinely give Nissan a lot of crap for using cheap parts these days across their platforms. Service like this will ensure I stay with Nissan for when the cheap parts fail and need replacement and when Nissan knows there is a 'bad' part.
So again....kudos to Nisan and the dealership.
and they opened up a file and ask me to call them back with the time my appointment with the service department to verify the code. The car has 77,000 miles on it and was out of warranty. I also gave them the TSB for the coil problem.
When I got to the service department the manager had a tech pull the code and apparently they now have this process down to a system for approval should the service manager want to go this route. He entered the milege, the codes being thrown and the TSB. The system looked up how many Nissans I had bought over the last five years (lots) and recommended approval. It was that easy. I signed the paperwork and they installed 6 new coills free.
Moral of the story other than Nissan really coming through on this is have complete information (i.e., TSBs), the vins of Nissan cars you have purchased and be polite/professional. Nissan is looking to make a sound business decision. They feel the money spent on fixing this out of warranty will come back to them in new car sales in the future.....and it probably will. Also, go to a Nissan service department where your have a relationship with the manager; if not, start building one with the service manager.
I routinely give Nissan a lot of crap for using cheap parts these days across their platforms. Service like this will ensure I stay with Nissan for when the cheap parts fail and need replacement and when Nissan knows there is a 'bad' part.
So again....kudos to Nisan and the dealership.
05-26-2004, 02:33 PM
#7
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2001
Posts: 212
Knock Sensor was fine. It was just going off out off range because of the coil(s) intermittently misfiring. I item I wanted to emphasize, however, is that you don't even need to call Nissan. There is a computer program set-up now that any service tech or manager can access it, input the information and the system will come back with a yes or no recommendation based on the items I mentioned above. If for some reason, the recommendation is no, you can always go the 1800 route. I started with the 1800 route but the service manager came over with a several documents to sign and explained the new program available to every dealer. Thing is also that the money comes out of Nissan's wallet, not the dealership, so if you get a positive recommendation for a goodwill, it is all done and can be fixed on the spot rather than back and forth calls between the dealer, Nissan corporate and you. I was impressed.
05-26-2004, 05:06 PM
#8
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Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: South Jersey
Posts: 1,329
I did it a different way and Nissan sent me a check directly for the cost of the coils.
When they went bad on my 2000 I30 (Autozone pulled the code 1320) I bought them online and did the install myself. Then I sent a letter to Nissan asking for a check to cover the cost of the coils. I explained that I have owned several Nissans in the past, and that I was aware the coils tend to go prematurely in the 00-01 Max/I30s.
Three weeks later, I received a check for $300.00!
I never use Nissan dealerships for routine service, so I was surprised they sent me a check. Moral of the story, it never hurts to ask!
When they went bad on my 2000 I30 (Autozone pulled the code 1320) I bought them online and did the install myself. Then I sent a letter to Nissan asking for a check to cover the cost of the coils. I explained that I have owned several Nissans in the past, and that I was aware the coils tend to go prematurely in the 00-01 Max/I30s.
Three weeks later, I received a check for $300.00!
I never use Nissan dealerships for routine service, so I was surprised they sent me a check. Moral of the story, it never hurts to ask!
05-26-2004, 05:14 PM
#9
Wow, thats amazing. Usually Nissan service is poor. Never had a TSB fixed by Nissan free. In fact over the years their cust. service has become extremely poor, IMO.
OT: Father has 2002 Sentra GXE, 7000 miles, has sticking accelerator problem. After researching this, I've discovered its a common problem with his model due to the valve sticking inside the throttle body, upon the expansion of the two different metals. Nissan has redesigned that throttle body and has developed a new part. The kicker here is that both Nissan Corporate and dealership refuse to do anything about it. Since its an intemittent problem, they will do nothing.
OT: Father has 2002 Sentra GXE, 7000 miles, has sticking accelerator problem. After researching this, I've discovered its a common problem with his model due to the valve sticking inside the throttle body, upon the expansion of the two different metals. Nissan has redesigned that throttle body and has developed a new part. The kicker here is that both Nissan Corporate and dealership refuse to do anything about it. Since its an intemittent problem, they will do nothing.
05-26-2004, 05:40 PM
#10
Dyno plot says I have the most area under the Administrator curve
Join Date: Jul 2001
Posts: 7,060
Originally Posted by nick778
Knock Sensor was fine. It was just going off out off range because of the coil(s) intermittently misfiring. I item I wanted to emphasize, however, is that you don't even need to call Nissan. There is a computer program set-up now that any service tech or manager can access it, input the information and the system will come back with a yes or no recommendation based on the items I mentioned above. If for some reason, the recommendation is no, you can always go the 1800 route. I started with the 1800 route but the service manager came over with a several documents to sign and explained the new program available to every dealer. Thing is also that the money comes out of Nissan's wallet, not the dealership, so if you get a positive recommendation for a goodwill, it is all done and can be fixed on the spot rather than back and forth calls between the dealer, Nissan corporate and you. I was impressed.
Good info otherwise though.
05-26-2004, 05:55 PM
#11
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Originally Posted by Pearl99GXE
Did you do it yourself? If so, how did you get past the swirl valve? If not, how much did you pay for the job?
Have a Cali spec also and can't get a straight answer on how to proceed. Taking off the intake manifold would be too much for me.
Have a Cali spec also and can't get a straight answer on how to proceed. Taking off the intake manifold would be too much for me.
$60 and a 6-pack of beer. I mostly just watched 
, but if it goes out again I could probably do it myself.It's an afternoon worth of work, but a complete total utter PITA just for a stupid $100 sensor that really ought to last the life of the car in the first place.
05-26-2004, 07:06 PM
#12
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2001
Posts: 212
Originally Posted by SteVTEC
A lot of people will say/claim differently here, but the KS and other codes are completely different things that have nothing to do with each other. The KS doesn't light the SES though, so the first time people notice it is when something else trips the SES. Then they say the KS was just caused by the "other" thing but that really isn't so. You'll still need to eventually replace your KS. The first time I noticed the KS code was when my coil went bad too. I thought the same thing, but nope, the KS was on the way out too, and at about the same mileage.
Good info otherwise though.
Good info otherwise though.
05-27-2004, 07:10 AM
#14
Old Fuddy Duddy
Join Date: Feb 2001
Posts: 2,712
Originally Posted by fisher01
Wow, thats amazing. Usually Nissan service is poor. Never had a TSB fixed by Nissan free. In fact over the years their cust. service has become extremely poor, IMO.
OT: Father has 2002 Sentra GXE, 7000 miles, has sticking accelerator problem. After researching this, I've discovered its a common problem with his model due to the valve sticking inside the throttle body, upon the expansion of the two different metals. Nissan has redesigned that throttle body and has developed a new part. The kicker here is that both Nissan Corporate and dealership refuse to do anything about it. Since its an intemittent problem, they will do nothing.
OT: Father has 2002 Sentra GXE, 7000 miles, has sticking accelerator problem. After researching this, I've discovered its a common problem with his model due to the valve sticking inside the throttle body, upon the expansion of the two different metals. Nissan has redesigned that throttle body and has developed a new part. The kicker here is that both Nissan Corporate and dealership refuse to do anything about it. Since its an intemittent problem, they will do nothing.
05-27-2004, 10:26 AM
#15
Yep, my parents are limiting how much driving there doing with the car. Afraid they may injury others or themselves. Nissan been placed on notice. Its terrible service on Nissan part esp. when they have owned and driven only Nissan cars for over the last 20 years.
05-27-2004, 10:50 AM
#16
Old Fuddy Duddy
Join Date: Feb 2001
Posts: 2,712
Originally Posted by fisher01
Yep, my parents are limiting how much driving there doing with the car. Afraid they may injury others or themselves. Nissan been placed on notice. Its terrible service on Nissan part esp. when they have owned and driven only Nissan cars for over the last 20 years.
And Nissan is doing this...?
05-27-2004, 01:10 PM
#18
Dyno plot says I have the most area under the Administrator curve
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Originally Posted by mAdD MAX
how can you tell if the Maxima is Cali-spec?
If you see 4 wires popping out of the front of the engine then you have a Cali-spec. That's for a 99. I forget what all of the changes were for Fed vs Cali on the 4th gens, but the 95-98's are different than the 99's.
05-27-2004, 02:54 PM
#19
Wow! Bully for Nissan! They also replaced my dad's air bag (TSB) when he contacted consumer relations as well--a $500 charge with labor! 99's seem to have a major problem with the ignition coils though.
05-27-2004, 05:55 PM
#20
Dyno plot says I have the most area under the Administrator curve
Join Date: Jul 2001
Posts: 7,060
Yeah, 99's are the worst as far as ignition issues. They have the garbage knock sensors of the 4th gens, and the garbage coils from the 5th gens. It even shows up in consumer reports reliability stats as the 99 being "average" in the rate of ignition issues vs "better than average" for most other years.
oh well
oh well
05-27-2004, 10:25 PM
#21
vicodin ... gift of life
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: norcal
Posts: 5,401
hmmm good info! i am goin to take a look at a 99 tomorrow with 85k miles.... thinkin of getting it for my brother. didnt know the 99 had these issues.
btw, where can i find the TBS? you just tell nissan of this issue and the TBS and see if they will fix it for free?
btw, where can i find the TBS? you just tell nissan of this issue and the TBS and see if they will fix it for free?
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