trinitytheinfinti

Turbobink

iTrader: (2)

Right outta the FSM ... I read nothing about Fed. vs Cali specifications.

trinitytheinfinti

The Wizard

iTrader: (43)

I would get what the FSM calls for, and save a few bucks too. Get the 110a

Turbobink

iTrader: (2)

I would assume that at some point in your car's life someone installed an upgraded sound system or some other aftermarket power consumer that may have warranted the increased alternator output.

If your car is all OE (power consumption-wise) there's really no need for a 125 amp unit.

trinitytheinfinti

Turbobink

iTrader: (2)

You'll never know the difference.

ac max 92

iTrader: (13)

If the 3rd gen alts work or are the same I have 2 for sale. 1 is almost new and was barely used. Pm me if interested.

IP Cyborg

Always put the higher output choice of alternator as your replacement. All those fancy powered features eat up the system wattage, which also eats up that amperage. The old one likely died because it was overtaxed with current load from all the powered stuff in the car. A 110a alternator is barely adequate for a barebone Sentra.

You do NOT want to skimp on your nice car's electrical system as the entire car depends on having proper voltage...which can't be supplied if your alternator is inadequate...so it taxes the battery and kills it faster and kills the alternator faster too as it is being overworked.

While you are changing that alternator, I highly recommend you do what is called 'the big 3' in the industry. The big 3 is upgrading the cabling for the engine-to-chassis ground, the chassis-to-battery negative cable, and the positive alternator-to-battery cable. Bump that up to good quality 4 gauge cable. It will cost you about $20 and an hour of labor...and result in much easier starting, improved headlight performance, better battery and alternator life and reliability.

I am really let down with all these responses from these other guys in this thread telling you to put the 110a cheapo alternator in there. I have never heard a quality mechanic recommend using the wimpier alternator over the higher amperage version.

IP Cyborg

"but, but, but...it costs $20 more and I am cheap!"....but paying $100 for the tow truck to tow your dead vehicle to the shop is just fine, when the alternator dies outside the Starbucks where you just paid $10 for coffee and a muffin.

trinitytheinfinti

IP Cyborg

I used the coffee statement to point out that $20 isn't that much money, and that it shouldn't be sweated when fixing something as important as the alternator. You may have found out that the alternator in a i30 is kind of a pain in the behind to get at and replace. I wouldn't have used a junkyard one to replace it because it could last a decade or a day, you just don't know.

What is done is done though, so... The Big Three is easy to do! Probably less than an hour to do, but may take a little more time in preparation. You will need about 10 - 15 feet of 4 gauge cable...which can be found at Amazon for under $20. Look for '4 gauge amplifier wire'. You'll need 6x 4-gauge ring terminals. About $10, give or take. A bit of sandpaper, just a tiny piece for removing a little bit of paint around the chassis bolts you are going to use. Some clear coat nail polish or spray paint, to prevent corrosion on the connection points.

The video I am embedding is from a car audio shop, and car audio is hugely benefited by this upgrade, but it helps with the entire car's electrical system. Especially headlights, the alternator, the starting system and a little better spark plug spark too. A must for aging cars because the wire system performance degrades over time from corrosion and increasing wire resistance.

Turbobink

iTrader: (2)

I wish you good luck as relates to your installation of a salvaged alternator ... it'd be good keep in mind (if this one fails) that you just installed an alternator that's as old as those that are currently failing and requiring replacement.

Also, some words of advice ... if your car is in it's OE/stock configuration, you'll end up better of if you keep it in its OE/stock configuration.

Take it or leave it. Just some input from the original owner and only maintainer of a 19 year old 4th generation.

trinitytheinfinti

Turbobink

iTrader: (2)

Fair enough ...

The Wizard

iTrader: (43)

So you are disapointed in those of us who follow the recommendations of the Nissan Engineers. So you're essentially saying that the Nissan Engineers are idiots and don't know how to build cars and should have installed/required 125 amp alternators. My recommendation has absolutely nothing to do with saving a few bucks, it's all about following the FSM and using parts that work more than adequately.

There are cases here on the Org with people having electrical issues when "upgrading" to a 125a alternator.

W/o a huge stereo system, there is absolutely no need for a 125a alternator IMO. Mechanics may recommend the 125a because they will make a few bucks more profit on the mark-up on the more expensive part. Most mechanics don't care about what's best for your car, they care about what's best for their pocket book.

IP Cyborg

My step-father was a Nissan engineer for over a decade and retired from Nissan. He worked at the hot weather testing facility in Maricopa Arizona, just south of Phoenix (where I still live.) He relocated to Tennessee to work at the Smyrna facility, and now that he is retired he lives in Whitesville, TN.

My brother, whom I taught basic car audio install to, worked for over a decade doing professional audio install for Fry's Electronics (where I got him the job at because I worked there too) and then later for Ultimate Electronics (where I also got him the job because I worked there too).

I am not new to this and I stand by my recommendation about getting the more capable alternator whenever one has a choice.

Now that I am recalling my past a bit, I think he started with Nissan around 1988. He retired (IIRC) in about 2010. More than 20 years with Nissan and Nissan was very happy to have him with them and he was on top of the food chain as far as salary goes.

IP Cyborg

Furthermore, as idiots go, one needs only look at the Blose audio system those extra-special Nissan engineers decided to put in these cars. One huge pile of there...

I would elaborate, but it would go outside the scope of this thread. Instead, I will simply refer to the dozens of threads started by Maxima and i30 owners whom have found huge frustration with that pile of poop Bose system.

Turbobink

iTrader: (2)

IP Cyborg

My 'pocketbook' includes my time...like the time it takes to swap out alternators, and buying new batteries every year (because the heat increases resistance in all wires and is not good for the battery itself), and running into trouble-codes that depend on varying resistance measured in circuits (which are affected by the heat-induced resistance of copper wire)....or the all-too-frequent occurrence of your electrical system (battery, alternator, wiring...etc) failing while out and about, resulting in paying for a tow truck..or your blood, sweat and tears having to fix your junk on the side of the road.

It sounds like you two, Turbolink and The Wizard, are just offering canned responses to frequently asked questions...frequently asked because those 110amp alternators seem to fail a lot? You may as well just answer every question posed in this forum with "Just call the dealership!", which is what you are basically doing with the whole "Go according to the FSM".

It's all good though, as the brother who asked the question here already replaced his failed 110a alternator. They fail for a reason.

IP Cyborg

Guess what happens when your battery depletes when out and about ? (because your alternator failed) You cannot get in or out of Park. This leaves you stuck in potentially dangerous situations. When the engine stops running, your brakes won't work for crap either....ABS no worky...

I learned this years ago when my ex-wife's car ceased to roll in the middle of an intersection and called me for help. I drove at like 80 mph to the intersection about 5 miles away, hoping to push her immobilized Mazda out of the middle of the intersection. Didn't work. No ability to get into neutral, because the battery was dead...because the alternator was dead. I had to take the battery out of my MR2 and put it in her Mazda just to get it out of the intersection.

You can learn this the hard way by experiencing it yourself...or you can consider the experiences of those who dealt with it firsthand. Invest in your electrical system before you strap that $1000 catback exhaust system or $300 for that useless CAI airbox. That crap isn't going to do anything when your car wont start.

IP Cyborg

...and HUGE audio systems usually use 250+ amp alternators and usually 2 or more of them, plus extra batteries and HUGE cabling all throughout for (+) and (-). The wimpy OEM type alternators don't cut the mustard for that.

DennisMik

iTrader: (2)

This thread is an interesting read because of the controversy. The 4th generation body comprising the Infiniti i30 years 96 through 99 and the Maxima years 95 through 99 used 3 different amperage output alternators, 100, 110 and 125. In 96 and 97, the 2 cars were equipped a little different. When the 1998 year model came out, Nissan finally had both car's electrical systems the same and settled on the 110 amp alternator.

There is only one year where the alternator was different for the Cali & Fed spec cars and that was only for the 96 Maxima. The Cali model had a 125 amp alternator while the Fed model had a 110 amp model. All 96 Infinitis had a 125 amp alternator.

For the 1997 year model, The 2 cars had a standard alternator and an optional alternator. The 97 Infiniti had a 110 amp alternator as standard and a 125 amp alternator as optional. The 97 Maxima had a 100 amp alternator as standard and a 110 amp alternator as optional.

Based on a stock electrical system without any user installed high wattage (amp) equipment, the 110 amp alternator would work just fine in a car that originally had a 125 amp alternator. Nissan did not have any high wattage electrical pieces in the 1996 models that were not used in the 1999 models. The 125 amp alternator is somewhat hard to find as a replacement, but if you can find one and it isn't too much more money, go ahead and use it. It certainly won't hurt anything, but it won't help anything, either.

One last thing, IP Cyborg expressed concerns about a car dying in an intersection with a dead battery and not being able to get the shifter out of park. The Infiniti and the Maxima have a manual release. There is a little opening in the upper left corner of the plate around the shift lever. Take something thin (such as the car key) and stick it down in that opening. You can then move the shifter out of park.

Turbobink

iTrader: (2)

No canned responses have been offered.

In your apparent zeal to espouse some level of self-professed expertise you've quite missed the points a couple of relatively experienced and long term and original owners were making in attempts to actually help the OP.

But thanks for your input ...

The Wizard

iTrader: (43)

somebody gets what I'm saying...





IP Cyborg:

I love love love the FSM. I have diagnosed and fixed many of my own Maxima problems and helped others by consulting the FSM. I often preach using the FSM and include a free link to it in my signature. I wish more people would use it.

FSM>Dealer

The only time I may suggest someone to go the dealer is when they have a 99 and have the dreaded NATS issue and their local locksmiths don't have the right diagnostic/programming tool. I am anti-stealership.

I am here because I love the 4th and 5th gen Maximas and like to help people.

I've been on this board forever. I've read thousands of threads over the years. I currently own 7 Maximas. I've never had a Dealership or mechanic touch my car for a repair in the last 18 years of being in the Maxima game. Why? It's because of the Org, many helpful people like Turbobink, DennisMik, JvG, CS_AR and of course the mighty FSM.

One last word about the 125a alternators. Not only have some experienced electrical issues with them, but some (including myself) have seen that the spacing of the ears was too narrow and didn't fit, and even the holes in the ears were too small not allowing the bolt to pass through w/o drilling it out more. Talk about a waste of time going back to the parts store because of fitment issues...I can remedy the second issue but not the first.

IP Cyborg

I am glad you folks are here to help. They are fantastic cars and deserve, even beg, to be driven.