Brought home my 93 Maxima late Tuesday afternoon. Going to work the next morning...and I live a mile from work, I heard a siren and saw this city police flying and taking a corner on two wheels...after someone..ME, I found out as I pulled over to let him pass.

He walked up..I was busy turning down the stereo...I rolled down the dark tinted window...and the cop expressed surprise "Lxxx!, where is your jeep???". "Junkyard" I answered. He said "do you realize you were just blew thru a school zone?" I said "no, I did not!!, it was over downtown, it should have been over there!!". He looked at his watch and said "well, its just now 8 oclock and ok, if you didn't just blow thru a school zone, I clocked you doing 45 mph in a 30 mph zone so you were speeding anyway.....drive slower" and he walked back to his car.

LOL..with ALL due respect to school zones and I swear the lights weren't blinking.....I have to wonder if he was pulling me over because he didn't know the car, couldn't see who or what was inside (windows too dark), it had a drive-out tag on it or it just simply looked like a drug dealers car.

Anyway, my sister was doubled over. It was only the SECOND time I've been pulled over and the first time was when I was 19 and got a speeding ticket..21 years AGO!!!! She says the car means trouble for me. lol I told her tonight..it does NOT as I'm scared to drive it, scared to push the engine for fear it'll blow..since it's a used car and I know NOTHING about it and there's something up with putting it in drive. If I take it down to 2nd, and back up to Drive, I have no problem. If I try to take it to Drive from Park, most often I seem to actually be in Neutral until I just BARELY push the lever down just a TAD more. (Will be doing a search on that soon) I told her I'm driving it like a granny..really!!! But I really wanna FLY and hug some curves like I haven't been able to in the jeep.

I was taking my daughter to school this AM....and it was cold..and we went over this little place in the road..and a sound came from the front..we both looked at each other and said..at the same time..WHAT WAS THAT? Nothing I hadn't really heard in my Jeep occasionally, especially on cold morning, but my gosh...I hate this feeling but I still love the way the car looks!!!

 

Looks like your luck is running fine!

 

It's amazing what a new set of wheels will do to you.

Anyway, on the shifting - you probably have one of two problems, and they're both little. The first is that the plastic bushing that connects the end of the shift cable to the transmission shift arm is worn, or missing. Cheap part and easy to change. The other possibility is that the shift cable is out of adjustment. You have to get under the car and pull a sheet metal shield to get to the adjustment (located under the shift lever). When it's cold the suspensions tend to squeak a bit on big dips. If you have a GXE the front struts are probably shot, BTW.

 

:-) What can I say? Good hair day and I matched the car....dressed in all black...the guys at work have been laughing that I bought the car because it matched what I wear the most. :-)

 

Well..have to say..my Jeep certainly seemed to have the ability to throw me back in the seat more than this one but then again, I haven't pushed this one the way I drove the Jeep. Jeep was 4.0 L (inline 6) and don't even know how they compare. Too busy listening and noting reactions just getting to know the car.

Thanks for the suggestions. Since I can't imagine me attempting to check those, nor do I know someone who might, I'll find a place that can check that for me, and will tell them to check that..maybe they'll think I know something about the car..lol. Someone at work mentioned possible a "linkage (?)" problem. But I want it fixed. Have come across numerous similar models that have already had the transmission replaced and that scares the bejesus out of my financial budget.

As for the struts I need to call where I bought the car. He said he had new ones put one. I saw the bill. The car came in with really short ones..he said "yellow, looked really new" but the car would drag on the way out of the lot so he had new ones put on. But don't know if that was all of them..(there would be four, right?)or just the rear. Don't know what else was done to the car, if anything. Has been owned by 2 people..first one to 99,000 miles, and then the 2nd owner to 47 miles before I got it at 126,000.

I'm much less concerned about the noise especially because it's cold and because I would imagine I would hear more just because I'm closer to the road than I'm used to being and the tire different between the Cherokee and the Maxima.

Thanks much for the ideas. I will breathe a little easier tomorrow..already have since I've been going down to 2nd and back up and taking off fine but hearing some more minor possibilities is reassuring.

 

I was pulled over 4 times for speeding within my first month of owning the car. Walked away with only 1 ticket though.

 

Well, the linkage and the shifter bushings are kinda one in the same.. if either are worn out, you'll see the same problems, because the bushings are what the shifter rests on-- if they get worn out, the shifter doesn't pull the linkage completely down to where it should be to engage drive.. sooo, it looks like a bad linkage to someone who doesn't know the Maxima.
I have yet to have any problems with mine, but it's a common thing in our cars.

and be wary of the speeding tickets!
My last few tickets in my old truck were 10-12mph over the limit.. (biggest was 77 in a 65)
now that I have the Max, all my tickets are for insanely high speeds.. the first one in my max was 92 in a 75 in the rain.. second was 97 in a 75.. last one was 142 in a 75. fortunately the cop was friends of the family and just griped at me and sent me on my way.. we were both surpsised as **** that this car would hit 142!

 

I got my first ticket in my '95 while it still had the temp plate on the window. 95mph in a 55mph zone. The car was completely stock then.

Jim

 

Question...and all..please forgive my complete IGNORANCE in dealing with vehicles. I like mine to look nice..thats about all I know about 'em and Matt, mine looks like yours. :-)

If there is not currently a problem with the transmission itself..is this a danger to it? Or would this be considered "the" transmission but only a small problem? I was so disappointed this was an automatic..but then I guess I'd be dealing with clutch issues and replacing those. In my camry I always used the clutch to slow down, wound it out..all kinds of things that drove my ex crazy. LOL, had to do something to drive him crazy you know...

My sis is begging me to come to Huntsville this weekend and I am kinda fearful. Had blowout on Cherokee last time I went and I usually cruise about 80-85 down there. In this car, since it's still new to me, I don't think I'll do that. Might do the speed limit for once in my life. Im sure it would cruise just nicely and a heck of a lot better ride than the truck, but I imagine things like an axle breaking or some steering rod problem (had one in the Jeep once..not sure if it's applicable to maxima. I hate sounding like a big scaredy cat, am usually not, but I just haven't driven it enough to be comfortable with it's mechancial soundness.

and OMG!!!! 142???? I won't let my 16 year old read this..lol.....and to JJW...lol, something about those temp plates set off bells to the cops I'm told. My jeep hasn't been towed from the lot yet by the insurance company so a friend went and got it for me yesterday. Can't wait to put normal plate on!!!

 

The shifter bushing is no big deal.. it should be fixed, but it's nothing that will cause you to blow up your car or anything.
to be safe, just make sure you KNOW the car is in gear before stabbing the gas and taking off. you should be able to tell from the idle speed and maybe slightly more vibration at idle, if you didn't already know that.

As for the steering or suspension, I wouldn't be worried about that stuff at all.. these are VERY solid cars. I parked mine in a ditch a couple summers ago, did $3 grand in body damage to it, and the only suspension parts they had to replace were the strut and lower control arm. the spindle/axle is very strong, and unless you take it flying over a mountain, I wouldn't worry about it.

Which way would you be goign to hunstville? I drove from oklahoma to atlanta this summer, and read on a map that the road going to huntsville was 4 lane divided.. (I think it starts in Memphis) it wound up being mostly 2 lane and slow going.. if that's the road you're talking about, you definitely won't have any problems, except for cops. I passed several. (at 100mph+ because I was late.. they flashed their lights, but never gave chase) <B>disclaimer.. you should NEVER DRIVE ABOVE THE SPEED LIMIT! speeding is for dummies and guys who like to frequently donate to the government's donut and coffee fund.</b>
Does that make you happy?

the Power steering stuff has been known to have some problems on high mileage cars, but it's basically just the boots get worn/torn then leak out all the fluid and you lose power steering. you won't lose steering altogether though, so you're still safe.. it's also a gradual thing, won't happen instantly.

On that car, the only thing I'd really be concerned with would be the tires. As long as they're in good condition, you've got nothing to worry about on that trip. make sure all your fluids are filled and you've got enough gas to get you there. (you're obviously no idiot, you know that much.

What color is your Max? Mine's black emerald (dark green).. I thought you said yours was black earlier?

 

LOL, its that stabbing the gas and going nowhere that is so frustrating...like I didn't JUST put it in DRIVE but Neutral even tho it is clearly on the "D"..lol, ty for the hint 'bout the idle speed will see if I notice the difference today but so far if I take it to 2nd has proven very good, makes me look less an idiot. :-) And ty, the concern about the engine and damage is the ONLY thing that really bothers me and you all have given me several reassurances on that front, I don't give a hmmmm..nickelodean..CRAP about what people think usually.

I take I-65 straight down from Nashville to the state line then turn on a two line road for the last 20 minutes. LMAO, flying over a mountain? Hmmmm, there "IS" this one little strip of the interstate that winds up a big hill that is curvy. When I had my camry I used to like going "STRAIGHT" up, never taking the curves. I'm not really a bad driver, but I just love this part and I don't do it if cars are around and I have to be careful not to round a curve and find a tractor trailer going 40 mph or God forbid..as I did once..find TWO of them blocking both lanes, but I'm prepared for this so it makes a difference.

I know the road you are talking about from Memphus to Huntsville. Traveled it alot when I lived in Tulsa in the early 90's. Yes, the 2 lane sucks, but then, I hate the "thump-thump" you get going in the right lane all the way thru Arkansas. No wonder everyone is rude and drives in the left!! LOL, I like the disclaimer...my daughter will be with me, I always drive differently if one of the kids are with me but I'll still lose the curves on that one patch of interstate..just won't go as fast as I'd like. In my camry adn a couple times inthe Jeep, I'd find myself doing 90 on that trip, down in the lower part of the state.

Yes, I have the known power steering issue if the car is cold, but let it warm up a few minutes and I'm fine. Will check into that as soon as I have funds.

Well...I have proven to be an idiot on a couple occasions but I think it's just more of a "blonde" thing that has to come out every once in awhile. The tires are two brand new pirelli's (sp?) on the drivers side and two almost new Firestones on the passengers. Front passenger went almost flat overnight the first night, I took it in, they said a plug was leaking and they patched it from the inside. I expressed concern about both new tires NOT being on the front, although treadwise they all look the same, concerned about the one with the known patch being on the front, but they assured me on both fronts, it's fine. Dont usually see two different type tires on different sides of vehicles I didn't think so don't know whats up with that.

Yes, yes, mine is black. Sorry, you're looks black from the photo and with my graphic card. Let me pull it in photoshop and I'll be able to tell clearly..there is a large different between emerald green and black. :-)

Thank you much for the reassurance. Sis wanted me to come tonight and normally I would. I told her I didn't want to take off for a two hour drive at night in this vehicle yet, and we'll be there in the AM. I am looking forward to the drive, haven't gotten it over 70 yet.

 

If the car was reasonably well gone over (all the fluids OK), you can easily cruise all day at 75-80 (just to be slow and safe). With new struts (yse, there are only 4) the car should handle fine, and lots better than the jeep. When the weather starts getting warmer think about getting the transmission fluid changed and a transmission fluid cooler put in. Then, with normal type driving, you shouldn't have to worry about the transmission.

I'm keeping my 16 year old away from cars as long as possible, period.

 

I kept getting pulled over in mine, not that I was trying to speed, but 70 -80 is what the car seems to want to cruise at.( My wife says I'm crazy and it's in my head, but she wouldn't know, she drives a stinkin' KIA) I bought one, and it has more than paid for itself in tickets avoided. Well worth the investment. My wife drove back from FL last weekend, and we used mine in her car, now she wants one. ( I didn't know KIA's could go 100 mph, but I do now)
BTW, my first ticket was in a school zone. When I entered the lights weren't flashing but midway in, it switched over to a school zone, and I got a nice big ticket. Didn't get another one for over 11 years until I started driving the Max down here in rural GA. I call it Barney Fife syndrome.

 

Truth be told, the fastest a cop has nailed me is for 95 in a 55 (I-57 s/b around 127th (Not in a Maxima)), but the fastest I have ever gotten cited for is 92 in a 65 (I-90 w/b around Marengo, IL (in the Maxima I own now)). Both incidents were by State Troopers in marked cars. Now that the troopers in IL and have unmarked Z28s, Mustangs, and other assorted vehicles with civilian plates and front/rear firing radar, I tend to be more wary.

 

Well as far as the trans question, I don't see it to even be close to a big deal my 3rd gen was doin the same thing, and after beeing rebuilt back to perfection, it still did it so I didn't worry. It's good for when other people drive your car and think they broke the trans lol

 

LOL, when the guy came back in from fixing that front tire..the first thing outta his mouth was..."hmmmmm, have you noticed anything about the transmission?" He looked at me like an idiot thinking I bought a car that needed a transmission. That thought was given considerable in my decision and I decided I'd still rather have this beautiful Maxima with a new transmission, than the Sentra that might not need one.

Whitemax, I did have a radar detector in my Jeep, just haven't moved it to the max yet, but will before my weekend trip. Just hope it still works after the wrapping the tree and rolling that the jeep did. It was not on the window when I got it out of the jeep but I can't tell if it came off with force in the crash or if someone pulled it off. And yes..Barney Fife!!!! I live in a small town just outside Nashville..and Barney is alive and well. Probably WHY I got pulled over in the first place, but then, probably why I didn't get a ticket either.

 

Man PRINZII im familiar with both of those areas in IL, I picked up a dog out in Morengo not to long ago and I do the speed limit on the dot in that area but both of those interstates are just so easy to speed on....my max love those road, and U find a occasional set of ricers on both....

 

Hey im having this problem right now, i was wonderin if you could email me those instructions to me.


Thanks,

Eddie