Sorry guys need to vent... My Alternator died for the second time in a month and only after 1K miles use! haha I get the Batt/Brake lights when my RPM's go below 2k, and it happened when I was getting off the interstate ... I was mad about it when it happened, but now I think its kind of funny but still upsetting since it was really hard (for me & my dad who used to be a mechanic) to install it... My max has NOT been great to me in the two years of owning her so I was going to put her up for sale tomorrow for a more reliable car, but now I have to fix this! haha I think I got a lemon !

So my advice, don't get remanufactured Nissan (it was genuine) alternators from Napa!

 

so, your giving up on her because of a crappy alternator??? what other problems does she have???? i know i've been where your at, frustrated and pissed off. try and keep her, these cars are 300,000 mile cars if you maintain them. good luck

 

haha thanks man, well I have had to replace the starter, radiator, drivers door actuator, oil pressure sensor, boost sensor, alternator, and 2 sets of brake pads in 30k. Oh and I have a slow leak of some strange gold fluid thats not oil, its coming something steering related on the passenger side. The car no longer runs smooth, my auto tranny is on its way out and shifts harshly after a good amount of driving, it stalls periodically at long red lights. It has a rattle coming from the trunk that will drive anyone crazy of the radio is off. I wont take it on any long trips now (which was the reason I bought the car) because I have had so many problems before 94K. I keep up with all maintenance: plugs (Nissan), coolant, PS fluid, air filter, fuel filter, tb cleaning, IAC cleaning... I never did anything to my trans fluid because I was under the impression that after 50k of old fluid don't touch it and I bought the car with 62k. My shifts are around 4K RPM and I average 16 MPG Mixed... No Codes so no KS I checked last week.
My car was built on a Friday!
I will be adding issues as I think of them..

 

Well ... sorry you're having problems mate, but don't give up on your Maxima! Not the cars fault that a remanned Nissan alt is crap - that would be Nissan's fault. lol

I guess if you are gonna sell the car, I'll give ya a $1 for it! I would only sell my Maxima if I was getting a newer one. Always move up, then your not on the bottom at the end of the day. Look for a nice S14 or Z32 ... just my .02 worth

 

still, i think if you ask around you'll see that your cars worth keeping. you ever change the tranny fluid??? i did mine at 142,000 at the dealer and that was 20,000 miles ago. i've done easily 7,000 worth of upgrades and repairs to my max and will continue as long as i don't have any major issues ( cross my fingers ) you might have a coil pack issue and/or a timing issue even though your not pulling codes. i would've loved to have a max at your age sonny ( ha ha ) patience grasshopper.....

 

Well I really don't see throwing money into a 11 year old car repeatedly. I'm in college and need cheap reliable transportation. I know Maximas are known to be reliable but mine is not. We have had three in the family and they all ran great up to 150K when we sold them, mine just seems to be a problem child :P. My best friend's dad was going to sell me his (not my friend's the dad's) 2003 Mitsubishi OZ Rally Lancer for a low price since I am basically his son too and he knows about all the problems my car has had haha. The only reason he is selling it is because his work is moving closer so its going to be a 3 mile drive to work. He bought it as a commuter car. I know its in no way a powerful car (drove it from New Mex, back to AZ 350mi), but I'm not looking for that and its a four banger so the MPG is much better than I'm ever going to get with the max plus IMO its much better looking.

 

good point jellyfishian. I'm just waiting for my engine to die. My car's at about 200k now.

The day my engine drops on the road i'll get a new one.

So far i've replaced

Knock Sensor,
3 O2 Sensors
Alternator
Starter
Sparkplugs
Sparkplug wires
Fuel filter
Battery
AC Belts
Timing Belt
1 of the Injectors

my car is runnign perfectly fine now but damn it's like 4th gens have so many problems.

 

if you're gonna keep it get an upgraded alty, take it to a good altenator/starter shop and get them to build it up, i think there are two cores out of the 4th gen, a 110 and a 130 if i remember correctly. I got them toget a 130 core and boost it to 190-200. I've had it about a year and been working it (1000watts always cranked) with no problems at all. But I can understand where you're coming from, I'm finally getting my Max back into shape, only 1 code left!! Knowing my luck though I'll just get it fixed and something else will fuak up

 

cool hmmmmmm

 

buddy you have no idea. I am on my 5th alt. Take it like a man.

 

ahhhh, he's in college, don't you remember what it was like to be broke all the time??? hell, if i'd known that i would told him to sell it to the first buyer. BUT, in no way is any car better looking than the max, NO WAY BABY!!!!!

 

Why so many? Do you have some huge system? I'm running with the stock AM/FM Cassette!

 

dont worry, mine finally just popped the CEL light - needs coilpacks, starter, fuel filter, o2 sensor

removed the fuel fitler today, tried to remove the starter but scrawny me can't muscle the bolts out

 

Lawrenceville, GA eh newbie? I am from Alpharetta and have an apartment in Athens. Nice to see more locals from the northern metro area on the org. You can't turn a head without seeing a 4th gen, but none of them are on the org.

Anyway, don't give up on the Maxima dude. I am getting frustrated with mine too since my 5Spd tranny is on the way out. I often grind into 3rd and have a VERY notchy shift into 2nd, but I am going to keep it going till it croaks. If the tranny were to blow and somehow the engine blew up at the same time ... my god would that be a good day. 3.5 and 6 Speed FTW. I have a spare 95 GLE anyway.

Anyway I got 160K and still running strong.

 

well my main issue I think is I'm using a 3/8" drive to a 1/2" socket - and I'm far from Mr. Muscle Man - and atop of that....

I'm going to need a new floorjack handle ( I tried to use it as a breaker bar to of no avail )

its almost 8pm now, I've been at this one bolt since 11:30am on and off ( letting PB blaster soak etc ) I got everything else removed that I needed to replace except for that one blaster bolt!

 

Get the Napa with the really good warranty, you loose out on time but at least you dont loose money each time it goes out.

And take out that ghetto *** sub system.... save that poor alt haha jk, subs are sweet I dont even know if you have a system.... w/e haha.

 

haha nope... I'm pumpin the stock AM/FM Clarion deck!

 

Stormhammer, you got a 95 max with 6th gen wheels?

 

nah I have a black '97 with some aftermarket rims ( came with the car ) fyi thats not the Maxima in the background of the pic, that WAS my daily driver and now my toy, an '87 Mitsubisihi Starion ( that I spun a rod bearing on )

 

cool, i live in lawrenceville as well, i've got a neptune blue max with 18's.

Here is a link to my site. http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2598639.

Well good to meet another max fanatic from the same hood

 

like I said take it to a good alty shop and get them to build one up, mine only costed $200 CDN installed and built up to 190A. Well worth it, came with 1 year warranty too, learn to haggle a bit alternator rebuilds are damn cheap for a shop to do, if they know what they're doing

 

yuck, for some reason i can't stand the window vinyl and it really looks bad with the 97 max, and the tint is way too dark. and sorry but i don't like the rims either but its your ride afterall......

 

lol i don't have the tint anymore and yes it is my ride, i look at it everyday

 

Nissan doesn't sell thru Napa. They just have some sweat shop in Mexico sandblast the OEM alternators, and since the Nissan logo is cast in them they just tell you it's a Nissan reman. Just remember, it's not reman'd by Nissan.

Rebuilt anything from anywhere NOT truly OEM=junk

 

Made in China how long do you expect your car to last? I'm hoping mine stays alive till 300 K.

Wow then I know I really really got my monies worth!!