hi

120k miles 02 maxima .... any suggestions (other than plugs and manifold gasket) ?

 

Headers, 3" Catback, Coilovers, V-Manage, Z33 ECUswap ...

 

Might as well boost while your at it...

 

Hey there, hit up the Nissan dealer for a new PCV valve as well once the upper intake plenum comes off, and I recommend before you start, try to pull out cylinder #5's coil (top right corner - it's accessible) and make sure there's no oil. If you see oil, you'll need a rear valve cover and gasket out of a 6th gen. If you don't see oil, you're good.

There's an o-ring on the old PCV valve you can take off to put on to the new one. Also wouldn't hurt to replace 2 rear coils in the back (left and centre ones) with new ones in case they decide to crap out after you change the plugs; you wouldn't need to take off the plenum to do all that labour again.

 

well if you're planning on doing mods, then that would be the perfect time to get some phenolic spacers from NWP if you don't have them. Rather than paying something like 40 bucks for expensive gaskets from nissan, you can reuse those whenever. It costs about 200 but you get a nice power bump across the power band. O and you should probably not touch the throttle body. You might get a CEL when you put it all back together and have high idle and have to do all the relearn procedures. That's all this noob can say for now.

 

Thanks ... Not looking to any mods,I would be very glad to have the normal stock power as a DD (before I regret letting my 4th gen go away with this 02)

I was asking what else to be done when I'm under the hood doing the plugs...I wish I had the coils also to be replaced , but I can't think of spending more money on this car

 

listen spend the money and get it over with...replace all the coils (or just the 3 in the rear) get a 04 rear vavkle cover with the gasket so u never run into the oil problem...suppose u do the spark plugs and ur rear coil craps out...then u gotta rip it apart again...just change em while u have the chance...the front ones are so easy to change so if they crap out their right their to change

 

good advice , thanks for that......I know I should never touch the DBW TB , can I only spray TB cleaner on the plate from the inside and out without touching it ?

 

I would replace both the valve covers. It is well know that they leak around the plugs.

Since you have to take off the IM to do it this is the perfect time.

I am right behind you.

Bought VCs and IM gaskets from Dave B. VC comes with a new PCV valve.

Picked up NGK Iridiums from Ebay.

Just waiting for some nice weather.

Good luck and let me know how it goes.

 

how much did those cost from DaveB ?

 

This is good advice. Replace the rear VC and rear coil packs while you have that side accessible. Take care of the other side on an as-needed basis.

 

It's mod, but you'll love the NWP spacers come summer.

 

at my job if sum1 comes in just for a rear bad coil and the motor is designed like ours where the manifold gotta come off i wont do it unless they buy sparkplugs and all 3 of the rear coils

 

Replace the rear coilpacks when doing plugs???
That's turning a $40 job into a $340 dollar job. Once you've done the IM R&R, you would probably be better off just doing it again later if you need coilpacks.

My thinking is once a coilpack has survived 100k miles, it's probably gonna go another100k. But I don't live where the temp gets to below zero and screws up electronics....

 

Ok......It's resonable to do at least 2 rear coil packs #1 and #3

is it ok to go with NEW BWD or Duralast ignition coils (one for around 70$) locally ? I HATE orders and shipping wait....

 

A one time, preventive measure for a high mileage, daily driver... that's not an unreasonable thing to consider. And he should be able to find coil packs for $80/ea.

Hope you don't apply that thinking to tires, belts, batteries and filters. Stuff wears out, Troop. And eventually coil packs fail.

 

I'm with trooplewis on this one, once you get the manifold off the first time, its easier each time after. If the coilpacks are good right now I'd personally just leave them, however I'm a student with limited funds, so if you have the paper -- why not?

 

I have a 1996 Max with 175,000 miles, a 1997 Max with 103,000 miles, a 2002 with 94000 miles, and I had a 148,000 mile Altima. They all are still running fine on their original coil packs. (well, except for the Altima which was totaled by an idiot driver) Why waste money?

 

To each their own....time is money. Most people have one or the other and not both...

 

Just replace the valve covers with 04 ones. if they havent started leaking yet, they will. the stealership will tell u 04 wont work. they will, I had an interesting arguement with the service guy before politely telling him to eat sh$$ and live, lol.

 

Sig material ..

 

no..i got a BWD from advance...my car is still skipping at times during at start up. i bought some used ones to test out and see what happens...if it works..i dont know if ill run em until they fail or buy new ones

 

do the NWP spacers take care the leaky rear valve cover? if they dont I guess I should change that then at the time when doing the spacers.

im in the same exact position of the OP, and as to why im wondering

I thought u didnt need to change the pcv ? and when did it become a normal maintenance to change coils?

changing something solely because your in that area of the engine doesnt make alot sense to me....

if coils go they go? its my understanding they are the farthest thing from a maintenance point of view....? but with Rochester sayin other wise... im almost... ready to order Coil Packs

Lets put it this way. I planning to completely refresh my engine at 130,000 miles....maybe i need my own thread.

 

doesnt make sense to you, but it does to me and is almost a state of mind ive come to learn to appreciate...its called preventative maintenance...especially if you have the means/money to do so, DO IT. if i had the money to do my coilpacks, believe me i would have done it, purchased from teh dealer....most everything i do is preventative maintenance. but coilpacks is an expensive, and when you LOOK at it, mundane thing, but isnt. if the OP has the money to do so...do it..at least the 3 rear coilpacks.

its to each his own though. if the OP has no coilpack/misfire problems, then by all means, just do the spark plugs.

 

If this was only plug and play

 

I have the money to do so, and have no coilpack/misfire problems that I know of... so im on the fence with still change them?

its still something... that seems above and beyond preventative maintence to me...

 

Have you ever removed your IM?

 

See, now that's the real question, isn't it?

Everything is relative, nelledge. What's a big deal to one person is a walk in the park to another. Sometimes it's fine to understand how things work, but still pay for another person's expertise to implement it.

My philosophy with the Maxima is to do my own research (thanks to the Org), and then go to the mechanic. But I've got a fantastic, trusted mechanic, and I'm not a broke college student, so it's easier for me.

 

haha

 

QUIT THROWING BLOWS AT ME PUTO FACE

but yea, removing that IM...it took me for surprise when i did it on my moms I35...i thought it was pretty much a walk in the park like my DE-K, but it wasnt...so if i had to do it again, and it was my car..id push to get more coils

 

I find your response amusing, Rochester. I was going to add that it is relative, but I think I've been abusing that notion in these forums, lately. I totally agree. My point really was if you have done it, then you should be able to analyze your personal cost benefit. On the other hand, if you are doing this for the very first time and have some expendable income, you should definitely replace the rear coils as a preventative measure. You may find you don't want to spend time tearing skin off your knuckles in the future just because you know how.

 

Seems I struck a nerve with the broke college student comment.

You know, I don't even shovel my own driveway. Because I'll *never* do as good a job as the Plow Guy will, and I'll just end up hurting my back. And it's cold. Brrrr.

For some, your fat cat days are ahead of you.

 

and this is why you should take outa loan on getting coals as a preventative measure

 

that budlight is too old for my liking..get me a fresh bottle

 

The problem with "preventive maintenance" is where you draw the line.
Our starters and alternators have a history of failure, but I would not want to replace either until they failed. Same with sensors, both O2 and crank position, precats and PS pump.

Those things, along with coil packs are not supposed to fail, and aren't normally consider maintenance items. Unfortunately, with Nissan they seem to fail on such a regular basis that here on the org we view them as such.

It's one thing to put a flywheel in while you are doing the clutch, but in my mind replacing perfectly good coilpacks is throwing away perfectly good money.
Plus there is some time and additional back pain involved with removed and replacing coilpacks.

 

Oh, so Rochester is a "Fat Cat" now. Hmmm... Do we have to address you differently, or will Rochester still do?

 

If you're looking for class distinction, well... you're the one driving an Infiniti.

Heck, my lowly little Maxima doesn't even have a sunroof.

 

Nor does mine. Not looking for class distinction, just poking fun. I think we're a little older and more settled, comfortable in our ways.

 

They make them without sunroofs? Did you have to special order it?

 

I know. Right back at ya.

I thought all Infiniti's came with a sunroof. Didn't know that.

Not sure if this has changed since, but back in 2002, there was no such thing as "special order". Nissan made the cars in Japan in a variety of configurations, then shipped them to the states. The best you could do was put in a request for your particular car at one of the distribution centers where the cars were sent before getting divvied up to the dealerships.

In other words, there was no "order from the factory". What that really meant is you waited until your configuration showed up... or close enough. Now that I think about it, I believe the Maxima started getting manufactured in the states for the 2004 model, so maybe you can special order it now. IDK.

If I remember correctly, I waited for almost 2 months because I was insisting on a Sheer Silver SE 6MT with cloth and no sunroof. I don't like sunroofs. And I never liked leather... although that particular opinion has evolved in recent years. Still don't like sunroofs, though.