Q: Should I get a Nissan Factory Shop Manual? How do I get one?
A: I absolutely recommend a factory shop manual. It is the first thing I buy for any car. Even if you do not do your own maintenance, being able to look up the theory of operation and procedures gives you a lot of protection against unscrupulous mechanics. And when you see how simple many of the procedures are, you may decide to park under the old oak tree and give the D-I-Y route a shot! Remember, they don't go to Harvard to hire mechanics for your local dealer.
Where to get a manual? See your Nissan Dealer' parts desk (here's a couple of recommendations) or contact:
In the U.S.A. In Canada Dyment Distribution Services Nissan Canada, Inc. 20770 Westwood Road P.O. Box 1709, Station "B" Strongsville, Ohio 44136 Mississauga, Ontario L4Y 4H6 1-800-247-5321 with
Mastercard/Visa 1-800-387-0122
Q: How do I reprogram the Keyless Remote?
A: Here's the procedure from the 1995 Factory Shop Manual
Replacing Remote Controller or Multi-Remote Control Unit (LCU05)
Enter the identity (ID) code manually when:
ID Code Entry Procedure
To enter the ID code, follow this procedure.
(1) Close and lock all doors.
(2) Insert and remove the key from the ignition more than six times within 10 seconds. (The hazard warning lamp will then flash twice.) At this time, the original ID codes are eliminated.
(3) Turn ignition key to "ACC" position.
(4) Push lock button on the new remote controller once (for example, if door is locked using the remote controller during this ID code entry enable state, a new ID code can be entered). At this time, the new ID code is entered. (The hazard warning lamp will then flash twice.)
(5) If you need to activate additional remote controllers, unlock the driver's door, then lock again with door lock knob.
(6) Push lock button on the additional new remote controller once.
(7) This ID code entry enable state and setting mode remain until the driver's door is opened.
Any ID codes entered after termination of the "setting mode" will not be accepted. Additionally remote control signals will be inhibited when an ID code has not been entered during the "setting" mode.
Q: I have a 95+ Maxima and my "Check Engine" light just came on. How do I diagnose the problem without going to the dealer?
A: The FAQ has previously contained the instructions listed below. Now there is an on-line procedure illustrated with photos.
The ECU is to the right of the accelerator pedal. There's a black cover in front of it held there by two plastic rivets. Just pull the cover off (the rivets won't break... they'll just come loose. You will be able to reinstall it afterwards... well at least I was able to..).
Once you have access to the ECU, you will notice a screw on its side. Turn the key to the "ON" position but without the engine running. Your check engine light is now on.
Turn the screw all the way to the right.
Wait at least two seconds.
[This is the hard part] While stretching your head to see the check engine light, turn the screw all the way back to the left. The check engine light will start blinking.
There will be a series of L..O..N..G.. blinks and a series of short blinks. This pair of series will be repeated.
You must count the number of long blinks and the number of short blinks. This is your code. (Long blinks == left two digits of 4 digit code. short blinks == right two digits of 4 digit code).
[For example, my check engine light came on and I did this procedure. It repeats the following pattern: 7 long blinks and seven short blinks. Which means code 0707. Which translates to "Rear O2 Sensor" when looking it up in the service manual.]
So once you have your code, you can look up the problem in these listings (check both): [ Listing 1 ] [ Listing 2 ]
OR... use the on-line decoder provided at the same site as the photo-instructions above.
Q: I have a 95+ Maxima and my "Check Engine" light just came on. I've read the code and now want to reset the light. How can I do this? ?
A: Read the entry above for location of ECU. Click here for instructions to reset the check engine light.
Q:
My Maxima has an manual
transmission. The shifting seems very stiff, and/or shifting into 1st
gear is very difficult while the car is moving.
A: Many members of the Maxima Mailing List recommend Redline Synthetic MT-90. (If you live in a very cold area that never sees temperatures hotter than 86F (30C), you can consider going with Redline Synthetic MTL instead.) This makes shifting much smoother, and may extend the life of your transmission.
How to change your transaxle oil? Here's how Andi Baritchi does it
Of course, the easiest way is to take it to the "quick lube" closest to you and pay them $10 to do it. But after paying $45 for the 4.5 quarts that you will need, I bet you already feel like you've paid enough and want to do it yourself. Or you may not trust the local lube shop to do a good, complete jopb. So how do you do it?
First, I will define a reference direction for everything so you can know what I'm talking about. When I refer to the "right" and "left" directions, this means what YOU see when looking at the object I'm talking about -- not necessarily the "left" and "right" sides of the car.
The first step to changing the manual transmission oil is to jack up the front end of the car and reinforce the lift by adding a pair of jack stands.
NEVER GET UNDER THE CAR WITHOUT FIRST MOUNTING JACK STANDS.
Now get under the front end and look up. On your left side (with your feet sticking out in front of the car), you will see the transmisison. Now look at the farthest back part of the transmission and you'll see the shift linkage, which has a long black metal rod coming out of it and going up to your shifter lever. This bar has an "accordian-like" looking attachment to the transmission. Now look at the [absoulte] right face of the transmission, about six inches in front of the shift linkage you'll see a small bolt. This one's a sleeper -- it's the drain bolt for the whole tranny. For reference, this is the bolt that is somewhat covered by the OTHER long black metal bar coming from behind. (That's the "support rod" according to my 97 Nissan Maxima service manual).
So the first step is to get an oil collector pan under the car and open that drain bolt. It's not that long, so be careful when twisting it off. Once you've got all the oil drained out, close it back up. Remember, give it a long time to fully drain, as you want to get rid of as much of the mineral-based OEM oil as you possibly can. Once you've re-installed the drain bolt, you must relocate yourself to fill the tranny. Look at the [absolute] front face of the tranny and you'll notice a large threaded bolt about five inches from the right edge of this front face. This is the fill *and* check bolt. (The "check" function won't be utilized until after we lower the front end back to the ground). This bolt has a 1/2" square female connection, so to open it you must utilize a 1/2" square ratchet. Completely remove this bolt from the front side of the tranny. Then you must figure out how to get the Redline MT-90 into that hole. I think the bottles' nozzles are too short to do it directly... you'll probably have use some kind of pump.
Now, you may have reazlied that you have no way of knowing when the tranny is "full" because the car is tilted backwards and all the oil is going to the rear-end of the tranny. You are indeed correct. That's why you should SLIGHTLY OVERFILL the tranny while its' still raised. I think that 4.8 quarts would probably be a good amount to pour in at this time. Then get out from under the car and remove the jackstands. Then put a [SHALLOW] oil drain pan under the front side of the transmission and slowly lower the car on top of it. Since the hole in the front face of the tranny is designed to be exactly at the optimal level of the oil, all the overfilled oil will pour out through that hole, slide down the side of the tranny, and fall into the oil drain hole. When this is finished, raise the front end again and mount the jack stands. If no oil came out, put in some more MT-90 and repeat the last step. Then re-install the fill/check bolt in the front side of the tranny, and clean off the oil that came down the front face of the tranny.
Now remove the jack stands and lower the car. You're done. That wasn't so hard, was it?
Q: I have a 95+ Maxima and the idle is too low; at stoplights the steering wheel sometimes vibrates. Is there any way to raise the idle speed?
A: Yes! Andi used to suggest the idle speed adjustment procedure listed below. Since then he wrote:
I'm starting to think the whole "official" method of adjusting the idle that I described in the FAQ (copied from the service manual) is not that correct. Recently, I've found that just adjusting the screw while the engine is idling works well.So.. just make sure the engine is warm and idling at its regular idle (AC off, no load, around 550RPM most likely), and turn the screw on the TB counterclockwise until the idle is where you want it.
I'll post that recommendation to the FAQ, and I'll keep his original procedure as well.
Q: On my Maxima, the power windows are very slow going up. Is there any way to speed them up?
A: One suggestion I've seen on the Maxima mailing list is:
This is a common problem on a lot of Nissans. Simply lubricate the window channel and other areas around the channel where the window contacts with *dry* silicone lubricant. It is a spray lubricant that can be found at most hardware stores and home improvement centers. It may leave a whitish stain on black rubber parts--simply rub gently with a rag and it will dissapear. Don't use "wet" lubricants (i.e., WD40) because the petroleum carrier may damage the rubber gaskets/seals around the window. The dry lubricant dry in seconds and leaves a silcone residue that provides the lubrication.
While yet another opinion reads:
The product I used is made by Elmers/Borden, "Slide All - with Teflon", I bought mine at an Ace hardware store. I wanted to use this Teflon spray because over on the IZCC list there were people complaining about the silicone spray damaging their paint! It is a small white can with an orange top. Stock # E450. This stuff is great, I use it for lots of other OT items.
Q: I have a 97+ Maxima with the OEM foglights, but they're aimed too low. How do I re-aim them?
A: Next to each of your foglights there's a piece of black plastic held there by a plastic screw. Remove this and you'll see two 10mm hex bolts. Remove these and you can pull out the foglight. Don't forget to remove the wiring harness from the back of the foglight before completely yanking it from the bumper. You will notice an 8mm hex bolt on the back of the foglight. This is the aiming bolt. Make small moves. A 1/4 turn is a good first trial adjustment.
Q: I have a 3rd Generation Maxima with the VE30DE engine. I have noise from the valve train, especially when the engine is cold. What's going on?
A: You have a failure of the Valve Timing Control, or VTC system. Here is a copy of Mark Congdon's page I found on the 'net. And here is a second link from Matthew York, taken from the 3rd Generation Maxima page.
Here's a couple of Usenet posts I've collected about this issue (I don't know if the email addresses are real...)
Tom Waugh wrote:
"The noise is a lot like an old Chevy with bad hydraulic lifters. I have been told that if you don't fix it the entire VTC system can "blow up." They wanted close to $2,000 to fix my 92 with 73K miles on it, so I got rid of it. Also had a 93, which I also no longer own. Things to look for -- CV joint boots generally go bad around 60k or so. Instruments (speedometer) for around $350. When my handbrake need adjustment, dealer told me the only way to adjust was replace the cables at a horrendous price, master and clutch slave cylinders around 60k or at $400, clutches around 70k for $600.00 (my pressure plate failed), fuel injectors, and so forth. My experience is that both cars were expensive to keep running after 60k miles. But, others may have had a better experience than I with the cars. I liked them though. I would look at a more recent model, although the older Maxs had IRS. The best Datsun I ever had was a 75 280Z near 25 years ago."
The following reply came from aviatrman@aol.com:
"Got the dealer to fix my VTC sprockets on my 92 SE last spring, no cost 5 years out of warranty. Not the quick fix, he replaced the entire assemblies, not just the springs. A nice letter to Nissan and a good relationship with my dealer helped, I had just bought a 98 Pathfinder.
I rarely use the dealer and do 99% of all maintenance my self, some things are actually cheaper to have them do, in my exp, of course ymmv"
Andrew Chan - April 13, 1998 at 10:14:27:
I have a 1993 Black Emerald Maxima SE (5spd) with 77k miles on it. I purchased it this past February. I also had a '91 GXE about two years ago. The only other reason I had to go to the shop was to replace the starter. With '92's-'93's you have to worry about the VTC sprockets. The problem was fixed for '94. Anyways, I have the VTC problem, but I spoke to my mechanic as well as a Nissan mechanic and they both said that it doesn't cause any long term problems. It's just a little noisy from a cold start. Get one. Try and get a 5spd, too, cuz they're a blast to drive.
Q: I added an SE wing to my Maxima, but now the Center High Mounted Stop Light looks silly. Can I remove it and cover the hole, to make it look like an SE?
A: YES! There is a plate for covering the hole. When asked about this, Rodel Bautista provided the procedure and part number for the plate.
CHMSL Removal
I did the same thing to my '96 GXE. To remove the metal bracket, you are going to have to remove the rear parcel shelf. To do this just remove the back seat (two buttons on the bottom front of the lower cushion then some bolts to remove the seat back) then you can remove the shelf. The shelf is held in with some clips that just snap out. You should then be able to get to the bolts that hold the brake light bracket in place. Once removed, just put everything back in reverse order.
The part number for the blank plate to cover the hole is: 999M1-8J004. The description calls it a CHSML HOLE. This part number is for a grey plate if you have the charcoal grey interior. I picked it up at a local dealer for $29. Seems a litlle pricey but I was too lazy to fabricate something on my own.
Q: The door hinges on my 4th generation Maxima seem to bind and squeak. Is there a fix?
A: YES! Here's some information from George:
The "Link-Door Stopp", PN# 80430-51U01 is what needed to be replaced when my front doors started "binding". They also called it a door stay on the work order. Nissan calls the part a "countermeasure part". Replaced under warranty. The rear doors had the new type part already.
My car is an early '97 bought in '96. Maybe Nissan caught the problem in the later versions.