*NOOBIES* The "I am new here,but have a question" thread..(post your questions here)

[CapedCadaver]

Originally Posted by TXprinthead

I guess it would have to be a GXE then, the car was bought for $2k and has had $4k dumped into it just to keep it running . it's not nice like a lot of the Maximas you guys have. Either way it's the climate control unit and having heat/ac I am concerned about.

heh yea i know the climate control is the bigger issue. i was just tryin' to make sure you were asking the right group of people. what you're describing sounds like an electrical malfunction within the unit itself... like from bad solder joints or something. do you know how to check and repair bad solder joints? usually when things like that fail (like the clock, or the door lock timer) it's bad solders.

[TXprinthead]

I appreciate the help. I will pull it out again and take it apart to look. If it looks too bad I may just pick up a replacement rather than soldering (sp?) it myself. I really didn't want to buy a replacement to find it was not the issue. I'm going to go pull it and check.

[sleepyvg30e]

i have been seeing very irregular idle and im wondering if its not a larger problem on its way i recently drained the transmission fluid other than that i haven't worked on the drivetrain recently at all

the car when stopped or with transmission in park will jump rpm's from 6-700 up to 900-1000 instantly u can hear the difference in the engine even see a lil more exhaust come out

the car operates perfectly otherwise no throttle problems while driving or anything irregular like that only other thing that might be related is that i get a lil vibration between 75-90mph then it goes away

[CapedCadaver]

Originally Posted by sleepyvg30e

i have been seeing very irregular idle and im wondering if its not a larger problem on its way i recently drained the transmission fluid other than that i haven't worked on the drivetrain recently at all

the car when stopped or with transmission in park will jump rpm's from 6-700 up to 900-1000 instantly u can hear the difference in the engine even see a lil more exhaust come out

the car operates perfectly otherwise no throttle problems while driving or anything irregular like that only other thing that might be related is that i get a lil vibration between 75-90mph then it goes away

ibyouhaveavacleak, and maybe unbalanced wheels causing vibration on the highway

[sleepyvg30e]

Originally Posted by CapedCadaver

ibyouhaveavacleak, and maybe unbalanced wheels causing vibration on the highway

awesome finally i can add some color to the engine bay with some bright red vac hoses and your probably right about unbalanced wheels i know im due for alignment

[sleepyvg30e]

one more thing anyone know how to replace the window master switch my chiltons manual basically told me to **** off

[CapedCadaver]

Originally Posted by sleepyvg30e

one more thing anyone know how to replace the window master switch my chiltons manual basically told me to **** off

1: remove door panel
2: replace switch
3: reinstall door panel

there's a couple screws involved in there too. and the black gooey crap on the clear weathersheet. you might need to buy some extra black gooey crap. it was mentioned in greeny's taillight/OOOOOPS thread

[sleepyvg30e]

Originally Posted by CapedCadaver

1: remove door panel
2: replace switch
3: reinstall door panel

there's a couple screws involved in there too. and the black gooey crap on the clear weathersheet. you might need to buy some extra black gooey crap. it was mentioned in greeny's taillight/OOOOOPS thread

see i knew there was something like that why cant they just say "dont forget about the black gooey crap" in chiltons im sick of it im buyin fsm

[CapedCadaver]

Originally Posted by sleepyvg30e

see i knew there was something like that why cant they just say "dont forget about the black gooey crap" in chiltons im sick of it im buyin fsm

well the black gooey crap shouldn't be a big issue for you.. moreso when replacing the window regulator. but just in case your weathersheet is loose, you may wish to reseal it with new gooey crap.

[sleepyvg30e]

heres another one for ya the cigarette lighter which ive been using as a phone charger shorted out when i bought an actual cigarette lighter and it was the wrong size now the charger wont work and theres a lil burnt mark on the cigarette lighter but the adapter looks fine and still has its light glowing

what do i do rip out the whole dash and replace it?

[CapedCadaver]

Originally Posted by sleepyvg30e

heres another one for ya the cigarette lighter which ive been using as a phone charger shorted out when i bought an actual cigarette lighter and it was the wrong size now the charger wont work and theres a lil burnt mark on the cigarette lighter but the adapter looks fine and still has its light glowing

what do i do rip out the whole dash and replace it?

the light glowing? like on the adapter? hmm try another adapter (i'm sure a friend/relative has a car charger you can test) and see if it works. but first, shine a light into the cig lighter socket and see if anything in there looks melted. if it looks fine then i guess go ahead and try a different charger. if you want to take out the black panel and replace the socket, i have a spare you can buy. installation is not terribly hard.. just takes a little muscle to push it into place, iirc.

[gonzalez]

I just upgraded my wheels from stock to 96-98 Cobra rims sitting on 235/45/17 rubber. My steering feels wobbly, like it over compensates and tends to pull to one side either left or right when i brake hard most of the time. I got an alignment after installing the wheels and had the inner tie rod ends replaced. I was wondering what can i do to correct this problem?

[CapedCadaver]

Originally Posted by gonzalez

I just upgraded my wheels from stock to 96-98 Cobra rims sitting on 235/45/17 rubber. My steering feels wobbly, like it over compensates and tends to pull to one side either left or right when i brake hard most of the time. I got an alignment after installing the wheels and had the inner tie rod ends replaced. I was wondering what can i do to correct this problem?

well it's possible that something was keeping the car from aliging right and the alignment place just said "you're good to go" when it really wasn't. try taking it somewhere that will do a free alignment check and ask for a full readout of the results. it will either tell you if those items are in-spec, OR you will be able to compare it to the FSM yourself.

how evenly are the tires wearing?

[sleepyvg30e]

Originally Posted by gonzalez

I just upgraded my wheels from stock to 96-98 Cobra rims sitting on 235/45/17 rubber. My steering feels wobbly, like it over compensates and tends to pull to one side either left or right when i brake hard most of the time. I got an alignment after installing the wheels and had the inner tie rod ends replaced. I was wondering what can i do to correct this problem?

does this only happen when you break hard or does it pull while your driving as well if not it could be a defective brakes that would explain why the alignment didnt fix anything

[CapedCadaver]

Originally Posted by sleepyvg30e

does this only happen when you break hard or does it pull while your driving as well if not it could be a defective brakes that would explain why the alignment didnt fix anything

well.. my car does that too though. new inner and outer tierods, new balljoints, new control arm bushings, new calipers, new rotors, and lightly used brake pads. and i greased the living hell out of the slidepins and stuff. but it still sometimes pulls one side or the other. mainly it does it over bumps, or on banked surfaces (like pulls to the left in the left lane cuz it's angled that way for drainage). i have a slight feathered edge on the outsides of my tires

[sleepyvg30e]

Originally Posted by CapedCadaver

well.. my car does that too though. new inner and outer tierods, new balljoints, new control arm bushings, new calipers, new rotors, and lightly used brake pads. and i greased the living hell out of the slidepins and stuff. but it still sometimes pulls one side or the other. mainly it does it over bumps, or on banked surfaces (like pulls to the left in the left lane cuz it's angled that way for drainage). i have a slight feathered edge on the outsides of my tires

really? i never noticed anything like that on mine arent u still runing original cv shafts?

[CapedCadaver]

Originally Posted by sleepyvg30e

really? i never noticed anything like that on mine arent u still runing original cv shafts?

no i have switched to a VE5 tranny so i'm using Goon's old CV axles (among other things). "anything like that' being when my car pulls toward the left in the left lane (and sometimes in other lanes... but sometimes to the right)? well that's cuz something is not right with my car.

I'm thinking that SOMETHING in my alignment wouldn't align right no matter what they did... and they just didn't bother to tell me. Originally i assumed it was the caster from me forgetting a washer behind the control arm bushings.... but that didn't fix it so now i'm thinking they either messed up the toe, or that my camber is wrong. that's why i was sugesting him to get a readout (as i have been to lazy to do ) and compare it to the acceptable range in the FSM. my what i said about my car was to show that there is nothing wrong with my brakes because everything is new except the master cylinder and brake lines.

[gonzalez]

Originally Posted by sleepyvg30e

does this only happen when you break hard or does it pull while your driving as well if not it could be a defective brakes that would explain why the alignment didnt fix anything

It only happens when i break hard, the rear calipers are new.

[gonzalez]

Originally Posted by CapedCadaver

well it's possible that something was keeping the car from aliging right and the alignment place just said "you're good to go" when it really wasn't. try taking it somewhere that will do a free alignment check and ask for a full readout of the results. it will either tell you if those items are in-spec, OR you will be able to compare it to the FSM yourself.

how evenly are the tires wearing?

The tires look ok but i'll double check today.

[CapedCadaver]

Originally Posted by gonzalez

It only happens when i break hard, the rear calipers are new.

rear brakes don't do much. you definitely DO need rear brakes but they only do like 20-30% of the work when you're hard on the brakes. the front ones would be much more likely to pull the car to one side, if the brakes are the problem.

[internetautomar]

check your brake hoses. when they fail they can collapse preventing a caliper from releasing.

[thomas gowen]

i have 1994 nissan maxima fuel injector is bad each time i change it the o ring shreds is there a way to prevent this from happening

[sleepyvg30e]

Originally Posted by gonzalez

It only happens when i break hard, the rear calipers are new.

try installin stainless steel brake lines we have rubber ones that come stock theyre not only more expensive but are very easy to break and wear apart

[internetautomar]

Originally Posted by thomas gowen

i have 1994 nissan maxima fuel injector is bad each time i change it the o ring shreds is there a way to prevent this from happening

did you use oil / petroleum jelly on the o'rings to lube them up before you tried to install the injectors in the rail?

[sweet tea]

Very quick question here. I have a 1990 Maxima SE that's rarely let me down before. I've had it for two years now and it's got 161,000 miles, runs great. However, it's now sitting in the Wal-Mart parking lot refusing to start. When I turn the key, my interior and exterior lights will come on and I hear a clicking noise, but the engine refuses to turn over. A friend tells me I need to test the battery, and if it's good, then it's a starter issue. If the battery is bad, then it could be an alternator or battery issue. Now, I trust him, but just need to get the battery tested...I will take it into Wal-Mart and test it there, but first,
-how do I remove the battery?
I found this website ( http://www.ehow.com/how_2191602_remove-car-battery.html ) that looks fairly trustworthy but I can't figure out the Maxy's 'grounding system type.' I checked through the whole manual but can't seem to find any indicators.
Help a sister out?

[Greeny]

Originally Posted by sweet tea

Very quick question here. I have a 1990 Maxima SE that's rarely let me down before. I've had it for two years now and it's got 161,000 miles, runs great. However, it's now sitting in the Wal-Mart parking lot refusing to start. When I turn the key, my interior and exterior lights will come on and I hear a clicking noise, but the engine refuses to turn over. A friend tells me I need to test the battery, and if it's good, then it's a starter issue. If the battery is bad, then it could be an alternator or battery issue. Now, I trust him, but just need to get the battery tested...I will take it into Wal-Mart and test it there, but first,
-how do I remove the battery?
I found this website ( http://www.ehow.com/how_2191602_remove-car-battery.html ) that looks fairly trustworthy but I can't figure out the Maxy's 'grounding system type.' I checked through the whole manual but can't seem to find any indicators.
Help a sister out?

First of all, do you have a tool set?

[sweet tea]

Originally Posted by Greeny

First of all, do you have a tool set?

Check.

[300zmax]

Originally Posted by sweet tea

Very quick question here. I have a 1990 Maxima SE that's rarely let me down before. I've had it for two years now and it's got 161,000 miles, runs great. However, it's now sitting in the Wal-Mart parking lot refusing to start. When I turn the key, my interior and exterior lights will come on and I hear a clicking noise, but the engine refuses to turn over. A friend tells me I need to test the battery, and if it's good, then it's a starter issue. If the battery is bad, then it could be an alternator or battery issue. Now, I trust him, but just need to get the battery tested...I will take it into Wal-Mart and test it there, but first, [b]
-how do I remove the battery?

Ground is not an issue just follow the directions that site tells you, the driver side terminal is the ground (Negative) side and the passenger side of the battery is the possitive.. But before you go pulling stuff outlook it over very well. Check the terminals realy well. does the positive side look like it has snow on it and if so the problem is the connection to the battery (clean it jiggle the wire and try and start the car). if its ok, get someone to help you jump the car before you pull the battery out. get a cheap'o volt meter and place it on the terminals (red for positive : black for negative ::ground: while the car is running. if you get a reading of over 14 volts the alternator is good anything under 12volts and the alternator is bad. turn off your car and reconnect the jump wires on the battery for 5 or 10 minutes while their car is running. use the meter again and if you get over 12v on the battery it might still be saved.

good luck!

[Greeny]

Originally Posted by sweet tea

Check.

You will need just one tool, a 10mm wrench or a 10mm deep well socket..

[sleepyvg30e]

Originally Posted by sweet tea

I found this website ( http://www.ehow.com/how_2191602_remove-car-battery.html ) that looks fairly trustworthy but I can't figure out the Maxy's 'grounding system type.' I checked through the whole manual but can't seem to find any indicators.
Help a sister out?

theres no such thing as a "positive" grounding system anymore thats just there for antique cars every car manufacturer has used a negative ground system since the 1940's

[sweet tea]

Originally Posted by sleepyvg30e

theres no such thing as a "positive" grounding system anymore thats just there for antique cars every car manufacturer has used a negative ground system since the 1940's

Word, good to know. Thanks everyone for your help. I got the battery out & tested it, and of course it was dead. Purchased a new one and got it installed successfully...Car wouldn't start until I put it in neutral and tried, but it is running now. I appreciate it.

[chunkysause7]

Do we get discounts on Amsoil website?

Has anyone drained there 5 spd and put Amsoil Synthetic Manual Transmission Gear Lube 75W-90 API GL-4 (MTG)?

[thrillseeker]

i got a 92 maxima sohc with auto i was driving to salem it worked fine then on the way home it would not down shift nor did the overdrive or the performance or comfert switch work so i am thinking tranny controller any insight i am going to check the fluid levels now by the way it is snowing

[BenStoked]

Originally Posted by thrillseeker

i got a 92 maxima sohc with auto i was driving to salem it worked fine then on the way home it would not down shift nor did the overdrive or the performance or comfert switch work so i am thinking tranny controller any insight i am going to check the fluid levels now by the way it is snowing

SOHC? sounds like the tranny is starting to go into safe mode. my understanding (only this, because I have a manual transmission, and I don't pay too much attention to tranny problem threads) is this is because the auto is starting to die, or there is some sensor going bad. this is a frequent thing with the SOHC autos. a search should yield better answers than mine.

[thrillseeker]

fluid levels are fine smells fine it just seems like the electronics are not working hwere is the controller located ? i could swap it out i have searched

[thrillseeker]

also just went out there and turned it on the p on the power comfert switch flashed i think 4-5 times what does that mean?

[CapedCadaver]

Originally Posted by thrillseeker

also just went out there and turned it on the p on the power comfert switch flashed i think 4-5 times what does that mean?

http://boredmder.com/FSM/Nissan/Maxima/1994/at.pdf

go to page AT-45 and do that diagnostic procecure.

[Greeny]

Originally Posted by CapedCadaver

http://boredmder.com/FSM/Nissan/Maxima/1994/at.pdf

go to page AT-45 and do that diagnostic procecure.

or just refer to the stickies..

self diagnostics for automatic transmission

[thrillseeker]

ok i looked over the self diognostics but something that makes me think its the tcm is all forwaord gears can be selected and it will go forward reverse works it just wont downshift and the over drive or the power comfert switch will not work ..thi is the exact reasons i did not want a auto lol

[Greeny]

Originally Posted by thrillseeker

ok i looked over the self diognostics but something that makes me think its the tcm is all forwaord gears can be selected and it will go forward reverse works it just wont downshift and the over drive or the power comfert switch will not work ..thi is the exact reasons i did not want a auto lol

don't just "look it over" you need to actually do the diagnostic procedures..