Jellyfishian

Hey guys, I'm at around 93k and I am going to be doing some maintenance stuff this weekend. I have already bought the plugs and fuel filter from nissan for $93 . I am also going to be replacing my PS fluid (the turkey baster method in the stickies) using ATF Dex II fluid (I have a 96), Air filter, and clean the IAC Valve (hope it fixes my shaky idle). So is there anything else I need to replace? I'm assuming the previous owners just changed the oil . I replaced the radiator a few months ago so I flushed the coolant a the same time with Honda Blue, making it relatively new. My auto tranny is acting up a little so I am not going to touch its fluid, I'm just going to pray that it lasts 3 more years until I'm done with school . I just had my oil changed last week at wal-mart, but dont worry I didnt let them put "Super Tech" oil in my car haha.. So anything I missed?
Thanks
Ian

abomb1987

iTrader: (6)

you pretty much got it, maybe check you air pressure in all tires

ImmaSquashYou

iTrader: (7)

while ur changing ur tranny fluid, change the tranny filter too..its like $25...just a pain cause the tranny pan has a lot of bolts. But if you have air tools, its a cake, just don't use the airtool to tighten all the bolts. I did n broke 2 of them..heh...but no big deal cause i have about 20 more on that pan

gen4maxima536

iTrader: (14)

inspect your accessory belts, clean throttle body, air filter (if stock), you could seafoam, but usually you want to change your oil after that, since you just did that probably want to wait.

andrei3333

replace the pcv valve, rotate tires if necessary, any codes? fix if yes, put a bottle of STP fuel injector cleaner into the tank, inspect breaks and suspension.

PS: wal-mart uses penzzoil of different kinds here where i live, its not bad

2da mizzax

iTrader: (4)

I'll give you some adivce. Motorvates methods suck. They are half-**** and here is something that happened this weekend. I was doing one of these jobs for someone. When I took off the TB (unlike Motorvates method) there was a huge piece of rubber sealant in one of the coolant hoses on the bottom of the TB. No flush would have gotten that out and no one would have known it was there. That restriction would have also caused a higher Idle and possible caused more $$$$ in unneeded repairs. Do the PS the proper way. It is a little more annoying since getting that hose off is a little tough, but at least you get it all out. make sure you use new gaskets. And wy $93? isnt Pinnacle in AZ?

willard00

iTrader: (1)

$93 for plugs and fuel filter?? yikes....

but yea you should replace the pcv valve too...its supposed to be changed every 30K and noone i know ever does it. its $5 at autozone and is relatively easy. just be careful with the rubber grommet. cause if its broken and part of it falls into your crankcase youll be taking that engine apart to get it out.

as for the tranny, take it from me man, GET IT CHECKED OUT! i got my car and the tranny was acting up...i just blew it off and didnt do anything at all about it...finally it went and i only had 1st gear. $2000 later it was fixed. they told me if i braught it in right away it woulda been cheaper. or if you dont wanna do that, consider a full fluid flush. but know that there is a chance it might get cause problems. my roomate did a full tranny fluid flush yesterday in class and he said his car is shifting sooo much smoother. and his old fluid was blacker than night. also if you just leave black dirty nasty fluid in there i can almost garuntee it will turn to a varnish-like liquid and your tranny will go KABOOM! (cause thats what happened to me. i didnt change the fluid, it turned to this sticky varnish fluid and the tranny got F-ed hardcore) so youre going to want to do one of those two things. dont just leave it alone.

sky jumper

I've serviced transmissions on AZ cars before. the heat there just kills ATF. I would start with a simple drain & fill and see what happens. if it drives the same or better after 100 miles do another drain/fill. and so on until you've done 4 or 5. in your case I would not do any kind of flush - it may cause more problems - better to take things slow & easy. also, don't bother with the filter screen - it does not need to be replaced. It would be a good idea to drop the pan and clean the magnets, though -- but I'd do that after at least 4 drain/fills (otherwise they will just crud up again).

willard00

iTrader: (1)

alright go with what he said^^^

haha

MuNcH357

Don't forget about your fuel filter

willard00

iTrader: (1)

he said he got a fuel filter.

Jellyfishian

Alright thanks everyone, I will think about the tranny since everyone is telling me to do something about it. Although there is an I30 Tranny with less than 60k for $315 not to far from me! anyway about the pcv valve I searched for it and it looks like its right next to the rear driverside coil pack, can anyone tell me if I'm right? Also whats the benefit of replacing it and any reason no to get it at Autozone or Napa?

So whats the deal with Pinnacle Nissan? Its kind of close, do they give discounts?

sky jumper

the PCV valve only needs to be replaced if it's clogged. it is not a normal maintenance item. there's a little check valve in there that lets crankcase gasses pass through, but does not let intake gasses to flow in reverse. if the valve clogs combustion gasses get trapped in your crank case -- this beats up your oil and may turn it to sludge if left too long. you test the PCV valve by taking it out and a) shaking it so as to hear the valve rattle, and b) blowing through it in both directions. you can also clean it if it's clogged. or replace it if you wish since it's cheap.

Pinnacle does sell discounted OEM parts and they are in Phoenix. If you haven't put your plugs and fuel filter on yet I'd suggest returning them to your dealer. then go get NGK G-power platinum plugs ($18 for a set of 6) and an OEM fuel filter ($10) and PCV valve ($8) from pinnacle. total = $36, and the G-powers will last almost as long as OEM laser plats, and perform just as well.

EDIT: to avoid confusion, you cannot get G-power plugs at the dealer. you have to get them from Autozone or checker, etc. you can look up the part number on NGK's website.

willard00

iTrader: (1)

thats not true. its supposed to be replaced every 30k.

and as long as you get the right one, theres no reason not to get it at autozone. getting the wrong one would be bad though because the little valve/spring inside is calibrated for your specific car.

EDIT: as for the location....ill go take a pic now...one sec

Pic:


its in the end of that hose. but like i said, just be careful because if the grommets broken and falls in the crankcase its not going to be fun.

sky jumper

who told you that? according to nissan it never needs replacing. and in any case, if you understand how it works there is no need to replace it unless it's clogged - it doesn't "wear out".

willard00

iTrader: (1)

my teacher. and my book. of course, replacing it every 30K is by the book...and in reality noone really changes it that often. but its always a good idea. when i replaced mine it was all oily and gunked up but i didnt notice any driveability problems before hand. i was just saying, by the book its 30K miles. and if you want to do a tune up and make your car run as best as possible (which was the point of this thread), it costs less than $5...so why not? and i never said it would 'wear out'.....

Jellyfishian

Thanks man!!! Alright well I have another question, I was just a checker/kragin and I was looking for ATF Dexron II fluid for my Power steering, but they only sold Dexron III who sells the other stuff? Thanks Sky Jumper, but I have everything except the ATF fluid and I want to stick with OEM plugs this time. The money I would save returning the fuel filter and getting one at Pinnacle would be equaled out in the gas it takes to get there and back, its like 20 miles. Thanks for the heads up tho!!

willard00

iTrader: (1)

no problem man. not sure about the fluid though, never replaced it before.

sky jumper

well that explains a lot. I mean no disrespect to you or your teacher, but there is a world of difference between the classroom and the real world. I suppose if I were teaching a class and the textbook said "PCV every 30k" I'd probably just go with that to keep things simple. (btw, did it specify a make/model or was that just a blanket statement for all vehicles?)

as for the real world, in my 20+ years of auto repair & maintenance I've never seen a bad PCV valve. I think I cleaned one once. my '99 has 92k on the original PCV, and it is in perfect shape, as it should be if the engine is running healthy and the oil is changed often.

yes, it is only ~$5, so why the heck not? no arguments there.

btw - that pic in my sig is recent. I am much older than I look, and I still pole vault.

EDIT: here's what Nissan considers to be "by the book"...

sky jumper

DexIII is the correct fluid. it is backward compatible with DexII applications. DexII was discontinued and is no longer available.

9378max

iTrader: (1)

speaking of maintenance, any tips on replacing the pcv valve? I read haynes and it simply says to yank the rubber tube out, but the rubber tube was rock hard and the pcv valve only got halfway out. So, any good tips?

Jellyfishian

Alright good to know! At least I know we have Dexron III in our garage so at least I can save some money!

willard00

iTrader: (1)

yea, they have to teach by the book. i mean, he will always explain to us what the book says and then say "but in the real world...." so he gives us both sides of it. and no, the book is just in general and gives you it as a rule of thumb.

andrei3333

to remove the PCV valve; take out the two screws on the pulley right above the hose that connects to it, it will make a huge difference and give u the space u need

undo the hose that connects to it, the pcv is right below it (inside it) use some needle nose pliers to yank out the old one, then put the new one in the same way, its REALL easy

andrei3333

here are some of the pics i dug up off my HDD that i took when i replaced my PCV valve (at aproximaly 207.000 KM on the car )





You could see the gunky difference.
the metal hose that connects to the ruber hose that connects to the actual PCV valve how can i clean that ? it looks nasty inside

Graem

iTrader: (2)

as far as maintenace goes, flushing your break fluid is never a bad idea, gives you better brake feel and gets the water and air out of the lines...

sky jumper

hey pretty good post, newbie.

IMO, brake fluid should be flushed every 3 years regardless of mileage. Fluid analysis guys will tell you that it absorbs water at rate of 3-5% per year. that moisture will corrode your brake system, leading to costly repairs.

hey willard, this is another example of something Nissan makes no mention of, but in this case I definitely believe they missed the mark. flush the system every 3 years and your calipers will never seize.

andrei3333

whats more important coolant flush , or brake fluid flush ?

thinking of getting that done at the dealer this spring or early summer, car has 210.000 KM

strangely both bottles in the engine bay are lower than the max limit, by about 2 centimeters

Ps what do u think f the PCV valve pics that i pulled out of my car ^^^^^^

9378max

iTrader: (1)

do both the the coolant and brake fluid flush yourself and save some money. Did you buy a OEM PCV valve, if so, how much?

andrei3333

OEM from the ALTA nissan dealer of richmond hill, ontario. cost me $18.80 CAN tax IN (14%)

yeah i know its expensive but it fit perfectly and will last another 200.000KM i like to buy OEM dealer parts only. because its made by the people who built the car and will always fit exactly how its supposed to be and last a very long time because its made in japan

sky jumper

if both coolant and brake fluid are due for a flush, and you have to choose 1, do the coolant. a plugged up cooling system and heater core is much worse than stuck calipers. but brake fluid is cheap, so no reason not to do that too.

your PCV doesn't appear to be clogged, but it is gunked up pretty good. if it were mine i'd just clean it with some carb cleaner, check to make sure it flows, and put it back in. but I'm a cheap SOB. how does the inside of your valve covers look? (through the oil filler hole?).

Jellyfishian

Thanks man, I just did a major brake job a few months ago, and most if not all of the old fluid was bled out of the system.

I think I got it all guys!
Thanks

L0R1DA

PCV is very important, dont trust an aftermarket company, shelling out the $15 at the stealership is your best bet.

Coolant flush is an extremely easy thing to do with an ordinary garden hose and some containers to hold the old scaley coolant. Just drain out all your coolant by disconnecting the lower coolant hose first when the engine is cold (and dispose of it in the appropriate manner please; we all have to live here) and then put the garden hose on in the disconnected hose leading from the engine block to the radiator, do this til the water coming out of the radiator is relatively clean. Then disconnect the upper coolant hose (both hoses should be disconnected) and put the garden hose on in the upper coolant hose so that you effectively flush all the coolant passages in both directions. You can repeat this process as many times as you like to flush the coolant system. Let it drip dry a few minutes... once you are satisfied, then secure the hoses back (or install your new ones) and pour the recommended amount of 50/50 premixed ethylene glycol base coolant back into the radiator, I believe our cars take about 9-9.5 quarts. A brake flush is something you'd ideally only do if you had access to a shop with tools, or a friend with a lift. But Skyjumper is right on the money. Brake fluid is hygroscopic meaning it absorbs moisture (corrosive to metal) very easily, and therefore becomes a concern when you neglect to maintain it for an extended amount of time. I have heard of people doing flushes after 100k miles and having all sorts of parts fail on them. Its just like the saying about old automatic trans flushes. An immediate concern would be a fluid leak or air bubble(s) in the hydraulic system. You can always take it to the dealership and have them guarantee the work.

Also you might benefit from a new Knock Sensor, you can get an OEM one online for $60-80.

ALSO--- your suspension. You might want to look into doing your outer tie rod ends, ball joints, getting new shocks/springs, steering rack boots if necessary, or an axle if any of your CV joints are leaking grease. Then align it back up and rest assured. Good luck!

buzpuck11

iTrader: (3)

I would recommend distilled water for the radiator flush and not the garden hose.

Jellyfishian

That is for sure here in Phoenix, our water is nasty! Its so hard, and all that crap would be in my cooling system... yuuuk

andrei3333

Thanks, I'm glad you're not pointing a flame thrower at my face like some people tend to do here when they hear a person has gone to the dealer and bought a part and paid a premium price for it.

As far as i know the purpose of the PCV valve in our cars is to recirculate unburnt gases back into the combustion chamber, is this correct ?
That means an improperly functioning PCV will cause the car to use more gas?

sky jumper

you may be thinking of the EGR, although the concept is similar. EGR recirculates gasses from the exhaust flow. the PCV ventilates the crankcase to relieve combustion gasses that blowby the piston rings. those blowby gasses will be a mixture of normal combustion byproducts and unburnt fuel vapor, same as with the EGR.

the key difference is that the PCV system affects more than just emissions. if blowby gasses remain trapped in the crankcase they cause the oil to degrade rapidly, severely limiting oil life and possibly causing sludge. furthermore, if the PCV is clogged some blowby will be forced out the fresh air inlet, making a mess of your throttle body. so if you have a gunked up PCV, chances are your TB needs some attention, and the fresh air inlet hose is gunked up too.

I don't know how the PCV would affect fuel economy. I don't think recirculated raw gas is the issue though. the car will not run properly with a clogged PCV, and that's where fuel economy might suffer. but in any case there are other more important reasons to keep the PCV system in working order besides fuel economy.

Jellyfishian

Well I finished everything up saturday morning, and have put about 300 miles on my car since. But my idle still seems a little rough at red lights, I have cleaned the TB and IACV. So anyone have any other ideas? (my idle is at 700RPM A/C and 650 with no A/C) But the car runs much smoother...

andrei3333

what should a proper 4th gen idle be ?

natty99

iTrader: (6)

Vacuum leak could be causing your rough idle. make sure everything is tightened down and that hoses are securely fastened

650rpm idle (unloaded) is fine