Community Member Credit: Frank / motorvate.ca

In the maintenance section of the owner’s manual it does not mention changing the power steering fluid. However, for many years I have always changed it every year. With the constant thermal cycling, and the stress of being pressurized to 1,266 psi, it must slowly break down. The following procedure cost less than $4.00, and takes 15 minutes.

Use a turkey baster to collect the old power steering fluid.

Transfer it to a container to be recycled. This process will need to be repeated a few times. You can remove most of power steering fluid from reservoir this way. A baffle at the bottom prevents us from removing it all.

If you want to empty the power steering reservoir, disconnect the hose with the arrow. The entire contents will empty out, but it is difficult to catch it in a container due to the A/C line. Reconnect the hose, and tighten the hose clamp.

Fill the reservoir to the COLD MAX line using Dexron II or Dexron III, depending on the year of the car.
Put the cap back on and you are done.

This simple procedure will change about half the power steering fluid, (More if you remove the hose at the bottom of the reservoir) and should ensure a long life for your power steering pump, and steering rack.

Community Member Credit: Frank / motorvate.ca

Sooner or later you will have to replace the clutch on your Maxima. Since I was removing my transmission to replace a bearing, I decided to change my clutch. It had 145,000* Km on it and it still worked well, but since I had the transmission out, I could not resist.

*The clutch was changed at 50,000 Km under warranty, for a noise.

First you must remove the transmission. Then you will see your clutch as above. (make sure to support the engine, as it only has only one engine mount holding it).

The old clutch has been removed, and the flywheel has been lightly hand sanded with 180 grit sandpaper to remove any foreign material that may be on the flywheel.

Close up of the old pressure plate where the throw out bearing pushed on the diaphragm. The groves are normal for the mileage on the clutch. Right:

The friction disk side of the clutch and the friction disk.. Notice the marks on the pressure plate. This is due to over heating from racing or even stop and go traffic. The friction disk only had .017″ before the rivets would gouge the flywheel.

The friction disk side of the new pressure plate.

The old throw out bearing (foreground) and the new throw out bearing. (background) Always replace the throw out bearing when the clutch is being replaced.

The new throw out bearing and clutch fork installed. Notice there is no machined area on the end of the input shaft, which usually fits into the Back of the crankshaft.

The bearing is known as the pilot bearing.

In the middle of the picture you can see the pilot bearing. In this application, the bearing is there, but it is not used! (look at the input shaft, there is no machined area at the beginning of the shaft)

Old clutch

New clutch

With clean hands, place the new friction disk on the pressure plate. Lift up to the flywheel, and tighten the clutch bolts finger tight. Insert the clutch alignment tool into the hole in the clutch (where the input shaft will go) until the tools stops firmly in the pilot bearing. Tighten the clutch bolts in a diagonal pattern to spec.

Summary

It is not difficult to remove and replace the clutch in the Maxima. I only need one special tool, a $17 clutch alignment tools. In the past on my 91 NX 2000, and my 83 VW GTi, I have used a broom handle cut down to measure about 8″ to align my clutch. This time I wanted the to use the right tool.

Right now, the typical cost to replace a clutch on a Maxima is about $600. (at least!)
My parts cost were: friction disk $120, pressure plate $170, and throw out bearing $48, from the local Nissan dealer. That totals $388 with tax (15% !)

If you do the quick math, I saved $212! That money will go to my cat back exhaust. Vrooom!

Community Member Credit: Frank / motorvate.ca

Problem:

When some mechanics put your Maxima on a hoist, sometimes the “lift arms” of the hoist bend the parking brake cable bracket. (item 1)

This causes the cable to pushed into the very front pivot point of the rear suspension (item 2)The result is a split parking brake cable (item 3), where salt and water can corrode the cable causing it to seize.

Solution:

Slightly bend the parking brake cable bracket (item1) away from the rear suspension pivot point.

Summary:

Simple fix. As you can see on mine it was too late, the cable has been cut, and dirt and debris have probably got in the cable.

Community Member Credit: Frank / motorvate.ca

Changing your coolant on a regular basis is very important to the longevity of your engine. With normal use, the corrosion inhibitors loose their effectiveness. Nissan recommends that AFTER the first 96,000 KM replace the coolant every 24 months, or 48,000 KM. The procedure that I am following is detailed in the Nissan Maxima’s Owners Manual, in the “Do it Yourself section.”

The engine must be COLD! Do not try this on a WARM or HOT engine. You may warp the block or the heads!

First we must open the valve in the heater core, to allow the coolant to drain out of it. There are two way to do this, depending on the type of climate control you have.

Manual Climate Control
Turn the ignition key to “ON” (one position before “START”), and put you heater control to the maximum hot position. Turn the ignition key back to “OFF”

Automatic Climate Control
If you have the Automatic Climate option (as shown below) you need to do the following to open the valve in heater core:

Turn the ignition switch from the “OFF” to the “ON” position

With in 5 seconds of being switched “ON” push the “OFF” button on the climate control for at least 5 seconds.

Press the “HOT” button 3 times

Press the “DEFROST” button 2 times. Code 43 will be displayed.

Wait 10 seconds before switching the ignition to “OFF”

I like to use a pan like the one shown to catch the coolant. You can use a pail, but then you may have to jack up the car in order to get the pail to fit under the car.

This is the PLASTIC drain plug that is in the bottom of the radiator. Use a large Phillips screw driver to remove it.

Coolant draining from the radiator into the container.

Remove the radiator cap.

Remove the clip on the radiator, and pull off the hose. This hose goes to the reservoir tank. Right:

Here is an inside view of my reservoir tank. It is very dirty, and needs removed to be cleaned. Once the hose is removed from the rad, the reservoir bottle can be pulled out of it’s bracket. Flush out the reservoir with a hose, and maybe a small brush to get it clean. Reinstall the coolant reservoir, hose and clamp.

INSET Photo: Cleaned reservoir bottle.

Front coolant plug. This is used to drain the coolant from the front bank of cylinders.

Rear coolant plug. This is used to drain the coolant from the front bank of cylinders. Your owners manual has a nice picture to show you their location.

These plugs are VERY difficult to access! If you remove the Y-pipe (factory or aftermarket) you will have more room. Remove the plugs, let the coolant drain. Use thread sealer on the threads, and tighten to 13-15 foot-lbs

-OR-

Don’t remove these plugs. At most the engine may contain about 2 liters of coolant. When I added coolant the rad took 5 liters (total engine engine/rad capacity is 7 liters, plus 2 liters for the reservoir). Most of the coolant is being changed (5 out of 7 liters), and from now on, I will change my coolant using this method every year.

What ever you decide to do, you should flush the rad with water. This will remove any sediment and the old coolant. To do this, simply put the water hose in the filler neck of the rad, let water flow thru the rad, and exit the bottom. Make sure that you capture all the coolant in a container, for recycling.

Install the rad drain plug. Make sure the rubber washer is in place. (indicated by arrow)

Check the rad cap for any tears in the rubber. Using a clean rag, wipe off any foreign matter on the rubber seal. Gently lift up the metal “hat” as shown by the arrow, and wipe off the “hat” and rubber under the “hat” This is the valve the allows coolant to enter the rad, from the reservoir bottle as the car cools.

Make life easy for yourself. Pre mix a 50/50 mixture of coolant and soft water. This will protect you from -37°C to 129°C.

Pour in the 50/50 mixture S-L-O-W-L-Y. This will allow time for air to escape.

Install the radiator cap.

Start the engine, and let the car warm up, until it reaches operating temperature.

Race the engine 2 or 3 times in neutral. Keep an eye on the coolant temperature, just incase the motor starts to overheat.

Let the engine completely cool down.

Top off the rad to the bottom of the hole for the reservoir hose.

Fill reservoir to the “H” mark with mixture of 50/50 coolant and soft water.

Check the rad drain plug for any signs of leaking

Recycle the old coolant

After a few days, with the engine cool, check for leaks, check the coolant level, and check the freezing / boiling point to ensure it meets your requirements. For most of Canada, a 50/50 mix should protect you. (down to –37°C)

Do not leave the old coolant in an uncovered container.

Animals like the smell and taste (very sweet) but it will KILL THEM.  Recycle it as soon as possible!

Community Member Credit: Frank / motorvate.ca

The knock sensor plays a very important role. It listens to the engine. When it hears engine knock it sends a signal to the ECU. (Engine Control Unit) The ECU normally will delay (or retard) the ignition advance. This stops the engine knock, and decreases engine power.

Engine knock can be caused by using lower octane gas than is recommended by the manufacturer, or by over advanced ignition timing. It can also be caused by a “hot spot” in the combustion chamber. During high engine load, some carbon that has accumulated in the combustion chamber can glow red. This can cause the air-fuel mixture to ignite prematurely. This is PRE-IGNITION, and it is the equivalent of taking a very large hammer and hitting the piston before it rises to the top. (TDC, top dead center) This sends a shock through the engine, and the knock sensor “hears” the knock, and tells the ECU.

For the past year, my ECU would have the code 34, knock sensor failure. I would reset the ECU, drive for 5 minutes and the code would return, BUT the check engine light (CEL) never came on. The car was running great, so I didn’t think it was in need of urgent repair, as I ALWAYS use Sunoco Ultra 94.

Early 4th generation Maxima owners were telling stories of amazing increases HP, as measured by the BUTT DYNO. (yes, it was SAE corrected) I wanted to see for myself.

Knock sensor location. It is not very easy to get at. I was able remove the knock sensor WITH OUT removing the ENTIRE intake manifold. My hands were cut up quite a bit, and it was painful, but I was done is 30 minutes. To remove, simply loosen and remove one bolt. Gently pull the knock sensor harness to remove it from the “V” of the engine.

Close up of the knock sensor.

Close up of the knock sensor. This is the bad one, with just over 235,000 Km on it.

Connect the new knock sensor to the knock sensor harness. This will prevent it slipping out of your bleeding hands, and fall to a spot that you can not reach. The red connector at the knock sensor only has ONE wire, however on the other side of the knock sensor harness there are 2 wires. Everything is fine, the sensor has a braided wire shield that is grounded. If the knock sensor falls to the floor, it can be easily damaged. BE VERY CAREFUL WHEN HANDLING THE KNOCK SENSOR.

Tighten the knock sensor bolt by hand, until the it is snug. I had just enough room to get a wrench on the bolt and tighten it. If you over tighten, the knock sensor will be VERY sensitive, and if you under tighten the knock sensor will not se sensitive enough. The factory spec is 15-20 foot-lbs.

The knock sensor is grounded by these two 10 mm bolts. Remove them, lightly sand the connector on the wires and the flat area on the intake manifold, then tighten the two bolts. This will remove any corrosion.

Any Difference?

After a few days of driving, the car pulled a quite a bit harder. It now has more power in the lower RPM range (<3,000) Is this possible?

Yes. When the ECU is first powered on, it tests all sensors. When the knock sensor would fail, then it uses a “safe table” which retards the ignition advance slightly. This prevents the engine from knocking, as the “safe table” has values for low octane gas.

When the ECU started up, and saw a good knock sensor, it took time to optimize the ignition advance. The ignition timing advances very slowly waiting for some slight knock. This is how the ECU figures out the octane you are running. HOWEVER, if knock is detected, the timing is retarded VERY, VERY fast. This reduces the incredible stress of knock on your engine. This process repeats over and over.

Summary

If you have a trouble code 34, and your car is 4-5 years old, replace the knock sensor. Don’t forget to clean the ground connection of any corrosion.

Community Member Credit: Frank / motorvate.ca

A common problem on the fourth generation (1995-1999) Maxima is a leaking oil pressure switch. Mine has had a slight leak for the last 3 years. The leak was so small that it would never drip, the oil would just “sweat” around the switch. I kept an eye on it at every oil change, or anytime I am under the car to make sure it was not leaking more.

When I was under the car to change my alternator, I noticed that the underside of the car by the oil pressure was slightly wet with oil. It is now time to replace it, before it gets any worse. I went to Car Quest and paid just over $20 for it. (I later found out that it is $12 at Canadian Tire)

It is very easy to install. It is better to replace it when you have removed the oil from the car. (like during an oil change) Otherwise, you need to be quick to remove the old switch, and install the new one to reduce the amount of oil that you loose. (It pours out quite quickly!)

The new oil pressure switch.

The old switch before it was replaced (yellow circle). Notice the oil on the lower control arm. (yellow arrow)

Remove the rubber boot, and gently pull on the connector to remove the wire.

Switch with boot, and connector removed. Notice the oil drip on the bottom of the switch. (yellow arrow)

You will need some thread seal tape, to ensure the new switch does not leak.

Simply wrap it around the threads in the direction OPPOSITE direction of the threads. This will keep the tape from trying to “bunch up” as you tighten it.

Here is the new switch. I used a channel lock to carefully tighten it. You can purchase a special socket for $6 (US) at AutoZone, When I replaced my switch, I did not drain the oil. (it was 3 days oil) With the engine full of oil, you must be quick to remove and replace the switch as the oil pours out quite quickly.

Attach the electrical connector, and push on the rubber boot.

The finished job.

As you can see, this is a simple job. It should not take more than 30 minutes. I would recommend replacing the switch as soon as it leaks, because if it it leaking a little, it could easily leak a lot. In a worst case situation, your could loose all your oil and seize your motor for a $20 part. The $20 is money well spent. (In the US the cost is about $8)