The 7thgen Maxima has a very large MAF pipe diameter which is ALMOST as big as the Land Rover. Nissan knew the HR heads flow a lot more air so they adjusted the intake accordingly. Also, the 2009 Maxima comes with 75mm throttle body.
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2002 Maxima – 2.74”
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2003 350z – 2.83”
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2009 Maxima – 3.18”
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Land Rover – 3.23”
Credit: DaveT via stanceiseverything
I received an email from reader Christian the other day asking if I could do a Theme Tuesday post on Nissan Maximas a car which oddly enough I have yet to do. I say oddly because my dad had a 97 model that I often used as a parts runner for my e30 so I have a lot of exposure to the car.
For the big automatic sedan that it was the car could move pretty well and its size made it pretty great for picking up anything that I might need. With such fond memories of that car it’s a shame it took me this long to dedicate a Tuesday to them.
Manuals don’t have a electronic mount. In an automatic, at idle there is additional vibrations where a manual Maxima (which would be in neutral) would otherwise not experience. Therefore, as mentioned, the electric mounts soften at idle and the actuator will then add pressure to the inner rubber once the throttle increases.
The engine mount (electronic one) is controlled by the ECM. The ECM controls the engine mount operation corresponding to the engine speed and the vehicle speed. The control system has a 2-step control (hard/soft). The motor mounts are supposed to harden up when the RPM’s of the motor goes over about 1000 RPM. When it drops below that, they loosen up. At idle with vehicle stopped the mount is soft and when driving the mount is hard.
Most people disconnect them and cut the wire to avoid ECU shortage. It’s been common in some 5thgens and 6thgens. It will not cause a Check Engine Light (CEL) by disconnecting.
Additional Notes:
- The vibration is not even noticeable. I have had mine unplugged for ~6 months and there is no discernable difference at idle or speed.
- There is no reason to disconnect them before they fail. It is pretty easy to tell when they do go bad (buzzing/whirring sound after you turn off the car) and even if you don’t fix it right away nothing bad happens. Mine buzzed for ~2 months before I decided to unplug them.
- As it turns out, the mount is not really an electric mount, it is a hydraulic device. It uses electricity to run a small electric motor that pumps oil in and out of a rubber bladder. Built into the little motor are contacts that are supposed to shut off the motor after it has rotated some certain number of times. As too many members have found out, this design fails and “poof” goes your ECU.
- I ran my 99 i30 with the electric mount unplugged. I read where 5th gens can short out and knock out the ECU. Though I don’t think 4th gens have the problem. Anyway, replacing an ECU on a 99 model can be an expensive ordeal, so I didn’t want to take any chances with the mount’s electric motor causing a short.
- Mine have been unplugged and replaced with ES motor mounts for well over 3 years…..
Credit: Eddy
OEM Part Number: 21430-7999C
Price: $12-$15.00
While the radiator cap is just a tiny component of your vehicle’s cooling system it plays a critical role in helping the engine keep its cool. If you’re wondering whether a bad radiator cap can cause overheating, the answer is a definite yes.
Air pockets in the cooling system from an ineffective seal (such as one in a bad radiator cap) or a lack of sufficient pressure can cause the engine to overheat. The latter lowers the boiling point of coolant which makes it unable to absorb enough heat from the engine. If you see the temperature gauge on the dashboard rise, it’s wise to stop driving as soon as it’s safe to do so and wait for the engine to cool before continuing (or call a tow truck).
If you notice an unexplained coolant from your vehicle’s cooling system or you find your vehicle’s engine is running a little hotter than usual, there could be a problem with the radiator cap.
Please note: Since the cooling system is hot and under pressure when the vehicle has been running, it is very important that you never open the radiator cap until the vehicle has cooled completely. If you attempt to remove the radiator cap while the engine is warm, the coolant (likely as hot as boiling water) would shoot out and could seriously injure you; third-degree burns are a very real possibility.
Additional Info
Credit: ChrisMan287
Big thanks to JtzMax for helping me out on this. It should be beneficial to others who either have a quad retro or just want the low beams to stay on when they flash their highs with their non-retro’d R34’s.
I know most would prefer it that when you hit the highs, the lows stay on but with our 9004 headlight system, it’s not really an option. Usually it’s either one or the other but with diodes, the job can be accomplished.
Disclaimer:
This modification to your headlights is done at your own risk and can only be done with a R34 set up (as far as I know). I will not be held responsible for any damage that may occur.
The diode that you will need is a 1N4007 diode (1 amp, 1000 volts). From there it’s pretty simple. If you have a quad retro with a relay wiring harness, bridge one diode over the high and low terminals on the driver side harness that is used. If you don’t have a retro, bridge one diode over the high and low terminals on each original harness. You can also solder the diode(s) into the original wiring if you’d like but I didn’t go that route.
IMPORTANT: For either set up, the side of the diode(s) that has the silver stripe goes on the low beam terminal while the other side goes on the high beam terminal.
Now you’re done! Just test your lights to make sure they work properly. If the diode didn’t work, you might have installed it backwards (silver stripe on the high beam terminal instead of the low beam terminal), shorting out the diode and you’ll need a new one. You also might not have inserted it correctly so check that as well.
I really love this quick fix for R34’s (retro’d or not). They now look and perform better than before. Personally, I hooked up the wires from the high beam solenoids in my FX35’s to the J30 high beam bulbs so that when I hit the highs, those bulbs turn on and the cutoff shield in the FX35’s flip down but now my low beams stay on as well so these high beams are serious.
Headlight Setup:
- Headlights: 1pc R34 chrome housings. Custom harness with diode.
Low beam: Infiniti FX35’s with FX-R clear lenses, FX shrouds, DDM 55W ballasts and Morimoto 55W 5000K bulbs.
High beam: Infiniti J30 9005 halogen projectors with Lexus capsules and 100W yellow 9005 halogen bulbs. - Fog lights: ’95-’96 fogs, blacked out and independently rewired.
Low beam: Lexus ES300 projectors with 35W 3000K H3C HID kit.
*The only minor negative to this is that when the lows are off and you hit the highs, the lows will turn on along with the highs but it’s not a big deal.*
Enjoy!
Community Member Credit: Eddy
Nissan and Infiniti engineered their cars to be able to detect and sense when the vehicle is either in PARK or NEUTRAL. This is very important when installing a remote start system in your manual transmission Nissan Maxima or Infiniti to avoid the vehicle staring in gear (and causing an unwanted accident). Many folks (even longtime professional installers) do not know about this and therefore do not install remote start systems on manual cars. This is actually very straight-forward to do.
Please note that the below is for the part where you tap into the Neutral Safety Input on your Remote start unit. You still have to follow the normal directions of installing the alarm or remote start unit.
When the car is in Park or Neutral, the ECU will see 0-volts. If not at 0, the car will not start. You can easily test this with a multi-meter to confirm as we did. The ECU gets its signal from the Park Neutral Safety switch. It also goes by the name Neutral Safety Switch or Inhibitor switch (they essentially work the same).
The Neutral Safety Switch Wire is usually GREEN/ORANGE on Automatic cars, and GREEN/WHITE on 5/6-Speed Manual cars. You just basically tap into this wire and use it to connect to the Neutral Safety Switch Input on your remote start. Most DEI, Viper, Compustar Remote Start and Alarm systems have this. Once this is done, you will now be able to operate your remote start no different than how it’s down on Automatic Transmission cars. It’s very safe and reliable as the signal is coming from the ECU.
It is strongly recommended that you have experience or work with a professional alarm/remote start installer. Please be very cautious and always verify with a multi-meter when in doubt. If you are doubtful and want to test in gear, put in the last (6th) gear and make sure there are no cars around you. Keep your e-Brake on as well through the whole process.
Pin Output References:
- 4thgen: ECU PIN 22
- 5thgen: ECU PIN 44
- 6thgen: ECM PIN 102
- Altima SE-R: ECM PIN 102
- Infiniti G35: ECM PIN 102
- Will add others as I get them.
1995-1999 4thgen ECU Pinout
NSS Wire – Neutral Safety Switch – Green w/ White Strip – ECM PIN 22
2000-2003 5thgen ECU Pinout
NSS Wire – Neutral Safety Switch – Green w/ White Strip – ECM PIN 44
2004-2006 6thgen ECU Pinout
NSS Wire – Neutral Safety Switch – Green w/ White Strip – ECM PIN 102
2005-2006 Altima SE-R ECU Pinout
NSS Wire – Neutral Safety Switch – Green w/ White Strip – ECM PIN 102 (Same as 6thgen Maxima)
Demo of How it Works
1998 Nissan Maxima
Credit: Voltaire Duran Cacal
If you ever need to dissolve and remove ferrous oxides from wheels and painted surfaces, I highly recommend Optimum FerreX. When I worked at my dad‘s shop, we used some heavy-duty commercial grade stuff. But this works great.
