Matic-D may not be a technical requirement but it is certainly and unquestionably the safest choice … if one cares what the FSM says, that is.
In having owned my 1999 since MAR of that year and in having personally completed the vast majority of services and repairs since the expiration of the manufacturer’s warranty, I feel comfortable in letting those interested know what I’ve found works. Nonetheless, if others hold differing perspectives, based on their notable experience and long-term trials and errors, with regard to a specific topic (this case being the 4th generation Nissan Maxima) those individuals should feel free to espouse those perspectives in an effort to contribute to assisting those who’ve asked for assistance.
PLEASE KEEP IN MIND THAT PICS SHOW WASHER FLUID RESERVOIR WAS TAKEN OUT. YOU DO NOT NEED TO TAKE IT OUT, BUT I LEARNED THAT AFTER I TOOK IT OUT & SINCE IT WAS MY FIRST TIME DOING IT
Instructions
1) Open plastic cover from underneath the car, like you would do to change the passenger side fog light.
2) Now check to see if you see wire circled in the photo. This wire is needed to make the sensor work.
3) Now test-fit the sensor tube with wire.
4) Ok now to make sure it works. You need another person to help you with this step. Connect sensor tube. Now find a water bottle and cut the top off like the above pic, & fill it with water. Now turn the car on & dip the sensor tube in a bottle full of water. Now have another person check to see if your washer fluid warning light comes on your dash.
5) Now that you checked that it works. Have a bucket underneath & unplug the tube shown in the photo to drain any washer fluid in there.
6) Now look closely at the bottom left of the reservoir & you should see a sketched circle where the sensor tube should be.
7) Now take a 1 inch or 1 1/4 inch wood boring bit (I think that’s what it’s called) & drill a hole where the sketched circle is on the reservoir. Should look like the photo below.
8) As you can see in the photo I didn’t have a perfect circle. Because I believe the 1inch bit was too small but I just went round & round to make the hole bigger. *Don’t make it too big & test fit tube if need to. Should be a TIGHT fit for the sensor tube.*
9) Once the hole is big enough. Put on rubber around hole that came with sensor tube.
10) Now insert the sensor tube. Should be a tight fit!
11) Now with some silicone put it around the edges of the tube you inserted. This is just for extra protection that it won’t leak.
12) Now get wire & plug it into sensor tube & your DONE!!!
**To be safe I didn’t re-fill my washer fluid reservoir for a couple of days. Just to make sure the silicone completely dried.**
