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my5thgen 00-03

350z Seats Installed into 5thgen Nissan Maxima – Reference Information

The track width between the 350z and Maxima was the exact same and was key to making this swap work. Also viable, using a seat from a B15 Sentra (00-06) – as these are a direct swap with 5/5.5 Max seats. Also, this guide is only if you have 2 manual front seat rails. All stock Maxima ’02/03 driver seats are power only but some ’00/01 Maxima driver seats are manual…I harvested a manual driver seat from a junkyard ’02 Sentra for the rail.

I studied the tracks for a while to see viable options and this resulted in my final procedure. By changing out the seat brackets my way, I lost about half an inch in sliding backward…not an issue for me and I’m 6’…but I also gained full functionality of the 350z seats. I also chose to go with the manual versions, so if you’re in there looking for wiring help – sorry but no, lighter is better for me.

The main tools you will need:

  • Socket Wrench
  • 10, 12 & 14mm sockets…I believe
  • GOOD drill
  • GOOD drill bits
  • (…and a creative way to cut a bracket. I used a grinder since I had one available.)

Start with the Z seats since they’re most likely not in the car when you’re starting. The process below is the same with the Z and Maxima seats EXCEPT the Z seats have a bracket alongside the inner edge that needs to be cut off. As seen here:

You’ll want to remove the seat cushions and back to make it easier…and to keep the fabric from getting possibly messed up. There are 4 bolts on the seat bottoms near the corners that need to be removed. The seatback has 2 bolts on either side that need to be removed. Once those are out the back comes off easily.

Now, the seats roll on a couple of rolling brackets, one in the front and one halfway down. The object of the drilling is to remove any kind of resistance the factory created in the rails to prevent the seats from rolling too far forward/backward.

There is a single aluminum welded bolt that can be drilled through on both rails in the front. These are present on the Maxima and the Z seats.

Once that is out of the way, you’ll see some ‘dimples’ in the rails. I believe my other set of rails had 6 total but these Maxima rails show 4 total. Drill those out.

Again, the main objective is to remove anything that will keep the rolling brackets from rolling too far forward. Once you have the front welded bolt and dimples out, you may notice it takes a little bit of force to get the rails to slide the rest of the way off. I found that the dimples actually still had a little bit of a ‘bump’ that needed to be removed.

The Z bracket on the side will still need to be removed before you can get to the dimples that it covers. If you don’t have a grinder I guess a Dremel would work, just very time-consuming. You could also take it to a muffler shop and ask to have someone safely cut the bracket off. Remember you still need the rails.

Once you’ve drilled all that out, the rails should slide off. Keep in mind the rolling brackets will come off. They aren’t hard at all to slide back on, you’ll see what I’m talking about when you’re there. To finish things off, you’ll need to transfer the seat belt lock from the Maxima seat to the Z seat. Just a simple bolt holds it on. (The Z seat belt lock doesn’t fit the Maxima seat belt)

Anyway, that’s pretty much it. When you have the Maxima rails onto the 350z tracks then it’s the 4 bolts to put the cushion back on and 4 bolts for the seatback. One last couple of notes, I lost the ability to raise/lower the driver seat…I don’t really care but some people might. Also, you CANNOT use the Z seat trim on the bottom NOR the Maxima seat trim. I’m not aesthetic so IDGAF what it looked like, the seats are comfortable as he11 to me.

Additional Note: 

If you have an ’02/03 Maxima driver seat then you’ll see its power. I ended up using a Sentra manual driver’s seat so I can’t help with that. Some ’00/01 Maximas came stock with manual seats as well, thanks MONTE 01&97 SE!. The power seat has a different setup, with a bolt that holds the rail on the motor ‘screw’ device on either side (see next pic). I’m sure there’s a way around it, I just didn’t deal with it. A driver-side manual Sentra rail from the junkyard cost me a whopping $30 so it was a non-issue to me.

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my6thgen 04-08

How to Install LED Roof 3rd Brake Light on 2004-2008 6thgen Nissan Maxima

Community Member Credit: BOOTZ

So this was done using a red waterproof 120cm strip from eBay. Make sure you measure to be sure.

Description: 2pcs Red 120cm LED Side-emitting Shine Strips Side Glow Flexible Neon Brake lamp
Order Link: https://www.ebay.com/itm/272474776774
Price: $12.25 (Shipped)

Instructions:

I started out by removing the driver’s side rear window molding. There is one 10mm bolt you have to remove and only visible when you open the trunk.

Once that is removed start prying upwards on the molding starting from the bottom and working your way up. There are about four clips holding it on. Be careful not to put too much pressure on the window or the body of the car. Don’t want to break glass or dent anything.

Once off should look like so….

Then take you led strip and apply two sided tape to it. I used 3m. You want to clean the led strip really well then I heated up the led and the tape before applying it. Did the same on the window. Cleaned it really well and heated it up.

Before applying the led to the window I set the roof spoiler in position and placed a small piece of the led underneath to see where i could place it without getting in the way of mounting the spoiler. Turned out to be maybe 1/2″ from the top of the window.

Also before applying, make sure your wires are running down the driver’s side. That is where the rubber boot is where the wires will run in.

You are then able to run the wires down towards the rubber boot going into the vehicle. I just tucked them under the window. The molding will cover it up anyway.

From here you can tap into the existing wires to the factory 3rd brake light (6.5 gens). If you don’t have the factory spoiler with 3rd brake light wires should be the same colors found in harness running towards the front of the vehicle.

If you pull up on the boot you can find your wires there.
12v – Red/Green
Ground – Black

From here you should be able to mount your roof spoiler and reassemble everything.

Here you can see they are pretty hidden unless you really look for them.

Night shots…

I also ended up putting a black vinyl overlay on the factory 3rd brake light to make it look like part of the spoiler. You could paint it to match the vehicle’s color if you don’t ever plan on using again.

Additional Reference Photos from DEADBOLT

I 3M taped the strip to the edge of the roof spoiler for it to be more visible.

I cut down the strip to fit exactly the lines of the spoiler and wired an exted + and – wires to it so I can connect it to the interior plug of where the old 3rd brake light use to be.

Test Pics:

Lights off shot:

Video from CHULO

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my5thgen 00-03

2000-2003 5thgen Nissan Maxima Blower Motor Amplifier/Resistor Replacement Procedure

Community Member Credit: Nissan X

1. Remove the 2 glove box latch screws.

2. Remove the 4 screws holding the the glove box, two at the top and two at the bottom

3. Once the screws are removed pull out the glove box. You may need to use a crew driver to undo the right/top clip.

4. With the glove box removed, you will be able to see the “Fan Control Amplifier” for automatic air condition system or “Blower Motor Resistor” for the manual system.

5. Remove the 2 screws holding the Amplifier/Resistor, pull out the Amplifier/Resistor and install the new one.

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my5thgen 00-03

How to Change Blower Motor / Resistor on 2000-2003 5thgen Nissan Maxima

Community Member Credit: maximaboy12

Hey Guys so my blower would make a lil rubbing noise so I went under there and cleaned it out. And might as well make a write up for all the n00bies out there. I saw a lot of pics for the 4th gen but not 5th so might as well do this.

1. Go ahead and open the glove box and start removing these bolts.

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2. These bolts are in the foot well.

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The next screw is under this panel. Go ahead and remove the plastic nut (pictured)

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3. Now just give a gentle pull and the glove box should give way you will see two harnesses. Remove them. One is the light. It would be smarter to just move the clips on the yellow one. DONT UNPLUG THE YELLOW HARNESS THAT IS YOUR AIRBAG.

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4. Now if youre looking for the blower heres what screws to remove.

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5. For the cabin air filter just remove the clip.

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I hope this helps all you guys! Good luck with all your mods fixes and everything. INSTALLATION IS REVERSAL OF REMOVAL GOOD LUCK GUYS

Reference Video:

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my6thgen 04-08

2005 Nissan Maxima, Park/Tail Lights Do Not Work, Fuse Blows (Dome Light Switch Issue)

Community Member Credit: Sparky

This 2005 Nissan Maxima came in with the complaint that the tail lights do not work and the fuse blows. The tail light fuse is located in the underhood fuse box on the passenger side of the vehicle. The black plastic trim panel that runs from the firewall to the headlight assembly has to be removed. There are several push pin retainers that hold it in place.

With the trim panel removed grab the fuse box cover and pull it up and off of the fuse box. Note the position of the tail light fuse on the fuse box legend. Be careful around the fuse box and use a gentle hand. There is a processor built into the intelligent fuse box assembly.

Locate the fuse in the fuse box and test both sides of the fuse. This one had power on one leg but not on the other. I replaced the fuse and the park/tail lights started working again. Normal inspections of the bulbs and related wiring found nothing. I started bouncing the body around to see if the fuse would blow. Nothing. I started opening and closing the doors firmly and the fuse blew. Replaced the fuse again and the lights stayed on.

While sitting in the car contemplating what to check next, I noticed that the dome light switch in the overhead console was not sitting properly. A gentle wiggle and the fuse blew. I knew this because the dash illumination lights changed in intensity. A little more wiggling and the switch fell apart.

I found it strange that there would be a tail light circuit attached to the dome light switch and I could find no reference to this in the wiring diagrams.

Once the leading edge fasteners were free the two metal clips at the rear of the assembly were easy to remove.

The dome light switch unplugs from the back of the assembly. The switch and harness are then removed from the front of the light assembly. I called my Nissan dealership to find out that the switch is not sold separately. The cost of the assembly is $350 and only four in the country.

I did some testing and found that if I connected the white wire to the orange wire the dome light would work as if the switch was placed to the auto/door position.

A couple of snips. A splicing connector, some heat shrink tubing and the dome light works as most people expect anyway. Open the door and it comes on. Close the door and it turns off. Slight delay since it is a Nissan design. They prefer their dome lights to fade out gradually.

So if you have a hard to find short in the tail light circuit be sure to check this switch out. If you also do not want to spend $350 on a new light assembly but want the dome light to work, just connect the orange and white wires together as I did. I would strongly recommend checking the wire locations and electrical circuits yourself. Sometimes manufacturers will change the wire color codes for internal wiring and yours may or may not match this one.

The park lights now work without the fuse blowing and the dome light works as the customer requested.

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my5thgen 00-03

2002-2003 5thgen Nissan Maxima, No Low Blower Speeds – How to Replace Blower Resistor (EASY FIX)

Community Member Credit: Sparky

This 2003 Nissan Maxima came in with the complaint that only the highest blower speed was working. The air would not blow at all, on the lower speeds. Suspecting a faulty blower resistor, I went to the passenger side of the dash.

The blower resistor is located near the firewall under the passenger side of the dash. It is the piece that the connector with blue wires is attached to.

Two phillip’s headed screws hold the resistor to the blower housing.

To release the locking tab, it needs to be pushed in where I am pointing at with my pocket screwdriver.

If you want to test the system this is what you will need to know.

The blower resistor and blower switch are on the ground side of the blower motor circuit.

With the resistor harness disconnected and the ignition on, there will be bleed through battery voltage on the larger blue/white wire. In the blower switch position 4 or high the blower switch directly connects this wire to chassis ground and the highest blower speed is achieved.

When the blower speed is set to the 3 position the ground is sent from the blower switch to the resistor on the blue/red wire. It passes through one resistor and the speed is reduced slightly.

When blower speed 2 is selected the ground again is sent form the blower switch to the resistor but this time it is sent on the blue/yellow wire. At the resistor is passes through two resistors and the speed is dropped even further.

When blower speed 1 is selected the ground signal again is sent from the blower switch to the blower resistor and this time it is on the blue/black wire. At the resistor is passes through three resistors and the lowest blower speed is achieved.

If there is no bleed through voltage at the blue/white wire you will need to see if there is power on the white/blue wire at the blower motor itself.

If voltage is not present on the white/blue wire at the blower motor you will need to check the fuses and relay. If power is present the blower motor is faulty.

I also wound up checking and changing a restricted cabin air filter in this vehicle. It is likely that the dirty filter contributed to the resistor failure.

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my5thgen 00-03

How to Install Flush Mounted Voltmeter Installation on 5thgen Nissan Maxima

Community Member Credit: AJ~

I love voltmeters. They tell you if the alternator died and you are running on the battery. Or in our case, the voltage regulator died and the car’s electrical system was seeing 18.6VDC. Luckily, the ECU survived. All cars should have a voltmeter, and since El Maximo didn’t, DIY to the rescue.

Car is 2001 SE AE with AT. Gauge is Cyberdyne A000E160N green LED digital voltmeter with adjustable hi/ lo warning, about $40 online. I saw no need to adjust the hi/ lo flashing display set points. This particular gauge would dim when the running lights were turned on, but would not go back to the full bright display if the running lights were turned back off. So, I simply ran the gauge on full bright and used a small piece of window tint I picked up off the floor at the local window tint shop. Drove over there, saw a small piece on the ground, asked if I could have it, and it was mine.

It all starts here:

Back of the gauge. Black is ground, red is positive, purple is for dimming (didn’t use):

Cutting the gauge case open:

Pull:

Disassembled; only the circuit board and the green lens get used:

Thin!

Mask it:

Paint it:

Now the fun part. The green plastic lens was warmed on a teflon pan in the oven, then quickly removed and allowed to cool off on the instrument cluster cover to form to the cover’s shape. Mild pressure was used to keep the lens on the cover. A square hole was measured and transferred to the instrument cluster cover. Using a drill, exacto knives, files of various sizes and tooth shape, and sand paper, a perfectly square opening was made in the instrument cluster cover. Then the lens was cut to fit, taking a tiny bit off at a time to insure a perfect friction fit. Super glue was used to permanently attach the lens to the cover. Capillary action draws the glue into the tight joint. The water-thin super glue dries, shrinks, then more super glue is applied. Did this three times. Rock solid and it is perfectly flush, better than what is seen in this picture:

Hot glue gun is your friend:

Concluded: Finished!

If I did it again, I would use dark tinted 3/16″ thick acrylic plastic. Other than that, I am very happy with the results!

While I was in there, I removed the clear plastic cover from the instrument cluster and removed the dust that made it’s way inside through the hole that the trip meter reset button passes through. You know, this dust:

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