Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with nissan

Cruise control is caps lock for.. wait a minute..

srrh — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 17:09:29 -0800

Is using cruise control all the time bad for my car in any way? To prevent myself from speeding, I like to use cruise control almost all the time. I did this with my old car, a 2000 Pontiac Firebird, with no discernible ill effects. I just got my first NEW new car (a Nissan Cube SL with a 4 cylinder CVT transmission), and want to make sure I'm not doing anything that could damage it.

I do not try to use the cruise control in stop and go traffic, but other than that, I do. Whether the speed limit is 25, 35, 45, 55, 65... you get the drift. If I'm going a long-ish stretch at any particular speed, I just set the cruise control. Could this cause any problems for the car?

What's wrong with the car stereo in my 2003 Nissan Sentra?

ixohoxi — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 10:31:21 -0800

What's wrong with the car stereo in my 2003 Nissan Sentra? I have a Blaupunkt MP3000 dash unit which has served me well. I had it professionally installed shortly after purchasing the car (new-ish), and until recently I've had no problems with it. (No external amp or anything fancy like that—just the head unit.)

A couple of months ago, the audio started cutting out intermittently. Going over a bump in the road will often cause it to cut back in briefly—and it worked for a short while after I removed the dash panel and disconnected and reconnected the wiring clips—but those periods of functionality have gotten shorter and shorter, to the point where I only hear an occasional split-second of radio when I cross a rough train track. It's not any one speaker that's cutting out; they're either all working, or (more often) all not working.

The Blaupunkt is receiving power, and from all indications is performing normally—the channel meters show that an audio signal is present, and everything works the way it should. It doesn't matter whether the signal is coming from the radio, the CD player, or the aux input—it's just not getting to the speakers.

I tried removing the Blaupunkt and putting the original factory unit back in—and got the exact same behavior. Unit gets power, seems to function normally—but no audio.

Since it's getting power, it shouldn't be a fuse issue, but just for shits I checked all fuses that sounded relevant—under the hood, inside the cabin, and on the rear of the Blaupunkt—and all of them look fine.

When it was still working for short periods of time, it seemed like it would cut out again when the signal got loud (e.g., if I turned it up moderately loud, or when the broadcast/CD peaked)—but I couldn't be certain of that.

(If it matters, I replaced all four factory speakers with new Kickers a few months ago.)

So what's the deal? I thought those eight wires coming from the back of the head unit connected directly to the four speakers. So how is it that two otherwise functional head units are failing to power all four speakers? The behavior with bumps in the road suggests a loose wire/component, but what single point of failure could possibly cause this behavior?

Obviously I'm misunderstanding something here—do the four speaker signals pass through some common component inside my Nissan before they get to the speakers?

Any suggestions would be welcome—I'm starting to go crazy without music in the car, and I can't really afford to take it to a professional right now, and besides I'd rather fix it myself, if I can.

The Fun Can Not Be Halted.

indiebass — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 13:21:59 -0800

Going to Milwaukee for a wedding next month. Need to rent a car, and would love to try a Nissan cube. Is this even possible? Whenever I have rented a car, it has always been utilitarian, and of course: American. So I've ended up with some Ford Focuses and the like. But I wanted to try something cool for a change, and I'll admit that those commercials have worked on me. I'll be driving to Lake Geneva from MKE, and the gas mileage seems pretty decent. I can't seem to find a way to search for a rental by vehicle, and I admit my Google-Fu may be weak. Any help from the Hive (or Milwaukee-based MeFites)?

(Any additional advice on the trip are welcomed, too. Never been to WI before, and already know I need to try 'cheese curds'. But the CUBE was the real question here)

What should I do for my beloved car?

mustard seeds — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 16:51:55 -0800

Recommended maintenance for car after winter storage? I just took my car out of storage after nine months out of the country. While I was away, my brother stored my 2007 Nissan Sentra in his garage in Seattle, Washington. Just before I left, I changed the oil and checked the tire pressure, but I also neglected to do a bunch of other important things that I didn't know about at the time. For instance, I did not fill up the tank with premium gas (or add fuel stabilizer) and I didn't disconnect the battery (although my brother claims he started the car every few weeks). If there was anything else I was supposed to do, I didn't do it. I'm sorry, car! I just drove it around for the first time today (to Jiffy Lube to change the oil), and it seems to be running fine so far, although the tire pressure light is on (even after the Jiffy Lube guys filled up the tires).

I'm planning on driving the car cross country in a few weeks and I want to get the car in as good of shape as possible. I checked old posts here and googled around, but I haven't seen much that addresses newish cars. Is there anything I can do to reverse the potential damage I caused my car by storing it improperly? Or even a way to find out whether I have caused it any damage? Thank you.

Exit Plan Strategery for the Nissan Pavilion (VA/DC)

actionPetential — Mon, 04 May 2009 10:35:33 -0800

Help me if you know anything about Nissan Pavilion in Northern Va! Are the traffic problems still as bad as they used to be? If so, does anybody have any tips? Hey all, am going to see one of my favorite bands later this month and am terrifically excited! However, as the concert is on a weekday, and I haven't been to the Nissan Pavilion in years, it's hard to imagine being able to deal in stride if, after the concert, we're obliged to submit to one of the Pavilion's legendary three-hour parking lot 2 mph waits. So, I was wondering if anyone had been to a big show recently (say, in the past year) at Nissan Pavilion and could attest as to whether it was still as bad as it used to be. Have they built those new lanes on 66 yet? And - this might sound crazy - but would it be possible to park somewhere a mile or so away, and then bike to the venue? Any and all recent experiences would be helpful!

Where can I rent an import truck?

aeighty — Mon, 04 May 2009 10:10:56 -0800

Where in Vancouver, BC can I rent a Toyota and/or a Nissan truck? I'm planning to buy a truck, so I've been surveying the scene. I've already had a chance to drive Ford F-150 and Dodge Ram 1500 and 2500 diesel (nice!). I'd like to try the import trucks now. Unfortunately, the rental places have domestics only. In US, I know that Toyota does rentals through dealerships, but this doesn't apply to Canada. Anyway, do you guys have any ideas? I tried googling, but no go.

Thanks!

Trying to take care of my baby

Brandon1600 — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 16:21:54 -0800

I need recommendations for reliable and informative forums related to Nissan Frontiers along with equally reliable and buyer friendly OEM replacement parts websites. I have a new job now so I can afford to catch up on some basic maintenance my 2001 Nissan Frontier has needed. I have spent the last three days trying to find a replacement driver side seat belt to no avail. I know I can find one cheaper than $100. At least I think I can. All the websites look the same and are not even really competitive. I also can't seem to find a good online forum that is very active and does not charge a fee to join. Any Frontier owners in the crowd?

Need a dispenser here.

Diskeater — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 14:42:04 -0800

Front windshield washer fluid dispenser doesn't dispense. This feels like an easy fix....is it? At the start of the year, my girlfriend and I bought a new 2009 Nissan Versa while visiting family up in Vermont (we live in the Boston area). The car had to be delivered from another dealer so she went up a week later to get it and discovered a crack in the windshield. We took it back to the dealer to be replaced at their expense and had some friends drive it down to us last weekend. They reported that the front windshield washer dispenser doesn’t work. Awesome.

When I try to dispense the windshield washer fluid, the wipers activate and it sounds like it’s trying to dispense the liquid but nothing happenes. The rear dispenser works just fine.

I’ve tried holding the lever down for a while to get out any air packets but that did not work. I doubt the nozzles are frozen because the temperature hasn’t been below freezing for quite a few days and they used the “good” fluid that won’t freeze ever.

Since everything sounds like it should be working fine, I’m assuming that the dealer didn’t hook everything up properly when they replaced the windshield and this should be an easy fix but I’m not mechanically inclined and I don’t know enough to trace which tubes go to where.

I’m assuming that this is an easy fix if all that needs to be done is hook up a tube to a nozzle but I don’t know where to look. I would like to attempt to fix this issue before calling the dealer because if I can get it done myself, all the better.

Can anyone offer any tips? Google / Nissan forums were no help. Thanks!

What could that be knocking in my car?

Epsilon-minus semi moron — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 12:39:22 -0800

Nissan Altima filter: I have a '97 Altima. There is a noise coming from(I believe) the rear left tire. It seems to be a knocking when driving normal speeds and more of a scratching at lower speeds(~20 and under). It also seems to be more pronounced at the lower speed. Though this may just be due to the lack of engine/wind through the windows noise. I'm pretty sure it goes away when I apply the brake Any ideas? I'm going to take it to be checked out, but would like to have some ideas going in. I'm a girl and look like I'm 15 years old, so being able to say "I think it's xyz". I just don't want to chance being told "you need a new rear axle", when it's actually something simple. Thank you! Also, I plan on posting to some Nissan forums, but wanted to spread my net wider.

How do I replace the evaporative emission sensor in my car?

quin — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 09:44:19 -0800

How do I replace the evaporative emission system sensor in a Nissan Sentra? I have a new-to-me 1999 Nissan Sentra which failed its emissions test with the error P0450 (Evaporative Emission Control System Pres-
sure Sensor Malfunction). I want to replace the sensor, but I have no idea where in the car it actually lives or what it looks like.

I have an ODB-II reader, so I will be able to tell when I do get it fixed, but first, I am looking for a place to start. Suggestions on how much the part will cost or whether it will just be easier to take it in and get it fixed professionally are welcome.

I know you aren't my mechanic but help us choose between two cars!

damiano99 — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 00:12:08 -0800

CarFilter: We're replacing our lemon S40 with something bigger in either a sedan or "small" SUV, but we're totally stymied between our choices! Looking for any anecdotal or experience advice. My wife and used to a own a 2001 S40 Volvo, that was a lemon from the get-go. It finally blew it's motor due to a undiagnosed problem in the cooling system. We got rid of it and have decided to move on. We're looking for something bigger. We liked the S40, except for the mechanical problems, but always felt cramped. We have a small daughter and another will be here next year.

We've narrowed our choices to a new CR-V LX or a used 2008 Altima 2.5S. Both will be about the same money except that the Altima has about 22K miles on it and maybe a year left on warranty. We can add another year and it will make the price between the CR-V and the Altima be nearly identical. We like both for different reasons and even though we know we want one or the other, we can't quite figure out which one.

We had considered a '06 Element but the 4 people only thing is a deal-breaker for us. My MIL visits often and we need a comfortable seat for her when #2 child arrives.

Anyone have any ideas? Any stories about either one? They both seem well-regarded on Edmunds, Car and Driver and Consumer Reports rates both well.

HELP!!

What battery do I need?

yoyoceramic — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 13:34:32 -0800

Googlefu = fail. Answer not in owners manual. What is the cold cranking amps rating for the battery which is recommended for the 2002 Nissan Sentra SER Spec V, 2.5 L. Or alternatively, what battery do I need to buy. I have received conflicting answers. Sears tells me its 490, yet the reading on my currently installed (yet failing/dying) battery is 550. I would love it I could find an official source (ie from Nissan) which specifies which battery I need. Any ideas?

Help me before I melt

Brandon1600 — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 19:12:00 -0800

(AutoRepairFilter) It is hot in Texas and the A/C in my 2001 Frontier just gave out. What can a semi mechanically - inclined person do about this? The cool does not work at all and the heat works but slowly. The fan is running and the green A/C light turns on most of the time, but the performance of the cool is absent regardless to whether the light is on. I realize I will more than likely have to take this thing in and get it worked on. From what I understand it takes specific tools to work on most A/C units not to mention the danger in dealing with the chemicals. My mechanic wants to charge me $45 just to run a diagnostic. Is thier anything I can do to at least get an idea what is wrong with it before I get ripped-off?

Dry rot does not pass inspection

Brandon1600 — Wed, 14 May 2008 21:32:18 -0800

What kind of tires would you recommend for a 2001 Nissan Frontier SE RWD? I'm in the market for some new tires so I figured some you motorhead MeFites could offer some advice. I am being careful about this because a set of tires is a pretty significant investment for someone on my budget. Tirerack.com was pretty helpful and I narrowed it down to these. Any other suggestions?

Odd behavior in our 2007 Nissan Frontier. Anyone know what's going on?

saucy — Sun, 30 Dec 2007 20:23:07 -0800

Odd behavior in our 2007 Nissan Frontier. Anyone know what's going on? A couple weeks ago, our truck started doing this weird thing. It beeps, and the odometer goes to zeros for a second, then it goes back to normal. It doesn't seem to happen in any kind of pattern--it seems totally random.

We called the Nissan place and they had no idea what we were talking about. We thought there wasn't much point in taking it in, as the behavior has been completely unpredictable. Tonight we were finally able to catch it on our camera.

video

(it happens about 40 seconds in)

We plan to take the camera up to the dealership so they can see it happen, but I thought I'd see if anyone on here had experienced anything like this.

I can't drive... 55

ForeverDcember — Tue, 04 Sep 2007 17:35:53 -0800

When to drive our new car up a long distance and up a mountain... (more inside!) My husband and I just purchased our first new vehicle, a 2007 Nissan Versa (known as a Nissan Tiida outside of the US). It now has 250 miles on it and we are planning to go from Orlando, Florida to Asheville, North Carolina next weekend. Should we take the new car? I have heard that you shouldn't drive a new car long distances or at higher speeds for a while. How many miles should we ideally have before a long trip? Just for reference the trip is about 590 miles and we bought the car on Friday with about 10 miles on it.
Thank you in advance for your help.

Why won't my car start?

graytona — Wed, 01 Nov 2006 10:45:41 -0800

Murphy's law at work. My '87 Sentra (auto, base model, 1.6L) won't start sometimes. 3 mechanics failed to diagnose. (but didn't fail to bill me). What's going on? This intermittent problem is making me crazy. Once in every 2 weeks, say, I get power to all devices, but it won't turn over or even click. 1987 Nissan Sentra, auto, base model, 1.6L, in Canada.

I have ruled out the following:

-- 1 Mechanic replaced the starter and flywheel flexplate. No effect. $1000 bill.
-- Another replaced the battery terminal wires.
-- Another replaced the inhibitor relay.
-- Twisting and shoving the (automatic) shifter in P and N every which way has no effect.

Every time I have this problem, AAA comes, declares there is no voltage to the starter, and starts it up for me using their voodoo magic. Then I drive to a mechanic. But of course, by the time I get to the mechanic, the car starts up like a charm, every time. So they have nothing to go by. Hence the 3 false and expensive diagnoses.

I know it could be one of 3 (or more) things: the ignition switch, the neutral safety start switch, the starter solenoid, or some random wiring. But at the prices my dealership charges for parts and labour, I can't afford to replace them all on spec.

Suggestions much appreciated. Thanks. These questions are similar but not the same, and don't help me:
http://ask.metafilter.com/mefi/41826
http://ask.metafilter.com/mefi/41426

New Nissan?

Cosine — Mon, 10 Jul 2006 09:46:40 -0800

Mysterious new Nissan car? (wow that sounded like viral crap) I keep seeing a new little Nissan in my city, it's tiny, cute and has a retractable targa-like top and is styled like an early 60's Nissan from Japan but is brand new. There is no mention of it on any Nissan websites, anyone seen this car?

How do I know if my Quest is haunted?

kittyloop — Wed, 26 Apr 2006 14:14:37 -0800

My Nissan Quest is haunted. Or something. Help! Hookay. I was outside today playing ball with our kids when I noticed that our van was making some odd clunking noises. At first I though it was just the cool down clicking that cars make when they are cooling down after being driven, but then it dawned on me that no one had taken the van out for at least two hours. Then all the windows opened at the same time (but not the skylight) and several more clicks and clunks followed, which I think may have been the locks. I went inside and asked my husband if he was playing with the electric key fob thingy that can lock and unlock the door, and he assured me he hadn't (he was taking a business call at the time), which might have explained the clunks, but there is no windows down function. In fact, if the car is off you can't roll down the windows, and it was definately not running. In addition, our house is set pretty far back from the road and away from other houses, so if it was some other remote it must have been a pretty powerfull one.

So, any ideas? Should we call an exorcist? Trade it in? Or keep driving it and hope the radio doesn't start auto tuning to the 50's oldies station?

Have you used a low cost ($20-$50) Cold Air Intake on your car?

skyguy14 — Tue, 12 Jul 2005 09:18:08 -0800

Have you used a low cost ($20-$50) Cold Air Intake on your car? I am looking at the numerous cold air intakes for my vehicle for anywhere from $20-$50 on eBay, and I am wondering if they are any good. I am most concerned about the quality of the air filter, as to not allow any contaminants into the engine. I am skeptical of them as name brand intakes from AEM, K&N, and Neuspeed fetch $200 or more. Any opinions or experiences?

Shade-tree i/o shady

mdpc98 — Tue, 03 May 2005 11:27:02 -0800

After spending a cool $thou on 'general maintenance' from the dealer, I'm seeking an Atlanta-area mechanic/shop that would work on my 97 Infiniti I30 (which is mechanically near-exact to the Nissan Maxima). I'm really looking for an indie mechanic with whom you might have personal experience.

Power Steering Fluid

scody — Wed, 15 Sep 2004 16:14:12 -0800

AutoFilter (1995 Nissan Sentra): I need to refill my power steering fluid. My manual (which has been known to be misleading before) says to use "Dexron-II power steering fluid or equivalent." Lady behind the Autozone counter says there's no such thing, because Dexron only makes transmission fluid. She says transmission fluid and power steering fluid are interchangeable "for some cars"; guy behind me in line freaks out and says I'll destroy my power steering if I do.

I just want to know which bottle of stuff to spend a couple of bucks on so I quit hearing that creaking sound when I turn. My trusty mechanic Rich is on vacation, so I turn (heh) to you, good Mefites, in his stead!

My truck's hard to start sometimes

jmd82 — Mon, 02 Feb 2004 23:47:09 -0800

I'm having problems with an 87' Nissan truck (5-speed). Recently when its been sitting for a day or so, me engine doesn't want to turn over at all when I turn the key and all I get is this "click" sound that is identical to how my old car sounded when my alternator went out. The thing is, if I turn the key a few times, it'll start and its fine for the rest of the day when I try to start the car. This "clicking" thing has happened a few times now, and I don't think its the battery (lights and everything work perfectly, and no problems with engine turning over when no click sound). Any ideas what might be wrong (gut instant says alternator is going, but just seeing if any other ideas).