Car trouble. Dealership scam?

[Gator6x4]

First thing I do when any OBD2 vehicle throws misfire codes for individual cylinders is pull the spark plug on that cylinder.
If it hasn't been changed in 60k or so it gets replaced This has worked on a few rigs i have worked on for friends and family members.
One in particular worked fine for about 3000 miles and started throwing misfire for a different cylinder, at this point changed all remaining plugs -that was over 50 k ago.
All gas 1996 and newer vehicles sold in USA are OBD2 and are capable of identifying an individual cylinder miss. There are codes for random missing also. If the plugs have close to 100k miles i would change them out, it may not take care of the problem but it is not an expensive job to do and who knows maybe it will take care of the problem..


Wooops should have read all the posts first hope the plugs and air filter help...

I agree on changing the spark plugs. But,,,changing the spark plugs on some vehicles today is a very-very-very labor intense task.

On some new V-6 engines, the upper intake has to be removed to get to the rear plugs and coil packs. Now my opinion on that is the engineer who designed that should be somewhere it is very hot with his back broke.

 

[sd455dan]

I agree on changing the spark plugs. But,,,changing the spark plugs on some vehicles today is a very-very-very labor intense task.

On some new V-6 engines, the upper intake has to be removed to get to the rear plugs and coil packs. Now my opinion on that is the engineer who designed that should be somewhere it is very hot with his back broke.

Ohh yeah -had one of those-1988 Pontiac GP had to pull the alternator so i could get my arm around the back of the block, but come to think of it there are a lot of newer transverse mounted engined vehicles that are much much worse... and require the installation by (feel ) method on the rear plugs.

that would include the 2000-2003 MAXIMA v6
Looks like there is a good procedure at MAXIMA.ORG says the biggest hassle is removing and remounting the quad pipe, and about 15 minutes on the front plugs and another hour for the rear 3 !!

 

[94BULLITT]

Ohh yeah -had one of those-1988 Pontiac GP had to pull the alternator so i could get my arm around the back of the block, but come to think of it there are a lot of newer transverse mounted engined vehicles that are much much worse... and require the installation by (feel ) method on the rear plugs.

that would include the 2000-2003 MAXIMA v6
Looks like there is a good procedure at MAXIMA.ORG says the biggest hassle is removing and remounting the quad pipe, and about 15 minutes on the front plugs and another hour for the rear 3 !!

Some GM's you remove a motor mount and replace it with a tool that allows you to twist the engine forward to get to the back plugs.

Sent from my Samsung SPH-L710 using TractorByNet

 

[aczlan]

If he has a smartphone, $10 will get him a Bluetooth OBD-II reader (I have this one: Amazon.com: RioRand (TM) RD9 Bluetooth OBDII Diagnostic Scanner-Android compatible: Automotive which has worked well with my phone and laptop) that will talk to an app (such as Torque for Android or Touch Scan for Windows) and he can read the full codes, search for what they mean online and NOT have to pay through the nose for it, or have someone at AutoZone misread the error code.

Aaron Z

 

[jlawso21]

My wife owns a 2000 I30(Maxima) and we went through the whole thing about replacing one coil pack or two. We had all of them all replaced and it did fix the problem. One of the issues with the coil packs is they are hard to diagnose properly. I don't know beans about it but I have talked with two mechanics and they say that diagnosing which of the coil packs is bad is the problem. One of the guys had an expensive diagnostic tool and he told me that a very good diagnostic tool will help.

Also, your son should join this forum

2000 Max replace coil packs or just spark plug boots - Maxima Forums

You can get a lot of info here if you are interested in doing some of the work yourself. Also, you can buy the coil packs much cheaper than the dealer if you shop around. Although I had the mechanic replace the ones on the I30, I replaced them myself on a 2003 Envoy, and bought the coil packs from a salvage yard in California.

I did buy a diagnostic tool from Amazon for $25 and it has saved me at least $1000 in mechanics bills.

ScanTool 423001 ElmScan 5 Compact OBD-II Scan Tool and OBDwiz Diagnostic Software : Amazon.com : Automotive

Good luck

 

[N80]

He has been reading in some of the Maxima forums. But, he knows very little about cars.

It frustrates the heck out of me how hard it is to take care of simple problems in modern cars. Even in my 1990 Nissan Pathfinder.......by far the best vehicle I have ever owned......the rear driver's side spark plug was almost impossible to replace without removing major hardware. As mentioned above, the first five took about 10 minutes. The last one took me an hour and a trip to the autoparts store for additional tools!

 

[hawkeye08]

My daughter's 2004 Impala had intermittent CEL that were misfire (from autozone checking), even after we did the plugs and air filter. I owed her a cooling system flush so when she did not need her car for a few days, did the cooling system flush, filter and fluid on trans, and while I was doing the rest, went ahead and replaced both O2 sensors. She has been getting better mileage than ever and no more CELs. She knows more about cars than her husband.

If the O2 sensor(s) have never been changed, I would not overlook them. I don't know what they recommend now, but a number of years ago, it was recommended to change them every 30-50,000 miles...

(and I bought the special O2 socket from O'Reilly's for $10 to make it easy)

 

[Egon]

There may be frustration when working on the modern electronic controlled car but do remember that many parts far outlast the components of yesterday's simple cars.


For those with limited knowledge it may be best to find a competent shop and rely on them!. Usually costs less in the long run.:thumbsup:

 

[dmccarty]

If he has a smartphone, $10 will get him a Bluetooth OBD-II reader (I have this one: Amazon.com: RioRand (TM) RD9 Bluetooth OBDII Diagnostic Scanner-Android compatible: Automotive which has worked well with my phone and laptop) that will talk to an app (such as Torque for Android or Touch Scan for Windows) and he can read the full codes, search for what they mean online and NOT have to pay through the nose for it, or have someone at AutoZone misread the error code.

Aaron Z

That was danged helpful. I just put that doo dad in my wish list. :thumbsup:

Thanks,
Dan

 

[aczlan]

That was danged helpful. I just put that doo dad in my wish list. :thumbsup:

You are welcome. Dad used to have a USB version of that scanner, but dealing with cords in the car (and keeping from breaking the USB port on the laptop) is a pain. Bluetooth is MUCH more convenient.

Aaron Z