Ask the Car People.SM


Nissan Altima 2008 Maintenance and Repair

25 messages,  Last post on Feb 06, 2009 at 8:26 PM

You are in the Nissan Altima Forum.

What is this discussion about? Nissan Altima, Engine, Sedan

Messages Page 2 of 3

#6 of 25 Help...advise please...lemon?~ by sssp

Mar 28, 2008 (6:05 pm)

New purchase Feb. 23, 2008 Altima SL....drove 2 weeks; would not start. Dealer kept for week and replaced starter on March 14 and car was picked up on Good Friday, drove out of town Saturday, and guess what? On Easter..it would not start. Had to be towed by wrecker to Dealer on Monday. ECM was replaced on 3/26 Wednesday....now Service Manager says there is a code showing up that it has a CLUTCH problem~?!? Funny...it's an automatic, 4 cylinder!! He wants to keep it until the middle of next week?~!?
Any advice from knowledgeable gentlemen and ladies....please?~!?
SP

#7 of 25 Re: Help...advise please...lemon?~ [sssp] by busiris

Mar 28, 2008 (7:14 pm)

Replying to: sssp (Mar 28, 2008 6:05 pm)
Have all the repairs been done by the same dealer?
 
If so, is there another dealer in the area you can take the car?
 
Are they providing substitute transportation while the car is in the shop? If not, I would definitely demand it, if the repair work is being done at the selling dealer...

#8 of 25 Re: Help...advise please...lemon?~ [busiris] by sssp

Mar 28, 2008 (7:30 pm)

Replying to: busiris (Mar 28, 2008 7:14 pm)
Thank you for your reply!
Same dealer doing repairs!
There is another dealer about an hour away...what can they do for me please?~ I am at a loss here................ and yes, on my 2nd rental car provided by them. The PR that is being funneled here especially since I W A S driving a new car is overwhelming...everyone wants to know the "story" and yes, I am sharing !~ *grin*
The CLUTCH code is very interesting to say the least~!~! Don't you agree??

#9 of 25 Re: Help...advise please...lemon?~ [sssp] by busiris

Mar 28, 2008 (8:08 pm)

Replying to: sssp (Mar 28, 2008 7:30 pm)
If it was me, I would seriously consider having dealer #2 look at this car. I am making the assumption that you have made no modifications to the car, and that it is in completely stock condition, as delivered.
 
Obviously, I only know what you have posted, but it appears that this dealership is doing a lot of "head scratching" on you car. And, what's upwith the CLUTCH code? Is anyone in the service dept. actively pursuing that with Nissan USA???
 
Lets face it...there are only so many things that will cause your problems, and there are ways that any reputable dealership can determine the cause of discharged electrical systems (I am assuming you are experiencing a dead battery situation here).
 
It just seems that a second pair of eyes are in order here. At least, they are providing a rental. Make sure you get copies and RETAIN them of each visits paperwork...you may need them in the future....
 
Good Luck!

#10 of 25 Re: Help...advise please...lemon?~ [busiris] by cri

Apr 05, 2008 (8:04 pm)

Replying to: busiris (Mar 28, 2008 7:14 pm)
I hope by now everything is okay with your Altima.....if yes.. what was the problem?
 
I'm not much of a mechanic.. but because I have a 2008 Altima too.. I make sure that I read up all about it....and be knowledgable with all the specs..
 
Just wondering... they changed the starter.. then they say it's a clutch issue-- but you have an automatic... Do you have the Intellegent Key with the Push Start Button? If yes, could it have been the battery for the IK?
 
Please do let me know what problem it was and how it was corrected.

#11 of 25 Re: Help...advise please...lemon?~ [sssp] by karsick

Apr 05, 2008 (9:41 pm)

Replying to: sssp (Mar 28, 2008 7:30 pm)
I doubt the starting issue was anything more than the (brake/clutch) interrupt switch. Same part, just depends on which tranny you have.
 
On the CVT Altimas, you need to have your foot on the brake in order to start, and on the 6-speed (like ours), you must depress the clutch pedal. The ECM code likely read the same when they scanned it (hence "clutch")
 
Ever since the idiotic "60 Minutes" fraud about Audi "unintended acceleration" cars have been saddled with this nanny switch.
 
 IMHO, the service dept wasted time & effort replacing the starter when it was (obviously) a simple switch.

#12 of 25 High Pitched Whistling Sound by sirreddsir

May 23, 2008 (3:01 pm)

I picked up my new '08 Altima (2.5 S, stationary mirrors) earlier this week, and thus far, it's great.
 
However, I have noticed (similar to comments posted in some other threads around here) that when I get the car moving over 30-35mph, I hear a high pitched whistling from outside the car. If the windows are up, you can't really hear it... but with the windows down, even just a little bit, it's loud enough to be very obnoxious. The pitch changes with the speed and the gusts of wind, so it must be a gap or a hole somewhere that's making the sound.
 
Do other people have this problem, and what have you done about it? I suppose I'll bring it back over to the service department and see what they have to say... but before I do, any advice on what to call this problem would be greatly appreciated.

#13 of 25 first oil change, any tips by roadrunner70

May 27, 2008 (7:16 pm)

have to do my first oil change on my altima v6 coupe. any tips, on how to get under the car and what to remove to get to the oil filter. on my 03 murano, it was pretty easy, only had to turn the wheels to the right to get access to the filter. thanks, rr70

#14 of 25 Re: High Pitched Whistling Sound [sirreddsir] by unregretable

Jun 02, 2008 (7:55 am)

Replying to: sirreddsir (May 23, 2008 3:01 pm)
YES! I have this same problem, its horrible. SO VERY HORRIBLE. I am planning a call today about it and was looking for direction as to where this is originating from. Seems no one really is sure (in forums). It seems to starting picking up at about 40+ for me. I have also noticed it changing pitch with gusts of wind. I was thinking mirror design, but a hole of some sort also sounds reasonable. Well, I will keep you posted and please post info if dealership fixed the problem!
 
Hey guys, ran into this on another forum...I am going to have my service department look into it. I hope it help some of you, maybe this is the answer!
 
"I purchased a 2008 Altima 2.5 S, and when the window is down, there is the same annoying whistling sound that you discribe. I get this noise between 40 and 60 mph. I did a little "detective" work and I discovered that if I covered the side view mirror with a towel, I did not hear the noise. I examined the mirror and saw that on the botton portion of the mirror, there is a seam. I purchased for a few dollars a clear silicone adhesive sealer, put down a narrow bead in the seam, and 99% of the whistling noise is gone. I felt this was a better solution than going to the dealer, who would either not do anything, or do the same thing I did, or worse, replace the side view mirror. That could open a whole other can of worms. If you take your time, the silicone seal will not be visable...and it worked for me. Hope this helps."

#15 of 25 Re: High Pitched Whistling Sound [unregretable] by sirreddsir

Jun 03, 2008 (11:05 am)

Replying to: unregretable (Jun 02, 2008 7:55 am)
Excellent! I mean, not for you... but at least the problem isn't unique to my car... that means it should be easier to fix.
 
You may be correct on the mirror theory. I have a friend who once worked for Mercedes in Germany, and remembers an instance of one of their cars having a similar problem. He said they replaced the outside mirrors, and the problem went away... so it maybe something similar here.
 
I have an appointment for Monday, June 9th to have someone at the dealership take a look at it. I will post after they've diagnosed/fixed the problem.
 
Good luck with yours!

Messages Page 2 of 3

To POST a message, please Sign In.

Advertisement

Browse by Category

Browse by Vehicle
   View All Vehicles

Browse by Board
Browse by Topic
View All Topics

Edmunds Community

Advertisement