Hello everyone. I'm new to the forum and new to Nissan so I'm looking for some advice. I bought a 2002 Maxima 150k miles (GLE I think. It has Bose and leather) last year from a family member. It has been acting up lately. I get a really bad rattling in the front end/right side when I'm accelerating second gear (not a heat shield). The car also EATS synthetic oil. 3000 miles after an oil change, the oil is empty. With that in mind, the Dealer said that they can fix it with an "Engine Decarbonization for $160 and an Engine Restore for $160" From what i understand, the engine restore sounds like a sea foam treatment. I'm not sure what the decarbonization entails. They said that would fix the pinging noises I'm hearing....but I'm skeptical because I thought it was a pulley. Has anyone ever heard of the decarbonization and restore before? Was it successful?

Also, they said I need
Sway bar links Left and Right sides ------- $289.00
Bank 2 O2 sensor ---------------------------- $340.00
Sparkplugs ----------------------------------- $335.00
Belts - ---------------------------------------- $179.00
Air filter/clean throttle body /reset idle -- $147.00
Transmission fluid change ------------------ $145.00

Thanks!!

Get a second opinion by taking it to an independent repair shop.

I brought it to another mechanic shop at one point for them to try and replicate the rattle in the front but they couldn't find anything. They said the suspension knocking when I roll over bumps was nothing...I think I need a 3rd opinion.

The 3.5L engines in the Maxima are known for using oil (unlike the 3.0 engines). I am not sure how cleaning the engine would eliminate the oil consumption but perhaps I am missing something .....

Sway bar links are (2 x $15) at rockauto.com and you can do it yourself. You can also change your transmission fluid; 1 gal is about $25 at O'Reilley. You can drain&fill, perhaps 6 quarters at a time.

Spark plugs are $2.50 (NGK platinum) to $9.95 (double platinum) at rockauto.com. You can change them yourself but the rear ones are a bit of pain to get to.

Re. the clunk your mechanic can't find I suspect it's your right engine mount.

RE. labor, dealer is the most expensive. Find a good mechanic and you should be able to save a lot. Or, do it yourself and save much, much more ......

Thanks for the replies. Heres a quick update. I got held hostage for $ 260 for a diagnosis and oil change. So I figured I would just have them do the sway bar links and belts. I needed the car to be running well as soon as possible. I just don't have the time right now. I held off with the decarb and restore. Also, I found out that the restore is something called BG

I got the car back and the belts still squeal like a pig! And they charged me 1 hours labor - $105 for the check engine light! Wtf... I would've stopped at Napa on the way and had them scan it for free and asked Nissan what they charge for an o2 sensor.

Also, I never heard of rockauto.com. That stuff seems a lot cheaper than other sites. I was looking at paying 100 for 6 ngk iridium plugs. But, what are the best plugs to use ? Or does it not matter?

dandog2500 wrote:Also, I never heard of rockauto.com...

Seriously? They've been in business since 1999. So you've never seen their national TV ad?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xeiyZWGgoQ4

dandog2500 wrote:Also, I never heard of rockauto.com. That stuff seems a lot cheaper than other sites. I was looking at paying 100 for 6 ngk iridium plugs. But, what are the best plugs to use ? Or does it not matter?

You are asking a lot of questions where the answers are mostly obvious.

I have been trying to tell you twice (about rockauto.com) already. I won't repeat myself anymore ....
Re. plugs: What are the OEM plugs ? (Hint: then name starts with NGK...) Can you find them on the rockauto site?
Do you have owners manual for your car? If not, ask the dealer who sold you the car or search the Web.
Do you have the "shop manual", aka "FSM"? If not, download it from here http://boredmder.com/FSMs/Nissan/Maxima/