Suggestions for my newly aquired 01 Maxima SE? - Help a new guy out.....

[NewfoundlandDude]

I heard that you guys were THE GUYS to come to regarding anything Nissan. I just bought an 01 Maxima SE, it's a sweet car, and only has about 90K on it. It's the 20th Anniversary edition, so it's pretty loaded with crap to make it comfortable, but I'm looking for more.

I'm thinking about putting some money into it this summer, although the budget may not quite be there yet, as i'm a university student right now. It's my first car, and i'm just wondering what I should look into to give it some more go.

I've heard "K&N Air Filter", "Tornado Intake Add-on", etc. etc. Should I look into something like this, or is there a better avenue to go down. I'm not against looking into some aftermarket parts even.

The car is in imaculate shape, and I want to keep it that way. Although any suggestions for mods are definately appreciated.

Hope I get some good responses here.....

[danielekfuj]

tornado=

[hsckris]

It's my first car, and i'm just wondering what I should look into to give it some more go.

if its your first car and its got 90k, you might want to focus on maintenance before performance (thats just my opinion).

Generally, most people see are large gain out of y-pipes on maximas. of course air intakes and exhaust (the rest of it) will ad some power. basic bolt-ons are usually intake, headers, and exhaust, and it never hurts to upgrade ignition (at least plugs and wires).

DON'T get a tornado -- they are crap. Also, try to stay away from intake systems using oil-based filters, the oil can clog up your MAF and cause it to fail.

[Sentientbydesign]

What do you want the car to do?

Look good, sound good, go faster, get tickets?

For looks...*crickets* I'd look for a lip kit for the car. They might not be easy to find, but it would dramatically sport up the car. A spoiler is your call. I don't care for them. Tint your windows. Add a hood scoop so STIs and Evos can laugh at you.

For sound- A true cold air intake (ebayers LIE!!!). Most of them are warm air intakes (BOOO!). They can actually reduce performance. AEM has a dry flow filter that is supposed to be good, because the filter is not soaked with oil like the K&N. If you can find a CAI (cold air intake) that pulls air from the front of the car and not the wheel well, you're in luck. That alone might get you 10 extra hp. I emphasize "might".

A Y-pipe should get you a nice sound and performance, but they are mostly not street legal. So this sugestion falls under- sound, speed, and tickets. The ticket isn't likely, but is a possibility. HP gains for a good y-pipe can be in the 10-20hp range.

I personally like taking corners WAY too fast. As such, I'd suggest the speed mods and lots of suspension mods.

New struts, lowering springs, strut tower bars, new bushings, wider tires and taller rims.

I could go on for days, but I'd suggest you tell us what you want your car to do.

Also, changing your oil to a full synthetic might be a good idea before the car has too many miles. I wish I did. Amsoil, Royal Purple, and Redline are the ways to go. Extended drain intervals and better wear protection.

[Beancooker]

A Y-pipe should get you a nice sound and performance, but they are mostly not street legal.

That is because you live in California. They are street legal in ALL the 49 other states.

!!!STAY AWAY FROM THE TORNADO, IT IS WORTHLESS!!!

After market suppliers

There is a list of aftermarket suppliers. Personally, I'd start with a Y-pipe then intake and cat back exhaust. After that, I'd do a full suspension replacement, add a strut tower bar, and rear sway bar. After that, it's up to you...

[Sentientbydesign]

Above and beyond "our" emissions requirements, many cities outside California have laws against excessive noise.

Are you out to just contradict me today?

[NewfoundlandDude]

Hey Guys,

Thanks for all the suggestions, I think i'm going to look into the Cold Air Intake, Y-pipe possibly, and maybe some type of exhaust. In response to Sentientbydesign, I am definately looking for more performance without the tickets, lol. I've already got the tint, along with the leather, and the Bose audio system, so I think that any "Looks, etc." will probably be just to replace the amber and red side-marker lights, as I personally think they look like crap. I want the car to look relatively stock, so I doubt that a hood scoop and spoiler are going to be in order, thanks though.Aside from that, I live in Newfoundland, Canada. Where can I find information regarding emission requirements, etc. I'd love to go with the y-pipe, but if I'm going to have to remove it the first time I drive up the street, then it's kind of a lost cause right.One other thing (and I hate to say this), but my car is an automatic. Yeah I'd like to have a standard, but with the deal I got on this car, I couldn't refuse. Is there anything that I can look into to improve shifting and throttle response for the car?I hope this gives you some more fuel for suggestions Sentientbydesign, as I'm here to listen to whatever suggestions you have. For days if that's what it takes!I appreciate all other suggestions guys, I hope to hear some more.

[Sentientbydesign]

I recently read that upgrading your ground wires can help with the shifting. I don't want to completely endorse that, but so I've read.

I once test drove an 01 I30 and the throttle response was sad. There is a possibility that the ECU can be programmed to have a quicker response, but I'm not sure. You'd have to get that info from another member.

I have an auto as well, and besides the decreased power to the wheels because of the transmission sapping it up, it's nice to burn on little ricers who don't know how to speed shift. As soon as they hit second gear and I still have 1500RPMs on 1st, they start losing.

I don't have much info on emissions control. You could check out a local emission testing (Smog check-hear in the States) or muffler shop and ask them for a little advise. Check a couple to get an accurate answer as some will say anything to sell you something.

Not sure how mechanically inclined you are, but I HIGHLY recommend doing the upgrades yourself for any bolt-ons.

There are great write-ups on this site and being in touch with your car can save you money and help you get a kick start on the journey of knowledge you gain by upgrading your Nissan product.

BTW, get a Strut tower bar. I love mine. The extra stability is a great thing to have. It's easy to install. 3 screws on either strut mount.

[MinisterofDOOM]

You can do things like valve body or drop resistor mods to the transmission which will help shifting responsiveness. They'll also lead to harsher shifts during normal driving, though that can be avoided by using a "WOT" switch to engage the drop resisitor only during full throttle. I'm not sure on the details of these mods, though. I'll try and dig them up.

Maxima didn't got to throttle-by-wire (electronic throttle) until 2002 with the 3.5. It's still a direct physical connection, so there's no ECU tuning that can be done to improve throttle responsiveness directly.The best ways to improve responsiveness are to do things like upgrading your intake (short ram, CAI, etc.) and exhaust. A decent intake should net a noticeable improvement in throttle response.

[NewfoundlandDude]

So when I'm looking at CAI vs SRI, which one is better? I live in an area that sees a lot of rain & snow at times. I've heard that they're pretty similar, but which one really gives more performance? Do you guys know what the general Hp gains are, and maybe some pro's & con's for each type.What is the best system to go with along with the intake? Headers? Exhaust, etc? Don't bash me on this guys, remember i'm a new guy just trying to find out some more about some aftermarket parts before I start bolting them on.

[Beancooker]

There is only one person who offers a true CAI anymore, and that is Cattman. It is spendy, but is a true CAI. You can get a K&N Drycharger to cover the filter, and it will keep water out. SRI's work well, about the same as a WAI. You will be pulling in air with close to the same temp from either. The highest HP gains on a 5th Gen Maxima as far as intakes goes, is the GAB. Ghetto air box. I would have done this myself, if I had not thrown out the airbox. Here is a link to the GAB. All in all, you can expect to get about 5 HP from an intake on the 5th Gen Maxima. Our stock airbox ix not very restrictive, so the gains are minimal.

The Y-pipe will eliminate the front bank precat (if your car has Cali spec emissions). If you do not have a Cali spec car, it will not change the emissions on that vehicle. That being said, it is hands down the best HP for dollar mod on the 3.0l Maxima.

The drop resistor mod is esay to do. You can disconnect it, or wire it to a switch. Wire up the resistor circled in blue. You just use the switch to break the circut. It works well, but you don't want to run it like that all the time. It could damage your transmission.

[danielekfuj]

hey bean, have you done this mod or know anyone that has done it? b/c i really don't wanna end up with a car that doesn't run.

[Beancooker]

Which mod, the drop resistor? It was done on my car last summer.

[NewfoundlandDude]

Thanks beancooker.......Can you give me some details about the drop resistor mod? And what is the significance of what you have circled in red?

[hsckris]

It works well, but you don't want to run it like that all the time. It could damage your transmission.

i personally would advise against this. my brother lost a transmission to it.

[Beancooker]

No significance of what is circled in red. The drop resistor mod will give you much crisper shifts. It will shift the car at full line pressure. It is really easy to do. Here is my sad illustration:

The switch is in red, and the resistor is in black. You just have to break the connection to the resistor, and do that via the switch. It is best to have the switch, so you can make the car "normal" when you're not getting on it. If you keep it switched "on" all the time, it can damage your transmission.

[NewfoundlandDude]

Sweet Paint-Job.

[NewfoundlandDude]

hsckris,When I posted 90K, I meant 90K Km's, which is about 56K Miles.Where can I get some good info about ignition replacements?