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  #1  
Old 11-08-2012, 01:09 PM
tubbedz's Avatar
tubbedz tubbedz is offline
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2003 Murano
 
Join Date: Feb 2009
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Default 100,000 mile update - don't spend $40000 on a new car!!

Just an update of how my wife's 03 Murano has faired over the years - from my ownership the car started falling apart from 70000 - 100000 miles(read 'em and weep!)

*Purchased Nissan Data Scan Tool $200 = my favorite diagnostic tool for any Nissan, dont waste your time buying the generic diagnostic tool at "Autoz...." btdt!! I also have Murano '03-'07 FSM on CD's

Unsolved...maybe
*Pinging rattling at low rpm while accelerating at working temperature only, as it never ping/rattled when it was cold, this started apprx 70,000miles tried everything from plugs, gas, mass airflow, etc... to retarding the timing 5 degrees = not fixed probably internal engine damage, no CEL/SES
*burning consuming oil apprx 80,000miles, about one quart every three weeks = not fixed probably internal engine damage, no CEL/SES

Fixes(solved)
*Limp Mode * stalls while driving and goes into limp mode...after restart it works fine then goes into limp mode days later apprx 90,000miles = (solved) remove/replace VSS, vehicle speed sensor...easy, no more limp
*No start* engine cranks no start no codes apprx 95,000miles = (solved) remove/replaced Camshaft Position Sensors and IPDM...IPDM is expensive!
*Heavy burning oil smell from oil dripping out of transfer case onto exhaust = (solved) replaced all transfer case axle seals apprx 80,000miles, difficult work, as engine cradle was lowered/removed
*Outter CV axle boots leaking L&R apprx 85,000miles = (solved) boots were not ripped, the metal band clamps fatigue over time...removed/pack grease/new clamps..if you have no money use a couple of long zip ties
*Front suspension knocks/thumps over bumps and sudden braking apprx 80,000miles= (solved) replaced L&R lower control arms, inferior rubber bushings wear fast...I'm trying to mass produce Urethane bushings that will last forever!! Wish me luck as I already have a mold!!!
*Rapid, constant rattling from the rear L or R interior while the vehicle is in motion apprx 50,000miles = (solved) replaced L&R upper shock mounts...very easy to do in fact if you buy certain shocks the bushings are included!!...easy
*Slow starting cranking apprx 85,000miles = (solved) replaced starter and installed high CCA battery, also under the battery tray is your NEGATIVE ground...Nissan loosely bolts this to painted sheetmetal, you need to remove the bolt then grind/sand the sheetmetal and reinstall the bolt with some dielectric grease, also remove the crusty white stuff on your battery terminals as it acts like insulation...easy
*Gas lid/door lid refused to open or sporatic apprx 90,000miles = (solved) replaced the relay in the driver's kick panel
*Lug nut and stud cross threaded apprx 85,000miles =(solved) replaced with new lug and stud from "NAP_" - very easy to do knock it out, tap it in and torque it down...OEM studs are soft and made from inferior imported metal
*Sun Visors falling apprx 85000miles = (solved) fixed with extra screws but requires separation of visors
*High pressure power steering hose leak approx 75000miles = (solved) remove/replaced re-crimped, high pressure power steering hose goes from pump to steering box, also dumped all fluid out of reservoir and put in new power steering fluid
*Front disc brake pads approx 60000miles = (solved) remove/replace front disc brake pads with factory ceramic pads rotors were still perfect
*Replaced air filter with drop-in reuseable air filter..."K&_" apprx 50,000miles...easy
*Replaced CVT fluid apprx 60,000miles....drain/refill at $20/quart...easy
*Replaced two front tires apprx 70,000 miles
*Replaced radio/cd player with "new" Metra Dash kit #99-7612B and Pioneer double DIN touchscreen DVD all in one!! Metra kit also syncs with steering wheel controls!! Also replaced all speakers, installed amps and handsfree bluetooth! Wife loved this one!! I love her too!!

New Engine
*Finally at 100,000 miles, the engine was still pinging/ratlling under load, burning oil and the exhaust was blowing white smoke and went into permanent limp mode (solved) = purchased a new engine with my mechanics discount! I got a new VQ35de for 50% off cost!!! You do the math, minus 50% = dirt cheap!!! With the installation, I installed (2) new catalytic convertors from "Magnaf...", new fuel pump"Airte...", new fuel pump strainer/sender, new knock sensor, replaced all oxygen sensors...all of this for under $9000 !!!
Of course I split the old engine and found that one oxygen sensor was blown and split in half but I had no CEL/SES codes, this could have been why the engine only ping/rattled when it was up to operating temperature...hhmmmmm. Also the thin inferior piston rings were seeping oil, this could have been why the engine was burning a quart of oil every 3 weeks...hhmmmmm. Also there was a layer of oil in the top intake manifold, but I solved this issue also....
A friend and I did the whole installation on our free-time after work in 6 days!!

Relearn-BTDT
Also, if your Murano stalls after starting and rough idles just do the simple "idle relearn procedure". If your Murano sat and had a dead battery for awhile you may need to do the "throttle relearn and idle relearn procedure". If you cleaned your throttle body and manually moved the throttle open and closed you will need to to the "throttle relearn and idle relearn". These procedures are a must-learn for any Nissan owner!

If you folks need guidance on anything just ask or PM me and I will reply. I took tons of pictures! If you need an FSM, tell me what year and I can send you a FSM CD, just cover the CD and postage. I also did little tricks as link the factory key fob to an alarm "shock" sensor so if your car is hit or glass breaks your factory horn will sound. I also installed a filter inline with the PCV so that acumulated oil would not find its way into the intake. Also I know where you can get a NEW complete VQ35DE Murano Engine from the factory for $6500 plus freight...if u buy me a plane ticket for 6-days, I'll install it for free!!!
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  #2  
Old 11-09-2012, 03:03 PM
random32393472838578 random32393472838578 is offline
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2006 Murano
 
Join Date: Nov 2012
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Wow, you have quite the list there, and you did it all yourself? Im very impressed.

On a side note, Wouldnt you think that this is a bit excessive for things to go wrong with a car? We have a toyota previa with 220,000 miles on it, and have never needed any major maintenance on the car. What are your thoughts. Have you ever owned another car where you have had to to this much work on the car? I do see that many of your complaints/concerns include subtle things, like minor rattling, which is normal of any car. To sum it up into a question, after having performed all of these things, what are your thoughts about Nissan's build quality. What other car have you owned?
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  #3  
Old 11-09-2012, 04:08 PM
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tubbedz tubbedz is offline
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2003 Murano
 
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: United States
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Quote:
Originally Posted by random32393472838578 View Post
Wow, you have quite the list there, and you did it all yourself? Im very impressed.

On a side note, Wouldnt you think that this is a bit excessive for things to go wrong with a car? We have a toyota previa with 220,000 miles on it, and have never needed any major maintenance on the car. What are your thoughts. Have you ever owned another car where you have had to to this much work on the car? I do see that many of your complaints/concerns include subtle things, like minor rattling, which is normal of any car. To sum it up into a question, after having performed all of these things, what are your thoughts about Nissan's build quality. What other car have you owned?
I'm a "shadetree" mechanic and raced musclecars all my life. Thanks for the compliment! Yes, I did all the repairs myself. Mechanically, all four stroke engines are the same. Only the sofistication of the electronics makes every vehicle different. If you can purchase the vehicle's software and relate it mechanically you can repair it.

Yes, I agree the repairs are excessive for 100,000 miles.

I feel the electronics and sofistication of newer vehicles has overwhelmed the normal automobile owner. You can't dignose it's ailments unless you have a $10,000 diagnostic computer. I feel the average repair for any vehicle in the future will be $1000 to $2000. The normal vehicle owner will need to get used to these prices. Gone are the $75 - $200 repair bills. It's inevitable and impossible! Try buying a new vehicle with no warranty!! LOL!!! These young kids that do engine swaps, piggyback ECU's and re-write software are the future mechanics!!


I dont like or care for any manufacturer with any version of a CVT. It is a very, very weak design. Most manufacturers place a heavy duty transmission behind their "turbo" cars, why not put a heavy duty transmission in ALL their cars.

Also, most newer vehicles have a "limp mode" and no one knows what it is! My wife doesn't even know what "limp mode" is.....no pun intended. Most people on several different forums think it's their transmission failing...LOL!!

I had a Honda Civic for a 100,000 miles and all I repaired was brakes/AC/timing belt, no rattles or squeeks. I had a BMW 325 and all I repaired was brakes/AC/oil leaks and interior rattles. I had a Toyota Celilca that burned excessive oil identical to the oil burning in the VQ35de. I also had a Toyota Sienna that burnt excessive oil. A friend has a Toyota Corolla that is burning excessive oil. Every foreign engine I "split" open with excessive oil consumption had oily pistons with thin rings. From what I have seen, it seems like newer cars have thin and flimsy oil control rings that fail(clogged) which soak the catalytic convertors with oil causing the convertors reversion into the chamber. I also noticed that the PCV valve sucks oil vapor back into the intake runner to get re-burned but coats the upper intake and intake valves with a layer of oil. Try pulling the manifold off your Previa, I bet it's coated with oil.

If I bought another vehicle, I would watch the oil consumption after 50000 miles. I see more vehicles with this issue everyday! If I had to choose a Make or Model....buy the Warranty! The most Warranty you can buy that covers everything on the vehicle!!
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  #4  
Old 11-13-2012, 02:13 PM
jmollner jmollner is offline
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2003 Murano
 
Join Date: Jun 2008
Posts: 3
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I am also impressed with your mechanical skills. I am also fairly mechanical, but nowhere to the extent that you are. I also bought a diagnostic reader at Costco for a little less than $100 and it diagnosed a couple problems perfectly. Here in CA, we used to be able to get free code readouts at places like Autozone, O'Reilly, etc. but apparently the dealers must have lobbied to put a stop to that.

I can't say I'd recommend for anyone without your skills to keep a Murano that long. My local dealer's service advisor was obviously on commission because I could never get a normal price for service out of him. He never failed to tell me I needed to do additional repairs or fluid changes including changing the CVT fluid at 30k. He also insisted that our San Diego 'hot' weather was harder on the car than the northeast and to follow the severe use maintenance schedule.

My wife also had an unintended accelleration incident, luckily while parking, and ran into the back of another SUV. The car would then start, rung for about 5 seconds and die. Both myself and the regional technician that Nissan sent out to look at the car agreed that the problem was probably caused by the air duct to the throttle body partially separating and the computer compensating with an extra shot of fuel. I had missed a recall notice where Nissan would have replaced the ducting and clamps. But, to no surprise, Nissan corporate concluded that it was not a fault wtih the car.

Our Murano was a fun car to drive, but rather than look forward to future expensive CVT, transaxle and other repairs, I traded it in on a Toyota. I'll never buy Nissan again.
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  #5  
Old 11-15-2012, 11:47 AM
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tubbedz tubbedz is offline
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jmollner

I'm very sorry your Nissan let you down. I felt the same way about Toyota and Honda after all the oil consumption issues I had personally seen. I feel that it is a hit-or-miss with vehicles today. I don't think there is one auto manufacturer who has made a decent long lasting vehicle since. Google "oil consumption"....all manufacturers have this issue. I think the current engineering of engines are made to follow the strict mandated EPA laws, which compromises its longetivity. Onto this, add a sophisticated ECU and it's a recipe for an unexplained, expensive repair bill!!

Sometimes I think it's funny that my 60's Corvette has never skipped a beat. Other than oil changes, spark plugs, filters and gas....I drive it all the time! In the end, my wife love's the look and drive of her Murano, so in her case I'll continue to keep it running regardless of it's demeanor. With vehicles, if you find something within your liking and budget, "try it"...it may last, it may not. I hope you find better luck with your Toyota. Take Care!!
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  #6  
Old 11-25-2012, 05:25 PM
jmollner jmollner is offline
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Join Date: Jun 2008
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tubbedz,

Thanks for the nice reply. As far as being fun to drive, the Murano beats out most of the cars I've had. I didn't have any oil consumption problems with it. I think the most I added between changes was 1/2 a quart. I used Mobile One and changed every 5k. My 2004 Accord has the same schedule and also I don't have any oil consumption problems with it. Neither car leaked a drop.

I was one of the 'lucky' Murano owners who actually had the problem with an object I ran over puncturing the gas tank. And it had that ugly shield that, after a recall, Nissan put on to prevent it. I later put on another one that was metal, shielded most of the gas tank and was not visible like that plastic shield from Nissan. When that happened we were about 2 hours from home starting a vacation to Yosemite. We towed the car to a Nissan dealer and strangely enough, rented a newer style Murano and continued our trip. I liked the ride and handling of the 2003 a lot more than the new style Murano. Like I said before, if I had your mechanical skills and the time, I may have kept it. Hopefully, some day I'll read that you got another 100k out of your Murano with little to know repairs. You take care, too!
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  #7  
Old 06-23-2014, 12:30 PM
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tubbedz tubbedz is offline
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2003 Murano
 
Join Date: Feb 2009
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It's been 30,000 miles since the new engine installation and I had to tend to more fixes. At the 130,000 mile mark one of the rear ignition coils threw a code and failed. So I replaced all three rear ignition coils with genuine Nissan parts. A month later one of the front ignition coils threw a code and failed. So I replaced all three front ignition coils with genuine Nissan parts.

Next, I needed to get a pair of new ignition keys made. I got a CEL that stated I had a bad ignition key lock. Both my keys could not start the vehicle. I would turn the key, the dash lights would turn on but no starter noise or movement. Weird, I thought it was the starter but I previously replaced that also! I guess the keys wear over time??? Well I hoped that the key lock was fine as a new ignition lock is ridiculously expensive. I purchased two new keys from the "stealer" and hed them program the the keys to match the vehicle. This costed me $300...so apprx $150 each with programming. The new keys were gold plated...why? I don't know.

One day I got a CEL after driving on the freeway, but it would disappear later. So another day I pulled over when the CEL appeared. I plugged in my laptop and found out that the throttle body was at fault. I visited Mr Oreilly and they sell rebuilt OEM Nissan throttle bodies for a little over a hundred dollars. It is the exact TB as OEM, I could see no visible differences! A new TB from Nissan is over $600 !!! I bolted it in, then rotated the ignition key to on/off several times to program, started the vehicle and waited for it to reach operating temperature. At operating temperature, I plugged in my laptop and did the "idle relearn procedure". Whew!

Next the two front disc brake rotors would constantly squeal upon braking. So I pulled the wheels off and inspected the front brakes. Both front rotors had an unusual wear pattern. They had wavy rigids. This was a first for me as I've seen warped rotors before and have not seen wavy smooth rigids. I could only guess that it's probably due to foreign metallurgy. So I replaced the two front rotors and pads. Done...no squeal.

After a while the vehicle started to howl when turning left and the steering wheel would wobble at 60mph. I inspected the left front wheel bearing hub and removed it. It spun freely but it spun roughly and not smoothly. So I purchase two new front hubs and replaced both left and right sides.

While replaceing the wheel bearings I notice that the inner CV boots on both the left and right half-shafts were torn and grease was flung all over the front suspension. I disassembled the half-shafts and replaced the inner CV boots on both the left and right sides. Then I used several cans of brakleen to rid the grease off of the front suspension. Nice and clean again.

The radiator showed signs of leaking. It started leaking where the top plastic tank is crimped to the aluminum core. Apparently, there is a rubber o-ring gasket that is crimped between the two. So rather than uncrimping the tanks from the core, I bought a new radiator and replaced it. At the same time I replaced the upper and lower radiator hoses, cleaned the coolant overflow tank, and replaced the oil filter cooler hoses. Also the upper radiator mounting bushings were badly deteriorated, so I replaced those also.

One day I received another CEL. This was P0463, fuel level sensor. The CEL only appears at anything less than a 1/4 tank. Above that, no CEL. I previously replaced the fuel pump and the adjacent level sensor so what happened? I removed both from both sides of the fuel tank. Apparently the level sensor's contacts lose pressure on the level sensor circuit board. This happens as the contacs are on flimsy bendable mounting points so that it can tend to the slushing of fuel in the tank. So I removed the black c-clip that holds the float arm and popped off the float arm. I carefully bended the mounting points so that a positive connection would be made when it rests on the circuit board. Then reassembled everything. Just an fyi, there are two level sensors in the fuel tank. One is on the fuel pump and the other resides in the other tank. There is only one Nissan listing for both fuel level sensors as they are identical.

Whew...I hope my findings can help someone else !!
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