2000 Nissan Altima

ON 6/11/05 THE INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET FAILED AS EVIDENCED BY THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT TURNING ON AND DIAGNOSIS BY A NISSAN DEALERSHIP IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA. THE FAILURE HAD NO CONSEQUENCES AS I HAD THE GASKET REPLACED IMMEDIATELY; HOWEVER, THE PART IS NOT AVAILABLE. THE SAME EXACT PROBLEM HAS RESURFACED AS OF 12/27/07 AND NISSAN CORPORATION IS NOT WILLING TO HELP FIX THIS PROBLEM IN ANY SHAPE OR FORM. AT THIS POINT, I HAVE DECIDED TO NOT FIX THE PROBLEM AND KEEP DRIVING THE VEHICLE UNTIL THE CONDITION DETERIORATES MUCH FURTHER. FROM I AM TOLD THIS COULD CAUSE THE ENGINE TO STALL, WHICH IS A DEFINITE SAFETY ISSUE SINCE I CAN BE REAR ENDED IN THE EVENT IT DOES. *TR

SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT COMING ON. CAR CONSTANTLY JERKS WHEN IDLING AND SOMETIMES CUTS OUT. SPENT $65 ON A SYSTEM DIAGNOSTIC TEST. INTAKE VALVE GASKET FAILURE. NISSAN DEALER WANTS OVER $600 TO FIX ISSUE. AFTER A LOT OF RESEARCH I'VE FOUND THAT THIS IS A VERY COMMON ISSUE WITH THE 2000 ALTIMA'S. WHY ISN'T NISSAN TAKING CARE OF THIS PROBLEM FOR IT'S CUSTOMERS? *JB

IN MAY OF 2006 I WAS DRIVING MY 2000 NISSAN ALTIMA AND THE SEL LIGHT CAME ON, I GOT OUT OF THE CAR AND CHECKED THE GAS CAP AND IT WAS TIGHT. I CALLED NISSAN AND MENTIONED THIS AND THEY TOLD ME TO CHECK THE CAP AGAIN. AFTER A WEEK I HAD A DIAGNOSTIC TEST DONE THAT REVEALED THE EGR SENSOR WAS BAD. I TOOK THE VEHICLE AND HAD THE EGR CLEANED AND THE LIGHT WENT OFF FOR LESS THAN 24 HOURS. THIS LIGHT HAS BEEN ON CONSTANTLY FOR ABOUT 2 MONTHS NOW AND I THINK THAT NISSAN SHOULD REPLACE THIS AT NO CHARGE. I CALLED NISSAN IN NASHVILLE TN AND THE TECH TOLD ME THAT THEY HAVE BEEN REPLACING A LOT OF EGR SENSORS OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF MONTHS. *JB

INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET FAILURE CAUSING IDLE TO FLUCTUATE, INTERMITTENT STALLING 2000 ALTIMA WITH 57000 MILES, THIS IS A MANUFACTURING DEFECT DUE TO THE EGR PIPE RUNNING TO CLOSE TO CYLINDER 4 AREA OF THE MANIFOLD. THIS IS HAPPENING TO ALL ALTIMAS 1998-2001. NISSAN SHOULD REPAIR AS RECALL, THIS COULD CAUSE ACCIDENTS DUE TO STALLING. THIS SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED. *JB

1) NORMAL DRIVING - SEL LIGHT CAME ON P0304 AND ROUGH ENGINE IDLE 2) INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET FAILED - POOR IDLE - WILL NOT PASS EMISSION TEST - 60K MILES 3) REPLACED GASKET AFTER FINDING MANY OTHER OWNERS HAD SAME PROBLEM EVEN AFTER 32K MILES. NISSAN SHOULD FIX THIS UNDER AN EXTENDED WARRANTY BUT THEY REFUSED. HERE ARE DETAILS OF THE ISSUE: THERE IS AN ENGINEERING OR MATERIAL DEFECT ON THE KA24DE ENGINE IN REGARDS TO THE INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET. FROM READING THE POSTS OF DOZENS OF OWNERS IT APPEARS IT IS HAPPENING TO ENGINES MADE IN THE 00-01 TIME FRAME. IF THIS WERE JUST SOME RANDOM PROBLEM THEN YOU WOULD EXPECT TO SEE ABOUT THE SAME NUMBER OF POSTS ON P0304 AND GASKET LEAKS FOR ANY YEAR CAR. JUST ABOUT ALL THE POSTS CONCERN SPECIFICALLY 00-01. THE FIRST HAND EVIDENCE I HAD IS WHEN I TOOK OFF MY INTAKE MANIFOLD AND CHECKED THE CONDITION OF THE GASKET. THE SIDE WITH THE LEAK WAS AT CYLINDER 4. WHEN I TOOK OFF THE GASKET, THE MATERIAL AT THE CYLINDER 4 SIDE WAS WHAT I CAN ONLY DESCRIBE AS "BAKED". IT WAS HARD AND BRITTLE AND WOULD JUST CRACK OR SNAP VERY EASILY. THE CLOSER THE GASKET WAS TO THE NUMBER 1 CYLINDER IT REMAINED MORE PLIABLE. OBVIOUSLY THE GASKET SEEMS TO HOLD UP BETTER CLOSER TO CYLINDER 1 BECAUSE IT IS COOLER THERE - THAT IS WHERE THE PASSAGE FOR THE COOLANT IS. THIS PROBLEM CAUSES A P0304 CODE TO GET THROWN. THAT IS A MISFIRE AT CYLINDER 4. AGAIN, IF THIS WERE SOME RANDOM PROBLEM - COULDN'T WE REASONABLY EXPECT A NORMAL DISTRIBUTION OF THE CYLINDER MISFIRE CODE FROM P0301, 302, 303, AND 304? BUT THAT IS NOT THE CASE. I DON'T THINK I HAVE SEEN ANY POSTS ON ANYTHING OTHER THAN P0304. THERE IS EXTRA HEAT AROUND CYLINDER 4 ABOVE WHAT THE GASKET MATERIAL IS RATED FOR - WHICH IS AN ENGINE DESIGN ISSUE. 2 CARS VERIFIED SO FAR HAPPEN TO BE CALIFORNIA EMISSION VEHICLES IT SEEMS PLAUSIBLE THAT THE EXTRA HEAT IS RELATED TO THE EMISSION CONTROL DEVICES THESE CARS HAVE - SPECIFICALLY THE EXTRA CAT CONVERTER. *JB