96 Maxima Starter Replacement Instructions

The Nissan Maxima was originally sold in the United States as the Datsun 810, beginning in 1977. The first Nissan Maxima nameplate appeared on the car in 1981. The 1996 Nissan Maxima came equipped with a 3.0-liter DOHC V-6 engine. The starter on the 1996 Maxima is accessed from the top of the engine compartment, which differs from many cars that have the starter mounted on the bottom of the car. Replacing the starter on the 1996 Maxima is only moderately challenging and should not take more than a couple of hours to complete.

Instructions

1

Raise the hood on the Maxima and set the hood prop. Remove the negative battery cable from the battery with an open-end wrench. Tuck the battery cable to the side of the battery, so that there is no chance of accidental contact during this entire project.

2

Remove the air filter housing lid by unsnapping the clips and pulling it upward. Loosen the hose connector on the engine side of the air intake, with a ratchet and a socket. Disconnect any small breather hoses or electrical connectors that are attached to the air intake hose. Remove the air intake hose and filter housing lid from the engine compartment.

3

Remove the positive battery lead wire to the solenoid, using an open-end wrench. Turn the tie-down nut counterclockwise to remove it from the starter wire post. Pull the lock washer and nut off, then remove the wire by hand. Disconnect the starter wiring harness, which is attached to the wires leading off the starter, toward the front of the engine. Use your finger to depress the locking tab on the wire connector, then pull the two pieces of the connector apart.

4

Loosen the starter bolts from the transmission and engine, using a 1/2-inch-drive breaker bar and socket set. Once the bolts are loose, you can use a ratchet and socket to remove them. Remove the upper mounting bolt from the transmission housing first. Remove the lower mounting bolt while leaving your free hand underneath the starter to make sure it does not fall out and damage any other engine parts. Pull the old starter horizontally out of the transmission housing, then up and out of the engine compartment.

5

Install the new starter, with the solenoid facing upward and toward the front of the engine. Install the upper starter mounting bolt by hand, and start threading it into the transmission housing. Install the lower bolt and thread it into the engine by hand to ensure proper threading.

6

Connect the wire connector on the car together with the connector on the new starter. Plug the two ends together and push them until they click. Install the positive battery wire onto the solenoid wire post. Install a lock washer onto the post then install the wire nut by hand. Tighten the wire nut snug with an open-end wrench. Do not over-tighten the wire nut, or you will dislocate the post from the new starter.

7

Tighten the upper starter mounting bolt snug into the transmission, then turn the ratchet about 1/4 turn farther. Tighten the lower mounting bolt snug, then turn the ratchet about 1/2 turn farther. You need more torque on the lower bolt than the top bolt, as the lower bolt is much longer and holds the starter to the engine.

8

Install the air intake onto the engine, and tighten the intake clamp snug with a ratchet and socket. Install the air filter housing lid, then lock it in place with the housing clips. Install any small breather hoses or electrical connectors that were disconnected during removal of the starter. Install the negative battery cable back onto the battery, and tighten the cable nut snug with an open-end wrench.