1998 Nissan Maxima GXE, SE, and GLE A32 Service Manual

• Model and market coverage: Defines the 1998 Nissan Maxima A32 four-door, left-hand-drive, front-wheel-drive sedan in GXE/GXE-L, GLE, SE, SE-S, and SE-L grades. The model-identification tables distinguish non-California U.S., California U.S., and Canadian specifications, plus RE4F04A/RE4F04V automatic and RS5F50A/RS5F50V manual transaxles, including the viscous-LSD versions.
• VQ30DE engine repair: Documents engine removal and installation, oil-pan and timing-case sealing, timing-chain removal and installation, cylinder-head disassembly and inspection, valve-clearance checking and adjustment, cylinder-block service, compression testing, oil-pressure diagnosis, water-pump and thermostat work, radiator service, cooling-fan control, and overheating analysis.
• Automatic, manual, and clutch service: Includes RE4F04A/V TCM terminal-reference checks, electrical and hydraulic diagnosis, stall and line-pressure tests, road testing, shift-lock troubleshooting, transaxle removal, major overhaul, clutch-pack and brake service, oil-pump and control-valve repair, final-drive work, and selective-shim adjustment. The manual-transaxle sections cover gear and synchronizer repair, bearing preload and end play, viscous-coupling checks, and hydraulic-clutch bleeding and component service.
• Engine-control diagnostics: Provides OBD-II DTC indexes, CONSULT and generic scan-tool workflows, ECM terminal and reference-value tables, sensor-reference graphs, intermittent-incident checks, fail-safe and symptom charts, and circuit diagnosis for fuel injection, ignition, misfire, oxygen sensors, EGR, EVAP, catalyst monitoring, idle control, fuel-pump control, and A/T communication.
• Electrical and body-control systems: Maps power-supply routing, ground distribution, starting and charging, lighting, meters, warning systems, wipers, rear defogger, ASCD, audio, sunroof, seats, mirrors, and accessories. IVMS coverage includes the BCM, five local control units, multiplex communication diagnosis, power windows, door locks, remote entry, theft warning, harness layouts, electrical-unit locations, troubleshooting flowcharts, and connector terminal arrangements.
• Chassis, brake, steering, restraint, and body repair: Details front and rear axle service, wheel bearings, drive shafts, suspension components, alignment, brake hydraulics, front and rear disc brakes, parking-brake adjustment, ABS self-diagnosis and circuit checks, steering-gear and pump overhaul, hydraulic bleeding and pressure testing, SRS and seat-belt service, collision diagnosis, trim removal, sunroof diagnosis, glass work, and body-alignment dimensions.
• Manual and automatic climate control: Covers the R-134a system with its variable-displacement compressor, refrigeration-cycle and airflow layouts, performance and abnormal-pressure diagnosis, manual and automatic A/C wiring, automatic-climate self-diagnosis, sensor and actuator checks, auto-amplifier/door-motor communication with PBR position feedback, refrigerant service, leak checking, lubricant management, compressor mounting, and clutch repair.

PDF page breakdown: 1,719 unique pages across 19 section files — Foreword/Quick Reference 11; GI 49; MA 23; EM 75; LC 21; EC 476; FE 5; CL 13; MT 47; AT 293; FA 28; RA 15; BR 66; ST 29; RS 56; BT 48; HA 135; EL 321; alphabetical index 8. The archive also contains a second copy of the same 11-page Foreword/Quick Reference file.

Technical System Overview

This is the Nissan factory service publication for the 1998 Maxima, identified on the opening page as Model A32 Series and marked © 1998 Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., Printed in Japan. It is a full workshop manual set rather than an electrical-only or climate-control supplement. The coverage is specific to the North American four-door Maxima and separates grade, destination, transaxle, and viscous-LSD configurations before a repair procedure or test specification is selected.

The general-information section explains Nissan wiring conventions, connector probing, terminal inspection, electrical-incident simulation, diagnostic flow-chart use, CONSULT access, lifting points, towing, VIN decoding, and model-code interpretation. Special-tool tables identify Nissan and Kent-Moore equipment for major repair work, including the KV10111100/J37228 seal cutter used on the oil pan and rear timing-chain case and the KV101151S0/J38972 lifter-stopper set used during valve-shim service. The maintenance section adds Schedule 1 and Schedule 2 tables, approved fluids and lubricants, and routine engine, chassis, brake, steering, and EVAP inspection procedures.

Diagnostic Data Preview

The diagrams are tied directly to diagnosis and repair. Representative examples include the VQ30DE engine-control system diagram and vacuum-hose drawing, the RE4F04A/V hydraulic control circuit and quick-pinpoint electrical circuit, the ABS hydraulic circuit and ABS wiring diagram, manual and automatic A/C circuit diagrams, the IVMS system diagram with BCM/LCU schematics, and the SMJ, junction-box, fuse-box, electrical-unit, and joint-connector terminal views.

Factory diagnostic coverage goes beyond code definitions. The EC and AT sections supply terminal checks, reference values, operating-condition charts, circuit-isolation procedures, symptom matrices, and non-CONSULT checks. The HVAC, ABS, SRS, ASCD, IVMS, power-window, door-lock, remote-entry, and theft sections use system-specific self-diagnosis or troubleshooting flows, giving a technician a path from the reported symptom to the circuit, control unit, sensor, actuator, or mechanical assembly that requires testing.

Several service cautions are especially important on this platform. After the timing chain is removed, the crankshaft and camshafts must not be turned independently because valve-to-piston contact can occur. The new-type and former A/C refrigerant connections use non-interchangeable O-rings; the wrong seal can leak, while incorrect refrigerant or lubricant can damage the compressor. During hub repair, the ABS wheel sensor is removed first so its edge, wiring, and sensor-rotor teeth are not damaged.

Recover R-134a with approved equipment before opening the refrigerant circuit, and do not probe yellow SRS wiring with electrical test equipment unless the factory procedure specifically calls for it. Service-data sections provide component torque tables, fluid specifications and capacities, pressure-test data, electrical values, clearances, preload and end-play specifications, wear limits, alignment data, and adjustment standards for the covered repair operations.