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The car is still very tight and drives like a much larger car. Hope the mpg's improve though.
Still a happy camper, the wife also wants the car now and wants to give me her 2001 Altima.
The Sandman :-)
Fuel Mileage:
For the first 3,750 miles I was only getting 26mpg. My commute is all highway. I drive 70-77mph on the open roads. I was very dissapointed. My 95 Toyota Corolla had 186k miles, never in the shop and got 33mpg. I heard the fuel mileage was better after changing the oil the first time and the motor had a chance to break-in. So I changed the oil and drove to 7,500 miles. Fuel mileage was the same, 26mpg. I did try to drive it slow 55-65mph for one week, no lead foot, and I got a tad under 28mpg out of it. I really thought about getting rid of it at this point. I'd of ran over the guy that put the 35mpg window sticker on these cars. So after doing some research, and having experience with my motorcycles, I changed the oil again at 11,250. But this time I used Mobil 1 synthetic oil. Corvettes come from the factory with it in them. It is the best rated synthetic oil you can buy. My wife drove the car a day later and came to me. She said "What did you do to the Sentra?". I was like "why do you ask?" She said the car ran soo much smoother and quieter. Had more pep to it too. I noticed the same thing but didn't have a chance to tell her. I drove the car and now I was getting a tad under 30mpg. WOW! I was really impressed how much this oil helped. Also, bear in mind I drove in the summer with the AC on. My other vehicle is now running Mobil 1.
This now brings me to my next discovery. I no longer use the AC since its cooler in NJ, but I work very early in the AM and my windows like to fog up. I noticed that if you start the car, turn on the selector to defogger, the AC compressor kicks in (which it should). My window will clear up and after driving for a bit, I'll turn it back to blow out the front vents. The compressor should dis-engage at this point. But it doesn't. I didn't notice it at first, but now that its even cooler out in the mornings, I was freezing going to work, like the AC was on. I pulled the car over and no matter what I selected, the thing wouldn't dis-engage. The only way it will stop is if you turn off the engine. Then the ducts blow outside temp air. I've tested this thoroughly for the last several weeks. These cars get worse fuel mileage when using the AC compressor, so it must be hurting the fuel mileage. I've been busy and havn't had a chance to have it looked at by Nissan, but will call today for an appointment.
Driving Impression:
One of the other reasons why I though about selling it at the 7,500 mile mark is that the seats are the most uncomfortable seats I've ever been in. They are the WORST! I hurt my back before going on vacation. On our vacation, we drove a total 1,500 miles in our Honda Odyssey w/ leather interior on this vacation. I was not a bit uncomfortable during the 6 hour, 420 mile ride up to Vermont. I get home. Rest for the weekend and go back to work Monday. My back was feeling better, but after 20 minutes in the Sentra, I was in pain. Had to stop and take a break. The last review is deceiving on the links off Edmund's. The review I read, the Sentra was rated #1. But it was the SE-R, with different interior and power. Reading it again, the test was unfair. It outpowered everything and thats why it won. Then they do another test, with the LE. It still had the peppy motor, but the review is horrible. Take away that motor and use my GXE and its in probably last place. What a hunk of junk. Nissan really let things slide on their econo box. After my experience with the 95 Toyota Corolla, I'm sorry I didn't get the new Corolla, instead of this Sentra. The Corolla is rated at 39mpg highway. My old one was rated at 34mpg highway and got 33mpg, with me driving the heck out of it for 186K miles.
If I was looking to buy a new econo/commuter car, go look at the Corolla or the Honda Civic (rated best on fuel economy and comfy interior).
STAY AWAY from the Sentra. It's built more like a Yugo.
Just my opinion,
Tony P.
BUT- with respect to the passage below, my 03 2.5LE DOES THE SAME HIDEOUSLY ANNOYING THING:
This now brings me to my next discovery. I no longer use the AC since its cooler in NJ, but I work very early in the AM and my windows like to fog up. I noticed that if you start the car, turn on the selector to defogger, the AC compressor kicks in (which it should). My window will clear up and after driving for a bit, I'll turn it back to blow out the front vents. The compressor should dis-engage at this point. But it doesn't. I didn't notice it at first, but now that its even cooler out in the mornings, I was freezing going to work, like the AC was on. I pulled the car over and no matter what I selected, the thing wouldn't dis-engage. The only way it will stop is if you turn off the engine. Then the ducts blow outside temp air. I've tested this thoroughly for the last several weeks. These cars get worse fuel mileage when using the AC compressor, so it must be hurting the fuel mileage. I've been busy and havn't had a chance to have it looked at by Nissan, but will call today for an appointment.
best regards,
alpha
Thanks for any help with this question.
The Sandman :-)
Sorry, the Yugo statement was just sarcasm. I don't know how tall you are, and if it makes a difference on seat comfort, but I'm 5'10" tall. The seats are very uncomfortable for me. I've owned at least 35 cars in my lifetime, and I'm just not all that impressed with this Sentra. You are correct on the fuel mileage thing though. If I had looked into it further, I'd probably have bought the Honda Civic. It gets much better reports on fuel mileage. I sold a 2000 Nissan Maxima before getting this Sentra. I loved my Maxima (miss it a lot), but a 26k dollar luxury mid-size was just not practical for commuting. It got like 22-23mpg, but ran on premium fuel.
The other thing I forgot to mention in my review was that the suspension on this Sentra is awful. I have a 2003 GXE. It has 15" rims with Michelin P195/60-15 tires on it. When you hit the slightest bumps in the road, it's like "BANG!" The same roads I drove with the Maxima, I didn't even know the bumps were there. Don't get me wrong, comparing the Maxima to the Sentra is like comparing apples to oranges. Not even the new Altima compares to the Maxima in driving comfort. My neighbor has a brand new 3.5 Altima. The interior is the cheapest looking interior I have ever seen on a car that stickered for @25k. But I'm sure some people love the new car's "fresh" look. To each their own, that why we call them opinions. By the way, I did own a Yugo for about 4 weeks back in the late 80's. It was given to me for free (HAHAHA....LOL) and my friends and I used it for a baja buggy until we blew the engine. We beat the heck out of it. Would pick it up and put it sideways at the store parking lots, just to get a good kick out of people's reactions when they saw it. For the record, the Sentra is much better than the Yugo.
I still havn't called Nissan on the defroster/compressor issue. Too busy at work and at home w/ three kids.
Good luck with your LE.
Best regards,
Tony P.
I have had great success with the Mobil 1 product. I run it in my Honda engine on my powerwasher, my Craftsman SnowBlower and Lawn Tractor and both my cars. I researched oil a few months ago after seeing an episode on the Speed channel talking about oils. Some professor tested a bunch of oils at some Univeristy and concluded that the Mobil 1 was the best oil out there. After only like a 1,000 miles, petroleum based products begin to breakdown very quickly. After thousands of miles the Mobil 1 held about 90% opposed to Castrol GTX that was like 67%. I've seen Dyno runs too where the better lubrication reduced heat and made more horsepower.
Personally, I've seen a big improvement on my 2003 Sentra GXE from switching to Mobil 1. I'd probably have sold the car this past summer if it wasn't for the improvements from this Oil, as I'm not very happy with my Sentra. Hopefully Nissan will fix the defroster thing (see above) and better, higher profile tires, will smooth the ride. It has P195/60-15's on it and I'm going to replace them with P195/65-15's. The taller sidewall of the 65's should eat up the imperfections in the road better. I can't see why Nissan even put a 60 profile tire on a commuter car. On the high-performance SE-R yes, but not on the other models.
Best regards,
Tony P.
I suggest you ask Bret in the tire forum as he helped me with the wife's car and is quite knowledgeable.
The Sandman :-)
Since then, I have driven this car in 30 states in 2 countires.
The car has has ZERO non-scheduled maintenece till now. So far I have
replaced only front tires, front brakes pads/rotors and wiper blades.
Last winter, the car has always started on the first crack in
-10F temps with three year old battery.
The interior looks in better shape than my friend's 02 Altima.
Best mpg: 38 trip to Montreal from NY
Worst mpg: 18 trip to Minneapolis @ temp 15F
Longest trip: 1150 miles, 7 states NJ-PA-OH-MI-IN-IL-IA
Since 30k service, all I have been doing is oil changes for $12 at walmart.
The drivers seat feels flat now. Need to replaced/fix it.
The thing than most impresses me is the engine. The car cruises interstates
at 80mph in the low 3k rpm. It still has power to spare at that speeds. It
can do 95 mph on uphills with a passanger at little over 4kRPM.
The build quality is terrific. Not a single rattle! I hear some minor
buzzes when the temps are in the teens.
My biggest gripe has been floaty feel above 80mph; but it feels
safe and secure upto 70mph
Few months back I decided to replace it with 03 protege5 wagon. I changed
my mind afer the test drive. The 5speed Mazda felt gutless when compared to
my 4speed automatic which has 0.4L less displacement. Mine also gets better mpg.
If Sentra comes with a wagon in the next redesign, I will get in a heartbeat.
I got my GXE Ltd 5spd for $14k in March of 1999.
The car has had ZERO non-scheduled maintenece. So far I have only replaced the tires, front brakes pads/rotors and wiper blades.
The interior looks looks great. Paint still shines, despite my neglect.
Best mpg: 41 interstate
Worst mpg: 32 interstate with AC
Longest trip: 850 miles
Mostly interstate miles, commuting 2hrs/day.
All I have been doing is oil changes for $12 at Walmart and tire rotation. Get tires at Wal-Mart, buy protection plan. I have only bought 2 of the last 4 sets of tires on this car. Those tires never last their expected thousands of miles. Kudos to Wal-Mart Service.
The thing than most impresses me is the engine. The car cruises interstates at 80mph in the low 3k rpm. It still has power to spare at that speeds. It can do 105 mph on interstate.
The build quality is terrific. Not a single rattle! I hear some minor buzzes in the dash when the temps are in the teens.
Within the last week the clutch has developed a squeek and the exhaust has developed a rattled at 1400 rpm.
After 20K miles of aggresive driving more than
50% thread left. This have to be one of the most
economical cars to own and maintain.
..anyone know if these can be had for cheaper elsewhere?
After about 17K, I have had ZERO issues with the vehicle, it is quicker than any other auto equipped car at a similar price/size point, though MPG is only about 27 in a mix of city/hwy.
Nice thing about the Sentras is that the side airbag protects head and chest, one of the few in the class that offers this combo. (ION has side curtains, but no chest protection, Civic and Corolla offer only chest....). Offhand, I belive only the Elantra, Accent, and possibly the Protege offer similar side airbag protection.
I think its a pretty pert handler, tackles off ramps. Seats are supportive, cockpit comfortable and well designed, but the ride could be better.
Rear seat seriously outclassed, in terms of room and comfort, by most other offerings of this size.
Unless there is a significant need for added fuel economy, I strongly recommend the 2.5L in this car. Off the line, certainly surprises lots of unsuspecting posers in high peaking 140hp Celicas and 160hp RSXs, especially if they've got autos.
~alpha
Now, I have a Japanese used engine intalled for 850.00 dollars which include engine and labor. I do spend extra 200 dollars for water pump (new one not rebuild one), engine front and rear seals, EGR valve from dealer, transmission seal (good time to replace when engine is off the compartment), all hoses and drive belts, spark plug wires, spark plugs, rotar, etc.
Now, my car has 305000 miles on it and runs like new.
My Nissan made my every penny worth. Thank you Nissan!
Thanks for any help.
The Sandman :-(
Also- bad news. Sentra reliablity dropped to "Worse than Average" in Consumer Report's latest survey, and so, the model is no longer recommended. HOWEVER, I have had ZERO mechanical or trim issues with mine in the 17k miles and 10 months I've had it.
~alpha
Very unhappy with this issue, but enjoy the car, as it drives very nicely with the 15" wheels, very similar to our '01 Altima.
The Sandman :-(
Guess this is something I'll just have to live with. Having had 2 Corolla's since 1988, I guess I just got spoiled with the great mileage. Otherwise, I really like my Sentra!
The Sandman :-8
own a 2k2 max.). My son is having a problem
with his SE-R . Since he lives in Boston ,
what dealer in the area has the best service
dept. ???? Any positive experiences from you
Bostonians ?
I bought my 1996 Sentra with 80K miles on it 6 months ago from a local small dealer. Since then I have been finding that I have to fill up a quart of oil every 300-400 miles. That is just too much. I also find that my tail lights and rear fender are coated with a black soot. It would mean that my car is burning oil.
Recently the check engine light of my car came on. I brought it over to a mechanic who said that the EGr valve is clogged due to some residue (maybe burnt oil) and so he cleaned it. Now, to verify that truely the oil is burning I did a compression test at home. I removed the spark plugs, put the compression tester one by one in each cylinder and found a compression of 128,115,115,120 psi in each cylinder respectively.
Surprisingly, contrary to what I had thought all the cylinders had the same compression. If there was an oil leak one of the cylinders should definitely show lesser compression. Either this or all the cylinders are leaking oil. Also, after 5000 miles I found that the spark plug were in excellent shape, no black coating, no oil residue, nothing. (only thing was the spark plug gaps were a bit wider which I adjusted) This has got me pretty much stumped.
I haven't noticed any oil puddle underneath the car where I park. Does anyone have any suggestions what would be the possible reason for the oil loss? Do I need to do the compression test some other way? What is the ideal compression for a 1996 Sentra? Any comments/ suggestion would really be appreciated.
If there are no signs of wet oil dripping, I would say that your Sentra engine is not leaking oil, but burning it. Most modern engines will gather a lot of miles before the piston rings are the source of oil consumption. The majority of times you'll find that oil will be pulled into the combustion chamber past the valve guide seals either because they have worn or become brittle. Sometimes the valve guides themselves are worn badly and the valve guide seals cannot adequately keep oil off of the valve stems, allowing it to pass by the guide and into the chamber.
Without checking the Nissan specs, the compression check seems low to me.
Regards,
Dusty
But I am not understanding one thing. If I am burning oil at such a high rate of 1 quart per 400 miles shouldn' t the spark plugs foul very quickly? This isn't happening and hence I am confused.
Thanks
-S
GA16 ENGINE
Nominal - 178 psi
Mimimuim - 149 psi
Maximum cylinder variation - 14 psi
Now, the biggest mistake made by people performing a compression check is in the set-up. The above specifications are based on the following set-up procedure:
1. Engine at full operating temperature
2. All spark plugs removed
3. Throttle at full open position
4. Cranking speed of at least 300 rpm.
You may want to run your test again if you did not measure the compression using the above criteria. A less than well charged battery, throttle closed, spark plugs in, or engine not hot enough will affect the readings enough.
As to the condition of the spark plug. If you were burning a quart per 400 miles -- I know this doesn't sound right if this were a 1960s motor -- but in newer designs with highly efficient combustion chambers that kind of oil usage may not necessarily show up by reading a plug. However, in GM engines that I've worked on that use that much oil, there is rarely a complaint about plug fouling. Those engines the plugs just look a little darker than normal, in the range where you'd think they are just running a little rich.
If you feel that you didn't get an accurate compression reading, then re-test and get better numbers, I'm sure there is nothing wrong with the rings. It will probably be valve guides or seals.
In all honesty, I have seen 100s of these Nissan motors with 150,000 miles and even more that didn't burn a drop of oil. If you bought this car used I wonder if someone over heated it and scored some cylinders.
Let us know what you find.
Regards,
Dusty
1. Removed all the spark plugs
2. Put the compression tester one by one in all the cylinders
3. Cranked the engine the normal way one starts a car i.e. without touching the throttle.
The 3rd point may have affected the compression values. Also my battery is now 6-7 years old, so it may not be the best battery to have the compression test. So I guess I may have to do it again, when I get a chance.
One more thing, my car is right now running fine with 34-35 mpg and normal acceleration except I do see smoke when the car is idling and someone sits inside my car are revs it, there is definitely smoke. I haven't yet seen anything when I am driving and I check my rear view mirror.
I don't know why someone would overheat the engine or score the cylinders, but I did buy the car from a small local dealer so he might have done something, I don't know. Right now, I am afraid to take it to a mechanic to do even a compression test as I don't know for how much they would rip me off and I am a bit short of funds right now... so does someone have an idea how much a valve guide or seal job would cost? Also, at this rate if I decide to do nothing and keep adding oil every 400 miles, eventually would my car break down? Due to what? What exactly would happen?
Thanks everyone,
-S
Thanks!
-S
When I went back to collect the car, the advisor told me that they have broken it – “In an attempt to remove the magnet bolt to drain out the fluid, the technician had broken the transmission casing” she said. “We will fix it as warranty”.
Fine. Three visits to this dealership later (either the spare parts are not there, or something is missing, or they just forgot about me?), on 10/14/2003 the car was back for repair. When I came to take the car, first thing I saw was the upholstery on the drivers seat was soaked with grease and oil! Any way, I took the car for a test, and noticed that there is a problem switching on third gear.
The service manager Tony Beaks agreed that this are real problems, and offered me a to hold the car until is fixed properly, and on a mean while to give me another car. What can I say? I agreed.
So, Tony called the nearby Enterprise office, and told them to give me a car, and to charge the dealership for the rental. He did not mention anything about what is covered, and what – not for the rental period!
I drove the rental car for 22 days! During this period, I did about 5 visits to the dealership, to find out what is happening with our car, and all the time I heard “we are changing spare parts”, or “we are waiting for another spare part” etc.
The car was fixed on 11/06/2003. Well, the upholstery was “cleaned” (how do you clean a carpet, covered with oil and grease?), but the transmission now back to normal.
But, as the top of everything, I ended up with $402 bill for additional insurance for the rental car, that the dealership refuses to cover. I opened a case with Nissan Customer Services, with more than a modest success – seems, the ignorance is the common signature of this people.
So, tomorrow I’ll drive what have left out of our Sentra to the Leesburg Court. Anyone to offer different choice?
Vladi57
I am not sure about making any of those mods, you may want to search the web for a specialty Nissan enthusiasts page, or even a specialty Sentra enthusiasts page.
Best of luck,
~alpha
Does anyone know of a manual way to pull the diagnostic codes (not using a diagnostic tool) on an 01 Sentra? For example, on my Durango, you turn the ignition from 'off' to 'on' 3 times, the code will read out on the odometer. Is anything like this possible on the 01 Sentra? Thanks in advance.
Can't afford to have a mechanic install the thing, plus, parts guy said all I had to do was snap out the little panel near the mirror on the inside of the door, undo the old mirror, plug the new one in, etc.
Problem is step 1 -- I can't "snap out" the panel!
Does anyone know if it actually snaps out, or is there something else I need to do??
As I said, I can't pay the mechanic to install the mirror -- especially if it's something I can do for myself. Please help.
Gratefully,
Rose99
Thanks for any help and Happy New Year!
The Sandman :-)
Steven.
I got a '03 GXE with the Road Trip Package for $14.3k out the door and was very satisfied with the price.
The Sandman :-)
Just bought my daughter a 2004 sentra 1.8s with 10,000 miles on it. Called today to get cruise put on it, Nissan says they don't do aftermarket, referred us to other shops. Both shops say you CAN'T put cruise on a 2004 1.8s -- something about "drive by wire" -- one shop said they tried it, finally had to take it off, it didn't work. I'll be interested in your response, my daughter is distraught, she really loves cruise.
Thanks,
Tom
I did a dealer inventory search on Nissan's website, and there are no 2.5S models in stock at my six closest dealerships. I started to randomly type in ZIP codes and was able to locate only three 2.5S models out of about 50 dealers. All they have are the 1.8 models.
Has anyone else noticed - Are the 2.5S Sentras in short supply? I could probably inquire at a dealer, but I'd rather wait a few months before dealing with that "headache".
Thanks.
Steven.