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Comments
I'm not sure I would recommend going 30k miles between dealer services (unless you drive 30k+ highway miles a year). I like the peace of mind that I've had the tires rotated, brakes checked, fluids checked, etc. every year or so. I was able to monitor brake pad wear and replace before rotor damage, etc. They lasted over 90k for the fronts and 115k for the rears. Tires have lasted 50k+ miles per set, thanks in part to regular rotation.
I agree that going to the dealership every 3,750 or 7,500 miles is a little excessive, unless the car is driven very hard or has to endure a lot of stop and go driving.
I have a 95 SE 5-speed and did not replace my front pads until over 90k miles and rear pads until 115k miles. The rotors were fine and did not need to be serviced, let alone replaced.
I have heard that 5k miles per year of stop and go driving and/or periods of inactivity are much tougher on a car than 15-20k+ miles per year of mostly highway driving. Your experience seems to confirm this.
By the way, my Nissan/BMW dealer offered a free check last fall and even threw in a free engine compression test, since I was considering trading up to a 530i. The compression check came back within a few percent of new car tolerances (i.e. "exceptional" in the words of the service manager). Unfortunately for them, they convinced me to keep the car! Have you ever had yours checked, and what did it show?
never did say anything more about the "overall poor
quality of the Maxima" after I asked him if he would cite specifics for us.....!?
berbel
But we want to know more about the S2000 now!
ago and they plugged the OBD2 machine in- no codes were stored. They said one possiblilty is a faulty printed circuit. Now that the new stereo they ordered 3 months ago is finally in, the car will go in for that and the light. Not having experienced a problem like this, it will be fun to learn what the problem really is. Will post an update...
I didn't catch the year of your vehicle, but if its a 2000+ vehicle, there's a known issue with warped rotors that will of course affect your brake pads as well. Huge issue for many, many 2000+ owners.
habitat1,
Your 95 is a great car, but its not always comparing apples to apples. The fourth Gen (94-99) Maximas have not had near the litany of issues that the fifth Gen (2000-now) Maximas have had.
1) Got a 2003 GLE meridian ed. w/traction for $26K + tax + reg. Good deal or could I have done better with this incentive going on this month?
2) Dealer says octane 89 gas (the middle rated one) is good enough. Anyone recommend going with supreme?
3) Anyone recommend/not recommend anything during the "break-in" 1000 miles (other than what the manual says)?
Decided on the Max instead of Acura TL-S. Time will tell, but thus far very happy.
Thanks,
- Ray
Who is looking for a reasonable compromise for some SoCal driving in a couple of weeks . . .
And what are you going to do without your beloved Passat W8 for those couple of weeks?
I personally think it's a tad on the pricier side. As a general rule of thumb that I think applies to most cars especially the Maxima, a car is roughly worth 50% of its value every three years. So, if the 1997 Maxima cost $25,000 when it was new, it was worth about $12,500 three years later (in 2000), and in a few months (come 2003) it'll be worth about $6250.
Of course, value is in the eye of the beholder. The car does have low miles and it might be in fantastic condition, so a buyer might be willing to pay more than the above stated $6250. But no way would I pay $9800 for it knowing I could probably get a later model year for the same price. I hope this helps.
Best of luck,
Adnan
of July, if that helps.
I financed 85% of the total cost through Nissan.
The max seemed a better value and the TL-S transmission problems concerned me. What have you heard about the "inferior rear beam suspension" Problematic? Also, extended warranties with Nissan, any experience with them? I got one figuring I would be putting 15K+ miles per year. No problems with the stereo... yet.
Also, Obi, if you are getting pinging on a regular basis you should have it looked at. Even if it doesn't bother you it may be causing damage to your engine. Bottom line is that it is not supposed to do that.
1/ Towards the upper inside front of the door, pop off the round plastic cap and remove the bolt inside.
2/ Inside your door handle (where you put your hands to pull the door closed), pop out the round plastic cap using a screwdriver and remove that screw. This lets you remove the plastic top to the power window/lock cluster (tilt the top up from the back side and then pull it out).
3/ Remove the oval plastic shell surrounding the handle for opening the door. It snaps on using plastic tabs (top, bottom, and sides), so it's best to use a screwdriver to gently release the tabs.
4/ Grasp the top of the door panel at one end where it touches the window, and gently twist it up and over the door frame. Do this all along the length of the panel where it touches the window.
5/ Pop out the plastic connectors along the sides and bottom of the door to finish removing it. Use your hands to do it, although it might take a little force to make them pop out. I think there were 3 along the bottom and 2 on each side.
6/ Now that the panel is loose, undo the wires for the gas cap/trunk opener. They just snap in using tabs. So use a screwdriver to lift the tab. You can now completely remove the panel.
As far as my rattle goes, I'm not 100% sure what it was. I did notice there were a couple of spots where the clear plastic liner could wiggle and vibrate against the metal frame. So I just glued the liner down using some plastic rubber. There was also a styrofoam piece on the door panel that was rubbing a little on some plastic, so I put a dab of grease on that.
I then reinstalled the panel, went for a quick test drive, and the noise was gone.
and without 4-wheel independent suspension and trust me,unless you drive your car to it's ultimate suspension limits, it doesn't matter
if you have a multi-link beam or a 4- wheel
ind. susp.
Unless you are a super aggressive driver and
attack back country roads with a vengence, you
probable won't notice much difference except for
the very rare and occasional hop. My '86 Max did
have one nice feature that I miss. It had a 3-way
adjustable suspension ( soft, normal, firm ) con-
trolled by a switch on the console. Each shock
had a motorized diaphram which would open or close to change the damping depending on where
you had set the switch. Nice !!
Yamadave: Congrats on your sheer beauty. I
know your gonna love the car. Don't worry about
reliability. Use premium fuel, and change fluids and filters regularly and you'll be set.
The new Corolla's and Matrix have something called "semi-intependant" trailing arms, but it looks identical to my 2002 SE's suspension
???
Obi
As Edmunds and other auto reviewers pointed out, the rear beam suspension is a cost-cutting measure by Nissan. That is why after numerous consumers' complaints, Nissan finally will revert the suspension to the traditional four wheel independent type in 2004. However, starting in 2004, all Max will be made in the US (versus Japan), and that is one of the reasons why I opted to buy the 2003, even though it has the inferior suspension, plus the fact that most first year cars are prone to having problems. Just my opinion, but I guess other members on this Board will like share my sentiments.
Seeya
-Getz