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Good luck!
Obi
Open a can...pour it on the windshield...sponge...rinse...dry and then clean the glass with Windex or...my favorite...Zep Foaming Glass Cleaner (available at Home Depot).
By the way, the Coke can be cold or hot...so after you are done with the glass, you can enjoy a swig.
Happy Motoring!!
By the way - my positive Maxima experience is how I also ended up with an S2000. After 7 years and 115,000 miles last fall, my accountant pointed out that I had fully depreciated it as my business car and suggested I consider replacing it. I seriously considered a new BMW 530i, but after doing a few calculations, keeping the Maxima and getting an S2000 was cheaper. Now the Maxima is 8 years old and has 130,000 miles and it STILL runs and looks great! I'm now thinking I'll never sell or trade it. My 7 year old daughter has laid claim to inheriting it in about 10 years. My 4 year old wants the S2000. Leaving my wife and me with an Isuzu Trooper - I don't think so!
I hope your Maxima experience is as good as mine has been. Enjoy your new ride.
Equally importantly, the car still looks damn good (ruby pearl exterior). I started off waxing it every 3-4 months with Maguieres #26 and the finish has held up extremely well. That's important, since as my business car, I can't afford to drive around in something that doesn't look sharp, no matter how reliable it is. I'm probably biased, but I have rarely seen a similar vintage Camry or Accord that still looks as fresh as my 1995 Maxima.
P.S. Had the entire car checked over last fall when I was considering upgrading to a BMW 530i (my Nissan dealer also is a BMW dealer). Good news and bad news for me. They indicated it is virtually perfect mechanically (engine compression within new car tolerances), but the trade in value on a 7 year old 115k mile car was minimal compared to the $42-$45k the 530i would cost. They suggested keeping the Maxima and getting a Z3 for fun. Good news and bad news for them. I kept the Maxima and got a Honda S2000.
A few years ago I found an independent local repair shop that specializes in "import" cars. The technicians cars (parked in the lot) are almost all import models with lots of external (and internal) modifications readily apparent.
They have a "purchase inspection" service(s) that they perform for anyone on any car. Two levels, one for $40, test drive and then car up on the lift and a visual inspection of all major components or a second one that is $90 where they also include a compression check on all cylinders.
I have used their purchase inspection(s) shortly before the warranties expired on all of our vehicles. Identifiying potential issues and then pointing out these suspected issues to the Nissan dealer (in writing) right before the warranty expires.
They'll of course check it out and point out that the car is "operating to specification" but when the suspect part fails later you have a good shot at getting it fixed because you brought up the issue before the warranty expired.
This has saved us a significant amount of $$ over the years and while it may be interpeted as slightly sneaky, I don't believe it's any more sneaky than the usual dealer service (no-service?)tricks that we all occasionally suspect.
I did replace the 15" GLE alloy wheels (from the 95) with some 16" spoked alloys (just to fill the wheels wells a little more) a couple of years ago. I took the 15" wheels and put dedicated snow tires on them for getting around easier in winter (used mostly on the 00). I've never had any significant problem with tire pressure.
As I write this I realize that I have noticed over the years and miles that both Maximas (probably because of the front wheel drive and extra weight up there)do tend to need air in the front tires more often than the rears. I'm talking 1-2 lbs of air about every 2 weeks (that's about 1600 miles of 90% highway driving for me).
Since you ought to check your air pressure weekly anyhow I've never thought anything about it.
How much air do they loose in a week? Is it in the fronts, rears, or one of each?
as I own one and am VERY satisfied with it to the
point that I am definitely going to buy another
one. I, and I'm sure others who routinely read this
board, would be interested in what you believe to
be examples of the "poor overall quality" of the
car.
berbel
To cover my a%$ here, I also spent some time in a 5-speed 96 Maxima SE. I loved that car as well, but it was not better than the 02 I own.
Just my 2 cents.
Obi
If that's not all, my husband recently sold his '93 XE Path that he had for 9 years and bought a '02 LE Path. I got him stuck too!
BTW- I posted on the maxima problems board concerning the dimly lit check engine light that's on all the time. Would anyone know anything about that strange problem?
I find the peace of mind in knowing that I am breaking in the car myself to be worth something (probably more on the S2000 that I bought last fall than a Maxima, but still important). In addition the used 2002 has less than 1/2 of its warranty left. Not a big deal, but neither is saving 12% over a brand new car. Also, if you have any intention of selling/trading in 4-5 years or less, a 1-owner 2003 will be worth quite a bit more than a 2-owner 2002 with an extra 20k on it's odometer. If the extra $3k up front doesn't break your bank, I think its a good investment. I wouldn't go to a used 2002 unless you were saving more like $6k (equaivalent to 30 cents per mile).
If anyone out there disagrees, please let me know. I'd love to buy new every year, drive 20k miles and sell at the end of the year for only a $3k depreciation hit. Maybe we can work out an annual deal.
That can happen with any used car however.
I think the odds of getting a seriously abused Maxima from a rental company are much higher than getting it from an original owner.
I know for a fact that the rental companies do not break in their cars according to the manufacturer's recomendations (I've driven a lot of rental cars with less than 300 miles on the odometer, several times as low as 100 miles).
Well two words will sum this up. See ya!
I have purchase 4 cars from them over the years and this is what I get. Anyway, if you can think of anything else please post a reply. I hesitate to park it in a busy corner with for sale sign's in case of theft or damage.
TIA
If you have a Carmax around you, you could take it there. They will buy your car, whether you buy theirs or not. Their site is http://www.carmax.com. Good luck.
Now the only things that i would recomend NOT to get would be the bose system, plain out it SUCKS!!!! i think eventually i will replace it, i am currently getting the dealer to replace the entire radio due to the many problems i have with the 6 cd in-dash system. Aside from that the paint also sucks! so i am not sure how my car will lokk 3 years down the road when i decide to trade it. One thing is for sure i think i will have to get a bmw and audi or i might just try the V8-passat, cause i dont like any of the other cars i see, not too sure about lexus.
My car has plenty of power, pluss i am a daddy and i dont want to drive a minivan. If u have specific questions please email me at :
DMELE72406@aol.com
so last week i finally got the balls to do it.(123MPH) i did it for about 10 minutes while crossing NJ I-80. WoW, what a rufh, but the car felt a bit loose and the tires were not gripping as i thought they would, every time i took a vurve the rear felt as if it was slidding, how can i improve the handling of my car without putting so much money into it?
Any New yorkers that can recomend good places to get performance upgrades in Queens?
What about tires any recomendations???
You didn't say what you were asking for the car, but what would you pay for a 3+ year old car with 65k miles when a brand new Maxima SE can be had for $25k or less? And, by the way, the difference in performance with the 255 hp 6-speed 2002/3 is significant. I have a 1995 SE 5-speed and was heavily lobbied to trade for a 2000 a few years ago. I was convinced (and auto magazine tests seem to confirm) that my 1995 was quicker than the 222 horsepower 2000/2001 model. That's not the case with the 2002/3 6-speeds. That certainly doesn't mean that your 2000 is worthless, but it is a slight factor.
I decided from about 1998 on that my 1995 Maxima was worth more to me than I could ever get in a private sale or trade in. Just last fall, I considered getting a 530i from my Nissan/BMW dealership. They apologized that, even though the Maxima was in near perfect condition, they couldn't offer me more than $5k for it (115k miles). I again decided it was worth more than that to me, kept it and bought a Honda S2000 as a fun car instead. The Maxima now has 130k miles and it STILL looks and runs like new. I've now decided that when it's time to get a new sedan, I will give away the Maxima to a family member or friend before I trade or sell it for a low price.
If you are really itching to get a new car, then you have to do what you have to do. But I might suggest you consider that you have a lot of good life left in your Maxima that others may not value as much as you. A lot of my friends and business associates (and even employees) are driving around in new $30-$100k+ cars. I am not embarassed in the least to be seen in a 8-year old Maxima with 130k miles, given the way it looks and has held up. You've got 5 years to catch up to me, and by then the resale issue won't matter as much.
Or should i just replace the rims all together?
any recomendations?
They might be able to help you.
BTW, a similar year Honda Accord EX V6 are selling in the mid to upper teens, so I figured the bigger and better Maxima should be able to bring the same resale value.
Thanks for your impute
2. Upgrade springs (like Maxspeed)
3. Add front strut tower bar
4. Add rear sway bar
Go to http://www.maxima.org and check the forums for more info
Then you're off to the races.
Obi
I have no discernable paint chips, but I bought the car used, so I probably don't look quite as close as those who buy new.
What the car is good at picking up is door dings/scratches. Park very far away from other cars if possible. That, and any kind of scratch on the black bumper (there are a few) instantly reveals the white underneath.
As for quality of paint, like I said, I don't notice significant chips, but I don't get a magnifying glass and go over my car either. Just enjoy the ride--its a great drive, folks. And if you think the paint thing is isolated to Nissan--go to the Camry boards and read the problems/complaints about paint chipping there.
The problem is really getting to me. For one, the 3.5VQ engine is supposed to be one of the best, yet here I am at 5k miles with pinging/knocking. Second, it really takes away from the driving experience. I'm starting to get paranoid about possible long-term damage I could be doing to the engine since a large portion of my driving is under these conditions. For example, when cruising at 75mph on a long trip a lot of time is spent with the engine under moderate load and with the RPMs in that range. Because of the speed I can no longer hear the problem, but it might very well be happening for long periods of time.
As for gas I *only* use premium (93 and higher) from well-known vendors. I've also tried different stations to rule out the possibility of bad gas. Made no difference.
I took it to my local dealer about a month ago, and a mechanic rode with me on a test drive and heard the problem. But because there were no engine service codes in the computer they said they couldn't do anything about it.
I plan on taking it in again soon to the dealer I purchased it from (a different one). This time I'm going to push them harder.
Bottom line, this is not normal for a car/engine this new. And just because there's no code for it doesn't mean there's not a problem. The computer can detect many problems but not all.
My questions to people in the forum are:
1) Has anyone else ever experienced this? If so, were you able to track down the problem?
2) Anyone have any suggestions on what could be causing this? Water in the gas? Bad knock sensor (although wouldn't that generate a service code?) Bad ignition coil(s)? Bad spark plug(s)? When I bring it in I'd like to have a list of valid things they can check.
3) If you had this problem in your car, how concerned would you be? Am I justified in thinking this could cause long-term damage? Or should I think of it more as just an annoyance?
Thanks in advance for any help. I'll also be sure to post an update after I visit the dealer.
My only suggestion would be to demand a visit by the factory rep if you don't get the problem solved by your selling dealer. Let them know that all of us here on the Edmunds' Maxima board, including lot of perspective buyers, are anxious to hear what the problem was and how it was solved. I certainly am.
I took delivery on 10/99.
I paid 23,000. There were no incentives at the time, except 5.9% financing. The sticker was just under 25,000.
I had the transmission TSB (technical service bulletin) performed even though the dealer could not duplicate the problem. I had the brake TSB (warped rotors)done twice. The brake rotors are warped again. I had the coil packs replaced because of engine pinging; all under warranty. I had to argue with the dealer each time to obtain warranty service.
I never had a non warranty repair, except for brake pads.
The paint did not hold up very well over the last 3 years, particularly on the rear bumper. Then there is the creaking sound that comes from the A-pillars during the winter.
My Maxima turned out to be a great vehicle. Roomy, comfortable, great handling, quiet and fast. A quality vehicle despite some minor shortcomings. I am very satisfied and would absolutely buy it again.
While I would recommend the Maxima to anyone, I chose to replace it with the Infiniti G35. I am moving up market.
Anybody else upgrade to the G35? What are your thoughts?
I considered replacing my Maxima last fall with a 530i, but elected to keep it another year or two. Did you compare the G35 to either the 530i or 330i? I prefer a manual transmission and "sport" rather than luxury handling, hence my choices last fall. Also, with discounted European Delivery, I could get a great deal on BMW's compared to their MSRP. Roughly $36k for a 330i with an MSRP of $40k+ and roughly $41k for a 530i with an MSRP of $47k. A G35 at full MSRP doesn't seem like as good of a deal, but I understand they are now discounting in our area. I also understand the G35 sedan will offer a 6-speed soon.
I would be interested in your decision process and what else you considered, since I will add the G35 to my list of possible choices once I get back in the market. Thanks.
Could somebody check their center armrest for me and see if it has some free play when it is in the up position (not open, just up on the second level). Mine moves back and forth a few inches and when it is all the way down, I can hear it move when you take your arm off of it. Very minor I know but wanted to see if others did the same. Otherwise, wish the seats were just a little softer but love the car.
What bothers me is whether I am someway damaging my car by skipping the minor services. As my car has been running good all this while I don't believe so, but definitely would appreciate others' take on this and their servicing schedule.
Here in SoCal, though, the octane is only 91, so that might contribute to the problem (at least in this state). Good luck!
Obi