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Nissan Sentra Repairs
I have a '97 Nissan Sentra GXE. It will be 3
years old this July. It has almost 62,000 miles on
it. I am having a strange problem. Every once in
a while, thick, white smoke will pour out of the
exhaust while driving. It has done this about 6
times in the last month or two. Until recently,
except for the smoke, you would never never know
anything was wrong. The car didn't stall,
hesitate, shake or sputter. As quickly as it
started, it would go away and then everything was
back to normal. The last 2 times it has done it,
the car hesitated. For a split second, the car had
no power. It didn't stall, but didn't want to do
anything. Then the smoke would go away and then
everything was back to normal. The problem is
starting to occur with increasing frequency. There
is no rhyme or reason as to when it will happen.
I've made an appointment with Peruzzi Nissan in
Langhorne, PA. Anybody else ever have this
problem? If so, what was it? Also, I recently had a
problem with a clicking noise from the front end
while braking at low speeds. Peruzzi said the
upper struts were loose and also tightened the axle
nut. It's only been a couple of weeks, but the
problem has seemed to disappear. Has anyone ever
heard of this problem. I'm beginning to wonder if
I should trade the car in on a new one. The car
only has 62,000 mile on it and most of them are
highway miles. I don't want to keep sinking money
into the car. I would appreciate any comments.
years old this July. It has almost 62,000 miles on
it. I am having a strange problem. Every once in
a while, thick, white smoke will pour out of the
exhaust while driving. It has done this about 6
times in the last month or two. Until recently,
except for the smoke, you would never never know
anything was wrong. The car didn't stall,
hesitate, shake or sputter. As quickly as it
started, it would go away and then everything was
back to normal. The last 2 times it has done it,
the car hesitated. For a split second, the car had
no power. It didn't stall, but didn't want to do
anything. Then the smoke would go away and then
everything was back to normal. The problem is
starting to occur with increasing frequency. There
is no rhyme or reason as to when it will happen.
I've made an appointment with Peruzzi Nissan in
Langhorne, PA. Anybody else ever have this
problem? If so, what was it? Also, I recently had a
problem with a clicking noise from the front end
while braking at low speeds. Peruzzi said the
upper struts were loose and also tightened the axle
nut. It's only been a couple of weeks, but the
problem has seemed to disappear. Has anyone ever
heard of this problem. I'm beginning to wonder if
I should trade the car in on a new one. The car
only has 62,000 mile on it and most of them are
highway miles. I don't want to keep sinking money
into the car. I would appreciate any comments.
0
This discussion has been closed.
Comments
that problem on a Mitsubishi truck. It is fairly
cheap to fix.
I have heard good things about Nissan Sentras, and i found a 94 for $3,300. Does this seem reasobible?
I am really worried about getting a car and then not having enough money to maintain it if it ends up to be a money pit.
Does anyone know anything about Mazda Protege's and if i would be able to find a decent one for $4k? under 100k miles and such?
What about camrys? I found a 91 for $3,195. Does that seem reasonible?
Thanks so much for your time...
Have you had a chance to check out our Smart Shopper Conference? That's probably the best place here to get advice on pricing of cars. Many of the topics deal with new cars, but there are several on pricing used cars as well.
You can use the "Conferences" window on the left side of this page to go directly there. Just check through the topic list to find an appropriate one in which to ask your questions.
Good luck! (Which "hoos"? Wahoos, UVA?)
Pat
Community Leader/Maintenance & Repair Conference
You can also check kbb homepage, but the price there is not very reasonable compared with edmunds.
Did you confirm the gasket?
Nissan Sentra
And over in Smart Shopper, there is another topic that may interest you:
Nissan Questions? Ask Here
Pat
Community Leader/Maintenance & Repair Conference
old Sentra. It wasn't my fault, and I'm still
waiting on the insurance guys and see what happens
now. The front crumple zone did its civic duty, and now I need the front fixed up. I was wondering
whether I have to go all the way to the Nissan
dealership I bought it from, which is on the other
side of town (30-40 mins) or the dealership
nearby?? Please let me know, thanks!!
i wouldn't worry about the ticking noise if i were you. all 3 of my sentras did the same thing. nothing to worry about.
Insurance companies like to tell you where to take your car to get repaired - DO NOT BUY INTO IT.
You have the right to take it where ever you want, and if the insurance company balks - get a lawyer.
Also insist on factory parts. But most of all take it somewhere that actually does good work, and IMHO, that will NOT be your dealer.
Take it to a good body shop and let them take care of it. You'll be happier in the end. Ask around at the speed shops about body shops. Chances are the same names will be thrown around, and those are the folks that should be doing the repair.
*BTW, I have no problem with dealership shops, but when it comes to painting, etc. I want the best folks I can have doing it. Most times, these folks do not work at dealerships. Advice only, feel free to differ.
well I never notice smoke before but apparently I did blow or crack the head gasket on my 94 sentra( 73,000 miles) I am wondering if you all suggest just selling it. (In which case, what do you think I can get for it?) Or just getting it fixed and having a decent car for another 50,000 or so. Up until this point, its been a great vehicle, low maintenance, great in the snow etc. I'm going for a second opionion tomorrow, are there any other possibilities or options I have overlooked? Thanks for any help you can offer!!
If it turns out to be just a headgasket, if it were me, I would have it fixed.
Thanks
muzak
New radiator is in order.
New muffler - ok, they go bad.
Hopefully these two repairs will get you up and running again.
Headgasket- Maybe will need a new one due to an overheated condition?? You won't really know till the radiator is fixed.
good luck
Kristina/co host Our Turn
and it runs better than the day I bought it.
I think I have finally broken it in. I have had the brakes done twice and have new tires, and two tune-up's 60,000 and 100,000 miles. Other than that 3000 mile oil changes she runs great. No transmission problems. I drive to work 75 mph and
still have high end to pass people. I like the way
it handles and Im 6 feet tall my 6 foot 4 inch
brother can fit benind me without touching.200,000 miles here I come.
Glad you have had such success with your Sentra. This topic is really about Sentra repairs and maintenance problem's though. Did you have anything you wanted to say about that?
Your host, Bruce
akebono
I wouldn't try fixing it yourself -- the repair will be covered under warranty with no out-of-pocket cost to you, so you may as well take advantage of it.
Enjoy your awesome ride.
I have another problem with my AC shutting off. If I jiggle the handle it kicks back on. I'm thinking it's a mechanical thing - maybe a loose handle. Any thoughts on this?
Does anyone else have this problem?
The A/C has worked OK since then, but I'm
wondering if this is going to be a regular
occurrence on long trips. Has anyone else
experienced this problem.
I recently bought a used 1991 sentra (auto) that has done 110000 miles. When I stop at a red light, after about half a minute, the car starts to shudder. It is almost like the engine is about to stall. This also happens when I am in reverse gear for a long time.
Suspecting an idling problem, the mechanic I went to, increased the idling a little..but the problem still persists. This happens a lot if the AC is on.
any clue...
regards,
Rahul
a bad alternator. I've replaced this
twice and am now looking to put in a third.
As with Post #30, most of this started after
100,000 miles, and has been at the rate
of an alternator a year. I have the Limited
Ed. model made in Tenn., and am at 172,000 miles
and at the point where I've needed a new starter, need a new water pump, new alternator, belts, hoses, etc.
I'm told you take a gamble with rebuilt alternators, so I'm wondering--is the issue
that most of the rebuilts just aren't really
all that reliable, or is it that there is something else going on here that's killing
the alternator. And is the water pump maybe
part of the issue here?
Although I love the new Nissan Sentras, right now,
even despite the high labor costs, my best option seems to be to repair this car, and if another
alternator only takes me another year, I guess
I can live with that.
I'm just wondering though if the alternator issue
on the 93s is something common or what, and
will I regret making these repairs.
I'm also wondering if the rebuilt alternators
are so unreliable, why doesn't there seem to
be an option of purchasing a new one? Seems
like a new one would cost lest over time
than three rebuilts, or am I way off base?
Up to now, my repairs have been basic maintenaince issues--tune ups, etc., regular
oil changes, two C/V joints replaced, battery (1),
tires, so my only real complaint is that
the nature of the beast is repairs seem
to be high because parts are expensive but
even more so the labor is intensive.
comments?
I made my trip to that mechanics shop and after discussing with him my problem he printed up a "estimate" of what it would cost me. After picking my chin up off the floor after seeing this $800+ projected repair bill I drove home almost in tears thinking "What should I do?". After getting some other quotes and finding a good mechanic who would do it for $500-$600 I began to wonder, "Is this just a sign of what's in store to come?"
My Nissan Sentra is a 1994, and has only 66K miles on it, I bought it new. I've had the regular up keep fees, but have also had to get my alternator fixed for the 4th time.
My question is, is the timing chain problem just going to chain react other major problems? Should I be having this problem with the low mileage it has? Also, why in the world am I having to replace the alternator so often?
Thanks!
p.s getting 2001 Sentra SE this coming monday! woohoo
dealer) a 2000 Sentra GXE. The first time I drove it more than an hour the air conditioning went
out. This has been more than three weeks with no attempt to fix it. The dealer is waiting on Nissan
engineering for a fix.
I am totally discussed with Nissan. The dealer doesn't call me back and Nissan 800 Customer
Service doesn't tell me any thing I haven't told them. Except that no they will not postpone my
payments.
Ruth
on it. The car runs great so far except for the past couple of days, the car whistles/wheezes everytime I speed over 65 mph. It makes a peculiar
whistling sound everytime I speed. At first it
was making that sound when I went over 80 mph
then I was able to duplicate the sound at 70 mph
then finally at 65 mph. Has anyone had this kind
of experince b4?. By the way, I have the blinking
seatbelt cursor problem in my Nissan too. Which after readint this message list I discovered one of the readers has this problem too.
There are a few other problems/concerns, though:
1. After driving for about half an hour or so, I hear a faint buzzing sound after the engine is turned off. The intensity and tone changes and it seems to go on for several minutes. When I take the fuel cap off, it goes away. So I'm suspecting the fuel pump.
The service dept could not duplicate the problem.
Is it normal for the fuel pump to keep going after the engine is shut off, or could this be from something else?
2. The inside of the windows seem to fog up more than other cars in a rainy day even with the fresh air intake open and the fan blasting. I have to turn the control nob to defrost position even when the outside temperature is 80F or so.
3. The cruise stopped working a month ago. When I "activate" the cruise, the transmission(auto) actually down shifts resulting the car to slow down much faster than when you are simply coasting without cruise in D4.
Having a problem with the driver side mirror; cars approaching seem as if they are too close and will side-swipe my car. I'm having the mirror changed. Has anyone else had this problem with the mirror???????
Kristina/co host Our Turn
Alicia
Here are some Lemon Law resources:
Lemon Law Information and Sites
Lemon Law America
Lemon Law Summaries
There are a couple of active topics on Lemon Laws in our FWI conference - if you want to join in, you can use the Topic Search feature on the left side of the page for lemon - check the "last post" date to find the active ones.
Good luck, I hope you can get this resolved for the best.
Pat
Community Leader/Maintenance & Repair Conference