Edmunds dealer partner, Bayway Leasing, is now offering transparent lease deals via these forums. Click here to see the latest vehicles!

Nissan Sentra 2006 and earlier

12357…40

Comments

  • tcflantcflan Member Posts: 1
    I just bought a 2k sentra with the conv pkg. it states in the owners manual that since i have the rear window defroster I should have heated mirrors. This does not seem to be true. Any Ideas
  • wazappawazappa Member Posts: 32
    I have a 2000 sentra se with performance package. And I too experience rotten egg smells sometimes. At stoplight, and when I shut the car off. It does it only once and awhile. Not sure what causes it, but it would be interesting to find out.
  • happyman1happyman1 Member Posts: 23
    I have a 2001 se w/ perf package. Tonight for the first time I smelled the rotten egg smell when I shut the car off. Have either one of you had it checked to see what the problem is?
  • happyman1happyman1 Member Posts: 23
    Does anyone know how much gas is left in the tank once the Low Fuel Light comes on. It didn't even come on until the needle hit Empty. The car has a 13.2 gallon tank and when I filled it up it only took a little over 11 gallons. I can do the math, but it still leaves me sceptical.
  • rberusrberus Member Posts: 25
    I have not been able to test the mirrors to see if they really are heated, I was really suprised to read that, no mention at the dealership or nissan's www site.

    I think the smell is coming from the exhaust, I never smell it in the car, but often when I walk behind it to open my garage door. I'd hoped it'd go away, but 2200 miles and 6 weeks - it's still there.
  • vtec2vtec2 Member Posts: 43
    My 2000 SE did the same thing when I first got it. The light would not come on until the needle was on empty. I took it to the dealer and they ordered a part for the gas gauge. Don't know what part. I do know that it works fine now.

    There are about 2 gallons left when the light comes on and the needle is a little above empty.

    My guess is that the light is correct and the needle is confused.
  • nikecarnikecar Member Posts: 460
    Take the car back soon. if its the heater core then the fumes will make you sick.

    For all others, do you get the smell when the AC is turned on, or just off. I notice smells in my altima but most times I look around and see if there is an old car in front. it usually their exhaust. My wife's neon had the rotten egg/sulfur smell from the AC and it was the heater.
  • carpetridercarpetrider Member Posts: 8
    It's fairly common to have 2 gallons of fuel left in the tank when the light comes on. Seems every car I've ever owned had 2-2.5 gals in it when the light goes on.

    It also cuts down on free tows during the warranty period for running out of fuel. :)

    Regards,
    Mark.
  • happyman1happyman1 Member Posts: 23
    I took the car to a very good foreign car mechanic and he told me that the smell is because the catylitic converter is breaking in. He also said that during the break in period it usually smells when you use a different type of gas(ex:switching from mobil to shell).
  • wazappawazappa Member Posts: 32
    Happyman, just how long is this break in period suppose to last? A certain # of miles or # of weeks?
  • bigconkbigconk Member Posts: 4
    I just purchased a 2001 gxe with convenience package. This includes keyless entry but no security system. Nissan tells me that I can only get a security system with the luxury package added at the factory. There is no dealer installed security system upgrade. Therefore if I want to add an aftermarket security system there is the potential for voiding the warranty should any problems result from adding the security system. What have you done? What aftermarket security system have you added and what model number. Thanks
  • bigconkbigconk Member Posts: 4
    My "100" watt stereo sounds like a 9 volt transistor radio. Even with the bass and treble turned all the way up it sounds lousy. What aftermarket systems have you put in?
  • dae3dae3 Member Posts: 55
    If you turn the bass and the treble both all the way up all you have done is turn up the volume.

    Don't forget. That "100" watt system is 25 watts to each speaker. They make it sound a lot more powerful than it really is. A cheapie aftermarket CD player will have more than 25 watts per channel.

    My stereo in my 2001 GXE is pretty loud. It just sounds muddy. I am going to try new speakers first and see how that helps before I go for a new head unit. I like the look of the matching unit so I am not going to replace it if I can get away with it.
  • happyman1happyman1 Member Posts: 23
    I put an alpine 240 watt cd/receiver in my se, it has seven speakers though. The dash kit for the Sentra is perfect. It fits flush with the rest of the dash....doesn't stick out at all. In my opinion the factory receiver looked dull and boring...almost cheap.
  • happyman1happyman1 Member Posts: 23
    I didn't ask him....Stupid me. I may see him this weekend and I'll ask him about that and post it. Sorry.
  • billy717billy717 Member Posts: 1
    I have 84 sentra after 5 minutes of driving it cut off I wait 4 to 6 minutes and the car will work for sometime if I shoot up and tried to restart it will not work until I wait at least 5 minutes then it works again can you please help me.
  • carpetridercarpetrider Member Posts: 8
    Try a new gas cap.

    Regards,
    Mark.
  • foamyfoamy Member Posts: 1
    >Canadian Sentra SE Automatic (2001) is claimed
    >to get 29/39 city/highway (Nissan Canada) as
    >compared to our 24/30 - what's up with that?

    Canadian gallons are bigger, so more MPG.

    >Canadian models get day time running lights
    >don't care, but still - hey now! Are we second
    >rate?

    Nope, DRL are mandatory on ALL Canadian cars.
  • quark99quark99 Member Posts: 136
    When a heavy passenger is in my car, the automatic lock and horn beep goes off if I
    hit a hard bump going straight or a hang a sharp left turn.....
    now that's weird! I cannot get the car to do this if I'm alone in the car.....any ideas out there?
    Yes, I'm calling the dealership......
    -quark
  • 2001se2001se Member Posts: 4
    Hello fellow Sentra SE enthusiasts. I just purchased an 2001 Inferno SE automatic w/ performance package, this past weekend. Anyone else out there own this car? Overall I am very satisfied with the stock handling and acceleration. I was wondering if anyone else noticed the following quality control problems/issues:

    * The paint quality on my Sentra is very odd?? The hood especially. When examined up close, the hood appears to have a grainy finish. Anyone else out there have a '01 Sentra with a crappy paint job?

    * Any SE owners who drive an automatic? I had to get an auto because I drive mainly in heavy traffic. What's the difference in 0 to 60 times between the stick and auto? How do you guys like the way the auto shifts?

    * Anybody tint there Sentra yet? I got mine tinted, w/ Llumar film, but there are some air pockets at the top of the rear window. The installer said that cars that have a dot matrix pattern on the rear window are very difficult to tint. Is that true?

    * How do you guys like the 180w radio? I have a hard time believing that it is actually putting out 180w. Anybody replace the stock radio? Was it easy and where did you get the aftermarket dash kit?

    Thanks in advance.
  • stevieweevystevieweevy Member Posts: 12
    Has anyone that owns or has driven a 5 speed sentra that is around 5' 10" tall more or less,noticed that your left knee hits the steering wheel when you move your leg to shift gears?
  • numernumer Member Posts: 1
    I just had an oil change done on my 2000 SE. After I left the dealership, I started smelling burned oil, and there was some smoke coming out of the vents. I went back to the dealer, and they told me that "this model has it that way".
    They said that the design of the engine places the oil filter above exhaust, so when some oil drips out of the filter on the exhaust you get the burned oil smell.

    Anyone had this happen before?
  • bigsmoothbigsmooth Member Posts: 14
    I usually get the smell for a few days, but never any smoke from the vents. That doesn't sound right, unless they really got oil everywhere.

    BTW, this isn't the only car model that has dripping oil causing a burned smell, either. My friend's Accord does the exact same thing.
  • happyman1happyman1 Member Posts: 23
    I have a 2001 SE in inferno with auto as well. I noticed the paint job thing so I took it to a specialist...he said there was excess wax left on the car and a few washes cleaned it off. The time difference between the auto and manual is approximately .5sec or so. I love the auto transmission, mine shifts smoothly unless I put the rpm's to about 4500. I put an alpine 240 watt receiver in mine, you're right, that stock receiver isn't 180 watts. The dash kit came out of a company in Florida. My guess would be to go to the local car audio dealer and have them order one. But a word of warning, they are in short supply. The kit fits perfectly around the curves on each side of the dash and my receiver, it even makes the whole interior feel different...not as boring.
  • newskate9newskate9 Member Posts: 7
    Hi all, great info here, hope I can add to the mix. Just bought 2001 SE, Perf Pkg, Granite, Sunroof, blah, blah, blah.... 5 speed. So far, so good. No complaints, no odors, no rattles.

    However, one weird thing. The vent air is warm to hot almost all the time. Regardless of time of day, or outdoor temp. When I turn AC on, it gets cold fast. When I turn it back off... it starts to warm up quickly. When I turn heat on, it gets hot fast and returns to warm when I turn heat off. Anyone see this?
  • nikecarnikecar Member Posts: 460
    Anybody tint there Sentra yet? I got minetinted, w/ Llumar film, but there are some air
    pockets at the top of the rear window. The installer said that cars that have a dot matrix pattern on the rear window are very difficult to tint. Is that true?

    My cavalier was the same...any car you see with the dot material on the top has a hard time getting the tint to stick. Don't sweat it.
  • happyman1happyman1 Member Posts: 23
    I just went to get the emblems on my SE gold plated. The guy looked at them and told me that they can't be gold plated because they are made of plastic and some are made of rubber. Who in the hell from Nissan decided to put crappy emblems that you can't even gold plate on the car????? Its a bunch of sh##!
  • davidb72davidb72 Member Posts: 174
    Wow, I didn't know that either. Guess that removes the Sentra from my wish list! That really stinks! You're never gonna get "props" from your "peeps" now! Hopefully you'll still be able to get a really big exhaust tip for it! Let us know! Guess you're the "Not so happyman1" now huh? Did you research your car on Edmunds before you bought it? I'm surprised that they didn't mention this in their road test!
  • rgistrgist Member Posts: 8
    The new Sentra recently won a comparison test against the new Civic EX and Corolla S in the December issue of Motortrend. They call the new Civic a disappointment. BTW it was a Sentra SE that was tested.
  • sentrafansentrafan Member Posts: 40
    Quark, good topic. Only two problems to report in 5200 miles on the odometer, weird or otherwise. First, the plastic piece on the ceiling that surrounds the sunglass holder has fallen down several times, usually after I hit a bump. The second problem is a "snap, crackle, pop" sound (reminiscent of Kellogg's Rice Krispies) that emanates from the passenger-side dash. I usually only hear it if the radio is tuned off, which is rare, but still it is annoying.
  • happyman1happyman1 Member Posts: 23
    I reasearched the car to the best of my knowledge, but the last thing I expected was to have plastic emblems. I am doing some research on whether or not I can get chrome plated emblems made for it though. If I can then I will post it. Even though I can't get gold plating(at least so far), I am still very happy with the purchase I made.
  • mookie00mookie00 Member Posts: 2
    The 2000 Sentras have an annoying design regarding oil changes - there's almost no way to get around spilling oil all over the exhaust system when you remove the oil filter. The spot where most of the oil ends up is a metal, mesh-like covering near the catalytic converter, so whatever oil spills there stays in that mesh for a while - in my experience, at least a few days of driving. I've tried everything to keep the oil out of it, but nothing seems to work short of covering the filter with a towel before you screw it off (and there's not a whole lot of room to do that). Odds are a dealership/quickie lube is not going to care if you and your car reek of burned oil for a while.

    Out of curiosity - I don't have any sort of contraption to hold the gas cap on the gas door when I'm refilling, forcing me to let the cap hang down (which marks up a clean car!). Am I just missing one, or is this a design issue?
  • petrosjbpetrosjb Member Posts: 5
    Ok folks. So I've decided to purchase a Nissan Sentra SE. I've watched and read posts in this topic and the Nissan Sentra vs VW Jetta and VW Golf topic to make sure I do this right. Here is what I'm looking at.

    2001 Nissan Sentra SE - Out of the Blue
    *SE Perf. Package
    *5 speed Manual
    *Power Sunroof
    *Floor Mats
    *Side-Impact Air Bags/ABS
    Dealer Price with Destination Charge and markdown:
    $17,195

    I then asked them if they would include some accessories in the price of the vehicle and this is what they quoted(price includes labor install when necessary)

    *Sunroof wind deflector(installed):$64.50
    *In-Cabin Microfilter(installed):$49.45
    *Nose Mask:$91.80

    All together this brings the price to $17,400 without tax, title and tags.

    I checked the Nissan web site for a MSRP of this vehicle and added the $520 destination charge to see how much they are marking down. The difference is $700. It still seems more then what some people have paid, but it doesn't seem like a bad deal. What do you folks think?
  • happyman1happyman1 Member Posts: 23
    I would check out a few other dealers before you make a decision. I bought a 2001 SE with everything you are getting plus an automatic transmission for 17135 before tax. Like I said, that was with an auto trans and the price I paid was still lower. So if I were you I would be calling around and finding a better deal.
  • xlent2000xlent2000 Member Posts: 2
    Unless you are going to order the car from the Nissan Manufacturing plant, don't expect to be able to find a Sentra sitting on the lot with side-impact airbags.

    I wanted a 00 Nissan Sentra GXE with the Luxury and Convenience package w/anti-lock brakes and side impact airbags. I ended up waiting and waiting.

    Now, I'm having trouble with my car not starting with one of my keys, and sometimes the key gets stuck in the ignition and won't come out.
    I had the dealer do a search for anyone in a 100 mile radious for the car I wanted, but dealers were not requesting any vehicles with side-impact air bags. It was even hard to get a car with the Luxury package.

    I ended up getting to 00 Sentra GXE w/Luxury and Convenience package and no anti-lock brakes or side air bags. Then my car was in the shop for about 1.5 months because the check engine light came on and it needed a new brain (at 890 miles).
  • starcheckerstarchecker Member Posts: 28
    I can't believe it took almost a month to finally get my SE from my first post. I went to pick mine up at the dealer on the 12th since I have a 14hour schedule it doesn't leave me much time to pick up a new car. When I arrived the left side of the rear seat was unhooked from the upper portion, they put almost 100 miles on it driving it from a distant dealer and whoever washed it must have used 200 grit sandpaper to dry off the front hood. I was crushed. The black looked so gorgeous when I walked up to it, and then to walk around the front and see it all dull and scratched up broke my heart. I told them I would come again tomorrow after they buffed it out, but then called them back and canceled the deal. Fortunately another dealer had a black one coming in and offered me the same price so I had to wait for that to come. We ended up getting the one without the sunroof as I am 6'2". Believe it or not this one had two paint chips that flaked off the front pas. door strip, and there was a scratch(through the paint into the primer) on the hood. They buffed that out though and I figured I better take this one or the next one might have the rear end smashed in! Has anybody else had this luck! I took it because I desperately needed the car. I was driving my 87 chevy nova to work and as I came around the curve on a six lane divided road I came head to head with a Van going the wrong way in my lane. Cars were on both sides of me and the Nova's weak breaks barely got me stopped in time. Plus no airbags or crumple zones. I decided it was time to get out of that death trap and there just weren't any more black se autos without a sunroof out there. I'm glad I took it though I have had a blast driving it, I can't wait to see what it's like when I can go over 4000 rpms.

    Anyway I would like to thank Quark99, Sentrafan, Happyman1 and all the other people who have made great posts on this site to help with the decision. I now really like the midnight interior and although it took a couple of days to get used to the stiff suspension over the bumps I now love it too. Even my wife who hates the interior with a passion has been overcome by this sporty car and she has threatened to steal the car back from me.(Fat Chance)

    Anyone out there looking, the Sentra SE is THE car! I was a big fan just after test driving, wait till you own one and can really drive it around, it gets better and better. The handling the ride the road noise all fantastic. I strongly urge the SE over the GXE.
  • starcheckerstarchecker Member Posts: 28
    I have a question. After driving this sportster around I really wish I had a sunroof, but I can't get a factory one or my hair gets screwed up as you lose about an inch or more of headroom. An aftermarket mod doesn't do that, my question is how are they as far as noise and leakage? Anyone have any good or bad experiences with aftermarket roofs?
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    I have one in my 1999 Mazda Protege with no problems thus far. Mine even closes automatically when you turn the car off. I got one of those spoiler-type (outer opening) ones because of the head room too. The price was just under $1000 through the dealer (probably would have been cheaper elsewhere). And it came with a lifetime warranty too. Had it since March and not one leak or any other problem yet.
  • petrosjbpetrosjb Member Posts: 5
    Well I didn't react quick enough I guess so now the car I posted about earlier is gone! My main interested is in the ABS option not so much the side-impact air-bags. Gonna keep looking. Also enlisted Greenlight.com help. Anybody use an online sales before?
  • glideslopeglideslope Member Posts: 37
    Just sold my 87 Nova 5-Speed this July. I was the original owner. She had 170,000 on her and was still running like a top. Even had the original clutch, rear drums, carb, and suspension minus shocks and struts. She did not leak or burn a drop of anything. In 14 yrs of ownership I never did anything but scheduled maintenance. She never let me down once. There was just no body left to fix.

    Regards,
    Mark.
  • 2001se2001se Member Posts: 4
    Hi guys! It's me again.

    I have got 700 miles so far on my '01 SE and I am quite happy so far. However, I am unhappy with the stock stereo system and I'm getting ready to replace it very soon. I can't believe Nissan calls this a premium system. Heck, you can't even hear the subwoofer, even with the bass control turned all the way up. Anyways, I have the following questions:

    1. Is the stock stereo powered by an external amp? I'm guessing that there has got to be an amp because of the subwoofer. There's a small white plastic box that hangs from the bottom of the rear deck. Anyone know if this is an amp?

    2. Are the front A-pillar tweeters and the front door speakers part of a component system or are they separates?

    3. Is it worth keeping the stock head unit and just upgrading the speakers or should I replace everything?

    4. Finally, what's up with the goofy stick antenna? I can't believe that Nissan engineers would overlook this point. They should have copied Honda and integrated the antenna into the rear windshield.

    Thanks in advance for all the help.
  • wakbeigelwakbeigel Member Posts: 9
    Can anyone tell me if the new Sentra has a timing belt or chain? My 92 Sentra has a chain (or so they tell me). I have 204K miles on it, still runs very well. Driver's door hinges sag pretty badly though.
  • 2001se2001se Member Posts: 4
    Hi Starchecker,

    I read your response regarding you buying experience and I couldn't help laughing. My buying experience was pretty similar. My dealership had only 3 SE-R's in stock, including the one I bought. One of them was a brand new '01 Charcoal Gray SE with auto and sunroof. However, this car had 675 miles on it. The sales guy I dealt with tried very hard to sell this exact car to me. I wouldn't touch the car because of its high mileage, dirty interior, and a 2 inch long, deep, scratch on the driver's side door. I said no way and he then tried to sell me an '00 stick shift Pearl White SE. I told that I had to have an automatic and he reluctantly agreed to take me to their storage lot in order to find one. He drove me to the storage lot in the Pearl White stickshift. First of all, he was revving this brand new car to over 6,000 rpms. I asked him what he was doing and he said that he just learned last week how to drive a stick. Secondly, the dealer's storage lot turned out to be a dirt lot. My sales guy drove this Sentra like it had 4 wheel drive. He bottomed the suspension out at least twice. Well, the SE that I bought was sitting in the dirt lot, still covered with the white protection film. However, when I picked it up there was a small nick on the passenger's side door and the clear coat had some minor surface scratches. However, I was just happy that my car had never been test driven before. I can't believe how much abuse new cars take even before they are sold. You've got to be a picky buyer or else you'll end up with a car that has gone to hell and back.
  • mdsanchmdsanch Member Posts: 2
    Well, I just modified the 180 watt system on my 2k SE, and here's what I found out. Hopefully this will help you avoid the same problems I faced.

    First, I took out the stock back speakers and replaced them with 3-way Pioneers. Big improvement, but when I turned the music up the sucky sub really distorted the sound, so I decided to replace that. So I cut the wiring leading to it, and the system went caput and would not even turn on. Well, eventually I found out that the built-in amp is actually in the little metal box under the sub, so I realized that I had cut the wiring leading to the amp (as a side note, the little white box actually holds the seat belt). "Oh well," I thought, "as long as I already took these off, I'll just put in a new amp and sub." I figured that since the car comes with a built-in amp, I could just take it out and use the existing wiring to hook up a new amp and subwoofer. I tried to this, but I couldn't get it to work, and after much frustration I decided to take the car in to Best Buy and have them do it. Apparently, the reason I couldn't get the new amp to work is that the stock amp is really a "mini-amp." Now, as I understand it, this amp is sort of like the ones found in Bose speakers in that it's not hooked up directly to the battery, it's just hooked up to the regular speakers and somehow is able to increase the speakers' power (don't ask me how, this is what the guys at the installation center said). So I guess what I'm trying to say is that if you don't like the stock amp, you need to install another one as if there was nothing there-- you need to bring a separate cable from the battery, ground it, and install RCA outs from the head unit. I installed a 4 channel Rockford Fosgate (well, the guys at Best Buy installed it), and I really like it. I also put in a Jensen double-sub, and it really pumps the bass.

    Next I may replace the head unit, but that's a whole different story. Feel free to post any questions and I'll do my best to answer them...
  • chuckbosworthchuckbosworth Member Posts: 3
    I had a similar problem with a 93 Maxima. I could not run the heater/AC on high. The AC switch had to be replaced. Once that was done the problem went away.
  • 2001se2001se Member Posts: 4
    Thanks for the response. By the way, how the heck do you get the rear speaker grilles to come off? I don't want to damage them. Also, did you replace the front speakers? Do you think that 1" in component tweeters will fit in the stock tweeter location?
  • mdsanchmdsanch Member Posts: 2
    No problem, I hope my explanation made some sense. To get the rear speaker grilles to come off you have to take off the whole rear deck, it's a pain. You need to fold down the seats, pop off the round plastic clips, take off the middle panel above the opening between the trunk and the seat, and then pop off the clips behind it. You also need to take off the side panels between the rear window and side window (stick a screw driver in and gently apply pressure until they pop off), and then pop off the rear deck (be careful because the child seat anchors get in the way). I'm doing this from memory, so I hope I'm not forgetting anything.

    I didn't replace the front speakers or tweeters because I thought they were the only decent parts of the system. In my setup you can't hear them much anymore (they are drowned out by the back speakers and sub), but I guess that's okay. Sorry, but I can't answer your question about the tweeter size... in my experience, the difference between cheap tweeters and expensive ones isn't that noticable, but if you think that's important you should definitely change them. Good luck!
  • starcheckerstarchecker Member Posts: 28
    That's great to hear another Nova testimony. Mine had nothing in it to break. With 156,000 miles on it, it still runs great. It's actually my wife's. She was broke before we got married and bought it used. I hated it. When we got the 98 Altima it was hard to sell the 86 Ford Tempo instead of the Nova because it was a better ride. But it had become a constant financial drain with repairs. The Nova never gave us any problems except it liked to rust through mufflers. It has the toyota engine so should last a lot longer. Body is still in good shape. I sure learned to appreciate the reliability though when we first started out with no money to budget for repairs.
  • sentrafansentrafan Member Posts: 40
    Starchecker,

    Congrats on the new Sentra. I saw a black SE with the performance package going down the road last week and it looked awesome. Made me think I should have considered getting black again (my last car was black) instead of the pearl white.

    Wakbeigel, the Sentra has a timing chain, unlike, say, the Honda Civics ;-)

    Concerning stereo upgrades -- sounds like some of you are doing some excellent modifications which no doubt will improve the quality of the sound. But my previous car didn't even have a CD player, let alone a 180 watt, 7 speaker setup. So for the time being, I'm still happy with my stock stereo.

    One more thing, I just discovered that the glove box has a black elastic strap on the inside rear panel. It's designed to hold the binder that contains the owners manual. Perhaps most of you knew of its existence, but I just noticed it over the weekend. The binder fits inside it perfectly, freeing up space in the glove box. Just another example of the thoughtfulness that went into the design of the Sentra.
  • sentraownersentraowner Member Posts: 1
    Hi all,
    I just purchased a 2001 Sentra SE. It has premium sound, but no tape deck. I already have a nice sony tape deck/radio that I was hoping to install and integrate with the rest of the car's sound system. Does anyone know if this is even possible ?
    Much thanks.
    c_mathur@yahoo.com
Sign In or Register to comment.

Helpful Tools

Most popular vehicles