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Nissan Sentra 2006 and earlier

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Comments

  • martycalimartycali Member Posts: 3
    Thanks Heyqa for the recall info. YIKES!! I just got a sentra yesterday now I am MAD! I had rented one a few weeks ago for several days, and liked it. it was a smooth ride, which is important to me. But after driving my new 2001 gxe for a day, I notice I feel EVERY bump in the road. That is why I came here, to ask. then I see a suspension related recall! do you think this rough ride could have something to do with the suspension problem recall? I am ticked now. Anyone else have this problem? Thanks.
  • htn123htn123 Member Posts: 15
    Kashakid,
    I am looking at the Atlanta Journal Constitution newspaper Sunday Jun 24 and Sentra GXE with AC/AM/FM/CD/Cruise/Keyless/PW at $10,997 with 5.9%. They have 3 to chose so I might have a chance to get this.
    Hope this help.
    Any one has a better deal than this?
  • wazappawazappa Member Posts: 32
    I too had the same problem. By 2000 Sentra Se w/p.p. pulled to the right. I took it in to the dealer and they drove the car and said yes the car is out of alignment. So I left the car there overnight and they anligned it the next morning. So I go to pick up the car and start driving it home. It seemed alright untill I got on to the highway and I noticed that the car still was pulling to the right. Not as bad as before but still it should be perfect after they fix it. So a few days later I brought it back and had them drive it again. They said yes it is STILL pulling somewhat. They checked everything again and they said that everything seemed to be in order, but it still was pulling alittle bit. They said that they did everything that they could do. At first I didn't really thing anything of it. But than I got to thinking hey this car is only one year old, has only been driven 5 months out of that year, the rest of the time it has been in winter storage, and it only has about 6500 miles on it. I thought hey there is something that nissan should do to correct the problem. But than a few days later I got to thinking again. I remembered that it was pulling to the right, and the right front tire had been wearing funny because of the car being out of alignment. So I decided to put the front tire that was wearing on the outside edge on the back and put the back on the front. I had heard somewhere that if your car is out of alignment for too long it can actually shift the metal cords that are inside the tires, causing the car to tend to travel more in that direction slightly. So after I switched the tires around everything seemed to be o.k. The car traveled in a straight line. Before, the second I let go of the steering wheel the car would start pulling right. Now I can let go of the steering wheel and it will go straight. So I recommend checking that front right tire for unusual tread wear, and for sure switch it with a back tire. This might solve your problem. It worked for me.
  • jcu1886jcu1886 Member Posts: 39
    Regarding the suspension, the ride with the SE and PP is definitely hard. You feel all the bumps in the road. I'm afraid that is the price we pay for a better handling machine than with standard suspension.
  • gooniesgoonies Member Posts: 24
    my sentra also pulled, but when they said it was "to Spec", i noticed that it wasn't really pulling. instead the steering wheel is off center ever so slightly, so when you centered the wheel driving it pulled in that direction. also nothing then can do about off centered wheels. im just use to it now.
  • qddaveqddave Member Posts: 164
    Hi, I'm a long time reader of this forum because I am very interested in buying an SE w/PP, 5 speed. First of all I have a question regarding the 2002 model year. Will the SE w/pp remain or will it be replaced by the SE-R's. The few dealers in my area haven't given me a straight up answer, no surprise. Anyway, about the pulling to the right. I have heard from some mechanics in my home town that some vehicles have a slight pull to the right designed into the front end so if you happen to fall asleep at the wheel, the car will naturally veer off to the right, rather than into oncoming traffic.
  • wbabbottwbabbott Member Posts: 8
    I bought a Sentra GXE for $12,500 today in Chesapeake, VA. Price included destination + 5.9% financing for 60 months. I test drove both Honda Civic and the Sentra. Sorry Honda, but Sentra has Keyless Entry, more HP, and CD/AM/FM system that Civic don't have,.... and Nissan deals, i.e. rebates & financing!

    I like the car, it's tight like a Honda....
  • gserep1gserep1 Member Posts: 92
    Hello,
    I would like to make a comment about a statement made by #806 on the pulling to the right. The writer made a comment that nothing can be done about a steering wheel that is off center. I respectfully disagree. Having the steering wheel centered after an alignment is a BIG thing in my book. It CAN be done. The FIRST thing that any good alignment technician does is center the steering wheel by putting a device in the driver's seat to hold the wheel while he works underneath. Then the wheels are set according to that wheel position. To me, there is nothing more annoying than having a wheel pointing at the 11:00 clock or 1:00 o'clock position while driving straight. Some steering wheels are designed so that gauges can be viewed through the open part of the wheel between your hands. Go back and tell the shop that you want the wheel centered. It is not hard to do.
    Thanks,
    GSEREP1
  • htn123htn123 Member Posts: 15
    Hi Wbabbott,
    Is the $12500 included all taxes and fees? ie: is it the DRIVE OUT price?
    I just got a quote from a dealer for $12966 DRIVE OUT price and 3.9% for 60 months here in Atlanta, GA.
    DRIVE OUT price includes everything, that's the very final price that they put in the purchase contract.
    Thanks
  • cyanogelcyanogel Member Posts: 11
    Hi, wbabbott and htn123
    I assume your Sentra GXE have manual tranny,right?
  • toga333toga333 Member Posts: 11
    Well, I take delivery of my 2001 Manual SE w/Performance package and power sunroof tomorrow! I am very happy with the deal I paid, $15850--msrp 17,100. Plus $500 grad cash and 5.9% financing for 60 months! The dealer was awesome (Central Nissan, Schenectady NY)I was really surprised the Salesman came down so far, this car was hard to locate in the Capital District of New York, this was the only car with the options I got in the entire area! (all Three nissan Dealerships) I'm pretty happy to say the least, as far as the hard suspension everyone is talking about in the car, yeah it's hard, it's the sports performance package, try a corner tomorrow in any other compact.....sssqquuueaaallll...is the noise it'll make, and you won't be going as fast as you can in the sentra. That's the trade off, if you want to make it softer go to any local midas and the'll put some grandma springs in there. Later everyone...corner hard!
  • gserep1gserep1 Member Posts: 92
    Hello Fellow Readers,
    I have been very happy with my Sentra since May 26th, and now I have my FIRST problem. I experienced a lack of A/C cooling yesterday. It was gradual over the last week, but was really evident yesterday. Weather in parts of San Diego got over the 90 degree mark, but the humidity is always low (less than 30%). Even so, the lowest temperature coming out of the top registers was 55 degrees, and the compressor was short cycling (or going off and coming back on rapidly in spurts of 30 seconds or less.) The low side line was not even cold. That line should be really cold all of the time that the compressor is running.

    I brought it in today to a dealer in san Diego to have it looked at, and to have the RECALL on the stabilizer bolts fixed too. That was easy, and it was quickly repaired. The A/C has not been so easy.

    The technician analyzed the system and decided to withdraw all of the R-134 refrigerant out, and restart again. He found it was .6 of a pound low (or about half the normal supply of refrigerant. Fully charged, it takes 1.1 pounds. He checked for leaks and found none anywhere. None inside or outside of the car.

    The car was cold when I got it a month ago, but it does not remain cold now. In addition to the standard 3/36,000 mile warranty, I opted for the 6 year 100,000 mile warranty as well. I do not intend to pay for any repairs..nor do I intend to repeatedly go back for the same problem.

    I suspect that it is still either a low charge, or a stuck orifice tube in the suction side that is starving the evaporator of refrigerant. I will call Nissan Customer Service tomorrow, and I intend to get to the bottom of this right now. That is the only thing that detracts from an otherwise PERFECT vehicle. No rattles, squeaks, or noises of any kind. It blows cold in the early morning and late evening/night, but when the heat load is up during the day, it fails miserably.

    I will keep you posted,
    GSEREP1
  • joc01joc01 Member Posts: 1
    I'm crying reading the prices and finance rates. But we have to cope with the US dollar in the great white north! I'm closing a deal on an 01 GXE; $18,700 not including taxes, 15%. Finance is 5.8/ 48; 6.8/ 60. That's thru Nissan; the banks are worse. And it's a 5 speed manual; never would go automatic. But damn, I love that car! Had 3 cars in mind when I started shopping; the Sentra, Focus and Corolla. The Sentra won hands down. I'm a standard girl and the Sentra has a smooth stick shift. Was surprised that wasn't commented on in the reviews I read. My last car was a 92 Mazda Protege, God bless it, was a great car, but thought I better deal it while it was still worth something. But compared to the Mazda, the shifting is great, which I always felt was sticky in the Mazda. Had problems shifting to reverse also, was the worst. The Sentra has great pickup; can cruise uphill at low speed in 4th gear with no stall, pretty impressive. Anyways, will have my new car next week, yee hah!
  • dcarver2dcarver2 Member Posts: 1
    Two months ago I replaced my 1993 Sentra (1.6 engine, 5 speed) with a 2001 Sentra GXE (1.8, 5 speed). The engine on the 2001 seems to run at higher RPM through the various shift points. For example, at 70 mph in 5th gear, the engine is running at well over 3200 RPM. My old "93 Sentra with the smaller engine seemed to run much more quietly, especially in 5th gear on the highway at 70 mph and higher. Any explanations for this difference? Also, I notice a high pitched whining noise coming from the gas cap when I pull into the garage after driving on a hot (80 degree plus) day. The noise stops if I remove the gas cap, which seems to release some sort of vapor lock. The whining noise is annoying . Is this something that can be fixed? Any response to either question will be much appreciated!
  • toga333toga333 Member Posts: 11
    In response to the previous message, I have the SE 2.0 5-Speed, at 75 MPH the engine churns out exactly 3,500 RPM. It really seems to buzz...however rest easy, I am sure Nissan would not design these top gear ratios to hurt the engines. I am sure though that if the RPMs were lower I'd get better than 31 MPG on the highway. Heck my older neon SOHC 5Speed ran 80 at a tick over 3,000 RPM, and that was rated at 38 MPG on the highway. Personally I like the high RPM, It means you don't have to downshift to pass those semis.
    I do wonder what the automatic runs at highway speeds?
  • mayankhpmayankhp Member Posts: 22
    Hello Everyone,
    I need your expertise to remove gum spots from my front seat, as unknowingly it was sticked and I don't want to ruin my seat tepesty on Sentra Se

    Your input will be highly appreciated

    Thanks in advance
  • lgoldinlgoldin Member Posts: 90
    Try "Goo Gone". Worked fine for me.
  • ns3ns3 Member Posts: 3
    The dealer wants to charge 300 $ av. fee for Sentry GXE 2001. Is that right?
  • katraakkatraak Member Posts: 33
    Dealers say that Nissan charges 300 bucks as advertising fee, that is correct. But often times you can haggle with them to completely waive the fee or either reduce the amount. When I bought my SE the dealer asked me $200 and finally I paid only $100. Hope this helps.
  • jmsiebertjmsiebert Member Posts: 1
    hey all, got my sentra se w/ pp about a month and a half ago. i noticed about a month ago that it pulls to the right most of the time. mostly at higher speeds (50-80 mph) and when i'm accelerating. i've taken it to the dealership i bought it from and they "aligned" it to no avail. i then took it to the local dealership and they said nothing was wrong with my car (as if i was making it up) and then put it on some machine and said it "operates to all nissan specs." so as of now i dont know what to do but something is indeed wrong. i thought that the right from wheel might be slipping somewhere causing the limited slip differential to kick in. but i'm not a pro at these things. so any help or insight would greatly be appreciated.
  • gserep1gserep1 Member Posts: 92
    Hello,
    In response to your question, the only thing that I would suggest is to check your tire pressures. Make sure that the pressure is the same on both front tires. Minor tire pressure differences between both front tires will cause the car to pull in the direction of the lowest tire. I am assuming that tire pressures were checked since the car was just aligned, but it never hurts to double check. I found the factory specs for tire pressure was too soft for my tastes, so I put 35 lbs in all 4 tires, and I have been happy. The Firestone Firehawk GTA's do not squeal under normal cornering, and they are really a joy to drive on despite all of the hype about Firestone quality recently.

    Adjust your tire pressure, and try to have your front wheels perfectly straight ahead before attempting max acceleration, and there should not be much pulling to the right.

    Good Luck,
    GSEREP1
  • katraakkatraak Member Posts: 33
    How is your SE doing now? You had problem with the leaking of refrigerant, right? Is it fixed. If so, what was the problem?

    IMHO the Firestone tires that came with the car do really good in dry conditions. But on wet roads they do not inspire a lot of confidence. We made a trip to Michigan in December. Believe me, they are the worst in snow. Once they wear out I am thinking of switching to Yokohoma.
  • wazappawazappa Member Posts: 32
    You might want to check the right front tire for and unsusal wearing pattern. Mostly likely on the outside edge of the tire. this may have been caused when the car was out of alignment. some times when cars are out of alignment it causes the steel belts in the tire to shift making the car still pull in that direction. Even though the dealership says that it is all to spec, the tire may be the problem now. So check it and see if there is an unusual wearing pattern. If there is, than switch the front wheel and tire for one of the back ones.

    That is what I did because I had the exact same problem as you. it was pulling, took it to the dealership, they said it was was out of alignment, they fixed it and said it was all to spec, it was still pulling when I drove it home, than I noticed an unusual wearing pattern on the tire, than I decided to swap the front for one of the back ones. It solved my problem. My car now tracks almost perfectly. So I strongly suggest that you check into that.
  • gserep1gserep1 Member Posts: 92
    Hello,
    And thank you for asking about that A/C problem. This still has not been resolved to my satisfaction. However, I will admit that it is working better than it was when they first fixed it last week. Something is sticking, and I am not sure WHAT!

    The car is scheduled to go in for repair on tomorrow (Friday, 6 July). My problem is an intermittent one. I always keep a thermometer in my cars as a habit. On the Sentra, it is in the center register just over the radio, and when I first got the car, the temperature displayed when the car was operated while driving would be close to freezing.. 36 to 37 degrees in "recirculate" position and just a bit higher when it was in "fresh"...(about 40). The unit still works great during early morning and late evening when there is no appreciable heat load. However when it is used in the heat of the day, the compressor constantly clicks on and off. It also drips water under the car during humid times, but occasionally, the temperature will not drop under 55 degrees no mater what I do. It is very aggravating. I suspect a evaporator temperature switch. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has issued a bulletin on the 2000 and 2001 Sentras on this problem. Also, on every other car I have had in the past, the low pressure and high pressure switches were easily accessible from under the hood. Not so on this car. Only the high pressure switch is accessible, and it is on the driver's side near the front grille. Something is turning the compressor off too soon, and because it is SUPPOSED to have a full refrigerant charge and NO leaks (as verified by the last mechanic working on it), I can only assume that it is either the low PRESSURE switch that works on suction pressure, or the low TEMPERATURE switch which is controlled by evaporator temperature. It is supposed to allow the compressor to remain on until just before the evaporator freezes up (32 to 33 degrees), and then cut the compressor off. It was 6 tenths of a pound low when it went in for service, and the service manager states that this is a problem that has been seen often on the 2000 and 2001 Sentras ONLY. It only takes 1.1 pounds for a full charge, so it is hard to see the car getting cold at all on a half charge, but this is what I was told. Sometimes the low pressre line will "sweat" like it is supposed to, and then other times it will not..often within 5 minutes of each other.

    Time will tell...and I will keep you apprised of the developments as they occur. I simply cannot see how this unit will work satisfactorily in humid southern states like Lousisiana, Georgia, Texas, and Florida in its' current state of repair. My car would have me sweating in those places.

    Changing gears slightly, in regards to Firestone tires and their quality in the wet, I will have to reserve judgements until I have had these tires wet. I have never been much of a Firestone fan, but they seem okay for straight line dry driving. I did go to the Tire Rack website, and found that there is no other tire listed as a suitable replacement on this car. I wonder what that is all about. If you know of a Yokohama tire that would fit without modifications, let me know. I am a Michelin fan, and I was sure that they had something that would work, but have not been able to find anything yet.

    Thanks again,
    GSEREP1
  • telainetelaine Member Posts: 29
    Wanted to let you know that I've had a 1993 Sentra E automatic since 1993. I just recently bought another car, which isn't a Sentra. I wanted something bigger with a few more features than what Sentra currently has. But I still have the Sentra. I can tell you that my Sentra has been extremely reliable - all I did was the routine maintenance. It has been economical on gas, too. I hope that these new Sentras are even better, if so they should be great buy.
  • cyranno99cyranno99 Member Posts: 419
    we had a '94 Sentra GXE with over 80k before selling it to make room for a Maxima. The Sentra had no problems of any type..... ok, so it was a little underpowered with the automatic. Otherwise, great econocar.

    My bro's new Sentra SE - now that's a good performer.
  • katraakkatraak Member Posts: 33
    problem with the 2000 and 2001 Sentras. May be you can post your problem at http://www.b15sentra.net messageboards. May be somebody on that forum who've had a similar problem can help you out. I live in Alabama and even in peak summer, I didn't have any problem with the AC. BTW mine is a 2000 SE with 14000 miles. No problem whatsoever (touch wood), just a pesky rattle inside the drivers side door which needs to be fixed.


    You're right, the tires on the Sentra SE are of an odd size. If you have the PP then the size is 195/55/16 and only Firestone has replacements for that size. However, after the stock tires are worn out I am planning to plus size it (plus 0)and go with 205/55/16's or 205/60/16's. There is a lot of choice for 205/55/16's and high in my list are the Yokohoma Avid H4/T4, Toyo Proxes, Kumho and Bridgestone Potenza. Figured out I wont be needing tires for an year anyway. For Plus 0 you don't have to do any modifications. They will be right at home on your stock wheels.


    telaine, cyranno99

    It's good to know there are other satisfied Sentra owners out there. I had a 94 Sentra XE which had 115000 miles before I traded in for my current SE. All it needed was gas, a battery, a set of belts, new rotors and front brake pads.

    If you want to take a look at that car I have some pics at <http://www.auburn.edu/~katraak> God! I loved that car.

  • ums500ums500 Member Posts: 1
    Hello everyone. I, along with many before me, am a long time reader of this message board. I just bought a 2001 Sentra SE 5spd w/pp in radium with floormats for $15300, which is about 2% above invoice. With my recent graduate discount I got an additional $500 off, so I felt that I got a good deal overall. The dealer wouldn't go any lower than 2% above invoice probably because the car had been on the lot since Feb 2001 and I just bought it at the end of June 2001. Their holdback must've run out and they were losing money keeping the car on the lot.

    I spent about 3 months researching the Sentra and car buying tips, and it paid off. When I visited dealers I wrote down price quotes but additionally advertising fees and documentation fees because I didn't want them to somehow quote me a low price on the car and make a huge profit on the fees, which is what one dealer tried to do.

    This one dealer, which I found through autobytel, gave me a quote at invoice price but then I asked about the ad. fee and the doc. fee and they were $270 and $189 respectively. So ultimately their price was about 3% above invoice. This other dealership I went to wouldn't give me a quote because he said I would take that quote to another dealership to get a lower price. And plus he was giving me some sob story about how he works on commission and how he didn't want "to waste 1 hour of his time" if I didn't end up buying from him. Honestly, how he makes his living is none of my business, as a customer. I didn't want to deal with a discourteous salesperson so I just left. I ended up buying my Sentra from this last dealer I mentioned above. The salesperson was very friendly and did not pressure me. I felt better rewarding a kind salesperson with my business.

    Everything about the car is fine except that my cruise control doesn't work (the cruise control light doesn't even come on). I'm not sure if it's a blown fuse or what. And many people around me asked if I had turned on the cruise control button on the dash somewhere, but since the on/off button is on the steering wheel I know I tried to use it correctly. And one last thing, I've also noticed that the sentra rev's pretty high over 3000 rpms when going about 70mph. I was concerned about wasting too much gas or wearing out the engine. Geez, I wonder how high the engine would rev when going 85mph? Haven't gotten a chance to do it since I was breaking it in.

    I have to admit the sentra se/pp feels pretty luxurious for a $15000 car. It's a great value!
  • ns3ns3 Member Posts: 3
    Is 15,200 a good price for Nissan Sentra GXE with ABS& SRS, luxury package and convenience package?

    Is it smart to buy a car if you know it has a recall ( Sentra), or would it be better to buy something else?
  • katraakkatraak Member Posts: 33
    and I'm sure you'll love it. I'd say you got a pretty good deal. It's good to know that SE's w/PP are not in short supply in your area. When I bought mine in June 2000, they were very rare. I wanted one with ABS/side airbags but gave up on it because I couldn't find one and also I got stuck with the sunroof I didn't need. Now I am happy I got the sunroof though.
    Regarding your problem with the crusie control does the indicator, "CRUISE" in the dash light up when you push the cruise on? Also when you set cruise, the indicator "SET" should glow up. Also you cannot set cruise at speeds below 30 mph or so. If the lights doesn't glow up there is a high probability of a blown fuse. Ya, the older models had the cruise ON/OFF switch on the dash board but the new one has it on the steering wheel itself. It's convenient this way. Regarding the dealers you can never talk enough about them. They love to gouge unsuspecting customers. I figure out that since not many buy Nissan vehicles they try to rip off the few who buy. It's a shame that Nissan builds good cars but cannot rein its dealers and their unscrupulous practices. No wonder sales are off.
    A piece of advice that I can give you though is that the paint is prone to chipping easily. i went to MI in Dec. and came back with some chips because of the road salt and sand. Keep your car waxed in winter to minimize chipping damage. Also post your pics when you have them. My car revs exactly 3000rpm at 70 mph. Hope this helps.
  • wazappawazappa Member Posts: 32
    I was wondering if anyone has rewired their foglights into the parking lights so you can just turn on the foglights without the headlights. And help would be appreciated. Thanks.
  • katraakkatraak Member Posts: 33
    but the detailed procedure as to how to do it has been given with illustrations at http://www.b15sentra.net

    Click on tech articles on their homepage and you will find it under the Modifications column.

    Looks like its not awful hard to do it though. I'm not planning to touch my car until the warranty expires.
  • gserep1gserep1 Member Posts: 92
    Hello,
    Well The Nissan Dealership has finally claimed to have found the reasons why my A/C works intermittently.

    They claim to have traced it to a faulty orifice tube in the evaporator assembly, so it is being replaced once the part comes in from the warehouse. They will also replace the entire evaporator, the filter dryer assembly, AND the evaporator temperature switch. This will be their 3rd attempt at this so they know that HAVE to fix it this time, or replace the whole car under arbitration. This is not a profitable option for NISSAN, so they will do what they can to avoid replacing the car.

    I am happy that the parts will be replaced under warranty, but if I had to pay for all of these parts, I would be seriously questioning their diagnostic practices. As I said before, this car sat from the December 2000 build date, until I bought it at the end of the month of May 2001. I can understand the orifice tube, but all of that other stuff? That is really strange.

    The R-134A was removed from the car again to check for capacity. It was not leaking. But strangely enough, everytime they remove and replace the refrigerant, the unit seems to work better and better. The AC has the capacity to be VERY cold..that much is obvious. It is at 40 degrees during the cool part of the day, and it really cold then.

    I will keep everyone apprised of the success of this operation.

    Thanks,
    GSEREP1
  • mdrivermdriver Member Posts: 385
    I have looked at a number of large Nissan dealer lots to find no 5sp Sentra SEs. If you want an automatic, it seems there were hundreds to choose from, but no manuals. A sporty car like the SE and you can only get an automatic, while you can get the un-sporty Civic with 5spds available in abundance. Go figure!
  • mayankhpmayankhp Member Posts: 22
    Hello Everyone,
    Do I really need repairing on My Sentra SE (2000miles) ?

    I noticed that when engine is cool or restarts after 4/5 hours, it starts at high rpm(2000+) for several seconds, say five to seven. Then it goes down to 1100 and when I shifts to any gear or at stop sign /after heating up, it stays at 750rpm.

    Is it within spec or you guys suggest me to see dealer on this.

    I am sure GSEREP1 can throw some light on this issue.

    Thanks in advance.
  • gserep1gserep1 Member Posts: 92
    Hello There,
    I will try to help you on this one...(but only because I have had this experience, and NOT because I want to be a "know-it-all" (LOL). Here Goes.

    The increased engine speed at start-up when cold is a function of the emission control system, and is perfectly normal. Normally the computer goes through 2 operating modes...open loop, and then closed loop. Open loop is when the engine is cold and all sensors are not warmed up. The computer bypasses all settings found at all of the sensors, and instead runs on a preassigned program in the computer, until such time as the sensors warm up. At that time, the sensors will tell the computer what is really going on and will adjust the engine speed and fuel accordingly.

    Always start your engine with no accelerator pressure what-so-ever. Too much throttle will result in the engine not starting at all..just cranking. Starting with your foot to the floor (called Wide Open Throttle or WOT) is used to clear an engine that has been flooded with fuel. This is not usually possible with a fuel injected car, but has been designed into the program just in case it ever happens. If you apply the pedal to the floor and try to start the car, all fuel flow will be stopped until you release the pedal. Give it a try and you will see. It will cause no damage. You will get just spark, but no fuel from the injectors.

    On a normal cold start, the engine will run up to 2200 rpm or so and slowly start coming back down. The cold start switch (which is mounted on the intake manifold to measure coolant temperature will activate the cold start relay, which will cause the engine to receive extra fuel and air, hence the high engine speed. Once the coolant warms up past 120 degrees, it sends a signal to the computer to start cutting back on the fuel, and is the beginning of "closed loop". The catalytic converters will start to get hot by the exhaust and the electrically heated exhaust gas oxygen sensors...(O2 sensors). Once these sensors get hot, they send a signal to the computer that they are warm and need less fuel, so the computer cuts back on the fuel and the engine slows down. When the car is already hot or warm, it comes down to normal idle much sooner. When the idle is down to normal, the engine is said to be in "closed loop", and all sensors are activated. If any sensor is out of normal specification it will send a signal to the computer and then in turn illuminate the "check engine" or "service engine soon light". That will mean electronic diagnosis, because you do not know WHICH sensor caused the light to illuminate. By the way, our Sentras have 2 O2 sensors. One is on the exhaust manifold up front (easily visible once you raise the hood and and look straight down at the exhaust heat shield. The sensor has 3 little wires on it. Then there is another sensor like it on the exhaust pipe AFTER the catalytic converter. These sensors are VERY expensive (over 200 dollars EACH). They both work together to measure temperature AND exhaust flow. Changing exhaust systems sometimes causes the check engine light to come on, because different pipes may cause different flow characteristics other than those originally designed into the exhaust system. Be careful with aftermarket exhaust systems. These )2 sensors are under a special emissions warranty, but once that has expired, you are out of luck and will have to buy them yourself. I know because my sister has a 1995 Mazda Protege with 80,000 miles, and she needed BOTH sensors at the same time.

    This is getting WAY too complicated. I would rather talk about all that snow you have around your place in Alabama. That is also a NICE neighbothood you live in too. I would like it much better without the snow. You must have many stories of crazy drivers in the snow. Being a California driver, I surely would not want to drive in all of the slush that you encounter during the winter. I have no experience in that kind of stuff and would not want my car subjected to being hit by idiot drivers going too fast for conditions. Have you undercoated the car yet, or not? If I lived where you did, I probably would have done so by now I think. The only plans I have for my White Sentra is to get the windows tinted, and put in a K&N air filter when they become available out here. Once I am done, I will post a few pictures, but I like mine pretty much stock.

    I did not get the sunroof either. Other than that, our cars are identical. I want to chrome the wheels later. My 17 year old nephew wants me to lower it, and install a big muffler that I joking refer to as a "TRASH CAN". No such plans for my car. By the way, did you know that we have a 2 stage muffler on the SE's? There is a special baffle in there that causes the majority of the exhaust to come out of only one of the small pipes back there at slow speed. This gives it better backpressure during slow speeds. Then the other baffle opens up at around 4500 rpm, and flows through both pipes when you want and need extra performance. Sure sounds different when you are getting on it. I drove back from San Francisco yesterday (9/6/2001) and got 27 to 29 mpg at 80 plus miles per hour going south on Interstate 5. One day I will slow down and see what I can really get for maximum mileage. That will be as soon as I switch to synthetic oil and get the new K&N air filter and switch to synthetic transmission in the manual transaxle.

    All of my A/C parts should be in tomorrow (Tuesday and then I will get it repaired. Strangely enough, it has been working nearly normal since the system was vacuumed out and recharged with R-134 for the second time. The lines are sweating and everything Temperature is below 40 and ity is COLD...BRRR. I guess that I better get it fixed anyway, because as sure as I don't do it, the problem will return later on.

    Thanks, and take care...
    GSEREP1
  • mayankhpmayankhp Member Posts: 22
    Dear GSEREP1,

    Thank you very very much for educating me in detail as I am financially literate, and I needed someone who can guide me right the way you did technically. Your note ( I would like to take it as a small learing article on emission control how it works on modern car) is a full of knowledge which I would like to recommend everyone to read and understand every aspects of it on this forum.

    By the way I am also living in sourthern california - L A and not familiar with snow driving.

    Since you are here, let me ask you little more.

    I also noticed that my both cars Altima GLEand Sentra SE( Both are 2001) are slowly sliding towards right side after driving few seconds without holding sterring wheel. I do not feel any impression that my alingement is off while driving both the cars, as do not have to force to keep it straight up.

    Is this due to road conditions on CA ? or something goes with tyre pressure? or is there something technical which you would like to enlight me.

    Thanks once again,
  • gserep1gserep1 Member Posts: 92
    Hello,
    And thank you sir for those nice comments. I apppreciate them. California roads are slightly different than the roads back East, but you should not have a lot of drifting to the right. Since you have 2 newer cars, the first thing that I would do is to check front tire pressure. Just a difference of a few pounds up front will cause the car to drift. Hard acceleration will be "one sided" as well, with the car drifting to the side that has the lowest air pressure. If you like the factory recommended pressures of 33 for the front, and 30 for the rear for the Sentra, stick with it, but I find it soft for my tastes. I prefer 35 all around, which gives me the stiffness I look for in handling. The increased pressure is also good for mileage, as it decreases rolling resistance overall. The Firestone Firehawk GTA's are rated up to 44 pounds, but they would bounce like basketballs at that pressure. I drive nearly all freeway, so I keep the pressure up. Get a good tire pressure guage and keep it handy. Never trust the gas stations. Adjust your tire pressure a little higher than factory recommended for a little more road feel.

    The second thing I would look for is wear on your right front tire. If it has a "scalloped" look, or is wearing the slightest bit funny, rotate this tire with the one from the right rear. Usually this will cause the car to track straight again. I don't remember if you said that you already had an alignment done or not, but remember, you are entitled to a FREE alignment under the adjustment part of your 3 year 36,000 mile warranty. The adjustment phase is only good for 1 year/12,000 miles for any part of the car. I discourage owners from getting this right away unless it is obvious that the car is out of alignment. The reason I like to wait is the fact that during the first few thousand miles, the suspension is "adjusting" or taking a "set" to the car. The suspension is after all, a series of parts off of a shelf that are put together, (ie..shocks, or struts, springs, bushings, and bolts) and they need to adjust to working together on your specific frame. In time this will happen, and the whole car will work together as one. Once I allow the suspension to set (usually 5000 to 7500 miles, I look at the tires again, and then decide if it needs alignment. If all is well, (and it has been with my VW Beetle, AND this car so far), I leave it alone and just rotate the tires back to front. I drive a lot of miles so I pay close attention to the handling characteristics of car. I have nearly 6000 miles since Memorial Day weekend when I bought the car. I will now slow it down a bit since I will be out of the country on travel soon for about 1 month.

    Please get into the habit of inspecting your tires as you go to and fro. It only takes a second after you get out of the car, or before you get in to drive. Run your hands over the tread and feel for any imperfections. Otherwise, it should be fine. If changing the tires from front to back improves the handling, then you have found the problem.

    Personally, I like the original factory alignments so much better than those done after I have taken delivery. During my test drive, I notice how well the car tracks on the road, and if it is good from the start, I will consider that car to buy. If not, I drive another car of the same type until I find one I like.

    This is obviously taking into consideration that you have not been feeling for the curbs repeatedly with the tires when parking... (My mom does that), or have hit something real hard in the road. In those instances, you should get an alignment right away because the adjustment may have been knocked off.

    By the way, I apologize for assuming that you were from Alabama. I was looking at some pictures that someone posted, and I mistakenly put 2 and 2 together and came out with 5. So you are here in California with me...GREAT. I travel from San Diego to Vallejo every other weekend, which explains why I get so many miles. But dicounting my current A/C dilemma, I have not had ANY problems with this car, and I am still astounded at the 27 to 30 miles per gallon mileage I get per tank.

    What color Sentra SE did you get? Maybe one of these days our paths may cross. I would like to compare notes one day. You can e-mail me at gserep1@hotmail.com if you desire.
    Thanks again,
    GSEREP1
  • cyranno99cyranno99 Member Posts: 419
    your recent posts are informative and I agree with you about the aligment issue. Good luck with your A/C fixes.

    OT, my brother is eagerly awaiting the arrival of the Sentra SE-R even though he has the SE right now. He recently got 33mpg with an auto in a recent long distant escapade.
  • newsentraownernewsentraowner Member Posts: 5
    I recently bought a Sentra but without forethought attempted to remove the vehicle sticker from the window. Given the 90+ degree temperature here I not only have adhesive but remnants of the lettering stuck on my window as well. Anyone know the best way to get it out?
  • gserep1gserep1 Member Posts: 92
    Hello,
    And thank you for your comments. I was just answering the note from mayankhp on his Sentra. WOW, so your brother has a SE-R on order huh? I drive fast enough with the standard SE. I am sure I would be in jail if I had something faster.

    33 to the gallon is great..especially with an automatic. My problem is keeping it under 80 on I-5. I am sure I could do better.

    By the way, does your brother have a firm price on this new car? I have heard stories that the first new ones will have quite a mark-up. Capitalism at work again. I have a a picture of a yellow SE-R on my desktop, but I doubt that I will get one of them. I like $280.00 every 6 months for insurance, and I have a feeling that
    the new car will cost considerably more than that.

    Have you noticed that gasoline has been slowly coming down? Here in California, the cheapest that I could find it was in Central California (Fresno area) at 169.9 for regular. In the Bay area and in San Diego, it is still close to 1.90 a gallon. I would like to know what your prices are where you live. By the way, I am talking about "brand name" fuel. I don't trust the CHEAP stuff, although I'll bet there is someone who has good luck with that stuff. I use either Union, Chevron, Shell or Exxon. I have not been convinced yet that Arco is the way to go. That is just my opinion, and I hope not to get a flood of mail from satisfied Arco users that are angry with me.

    To "newsentra owner" congrats on getting your new car. To get the remaining sticker off, wait until the window is cool and saturate the window area with either "windex" or a little vinegar, and let it soak in. Then when it is really moist, lightly scrape it off with a razor blade.. the one sided kind that you find on a box cutter. The dealer should have removed that sticker for you during the delivery process. I have the entire sticker intact. I keep them in my scrap book for sentimental reasons, I guess.

    Take care, and thanks again.
    GSEREP1
  • katraakkatraak Member Posts: 33
    I posted the car pics of my Pearl White SE and you got it confused with mayankhp. You do know a lot of technical information about automobiles. Thanks for coming to these boards to help out newbies and novices. Like you assumed, we dont get a lot of snow in Alabama. It snows may be once a year but there is no accumulation. I'd go carzy if I saw that much snow in Alabama, lol. I was exited to see all the snow in MI and so took some pics anyway.
    Regarding the gas mileage if I cruise at 70-75 then I get 32-33 mpg on the freeway. At 85 mph cruise the mileage drops to 28-29. I guess that is inline with the EPA estimates. I am still happy with the mileage though.
  • mayankhpmayankhp Member Posts: 22
    One more time you killed us.

    I am so much delighted after reading your note on ' tyre pressure'. I think my car is not drifting too much to do any adjustment, it is very posible of having inadequate pressure. I will also check my tyre design and feel without fail. I have a very good type pressure guage but never use it. I will also definately start using it now on.

    Actually I bought this car for my daughter who will start commuting for UCI, she liked Granite color as a second choice after Out of Blue.

    Your e mails are most wellcome at Mayankhp@aol.com. I will definately bother you when ever I need to ask you something about my cars. For your information I am also having Honda Civic (97 model bought it brand new for my son who is driving at Chicago as a full time medical student at Chicago Med School) and Buick Skylark ( 90 model bought is used for my wife who is a horrible driver and a full time Nurse) and Altima (2001)is my car.

    Thanks for your courtesy and help. I not much driving like you do, because I work for JCPenney at couple of miles away from my home at City of Buena Park (30miles off from LA).

    Thanks..
  • cyranno99cyranno99 Member Posts: 419
    Sorry, I think I should have rephrased what I wrote earlier. My brother is considering the SE-R (not the V Spec, he hates manuals) and probably the Maxima or Infiniti G25 which I told him they probably won't produce - he has a weird way of spending money, don't ask :) He used to drive a V-6 Camry and that thing wasn't much faster than the Sentra SE, but noticeably quiter.

    I suggested that he use 89 octane for a few times and he did for that trip with A/C on. So maybe that slight increase in octane does help your mileage. His previous high was 29mpg using 87 octane, but that was when the car was fairly new. The price difference is about the same when you figured as cents per mile.

    I use premium unleaded for my car so I don't really notice the regular unleaded price. I also use the same gas station for a while, Exxon. I used Chevron and Texaco on occasions. Yup, the price of gas is still dropping. For premium unleaded here is around 1.43 the last time that I checked. We have about the cheapest gas in Texas (for now anyway)
  • gserep1gserep1 Member Posts: 92
    To alll my new found friends...Thank you. I wrote this letter last night and just as I was about to send it, GOOD OLD AOL decided to blank out by saying that I had been inactive too long. That irritates me, but that is another story. I decided to wait until I got back to work this morning to use DSL and get it out quickly. As soon as I can get DSL in my area, AOL is GONE, I tell you.

    Mayankhp, I will try to send you some e mail shortly. You seem to be the closest to me in miles. I want to hear about your position at Penneys. I piqued the interest of a friend of mine in Louisiana when I told her about you. She is a Loss Prevention Manager with Penneys in New Orleans, and has been there for over 20 years in the same store. I know exactly where Buena Park is, having been an active duty Marine at El Toro since 1972, and being stationed there at least 5 tours in my 22 years of service.

    Then I come to cyranno99, who has such "cheap " gasoline available. Believe me, mayankhp and I are really jealous, because we pay considerably more than you do. I have a friend in Dallas who moved back there after a tour in the Marines, and he never misses the opportunity to "bust my chops" about good cheap Texas gas. But you don't have the record for prices right now. I saw Gasoline in the 1.20 to 1.30 range in New Jersey just recently on a trip. Do you notice a lot of difference in power with premium gas or just the mileage. Premium is just too expensive to justify it out here in an economy car...in fact, it was the reason I decided not to buy another vehicle I was considering...The Acura CL TYPE S. It takes premium fuel, and that alone changed my mind. When I was ready to buy, the gas kept going up, and there were rumors of 3 dollar a gallon gasoline. SCARY for sure. Once I slow down driving a bit I will probably buy one of those cars anyway. I need the Sentra for economy. As I said, I am still amazed at the power and economy I get with this car.

    To Katraak in Alabama... GREAT pictures from Michigan. I was impressed, and very glad that I do not have to drive in that stuff. I have to slow down and see if I can duplicate that 32-33 mpg mileage you are getting. However, I suspect that even if all other things are equal, I would still not be able to get the same mileage because of the quality of the gasoline out here. Did you know that Californians pay extra for "specially formulated" fuel for this area? It has MTBE in it. This is a horrible additive that is supposed to help curb emissions, but in fact, causes the car to burn more gas, and is still harmful to the environment. That is why we cannot import gasoline from any other state into California. This keeps the prices up. So we spend more money for less gas mileage. Great stuff huh? We also have a Sentra that no one else has. It is called the "CA" for California, and is only sold here. It burns only low sulphur fuel,(like that sold here). I wonder what it would do if it was taken out of state on vacation? It has the same 1.8L 126hp 4 cylinder engine found in the XE and GXE, but has been modified to run even cleaner. It has a different ignition system with no distributor cap, rotor or spark plug wires. This new coil-on-plug arrangement is the coming thing for all cars real soon. It has one ignition coil for each cylinder for better computer control. It also loses 4 horsepower in the process. It is a plain jane car, and not exciting like the SE.

    Well today, I was supposed to take my car in for the A/C repair, but I still have not received the call from the dealer. In fact, the A/C is so cold lately, I am considering NOT to have the work done. Just my luck though to not have it done, and then later have it act up. I believe that I will go ahead with the repairs, but it better be as good as I have now, and better. After being vacuumed out twice and recharged, the suction line sweats like crazy, and it really is cold now. Time will tell.

    Well I came in early to get this done. It is now time to make myself useful. Thanks again for all of the feedback from everyone, and I hope we keep the lines of communication open between us. Never know when one of us will need help with our cars.
    Good luck to all,
    GSEREP1
  • kstephankstephan Member Posts: 41
    Hello everyone--I still haven't received a recall notice for my 2001 SE, but I checked with a local service dept., which confirmed my car is affected by the recall. They said it would take about two hours for the work to be completed. Does anyone who's had the work done know how involved the process is? Do they have to take the front suspension apart, or is it a matter of removing the bolts in question and replacing them, without a lot of disassembly?

    I ask because I'm one of the lucky ones who got a car with excellent alignment straight from the factory, and I'd hate for it to be messed up by sloppy work done while replacing the bolts. No, I don't particularly trust dealership service departments, if you couldn't tell.

    Otherwise, I'm really digging my SE. I think it's an extraordinary car for the money. I had a Civic Si before, and this car is just so all-around superior, although I can't deny I miss the VTEC scream at high revs a bit...the Nissan four, while much more torquey, makes kind of a dull sound in comparison. But that's a small price to pay for a better overall car.
  • mayankhpmayankhp Member Posts: 22
    Hello,
    In fact, I was the first one at my dealership to ask for replacing the recall bolts for suspension without recall notice. I double checked with Nissan site and at dealership also before asking for replacement.

    There are four bolts, and it took only 10 minutes to replace them. I ask to have the old ones and they gave me. 2 1/2 inch very simle looking bolts, made from different material and need to replace.

    I think this replacement has nothing todo with your alignment, just walk in and get it done for safety reason.

    Thanks
  • cyranno99cyranno99 Member Posts: 419
    Yes, I like the low gas prices that we have over here, but I miss the super low prices back in '99. My brother keeps a detailed log of his gas mileage so he has been getting a better cents per mile using 89 as compared to 87 octane. He doesn't want to try using 93 octane and I doubt that would offset the cost.

    I am currently driving a CL type S. I used to drive an Integra for a while so the switch from regular gas (in the Integra) to premium gas (in the CL) did not change the amount of gas money that much. Amazing as it sounds, both car gets about the same highway gas mileage. My best for the Integra on the highway was 31mpg and for my CL so far is 29mpg. Of course, I do more highway than city, where the Integra has a slight edge. Aside from the new vehicle cost, I was looking at how much more I have to put out from premium fuel. So I did some research and this website gave a little help for me - www.fueleconomy.gov

    So maybe your next car will be the Acura TL type S :) Oh yeah, the Sentra SE is definitely more refined, in terms of NVH, than my previous Integra.
  • mayankhpmayankhp Member Posts: 22
    Hi,
    I really really appreciate your friendlyness.
    I am working as a Statistical Research Assistant at JCPenney Buena Park Distribution facility since last eight years. Our job here at this facility is to provide mdse and other support to our front staff at all stores..

    I will definately keep in touch with you, and some day somewhere we may get together and see each other and exchange much more, I love this forum.

    Thanks for your kind gesture to all of us.
  • gserep1gserep1 Member Posts: 92
    Hello again to everyone,
    I read with interest and amusement at some of your comments. To Mayankhp, I will send you an email later today. I wanted to send a picture or two of my car, but it is much too dirty to be photographed right now. A wash is definitely in order first. In response to the question about the bolts on the recall, there really are 6 bolts instead of 4. There are 3 on each side. All 6 of mine were changed. I had it done at Mossy Nissan in Kearney Mesa (suburb of San Diego). I was allowed to walk under the car with the technician, who pointed out the 6 bolts. Each side has 3 bolts mounted in a triangular pattern. Mossy decided to change all 6 of them instead of inspecting just 2 of them on each side. I am happy that they took that attitude. It took just a few minutes once they found the replacement bolts. It has NOT affected my alignment negatively. By the way, this service department is open to midnight Monday through Friday each week and is a great place to have the vehicle serviced.

    As far as mileage is concerned, I could do better, but would have to change my driving style somewhat. I have 6000 miles on this car in the last 2 months, and will be slowing down a bit on the driving very soon. Good thing I bought it instead of leasing it. That would have been a bad move for sure.

    All of my parts for the A/C repair are still not in, and I expect to get it fixed in a week or two. I am definitely not suffering right now, as the A/C seems to be working really well as I said before. I will just do my oil change this afternooon after work. One more regular oil change, and I will be switching over to synthetic oil at 9000 miles. The engine seems smoother than before, but the valvetrain is definitely noisier than other cars I am used to. No timing chain, so I guess that I should not complain about a little noise.

    I also admit to really liking that Acura CL type S. 2 last kids in college, and after that I hope that the sky is the limit. How trouble-free is that Acura anyway? I guess that you are right about the difference in regular VS Premium fuel. I spend on average about $200.00 to $250.00 a month on gasoline anyway, so what is a few dollars more? I know that I am driving the value out of my car, but I would rather do it in a Sentra instead of an Acura. Good choice, don't you think?

    The only thing that I REALLY wished that I had on this car is a 6 speed manual transmission. I still feel that the rpm's are a bit too high for the speed you get.I wished that I could slow down the engine somewhat. I realize that I cannot expect 1800 rpm at 70 mph like some V8 cars I have owned, but 3500 rpm seems a bit excessive.I guess that you cannot have everything, huh?

    Enjoy your midweek everyone, and I will try to put something in during the next few days. I have a road trip out of town next week, so it is doubtful I will have computer access. I will try to keep in touch, but I may have to wait until next Friday the 20th to respond.

    Take care everyone until the next time..
    GSEREP1
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