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Nissan Sentra 2006 and earlier

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Comments

  • narenjinarenji Member Posts: 161
    I saw the G35- looks sorta like the new Altima, but this one is supposedly rear wheel drive. Looks good, but it's to be a "high-performance premium sports sedan" so I'm guessing it'll be priced close to the I35, not close to the G20. The G20 looks like it'll still continue basically the same next year. I didn't know that this site existed, and is Nissan's official site for news. I think they should upgrade the G20 engine to the new 2.5L from either the Sentra SE-R or SE-R spec V. The 2.0L engine is a bit underpowered for the market the G20 competes in. The site does say the G20 continues as a 2002 model, and the G35 should be out by spring 2003. They should probably name the G35 with a different alphabet, because it really doesn't share anything with the G20.
  • cyranno99cyranno99 Member Posts: 419
    Yes, they should have called it a J35 - RWD and such. But I read somewhere that the G35 is supposed to compete with the Lexus IS and the BMW 3 series. That would be a tough battle. As for making a G25, I would say that might cut into the Altima's market. People would say that it is a dressed up Altima. I always thought of the G20 as a nice handler, not much of a hot rod sitting next to a stick-shift Maxima.
  • rukeitharukeitha Member Posts: 3
    Hi, All! I'm a first time buyer so just about everything is new to me. I'm interested in the Nissan Sentra 2001 GXE 4door automatic. Do you know or have you experience negative things regarding this vehicle? If you just want to contribute advice to a first-time car buyer (like what is the "MA"), that would be welcome, too.
  • jay104jay104 Member Posts: 2
    Just bought a '01 Sentra and love it!! Does anyone know where i can get Sentra accessories online. I checked out a few sites and was unhappy with their selection. Thanks for your help!
  • katraakkatraak Member Posts: 33
    Rukeitha,

    I you are looking at the Nissan Sentra GXE then it is a very good choice. I own a '00 Sentra SE and after 14000 miles I can say that this may the best econocar in the market right now. There was a rattle in the driver's side door which was fixed under warranty, other than that no problems at all. The GXE you are looking at has 127 HP which still is more than that of the Civic DX (115 HP) and the Protege DX (103 HP) you are also considering. If I were you I would test drive all the cars and then choose the one you like best. If you can overcome the funky rear styling of the Sentra then you can't go wrong with it.

    jay104,

    If you'd want to buy accessories for your Sentra online then may I suggest this website.


    http://www.nissan-accessories.com


    They have a wide selection of OEM accessories and for a limited period they also offer free shipping, by UPS ground, in the continental US.

  • cyranno99cyranno99 Member Posts: 419
    if you could list the sites that you have visited then I/we could give you some other alternatives.... you might want to contribute to this thread also - qbrozen "Buying Parts on the Net" Mar 28, 2001 8:43am

    rukeitha - I see that you are having an interesting choices between those three cars. I'd say from personal experience that the Sentra is almost trouble free. Of course, the Civic and the Protege are good choices as well. You might want to choose it over the other for looks or comfort. Do some comparison shopping using Edmunds database. Read over what you should look for in a test drive. You should try to take each car for a 10-15 minutes test drive through different road surfaces if you can. Good luck!
  • katraakkatraak Member Posts: 33
    mention was the "MA" charge. I belive it is the advertising charge that Nissan levies on the dealers. The dealers inturn pass it on to the consumer. I guess the amount varies from dealer to dealer but I have yet to see an "MA" charge above $300. You can always negotiate with them to completely waive it or reduce it substantially. One good thing is that Nissan dealers are almost always willing to negotiate
  • zhzzhz Member Posts: 29
    I paid $400 for the "MA" fee for my 2000 GXE. BUT, they were offering $1500 below invoice so, I end up buying my GXE for $13235. incluing the 7% tax and their doc. fee.
    What I care about is how much I have to pay. I don't really care what they call/label those fee or how much they want to label them. Let dealer make some money. They have to eat, just like us.
    2001 GXE doesn't have the key hole on the passenger side door, HEHEHEHE. I only use the key for ignition anyway.
  • katraakkatraak Member Posts: 33
    Somehow I am under the impression that you are from Columbus, GA. Am I right? If infact you are from Columbus then I live in Auburn, AL, which I guess is less than 40 miles from your place.
  • baltychenbaltychen Member Posts: 50
    Well, My fourth alternator now. Yesterday, the alternator just died on me. The battery and brake lights were on when I spotted on the freeway. Pepboy changed for me last September. Only just last ten months. The voltage regulator dead and caused the battery boiling shoting fluid acid out of the battery. I have to use baking soda fluid to neutralize the acid. It looks like the aftermarket alternator is not an answer. Next time, I'll get a new on. Peopboy just charged me the labor for a remanufactured alternator. Thank God.
  • mdrivermdriver Member Posts: 385
    Sure the dealer has to eat. All I ask of a dealer is to be forthright with the price (no funny business with the $$). The "MA" fee seems like the usual dealer shenanigans. If they want to make $400 profit, then come right out and say so. Some dealers are quite honest and upfront with their pricing, but others still attempt to hoodwink customers with the usual add-on fees. The internet makes the consumer more knowledgable than ever. It seems some dealers still haven't got that message yet.
  • zhzzhz Member Posts: 29
    I am from Columbus, GA. I guess you got that "impression" from the b15sentra.com. I bought my 2000 GXE from Atlanta though.

    mdriver:
    Let dealer do their own number game. I only care the amount I have to pay -- how much I have to write on the check. I personally don't think the invoice price is what they really paid those cars for. They paid invoice minus dealer holdback and something else -- at least for those "big cities'" dealerships.
  • gsbhasingsbhasin Member Posts: 21
    Hi good folks.
    I am offered a used 98 Sentra GXE (automatic) 70,000 miles for $5500. I am new to the USA. Is this a good price to buy or is something fishy here? I think Edmund's TMV is $2000 more than that figure.

    Or is it some fraud or salvage title etc.?

    thanks
  • zhzzhz Member Posts: 29
    That's a good deal IF it's in good condition.
    Of course whoever offer you that deal won't tell you if it's a fraud. You'd have to find out yourself. Take it to a mechanic and pay them to check it out. And hopefully it's from one of those flooding area, like Houston couple of months ago.
    There are other places to check out the title. You have to pay, too.
  • sentrafansentrafan Member Posts: 40
    Katraak,

    Thanks for the nissan-accessories.com link. I just ordered a micro-cabin air filter from them for $26.84, no shipping or tax. Gotta love this forum :-)
  • katraakkatraak Member Posts: 33
    I am thinking about getting the indash 6 disc CD changer. Nissan MSRP is $399 and you can pick it up at nissan-accessories.com for $126 with free shipping. Too good a deal to pass it up. If anybody else is interested in a dash mounted CD changer then you may want to look at this deal.
  • zhzzhz Member Posts: 29
    I bought couple of oil filters from nissan-accessories.com. For $4.47, it's a pretty good deal too.
    I don't know how good the micro-cabin air filter will be. I might get one too. And I also need to get a set of splash guards.

    sentrafan:
    would you post the procesure and how hard it is to install the cabin filter when you get it? thanks.
  • jay104jay104 Member Posts: 2
    I want to put a spoiler on my '01 sentra, any
    suggestions where i should get this done, dealer, private etc. I also want to get white guages. Any idea how hard they are to install? Thanks for your help!
  • gserep1gserep1 Member Posts: 92
    Hello,
    I have been gone this week to the hot desert of southern California, and I am glad to be back to a place thatis under 80 degrees F. I just read this thread about Nissan Accessories.com, and I will have to check it out. Having an SE, I have most of the good accessories already, but I WOULD like to put on the inside rear view mirror that has both a compass AND a thermometer. I wonder what that costs at Nissan_accessories. The dealer wants $209.00. I also wonder how much electrical wiring has to be installed. I was told that the wiring was already in place just above in the headliner, but have not been able to verify it. I have not seen ANY Sentras with this option, but I HAVE seen the 6 disc in dash CD Changer. I am thinking of installing the changer and changing the single disc CD with a Cassette player. I really miss my cassette player, since I have so many cassettes that I still listen to.

    Well I will make this one short. I am in the San Francisco area until Monday, and back to San Diego on Tuesday in time for work.

    I have missed all of my friends, but ai am sure that we will be chatting next week.

    Bye for now,
    GSEREP1
  • dannym11dannym11 Member Posts: 18
    I've been thinking about the same rear view mirror. I went onto another Sentra site -www.b15sentra.net and asked if anyone had installed it and one guy posted the full Nissan installation instructions. Go to the site and perform a search under public forums, modifications, cosmetic using a couple of relevant keywords. This site is a great resource for all things Sentra by the way.
  • gserep1gserep1 Member Posts: 92
    I sent a message a few minutes ago, but it did not post. I hope that this one does. I hope to buy the mirror that I saw in Nissan-accessories.com for 170.00.

    I got the best mileage EVER on my SE this last weekend. On one stretch in California, I got 36 miles per gallon. I drove 146 miles on 4.2 gallons of gasoline from Magic Mountain in Valencia to San Diego. I did not use air conditioning, and I used Shell 87 octane as a change from my regular Union 76 for this one tank. I probably will not be able to duplicate this feat again to save my life, but it was nice to see that it can get it in perfect conditions.

    Thanks again. I will be looking for that mirror real soon.

    GSEREP1
  • cyranno99cyranno99 Member Posts: 419
    were you going downhills and with a tail wind? :)
  • zhzzhz Member Posts: 29
    I have a 2000 GXE. Last weekend, I got 36.8mpg for a 250 mile trip. I slowed down to 70mph, AC on, 3 adults and about 100 lbs of stuff. It's the first I got better than 35mpg.
    I believe the speed is the most important factor for gas mileage.
  • cyranno99cyranno99 Member Posts: 419
    different cars have different sweet spot for optimal fuel efficiency.
  • gserep1gserep1 Member Posts: 92
    Hello again,
    as a matter of fact, I WAS going downhill for quite a bit of the way. If you are familiar with Southern California highways, you know that it is all up and down hill. I was stuck in traffic for a bit, through Los Angeles, but after that, it was smooth sailing all the rest of the way. I hope to find that "sweet spot" more often....I was amazed at how good it runs if I slow down a bit. This car "begs" to be driven so much, it is a welcome change to not be in a hurry. Also I believe that there is just BETTER gasoline at some places. You NEVER know when you will get a REAL good tank of fuel, but it does happen every now and then. I also know when I get a losy tank as well, because the engine runs like crap.

    After my last 2 trips to the desert, I hope to slow down the miles somewhat. I have 8000 miles so far, and that is just going into my third month of ownership. It is a very pleasureable car to drive, I can't stop driving it.

    The Sentra is getting to be a pretty popular car these days. I have 3 friends who all bought one in the last month...(all GXE's, but still Sentras nevertheless).

    Right now, I am answering a questionnaire from Nissan on my service experience with the repairing dealer. Boy, you DO get a lot of correspondence from Nissan...which really is not a bad thing. I hope that will help to get my backordered parts sooner.

    Thanks again, and take care...

    GSEREP1
  • katraakkatraak Member Posts: 33
    gas mileage for the SE. The most I got was 31.5 on the freeway cruising between 70-75 mph. But I have to concede that it was very cold outside, around 10-15 F, and cold weather is detrimental to gas mileage. I guess when doing 70 mpg on cruise control we can see 32-34 mpg.
    And regarding Sentra's getting popular I have seen only a handful of them in my area over the past year or so. Of those most were GXE's and 1 or 2 SE's. The upside is that my car is unique with all the sea of Civics and Corollas around.
  • cyranno99cyranno99 Member Posts: 419
    You're right about some gasoline being better. What do you think about the SE's ride? I think that it is not that much different from my CL, but my brother thinks that it is too rough for him over some surfaces. This comes from a guy who used to drive a Maxima and a Camry.

    Yeah, I am sure Nissan wants us to stay as customers... offering test drives and mailing out surveys.... Nah, I think that you convinced your friends to buy those Sentras :)
  • gserep1gserep1 Member Posts: 92
    Hello People,
    Long time no hear from..especially KATRAAK. I was beginning to wonder if I was going to have to drive all the way to Alabama just to see if you were still alive, lol. I MAY still be driving as far as New Orleans in the next few weeks. If I do that, there is NO telling when I will be able to slow down on the miles...(probably NEVER). I hope that it stops the raining over in the deep south. Plus I hear that it has been in the high 90's and 100's through parts of Texas....kinda like driving across a giant frying pan..(no fun for sure).

    As far as the ride of my SE goes, it was one of the reasons I bought it. I have had nothing but performance cars for myself during the last 15 years. 2 Mustangs, 2 SHO's, 3 Thunderbird Superecoupes, and now this SE. I guess if your rear end is sensitive to tight suspensions you might object, but soft riding cars tend to make me feel like I am on my living room sofa. That is where I like to sleep now and then (if you get my drift). To each his own, but I like a car to give me some feedback, and not so much body roll.

    To Cyranno99, you are making me jealous with that CL of yours. That has been my car of choice for the last year or so, but it is still in my plans....stay tuned.

    My air conditioning is working so good now, I may not let them fix it when (if) the parts ever come in. I found out that the evaporator and filter drier and amplifier are still out of stock. The dealer decided to replace all of these parts in hopes of finding out the real problem and keeping me happy. I tell you, if I had to PAY for all of these parts, it would not get done that way. They would have to show me just what the problem is before I paid for it. The filter drier I can see, and the orifice tube, but an entire evaporator assembly??? No chance. I looked for the low pressure switch, which is normally found under the hood on most cars, but I found out that it is part of an assembly called an "amplifier" which is under the dashboard. This part has been known to be defective in 2000 and 2001 Sentras, and it is designed to keep the evaporator coil from freezing by turning off the compressor JUST before it freezes...( which should be about 33 degrees F. Then it comes back on as it warms back up over 40 degrees. It is a pretty expensive part, and access is not that easy. NHTSA knows that this problem exists, so if you are having A/C problems, it is a good place to start. 45 to 50 degree temperature on the indoor coil is too hot, and will not provide the proper cooling on a hot day, or when you have a few extra passengers bringing their body heat into the equation. As things progress with this saga, I will keep everyone posted.

    I have not heard from the rest of the crowd in a while....."mayankhp" "mdriver" "mbbstims" "newsentraowner" and a few others, so if you guys and girls are still alive, drop a line and say hello.

    On another note, I got lazy and forgot to rotate my tires at 5000 miles. The front tires are showing NO appreciable wear whatsoever, and the steering wheel still tracks straight and true. Maybe I will move them around at 10,000 miles.

    Take care to everyone, and answer back when you get the opportunity!!!

    GSEREP1
  • katraakkatraak Member Posts: 33
    As you can deduce from my posting here I'm alive and well. If'd want to drive to Alabama to see if I am alive you are welcome anytime. But the thing is I'm now staying right now in your backyard, Pomona, Calif. It is a suburb of LA. Came here for an internship in the beginning of June and will stay here until the end of August. LA beats the hell out of staying in Alabama in summer. I love the weather here, there its hot (85-95) and very humid during July and August. Don't hope it stops raining there, because rain is a welcome change from the stifling heat.
    Good to know your AC is working when you need it most. But tell me something, how is it working so good and still needs replacement parts. Am I missing something? Did you get the suspension recall work done on your car. Lucky me, my car was not affected by the recall as it was built before June 00. I'll keep this tutorial of yours in mind if and when I have an AC problem. Thanks for being so informative.
    Haven't heard from "mayankhp", "sentrafan", "zhz" and "newsentraowner" in a while. I know that "mbbstimms" has made up his mind to get a Corolla so we may not see him on this board again
  • cyranno99cyranno99 Member Posts: 419
    gserep1 - if you are going through Texas in the summer then I hope your car has window tints. The tints make a big difference and so does wearing long sleaves! You read news about big guys suffering heat exhaustion so it is good to make sure your A/C is in tip top shape.

    Yes, I think the SE's ride is a good compromise even for not so sporty folks. My brother's car has been averaging 26-27mpg lately for mixed driving (A/T). He said that he installed a micron air filter. Fairly simple job. He's looking at a CAI using K&N filter. His car has been problem free.

    I'm happy with my CL and I hope that you'll like the 6-speed manual if it comes out. I hate to say it, but it still is a better deal than a Maxima with 3.5L engine. I sure hope Nissan can prove me wrong with the redesign Maxima next year.
  • mayankhpmayankhp Member Posts: 22
    Hello everyone- gserep1and katraak

    Been busy taking inventory at work in long hours but never forget to browse through this board for even a day, you guys are most welcome again to load this message board with plenty of goodies.

    I have a topic to discuss and please share your experience on this.

    Last week I had been to a shop to get the oil change. Mechanic checked my tyre pressure and increased from 32 to 40, he explained to me that your tyres says not to exceed 40. He said that he always put air at the max out level whatever printed on tyre. And it is the way to go. How far it is true/good is my question to you guys.

    Thanks
  • katraakkatraak Member Posts: 33
    It is always good to follow Nissan recommended tire pressures. I don't have the owners manual handy but I guess it is 32 front and 29 back. Myself I always try to maintain 35 psi in the front and 32 psi in the rear tires.
    At 40 psi you are going to have a very bumpy ride and also the handling characteristics of the vehicle will be adversely affected.
    What's your take on this GSEREP1?
  • gserep1gserep1 Member Posts: 92
    Hello Gang,
    I agree with Katraak. 40 is a bit too much. You will get a "basketball type" ride, and save a bit on the fuel, but that is about all. Remember, that if you have 40 psi when it is cold, it will STILL add air pressure when driving. You may have as much as 44 or 45 pounds in there when it gets up to operating temperatures...CARY for sure. The 44 lbs on the sidewall is MAXIMUM pressure. The factory recommended pressure for these Firestone tires in THIS application is 33 front and 30 rear. I added 35 front and rear when the tires were cold. On a long trip I am not sure if my tires get up to 40. Try reducing the pressure a bit, and it will be easier on you and the tires.

    KATRAAK, what are you doing in MY part of the world?? Are you soaking up some of our great weather? I hope that you really enjoy yourself while you are out here. Maybe I didn't read closely enough, but did you drive your car out here? If so, then this is a red letter day for sure, and if not, I am sure that you are missing your car a lot. I took some pictures of my car today to share with my Louisiana friends who bought the GXE's, but I have not posted these to Edmunds yet. I sent them on Hotmail, and they say that they have received them already.

    Enjoy Pomona, and oh by the way, you are right about my A/C. It is the strangest thing. After they vacuumed out the system twice and refilled it, it started working better. About 3 days after the last service, I suddenly noticed it getting and staying colder. By then of course, the parts were already ordered. So now I am in a sort of quandry as to whether I should have it fixed or leave it alone. The parts are all backordered except for the filter drier, I believe. In the meantime, it pumped out 38 degree air all of last week when I was in the Fresno area in 100 to 105 degree weather. Really amazing. I know that as soon as I decide NOT to have it fixed, it will start acting up. The charge seems to be right now, but the Amplifier seems to be the culprit, as it does not know when to turn the compressor on and off.

    I will have to make plans to go up that way as I have relatives not too far away in Palmdale, and others in Long Beach. It would be nice to put a face to someone I have talked to so much lately.
    The pleasure would be all mine, I am sure.

    Take care of yourselves until we talk again...
    GSEREP1
  • zhzzhz Member Posts: 29
    since you're in LA right now, do you have any idea how motor registration works? I understand that you're there only for the summer. Do cars bought in CA have extra stuff for emission thing? If I want to move to LA area, can I just bring my car to there and get a new tag (after passing a smog inspection). In another word, is 2000 GXE sold in CA exactly same as 2000 GXE sold in GA or AL?
    BTW I'm alive too.
  • katraakkatraak Member Posts: 33
    What am I doing in "YOUR" part of the world?
    Well, I am a Ph.D student in Pharmaceutical Sciences and I go to school in Alabama. I will graduate shortly and I came here on an internship for only 3 months. Trying to get some real-world experience before I start a real job. You guessed it right. I didn't get my car here. I didn't want to drive freaking 2500 miles from AL to CA. I would've probably driven if I had company, but being alone I didn't try it. I know its difficult without a car. I got a quote to get my car shipped for $1600 back and forth and I couldn't afford that kind of money. The result is that I am without a car for 3 months. It's not too bad though, I have some friends here who give me a ride whenever I need one.
  • katraakkatraak Member Posts: 33
    involved if you want to register your Sentra in Calif. May be this link can help you.

    http://www.dmv.ca.gov/pubs/brochures/howto/nonresident.htm

    GSEREP1 should know as he is a resident of CA.
  • gserep1gserep1 Member Posts: 92
    Hello again,
    Yes I have lived in California for the last 30 + years, and it is a bit strange here to get non-California cars registered. It IS a bit easier than it used to be, and quite a bit less expensive too, I might add.

    Just a few years ago, there were 2 types of cars manufactured...1.California's, and 2. everyone elses'. California's emission standards were considerably more stringent, and the cars had to be certified to operate here. The only exceptions were military people, who were sent here by Uncle Sam. They were exempt from smog checks as long as they kept the plates from the home state. Or they got a break on the California license fee if they were not formal residents of this state, and wanted to register their cars here. Same deal if a military member bought a new car here. He got a break because he doesn't officially live here. I always had to pay even though I was in the military for 22 years, because I joined here. I paid full pop, while my out of state military friends paid about $25.00, regardless of the type of car they owned or bought new or used while here. The state used to charge a flat tax of between 300 to 700 dollars for any car that was not originally sold here and wanted to be registered here.. (I guess that was to make up for the fact that they lost that revenue from the beginning). Now that they have become kindler/gentler, they have started refunding some of the money they have been rippng people off for all of these years. This is probably in response to a few well-placed lawsuits brought by some smart lawyers. Every GASOLINE-powered car and truck has to be smog (emission tested every 2 years with the exception of brand new cars...which are smogged the very first time only after 4 years have elapsed, then after that, it is every other year). A sniffer is run up the tailpipe to measure emissions while the wheels spin to simulate real-world driving. Diesels and Motorcycles are exempt, but that may change. Lawn mowers and snowblowers, jetski's, and offroad 3 and 4 wheelers are also exempt...FOR NOW!

    If you are bringing a car in from another state and it is older than 3 or 4 years old, it must be retrofitted with all the things cars of the same type that were sold here had. That can get expensive. The newer cars (3 years or newer) have the same standards nationwide, so it is easier. Just understand that if you bought a new car less than a year ago from someplace else, you MAY have to still pay some extra state tax, but it is cheaper than it used to be. This is to discourage Californians from going to nearby TAX-FREE Oregon and buying a car and bringing it back here. I believe that it is 1 year or mileage in excess of 7000 miles, and you are exempt from paying the California USE TAX. I bought a new Sentra SE in May, and the dealer charged me $256.00 for the registration, which he paid to the state in my behalf. When my new plates came, I got a refund of $98.00 as well. That was a welcome suprise, for sure. But that was a car that was sold here in California with all of the California specs. I understand that this car has the same specs in all of the other states, so even if I did not buy it here, it would still have been legal here with no modfications. Bringing a new car less than a year old will result in paying the same sales tax and registration as if you bought it new here. Sales tax was about 1100.00 on my Sentra in addition to the 256.00 for the registration. Just remember that over a year old now, and you should be exempt from paying that big tax.

    The bottom line is, you will have to put your vehicle on a treadmill designed for the purpose of testing the emissions as it drives down the road. The smog test is EXTRA, and can cost from between 45 to as much as a couple hundred if done at a dealer, and depends on the type of car. One test is at 15 mph, and the other is at 25 mph, when the EGR system should be functional. The drive wheels are spun, and the rest of the car is locked down. There are different standards for each speed, as higher speed generally causes a car to pollute less than at idle. They measure HC (hydrocarbons, which is raw unburned gasoline that has escaped out of the exhaust), CO (carbon monoxide the bad stuff), CO2 (carbon dioxide..the good stuff formed by the catalytic converter), and NOX (Nitrides Of Oxygen, which is a chemical formed when combustion chamber temperatures exceed 2500 degrees F... a BAD actor for sure, and one that a properly operating EGR valve will keep in check). Any defects must be fixed before it is legal. Most new cars still have an emission warranty, so it is no problem, but old cars can cost a pretty penny if they are not in good shape. The registration and plates are figured on assessed valuation of the vehicle, meaning new cars cost more, and old cars cost less on a sliding scale until it gets down to about 25 to 30 dollars for everything. By then, the car is quite old, and nearly ready for the junk pile. In the old days, a $50,000 dollar car's registration would cost $1200.00 or so at first and declined each year until it totally devaluated. My highest was 765.00 a year for a new 30,000 dollar Ford Explorer a few years back. I still have that vehicle, and after 4 years, I am down to about 250 dollars. It is not pretty, and I don't want to give you gloom and doom statistics, but you have to be prepared for what may lie ahead. I cringe when I see other states get by on as little as $24.00 for a NEW $40,000 dollar Lincoln, and out here it is nearly 1000 bucks for the same car. And we still have some bridge tolls to pay in some areas like San Diego and San Francisco. We have been robbed blind for years, and the smog program is big joke.

    So welcome to California (if you still want to come). I believe that it is much cheaper than it used to be, but like Katraak said, go on line or call the DMV in Sacramento (our great capital city), and ask what it will cost. Make sure that the car is in good tune, and you should be able to get through it with no problem. Just don't bring a very old, or poorly performing car regardless of year, or you will be labeled a "gross polluter" if it fails, and there are addition penalties if you fail it..including having to undergo a smog test every year for the next 5 years to get off the gross polluter list. I think that I have said enough to keep any sane person from ever wanting to come here, right?

    Good luck to you in any event, and keep in touch.
    GSEREP1
  • zhzzhz Member Posts: 29
    It's not me going to CA. I have a friend who wanted to buy a car in Dallas -- 94/95 -- and bring it to CA. I only know that CA has a much tougher standard.

    I paid $220 for my first year property tax and registration to county tax commisioner for my 2000 GXE. I remember paying $38/yr including a $20 tag fee for my 88 Excel couple of years ago.

    No smog test in my county.
  • newsentraownernewsentraowner Member Posts: 5
    Hello everyone,

    It's been a little while since I posted so I've got a lot to discuss (I apologize in advance). With regard to the Smog testing, do any of you know how it works if you're in a state that requires the tests but have your vehicle registered in a state that doesn't? Can I just renew it in my original state w/o having to deal with the smog tests? I have a friend who had his vehicle registered in another state but both states required the testing. Unfortunately New Jersey was so strict he actually had to drive back home and have the testing done there.

    I did get the sticker off my window -- thanks GSEREP1 for the advice. It just took a while for me to find a day when it was actually cool enough to do so. I think my A/C is normal (perhaps to cold?) after all. The other day I took my car for a local drive when it was about 95+ out and man the car felt like a fridge when I left in on too long. Actually had to shut it off to stop from freezing.

    I recently went to my dealer to have the recall repair done but was quite disappointed when he told me he wouldn't be able to give me a ride to work since I was 15 miles away. He wouldn't give a loaner car either so I had to wait through the repair. While this wasn't a big deal this time it'll be a real pain in the you know what if I actually have to have something fixed. Have any of you run it to this? Anything I can do about it or do I have to just deal with it?

    Finally, I'm now past the 3+ month point and was going to get my first oil change. Since I only have 400 miles on the car I was thinking I could hold out a bit though. If I have it done is it a big deal if I go somewhere other than my dealer (in terms of my warranty)? For one thing the dealer is about TWICE as much as the other places and in addition I can't even take my vehicle in for service to dealer right now since all of the local mechanics who work at dealerships (their whole union) is on strike.

    Thanks for all the advice.
  • katraakkatraak Member Posts: 33
    Hi GSEREP1
    If you don't mind me asking, you work for the USAF right? Ground support? Should be pretty interesting, having to fix all those multimillion dollar aircraft. I read somewhere that for every hour an aircraft is in the air some 20 hrs maintenance is required, is that true?

    newsentraowner
    Geez....man, you don't drive a lot, do you? 400 miles in 3 months, or was that a typo? Anyway, I would get my oil changed for the first time at 1000 miles and thereafter every 3750 miles. After 10K miles may be you can shift to synthetic oil so that the wear on your engine is less in the long run. Ya, same here too. Dealer charges more for oil changes than what you pay outside. Could be because they check your car according to the maintenance manual and also use original Nissan filter which is expensive than the filters that a lot of places use.
  • quark99quark99 Member Posts: 136
    Maybe Kragen or Pep Boys are cheaper...but...
    At our local Napa Auto Parts, the baseball-sized filter for my 2000 Sentra SE is $5.99ea for their "Gold" filter. At Concord Nissan, replacement Nissan Sentra filters are $5.31ea.
    Side Note: Nissan redesigned the oil filter for both the 1.8 and 2.0 Sentra motors in 2001. The new-style is about 3/4" longer...(I noticed when I changed a friend's new GXE during his 1st oil change) Since our filters for these cars are so small that you get laughed at when you buy them, any extra size/filtering ability is welcomed. Haven't seen the new size in aftermarket; go to your dealer and ask for a 2001-2002 Sentra GXE filter.
  • zhzzhz Member Posts: 29
    I think some people already post this address. But here it is again.

    http://www.nissan-accessories.com/

    a good place to get OEM oil filter. $4.47 w/o s/h for non-texas residents.
  • newsentraownernewsentraowner Member Posts: 5
    Geez....man, you don't drive a lot, do you? 400 miles in 3 months, or was that a typo?

    Not a typo. While the three months includes a month that I was away (with the car in the parking lot) I don't need to drive much because my work/school provides a shuttle service.
  • katraakkatraak Member Posts: 33
    With such low mileage I'm sure you are going to keep excellent resale down the road. Like I said before you need not change oil until you have a 1000 miles on the odometer and thereafter change every 4000 miles.
    I guess it's fine if you want to get your oil changes done elsewhere other than the dealer. But all the service recommended in the maintenance manual needs to be done and also you have to hold on to the receipts and other documentation. That way if you ever have any trouble with the car during warranty period, the dealer cannot refuse service saying that routine maintenance was not performed as recommended by the manufacturer.
  • gserep1gserep1 Member Posts: 92
    Hey gang,
    I spent 15 minutes writing the last post, and I can't get it to work. I will try later. Funny how this last one goes up, and the first one will not. It is still stored in the computer's cache, but I can't get it to post. That is upsetting to say the least.
    GSEREP1
  • patpat Member Posts: 10,421
    Click here - pat "Welcome to the Sedans Message Board" Jul 8, 2001 1:58pm - that may explain what happened and what you can do next time. I'm sorry that happened to you, I know how frustrating that is.

    Pat
    Host
    Sedans Message Board
  • sentrafansentrafan Member Posts: 40
    Hey ZHZ,

    Just finished installing the In-Cabin Micro Filter in my 2000 Sentra SE. The installation instructions list 8 steps under Parts Removal before proceeding to the installation of the filter (which is simply a matter of sliding the filter into the filter housing), but my experience was the last three or four steps are completely unnecessary. To sum up the procedure, you must remove the
    1. Glove box door
    2. Glove box latch
    3. Glove box frame
    4. Filter cover from the filter housing unit

    One Phillips screw driver and 20 minutes of your time is all that's required for you to start breathing that clean filtered air :-) On a quality control note, I noticed that one part of the glove box frame wasn't put in properly; there are 2 tabs that should go behind a panel, but only one tab was behind the panel, the other was in front. No wonder I hear creaks and rattles from the glove box and dash! Also washed the car this morning, just before sunrise. It's my favorite time to wash the car; it's cool and quiet, and I get to spend some quality time with my baby ;-)

    quark99 -- glad to hear that Nissan has finally made the Sentra oil filters larger. I've always had reservations about the filters because they were so small. Hopefully the aftermarket will catch up soon.
  • zhzzhz Member Posts: 29
    Thanks for the information. I might try it, have to order it first.
  • bobcatbobbobcatbob Member Posts: 187
    Is it possible to have a 2001 Sentra SE (w/ Performance Pkg.) with both ABS and the 6-disc CD changer. The Nissan website says these are not available and a dealer near me is clueless. However, Edmunds says both can be had on the Se....

    Help!
  • mdrivermdriver Member Posts: 385
    Getting an SE with ABS is almost impossible. There were a few 2000 SEs around with ABS, but no PP. For 2001, I have seen none with ABS with or without PP. That's probably because the SEs with PP are targeted to younger drivers and the dealers/manufacturers have determined that young people don't care about safety, they just want sunroofs, thus ABS is a rarity.
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