2001 Maxima SE - Overall care

Opinions are like a$$holes - everybody's got one ;o) But like you, I don't like wasting time on my car because I do have a life yet I feel the need to make sure everything is well cared for. So my point of view should be of interest to you.

So talking out my a$$:

If you listen to the fanatics, caring for the exterior can be a time and money hole, but it doesn't have to be. This routine takes me about 30min every week and 3 hours every 3-4 months. I've tried several car products for each of these steps, and all of the ones I recommend last long and actually work. (reading recommendations from a detailer will leave you broke)

First, get yourself the right equipment. Get some clean terry towels that will only be used to waxing/drying your car. Any soft old hand towel or large sponge will work for the soapy washing. Also get some car wash soap (I've been happy with a jug of turtle wax soap). Also get some cleaner/wax like Meguiar's. It's a nice balance between ease of use, quality, and durability. (Pure carnauba waxes don't last long). I also like the big synthetic chamois for drying the car.

For washing, I recommend the following:

- keep the car out of the sun if you have a choice.

- wash the car with the soapy water, working section by section from the top down. Rinse before washing in the summer until the panel is cool to the touch. Make sure all gritty dirt gets carefully removed before using the big soapy sponge so that you don't rub in scratches. Rinse well and use the chamois and dry immediately to prevent soap rings. Move your drying towel in front->back motions only. This will reduce the noticeability of any fine scratches and marks.

- For tires, I recommend Blackfire brand cleaner and finish. It's easy, won't kill your grass, and doesn't leave your tires looking snotty wet like a ricer. Just clean and black and it lasts quite a while. Keep the wheels clean of brake dust - it will eventually damage the finish of alloy wheels.

- For windows I use Windex. On the inside I spray my paper towel and rub it in so I don't spray all over my interior. Wipe dry and then buff hard with another dry paper towel. The buffing with a new paper towel makes all the difference.

- Don't use Armorall on your interior. It attracts a lot of dust and isn't preferred by most auto enthusiasts for a variety of reasons. I suggest Vinylex.

- Check tire pressure. Always critical - I run 34psi in front and 32 psi in back. Total time: 30"-60".

- Wax the car every 3-4 months. If you got a cleaner wax then it's as simple as beginning with your normal wash but use Dawn dish soap instead so you clean off the old wax. If you want to improve the finish you can use a polish here, but it's optional.

- Wax with the cleaner wax, using a clean terry towel. You just gently rub it in (front-to-back direction strokes), let dry, and rub off (front-to-back again). Just make sure the car is cool - I don't think it hurts to apply in a warm sun, but when buffing it out the car must be cool (pull into the garage).

- Treat your door seals, window trim, and black plastic exterior to a Vinylex rub-down. I peel off my door seals and use a damp rag to clean the dirt from these nooks and crannies. I also think this is important to help you find clogged drains and early detection of rust spots.

For maintenance, I've done a lot of reading on these forums/ngs and I believe all the Nissan recommendations are important. If you don't skip these items your car will probably last 200k easy. Off the top of my head:

-Air filter every 15k

-Oil change and new filter every 3-5k. Not longer. I do it myself and use Mobil1 Synthetic.

-Coolant flush every 30k

-Tranny fluid every 60k

-Spark plugs as recommended. I use Nissan OEM only.

-Fuel filter every 30k

-Tire rotation every 5k (can coincide w/ oil change)

-Alignment check every 15-30k.

-Buy good new tires exactly as needed. Huge safety and

-Brake pads as needed, when replacing I use new pad shim kits.

-Check lugnut torque YOURSELF every time your car leaves a service station. They will overtighten and this will cause your brake rotors to warp and need replacement. No matter what the counter guy says about it he's not the one in back banging away with the impact wrench. A $30 torque wrench and 13/16" socket is much cheaper than $250 for rotor replacement. It happens to too many people.

If you take your car to Nissan for these things you will get grossly overcharged IMO. Their '30k', '60k' etc service packages are costly because they plan 15" of labor for things like 'lubricate door latches', which they generally don't do anyway. YMMV greatly in this area.

If you're somewhat mechanically inclined and interested, I suggest you try some of these yourself. I used to pay to get my work done, fearing I'd screw it up, but I had nothing to worry about. Get the Nissan factory service manual - it's $50-100 on Ebay but worth every penny (remember, one hour of garage labor is that much). It details the basic maintenance wonderfully - better than the Internet information, and it's very readable. Because I do my own maintenance, I know more about my car, keep it in better shape, and don't get screwed. It will cost you about $400 to get the basic tools I use regularly, but it will pay for itself in many ways. 1) The inconvenience of taking the car to a shop/dealer is no different than doing it yourself, except you choose when to do it, 2) I understand my car better and don't feel helpless, 3) I save money and can afford to buy better parts (e.g. synthetic oils) and replace parts before they become badly worn, and

4) when things need done the immediate hit to the wallet is only for the parts, 5) I can buy the parts for much better than the dealer will charge you when installing them (it's a hidden profit point), 6) I can take my time and be observant and cautious - something many mechanics don't have time for. If you're going the self-maintenance route feel free to contact me and use these forums for information. It's very self-empowering to know the basics, and you can do most of these maintenace items without ever getting covered in grease and spending an afternoon underneath the car. But it's up to you - any reputable garage can take care of the maintenance items I listed above just as well.

Dave

Oh, and add belt replacement at 60k.

Dave

welcome to the group, I just got a 2001 SE 5 speed myself not too long ago. kind of a rare find (the 5 speed), espically with the leather seats. hope ya have good luck with it.

-Slick Nick

Thanks so much for the insight and opinions. For the maintenacne reccomnedations, although its tempting to pursue becasue of the overall long term cost benefits, I'm probably going to stick with the reputable service department. Its 2 blocks from my office and so drop off and pick up are a breeze. Learning to do it yourself may be a longer term project somewhere down the road....

In terms of inner care, I guess its the vinylex product for the dash and another (lexol)Product for the leatehr seats? How about conditioner - or is that overkill?

Finally, any decent winter tire you would reccomend that won't break the bank? Thx again, Gord

Use MothersGold Polish or Wax's Armor on all door and window rubber. A good wheel cleaner. I like Mobil 1 but always use a real Nissan brand filter. Some Nissan maintenance is just a waste of money. dk