91 Max

=== If it has auto windows give them a real good checking they have a habit of failing and nissan gets a bunch of money for the parts to fix them. Also at that milage the timing belt should have been changed. Also it should drive smooth and Xmission should shift smoothly with no slipping. If it has anti-lock brakes give the unit a real good checking they also cost a mass of money to replace. With that many miles I sure would be checking it close. Good Luck.

The typical things that go wrong with the 3rd gens: The oem window regulators break. The one he's looking at probably has had most replaced by now. Coolant temp sensor deteriorates and gives a bad signal. Very easy to fix. When changing the timing belt, the water pump and thermostat should be changed. Lower control arm bushings are probably ready to replace. Buy the entire control arm instead of trying to extract and replace the original ones. Front struts and mounting hardware. Fuel injectors might start going bad. Usually they are intermittant for a while and then go bad for good. A somewhat difficult job for a DIY but saves a lot of money. The transmissions in these start to go out around 120k to 150k. Sometimes sooner, sometimes later. I've had both my 90 & 94 rebuilt and they run great. The digital clocks go dim and then sometimes just quit. You can get these on Ebay for around $25. Sometimes the exhaust Y pipe corrodes where the 2 pipes come together. You may see a bunch of rust on the muffler casing. Don't be alarmed! This is just the outside shell that rusts. The muffler is usually still good and will last several years. Both mine are rusted through the outside shell and they work just fine. Sometimes the shift lock controller goes out and you can't get it out of Park without releasing the button. The Bose and Clarion stereos' amplifiers usually are toast by now. Remove all speakers and in-dash unit and replace with aftermarket stereo and speakers. The hi pressure power steering hose will start leaking at the upper banjo bolt connection. The exhaust manifold studs break due to heat corrosion and expansion. Mine haven't but I've heard of others that have. A bitch of a job to fix. The little plastic/rubber shift linkage grommet deteriorates and makes shifting into gear real sloppy (automatics only). It's a $2.00 part and you have to get up under the car to replace it. Not too hard if you have hi-lift jack and jack stands. My cruise control computer is out in my 90 and I can't seem to get a replacement unit that works. New one's are ~$400 so I've tried using Ebay parts but I can't get one that works so I gave up. My 94 cruise control works just fine. The rear lights tend to get bad connections where the bulb meets the connector. They need to be cleaned and check every few months. All the small vacuum hoses are probably brittle and will need replacing eventually if you have to replace any fuel injectors. The alternators and radiators are known to go bad at this age.

If you live near Dallas, your son could buy my '90 GXE!!!! See my ad:

Good luck!

Chris

Almost forgot: Motor mounts: If one is bad, replace them all. Even though they might not be torn, at this age they can be stretched and will allow the motor and tranny to move around too much. You might even hear a popping sound.

C.

X-No-Archive: yes

The mechanic looked at it and said that the car is worth about $600 and needs about $500 worth of work, besides the one window that doesn't work. Right now, he is thinking if he wants to go ahead with it.

Shines, thanks for your long list of things to look out for and what he can do easily by himself.

Chris H, we unfortunately don't live close enough to TX to take you up on your offer, but thanks anyway. Hope you find a buyer soon.

Again, thanks for your advice!

It's a great car. And with some basic maintenance, will run for a very long time.

Chris H.'s list of problems is very all-inclusive, and shouldn't be taken as inevitably happening to your son's car. Chris has been a regular here in this newsgroup for quite some time, and has seen many things that have happened to other people's vehicles. Obviously all those things haven't happened to him, or he wouldn't own 2 Maximas!

I've got a '91 SE Auto with 182,000. It starts right up, even in a northern Michigan winter, and runs smooth as silk. Like nearly everyone with a 3rd Gen Max ('89-'94), I've had problems with the radio/speakers, the window regulator units, and needed to rebuild my tranny. But of all the other problems mentioned, I've only had to replace my injectors, which I did myself, and probably saved $500+ in labor. I've also replaced the water pump/timing belt twice (I've owned the car for about 10 years). I've always done some of the basics on my car, like brake pads, spark plugs, cap/rotor, etc. But I decided to start doing these bigger jobs as well, and I've probably saved over $1500 in labor over the years. There's very little that's as satisfying as turning the key after a big job, and hearing the car start right up.

It's a fairly easy car to work on, and if you or your son are so inclined, I suggest buying a Nissan service manual. You can also buy some of the tools you'll need if the particular job requires it (a torque wrench comes to mind).

But one of the biggest and best resources you'll find is right here in this newsgroup. It's a very friendly and knowledgeable place, and you'll find us more than willing to help with just about anything. This is a very active group, and one of the better car-specific newsgroups anywhere.

Good luck, and welcome to the club !!

Here are some good resources on the web you might find helpful. The first group (Info and How To) is especially helpful. And if you need to replace a window reg unit, Courtest Parts has an upgraded unit that works very well (I have 3 of them in my Max).

Info and How To

Bill G '91 SE Auto

Thanks for the "plug", BillG!!! Actually, almost all of the items I listed have happened to my 90 Max and a few to my 94!! But, hey, these are almost normal maintenance items for these old cars, right?!! But I don't have a problem doing those kind of repairs because when you fix 'em, your car will again run great, and it serves to preserve it's value. That's why I'm asking $2500 for mine and I don't feel that is too much when you consider the car will probably run another 50,000 miles or more. That's some cheap driving if you figure your cost per mile. I agree, these cars just keep going and going!! Oh, and another thing, I NOW HAVE 3, COUNT 'EM 3, MAXIMAS!! The 06 SE is friggin' awesome to drive!! That car has BALLS!!! I know I'm gonna get busted driving it like a bat outta hell some day here in Plano, Tx!!!

Good luck

Chris H

What does that '500$ work' include? I guess that could mean great learning DIY experience and 400savings... (minus invested tools)

Issues on my -93 are listed here: