92GXE

hi,

first of all, great site. very helpful.

i'm currently looking to buy a '92 GXE and have a couple of questions.

1. i noticed the warning beep sounds as soon as i opened the driver's door, before i even inserted the key into the ignition. seemed strange to me. is this normal? i'm pretty sure the lights were not on or anything like that.

2. the lever used to adjust the height of the steering column is broken. the steering wheel just sits at the lowest position. has anyone experienced this before and if so is it expensive to fix?

apart from the above, the car seems to be in great condition. i'd just like some advice on these two concerns if anyone is able to help.

thanks in advance.

andy.

92GXE

anybody?????

BML94GXE

iTrader: (1)

umm ok ill try my best for these answers

1) my guess is the lights were on, or the seatbelt was not attached

2) is it just the plastic piece or the metal piece broken off too. I dont think it would be hard to fix, just take apart the coloum and get a new one from the junkyard and swapp them out.

Def buy it maximas are great cars and even though im al little bioest(spelling hlp here please) i think that ours is def the best one so far. i have a friend with a 99 and i am always giving her a ride to and from the shop cause something has to be fixed or looked at. So i say buy it cause both of those semm to me to be pretty easy fixes. hope this helps and feel free to post ay more questions

Creedence85

The door chime is not normal, it should only chime if the key is in the ignition, the lights are on, or your seatbelt is off after start up. It's the same chime for both by the way, which is a little strange, just to let you know.

I definitely agree with the above, things like a broken tilt adjuster on the steering column, and the door chime are very minor, so I wouldn't worry too much about them. When a car is 12 years old, you're bound have a few things like that, even when the car has been well taken care of.

How serious are you looking? Have you look at any other Maximas, and how does this one compare to yours? You said the car seems to be in great condition, has it been mechanically inspected, or are there recent service records to show that everything is up to date? If things are good in that regard, then I'd totally go for it, if the price is good. I noticed you're in Kelowna, so if it's in good shape, and you're price comparing, I'd expect to pay a little more than the lower mainland, so don't worry about that.

If you go with the car, I'm sure you'll enjoy it. I got my 92 SE in late march, it's my first Maxima, and I haven't looked back.

TooEasy

iTrader: (4)

"biased" , courtesy of your friendly neighborhood spell checker.

BML94GXE

iTrader: (1)

thanks, i shoudl get you to do all my papers too

Scope

iTrader: (5)

Th e door chime usually occurs when the ignition isn't in the off position. The car maybe off but you have to press the button next to the keyhole and bring the key all the way back. By doing thiss you'll be able to activate your stock alarm too.

Creedence85

If you really want to get technical, it's just "bias."

92GXE

thanks guys for the responses.

first of all, i think the key was'nt in the off position so that answers question number one.

still a little concerned about the steering column, especially after i test drove it today and noticed the cruise control doesn't work and there seems to be excessive steering wheel shake at higher speeds. could need an alignment. i know this is a 12 year old car but these things are not consistant with the rest of the vehicle. it really is in great shape for it's age. i will try to add some pic's.

just to let you know, it's got 267,000 kms on it, a little high, 2 owners...both elderly people and there is paperwork for everything. the current owner is asking $4850.00CAD.

there's one other thing, are the lights supposed to be on all the time? like a volvo. i mean the parking lights. i noticed the bulbs are on in the front but not the tail lights.

i am still pretty keen and trying to get a qualified mechanic to do a more thourough inspection soon. that's if someone else doesn't snap it up.

thanks again for all your help.

92GXE

sorry. i don't know how to attach pictures. anybody??

92GXE

ok, i just noticed that i am not allowed to post attachments.

thumpyls

how much is that in dollars..also how many miles would that be..gxe are the luxury side..try to find an se..stay with the 3rd gen..also make sure the windows roll all the way down.lastly check to hear any noises from those common ex bolts

internetautomar

iTrader: (30)

Sounds like a theft recovery to me
they're called DRLs or daytime running lamps
they are mandatory on new cars in canada, don't know what year they bacame that way though.
and it is normal for the headlights to be on without the tailights (DRL function)

elektronic

The cruise control in my GXE is automatically set to off every time you start the car, and you have to turn it 'on' at the dash before using the steering wheel controls. It also doesn't work below 30mph.

The excessive steering vibration...what do you consider excessive? My steering wheel vibrated pretty badly above 70mph before I upgraded to h-rated tires in front and got an alignment. For comparison to your case, there was little to no vibration below highway speeds, and then you'd hit a point where it would just start vibrating. It hasn't done it since the new tires and alignment including an entire trip from ATL - NJ.

I don't want to minimize the problem, as my experience is anecdotal, it could be a sign of something more serious. I have very limitted car knowlege.

-Jeff

Jay93SE

267k and they want $4850? Are cars always that overpriced in B.C.? I bought my '93SE with 190K for $1700 incl. taxes. I realise that's an exception, but Max's with 250+k around me go for around $2000. For the price they are asking, I would insist on a safety and any mechanical problems to be fixed. Just my .02.

92GXE

how much is that in dollars..also how many miles would that be..gxe are the luxury side..try to find an se..stay with the 3rd gen..also make sure the windows roll all the way down.lastly check to hear any noises from those common ex bolts

it's about 3600 USD...roughly 168000 miles. i would look at an SE if there were any for sale in my area. the windows are all good. i'm already on top of the exhaust manifold problems. thanks.


Sounds like a theft recovery to me

i was worried about that!! i did a carfax check and it passed with flying colours. even qualified for a buyback guarantee, not sure how reliable that is though. i didn't read the fine print. i also know a carfax report is only as good as the information they are given. it's still a little piece of mind though.


they're called DRLs or daytime running lamps
they are mandatory on new cars in canada, don't know what year they bacame that way though.
and it is normal for the headlights to be on without the tailights (DRL function)

thank you, i was hoping that would be the case. i'm not actually from Canada so am unfamiliar with things such as this.


The cruise control in my GXE is automatically set to off every time you start the car, and you have to turn it 'on' at the dash before using the steering wheel controls. It also doesn't work below 30mph.


thanks Jeff. the green light on the cruise button came on but would not engage when i pressed the 'set' button on the wheel. i tried it at 80 kms and over but nada. i also noticed that the cruise light did not illuminate in the instrumentation panel next to the speedo, but i think only does when the car is actually 'cruising'. am i correct?


The excessive steering vibration...what do you consider excessive? My steering wheel vibrated pretty badly above 70mph before I upgraded to h-rated tires in front and got an alignment. For comparison to your case, there was little to no vibration below highway speeds, and then you'd hit a point where it would just start vibrating. It hasn't done it since the new tires and alignment including an entire trip from ATL - NJ.

yeah, i guess it's a little subjective isn't it? excessive compared to what? let's just say it was something i noticed and it was enough to raise concerns.



267k and they want $4850? Are cars always that overpriced in B.C.? I bought my '93SE with 190K for $1700 incl. taxes. I realise that's an exception, but Max's with 250+k around me go for around $2000. For the price they are asking, I would insist on a safety and any mechanical problems to be fixed. Just my .02.

i think it's the okanagan area that's expensive and not BC in general. like i said, i'm not from Canada so can't be too sure.

i'm still pretty keen on the car so if it get's a mechanics stamp of approval then i'll make an offer. the owner told me he had an offer of 4100 but that he wouldn't take it. i thought that was really nice ( stupid ) of him to tell me. it gives me a sort of guideline to work with. if it's all good i'll probably offer a little more than that and see if he bites.

sorry for the long reply but i went to see a movie.

elektronic

That's correct.

Creedence85

[QUOTE=Creedence85] I noticed you're in Kelowna, so if it's in good shape, and you're price comparing, I'd expect to pay a little more than the lower mainland, so don't worry about that.
QUOTE]

I mentioned this because cars, especially ones in nice shape, do tend to cost a little more in the interior than on the coast. Also, Kelowna is a hub for the Okanagan, where you have a greater proportion of people making more money on average than the rest of the area, so that can play into it as well.

92GXE

someone mentioned to me that rust is not as big a factor in kelowna as it can be in other parts of the country because they don't salt the roads as much. makes sense to me.