turbolover2

Im currently looking into buying a 3rd Gen Maxima. I want to know the common problems with them so I know what to look for.

-Thanks

SEguy182

89-91 all u really have to look for is i guess body/interior condition and on the vg engine the exaust studs break makeing a loud noise, hella expensive. on the 92-94 se's ve engine, the VTC's mess up and are hella expesive to fix. its a clicking noise, but the 92-94 gxe's have the vg engine, no vtcs in there, just teh other problem

Brian_TII

If you are looking at one with an Automatic be especially careful because the Autos are known to fail. Check the fluid and MAKE CERTIAN that it isn't burnt. Also make sure it shifts correctly and install a tranny cooler ASAP.

92ZexMaximaSE

Why would you want to buy a Maxima? I mean if you already own a GS-T.. It's alot easier to mod a DSM than a Maxima..

3rd Gen auto trannies are pretty crappy from what my fellow auto owners have told me.. I have 130,000+ on mine and it's doing fine. I guess I lucked out.. You could get a tranny cooler but it's not an absolute item unless you plan on spraying. I myself wouldn't mind owning a GSX..

turbolover2

I dont really plan on modding it to go fast, just look nice and handle pretty good. It'll be my daily driver, but I still want it to be fun to drive. Im keeping the GST for all my speed urges. I just really like the way the 3G Maximas look. I would prefer a manual, but if I find a good deal on an automatic, Ill take it.

BTW- Whats a VTC?

Mr. Nismo

iTrader: (36)

The 1992 Maximas are the ones that are known for their tranny problems. Get it inspected if you do find one from this year. But what you should really look for is how did the previous owner cared for it.

Bman

VTCs are short for Valve Timing Control (I think) and are basically the Maxima version of Honda's VTEC, where some device adjusts the camshaft timing in response to increase in engine speed. In theory this should allow the engine to breathe well at both low and high RPM. Normal engines with regular cams are designed as a compromise - either all low end (like old Ford Taurus V6s) or lots of high end (many performance 4 bangers) or some kind of compromise between the two.

Unfortunately, Maxima VTCs for 3rd Gens tend to start ticking loudly sometimes, indicating failure. Much debate about the causes and whether or not if this is harmful or even if it affects performance. Do a search for VTC topics (ground(ing), tick(ing), problem, etc.) in the past and various links around the web also make good reading. Fixes include rebuild ($), replacement ($$$), or grounding (0$) which disables them. Much debate about what this does too. I've been hanging around for a while, but I still haven't got a feel for how common this problem is. Still, it's not something that's deterring me from getting a 3rd Gen over a 4th Gen (which doesn't do this).
HTH

Mdriver

Some other things you may want to look for are leaky fuel injectors which are characterized by a poor idle and ocasionally a glowing red catalytic converter with black exaust also take a look for rust behind the back seat, water seems to get traped between the chassis and the seam where the rear wheel well meet up , the only way to really tell if there is rust is to take the back seat out and look on each side below the mounting point for the rear struts.

KLoWnPR109

iTrader: (9)

can't forget about the window regulators, these are a common failure

92ZexMaximaSE

Yeah tell me about it.. I had the car 2 months and bam.. the right rear one died during a cloudy day.. Luckily I jerry rigged it and was able to get it fixed before the rain started really pouring..