BenStoked

iTrader: (7)

yes. the se was available with cloth seats(thats what you meant, right?
no there is not a gle in a third gen.

CapedCadaver

iTrader: (8)

3rd genners and 4th genners don't always get along too well. they have the better engine. we have the better suspension.

SE can be leather or clothish stuff (pic) or "tweed" which maybe is the thing i just linked to. I dunno. I'm thinking the "tweed" is ribbier, and the cloth is like velour as my GXEs seats are.

GLE wasn't a designation until the 4th gen.

there's nothing truly specific to an SE in terms of what to look for, that wouldn't be the same to look for in a GXE, with the exception of things specific to the VE engine itself.

if it's a VG, make sure the timing belt has been done recently. if it's a VE, have them start it and warm it up, and see if you get a tick tick tick coming from somewhere above the belts on the passenger side (VTC clack is the term for that ticking sound). if the timing belt was done within the last 50k or sooner, then you've got until it hits 60k to change it. if it's been longer than that, either look elsewhere or demand that they knock a few hundred off the price, because a timing belt past 60k is literally a disaster waiting to happen, and will destroy the engine if it breaks. I know, because i got one with a broken timing belt, and when i cranked the starter over, the broken pieces in the engine caused the whole car to shudder. VTC clack on a VE isn't quite as time-sensitive... it's just annoying and can be done when you have the time. If left clacking too long, eventually it will break stuff, but you have a longer window of time than you do for a VG's tbelt. VGs also should have the spark plug wires, distributor cap and rotor replaced after you get the car unless they were just done within the last 10k miles. Both engines will need new spark plugs.

on all cars, see that the engine revs smoothly with no putting or surging or stumbling. hissing sounds indicate vacuum leaks, whereas gassy smells causing stumbling are more likely to be injectors. if the exhaust makes loud pops rhythmically, you may have some broken exhaust studs, which are somewhat of a pain to fix, but aren't too expensive to replace. check all the fluids for color and proper levels. window regulator failures are common on 3rd gens. if you have BOSE audio, it's probably fried by now, and will likely need to be replaced with new speakers and a new headunit from an audio or electronics retailer. Bose was good in its day when new, but too expensive to replace once the car is this old, and nowadays there are better options for much less money in the audio department. On an automatic, make sure the gear changes are well-defined enough to where you can tell what gear you are in... if the changes are extremely mushy or if it sounds kinda weird, you might have a slipping automatic tranny, which will not last long. On a manual listen for horrendous grinding noises with the clutch pedal out (input shaft bearing) and in (throw out bearing). Also make sure it shifts smoothly through all gears. If the motor mounts are worn out, be prepared for a very jerky ride if it's a manual (trust me, i still haven't fixed mine yet and it SUCKS). Look EVERYWHERE for leaks, especially from where the axles go into the transmission, from the power steering system, and from the radiator and radiator hoses. Either ask about service records for the brakes, or have the seller let you remove one of the front wheels to inspect how much pad is left through the little viewer window on the fat end of the caliper. New pads will have about a half inch of material. If it's down to an 8th of an inch or so, and/or squeals relentlessly when braking, brakes will need some work. Have the owner turn the car on and wiggle the steering wheel back and forth. You do NOT want to see this. If you do see it wiggling back and forth then you have this problem, and they are NOT FUN to replace. If the tires are worn oddly, odds are the car needs to be realigned. If you have bad bushings in the suspension, you will need those replaced before the car can actually keep the alignment.

Also, check ECU codes if the owner will let you. General Maintenance sticky, post #18. First link is a thread on how to do it, 2nd link tells you what it translates to.

wow... this is a long post.

3g94MaxGXE

I'm more likely to get along with a 4th genner than a 5, 6 or 7th genner.

I hate the overweight things ugh. I don't think our engines are worse than 4th gens...quite the opposite I'd say. Their blocks are lighter but I'll bet you if you took both engines, got forged everything, and boosted them till they broke the VQ would break before a VG. I'm sure they do better stock but you may as well say a Honda Civic has a better engine than the Maxima if you are talking for reliability at stock output.

To me the most irritating thing about 4th gens is those tail lights.

I'm going to disagree with you on years and trims though, the 94 came with R134 stock and I don't know how many of the 93- have been converted and I'm sure plenty of owners didn't have AC problems till after Maximas became considered old. I also don't think you VE guys have the engine reliability of the VG regardless of our timing belts and etc. I mean okay your trannys are better but I'm a believer in the VG.

CapedCadaver

iTrader: (8)

well every year SOMETHING changed. just mostly one or two things, except a lot of changes from 91 to 92. eventually i'm going to put a thread together that will detail trims and years and hope it gets made into a sticky.

3g94MaxGXE

Well thats true of any car. Visually cars don't change much year to year unlike in the 60s and stuff.

I do alot of reading on wikipedia and as I recall the 300ZX has at least 5 difference per model year except maybe one or two - my least favorite being OBD-II in 96.

GarrettSE

My car came with factory BOSE speakers and deck, does this mean I Have a BOSE amp somewhere in the car? If so, where?

BenStoked

iTrader: (7)

on the mounting bracket for each speaker.

internetautomar

iTrader: (30)

Sorry, But I prefer the VE to the VQ. I found the VE to be more fun.

3g94MaxGXE

I'd certainly hope so after you owned 4 of them

internetautomar

iTrader: (30)

and 2 VQs and an L24E

CapedCadaver

iTrader: (8)

Well, I mean, I didn't really LOVE the VQ30, but I think it would be as good or better for me in my car. And the sound.... way better than a VG.

3g94MaxGXE

Going to disagree with you there, I haven't been around as many modified cars up close as most guys have but the only engines I've ever liked the sound of as much as my Maxima were approximately 200hp Mercury marine outboards. I used to go fishing weekly with my family and looked forward to sitting on the bow to weigh it down while my dad or grandpa opened the throttle up all the way. Sounded alot like the Maxima does now though where my car shifts at some point an outboard only has one gear so I got to enjoy the growl a wee bit more though it's been awhile since I went.

Most recent boating experience for me was the family's new boat which is like 40' and has twin 400hp diesels. Personally, I'm not impressed. The engines are huge and I really can't understand why they are so big when you could easily get the same kind of power from lets say 2 VG30DETTs. I'm no mechanic but if heats the issue the diesels on there already have a ridiculous cooling setup. I'm honestly afraid to be on that boat because of how bad it's exhaust smells and looks when cold. The thing gets about 1 mile per gallon of diesel and you can imagine how that smells and how toxic it must be coming from an 80s boat that has seen better days. I've had a fear of exhaust gas since I saw a dateline episode or something on carbon monoxide when I was like 7 or 8. Never gotten over it, probably part of the reason I love my catalytic converter.

Back on topic though....the VG is one sexy biatch!

edit: Did I mention that my grandma has a 00+ and when I've driven it with my dad I hated the engine sound? I don't know if it would sound better with all the intake resonators gone and possibly the exhaust but I do not like it as is.

CapedCadaver

iTrader: (8)

the reason for the diesels is probably because they are very torquey, lower maintenance, and more fuel efficient.

3g94MaxGXE

Meh, any big engine can be torquey, they are high maintenance engines and at 1mpg I don't know that fuel efficiency matters.

CapedCadaver

iTrader: (8)

diesels in general tho are lower maintenance... most modern tractor trailers can get a million miles on an engine, or more. i heard something to the effect of them going 500k before they need any major service or something like that. diesels are workhorses, not made to be speed demons. gas engines are speed demons but aren't as good for longterm rigorous work as diesels are.

internetautomar

iTrader: (30)

Displacement for displacement, a diesel will make more torque than it's equivalent gas motor. It will also do so at much lower (and thereby useful) RPM

3g94MaxGXE

Again, don't have alot of diesel knowledge. I have worked on diesels seeing as my dad owns 2 Kubota tractors, 2 John Deere, has owned 2 Mitsubishi Fuso trucks and used to have 1 International.

I can't say I'm a big fan of diesels. I can hear the engine of a VW from about 2 car lengths away with my windows down and can tell if it's a diesel. Not a noise I really like.

As far as being long lasting goes I'm sure they are a bit more durable than your average gas engine. I've never heard my dad say "rebuild" in reference to one of his tractor's engines and the Kubotas have been in our posession as long as I can remember. I had learned to drive them by the time I was 8. They get use fairly often, not as much in the summer but still. The also like any tractor run a fairly low gearing so you do spend alot of time with them at the higher revs though they redline way earlier than a gas powered car.

The next Mitsubishi Eclipse is rumored to be diesel based on the fact that the Mitsubishi RA concept looks like an Eclipse and has a turbodiesel. http://www.autobloggreen.com/2007/11...ncept-ra-conc/

If I had a choice between a diesel and a gasoline you'd have a hard time selling me a diesel.

sleepyvg30e

iTrader: (1)

idk about that ive always seen deisel as being more effecient and more powerful if u improve things like driving comfort and pollution then i cant think of any reason why deisel wouldn't replace normal engines alltogether more torque plus it lasts longer i still dont see a downside

CapedCadaver

iTrader: (8)

with gas prices, some people are looking that way. it's not more powerful... just has more torque. HP is usually lower because the powerband usually stays in lower RPMs. redline on a tractor trailer is something like 2500rpm iirc. gasoline engines are way more responsive.

GM and a few others are working on a high-compession diesel-cycle GASOLINE engine that uses trapped exhaust gas (exhaust valves close early) to warm the air and dissipate the gas better, and then it combusts w/o a spark like a diesel when the piston comes up. It's got mad amounts of sensors to make sure everything is in proper time, without detonating too early. The problem with diesels is that the burn is not evenly distributed enough due to direct injection and instantaneous combustion. Gas engines are less efficient overall, but the new technology they are working on would increase MPG and hp/L while also decreasing NOx emissions. Something to keep an eye on.

3g94MaxGXE

Yeah I heard one of the german automakers was doing that too. They called their engine "diesotto" or some crap like that. I'm pretty sure it was Mercedes.

CapedCadaver

iTrader: (8)

and that motor runs on actual regular gasoline, right? see, the 7gen Maxima is going to get a diesel, same displacement as the gas engine i think, but with less HP but more tq. First they said it would be a manual only, THEN they said it would be CVT only... so odds are it's gonna be a CVT diesel.

3g94MaxGXE

It may be offered as a manual but I'm sure they'll put the CVT in it, the CVT is an option on like all of Nissan's current car line up.

Yes, it's supposed to run on regular gas and is supposed to operate like a gasoline engine aside from the fact that compression rather than spark ignites the fuel mixture. At least thats how I remember it, I may be a little off.

CapedCadaver

iTrader: (8)

tho i suppose a current engine (hell, even a VG) could be made to operate like that if you switched out some pieces to make it run higher compression, and had some cams made that would retain the exhaust like that, and just leave the spark plug in place so you can test compression later on if need be.

3g94MaxGXE

Probably, however most of us don't want to try this at home

Also, I read a review of the new Maxima on nicoclub just now. Apparently it has a paddle shifted CVT....which sounds wierd as hell because I thought the point of the CVT was that it never stops changing the gear ratio.

sleepyvg30e

iTrader: (1)

the best way i heard cvt described was that its basically a 210 speed automatic

3g94MaxGXE

and who wants to tap a paddle shifter 200 times per time they hit a stop light? I'm guessing that when you shift it manually the CVT doesn't really vary the gear ratios or at least not as much.

CapedCadaver

iTrader: (8)

it skips 50 gears, 45, 40, 35, and 30 'speeds' or whatever tapered increment (b/c the spacing between gears gets smaller as you move up thru the gears) out of the supposed 210 on each tap of the paddle. it'd be kinda weird to have a 'slide' action on the pedal rather than a jump action... ie, it smoothly slides through the 'gears' faster or slower depending how hard you squeeze the paddle. if you JAM the left paddle, it'll downshift quickly until you spin up to redline, and if you just baby the left paddle it'll just downshift like a single gear on a conventional tranny etc.

3g94MaxGXE

Funny thing is you know manual shifting on a CVT won't give you the best performance. Sure it sounds cooler but the reason CVTs rock is that they can keep the engine's revs in the sweet spot at all times. I've never driven a CVT but I understand the concept and I'm sure lousy implementation could ruin the experience (ie a cvt that when floored shifts the gear ratio fast enough that the car never reaches 2000rpm for fuel economy reasons). If you're going to make a CVT transmission I'd think the best thing to do would be implement a Power/Comfort switch like on the 3rd gen autos. Let the comfort or economy or whatever you want to call it shift based on achieving absolutely perfect fuel economy - I'm sure with the technology we have we could make a lead footed driver get just as good as a hippie with a scangauge. Assuming Mr. Leadfoot doesn't flip the switch over to power where it would when floored stay right where the best acceleration could be found.

djfaka

I have a couple questions regarding my 94 max.

Within the last year my A/C stopped working and so has my temperature gauge (dash). I've been all over the search function and fsm trying to figure them both out before my 6 hour drive to phoenix az.

As far as the guage is concerned, I used a Multimeter to check the resistance on both the sensor (ecu) and the sending unit (to gauge) and they both seemed okay. The harness for the sending transmitter was pretty gross, and I am thinking it could be a wire short somewhere but not sure how to test that. I tried buying an aftermarket cheapo water temp gauge but it didnt fit. Any ideas or other things I could possibly check or a recommendation for a cheap but usable temp sensor?

As far as the A/C goes, I'm not even sure where to begin with it, the pressure readings from the Low side are like 100psi or something crazy high, and I'm not sure why that is, although I'm probably low on refridgerant anyway. I'm not too crazy about grounding the compressor to see if the clutch will engage, but it definitely does not engage when I press the A/C button, so I'm starting to believe it might just be the compressor is bad.
Any useful information would be cool for that.


I was getting worried because my radiator fans never turn on but as I was working on my car last night they did. However, they dont turn on very frequently, and rarely during the day. I'm wondering if something is wrong there, but I am not sure. I had my thermostat replaced last year along with the water pump, theres no coolant loss, and I even tried burping the system. I'm out of ideas and so I come to you

Thanks

3g94MaxGXE

The temperature sensor for the dash is right behind the distributor. It's got a spade connector. I have a feeling you are right about the short. I have a 94 GXE and I bought a new sensor at autozone and the other day I was about to put it in when I barely tugged the wire from the connector and it came out. I took a look at it and put it back in just cause I don't like live wires running loose. Today when I was driving the temp gauge started moving up and down as the wire I guess bounced onto the connector which confirms that my problem was a short all along. Though I'll probably still use the new one since the old one looks pretty bad off and its only $10. Either way, I'm going to be making a trip to autozone for a spade connector. That wire seems very brittle so it may be somewhere else but I'm placing bets on it being on the connector.

The fans (or at least the right one) are connected to the AC, if you turn your car on with the hood up and they don't work mess with your AC I'll bet you it will kick them on no problem. Me personally, it doesn't bother me because my car doesn't seem to have any problems related to heat and I don't let it idle long enough to have any sort of problems with it. My left fan has flat out fallen off the motor. If you do have problems disconnect the fan's temperature sensor which is on the other side of the coolant line that the dash temperature sensor goes in. When the connector is off your fans will run full blast unless you have a short or something leading to the fans, unlikely.

djfaka

Cool, I will pick one up from autozone tomorrow and try it, I hope it is the connector, because tracing the wire is likely to be a pain.

Do you think its possible to rig up a spade connector harness to an aftermarket gauge? (in case there is a problem with the gauge or wiring)

I will try this tomorrow as well.

I do know that pressing the A/C button does nothing. It doesnt activate the radiator cooling fan, the compressor does not engage, and more importantly cold air does not come out! Heat works, A/C doesn't. I am a bit frightened by the fact that there was such a high pressure reading when I checked... not sure what that means or how to do something about it, but it definitely sounds bad.

Anyone got any ideas about the A/C?

CapedCadaver

iTrader: (8)

maybe a faulty ... crap what's it called.. dual pressure switch or something like that. anyhow that's the 'sensor' that deterimines if you have enough pressure or too much pressure in your a/c system. if the sensor is working properly and the pressure's out off range it won't run the compressor, but also, if the sensor is messed up or unplugged it won't let the a/c run either.

300zmax

hello, i am having a problem with my transmission. i have a 1991 maxima with automatic transmission. lately the while driving down the highway (between 50 and 65mph mostly) the car will shift in and out off lock up. it does it on flat roads and not on hills that i have noticed. if i go faster than 65 it stops. on board diagnostics come ok. fluid is full and clean, and the tranny was replaced about 20k miles ago. enegine has 205k and runs well. any ideas.

thank you.

CapedCadaver

iTrader: (8)

lockup will drop every time you release the throttle completely... that's normal. the points at which it locks or unlocks vary depending on vehicle speed, but the TC should always unlock when you lift.

300zmax

im not lifting off the throttle at all and not giving it any more, could my TPS going or need adjustment?

it also does it in cruise control and only between 50 and 65 mpg, and after 65 ist doesnt do it. i was thinking it was an engine load condition, meaning the computer is thinking that there is greater load on it than there is and is droping lockup to compensate, but like i said it doesnt do it up hill that i have noticed. are there any vacuum controls assosiated with engine load?

CapedCadaver

iTrader: (8)

no vac for that... the solenoid could be failing inside the valvebody of the trans tho. maybe they just reused an old solenoid or something when you got the 'new' trans. hopefully that isn't it, because frankly that's a pita to have to get the tranny removed again and serviced. it could also be wiring issues, or perhaps the tps... but i'd think the tps would cause it to shift real funny too.

300zmax

Am i looking at any major issues if i leave the issue alone and live with it?

also i am enlarging the exhaust on my car from the manifolds back from stock pipe size to 2 1/4. do you see any o2 sensor issues that may come up when i put in the new exhaust. pics of the new exhaust coming soon when its finished. im using a 50 state magniflow cat.

CapedCadaver

iTrader: (8)

tc lockup not working is not a HUGE problem by itself.. it's just that often times if one thing is wrong in the tranny, something else usually isn't far behind. was this a rebuilt tranny or just a JY tranny that's been in for 20k or however long you said. don't worry too much for now... as long as your tranny isn't slipping then you're OK for now.

300zmax

its a rebuild that has already gone past the warranty. it seems intermittent and doesn't do it a lot. but when i got the tranny the lock up was not working, the rebuilder sent me a new solinoid and it worked after that till the last few weeks when it disengages at will. i will check my TPS i have a know good one lying around. i hope i dont have to pull the valve body again, it was annoying the first time. if it kills this tranny i will get a manual even though i do like the auto.

CapedCadaver

iTrader: (8)

it'll fit if you get hubs and axles from the VE also. VE flywheel will NOT work on the VG (inner bolt pattern) but they share the same clutch and outer bolt pattern.