I am possibly going to look at a 92 SE tomorrow. It is 5 speed and in pretty decent condition...other than the owner saying one or both of the head gaskets are blown. Is this a common problem in 3rd gens? I read somewhere that it was common for a coolant plug on the heads to leak and people often though it was a head gasket....any info on that?

Also if I remember correct does the 92 VE have more problems with the VTC clacking than the 93-94's?

Would this car have an LSD tranny? Is there a way to tell on the VIN tag under the hood?

Any other info people could possibly offer about a 92 with these features either pro or cons I would appreciate it. Possibly problem areas to look for.

Finally how much would this car be worth in good running condition with under 130k on it? I know what KBB is but I am wondering how much they are bringing now. The condion is very good and it has leather interior.

Thanks for any help. And if all of this info is in a sticky please let me know that too because I did not see it.

 

it will be VLSD

I've never seen anyone come across this forum with a blown headgasket on a VG or a VE so far... let alone TWO. If you can get a compression tester, definitely see what your compression results are before just signing it off as a headgasket. Also remember that a car driven on a bad headgasket and allowed to overheat badly can cause warpage of the head, and in severe cases, the block too.

 

Blown head gaskets do occur, but it seem to be pretty rare. On a lot of cars (any make or model) if you don't take care of the cooling system and keep driving it, head gaskets can go.

I am not sure about the VTC clacking varying by years. I think that may be a myth. It seems like virtually all of them do it eventually and even ones that are rebuilt have gone back to clacking.

The price is going to depend on what you want to pay and what it is worth to you. If you really want the car, try to find a way to buy it as cheap as you can get the price down to. I think realistically, it is OK to pay more than kbb for a well maintained car that is hard to find. If you were buying a Civic, you can talk people down and wait for the right deal to come along.

If it does have engine problems, factor in what that would cost you to fix. That can be a big bargaining tool, but also a headache. Especially if this is to be your daily driver.

It is getting harder to find a good condition 5-speed Maxima, both VG and VE. Most of the ones I see for sale (not on this site, like on CL) have crappy interior, dents, probably other stuff you can't see, even though they might run OK.

 

I understand the car should not be driven with a blown head gasket. What are common problems that people make mistake on the VE for a blown head gasket?

 

The current/asking price right now is not what I am concerned with. I am thinking about possibly getting it back in good running shape and selling it. By the pics it seems like a nice car that may possibly have a big engine problem. If I end up liking the car enough I may sell another vehicle and keep this one.

 

definitely below $1000.... shoot for $600-700 if the head gaskets are bad. I got a VG 5spd for $450 with a bad engine (timing belt snapped), so I guess that's what everything-else on the car is worth.

 

that's not what I am after. Like I said I am fine with the asking price of the car. I am wondering what a good condition 92 se with a 5 speed tranny, and leather interior is worth/what they are selling for? I am not concerned with the value of the car with a bad engine.

 

A good one will go for like $2500 around here if you keep the bish detailed.

 

that is way higher than they go for around here.

 

They go for about that much down here in Florida too, the clean one's anyway. Rough shape GXE's will be anywhere from $900-$1800; while most VE's (Which are usually in better condition, oddly) are at least $2,300+. Granted these car's don't have any rust or major cosmetic deformities.

 

thanks for the info on pricing/value

Are there any major issues I should be looking for when I go to look at the car?

 

The car will not necessarily be VLSD. Non-VLSD 3rd gen's were apparently produced although I have never actually come across one. IIRC a 'V' at the end of the transmission code on the VIN plate on the firewall confirms VLSD.

It's virtually unheard of now to find a non-VTC-ticking VE these days. If the VTC's aren't ticking the car probably has about 40,000 original miles, is an anomaly, has had the VTC's repaired or replaced, or has the VTC's grounded.

Not really much mechanically is common to go bad on VE's. Aside from the ticking VTC's (which isn't actually a reliability issue - embarrassing, yes, but it doesn't affect reliability) the VE is a very strong and reliable engine. However, things you might want to check are window regulators, master driver side window switch, glitchy clock, power steering hose, ignition coils (they can crack). Not sure if VA has rust issues, but common rust areas are under the rear doors in front of the wheel wells, frunt strut towers, gas filler neck, and the trunk area where the rear seat belts mount.

*Edit* Also, I've never heard of or seen headgaskets to go bad on VE's. If the owner says the headgaskets are blown you might ask him and/or have him demonstrate somehow why/how he's sure of that. What symptoms is the car experiencing that he believes to be headgasket problems? Of course, milky coolant would be an obvious indicator.

 

the VLSD was standard on ALL VE USDM maximas.

 

Check ABS actuator for leaks - $$$ to replace. This is brick- looking metal box with brake lines coming out on the passenger side of the engine bay.

Check power steering pump/hose for leaks - not so expensive but messy.

Check for exhaust leaks due to broken manifold studs - pain in the a$$ to fix

 

messy, but alot easier than a vg setup for the power steering hose.

 

It is going to depend on where you are and who wants it. Where I am, you will could probably sell it for $2k to $3k if it doesn't have any damage or serious flaws. That would be if the engine were OK.

I have my car for sale for $3800 with a couple thousand (retail value) in mods and haven't had any takers yet. 160k, leather, etc.

 

not to hijack the thread but gotta question that 1991 VG with all power options ( sonar suspension and digital speedo meter and everything that could be power or digital) is on sale for $700 buks i told the guy i will only pay $400 buks and hes okay wit dat...and da problem is dat it has BIG dent on the right fender and fend went all in like not touching the suspension or tire and car is drivable, front bumper is messed up like crapy paint...but engine and tranny is in VERU GOOD condition so interior is....it has only 70000K cuz car was parked for 5 or 6 years as he told me....is it worth $400 buks?

 

BUY IT!!!!!!!

 

you have more than 15 posts. You can start your own thread.


Anyway, I talked to the guy selling the car. I am going to go look at it tonight. He said that the reason he said he thinks the head gasket is blown is because the car ran hot and then he saw fluid in that area. What else would cause this problem? The thermostat not opening and the hose blowing off? Any ideas? I'm going to check the fluid in the radiator for oil and check the oil for coolant, but I don't have a compression tester that I can take with me.

 

rent/borrow/buy one from your local autozonedout. not all blown head gaskets mix oil with coolant. most I've seen lately do not.

 

Well I looked at it tonight, and it looks like I am going to be picking it up. Other than the engine trouble its in really good shape.

I asked the owner more about the "head gasket problem" He said that his neice was driving it and it got hot and turned off. When she tried to crank it, it would not start. It had lost all of it's coolant as well at this point. The owner told me that he poured more water into the radiator when he showed up and it just ran out on the ground. From the way he described it it was coming out over by the acessories...on that side of the engine. What would this point to? I am guessing the water pump is on that side. But why would the car not run even if it did blow the head gasket/s. That sounds odd to mee that the car would not even crank. Thoughts?

 

I saw a car run at the demolition derby with no coolant for like 30-40 minutes. It was a V6 Chevy Malibu from the late 70s/early 80s. The engine did die a lot and the driver (coworker of mine) told me that his started overheated from constantly trying to restart it and then it wouldn't go. After they towed it out of the arena, maybe 45 minutes later it started again and he drove it in another heat, where he got knocked out.

said derby car in action (photo by me)




I have no idea what's wrong with the maxima, but it sounds like there is a busted hose, huge hole in the radiator or some other serious coolant leakage.

 

thanks for the pic

I am just wondering what sort of coolant leak would make the car not run.

 

Sounds to me like the water pump. The water pump is in between the engine and the passenger side strut tower. Who knows how long the car was driven while 'getting hot'? It sounds like the car was overheating due to a water pump leak, and the girl drove the car while it was overheating until it eventually just shut off, which is bad news as the VE has aluminum heads. Driving around an overheating VE is a pretty dumb thing to do. The car won't run because it probably has some seriously F'd up heads at this point..

 

Is the water pump internal or external on these engines?

 

what is a vtc

 

velocity torque carburetor

 

External.. Kinda a big time PITA though as there's hardly any room to manipulate it in and out. Alot of people end up doing crazy stuff like prying the engine over to create some more room

 

hahahah...nice, ok.


So where is a good place to pick up a good used VE for a good price?

 

www.craigslist.org

 

Thanks for that...I have never heard of that site

I am familar with most of the popular sites...craigslist, ebay, car-part. I was hoping maybe you guys possibly knew of a company that had them in stock normally in good condition for a good price.

Also, its official...I own a 3rd gen I'll post more once I get a chance to look at it in a few weeks.

 

When you say a 'used good VE' do you mean specifically just the engine?

I bought a VE from CNS Motors a few years back for $850, it's been sitting in my garage for about two years so I haven't installed it but the engine sure 'looks' good and IIRC was shipped surprisingly quickly

 

yeah I only possibly need the engine. Currently I am not sure what it needs. The car is sitting at my girls house so I have not had a chance to bring it home yet (long story). Anyway, I can bring it home in about 2 weeks and try to figure out what is wrong with it then.

 

You can check your local business listings for a company specializing in 'JDM' engines. They usually call themselves Japanese Parts or something like that. One of the local ones here call themselves Lucky Star for whatever reason :
http://www.luckystarjapanese.com