Hello all,
I just brought home a 1996 maxima, bought for a good price at a local dealership in L.A. The problem is that the car is registered with the DMV as a GXE but the car has these features:

White face guages
All black leather with power driver and pass.
Fog lamps
Double din BOSE system w/tweeters in the a-pillar
Rear spoiler
Alloy wheels
Manual tranny w/what looks like leather shift ****?

hmmm, I think thats it, is there anywhere that it will say SE?

Thanks very much in advance, I'm new to the maxima world so any help is much appreciated.

-maxz32

 

The white gauges give it away automatically.

 

Also, it has auto climate control. I did think the white face guages were the givaway, but could it be possible that someone went through the trouble of changing all these things out on a GXE? How do I tell the DMV that the car is really an SE?

TIA

 

That's not neccecarily true, the GLE model also has white gauges.

 

This information comes from the '99 Maxima factory service manual.

Raise your hood. Look for a shiny metal identification tag fastened to the
passenger side of firewall. The top row is the Vehicle Identification
Number, starting with J. The second row is model information. The first
five characters are BLHUL. The sixth character is the trim level designator:
E = GXE
G = GLE
V = SE



It's hardly worth the trouble, as long as the DMV has the correct Vehicle Identification Number.

 

guages and fogs give it away

 

I don't see how white faced gauges, fogs, or any easy addition to a Maxima can make it an SE. Anyone can buy a GXE and add these parts to make the car look like an SE. Daniel B. Martin always has answers that are likely to determine the solution though

-hype

 

Hey, insurance for GXE will be cheaper than an SE anyway, so if it is a SE, dont tell!

 

Thanks guys, I looked under the hood where Daniel suggested, and the car is an SE! Looks like its registered as a GXE though, so I guess this will be a good way to save on insurance, but what if I get in an accident, the insurance company will calculate the pricing on a GXE not as an SE? So what to do, what to do....

BTW, what are the mechanical differences with the SE? Stiffer springs/shocks? Is the SE different in other ways?

Thanks
MaxZ32 (Maxima newby)

 

This matters only if the accident is so bad that the insuror deems it a total loss. At that point, you have the option of correcting the mistake. You have the metal tag on the car as proof. You were not the original owner, so you can plead ignorance about the mistaken registration model designation.


Springs and shocks. Later model year SEs went to 16-inch alloy wheels. There are a slew of trim differences. However, the major mechanical parts are the same in all 4Gen maximas, regardless of model. The GXE, SE, and GLE have the same engine, transmission, steering, and brakes.

 

Have we forgot probably the biggest giveaway? The fact that the door handles and the window trim and grille are chrome on GXE/GLE and body colored on SE? Unless someone went thru that trouble of getting those items painted/replaced as well.