what to look for in a USED car?
11-07-2004, 08:03 PM
#1
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2004
Posts: 463
what to look for in a USED car?
Im going used car shoppin this weekend for all 95-97 5 spd maximas. I just want to know, what should i look for to make sure i am not getting ripped off? Do u think i should check the ecu to see if there are ne errors? I just want to get the best one possible.. They are all around the 100,000 range so that is a factor. Thanks a lot you guys.
11-07-2004, 08:21 PM
#4
1 of few unmodded 4G Maxs
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: Commerce Twp., MI
Posts: 2,828
yeah, run a carfax. Also do a full visual inspection as well as a test drive. Once you make your decision and as CarbonDreams said, have everything checked out. Beware, '97 Max's have an alternator recall on them.
12-07-2004, 06:30 PM
#5
Junior Member
Join Date: Jun 2001
Posts: 40
used maxima, what to look for
The first thing I would do is run the CarFax. Try to determine how many owners and the original location of the vehicle. It would be ideal to get a vehicle that is from a Southern State that doesn't have harsh winters or salt on the roads. Mine came from Phoenix AZ, and had no rust at all.
If you are buying from the newspaper, call each person and ask if they have service records. Ask if they are the original owner. Usually when going to a person's house, you can tell if they took care of the car or not. Some people have great records and they are proud to show it. Others have no idea what you are talking about. If anything, the owner should have oil change records.
I once called a guy and he said that he had changed the oil regularly at Jiffy Lube. I called Jiffy lube near his house and gave them his license plate. It turned out that he had only changed the oil every 13,000 miles. So I called back to verify if he had changed the oil anywhere else, but he said he ONLY took it to the Jiffy Lube down the street.
Once you see the car check all fluids.
Oil, radiator, Brake and Power Steering. If you buy the car from a dealer, they normally take the car to get it detailed. So the engine compartment will look SUPER clean and greasy. Don't mistake this for a well maintained vehicle. I have seen really horribly maintained vehicles look mint after a $150 detail and steam engine clean from a dealer.
Sometimes (not always) you can tell if the oil has been changed by how clean the dipstick is. Pull out the oil dipstick. Wipe off the oil. If the dipstick is stained brown and can't be wiped off, it can mean that oil changes have been neglected. You can also open the oil filler cap and stick a flashlight inside the valve manifold and look for stained valve rockers. If you see sludge on the valve rockers, I would stay away from the car.
Check the CV Boots and make sure they are not cracked or cut.
check all electronic and power items (ie: power locks, all 4 power windows, CD player, power radio antennae, sunroof, power seats, heated seats, etc.)
Take a car for a drive.
When you start the car, listen for strange noises coming from the starter. The 4th-gen Maxima's had faulty starters (at 100k it should have been replaced already)
The car should start quickly and smoothly. If it sputters or doesn't idle well, it probably wasn't maintained. Climb under the car and listen for exhaust noises (could indicate a leaking exhaust).
Shift through all 5 gears. Try to notice any clutch chatter when letting the clutch into first and reverse gear.
Make a full throttle acceleration through all 5 gears. (listen and feel for strange noises or vibrations). Shifting should be smooth in all gears.
Let go of the steering wheel and check to see if the car pulls on the highway.
Make a hard FULL BRAKE stop from about 60mph without your hands on the steering wheel. Check to see if the vehicle pulls hard to the left or right.
When you make the FULL BRAKE stop notice any vibration in the brake pedal (this could indicate rotor warpage)
At a complete STOP, turn the steering wheel full RIGHT and then FULL left. Listen and feel for strange grinding or noises from the power steering pump.
At a complete stop, turn the steering wheel full RIGHT and then drive forward slowly. If you hear a 'click' 'click' 'click' sound while turning hard at a slow speed it could indicate failed CV joints on the front wheels.
You could also check:
Life left on Brake pads
does the vehicle need new tires?
Check the rear emergency brake. If it clicks too many times, the rear brakes are probably shot.
If you are buying from the newspaper, call each person and ask if they have service records. Ask if they are the original owner. Usually when going to a person's house, you can tell if they took care of the car or not. Some people have great records and they are proud to show it. Others have no idea what you are talking about. If anything, the owner should have oil change records.
I once called a guy and he said that he had changed the oil regularly at Jiffy Lube. I called Jiffy lube near his house and gave them his license plate. It turned out that he had only changed the oil every 13,000 miles. So I called back to verify if he had changed the oil anywhere else, but he said he ONLY took it to the Jiffy Lube down the street.
Once you see the car check all fluids.
Oil, radiator, Brake and Power Steering. If you buy the car from a dealer, they normally take the car to get it detailed. So the engine compartment will look SUPER clean and greasy. Don't mistake this for a well maintained vehicle. I have seen really horribly maintained vehicles look mint after a $150 detail and steam engine clean from a dealer.
Sometimes (not always) you can tell if the oil has been changed by how clean the dipstick is. Pull out the oil dipstick. Wipe off the oil. If the dipstick is stained brown and can't be wiped off, it can mean that oil changes have been neglected. You can also open the oil filler cap and stick a flashlight inside the valve manifold and look for stained valve rockers. If you see sludge on the valve rockers, I would stay away from the car.
Check the CV Boots and make sure they are not cracked or cut.
check all electronic and power items (ie: power locks, all 4 power windows, CD player, power radio antennae, sunroof, power seats, heated seats, etc.)
Take a car for a drive.
When you start the car, listen for strange noises coming from the starter. The 4th-gen Maxima's had faulty starters (at 100k it should have been replaced already)
The car should start quickly and smoothly. If it sputters or doesn't idle well, it probably wasn't maintained. Climb under the car and listen for exhaust noises (could indicate a leaking exhaust).
Shift through all 5 gears. Try to notice any clutch chatter when letting the clutch into first and reverse gear.
Make a full throttle acceleration through all 5 gears. (listen and feel for strange noises or vibrations). Shifting should be smooth in all gears.
Let go of the steering wheel and check to see if the car pulls on the highway.
Make a hard FULL BRAKE stop from about 60mph without your hands on the steering wheel. Check to see if the vehicle pulls hard to the left or right.
When you make the FULL BRAKE stop notice any vibration in the brake pedal (this could indicate rotor warpage)
At a complete STOP, turn the steering wheel full RIGHT and then FULL left. Listen and feel for strange grinding or noises from the power steering pump.
At a complete stop, turn the steering wheel full RIGHT and then drive forward slowly. If you hear a 'click' 'click' 'click' sound while turning hard at a slow speed it could indicate failed CV joints on the front wheels.
You could also check:
Life left on Brake pads
does the vehicle need new tires?
Check the rear emergency brake. If it clicks too many times, the rear brakes are probably shot.
12-07-2004, 06:56 PM
#7
I would try and take the car up to 6k rpm on each shift. For saftey reasons and bad attention from the cops this might not be possible with 5th gear. Check for oil leaks and smoke after you start it up and again after your test drive. Pay close attention to oil leaks at the connection of the cv boots with transmission. From reading other threads this is a common problem area with 95-97 5spds. Also try braking and driving really slow and listen for any noises. I got bad calipers after leaving the dealer with my max when back the next day and drealer replaced the driver side rear caliper for free.
12-07-2004, 09:11 PM
#8
Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2004
Posts: 143
I just bought a used 1998 last week. Definitely run a Carfax, it's worth the $24.99. I caught at least two sellers trying to withhold Salvage Titles from me (like I wouldn't have found out eventually).
Mine had 118k miles on it and I had a mechanic check it out. Here are some of the major problems it had:
-Rack and Pinion leaking (replace rack)
-Power Steering pump leaking (replace pump)
-Rear wheel hub bearing (replace)
-Knock sensor malfunction (people on this org say that this alone won't trip the Check Engine light but the mechanic disagrees, BTW this is Code 0304)
These were the main items. Of course test drive it and try your best to gauge how the car shifts and how smoothly, or roughly, the engine moves. Good luck.
Mine had 118k miles on it and I had a mechanic check it out. Here are some of the major problems it had:
-Rack and Pinion leaking (replace rack)
-Power Steering pump leaking (replace pump)
-Rear wheel hub bearing (replace)
-Knock sensor malfunction (people on this org say that this alone won't trip the Check Engine light but the mechanic disagrees, BTW this is Code 0304)
These were the main items. Of course test drive it and try your best to gauge how the car shifts and how smoothly, or roughly, the engine moves. Good luck.
12-08-2004, 06:06 PM
#11
Member
Join Date: Nov 2004
Posts: 272
open hood and check if there is any body repair from front accidents. check if anything is loose such as radiator, hoses and fender etc... could be a sign there was front damage. make sure paint matches everywhere and make sure there is no dings. and if the car looks amazingly nice for 100,000+, there definately hiding something from you. i made the mistake of buying a 98 maxima without doing a thorough inspection cuz it looked so clean. i didnt notice a ding on the passenger door and my radiator being loose.
12-09-2004, 05:48 AM
#13
Junior Member
Join Date: Sep 2004
Posts: 26
http://www.samarins.com/check/
Here is a general guide of how to inspect a used car.
Here is a general guide of how to inspect a used car.
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