LeVeL

Well I went to get my '97 Auto inspected and failed for a number of reasons(Dont blame me, I just bought it).

The rear number plate lights are out. I tried to unscrew the plastic cover thing to get the bulbs out but the screws all rusted so I cant get them out. For now I disconnected the wires (the 6-7" at the very end where the bulbs are) so I can try to find a replacement. CAP said dealer or junk yard and a repair shop said they can do it for ~$90. Where can I get the part for less? because that seems a bit steep for lights.

Inspection person also said that the right front wheel is a little wobbly and the repair shop determined that its the wheel bearing and will cost ~$220 to fix. This seems believable but if anybody can tell me where to get the bearing replaced for less, I'd appreciate it.

Also, the 'service engine soon' light is on. PC at the inspection showed 2 error codes, which I found out to be the knock sensor and the evap canister valve (thank you, FAQ's). The repair shop, however, said that only the evap valve is messed up and it will cost $250-260 to fix. I heard somewhere that I can get one for under $100, is this true? If so, where?

Now for some smaller things.
The cd player doesnt seem to be able to read burnt cd's. Is it supposed to be like that, because I havent tried a legit one yet (I've got enough on my hands already to worry too much about the cd player)?
The lights for the climate control are out, as well as the interior dome light.
The button for the light in the front (on the roof, above the shifter sort of) gets stuck when nurned on.
The gear selection (right next to the lever) dont work that well either. Most of the time it doesnt turn on with the lights but just a slight tap fixes the problem so I would guess that it's simply a loose connection, which shoudnt be that hard to fix.
The antenna is broken too. When I turn the radio on the ant doesnt pop out of the rear fender like its supposed to so the reception is crappy.
Also, every time I start the car the stereo starts looking for a cd or a tape and then says something like 'tape error'.
Also are there supposed to be lights for the windows (on the door)?

The little stuff that I mentioned in the end doesnt really bother me THAT much. However, I really really really have to fix the major problems and pass inspection, so it would be greatly appreciated if those questions could be answered.

Thanks.

PS: The car wasn't bought from a dealer, but I'm on that problem so no flames for that, please.

Phew.

Black Maxima

Sounds like my POS Maxima when I got it. It's going to take time and money. All the items you mentioned are normal problems with the Maximas. Don't feel like we've never experienced them before.

KCMaxima98

iTrader: (4)

Unless you are very mechanically inclined, I would take the car to a dealership to get the EVAP system fixed. EVAP purge control valve cost me less than 150 at the stealer to diagnose and replace. EVAP problems are hard to diagnose. Sadly, a dealer is the best place to get that troubleshooted and fixed in my opinion.

THEJEFFERATOR

you could prob find a small universal sealed light for the plate at any auto store and wire it, then secure it underneath. mine was real bad, so i jacked the one off my suburban parts truck. maybe you have a blown fuse or two for the int light issues, or somebody put the stock stereo back in and half as$ed the interior back together....just a thought. first thing i would do is scout out some boneyards and look for parts cars, a good u-pull yard is a great asset. and check the org links for places to get good deals on new parts.

LeVeL

I am not mechanically inclined at all sadly. Yea $150 for evap sounds a lot better than $250 lol. Do you think the price for the bearing is right though?
Also, do you guys know of a write-up or some sort on how to wire the new lights? Or is it really easier to just have the shop fix it?