Should I...sell my car?? Need advice, dumb thread, but need to know a bit about 2002s
06-19-2006, 06:53 AM
#1
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Location: Boonville, Missouri
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Should I...sell my car?? Need advice, dumb thread, but need to know a bit about 2002s
Alright, this is a retarded thread, but I honestly need advice plus a little information on 2002 Maximas. I'm just not sure what to to....
Right now I have a 1996 Maxima SE with MEVI, JWT ECU, Y Pipe & Greddy cat back, CAI, Short Shifter (5spd), slotted and cross drilled front rotors, 17in ADR Victory's with good rubber, black leather, all lights modded, 1 piece head lights, strut bars, kyb gr2s on intrax springs, the works. I love the car to death, it's what brought me to Maximas and has given me a lot of fun building it up. Car is not doing that well right now, lack of power in higher rpms (when the gas is smashed, picks back up if you keep it off the floor usually, then it dies out at 5,500 again in the next gear), dies on occassion with the clutch in, and it has a funky smell to it. I dunno what that is, but any comment is appreciated. But...I saw this 5th gen in a parking lot, and it was love at first sight. 2002 with 57,000. Silver with grey leather interior. 6spd. I believe its a GLE trim. Has the BOSE with 6 disk changer, sweet little ride. And all I gotta do is show appreciation to my parents since its my birthday/I need a new car for college supposedly. This means I have to raise 7k with the selling of my car, savings, busting a** all summer. Should I do it? I'd get to keep my car for 6 months (before tax stuff is due) to strip it out if I wanted to/get rid of it.
What are some things to note on a 5th gen? I've read the 2002 MAF is weak, but can be replaced with a 2001 with a sensor switch for $80. Do the 6spds hold up well, require a lot of work? Sorry I know this is still in the 4th gen forums...I scared to cross over just yet lol. Thanks guys and maybe good bye soon to this particular forum.
Right now I have a 1996 Maxima SE with MEVI, JWT ECU, Y Pipe & Greddy cat back, CAI, Short Shifter (5spd), slotted and cross drilled front rotors, 17in ADR Victory's with good rubber, black leather, all lights modded, 1 piece head lights, strut bars, kyb gr2s on intrax springs, the works. I love the car to death, it's what brought me to Maximas and has given me a lot of fun building it up. Car is not doing that well right now, lack of power in higher rpms (when the gas is smashed, picks back up if you keep it off the floor usually, then it dies out at 5,500 again in the next gear), dies on occassion with the clutch in, and it has a funky smell to it. I dunno what that is, but any comment is appreciated. But...I saw this 5th gen in a parking lot, and it was love at first sight. 2002 with 57,000. Silver with grey leather interior. 6spd. I believe its a GLE trim. Has the BOSE with 6 disk changer, sweet little ride. And all I gotta do is show appreciation to my parents since its my birthday/I need a new car for college supposedly. This means I have to raise 7k with the selling of my car, savings, busting a** all summer. Should I do it? I'd get to keep my car for 6 months (before tax stuff is due) to strip it out if I wanted to/get rid of it.
What are some things to note on a 5th gen? I've read the 2002 MAF is weak, but can be replaced with a 2001 with a sensor switch for $80. Do the 6spds hold up well, require a lot of work? Sorry I know this is still in the 4th gen forums...I scared to cross over just yet lol. Thanks guys and maybe good bye soon to this particular forum.
06-19-2006, 07:58 AM
#3
it really depends on how long you want to keep your car. If you get the new one, it should last a few more years, especially if yours has wierd problems. Only you can decide what to go with though.
Also, GLE=Auto only, so it is a GXE or SE.
Also, GLE=Auto only, so it is a GXE or SE.
06-19-2006, 12:18 PM
#4
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Yeah I forgot my rules of trim regarding leather and manuals. The stealership has it listed as a GLE. I'm pretty sure its an SE now though, drove by it. I think I will end up going with the 2002. I love my car, but, its time for a change, some bad paint chips, horrible rattles. Time to move on...i already have a list for the 2002 started :P so im not getting away from modding what so ever.
06-19-2006, 02:08 PM
#6
i'm in a similar situation and have pretty much made up my mind. i have had a 4th gen ('96) and have spent a chunk of change modding it as well as a long time driving it. this was my first and is still my only car (i had a subaru justy to beat up on a year or two ago, but that doesn't count 
).
for a long time i have been thinking that sooner or later I would go with a 5.5gen with a 6spd and 3.5L. they're cheap now and are still nissans and still maximas. this was the plan in my mind for about a year or so. i did a lot of thinking about it, and i realized that what i most like about my car is that it's cheap to own, light and tossable, is big enough to fit 5 comfortably but small enough to park almost anywhere and it's just basically guilt-free fun.
if i got a 5.5 gen i would have a larger, heavier car built on the same chassis with a few inches added in each direction. the added power is nice, but i have enough tickets already, plus the 4th gen has a great compromise between power and handling. in short, i realized by going to the 5.5gen i would essentially lose all of the things that i love about my car. i'd have a car 4x more expensive that was faster, but handled worse, was crappier to park, was larger than i needed (my car is prob. too big as it is, i have passengers maybe once a week) and i'd now have to worry about someone messing with it when i park downtown or somewhere in the city. also, my experience with my 4th gen has been largely positive maintenance-wise.
it has developed at least one problem that is what spurred my thinking about a different car, but i'd rather fix my max and wait a bit longer. the 5.5 gens have a lot more problems than the 4th, which has also affected my decision. between calipers, maf's, injectors and all that other crap i'd just rather not deal with it.
i've decided against a 5.5 gen. if i'm essentially driving a different class of car why not go for something that does it better. i settled on getting a gs400 next spring. it's smaller and easier to park than the 5.5gen (even though the rear visibility is crappier), it's a V8 RWD, there's a nice aftermarket community for it, it has better resale and with a few mods will be faster than a 5.5 gen and handle just as well if not quite a bit better.
the point is keep your options open. think about what you really like about your car, what you would gain by switching and what you really want at this point in your life. i'm getting older and while i will always love my max, i feel like a change would be nice.
). for a long time i have been thinking that sooner or later I would go with a 5.5gen with a 6spd and 3.5L. they're cheap now and are still nissans and still maximas. this was the plan in my mind for about a year or so. i did a lot of thinking about it, and i realized that what i most like about my car is that it's cheap to own, light and tossable, is big enough to fit 5 comfortably but small enough to park almost anywhere and it's just basically guilt-free fun.
if i got a 5.5 gen i would have a larger, heavier car built on the same chassis with a few inches added in each direction. the added power is nice, but i have enough tickets already, plus the 4th gen has a great compromise between power and handling. in short, i realized by going to the 5.5gen i would essentially lose all of the things that i love about my car. i'd have a car 4x more expensive that was faster, but handled worse, was crappier to park, was larger than i needed (my car is prob. too big as it is, i have passengers maybe once a week) and i'd now have to worry about someone messing with it when i park downtown or somewhere in the city. also, my experience with my 4th gen has been largely positive maintenance-wise.
it has developed at least one problem that is what spurred my thinking about a different car, but i'd rather fix my max and wait a bit longer. the 5.5 gens have a lot more problems than the 4th, which has also affected my decision. between calipers, maf's, injectors and all that other crap i'd just rather not deal with it.
i've decided against a 5.5 gen. if i'm essentially driving a different class of car why not go for something that does it better. i settled on getting a gs400 next spring. it's smaller and easier to park than the 5.5gen (even though the rear visibility is crappier), it's a V8 RWD, there's a nice aftermarket community for it, it has better resale and with a few mods will be faster than a 5.5 gen and handle just as well if not quite a bit better.
the point is keep your options open. think about what you really like about your car, what you would gain by switching and what you really want at this point in your life. i'm getting older and while i will always love my max, i feel like a change would be nice.
06-19-2006, 03:00 PM
#7
Supporting Maxima.org Member
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: Louisville, KY
Posts: 197
I would sell the 96 immediately and buy a 5.5 if I were you.
I have a 96 5sped 140K mls and the following was my repairment in the past year:
1. Clutch: $750
2. Trans: $1000
3. A/C: $1200 and not running cold yet.
Maxima and I30 were born with those problem as they aged.
I have a 96 5sped 140K mls and the following was my repairment in the past year:
1. Clutch: $750
2. Trans: $1000
3. A/C: $1200 and not running cold yet.
Maxima and I30 were born with those problem as they aged.
Originally Posted by Saddles
Alright, this is a retarded thread, but I honestly need advice plus a little information on 2002 Maximas. I'm just not sure what to to....
Right now I have a 1996 Maxima SE with MEVI, JWT ECU, Y Pipe & Greddy cat back, CAI, Short Shifter (5spd), slotted and cross drilled front rotors, 17in ADR Victory's with good rubber, black leather, all lights modded, 1 piece head lights, strut bars, kyb gr2s on intrax springs, the works. I love the car to death, it's what brought me to Maximas and has given me a lot of fun building it up. Car is not doing that well right now, lack of power in higher rpms (when the gas is smashed, picks back up if you keep it off the floor usually, then it dies out at 5,500 again in the next gear), dies on occassion with the clutch in, and it has a funky smell to it. I dunno what that is, but any comment is appreciated. But...I saw this 5th gen in a parking lot, and it was love at first sight. 2002 with 57,000. Silver with grey leather interior. 6spd. I believe its a GLE trim. Has the BOSE with 6 disk changer, sweet little ride. And all I gotta do is show appreciation to my parents since its my birthday/I need a new car for college supposedly. This means I have to raise 7k with the selling of my car, savings, busting a** all summer. Should I do it? I'd get to keep my car for 6 months (before tax stuff is due) to strip it out if I wanted to/get rid of it.
What are some things to note on a 5th gen? I've read the 2002 MAF is weak, but can be replaced with a 2001 with a sensor switch for $80. Do the 6spds hold up well, require a lot of work? Sorry I know this is still in the 4th gen forums...I scared to cross over just yet lol. Thanks guys and maybe good bye soon to this particular forum.
Right now I have a 1996 Maxima SE with MEVI, JWT ECU, Y Pipe & Greddy cat back, CAI, Short Shifter (5spd), slotted and cross drilled front rotors, 17in ADR Victory's with good rubber, black leather, all lights modded, 1 piece head lights, strut bars, kyb gr2s on intrax springs, the works. I love the car to death, it's what brought me to Maximas and has given me a lot of fun building it up. Car is not doing that well right now, lack of power in higher rpms (when the gas is smashed, picks back up if you keep it off the floor usually, then it dies out at 5,500 again in the next gear), dies on occassion with the clutch in, and it has a funky smell to it. I dunno what that is, but any comment is appreciated. But...I saw this 5th gen in a parking lot, and it was love at first sight. 2002 with 57,000. Silver with grey leather interior. 6spd. I believe its a GLE trim. Has the BOSE with 6 disk changer, sweet little ride. And all I gotta do is show appreciation to my parents since its my birthday/I need a new car for college supposedly. This means I have to raise 7k with the selling of my car, savings, busting a** all summer. Should I do it? I'd get to keep my car for 6 months (before tax stuff is due) to strip it out if I wanted to/get rid of it.
What are some things to note on a 5th gen? I've read the 2002 MAF is weak, but can be replaced with a 2001 with a sensor switch for $80. Do the 6spds hold up well, require a lot of work? Sorry I know this is still in the 4th gen forums...I scared to cross over just yet lol. Thanks guys and maybe good bye soon to this particular forum.
06-19-2006, 09:21 PM
#8
Originally Posted by dashan
I would sell the 96 immediately and buy a 5.5 if I were you.
I have a 96 5sped 140K mls and the following was my repairment in the past year:
1. Clutch: $750
2. Trans: $1000
3. A/C: $1200 and not running cold yet.
Maxima and I30 were born with those problem as they aged.
I have a 96 5sped 140K mls and the following was my repairment in the past year:
1. Clutch: $750
2. Trans: $1000
3. A/C: $1200 and not running cold yet.
Maxima and I30 were born with those problem as they aged.
06-20-2006, 11:11 AM
#9
Supporting Maxima.org Member
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: Louisville, KY
Posts: 197
Originally Posted by dko
well that really depends. i've never heard of any of those being particularly frequent problems on the 4th gen... it might just be the cat you got. have you considered an exorcism?
06-20-2006, 12:28 PM
#10
Originally Posted by dashan
Quite a lot of 4 G (95-96) with high miles, particularly those in the northeastern states, have the above mentioned problems.
i'm just speaking from personal experience and how frequently these problems are brought up on the forums (at least the threads that I read), so i may be wrong.
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