97 gxe auto. Up to 498xxx now. Runs like it has 498xxx too, but it does run and is daily'd.

 

I'm sure if you gave it a good tune up, plugs etc, replace your primary O2s, and an exhaust as your CAT must be near clogged as well, you would get quite a bit of pep back in that motor.

 

holy cow almost half a million miles.. insane, post when u get 500k! big achievement.

 

what the heck happened? all the sudden both of those lights came on when driving and started to catch on fire? what did u think it was? I'm curious and what would you have to replace in order for it to fix it? And what will be the cost to fix everything? Keep me updated on this

 

Whoa. Just awesome!

 

Quote:
Originally Posted by Lizziebeth13
313,xxx on my '95 GLE. Couple of water pumps, ignition coil, radiator last year. Drove it 5 hours to the beach and back home this past summer.

Was running great until last Friday night when the battery and brake lights came on. I pulled over, popped the hood and the damn thing caught fire. Still waiting to hear back from my mechanic if it's worth trying to fix. God I hate car shopping.

what the heck happened? all the sudden both of those lights came on when driving and started to catch on fire? what did u think it was? I'm curious and what would you have to replace in order for it to fix it? And what will be the cost to fix everything? Keep me updated on this Last edited by JoshG; 10-04-2015 at 12:13 AM.

Yea, I was driving home from downtown (Atlanta) on I-85 around 8:30pm, got off on Chamblee-Dunwoody Rd, and about a mile down that road the lights suddenly popped on. I thought the headlights dimmed or went out - maybe a battery cable was coming loose(?). So I pull into the empty parking lot of a pawn store, but I see headlights reflecting in the glass, so that's not the problem. I stop, turn off the car, and then I see smoke coming from under the passenger side hood area. I'm thinking, great, that damn oil leak I had fixed a few months ago is back. But as soon as I got out of the car, I smell a different smell than oil burning. Pop up the hood and smoke is coming out from behind the passenger side headlight but deeper down, and I also hear a sizzling noise. Started to call AAA but little flames start coming out. So I hang up and call 911 instead. Many thanks to the DeKalb County FD, btw. They kept at it 'cause the damn fire wouldn't go out for a while! Then they had to deal with a homeless person asking for help with a phantom domestic issue. God love 'em.

So I just heard from my mechanic that it's not as bad as he & I thought. He thinks it started in the alternator, btw. So need a new alternator, wire harness, and belt. Probably another hose or two. He mentioned some other piece, but said he'd rebuild it. I'm about to start searching for parts now. Been car shopping, too. My family is tired of me driving this car but I also lost my job 2 months ago, so...
He and I are gonna compare notes maybe tomorrow, so I don't have a $ amount to tell you yet. Hope the pic doesn't come out huge, I tried to make it smaller.

 

interesting, If its only a few parts needed to be replaced I would say to try to fix it, only a few hoses..wirings..a alternator/belt to get it back running. 313k miles is very nice, not many people get to 200k.

 

I'm a lightweight, I'm at 239k and the original owner. But we have 3 cars, so it's not getting more than 8k per year, and I think the battle is on with rust.

I plan on replacing this with a Golf R, but if it can go 1 1/2 more years, that would be pretty sweet. Still original clutch and water pump....

 

Those of you with 400, and > 350 for that matter


(We salute you!)

 

Just rolled 240k sad because I've put 10k on in the last 4 months, hazard of trade work but she still runs like a champ

 

369,000 miles 1997

Original engine and tranny

Just a few odds and ends but no major work.

 

I didnt think a maxima could last so long. I got a 97 se-l with with 129k

 

Owned the car for 3years, bought at 125k, now sitting at 140k. Had an oil leak for 2+ years, that's why I didn't drive it much. No problems at all within those years.. Until I got it fixed this June..had to clean up the car.

Fixed the oil leak..main leak was coming from the timing chain covers..
Replaced...both valve cover gaskets..cleaned off all the oil..
New knock sensor
New o rings
New oil pan
New oil
And that stopped the leak..

September, my temp was going to 75% hot, was my radiator leaking..
Replaced radiator with new one and fixed the problem
Did a tune up as well...
New air filter
New NGK platinum spark plugs
New fuel filter
Clean throttle body and mass air flow

A month later, my car didn't start at home luckily; all I got was a click noise..
Replaced starter With new one.. Solved my problem
Replaced alternator with new one.. Solved my missing battery and brake warning lights on the dash. Heck it was covered in oil when I had the oil leak.. So it's nice and clean now

Well.. This car has gotten a lot of service.. Heck hope it's trouble free for years now..

 

You think 129k is a lot? It's just a baby.




Wow, you have had some bad luck. Hopefully she'll be good for you for many years now.

 

hah yeah, after all that in one go it should be good 2 go for a while now.

 

'95 GXE-Manual-352K

 

i bought my max back in 05 with that exact mileage. she's now at 275,000 and running good.

 

97 GLE @ 310k miles

major replacements (at around 296k miles):

water pump
rear main seal
manifold gasket
axle oil seals
radiator

Still run great, the only problem is it will stall (like hitting a brick wall) when putting it in gear (auto) when the weather is cold, had to rev the engine couple times to put in gear. Thinking it might be the torque converter.

 

Hello all
My first post here on the 4th gen Maxima forums, since newbies cannot start their own threads for awhile I thought I might post this here-
I just won the auction for a 1999 Maxima GLE off the shopgoodwill site for $290, it has 355,000 miles on it but apparently runs fine. I have added a few pics. Hope I did OK as this is my first ever Nissan (but my uncle has owned a ton of them and swears by them.)

 

287xxx on my 98 and 307xxx on wife's 2000. Normal repairs,lots of front pads ,and always use Mobil One 12/30 and filters.

 

Yea, I've been pretty fortunate with this car getting up there. I've got a pretty good mechanic, and after replacing the alternator, wiring harness and some hoses, I took it back out on the road. Just not long distance! Got an intermittent shimmy in the right wheel, and I've mentioned the shocks/struts being shot. But this is Atlanta, and she's still able to do 70-80 on the interstates. But my fam all live out of town, so I need something to get to them. So I found myself this past weekend...buying a damn Juke.
Anyway, just wanted to give you a quick update! She's at 314,580. Hanging on to her for now, but pretty soon I won't be able to justify the cost of having both. Hate to see the Maxima not out in the driveway. Sigh.

 

I didn't realize that Nissan made a '97 SE-L.

 

Checking back in...I'm still at 242 and determined to get to 250 and beyond...original clutch, water pump, blah blah blah.

I just hate the way this car drives, it's like never ending braking issues and replacing calipers no longer helps...if the Maxima keeps this up, she's getting replaced with a Golf R manual (none in stock anywhere though). Too bad this is a northeast car and rust has not been kind....

 

With my first Maxima, a 2001 GLE I put 285k on it before I gave it away. I bought it off the lot. I was pissed because it had 71 miles on it!. I changed no part whatsoever (matinence and life span parts excluded like tires) for the first 155k. The first thing I changed was a headlight bulb. Nothing other than matinence parts ever broke for me. I went to have the car painted and we found the rust had gotten in to the uni body and was not repairable. I was devastated. I called my friend on the way home from the shop and told him if he wanted the car come get it now. I was so sad that I didn't want to look at it anymore. I planned on keeping it forever. There was nothing wrong with it. The visible rust was only on the rear wheel wells but since it was in the unibody there was no way I could watch my baby slowly die of cancer. I told my friend it's either out of the driveway by the end of the day or it's going to the junkyard. That was in 2008. He got it that day, drove for a couple years, gave it to his son and his kid is still driving it with about 375k on it.

 

^ wow haha, even though the rust was there in 2008...its still here today 8 yrs later..200k+ miles later. now thats what I call reliable

 

It's funny because I am no longer sad to see it pass me. I very happy every time it goes by. The kid lives in the same area as me so I see it every few weeks. Like I said it wasn't very rusty to begin with it it just had gotten to a place I knew wasn't fixable. I knew I could have kept it a few more years with looking good but since I knew it couldn't make it it as long as I wanted to it had to go. The one I just got barely had dirt on it. The first thing I did was rust proof with the clear/yellowish oil treatment from Krown.

 

I always wonder if the people at the annual inspection feel funny about logging 23x,xxx or more on our cars? I think it was an accident they lasted this long. On the BMW forum dude said he lemon'd his brand new Maxima.

It's just me, I can't even consider a car with a CVT, no way. I just have to do something before all sticks are gone. That's why I keep saying Golf R (M2 is simply way too much for me at this time). I do have a 335i garage queen....it drives a lot better than the Maxima SE, have to be honest

 

260k here, and almost as many problems.

Knock sensor, o2 sensors, exhaust rusted out, one of the fuel injectors has been replaced, both CV axles, rear calipers, TPS, MAF, spark plugs, PCV valve, valve cover gasket, and one of my doors won't open--glad it's not the driver's door!

 

I'm at about 239k miles. With in the past 2 years I've replaced both O2 sensors, front struts, radiator, compressor,starter, control arm bushings, CV axles, tie rods (inner and outer). My next thing is to replace the knock sensor this weekend. But overall the car still runs strong, i keep up with the oil change and a can of B-12 every 3,000 miles, I put nothing but chevron gas in it. I've had it for 6-7 years now, bought it at 130k miles.

 

Very happily joined the 300,000 mile club in my 97 Maxima this past week, crossing over the South Street bridge with the Philadelphia skyline to my left. It was pretty awesome. Car still runs like it has under 100,000 miles.

The only maintenance I've had to do at all in the last 150,000 miles were a junkyard coil pack or 2, a new set of NGK spark plugs, 2 front axels, replaced the AC compressor (I broke it like an idiot by accident when the pulley went out), also the AC condenser in the front (stone went through it), a few sets of tires all the way around, brakes all the way 1 time, headlights, and most recently cat-back exhaust. I also have the famous pesky power steering leak in the hose(s) up front to deal with yet. Not bad for 4 years of ownership, I definitely drive my vehicles very, very hard. I bought the Maxima to enjoy it, not granny it, since having kids kind of pushed the 300zx turbos out of my life (for now.)

 

I think my '96 has 300,000+. It's now owned by my mom (who I see regularly). But when I was driving it one day several years ago and it had 249,999.... I was watching it carefully. I wanted to see 250,000. Well, it stayed at 249,999 for a few miles! But I kept watching. The 6th digit was starting to jitter. It shook, wiggled, wobbled, shook some more, and then the odometer continued rolling................ right to 240,000. :/ The next time it got to 249,999, 8 or so months later, it rolled to 250,000 no prob. So, right now I think the odo reads 29X,XXX which is 'really' 30X,XXX.

 

I'm getting close to 300. I've been trying to use the Max when I have to go out of town for work. Took this pic on Monday this week.