Hello all. I have saved up 2500 for a car and In my search for reliable cars, I have decided to go with the Maxima. I have always liked the Maxima, and so I have found a 1997 on Craigslist for 2200 $. I will be having a look at the car soon and I was wondering what I should look for to make sure the car is in good condition? I am no mechanic, and so I was wondering if the Maxima enthusiasts here could give me some quick tips to make sure everything is A-ok. Please be specific as possible and thank you! I am very excited.

 

the big thing on the maxima is lower radiator support...if it's rusted out (like with most northern cars it is), that's a b!tch and a half to repair...


Since you make no mention as to where the hell you are in this big ol' country of ours...

Thee are other issues, search around the forums and look at the "stickies" on the top of each of the subforums for more information.

 

Excellent choice.

+1 on the core support. Other than that the car is pretty reliable with just the normal maintenance issues.

It's also great to have this forum to help you with any issues you may have with the car.

 

97-98 is probably the best choice

Nice choice. Pretty much depends on mileage. Its a 15 year old car so be prepared to replace worn out parts like any other typical car. Engine wise, its pretty reliable. Transmission wise, it seems like the auto seems to outlast the Manual Transmission ( This is my personal experience, other may say otherwise.)

Good luck.

 

Hey im in Southern Ca. ill make a note to try and look at the bottom of radiator for rust... hope all is well...thanks guys!

btw...the car has 170k on it. The guy says everything is running perfect on it but well see! So far the body has a small dent on the front but its nothing that makes the car look no dapper than it already does! Gosh I love how maximas look!

 

Rust in Socal?

Anyways, join these pages if you have a facebook account
https://www.facebook.com/groups/SoCalMaxima/
and this one
https://www.facebook.com/groups/146451402111059/

 

Done! Thanks bro!

 

If it was not for the salt/rust here in the midwest I feel like my 98 Maxima could last forever.

 

youll love the car my first car was a 2000 max it was beat up like a **** but it drove like a dream so smooth then i ended up driving other cars like accord civic and a tsx and now i have another maxima i got another max cause i missed the power and comfort and being able to lug a million people in my car but im not gonna lie my tsx has the comfort also and better styling and better gas and is a definite better daily driver but as of now i got both of them still so im happy

 

Since I do not know what to look for in the Maximas engine, I have decided to have the seller meet me at a Nissan mechanic shop. Does anybody know if this is a good idea and how much i could expect the mechanic to charge me and tell me if the car is good or not?

 

a vehicle inspection is ALWAYS a good idea, nissan or no. A typical inspection fee will be around 50 to 100 bucks. YOu can go an independent shop, and not the dealership for this. Hopefully that's what you're doing, as dealerships would tend to charge triple for something you can get done elsewhere.

The engine in a VQ is damn near bulletproof. When the engine is cold, start it up. If you hear a ticktickticktick that lasts for a few seconds or inutes at startup, that's likely timing chain guides / tensioners going out. Not a big deal in and of themselves, just an annoyance that you will have to budget for replacement of the tensioners/guides in the future.

 

If u take it to a Sears Auto Center.. they will do a inspection for free.

 

yeah, and you'll get what you pay for too

 

some places do it for free and they actually do a very good job if your friendly with them i brought my car 2 two places and i was cool with them and he pinpointed everything and showed me the issue so i knew he wasnt trying to take my money

 

Lol my first car was also a 5 spd with 170k! Goin on 210,000 miles now and have only had to do general maintenance like brakes (2 calipers), knock sensor, radiator, and an 02 sensor.

First thing i did was bring her home and chage every fluid in her. Synthetic oil and wix filter, power steering fluid flush, coolant flush, gearbox flush and ac recharge. Shes never left me stranded and doesnt burn a DROP between oil changes. Hope everything checks out on the max your looking at. You won't be sorry!

 

Same here for my 97 Maxima, I am certain the rust will get it before it gives up.

As the owner of a long line of Chevrolets and one Ford Tempo-O-Doom, I can honestly say I have never enjoyed driving a car as much as my Maxima. Even the brand new Chevy Malibu I drove while they fixed a minor fender bender this year couldn't sway me from my love for my Maxima. If you find one that's been taken care of you will not regret buying it, I can promise you that.

 

Hye everybody thanks for the comments! Im loving the energy youre sending!

Today I talked to a possible 98 Maxima. The guy said hed go down to my price range but he said something im confused about. He said he has a friend at his house to do the DMV paperwork. He said he would put the title in my name and not waste time at the DMV and yadda yadda. Im not sure about the paperwork and all but is this legal to do? Or should I just go to the DMV and do it?

 

Here's a few things to look for from my experience.

- Leaking power steering rack and pump. (expensive to replace).

- Leaking valve covers (will need valve cover gaskets)

- Worn front suspension components (tie rods, ball joints, struts, etc)

- Uneven front tire wear (alignment or front suspension parts worn)

 

Hey all, i just got my 98 Maxima today! Everything is smooth (so far), the car is so damn quiet! Seems like tha radiator heats up fast but it doesnt go past the midway point. Definitely gonna need new wheels and hopefully nothing is seriously wrong with it but so far im loving it!

 

Congrats! As long as your temp gauge doesn't go par past halfway or the midway point like you said, dont worry about it. Did you get it checked out by a mechanic? If not, Just run the engine for a few minutes and have a look under the car for any leaks. Check the fluids/oils. tranny fluid should be nice and red, engine oil not too dark, PS fluid nice and red too (since its just ATF) and top off the brake fluid with dot3 while your at it.

Give her some love and she'll treat you right! Enjoy your maxima.

 

Hey everybody,I havent done anything to my maxima yet. What are some basic things I should do to ensure my Car will be at max proficiency? What kinda oil should I use? What type of any fluid should I use? What type of gas works bes for these cars?Whata re some good tires at an afforable price?Thanks in advance!

 

GREAT CHOICE! i love my maxima. they are very reliable cars to own.

 

the engine runs cooler from a ypipe? really now? do tell!

 

hey my input on synthetic oil change, i personally wouldnt use synthetic cause most likely this 97 max used regular oil and the switch can mess with the engine i hear and if the engine is use to regular oil i would stay with it. i would ask the owner what kind of oil he/she uses and i would try to stay with the same brand of oil and type. but i also heard that it isnt too bad to switch over cause regular oil now has some sort of synthetic blend. idk i can be wrong just saying what i was told by other car enthusiast

 

I too have just pickup a 99 maxima with 111000 miles on it for 1700$ well the motor runs smooth and the trans shifts very smooth ,i do have to replace lower control arms pass side is bad ,struts up front are good rears got to be replaced and front brakes rotors and pads,other then that i love the car its not perfect but i hear all good reviews it will be my daily driver ....

 

switching to synthetic oil on a high mileage engine can cause excessive oil burning if the cylinder walls or piston rings have a lot of wear because synthetic oil is a smaller molecule than conventional.

I switched to synthetic at 170k miles and I don't burn a drop between 5k oil changes. so I say go for it!

 

Hey thanks for the responses, I had something weird happen to me today..I turned my car off, and as I walked away...the car turned on by itself! Is there a ghost in my car?

 

does it have an automatic start intalled in it?

 

yes its an automatic

 

................. nevermind dude.......

 

oh sorry read that wrong and too fast haha. Yes it has an auto start in it. But see I didnt get that. I just have the Key, not the key pad button that enables the automatic start to happen

 

unfortunately those things get gremlins easy and then youre better off just disabling the ****.

 

 

congrats on the buy. use 91 fuel. and get a intake for your car. frees up the engine a lot. i mean get just a cone filter. dont get the whole tubing and all.

+1 on y pipe. but look all around the car before buying anything and do maintenance before mods.
here are somethings that i do whenever i buy a new maxima. (im on my 4th one)
1. clean tb and idle control
2. oil change and sea foam.
3. check for knock sensor code. replace if necessary.
4. change fuel filter. (improved my mpg by 3mpg on my last maxima)
5. change spark plugs and check valve cover gaskets while you are at it.

 

so 91 fuel? Whats the best type of gas to use and is there some type of gas i should avoid? Should I always use the SAME gas company?

 

Fixed

 

0w-30

fixed. best at start-up IMO when engine can wear a lot

 

I haul gas for a living, some gas do matter

 

Just check the pump for the "Contains 15% enthanol" sticker before fueling.

Up here in MN, BP and Shell are the only 2 places that dont put enthanol in their fuel. Ethanol diluted fuel (or "gasahol") will give you slighty worse milage, And some say its bad for your engine. Again just look for the sticker on the pump.

 

Thanks so much for the replys everybody. Engine light came on today going to get it checked out and Air condition fixed.