dwapenyi

iTrader: (3)

Dang and here I thought that carbuerators and drum brakes were old school LOL

matts95max

iTrader: (11)

Ha, thats vintage now bro.

If you are set on the engine, you could browse car-part.com

QueensMAX

I've seen a lot of 95-2003 maxima's with damaged engines due to broken radiator/radiator fans.

Violator

I paid the same exact price for practically the same car just 2 months back

120k miles. Starter and air filter had just been replaced when I got it, new front brakes, rear brakes in horrid condition (chunks of rusted rotor missing, seized calipers, old pads). Didn't realize extent of underbody rust because the body itself wasn't bad other than the expected starting of wheel well rust on a 1997 car. Small exhaust leak at the resonator, but it added some sound to my car and I'm in highschool so that's not even a bad thing, but not much longer and it broke free completely. It's since been welded by my friends dad.

My car has come along way since I bought it. I've been working on a tight budget doing the small mods first and cheap cosmetics. I dream of keeping this car forever... probably end up over time restoring the car piece by piece. These are great cars best of luck with whatever you decide to do.

dwapenyi

iTrader: (3)

Yeah. That would fall under the category of severe neglect for any vehicle.

LJay

Yeah I'm going to keep this car. Of course I can find another Maxima quick as hell, out here in Cali especially but there's just something about this car I can't leave. Well it is my first car so that's probably why. I talked to a family mechanic we know & he's dropping a used engine with 60K miles for $1400 into my Max so she will live!

JvG

in the end, it's your car, your choice, and your family's money. I wish you all the best.
Others have mentioned doing some preventative maintenance on the engine before installation. An engine with 60k will need the 60k service. spark plugs at the very least.
If the mileage on the engine was higher I'd install a new water pump. They are a bear to deal with while in the car.

Please check your fluid levels on a regular basis from now on.

LJay

Yeah my parents agreed to help me but I'm still paying for a the new engine out of my pocket. I drop the car off on Friday, I'll make sure to tell the mechanic to do the 60K maintenance & I will religiously check my fluid levels. It was a lesson learned.

LJay

I got my Max towed to the shop, worked up a deal with the owner of the shop & got a used engine with 88K miles for $1100. I think it's an honest deal. Should have my car out by Friday!

JvG

Let us know how your car is doing once it is back on the road for a week or two.

LJay

Alright so I got the car back on Friday & I noticed a few things:
The AC has to be recharged (not a problem)
When the car is warm, it sometimes turns off on startup
Idle is rough when the car is warm
And I've noticed a rattling sound when I accelerate, like a low tone sounding squeal only on acceleration.
I don't know what this can cause but I have a warranty so I'm gonna stop by the shop tomorrow to get it checked out.

LJay

Oh & I had to get the motor mounts & front axles replaced along with a new motor. There also was a bit of smoke coming from the engine bay but I talked to a couple of mechanic friends & they said it was old oil burning off from the old engine. It stopped smoking but I can still smell the oil burning. I know I just got the car back but it's kind of a pain in the a** because I already dropped a couple of grand on this car I don't want a "partial fix" so anyone, please let me know what any of this could be. I'm about a couple hundred bucks close to getting rid of it lol but I'll stay faithful... for now

JvG

Check the IACV or intake air control valve. Instructions are on this forum for replacement or cleaning. cleaning worked for me. This device regulates air flow for idle as the engine gets warmer.

The squeal could be a loose belt. The serpentine belt. Try to tighten the belt.

LJay

Will do. & it's not a belt squeal because I got my serpentine belt replaced on my last motor so I know what that sounds like. When I listened to it, it sounded like a muffled sound coming from around the manifold & intake, like a motorcycle sound when the gas is pressed. Not a good way to describe it but it's not a smooth acceleration either.

JvG

Motorcycle noise might be an exhaust leak.

You now have a motor with different sensors and issues than the old engine. It will take some time to sort through the problems.

LJay

I brought it to the shop today & the mechanic told me it was an exhaust leak. They were really busy so he told me to bring the car by on Friday. My warranty covers that but he said he will check everything out when I bring the car back in.

JoshG

make sure you tell them what the problems are and make sure they do it right.. if not, complain to them in front of the customers..works all the time. or talk to the owner/manager.

dont give up, its very easy to quit, but success comes with challenges...remember that.

LJay

Definitely. I talked to the owner & the master mechanic and we worked it out. That's why I chose the harder route. I could have just got rid of the car but I decided to stick it out. Thanks for the advice. I'll keep it updated.

JvG

Buying an old car means dealing with problems, usually neglect by previous owners. As long as the body, engine and transmission are sound, dealing with other problems are worth it in the long run. I drive my used cars for 10 years or an additional
100k miles. The first year sucks, the following years are often dirt cheap and trouble free.

Buying a car, working on it, selling it from disgust, and repeat with other cars gets quite expensive quickly.

LJay

That's true. I do plan on having this car for as long as possible. Especially to get me through college & to get to work and back (with adventures in between). I feel like I made the best decision for the long run.

JvG

You did fine.

I'm just saying that some of the sensors and parts on the new engine will need replacement in the near future. Just deal with it.
Think long trem. You will get your money's worth.

Check the oil....

LJay

I had the car checked out again & found out that:
I have an exhaust leak before the cat
I need to replace a knock sensor
AC needs freon & needs to be "charged up" (giggles )
The mechanic did clean my MAF sensor & fixed the idle and starting issue. After I get that stuff done, I'll go to another shop & get a 2nd opinion on what else needs to be fixed. Other than that, she's back up & running!

max ride 41

iTrader: (4)

better yet, just give me your money. easier that way, so you'll know where it all went.

LJay

Nice offer but I'm good lol

LJay

It's been a couple of weeks since I got the car back & I'm still having a idling/accelerating issue. When the car is warmed up, it still shakes on acceleration and on idle but after the car heats up a bit, it the pulse becomes lighter. I can hear & feel the engine pulse, even from the rear passenger seats. I did take the car back to the shop & they said that I have a crack in the intake manifold, which is causing the exhaust leak, I guess. I still need to replace the knock sensor also.

I'm taking it to another shop to get a 2nd opinion but in the meantime, what can I do to help or if you have any advice, please let me know!
I'm also going to take the car back to the shop because they have a 90 day 9,000 mile warranty so I'm going to throw the "fix it or I'll sue" trick & hopefully that'll flip things around & get it fixed.

LJay

Alright, I just received my code scanner in the mail & I pulled in the following codes:
P0100 MAF sensor
P1320 Ignition Signal Primary
P0325 Knock sensor
P0135 Front H02S Heater Bank 1
P0141 Rear HO2S Heater
P0155 Front HO2S Bank 2
And the Ignition Signal & Knock Sensor are pending.

I also ran a pre inspection on the car through the scanner & it said that my Cat, EVAP, & 02 sensors aren't ready to pass.
Which would be the wisest to fix right now?

ef9

iTrader: (8)

Erase all of the codes. Start the car and see which code comes up first.

dwapenyi

iTrader: (3)

Before your previous engine blew, did it have a check engine light?
If not, then these problems are probably from your mechanic who just installed the motor.
First off, don't worry about the knock sensor. Leave it for very last. It doesn't hurt your car. If you don't ever plan on running 93 octane and are OK with 87 octane, then you will have no need to ever replace the the KS.

Secondly, you obviously have ignition issues, as confirmed by your driving observations and the engine computer. Have your coils checked. Are the plugs good? Better yet, your mechanic needs to check that he wired up everything correctly. It looks like he missed the O2 sensors, both front and back.
Your MAF be damaged, but again, how was the car running before the old engine died? If it was running fine then it looks like the mechanic may have damaged the MAF during engine replacement. If so, he can replace it with a used OEM MAF from the junkyard, and it should be at his cost.

LJay

The car did have a check engine light before I had the motor replaced. It also ran perfect too. I figured that they didn't do a good job replacing the motor and they keep trying to get me to spend more money even though I have a warranty. Most mechanics suck & are money hungry out here but I'm taking the car back this weekend & I'm not taking it back until it's fixed properly.

James92SE

iTrader: (31)

This shop installed an engine that had a cracked intake manifold on it? Or did they even maybe manage to crack it themselves with sloppy hoist/chain attachment technique? That's about the only way to crack an intake manifold.

And they couldn't even be bothered to clean all the old oil from in/around the engine bay?

I never cease to be amazed at the incompetence and lack of common courtesy by seemingly 99% of shops out there. It really pathetically seems that most these days are no better than your average neighborhood shade tree mechanic. They're all virtually incapable of true diagnostics even for very basic issues. To call these sloppy, incompetent parts swappers "mechanics" is a disservice to real mechanics.

Really sucks for the average consumer who has to use shops for work.

Crusher103

iTrader: (10)

Wait how does a cracked intake manifold cause an exhaust leak?

Who are these people you are taking your car too? You need to find another shop ASAP. Or find a local orger who knows 4th gen since most of us have next to no lives the offer of beer and a bucket of chicken is sufficient to do just about anything. With the money you have spent that easily a mildly built 3.5.

Yea they fcuked your car up. How the hell do you have an ignition code with a new motor? Take it back to them tell them to fix everything, no mechanical issues what so ever or you want all of your money back, NONE not a peep from under the hood of the car. ALL OF IT. Go ahead and get on the horn with the state's attorney general and the BBB. They fcuked up.

LJay

I could have gotten the 3.5 swap but I'm good with the 3.0 right now. I'm slowly but surely saving for an STI that I'll hopefully have after college to do all the mods on I just plan getting body work, a sound system, drop, & wheels to the Max as a dd but maintenance is first.

The shop that I took to sucks. I'm taking it tomorrow to tell them to fix it correctly or legal actions will be taken. Then from there, I'll get all my work done somewhere else. Just gotta keep moving on.

bumpypickle

iTrader: (1)

Its unfortunate that your having a tough time with the work done. Best of luck to you, learn from your mistakes.