Hey Gents,

I'm thinking of upgrading to a 2003 6-sp Maxima down the road to replace my beloved 3rd gen, since a glut of them will be coming off lease next spring. I am aware of the oil burning issue in some 5.5 gens, and hence wanted to ask, aside from service records, are there specific tell-tale signs to look for that tells me I might have a problem with the motor? Any particular noises, vibrations, or visuals like very noticeable black crud on the tailpipe? Feel free to go into detail; I am automotively inclined, just not familiar enough (yet) with the newer Maximas. I also know the VQ dipstick doesn't read properly for several hours, which pretty much prompted me to make a post here to get some expert opinions. Thanks.

 

I would not worry too much about the oil burning issue. Its not that prevalent. However, I would still ask him what kind of oil he used.

I would be more concerned with the transmission. The 3rd gear crunch sound is very common in the 02-03 6M/T cars. But Im begining to think its just a Nissan thing b/c my friends 02 did that when he bought it brand new. 85k miles later he still gets the crunch. BUT, there have been some instances where people have gotten Nissan to give them new transmissions b/c of the 3rd gear crunch. Sometimes it happens sometimes it doesnt. Drive it yourself and test it out..

Other than that I personally dont know of any other problems. I have an 03 6mt myself and I love it. You will too!

 

The car usually has to be 1- 1 1/2 quarts low for the timing chain to start rattling, which means that if the car you are looking at just has it's oil changed, you would not feel any difference between an oil burning and a non oil burning VQ. There's pretty much no way to tell unless you're able to drive it for 1 or 2 thousand miles and drain the oil and measure it....It is a risk, and although there are quite a few known oil-burning VQ's out there, it is still a pretty small percentage of the population, and 5.5 gen 6-speeds are awesome cars....

 

get it just keep a Q of oil in the trunk....

 

My 6spd has always had a slight 3rd gear crunch - but nothing major. I swapped the OEM dino @ 15k for some AMsoil FUll syn.....made a reasonable difference, but nothing to get excited about.

I think mileage and gear meshing is as important as good lube for proper synchro in the old gearbox. ie: should be better after a few thousand miles of "gentle" use!

I totally don't subscribe to this bogus "DIPSTICK" theory.....what's up with that??? It's a DIPSTICK. THis "technology" dates back to the Model T Ford....what's so hard about letting the engine cool for an hour or so, and THEN checking the oil level??? It's called letting the slippery-goo in your engine DRIP slowly back down into the Oil Pan at the BOTTOM of the crank.

 

you wouldn't be saying that if YOU had a VQ35....Mine doesn't burn a drop between changes, and neither do most others.

Should I tell you to keep some JB Weld in your trunk in case your VI breaks? Absolutely not..

 

whoa there. I think that's a little drastic to be comparing to burning a little Oil. I think keeping a Qt. in the trunk is a logical suggestion that makes it convienent to perform a little preventative maintenance if your suspicions are raised. I wouldn't think this is a british car mentality(it's not a car unless you're working on it) but I do think this is a good idea to ease the paranoia. I've also kept a Qt. of Lucas Oil stabilizer in the trunk too/in lieu of oil. 5.5gens are incredible and with a little suspension tweaking they're spectacular. Don't let the people who are having oil burning issues deter you. I got almost 101k miles on my 03 now and the thing can sit doing 80-90 til the tank is dry with nary a hint of it being bothered. Just don't be oblivious to the fact that all mechanical things need a little maintenance now and then. (friend had a 93 Corolla and was complaining of 18mpg milage; i went wide eyed and asked several regular maintenance questions, like service, air filter, plugs, MAF and O2 sensors...he just looked at me blankly)

 

Thanks for the reply, gents. I also didn't know about the 3rd gear crunch sound, so thanks for that too.

It's okay gents; it's generally normal for engines to consume a bit of oil between changes, it's just that I'm being diligent in asking so I don't end up dropping $15000 CAD on a sweet car, only to find out I might need a new engine. You guys know how dealers are. They make it very very inconvenient for you even if a warranty claim is justified.

 

Will -- an '03 6Spd would be a nice upgrade. Good ones are hard to find (or maybe I'm just too particular...) but I've had mine for about a month and I get a big smile every time I drive it.

I think, as others have said, that the oil burning issue is limited to a small percentage of cars. Evaluating cars, it would likely have a majorly oil-laden coating inside the tailpipe. The other stuff I've heard people talk about recently are wheel bearings, rattles, MAF, coils, O2 sensors, Bose.

Bottom line is every car will have it's own set of "issues" and things that will go wrong...it's unavoidable. The difference is it is a Japanese car and relatively speaking, they tend to have less issues than others, especially as they age.

Try to find a one owner, no accident '03 that has been cared for and you will likely have the same smile that many of the '03 6Spd owners on the .org have after spending some time in their car!

Good luck!

 

You are totally right. I was amazed after test-driving an 02 6-sp my buddy bought over the summer. The 2001 AE 5-sp was pretty nice too. I didn't notice the 3rd gear crunch, but really, like Ward's Auto wrote, that engine "revs like no other this side of a Ferrari." So smooth and powerful, and at such a great price!!!

They don't build cars (nor houses, nor electronic goods) like they used to, because my 3rd gen to this day has no squeaks and rattles, and the drivetrain is still in perfect shape since I've had it for over 7 years. It's just that the body is rotting, and I have to accept that we can't be driving old cars as daily drivers forever. I figure I can spend $15 000 CAD on a low-mileage black obsidian beauty, and then use another $5000 to get some suspension, tint, and something I always wanted, black rims with the silver deep dishes.

 

well, if you've been on quite a bit, you would know that he's posted that exact same thing word for word ANY time a VQ35 is mentioned, and it gets on my nerves...if my car burned a quart every 1000 miles, I wouldn't keep it 'in my trunk' I'd just add a quart every 1000 miles. It is stupid to compare oil burning to the VI breaking, but my comparison is valid in that no car is perfect and they all have their problems, and Lontar is acting like his car is god's gift.

 

Or an extra $360 in the ashtray for when the coil packs go out. You could buy a lot of oil with that.

 

Bought a used 2000se. So far, no oil issues thank god..... Just paint

 

make sure the exhaust smoke isn't thick and burning oil. thats really the only other way to know, and at that point it would be pretty bad. Make sure the gears don't sound bad when changing gears. make sure they replace the gear oil as well.