Long story short: Looking at "new" Maximas. Found a fully-loaded '03 that has its ABS light on and the ABS does not engage at all. If the system is malfunctioning, that doesn't hamper the cars ability to brake, right? It seemed to stop hard, but the pedal never pulsed like the ABS kicked in, even though the roads were wet.

I haven't researched ABS enough to know if the system won't activate if even one sensor isn't working properly, but I'm reading through the FSM right now to see if I can gauge the severity of this fault. The difference between a $100 sensor and a $1000 ABS module is kind of, um, large.

 

The car's brake system will continue to operate line any other car's brake system that doesn't have abs. You can use the abs light in your favor to negotiate down the price of the car. I've owned several cars with and without abs, and I don't think I could ever own a modern daily driver without it. I've avoided several accidents in wet weather thanks to abs.

 

my abs light has been on for months, and the car brakes fine. i need to do the front brakes and see why the light is on. could be something as simple as the wire came loose..

 

That's what I'm hoping. The car in question came from Michigan and might just have a wire that's all corroded and sad.

I agree, ABS has saved me from having several accidents, especially when combined with a traction control system, but I'm relieved to hear that an ABS car with a non-functioning ABS system behaves exactly like a car without any ABS thingies.

Thanks for the quick responses, guys!

PS: Hotshot, I want to be like you, ergo I am looking at this car that is just a beige version of yours, really. '03 6MT w/LSD, TE, gorgeous black leather... <3 But with some huge, glaring mechanical faults that need correction! *muses*

 

how many miles are on it, and what are they asking for it?

 

And how can you tell if a car has a limited slip diff? Vin code?

 

yeah the vin under the hood for the trans ends in a H. and drilled pedals, although some people add the pedals to pretend they have it

 

That's shameful! Who would do such a thing?

 

Has anyone even had their ABS computer go bad before?

Our sensors are fairly notorious for going bad after a long time (especially in bad weather states like that) or the wire gets broken.

I'd buy it for a good price.

 

Resident Evil 4 pseduo-quote?

Well, I'm not worried about people on here out-"bidding" me on it, so here's the full scoop:
Current asking price $6500 for an '03 SE Titanium Edition
6-speed with the limited-slip differential
Boring, beige, sterling silver exterior (paint still sparkly)
Nearly pristine, shockingly-good condition black leather interior
Side air-bags (hard to find!)
Heated seats, steering wheel, mirrors
Automatic climate control
Bose (still stock HU =/, but the volume **** still works =D)
Compass in mirror, homelink, moonroof, fog lamps, etc.

Here's the fix list I made up:
I'm thinking that, in order for this car to be a deal, the most I can pay for it is $5000, right? I'd be happy with $4800.

Check engine light is OFF, but it's throwing two naughty, probably related, codes that my friend's cheap OBDII reader picked up: P0462 (low voltage from fuel-level sensor) and P0650 (check engine light for the check engine light, could mean a bad cluster, could mean a bad ECU, could mean a loose wire). "Stored" codes the device picked up weren't shown as codes and simply read, in order: Misfire (ignition coil(s)?), "Fuel" (related to P0462?), "Comp" (beats me), Catalyst, O2 Sensor. The bulb for the SES light works fine, but the light turns off and stays off when the car is started.

I'm not afraid of a fixer-upper, but I am a little concerned that it might be a lemon. The most reassuring piece of information that makes me think it's not a lemon, however, is that IT'S A ONE OWNER CAR! Guy traded it in for a BMW in January in Michigan, it sat for two months, was sold at auction to these guys who brought it down to southern Ohio where it's sat for another two months. The tires were flat and the brakes slightly rusted together from sitting for so long. It started with a minimal delay, surprisingly, even though the battery is garbage and the battery cables are horribly corroded around the clamps.

The air filter was dark yellow in some spots and solid black in the rest, CarFax says the last air-filter change was 30,000 miles ago. I don't think anyone put in a new filter since then, but I can't think of how starving your engine of air would hurt longevity, so long as it wasn't creating excessive strain on it..? The oil is also filthy and seems to be long overdue for a change, as well. *shrug* Oh, and there were two cigarettes in the air-filter housing. Bleh.

<-- Not a smoker, doesn't hate his lungs

Anywho, I am fairly reassured, from reading on here and in the FSM, that the ABS module itself is okay, BUT the guy who owns the used-car lot it's sitting on doesn't have to know that.

 

Doesn't seem like a bad deal, despite some maintenance work. Maxes here go for more than that. I recently saw an 03 SE with 150,000+ miles, and no options and an auto trans. It has an aftermarket radio with a cheap looking mounting kit, cloth seats, and other than the typical SE stuff (fog lights and rear spoiler with 3rd brake light) that's all the car has. And they want 7,000 for it, probably because it's at a Nissan dealer.

 

have the same prob with my abs

melted or corroded wire

too lazy to fix it lol

 

If you wanna drive from Calif I'll sell you my 02 with 105,000 miles for $6000.
6-speed, Ltd Slip, Navi, Bose, Heated seats and steering wheel, nice tires, no codes, needs nothing. Previous owner put some curb rash on the OEM wheels, but that's all that is wrong with it. Brakes are new, everything has been flushed and all maintenance in up to date. Sterling Mist color with frost leather seats, professional window tint, 6-disk changer. California car, absolutely no rust, just put brand new OEM plugs in it 2000 miles ago, clutch replaced 20,000 miles ago.

Oh, most common ABS issue with our cars is a dirty wheel sensor, easy fix. And if the ABS system is not working, you still have normal brakes.

 

get the ABS code and see why the ABS doesn't work. Odds are it's a wheel sensor, not a big deal. Mine has been inoperable for years and years.

I'm too cheap to buy the sensor I suppose.

 

People tend to rely on safety systems such as the ABS and the various traction control systems a bit too much IMO. With that, my ABS light has been on for about 2 years now, I had replaced 1 sensor but it was still on so I just pulled the ABS fuses so the system wouldn't try to start itself up/unload itself every time I start the car.

 

An ohmeter across the wheel sensors (and then gently spinning the wheel) will quickly tell you which one is fubared.

~$100 and you're back in business.

 

Beside seat belts, I rather have ABS over any "safety" feature. ABS was designed to allow you to steer while hard on the brakes, especially when the pavement is wet. If your front wheels lock up, you can't steer. If it wasn't for ABS, there would be a few children and an old lady or two in the grave right now. I've had several kids run right out in front of me chasing a ball across a street or just not giving a s**t while riding their bicycles and just cutting right in front of me. Avoiding hitting a kid with a split second to spare and knowing you missed him/her by inches is a gut wrenching feeling. And I've lost count on how many accidents i've avoided thanks to ABS. There are alot of dips**t drivers out there and I'm not going to have my car wrecked and myself injured if I can avoid it. So people, fix your freakin' ABS...

 

Please keep your car trooper , it's sad to loose you here in this forum , beside that , you'll never get a car like the Maxima , Maximas are just like the wives sometimes annoying but very fun to drive .
Good luck to you Eirik , Never rush buying a car , all you will end up with is deep disappointment.Ask me , I've been there lol........

 

Troop, noooooo! You can't sell your car! Why are you selling your car? That car is going for a lot of money at dealers around here.

I'd love to buy your car from you, but I'd have to buy a plane ticket and take a cab out to your house, then drive 2200 miles back... Ugh, please don't tempt me!

I'm going to make a cash offer, dramatically and slowly laying down $100 bills and stop at $4500 and see what the dealer's response is. My absolute limit is $5500. If he thinks he can do better, after the car has been sitting for two months, I guess I'll be checking plane tickets to San Diego!

 

I highly recommend this!

My dad and I did this when he bought his 05 G35 Sport (there just weren't that many used, black, 6 MT sedans in the Midwest). We found two cheap tickets, flew into ATL and the seller picked us up at the airport. After a short test drive, we exchanged the $15k in cash in the middle of a mostly empty, dark parking lot (yes, it felt like a drug deal). And then we drove 18 hours (1000 miles) straight back. The bald summer tires in a snow storm was fun, to say the least. Not only did he get exactly the car he wanted, we had an awesome/memorable experience in the process.

 

That car in Cincinnati, if anyone wants a fully loaded '03 TE, is going for $6000. The guy selling it bought it at auction for $6000, so he's only willing to lose sales tax on the deal and won't come any lower. If someone really wants a VQ35 with limited-slip and all the other goodies and doesn't mind spending close to $8700 on it after you fix all the urgent issues, go for it! I was strongly advised not to spend $6000 on the car, so I ignored my gut and managed to walk away. Bah, curse maturity.

@Tcb: Yeah, I tried explaining that to my wife, but she's just not buying it! Sadly, I'll have to leave troop's car alone, though it so needs somebody to pick it up and love it... Which is not really me, since I totalled mine because I refused to yield to a dumb lady in an Acura MDX because I was pissed off at the world, etc., etc. Regretted the move as soon as I realized I'd knocked the axle into the transmission, doubly regretted it once I realized how expensive Maximas had gotten since I bought mine. Even receiving $7700 for mine from USAA didn't do a darn thing to lift my spirits.

Me, I've given up trying to find another 5.5 gen, so I'm going to pick up a one-owner '97 GLE with a 5-speed and drive it until I can find another clean 5.5 gen that's not going for more than $7K, but, by that time, I'll probably be looking at G35s anyway. I'll try to stay abreast of what's going on in the 5.5 gen forum 'cause we all know how... boisterous the 4th gen forum is, bleh.

Edit: HAHAHAHAHA AT YOU, EIRIK! That GLE dumped all its gear oil on the ground so the lot that has it is just auctioning it off because they can ring in $4K, which is a lot more than they'd get for selling it for its actual worth, which drops to $2K or so. FML.

 

Check with your state if they will fail the car for the ABS light. Of course, you could always take the bulb out but if the yellow light is on, I know many inspection station will not give the sticker.

 

$8700?

 

Only reason I'm thinking about selling my Max is that a new BMW 335 Diesel is tempting me. For employees, the lease deal on the car is pretty darn enticing, and the 425lbs of torque feel pretty good as well. Not to mention free service for 4 years...and 36mpg.

Plus I'm getting lazy in my old age and am ready to go back to an Auto trans~