http://boston.craigslist.org/bmw/cto/3728902155.html

120k, has 2 dents. 1 minor on passenger rear door and a pretty big one on the driver side. Has check engine light for cat./o2 sensor. He will take 2500 cash.

 

thats a great first car its cheap and since your still inexperienced at driving if you total it you wont be taking to big of a loss.

 

Scoop it up before someone else does.

 

My 2000 is a 5 speed with leather and heated seats. I say get it.

 

Be sure to check the lower radiator support for rust. Also bring a code reader and get the codes. As others on this forum have learned the hard way, don't trust any seller.

 

YES. I bought an 01 Maxima 160k for $2800 (I live in CT and used cars are ridiculously expensive here) off of CL and had a CEL. P0505, but I figured "okay, maybe I just need to clean the gunk out of the throttle body". NOPE. ECM failure and a $2000 job from the dealership. Turns out I wanna track the guy down, cut his ***** off, and shove them down his mother's throat.

I wish you the best, watch for the P0505. Unplug your electric motor mounts asap, and you should be good to go.

 

What's the 505 code?

No electric motor mounts with manual transmission cars.

 

that sucks what happened to you. and i thought manuals dont have electric motor mounts

 

The car looks good, and has pretty low miles. I'd buy it for $2500. Hell, I paid $2700 for my 2000 SE 5spd, and it had 170K. And I had to sink a quick $650 into rust repair before it would pass inspection.

 

Offer $2500 but I think $2700 should be your limit. You can probably fix the code with a o2 sim as well.

 

He said he would do 2500 the second i asked him if price was firm. I am going to try and lower him more due to dents.

Also very idiotic question...but how can I look at the lower radiator support? Is it under the car or what?

 

Look under the front bumper. The first google image search for lower radiator support is a maxima.

 

Yeah, it's easy to see from the front, look at the place where the vertical radiator member bolts to the lower radiator support as in the photo above. You can also look under the car, the C member bolts to the same support.

 

Don't buy a car with codes. If they are cheap or easy to fix the seller should have done so. Tell him to fix it and show you the receipts. Seriously why buy something with a problem? You can't get it inspected and have to immediately dump money into it. It is in general just a bad idea.

For 3k you can buy an 02-03 with the 3.5l. That car is worth 2000 with codes and it being from NE it probably is a rust bucket underneath...

 

I'd buy it...I paid 2700 for my 99SE with 140K (super clean though).


Bring a code reader with you to verify the codes. But as others mentioned, NE car = rust...rust=

 

Like others have said I would buy it for $2500 if it's not a rust bucket. I bought my 2000 SE for $1900. I thought I got a deal until I had to replace the exhaust and noticed that it's a rust bucket underneath. There's even one spot which is rusted through.

I wouldn't buy an 02-03 because they burn oil. As a previous 350z owner, I know from experience.

 

Mine doesn't.

 

$2500 man you better get that!stop worring about oil burning and worse case you invest $600 in a newer low mile engine and call it a day.

 

And i owned my first 03 fresh out the dealer it didnt burn oil my replacement 03 didnt burn oil and now the new engine dont burn oil either so that 3 for 3

 

if this is your first car, a Maxima might be a littlee $$

 

my 03 burns w/ 100k miles a quart every 1k, my 02 with 130k just started but is like a quart every 1.5k but getting worse.

You are lucky. Problem is buying an 02/03 is a shot in the dark if you will have oil issues.

 

Lucky ******...

 

INHO the oil burning isn't the issue, it's the whole IAC / ecu fiasco! That really sucks, and unless your good at sourcing parts and soldering, an ecu and iac replacement and relearn procedure is a big PITA! I'm looking for a 5th gen, but I'm limiting my search to '02-'03, or an '04 I35! 00'-01' is just too risky.
I'm not even going to mention the 02 sensor and coil pack issues!

 

I have to disagree, despite being a total noob in car repair (only changed oil before), I replaced the IACV and soldered a new mosfet into the ECU w/o difficulty, cost me only $150 total and 2 days time. I also still have my original O2 sensors, and 4 of my original coil packs (replaced 2, but again, very simple and cost only $140). However the lower radiator support is a different matter, need to replace mine but that is a true PIA that I'm not sure I'm going to be able to do.

 

I've been lucky in my maxima-ness. 95 and 03. They're FTMFW