Hi! I just kind of "inherited" a 1994 Maxima GXE from my step-dad. My big truck's gas milage is draining my wallet with the back-and-forth driving I do, so I convinced him to give me the car that's been sitting in his driveway for the last year.

Aside from semi-regular JiffyLube oil changes, I don't think the poor thing has ever had any regular maintenance done on it. It's pretty much going to be a beater, but I still want it to run well and last. The engine's clean, no leaks, and as far as I know he never had any big problems with it.

Aside from the usual oil changes, it's probably going to need all the filters, PCV valve, tranny service, belts, plus, wires, etc. This is the first Nissan I've ever owned, and in all my other past vehicles, I usually try to stick with the OEM parts when I can, unless there's some real benefit to going with another brand (Delco for my GMs, etc). From reading through the forums, it seems the Nissan oil filters are pretty decent. I haven't seen anybody ranting against them. Would they compare favorably against a regular (not Gold) Delco filter? I'm not going to be using synthetics in the engine (it's got over 130K on it already) so I'm not worried about how they'd shape up against a K&N or something. As long as they're a decent filter, I'd be happy.

What about other things, like the tranny filter kit, belts, plugs, wires, and so on. Would I be better just grabbing them all at the local Nissan dealership, or going aftermarket? I'm not looking to tweak my performance or anything. I just want good quality stuff that'll keep the car going and not cost an arm and a leg.

As a caveat, I'd normally have searched for all this stuff, and I did read as much as I could of the forums to answer my questions beforehand in place of the search feature. I'm leaning towards just using stock items after what I read, but I could use a little push one way or the other.

If there are threads out there that already cover this, feel free to save the space and just point me at one of them. I couldn't find any, but I only went back a few months.

Thanks!

Andy

 

if the timing belt has never been changed get that done first and start saving for a trany rebiuld because it will have to be done sooner than later if its like any of the other autos around hear

 

PLEASE....get a tranny cooler!!!! you can get one of the $40 ones from Pepboys or Autozone, but please don't pass this, the GXE trannies are weak and prone to break(rumor has it the 92+ was built stronger though with stronger internals ), like subs said...tranny cooler will help out a lot!! other than that not much to worry about, treat the car right and it wil last long!

 

Andy,
I have the same car and it's still running strong. You have all the major items I'd do. My priorities would be:

1) Change fuel filter. Often neglected / easy to change.
2) oil change - I use both factory and K&N oil filters. Both are fine
3) Tranny fluid flush
4) Replace battery??
5) Flush Brake fluid / check pads
6) Air filter, PCV, etc.
7) Flush antifreeze - another often neglected item
8) Plugs, wires, cap/rotor

That's my 2 cents

 

Yes, get a tranny cooler! I put one on when I bought my '91 at ~109k miles. I drive like I stole it, I just turned 150k miles, and the tranny is still in good working order.

 

The tranny cooler sounds like a fun project. I found a few versions online that should work. Are they a pain to put in? I'd put my skills somewhere around moderate. If it doesn't need welding, cutting, or machining, the car usually still works when I'm finished with it.

Andy

 

No you don't have to weld, cut, or machine. But it is a BIG pain in the butt. Quick tip. Connect the hoses to the tranny cooler and tighten the hose clamps BEFORE you mount the cooler. I will try and post a pic of mine so you can see how to run the hoses.

 

Thanks! Picures would be helpful. I'm picking it up this Saturday, so I'll get to see in just how bad a shape the car is in. While I've got you guys, does this car have a drain plug for the transmission? (I'm not there to look right now) and if it does, do you know the bolt and thread size on it?

-A

 

the drain plug is located on the front side of the tranny...its not an actual "bolt" though. get under your car and look at the front of the tranny, you'll see a flush round disc towards the right side with a square hole in the middle. get a ratchet wrench with a 1/2" head(might have been a 3/8"??) and insert it into the hole and unscrew the disc and out comes the fluid, once you get down there you'll see what I'm tlkaing about.

 

Ah, very nice! That should be really convenient. Well, at least I still have my Dodge waiting for me when I'm feeling like a hot transmission fluid bath.

Andy

 

Would appreciate your pics for installing cooler. My 92 GXE has 118000 miles on it and don't know how long the tranny can last...

buzz