I'm trying to figure out average maintenance costs for our Maximas...

How much on average have you spent on maintenance within the past two years....

by maintenance, I mean anything other than oil change and brake pad replacement..

If would be good if you indicate whether you are DIY or MD (mechanic-dependent)

any thoughts ?

/Noela

 

I've done 5 injectors, 2 window regs, 2 tires
need to do o2, 2 axles, 2 tires

Edit: control arm bushings too.

 

1 Window Reg (DIY)
1 CV Axle (MD)
2 Tires (MD)

Probably need to do the O2 sensors (95k and I don't think they've been done yet).
Probably need to fix the A/T shifter sometime (it's somewhat difficult to get it into drive).

Hopefully nothing else, my bank account is pretty low right now...


-Jeff

 

I've done two engines.

 

A month ago I did on a 120K mile GXE
tbelt, tensioner, belt, waterpump, struts, radiator hoses, thermostat, left ball joint, distrubutor cap and rotor, shifter bushings.
Probably did a window regulator also, and a right lower control arm.
All via a mechanic.

 

this year: everything
next year: oil/filter/plugs/gas

 

Had it bairly a year now.

4- tires
Altinater, pluggs, wires, cap, rotor, distributer.

Water pump, thermostat, timing and all other belts.

Transmission, 2 axles, right tie rod end

brake padas ans rotors

springs, struts, sway bar linkages

sigh... If this isn't commitment. . .
--------------------------
Those were just the needed things

 

how much for a fresh motor.. do they make jdm single cams..or should we upgrade to the ticking twins

 

In the last year?! Ummm,

front and rear wheel bearings
struts
springs
power steering rack
fuel pump
clutch & throwout bearing
another throwout bearing (don't let mechanics install cheap parts)
two engine crossmembers
all suspension bushings
repair clock
repair door lock timer
replace two window regulators
engine crank seals- front and rear
tranny axle seals
at least two sets of CV boots.
Y Pipe
catalytic convertor (in the works)
muffler (in the works)
complete exhaust piping replacement (in the works)


Now.. how much was NECESSARY to replace to keep the car running properly?
rear wheel bearings
clutch & throwout bearing
one set of CV boots
engine and tranny seals (replace when doing the clutch.)

Keep in mind, I race the car at least twice a month, road course use or autocrossing, and that my car has 210,000 miles on it. Many of the long list of repairs were because I was being picky or because I broke them racing.. If you drive it like a race car, expect to work on it like a race car.


In any case, it's waaaay cheaper than a car payment, even considering all of the mods I've done to it and the wear and tear on it from racing.

 

I totally agree with Matt on the car payment thing. Discounting mods, I have probably spent under $500 on necessary stuff to the car. Even with mods, maybe I have spent a couple thousand, but that's still less than car payment. A $200/month car payment won't get much these days and that would be $2400 over a year and you would still be owing a lot of money.

I bought my car over a year ago, knowing that it needed a water pump, clutch pedal bracket and it had the VE "hesitation" which wound up being my rear coil packs. It also had ticking VTCs when I bought it.

I have fixed or replaced:

-Water pump (apx $200 w/shade tree labor)
-2 window regulators ($60 each, DIY)
-Clutch pedal bracket ($50+ $100 labor to have reinforced bracket)
-y-pipe o ring ($8 apx. It had an exhaust leak, see below)
-used coil packs ($50 apx. didn't buy them all at the same time).

Things that weren't needed yet, but I replaced, anyway:

-y pipe (Stock o-ring had a leak, so I just replaced the whole y pipe)
-clutch (was still useable, but would have been gone in 6 months or so, replaced with an ACT)
-stereo (Bose was totally flucked and it's all aftermarket now)

Car has 148k on it and has been driven pretty hard since my brother bought it with around 60k (I bought it from him).

No other problems with it except the VTCs, which MrGone is currently being paid by me to fix.

It is my second 1992 VE 5-speed and the first one I bought (in 1995) with 60k and drove it until 160k (1997) and the only thing I replaced was the clutch slave cylinder, which was around $100 (maybe $150?) with labor.

 

In the 5yrs of owning my Maxima, I've dropped probably $15k total on it including the purchase price ($3.5k). I love the car since it was my first car, however it's always been one big PITA. I got a bad example, and should have sold it to get a better one but, it's too late now. I'm to the point where I'd be more unhappy if I sold it considering all the blood, sweat, money and tears I've put into it. Here's a general list:

-New vg30
-shocks/struts (NEVER buy tokico blues, mine died in 5k mi!)
-brakes (don't screw with drums, convert to disc)
-1 auto tranny
-converted to manual (don't even F with the auto, they are useless, manual owns all!)
-wheel bearings
-all suspension bushings
-IACV
-temp/knock/maf/egr/tps/etc sensors (all of them)
-clutch pedal bracket
-shifter bushings
-clutches
-exhaust
-radio and all speakers
-pretty much everything else

My mistake was in taking my car to shops the first few years, until I learned how to do it myself. Labor sucks and I now hate the idea of someone else working on my cars. I'd rather know exactly what I am doing and that if there is a problem it is my fault and I know how to fix it.

Make sure you buy a good condition maxima or you will pay out the @ss! I can't remember exact figures at the moment but, I've calculated all my costs out + labor and realized I could have easily owned and maintained a Porsche 944 turbo, older 911 or 911 turbo for how much this money pit has cost me!

 

i've only had my car for 3 months, but i've spent about 150$ to do the 60k maintenance at 105k since who knows what the previous owners had done to the car.

the car is running like a champ tho!

 

ok list

"Maintence:"
Vacuum Lines
Starter
Waterpump
Charcol Canister Lines (at the gas tank)
Clutch
Air Filter
Fuel Filter
PCV Valve
Spark Plugs
Gear Oil
Strut Dust Boots
Cleaned intake/tb
Cleaned EGR
Cleaned Idle Air Control
Resealed Valve Cover gasket
Flushed Brake lines
Flushed clutch line
Transmission

Need/would like to do:
Allignment
Control Arm Bushings
wheel bearing (rear driver)
Clean ABS sensors
Ball joints
inner/outter tie rods
Fill motor mounts
new rear tranny mount
Engine main oil seals
axles

 

Maintenance: Y-pipe
Fuel pump
02 Sensor
4 Tires
Alignment
Plugs

Need: CV Joint/Boot
Strutmounts/suspension

Mods: Y-pipe(had to replace anyways)
CAI
Stereo( needed to be replaced anyways)

All since september.

 

Since July 2003, I have done the following:

Necessary:

- Front exhaust studs
- CV boots
- front wheel studs

Maintenance:

- plugs
- PCV valve
- fuel filter
- O2 sensor
- tranny gear oil

Mods:

- Y-pipe
- Springs / Struts
- Rear sway bar with reinforced brackets
- underdrive pulley (so new belts too)
- short throw shifter

In the future:

- new pads, rotors and rebuilt rear calipers
- knock sensor with new vacuum, fuel, coolant lines, coolant temp sensor, maybe send off injectors for cleaning?
- replace VTCs (starting to tick)

All in all, not bad at all.