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Hi !!

I am an international student and very new to the US of A. I am about to get a hand me down 1991 V6 SOHC 160 hp Maxima SE (automatic) with 135,000 miles on it, I am a new driver and this is my very first car. I understand that the Maxima is an excellent car.I need some advice on two things...One is that the heater takes almost 10 mins to heat after being turned on and the second is that the clock and radio have a life of their own and turn on and off on their own, I also wanted to know if I need to get anything else checked with regards to the engine..any geniune advice is appreciated.
Could you please tell me if I need to check on anything else before I get the car.

Thank you.

 

be glad it's only taking 10 minutes for the car to warm up.
it's friggin cold outside!
you probably need to resolder the clock and the radio, they have bad solder jointts.

 

There should be a sticker on the underside of the hood that tells you when the timing belt was last changed. If it's been over 60,000 miles you are due for a new one. If the timing belt breaks the engine is junk.

 

:doh: i forget about the timing belt on those frail VGs.

 

What did you say? Sorry, I cant hear it over your VTC clacking!!


Anyways Reddy, you bought a good car. Other than the timing belt (which is just a maintence thing), the automatic trannys on these cars like to stop working. As long as it shifts fine, dont worry about it though.

 

good one man, good one, lol. anyway, i have to disagree with the part where you say that as long as it shifts good, don't worry about it. I owned a shiney aztec red 91 with auto before, the thing shifted fine until the very day it decided to die on me, speaking of which, I was going to work that very same day, the thing had shifted fine until half way there and then kaput!!!

Sorry to let you guys down, but if he's a student, and he's looking for a good, dependable car without having to worry about tranny failing(big $$$), exhaust manifold leaking(also big $$$) then I would recommend for the person to get a Toyota or a Honda, the reason being is that Honda parts are cheap, and are available widely, plus repair for them are not quite as complicated, and most shop knows how to work on a Honda. Now for the Toyota part, their engine are non-interference, so if your timing belt happens to snap, you won't go oh *&%$ , there goes my engine, plus Toyota are dependable as well, maybe the pick up is not a potent as Max, but they can take a good deal of abuse.

P.S. Yes I know I'm a hypocrite for saying those things since I own a max myself, but c'mon guys, we student usually abuse the **** out of our cars, we don't keep up with maintenance scheduly, plus the fact that we are often dirt poor with little mechanical skill, (not everyone), so I would just like to lay the facts down, so the person can make a decision for himself

by the way, besides the lowered horsies, VG rocks!!!!!!!

 

honda = shlt trannies too, same reason , no easily replaceable filter.
and honda eats distributors only car that's worse is the altima.
toyota= boring but reliable, though it's suspension isn't that great :\

 

Thank you all for your wonderful replies I dont feel left out now.

Could any of you please tell me how one checks for ticking noises( It is a dumb question) I really dont know when and how to listen for it. How does one check the timing belt and rust along the fuel Inlet ..yes I did read about the recall they had for these cars.

As to the choice between a Honda and Toyota I really dont have to worry because I dont have to pay for this car (sort'a family thing) therefore the car is mine for free and I just have to maintain it.
The list reads like
1. get a tune up
2. check Timing belt
3. Check for rust along the fuel inlet
4. The heater( I really dont know what to do it does take some time)

Anything else plz let me know......

 

ooh, a freebie, niceeeeeee

anyway, as for your heater problem, I would just let the car run through its warm up cycle, (do so before your brush your teeth) and about 10-15 minutes later, when you're done brushing or stuff like that, the engine will be up to temp, the tranny's fluid will be up to temp and well lubricated, and your heater will be nice and toasty too. The added bonus is that once your tranny is well lube, it will shift more nicely, and if you take care of it, it will last longer as well, (nailing it while your tranny is cold is one of the main reason why tranny failed prematurely).

Timing belt, next to impossible to check, so just do yourself a favor and change that while you're at it, don't forget to change the water pump as well, it will be worth it.

-check your windows, regulators might be bad
-check your CV boots, might be leaky
-check your brakes (take the wheels off and inspect it)
-test your e-brake
-check oilpan for leaks, see if the nut is rounded off, if so, buy a replacement
-Pull your rear seats and check for rust right around the edges of the top seats on both side, if it is, you might want to calk it up with some silicon sealant or your seat will suck in water = mold = moldy smell inside the car
-check air filter
-oil change if needed

If I can think of anything else, then I will continue posting.
hope this helps.

P.S I agree with internetautomart on the altima eating distributor, I have personally seen a distributor cap that came off a 97 altima with contact points literally flat on the plastic casing!!!

 

If you aren't getting heat, your heater core may be beginning to clog. Check your antifreeze. If it is really cloudy and smells bad or discolored, you might want to change it. If so, buy a Prestone flush kit so you can flush out your heater core. Or, just do a ton of drain-and-refills with distilled water, letting the thermostat open each time to get the clean water circulating through your entire cooling system.

 

The warmup issue could also be caused by a bad thermostat. If the thermostat never closes allowing the coolant to circulate fully on startup, that can cause a long "warm-up" period and will probably lead to driveability issues during that time as well.