Hi to all 4th generation owners. I’m planning to buy a 1998 maxima; currently I own a 3rd generation GXE which has impressed me with its performance and reliability.
I would like to know what are the well known problems of the 4th generation maxima?
What should I check for when I test the car?
The car has about 45K miles, automatic transmission, sunroof, Bose system, leather powered seats and single owner.

Thanks,

Mike.

 

Try to obtain the service history for the vehicle. For a 1998 Maxima, 45K brings the car in what I refer to as the low mileage club. You have nothing to worry about at this stage other than determining whether or not the car has been in an accident of any consequence.

The questions I would ask are: has the transmission fluid been drained and filled, has the radiator been flushed, has the fuel filter been replaced, what conditon are the tires and brakes in. Has the oil and filter been changed frequently, if so when was the last time? The answers to these questions would dictate what you need to do upon buying the car.

That's about it.

 

Hey man,
I personally baught my '98 last year w/ 38k miles on it, and now have 49k miles.....you have almost nothing to worry about. I'm so happy with my purchase, as I've done nothign except oil changes to the car. With a car with such low mileage there's almost nothing to worry about.

Later...

goodluck getting the car

 

Typical issues (but usually at 60,000+ mileage):

CV joints
Oxygen sensors
Knock Sensor
blown struts
Alternator
BOSE system headunits on the 4th gen maximas usually fail with time (typically they will stop turning on or will stop playing CDs, or the display will stop lighthing up).

-Make sure the car is not showing any codes (got to the stickies for how to do this).
-Make sure the struts pass the "bounce test". They should be firm and not easy to push downward by hand.
-Check underneath the car for any leaks that aren't just water from the AC (if it feels slippery or smells sweet then you have a problem...)
-Ideally I'd make the deal contingent on a mechanic looking at the car. They will probably charge you $100 but they can check out all the essentials and maybe even do a compression test on the engine - though VQ engines usually last 200,000+ miles.

 

Also check tire wear to ensure the wheel alignment is ok. Make sure the car doesn't pull noticeably to one side when you're driving it.

 

Is it a manual? Check to see if the clutch still engages properly...

 

He said its an autotragic.

 

I've got an "autotragic" myself. With a valvebody mod ($350 installed at max tuning on LI) it accelerates just as strongly as a manual. You can see this on the timeslips from other autos that have been modded and posted their times. Almost equal to the manuals with the same mods. Of course, that could be the result of dozens of really lousy drivers in the manuals...

you are right that I don't have control over the gears, but when you floor it, it shifts through them like mad!

(Warning for those reading and thinking of VB upgrade: Valvebody mod will result in rougher shifting at all times, but it's well worth it for me. May not be right for others! )

 

I'm impressed with what the VB mod does for automatics. I didn't mean "autotragic" derisevly, I was merely using a common term for automatic used on this website.

I bought my car brand new (5-speed) and if memory serves me correctly it cost about Cdn$1,200 more for an automatic than a 5-speed. I wasn't remotely interested in buying an automatic at the time because I don't know how to drive one. Not only was the cost differential an incentive that most buyers didn't care about, but the extra 60 or 70 pounds for the automatic transmission also was not a factor.

 

If memory serves right, you just have to push the pedal, I dont quite think its possible to not know how to drive an "autotragic", as you say

 

I was being facetious. I wasn't remotely interested in buying a newly introduced sport sedan with an automatic transmission. If I wanted an automatic transmission in a 95 Maxima, I would have bought a GLE and put on a hat with a feather.

 

Don't worry, I wasn't taking any offense! I just wanted to offer our prospective buyer hope they he can have relatively fast times with an auto for only $350 or so (but he'll lose his smooth, factory shifting).

There's no comparison between auto and manual in terms of being able to fully control your engine. A manual also means a more involved driving a experience which many people would never give up. I got my maxima from a relative for almost nothing, so I wasn't picky about the transmission or the color!

Sometimes I wish I had a manual, but other times, like when I'm driving on congested local roads or in traffic it's so nice not to have to do anything more than hit the gas pedal...

 

is that VB upgrade bad for the auto transmission? i have a 96 auto and have been wondering about it. also, isnt it possibly to install a switch to turn it off or no?

 

The valvebody is the thing that shifts the gears of your auto tranny.

On the stock auto, the gears are allowed to slip between shifts. This gives you smooth gear changes as you accelerate. This is very desireable in a family car or in a luxury car.

The valvebody mod changes the springs and gears so that shifts click into place instantly. There is no longer slipping between gears, so the tranny now "jumps" into the next gear instead of smoothly shifting. It's like someone is driving a manual and rowing quickly through the gears.

This does a few things: 1) You will get faster 0-60 times because of the quick gear changes 2) Your "ride quality" will suffer significantly because the car will accelerate in a much rougher manner, but it will really feel faster when you slam the gas. 3) Because there is no longer slipping between gears, your tranny should theoretically last longer.

The BIG downside is the loss of nice, smooth shifting. The car will lose it's luxury feel. Those who didn't like this really hated their VB mod and wanted to go back to stock. Those who only cared about speed were very happy. Those people usually have rock hard, @$$-breaking suspensions on their cars too.

You need to decide which type of person you are. Most of the time I love the VB upgrade. However, when I am transporting "adults" (i.e. people over 30 years of age - I am a graduate student) and family members in the car I don't like that the ride is jerky even at slow speed and acceleration.

 

Oh yeah, THERE IS NO WAY TO TURN IT OFF. It's all speedy shifting all the time. And all rough shifting all the time. It's a compromise.

 

My comment on the 95GLE wasn't aimed at you, by the way, TrackSmart. My comment simply related to my vehicle and transmission preference when I bought my car new. No harm intended!

Keep your nose to the grindstone with those graduate studies. I know from personal experience that university seems like a long haul when you're there, but in retrospect a few years from now it won't seem that way.

 

Thanks. Like I said, no offense was ever taken. I've spoken with you before on the org. you are always helpful and thoughtful with your comments.

And yeah, grad school sometimes seems like forever out of my life. Masters is basically done (by end of summer), then there's 3-4 more years for the PhD if I decide to stay here. Good news is they pay me to go to school. Bad news is it's not that much money! I'll be keeping my trusty 1995 max for a while to come!

 

Well, then you will have to change your moniker to Dr. TrackSmart, lol!

 

what's wrong with with a hat with a feather?

 

Nothing is wrong with the hat and the feather, it's the people that wear them that are fubar. I won't get within 50 feet of anyone behind the wheel of a car if they have a hat with a feather, lol!