I will start this thread by saying I am not a car guy, so if my questions come across as elementary, please be gentle in your reply. I already pre-admit a few sins that will be discussed below.

9 months ago, we bought my daughter her first car. Carfax checked out on this 99 Maxima, a few cosmetic problems like a ripped cover on the center console, broken seal on sunroof, but it drove fine. We did not have a mechanic check it out. It had 118k miles and we paid $4,200 for it. In the past 9 months, we have replaced the brakes, tires, had the AC recharged and changed the oil twice.

Two days ago my daughter called me from the road saying that her car was 'shimmying' when she decelerated and/or stopped. I told her to get to her destination and stop. When she did, it would not start again. When I got there we tried to start it up, and it would crank, but not turn over.

Had it towed to a local shop, it took them about 10 minutes of diagnosis to tell me the engine was frozen/seized/blown. He couldn't even manually turn the crankshaft. Bad news for sure, and his quote to replace the engine with a used one was $4,400 total parts & labor. He went on to say that the price was only for the engine work, and he had not even checked the additional hoses, timing chain etc... To see if they would need replacement after the $4k engine swap.

The body is in good shape, it has new wheels & tires, brakes, radio. Keep in mind, I am not a car guy. I could sell you some great electronics, but know nothing about cars, nor do I have the time, tools or location to even pretend to know how to replace an engine on my own. So I think my problem is obvious, what do I do? Is it money well-spent to put in a new engine, or do I gamble on buying a different car for the same amount of money, again?

Open for comments. Again, ok to be harsh, but gentle. Interested to hear advice.

 

$4,400 sounds like rape to me. You can buy a 3.0 for less than $400. The labor can't be $4000, that's ridiculous.

 

I completely agree. I would get a secind opinion. Id say an engine swap with parts and labor should be at most 2000 on a high end for this car

 

well. there's a few ways an engine can seize.

1: over heating
2: lack of lubrication(oil)
3: water in the block

I'm gonna go ahead and eliminate number 3 since you never mentioned your daughter surfing in her car. so lets cover number 1, did her car over heat? there's a temp gauge on the right hand side of the cluster. this can be caused by a few reasons, not enough water/coolant in the cooling system, failed thermostat, failed water pump, etc. number 2, lack of lubrication. did the car leak oil at all? I can assume yes since theres a few places these cars are notorious for leaking at. especially if it's a small leak, people tend to ignore them and forget about them, next thing they know, they're completely out of oil.

 

get your daughters car the fawk outta that a$$holes garage!!! boy o boy, thats completley ridiculous!! sounds like he betting your gonna believe him and hand him your hard earned money, take it to another garage and tell them nothing of what this dip$hit said and have them take a look. and 10 minutes of diagnosis is not gonna yeild all that info about the engine. it could be alot of things that might be fixable. worst case scenario, used block as previously stated and should be around 2,000 to 2,500 replacement. gl

 

That ^^^

BTW, 'timing chain' is part of the engine, there's no need to replace it.

I can't turn crankshaft by hand either and my engine is fine.

As was already mentioned Maxima engines don't blow without serious reasons, especially taking into account it was running when she shut it off. Check the oil level, if it's fine I seriously doubt the engine needs replacement, there are many possible reasons for it not to start.

When I blew my 3rd gen engine (no oil) I bought used for $700 delivered and it was 5 years ago in Canada.

 

No matter what you do, get this car out of that shop before you decide to do anything. How is this engine seized if it was cranking but not starting? Can't turn by hand? How about having the starter turn it? This mechanic shop is trying to cash in on you.

 

well. there's a few ways an engine can seize.

1: over heating
2: lack of lubrication(oil)

A good chance for either of these scenarios. The car did leak fluid from underneath. We tried to be diligent in getting it changed; as recently as a month ago. It could have over heated, but she said all of the gauges were normal when it stopped and there was no fluid spilled.
Thanks all for advice here, I will look for another shop to take it to

As was already mentioned Maxima engines don't blow without serious reasons, especially taking into account it was running when she shut it off. Check the oil level, if it's fine I seriously doubt the engine needs replacement, there are many possible reasons for it not to start.

I will take this suggestion to another shop...anything else I should ask about to sound half-way intelligent when talking to new mechanic?

Thanks all again for the assistance here.

 

The engine should be ok, check the fuel system and other relevant systems that provides combustion (fuel, coils, plugs etc).

The VQ30 is a stout motor, it takes a fairly good amount of abuse to make it explode (forced induction is a good example).

I just bought a 99 Maxima SE for $500, just needs a new clutch kit.

 

As posted above, I would have another shop do the job regardless for that much. If you were local, I would do it for you for a large fraction of that cost.
I would have the oil level and coolant levels checked. Those are the 2 likely scenarios to cause an engine to seize. The engine will not turn easily if at all by hand. If you take the plugs out then it's easier because there is no compression. I would bet on it over heated, ran out of oil or something internal broke causing major failure.

What was the fluid that leaked from underneath? Oil or coolant?

Most shops charge ~$100/hour for labor, at least in my area. It is not 40 hours of labor to change a motor, for any mechanic that should be working in a shop, it should be done in 1 day if they are dedicated to just doing that job and not other cars as well.

 

Pretty sure fluid that leaked was oil. The patch left on the street was directly under the gear shift/ center console area

 

That's a slightly unusual place for an oil leak, as there are no oil lines that run in that area, unless you were on an incline and it dripped back. There are the coolant lines that run into the firewall for your heat. The oil would have left a black puddle, and coolant green, transmission red.

It doesnt make a huge difference, but I'm assuming this is an automatic? Most younger girls can't drive a manual, which is what I'm basing that off of.

Regardless, if you are going to replace the motor, I'd go somewhere else. I bought one of my maximas for $2,500 for the whole car. And they are asking for as much to replace the motor as you paid for the car. Often junkyard engines are a roll of the dice, it could be a problem engine, or it might not be.

 

Where you located? I'll swap in an engine for a lot less than that for you, I'm in central VA. I'll put a 3.5 in it for less than that

 

I am in Denver... a little far to get towed to your location

 

Puddle was not green or red, but not quite black either...looked like pancake syrup.
Found an engine local on Car-part for $650.
BTW, it is a manual trans.

 

Gear oil, the shimmying may have been bad diff bearings, unrelated to the engine problem.
If you can spin the engine over with the starter its not siezed.

 

Thank you very much for the advice.
When the key is turned, it will start to turn for a second, then it sounds like it whatever is trying to spin stops abruptly almost like a brake assembly would when it gets down to metal on metal. At this point, all of the gauge lights/check engine etc... come on.

 

I would do a couple of things.

I would look on craigslist or engine yards that carry these motors. These are very common cars. There are several of these in Texas, I would have no issues finding a motor . Start calling around. I wouldn't spend more than $800 on a VQ30.

Check the regional forum for Denver and ask locals if they have the mechanical know-how to swap a motor. Like previous posters have stated, a local enthusiast will do it for a fraction of the price. You can make a friend out of it too.

Just be smart about it. Do your research and be patient. Good luck to you

 

I laughed out loud at that!

@ OP, Over here in NY/NJ you could have very easily gotten a 4th gen with around the same mileage as the one you bought for no more than $2,500
Craigslist is chock full of em. My mechanic, who's done many 4th gen engine
swaps, quoted me $600 labor for a swap for my max, $1,000 with the engine, but i chose not to go that route.

 

with parts and labor should be at most 2000 on a high end for this car

 

The Nissan dealership near my city is cheaper than that mechanic.

 

PROOF

 

All-
Thank you again for your advice. if you have stuck with this thread long enough to be reading this, I appreciate your time and advice.

New developments that could use more thoughts

I took the advice of all, and went to recover the car from the shop. I rolled the dice on seeing if it would start. I turned the key, and the engine turned over. It did not sound healthy, but it was running. While it was idling, there was a large amount of white smoke coming out of the exhaust pipe along with some spitting of a dirty liquid.
I put the car in gear and drove it around the shop just to verify. The car drove ok, so I tried to drive it to a neighboring shop about 2 miles down the road. The car spit white smoke all the way, and initially would not shift into 3rd gear keeping my speed at around 30mph. It finally shifted, and as I decelerated to make a turn, the car stalled. I tried to turn it over again, and a few attempts it would crank, but sounded more like a chain jumping off a cog. I got it to start again, more white smoke so I decided to shut it down. I turned the key off and took it out of the ignition, but the car did not shut off. It ran for a few more minutes, so i put it in gear again to finish the last mile of the trip. It stalled again about 1/2 mile short of the goal and that is where it sits right now.
I tried to start again, but all power was lost. I figured it was to much drain on the battery so I opened the hood to jump it and noticed that the bolts were that held the battery terminal in place were so hot that they melted through the lead clamp and were causing the negative battery cable not to make contact.
A lot to consider here, I know, but I thank any advice that you might want to share with me. There are major problems here, that much I know, but you all were right about the engine not being blown. Thanks in advance...this is a great forum.

 

Head gasket or engine block cracked, this seems more like the signs the engine overheated at some point but was kept running till it stalled.

Start looking for a used engine, won't know the extent of the damage until they take the engine apart.

 

honestly, i'd fix it if it was my ride. but for your daughter, ( she's gonna love this ) i'd look into another used car. not a quitter here, but another smaller car better on gas makes alot more sense to me. considering the circumstances and your lack of knowledge mechanically i'm just saying you'd be better off. i hope it all works out for you, gl

 

yeah, that seems a little high to me.. you could prolly find a new engine for it online or maybe even a junk yard for cheaper than that. then as far as shop fees, i would call around to all the local shops in the area and get quotes

 

One thing I hate about mechanics and shops is that they take advantage of people who do not understand anything about cars... Usually its pretty obvious for a mechanic to estimate if the customer has any skills or not... $4000+ for an engine swap? he is out of his mind... its a completely different story if does not want to do it and he gave you such a high estimate so you will walk away or you he was hopping that you would sell him the car for $500 and he can flip it...
here is what I will do... tow the car home park it and find another vehicle for your daughter to drive... do some extensive research and find an engine from a reputable junkyard. See if you can find local member that has the knowledge on how to or might now someone who can swap the engine in the car... but take your time and don't rush it the faster you wanna do it the more money you will put into the car... be patient and research the options first before you start trowing money

 

Just FYI, 1995 to 1999 Maximas range in price from $500 to $2000 on Craigslist in most areas.

 

Thank you for the thought
I know when he was giving me the quote for engine swap that the next sentence was going to be an offer to buy the car and I cut him off before he got to that point.
Question; if I found the engine to swap, and a willing mechanic to do the swap, what other shop parts, wires and other miscellaneous parts should I expect to be a part of the engine swap?

 

Thank you for your time and thoughts, we have considered this, and a decision we will need to discuss further. On the 'con' side is we have another car that will likely have similar road wear and miles etc... that we have not replaced the brakes, tires, battery etc... And, if we are to sell the Maxima, what is the expected market for a car that doesn't run. In other words, how do I get rid of it?

 

It's a 1 to 1 swap, you use your existing wiring. Good idea to find an engine in 1998 to 1999 years.

 

If we go this way, any advice in what to look for or ask about regarding a 'junkyard' engine?

You guys are awesome, and I really appreciate your time and patience that you are taking with me!!!

 

Engine replacement can be difficult, but if you look through car-part.com for a lower-mileage replacement, focus on the I30 Infinity motors first - they are generally less abused. The motor can be 5spd or automatic - all the same. The California versions are not 100% plug-compatible with the Fed-spec version. If you have four connectors (think it's four) in a row mounted on the front of the engine, it's Cali spec.

Look for a shop that does lots of engine swaps and replacements - check with local speed shops or engine dyno/tuning shops for recommendations. If a shop can do engine replacements for racers or car restorers, they know what they're doing.

Be prepared to replace minor stuff like motor mounts and belts/hoses during the swap.

 

well, your telling me you have 2 cars that are in need of repair. 1 serious, 1 needs a few hundred put into it, right?? i used to work for a dealer and i would say take both cars and trade them in and you'll get enough to probably buy something reliable with a warranty. you might have to add 2 - 3 thousand, but in the long run you have 1 reliable car. im in my 40's and know the situation your in is that of distress and wanting to to scream " calgon, take me away!!" you remember that commercial? consider it because an engine swap is no easy job, and you've got enough headaches as it is. you'll thank me later..

 

that was my point exactly... you mentioned that the car has 118,XXX miles on it... if he sticks an engine, considering that it needs an engine, he can flip that thing for about $3500-$4000... basically you will need to find the used engine and ask what comes with it.... most of the time you will not get the alternator, a/c compressor, power steering pump and the started... other than that most places usually cut the harness from the fire wall when they remove the engine so basically you will need to be careful when removing the old engine to not damage your wiring... if you are lucky some junk yards also sell the engines with the engine mounts so if you find a low millage engine with the mounts that would be a plus... it is a mess to replace it, not an easy task but at the end you will be happy... seems like you have already found a good lead on the car-part.com site... last year I found a local junkyard that sold me a transmission for my gf corolla that had documented 6,700 miles on it for $350... i would stick with the site and just keep looking who knows you might be able to find a really good low millage engine for may be less that a $1000...

other than that selling the car as is I would surprised if you can get more than $500... just as someone mentioned look for the I30 engine first... I believe its worth replacing it rather than selling the car

 

Thanks again. We only have the Maxima that is my current headache, but if we decided to buy a different car, we would likely need to update its parts as well (brakes, tires etc), but your logic still works. We may take it in to a dealership and ask for their best push-pull-drag deal.
BTW, for those keeping up with my extended drama, I just heard from shop #2 and he wants to replace the starter ($350) before he can diagnose the engine. I told him not to, as I was prety confident the engine block is cracked (thanks for all your tips) and curiously asked what he would charge to replace. He told me in the neighborhood of $5k. Wish I lived in NY

 

You have weird pricing there for sure. BTW, you mentioned 'melted' negative battery post. The only way I see this could happen is a bad contact on that particular post. If it got really bad starter wouldn't start but this doesn't mean it has to be replaced. Call / ask around and find a better mechanic before moving to another shop as changing them randomly is exhausting.

I also wonder how come your daughter didn't notice white smoke originally and how come gauges were all normal and now it sounds like it has blown head gasket due to overheating? Is coolant level close to normal or does it have at least half of it left? My own 3rd gen was OK in summer heat (90+) after loosing at least half of the coolant due to leak. The cooling fans were working normally though and I wasn't using AC to avoid overheating. My point here is I have problem to understand how you can possibly overheat engine so much that it blows head gasket if it has at least half of the coolant left. May be it's just me and stuff happens.