Ok so after getting the keys out of the locked car, I hooked jumper cable up wrong (please don't ask how and please save the jokes) . Car started fine afterward and ran for an hour straight no problem. Then today the car made clicking noises after every attempt and lights got dim after a few starts now no lights or anything comes on. Checked fuses a few are blown in interior fuse box and a few of the fuses in the engine bay. So now the list of to-do things on this car continues.... 1. Valve cover gaskets (smoke in engine bay now) , 2. Cvt drain and refill , 3. Cv axle seals 4. Brakes 5. Shocks 6. Pcv Valve 7. Oil change 8. Lower right control arm 9. Tires. 10. Sway bar bushings . Should I just give up and cut the losses? Ive already spent about $400 on tools and parts (cvt filter, sway bar bushings, cv axle seals, valve cover gaskets, pcv valve I've already ordered.) Car has 180k on the clock, most exciting car I've ever owned especially at my age (I'm 24 years old) . I don't think the car was maintained too well. Most of the mechanic advise have told me to keep pushing and don't give up on the car. Another positive is that the car is fully paid off . What do you guys think?

 

 

I would hate to see you give up on this car after all of the past work and expense over what may be a bad battery. Can't say for sure, but did you try jump starting it today to see if it starts up? If it does your battery is probably old and needs a replacement. Of course, make sure the cables are on correctly this time (Sorry has to say that). If the car sat overnight and the battery is weak it could cause it to not start today. Let us know what you find before you give up on it.

 

You had me convinced at 180k...move on. If you tried to trade this in, they may charge you $200 in disposal fees. Yes, your laundry list is very long. Add all that up, even doing it yourself, that's at least a year or 2 worth of payments. Get you something low mileage, get an extended warrantee, and drive with some peace of mind while payments are being made.

 

My credit is terrible so payments are not an option. Not only that, I wouldn't be able to afford the down payment till at least February... By then I'm pretty Sure the major to-do's on this car would have been done already. What do you think?

 

Well, I'd start with the current issue, as stated could be a bad battery and the blown fuses you found. Fuses are cheap, get that resolved, and go from there. I would minimize your repairs to only absolutely essential stuff, and milk it until February. And get that credit repaired. You don't have to be rich or even well off to have financial stability. But with bad credit your flexibility is strained, thus you have obstacles that truly hinder that stability. Interest on a loan between 3% and say 16% I believe is the max on car loans (at least legally), that's two totally different cars. $20,000 financed zero down 60 months, at 3% that's $360 a month, vs 16% that same car is $486 a month, or an additional $7560 over 60 payments of your hard earned money going to a bank instead of principle on a nicer car because they feel you are a risk. Repair that credit!

https://bretwhissel.net/cgi-bin/amortize

 

Thank you very much for the insight. Now what repairs on the list would you prioritize first?

 

Everything is subjective, like the tires, that's going to get expensive especially if you have 18's. But I'd never tell anyone to drive on bald tires. Really depends on the life remaining. Brakes, If there's still some lining left, just be gentle and coast a lot. But if you're metal to metal...that's a serious safety issue. Shocks and struts...I'd skip those. Struts can get expensive, especially with all the extra little parts. The control arm, is it broken? If it's broken, that could be again, a potential safety issue, or at least something that would leave you stranded on the side of the road if everything came lose...It just seems like a lot going on there, and that's what I was saying about moving on...blue book this car is worthless if it was running good. in it's condition now it may be considered scrap by any dealership.

 

I just started the car. I Let the engine idle for 20 minutes.... Engine was pretty smooth.... Battery works great.... Now I'm thinking about doing the valve cover gaskets and spark plugs along with cvt refill and drain this week. Would that be sufficient for right now and then gradually work on the rest of the repairs?

 

This car isn't worthless in my area of the United States .. a running 2009 maxima with 200k will still sell for $5000. Cars are expensive on the east coast especially new York area. The tires aren't bald , maybe 50 % life left ... One tire in rear left tire needs to be replaced, brakes are bad rotors are very rusty (idk if it's from car sitting or what )sway bar bushings idk car makes noise over bumps so I want that addressed asap too. Now how easy are sway bar bushings to do myself or get done? As of now I already have the parts for them... I plan to change pcv valve, valve cover gaskets, intake manifold gasket and spark plugs along with cvt drain and refill and filter and oil change between this weekend and next weekend(cvt fluid overfilled and dirty and oil too) I think that covers the vitals of the car correct?.... Anything more to know before I tackle this?

 

whereabouts are you? I have 201k miles in my '09 and just sank $2k into it (ouch - 4 new tires, new bearings, rotors/pads, drive axle, rack & pinion, cvt fluid service).
overall, an awesome car I bought used a few years ago but now I plan to keep it another 3-5 years or so. My previous was a 97 maxima and I got just below 300k miles before I gave it up. I think 09 cvt issues were resolved, if the body is good and interior too, I'd say take care of them and you should be good to go for a while after this.

 

Im in New Jersey..... Prior to you changing the cvt fluid, was it ever changed at all?

 

How mechanically inclined are you? If you're comfortable with working on your vehicle, do your research, and are patient then you can save a lot on your car. But the most important question is, how attached are you to your car? Sentimental value is more important than monetary value for a lot of people. If it were me, I would sell it or donate it for tax write offs but don't let me persuade you. Think about what you want to do and once you do, commit.

 

If your fluid is black I would leave it alone, it might be holding your transmissions last life.....if not then change it for sure, also get the filter too for it unless you want a dirty filter. Also your going to need two drain and refills to get most of that old fluid out.....so get 10 bottles from the dealer or where ever you like and get the original Nissan CVT fluid for these cars .... don't get anything else IMO, I can show you a place online for cheap if you like if you wanna wait for delivery.

 

Qawmuh,
It sounds like with all that needs to be replaced/fixed, you weren't performing any type of preventative maintenance? So your best attack is to do a section at a time. Example: brakes, then maybe Struts/suspension, then maybe change all your fluids, etc...Good luck!