So I've purchased an 02 Maxima, picking it up tomorrow. Very excited. Anyhow, I think it would be a good idea to post a list of what a new owner should do to it as far as detailing, mechanicwise, ect. Anyone? I am doing the following probably:

Tinting Windows
Detailing With Clay Bar and Waxing It Up
Switching To SYN Oil (any ideas on this in particular)

Any help would be awesome, thanks a lot!

Neal

 

congrats! be sure to take it easy for the first 1000 miles

 

I know this will cause a big debate, but you might want to delay switching to synthetic oil until around 10,000 miles. But then again I'm no oil expert so what do I know

Congrats on the Max!

 

Congrats! When you go to pick up your car, you're gonna feel like an NBA superstar. And deservedly so....that vehicle is only possible because of your hard work. Kinda like that Jaguar commercial where a person says if I can get a Jaguar, I'll work harder! hehe

If it were mine, I'd be careful when parking. Don't park in those tiny spaces, walk a little further and be kinder to your new car. Change the oil at 1-1.5k, not a mileage thing but a time thing. If you want synth wait until the 2nd change, but I really don't think Nissans need it because they don't come filled with it (no offense fellas).

Take it easy on the motor for a while. I don't think it's necessary, but I would do it anyway, you know, no constant speeds for long periods of time, don't rev it up too high. if it's a stick take it easy on the clutch, don't ride it or let it slip.

I think it's unnecessary to wax it for at least 3 mos., but do wash it. Use only cotton towels, and if you don't have a hose then when you take it to the car wash only do self-serve. Any tar or tough stains I like Meguiars cleaner/wax, believe me, it's safe and takes out tough stuff.

Keep it clean inside! NO SMOKERS!!! Make a promise to love that car in 5 years as much as you will tomorrow, and in return it'll be kind to your pocketbook. Good luck and congrats!

 

God dam my college essays are shorter then this

 

Sorry, I went to an Ivy league school. Verbosity was a virtue when I was in school! Took me a while to learn the executive summary....

 

Be prepared to cry, ***** and moan about the cheap paint Nissan uses. I now know why Maximas have such poor resale value. I barely have 3000 mile on my car and it's literally pitted on the front bumper. Today I washed my car and had to pick the black flecks of debris out of the paint with my fingernail. This is no exaggeration, the paint IS TERRIBLE.

Then there's the suspension. If you enjoy spirited driving, you'll become more and more dissatified with your Maxima everytime you take even the slightest turn or corner. The rear tires kinda slide along the road like a Keystone Cop in a silent film. I'm learning how to anticipate the slide so as not to appear too ridiculous to the other drivers behind me. If you push your Max hard in a turn, it'll surprise you by complying every once in awhile. Overall it handles very poorly for a so-called "Sports Sedan."

I can say for sure this will be my first and last Nissan. I'll never buy another one again. If I knew all of this before I bought my Maxima, I would have gotten an Acura CL-S or Lexus IS300 instead. Do yourself a favor and look at these cars before you take delivery of your Maxima. Sorry for the length, but I had to get this off my chest, and hopefully help someone not make the same mistake I did.

 

One last thing. I'm not sure if you care, but there is ZERO aftermarket interest in this car. Acura owners are treated to quality service and aftermarket parts through Comptech. Lexus owners get the same with TRD. So things like superchargers, headers, and exhaust systems are already available through very competent and service oriented dealerships. Nissan on the other hand has nothing but horrible dealerships and rude service departments. Are you sure you want to deal with that for the next 4,5,6 years?

 

Congrats on the new "4 door sports car". Do all of what was stated above, the tinting is also good since it will reduce the load on the air conditioner, plus, if you can, hand wash the car yourself....If you bought it and didn't lease then you will thank yourself in 2,3,4,5 years etc.

My 2K will be 3 yrs old this November...still looks brand new!

Finally, modify the thing when your ready. This way it stands out from your everyday Max.....

 

in your purchase. I hope you enjoy your new 2k2.
I'm gonna add the following to all it's been said:

1. There is a truckload of good information in this and other maxima sites in the web. "Search" is your friend.
2. Oil changes are easy to do in the Max. Save you some money and trouble and do them yourself. It's actually fun...
3. If you're into modding, there is also good info here.
4. "Cleaning your Max"thread under the 5th generation forum is super.
5. Do not tailgate... Your Max paint will appreciate that.

Mystical2k2SE, sorry for your bad experience with yours. I don't know if you actually did some research before deciding to buy your Maxima, but even though your complaints are valid, they are general knowledge, if you ask any Maxima owner in this forum. The paint, the Multilink Beam Axle shortcommings, and Nissan service are all well known issues. At the same time, Maxima's reliability, roomy interior, and value for the money are some of its good attributes.

 

You can switch to synthetics whenever you want. Some people wait till 10K miles, but it's not really necessary. Just do whatever you feel comfortable with..

Good brands..

Ahemm... Amsoil

that's it, the rest suck

JK

Others:
redline
mobil

do a search, there's a TON of info here!

 

Congratulations on your new 2K2. I'm sure you'll love it.

I would highly recommend getting a 3M clear bra for the hood and bumper first thing before you get your first paint chip, which will happen soon after delivery. You can order from Xpel or have it professionally installed. If you can stand the look of a black vinyl bra that is also an option.

I switched to Mobil 1 5W-30 tri-synthetic at 3K miles and I noticed a smoother running engine immediately. I see no need to wait for 10K miles before the switch.

Enjoy you new car.

 

I don't post here much... but I figured this might be valuable to someone.

I noticed someone said something about using synthetic in regards to it being in the car from the showroom floor.

I will not argue the value of synthetic oil, although if you have done the research, the temperature and breakdown ratios from synthetic and dyno oil should speak for themselves.

With that put aside...

I sent a letter to Toyota once because I have a Toyota I use for off-roading. I basically asked what they recommended I use for fluids given the circumstances that I described to them. My specific question regarded use of ATF or Power Steering fluid in the reservoir. Their response was that they recommended synthetic fluids for oil, tranny, diffs, and power steering whenever possible in "extreme driving conditions".

I imagine Nissan would probably say the same thing... and if you drive your Nissan like I do, I think it is probably outside what they would call your average driving conditions.

Just something to think about.

 

Thanks to all of your comments. I think I will wait till my first oil change (3k ish) to put in synthetic, although maybe putting it in now is good? Arggh, wish I knew which helped more. About the 3m clearbra, that's an awesome idea, never heard that was on the market. I found a place to install that and my window tint which is great. Anyway, thanks a lot everyone! 36 hours ish until it's zoom time!

Neal

 

Get the clear bra it will save you money in the long run. I have the 3m clear protectant on my head lights and u can't even tell!

 

congrats

 

U bastard.. I'm green with envy.
Enjoy the car

 

Sorry to hear about your poor experience. However, I'd like to flip the coin for a second.

The paint issue is a known one. There is nothing I can say about that... Nissan paint blows, you're absolutely right.

The suspension is another issue. Although the rear beam sure isn't the best, the cl-s and is300 have far from fantastic suspensions... although the is300 is considerably better. I urge you to spend $1-1.5k on suspension mods. Springs, KYB AGX shocks, a rsb, fstb and new tires will transform your car into a monster. Trust me.

As for service, I get fantastic service from my local dealer. Guess the experience varies.

Now - should you have to spend 1-1.5k to get the suspension you want? Depends on how you look at it. Right now you can get a maxima for considerably cheaper (~5k) than the other two cars you mentioned. To top it off, the maxima will be faster than both cars and with the suspension work, will have better handling. Doesn't sound like such a bad thing.

 

There's a big misconception about mods if you ask me. I say spend the $$$ if it makes you happy, only the owner can decide. 18" rims make people happy, they look good. But we're talking cars that if a 1998 are only worth 10k, so you have to be careful about spending 1500 on mods. It's like a house--you can easily spend 15k remodeling the kitchen and dining room. Add a new deck for 7 grand. When you go to sell the house, you cannot bump your selling price up by 22 grand. Believe me, you can't. But those improvements were for yourself, you enjoy your house more. I'm just trying to point out that spending 1500 on a Maxima's suspension isn't gonna take the beam out of the beam axle. As I've said before, stock Oldsmobile Aleros smoke the 4th gen Maxima in slalom, roadhoalding on the skidpad, and 60-0 braking. Spend money just to match the Aleros numbers? You can't even get the Maxima's steering to be as tight as the Olds, what, custom fabricate a new steering rack? Not good value imho.

 

Yep, the Grand Am GT that I traded in for my Max handled much better. And the steering feel on that thing was awesome.

As for the IS300, that car has been favorably compared to the BMW 330. It'll outhandle almost every car in it's class and price range. And if you have the money, you can turn that thing into the ultimate street machine, if you so chose.

If I had took the time to look at the IS or CL-S, I wouldn't be a Nissan owner right now, that's for sure. I went for the Maxima because it was cheaper, but I didn't bother to look at the intangibles. Aw well, I only owe $24K on my car. I'll trade it in a year or two.

 

On a positive note, I'm quite happy with my 96 I paid 10k for . I spent about $650 on a total suspension upgrade and I can outhandle most cars on the road. Great car until I turn 25, then I'm getting either an RX8, 350z, or (please God) the 2004/2005 U.S. Skyline.

 

while that certainly is one way of looking at things... here's my opinion.

e36 m3's regularly go for $30k+ in my local paper.
4th gen maxima's can be had for $10k.

now - is the m3 a MUCH better car than the maxima? yes. however. give me the maxima + $10k and I guarantee you that I will have a car that looks better... is faster... and can come close to the handling of the stock m3. it won't beat the m3's handling, but will come damn close. now i know you're reaction will be

a). "it's not a bmw - it's still a nissan!"
true. however, while looks are subjective i can assure you with that amount of money i could create a head turner. especially compared with a stock m3.

b). "you're comparing a stock m3 with a heavily modded max!"
true. but why not? it's the same money whether i modify a car myself, or pay bmw to do it for me.

at the end of the day, i have a great looking car, a BETTER performer, and a cool $10k in my pocket to invest for my next car. if you're someone that needs to own a bmw to make yourself feel better that you can't get women on your own, or to make up for a lack of size in certain areas... this plan won't work for you. but i assure you that maxima would be classy and a real head turner. for a good example look at brian v's.

 

Well dude, I got mines for less then a week and they stole my freaking headlights. Becareful where you park!

 

I definitely agree with you. All the fun of modifying your own car and saving so much money. Some people will never see the benefit however. It all breaks down to personal preference, and I'm with you, not with the societally brainwashed upper eschelon of wannabes.