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just pulled the trigger on a 2003 GLE with 114k. will be in my garage soon.
I'll be driving it a long distance to get back home, the car is an out of state purchase. Besides the general stuff, inflation pressures/fluids check/wiper/headlights check was wondering what things mechanically I would need to scrutinize before hitting the road?
Here's what I know based off the carfax, in late August this year, radiator replaced, coils replaced, oil cooler seals replaced, and oil/oil filter replaced. The first two seem to be common replacement items at this mileage. The only glaring defect I can see is both front seats have tears in the vinyl side panel bottom cushion, and the top of the steering wheel is discolored from sun exposure. I haggled over it and got a discount for repair.
Keep up on the oil for the first few thousand miles. Some of the 02/03 cars have oil burning issues and there's no way to tell short of checking it regularly. Once you figure out if, and how much, it burns you can manage it. Some of them burn enough to get dangerously low before most people would check it.
Jagalag,
First of all, nice looking car. I have owned my 2002 since 2005. Most of the maintenance has been routine such as brakes, rotors, oil, etc. Unfortunately as other members mentioned I started to lose about a quart of oil every 200-300 miles a couple of years ago. I changed the pcv valve several times but that did not resolve the issue. I did not get to the root of the issue until I swapped out my spark plugs. One of the plugs (cylinder 3) was covered in oil. Advice here on the forum pointed me toward swapping out my rear valve cover. It’s been a couple of months since I performed the repair and the oil loss appears to be resolved.
Thanks bros!!! You guys are really some stand up dudes! As it happens, I have not even seen the car in person yet, but I DID put down a 500 dollar deposit on it to hold it at that dealer. I buying a return plane ticket just in case there's a glaring defect on it. That being said, I'm pretty mechanically inclined on the older jap brands.
(1) Knock sensor replacement on Nissan VH-41DE.
. * I posted the only video on youtube on how to
. do this. (Quite an ordeal)
(2) Head Gasket job, w timing belt procedure on
. Subaru N/A EJ-25, without engine removal.
(3) front and rear valve cover replacement on
Toyota 1MZ-FE, and oil pan gasket
replacement.
My plan is to drive it back and then keep it in my garage for a year without really driving it, to do a thorough carbon cleaning, replace all vacuum lines, hoses, fluids, etc. I am going to make a 2 day trip out of it, and crash in Oklahoma city with my friend, who can help me replace parts if needed on it.
Were the fifth generation Maxi's prone to timing chain rattling or other problems? I've heard that about the UGLY 6th gen models. How about sludge problems? I saw a picture of my car's engine bay that had a Wal-Mart Value-power battery and it seriously made me cringe. I figure I'll either replace the PCV valve or blow it with a short burst of carb cleaner... I'll take New plugs with me just to be safe and change them if they look bad. Probably going to need a new air filter too. Transmission drain and fill is something I can do there too. Is Nissan Matic the only kind to use? Or can I use the Valvoline Max-life stuff? Mobil-1 synthetic tranny fluid seems like a sure winner, but I don't know if it will be miscible with all the existing fluid already there. Is the radiator and integrated tranny fluid cooler prone to leaking into each other? Some earlier pathfinders had this problem where coolant found it's way into the transmission.
Wow. it does look nice underneath. Must be from a nice climate. My Florida car looks exactly the same underneath.
These cars don't share the 6th gen timing chain issues. They're very solid.
No sludge issues with regular maintenance. They run very clean.
The battery probably came from the dealer. I wouldn't judge the car by it.
If it runs well I wouldn't mess with the plugs till you get home. They require removing the intake plenum. It's not that hard but still opening a small can of worms.
I've never heard of the oil and coolant mixing in the radiator on these.
I believe those fluids are ok for the auto. There's a "fluids" section buried somewhere in the 5th gen stickies.
I wouldn't mess with the PCV yet. See if the rear valve cover is leaking. They may have replaced it if it was leaking or you'll have to replace it. The new VC comes with a PCV valve. These cars aren't known for PCV issues.
You might be surprised to find that most of the hoses and lines are still in fine shape. I've replaced very few of mine and my car is over 230,000. If they were questionable I'd replace them.
If it's running, I wouldn't do anything till you get it home. No point "shocking the machine" far from home.
I wouldn't mess with the PCV yet. See if the rear valve cover is leaking. They may have replaced it if it was leaking or you'll have to replace it. The new VC comes with a PCV valve. These cars aren't known for PCV issues.
Hey Derrick, thanks for all the advice. It's going to be a big help. One question though, why on the Maxima do you have to replace the whole valve cover? If it's leaking wouldn't you just replace the gasket like on most other cars?
Last edited by Jagalag; 10-10-2017 at 07:26 PM.
Reason: grammar
mclasser is talking about the salt they are putting on the street to melt the ice here in the Northeast. From looking at the bottom of that car I do not believe it will be an issue for you. There is a radiator support on this generation that gets rotted out by the salt. When it gets bad you will hear some unpleasant sounds coming from the front end. I had mine replaced a couple of years ago. Take a good look at it when you inspect the car. The rear wheel wells are also susceptible to corrosion from the salt.
Those pictures look pretty good. Make sure you have a 5qt Jug of oil with you for the ride home just in case. From hearing some of the work you have done in the past this car should be on the road for a while.
As for the valve cover it is recommended to replace both the gasket and the valve cover in the service manuals. Trust me. After you wrestle the plenum off of the car to get to the rear unit you will not want to go back in there and do it again. In my case oil was leaking past the spark plug well gasket which is integrated into the cover. The well gasket cannot be replaced.
I have a video posted on the org removing the plenum and some references to some helpful videos to get the valve cover removed and replaced.
mclasser is talking about the salt they are putting on the street to melt the ice here in the Northeast. From looking at the bottom of that car I do not believe it will be an issue for you. There is a radiator support on this generation that gets rotted out by the salt. When it gets bad you will hear some unpleasant sounds coming from the front end. I had mine replaced a couple of years ago. Take a good look at it when you inspect the car. The rear wheel wells are also susceptible to corrosion from the salt.
Those pictures look pretty good. Make sure you have a 5qt Jug of oil with you for the ride home just in case. From hearing some of the work you have done in the past this car should be on the road for a while.
As for the valve cover it is recommended to replace both the gasket and the valve cover in the service manuals. Trust me. After you wrestle the plenum off of the car to get to the rear unit you will not want to go back in there and do it again. In my case oil was leaking past the spark plug well gasket which is integrated into the cover. The well gasket cannot be replaced.
I have a video posted on the org removing the plenum and some references to some helpful videos to get the valve cover removed and replaced.
Good luck.
Thanks Albatross.. the car has been in Oklahoma all it's life, so it's probably seen it's fair share of salt from icy roads, although probably not as much as you guys from the NE. VQ Nissan series doesn't seem as hard to work on as the Nissan VH series V-8's from the nineties. let's see. G50 series Q45's were unreal though, MAYBE today's 2017 Maxima could keep up with those. BIG maybe though.
I am a little **** when it comes to maintenance of my older cars...Sometimes I drive my mechanics crazy with my obsession of keeping a car running well forever. You might say I'm an Automotive Hypochondriac.
As Albatross said. The spark plug tube seals are either built into the VC or get so stiff with age they can't be removed without breaking the fragile plastic. If you clean it up really well you can use some good RTV around them but you have to do it right to get it to work.
The rear VC on the 3.5 also has a tendency to crack and leak. The fix was to replace it with a 6th gen cover. Now the 6th gen part # has replaced the older 5th gen cover all together.
My recommendation is to replace the rear since it's a pain to get to and RTV the seals on the front. This is only if it's leaking of course. At this point they're either leaking or they've been replaced.
Update guys: I checked with the shop that did the repairs prior to the dealer putting the car up for sale. Coils 2 and 6 were replaced, not all the coils. Radiator is new also. The dealer supplied the parts to the shop. Should I worry? Also he is only providing the one key. I'm getting another key made. Getting the key cut will should be cheap. Also keys with remotes are dirt cheap on Ebay, but is the programming procedure something that can be done by anyone with an exact sequence fiddling with the lock/unlock switch and/or the throttle and brake pedals?
The key will have to be programmed to the car to start it. That will have to be done by a locksmith, dealer or someone with the proper computer tool.
The remotes can be programmed through a sequence but I've never been able to get it to work on a Maxima for some reason. I've done a lot of different ones during the years I was selling cars but the Nissan remotes just laugh at me. Go figure. Whoever does your key could probably do it.
Jagalag,
Sounds like normal wear for the most part. I replaced my radiator in August. The original lasted about 104k. Regarding the coils I am still running the originals but I have seen some people replace all in one shot and some people who have only done the ones that failed to save money.
Regarding the remotes I have successfully programmed the Altima which appears to be identical but I have never had to do this on the Maxima. My experience with these cars also confirms Derrick2K2SE's statement regarding the keys.
Independent locksmiths will program the key to start the car and they will be less expensive than a dealer. Since you can drive the car to them, that will make it less expensive then if they do a house call. Call a couple of locksmiths, their prices are not always the same.
Here is the procedure to program a remote to the car:
1. Unlock all doors and get in car.
2. Close door and lock all doors with power door lock switch on driver's door.
3. Insert the ignition key and completely remove it at least 6 times
within 10 seconds. The hazard warning lamps (turn signal arrows) will
then flash twice. All previous remotes are now erased.
4. Turn ignition key to "ACC" position.
5. Push any button on the new remote control key fob once. At this time,
the car learns the new ID code. The hazard warning lamps (turn signal
arrows) will then flash twice.
If you are programming just one remote, go to step 10.
If you need to activate additional remote controllers, continue with Step 6.
6. Manually unlock the driver's door only then lock again with door lock
****.
7. Push lock button on the additional remote controller once.
8. Hazard warning lamps (both turn signals) will then flash twice and
additional remote is programmed.
9. For additional remotes, go back to step 6.
10. When done, open the driver's door to exit programming state.
NOTE: A maximum of 4 remotes can be programmed to any ONE car.
NOTE NOTE: In Step 3, use as much of the 10 seconds as you can.
It is possible to go too fast and you will not enter
programming mode.
Hey guys, moment of truth is almost upon me. I fly out Wednesday morning to Oklahoma to get it. Any last minute pointers to look for before I sign on the dotted line? One question I forgot to ask: these guys replaced the windshield because it was cracked. Did the 5.5 gen have a diversity antenna grid in it for the radio that I should check for? I know back in tue day when I had a 1993 hardbody truck, they made it that way. Just bought a bluetooth cassette adapter so I don't have to listen to country music FM on the drive home. Wondering if any of you guys are along the I-35 area between OKC and San Antone and could meet up to share some tips on Wednesday evening or Thursday morning/afternoon. Wednesday night I'm trying to find a place to crash in Dallas or FW. Appreciate you guys helping out again...never felt so welcomed in a new automotive forum like this one.
Update guys: I checked with the shop that did the repairs prior to the dealer putting the car up for sale. Coils 2 and 6 were replaced, not all the coils. Radiator is new also. The dealer supplied the parts to the shop. Should I worry? Also he is only providing the one key. I'm getting another key made. Getting the key cut will should be cheap. Also keys with remotes are dirt cheap on Ebay, but is the programming procedure something that can be done by anyone with an exact sequence fiddling with the lock/unlock switch and/or the throttle and brake pedals?
I bought NDSII on ebay for $50. After the download youll get a VAGCom cable. Hook up to the DL and click "work support".
Click the key program. You can program so many keys.
Also you can perform the "Idle Air Volume Relearn" after the CTPS memory reset.
Sorry you have to order a VAGCOM ISO9134 from Amazon
Heres the software
Nissan Diagnostic Tools (Software) DATA SCAN
thanks for the info sir. Much appreciated, however, when I search NDSII on ebay, I get Nintendo DS consoles and accessories. NDS stands for Nissan Data _______?
Scan. To be specific you want Nissan data scan 2. You can get the app for Android and use with a Bluetooth scanner, or get a VAGCOM cable and use with a laptop. The app costs about $10, whereas the software for laptop is $50+ (it does more).
You get real time monitoring on all four H02 sensors the switching of the upstream sensors from rich to lean.
This software is great because you can hook it up and review in real time the voltage of the MAF, TPS, H02, battery, and many many more on a computer screen.
10-07-2017, 10:40 PM
just pulled the trigger on a 2003 GLE with 114k. will be in my garage soon. 
Thanks for any help.
As it happens, I have not even seen the car in person yet, but I DID put down a 500 dollar deposit on it to hold it at that dealer. I buying a return plane ticket just in case there's a glaring defect on it. That being said, I'm pretty mechanically inclined on the older jap brands.
Also he is only providing the one key. I'm getting another key made. Getting the key cut will should be cheap. Also keys with remotes are dirt cheap on Ebay, but is the programming procedure something that can be done by anyone with an exact sequence fiddling with the lock/unlock switch and/or the throttle and brake pedals?
