1996 Maxima GLE 3.0 V6, auto trans -- rolled over to 300k today. There's something special about a mechanical odometer doing the rollover, than a digital readout just spitting out a new number...
Car is still in pretty good shape-- I could hop in it tonight and drive to California and back with zero concerns. It's my commuter that sees a 70 mile round trip 5-7 days a week to Louisville and back for work. Has never left me stranded and I've owned it since 200k (2015-ish), when I paid my mom $400 for it, which was what the dealer was going to give her for trade in. She bought it in 2002 w/ 50k, the year after I graduated high school.
These days I wish it got better gas mileage (24-26mpg average), but I would miss the power of a DOHC V6 in a lightweight car, which holds its own compared to most modern cars.
Issues it has right now:
Some oil seepage that doesn't leave drips, but slathers stuff in grime which is a pain when you want to work on it-- it's on the engine block behind the harmonic balancer. I'm pretty confident it's the oil pressure sender or worst case scenario, the upper oil pan. The most I have to add in a 5k-7.5k OCI is 1/2 quart of oil.
Transmission is leaking at the input shaft (I've eliminated all other possible sources). More an annoyance than anything, it will leave a couple drips if left overnight, and covers stuff in grime from tranny back (automatic underbody coating?). It needs a half quart ATF added every 3 or 4 oil changes, I'm not going to mess with it until it gets worse.
The idle air control valve system doesn't work right. The system is hideously complex, with independent solenoids for raising idle; one for power steering when you turn the wheel, one for A/C compressor, a thermostatically controlled element on the throttle body to raise idle speed when cold (coolant runs through it), and then the electric IAC valve itself. I spent a good many hours working on it, changing parts, and gave up. I settled on unplugging the IAC valve and setting the idle stop screw to 750 RPM at operating temp in gear. Downside to that approach is it requires some manual throttle input at cold starts (under 45F or so) for the first 15-20 seconds. Sort of like a carbureted engine whose high idle position doesn't work right. When I get some free time I'll work on it some more, but it doesn't really bother me so tends to fall to the bottom of the to-do list. No codes other than the idle speed circuit code.
I've got a shop under construction with a vehicle lift planned, so I think there's a good chance I can coax this thing to 350k+ with no major engine or transmission work, other than seals perhaps. Luckily it's a white car so paint has held up good, once it starts looking like a hooptie is when I get tired of vehicles and need to upgrade.
rollover video
(image from late last summer) would post more recent pics but really needs a bath!
Car is still in pretty good shape-- I could hop in it tonight and drive to California and back with zero concerns. It's my commuter that sees a 70 mile round trip 5-7 days a week to Louisville and back for work. Has never left me stranded and I've owned it since 200k (2015-ish), when I paid my mom $400 for it, which was what the dealer was going to give her for trade in. She bought it in 2002 w/ 50k, the year after I graduated high school.
These days I wish it got better gas mileage (24-26mpg average), but I would miss the power of a DOHC V6 in a lightweight car, which holds its own compared to most modern cars.
Issues it has right now:
Some oil seepage that doesn't leave drips, but slathers stuff in grime which is a pain when you want to work on it-- it's on the engine block behind the harmonic balancer. I'm pretty confident it's the oil pressure sender or worst case scenario, the upper oil pan. The most I have to add in a 5k-7.5k OCI is 1/2 quart of oil.
Transmission is leaking at the input shaft (I've eliminated all other possible sources). More an annoyance than anything, it will leave a couple drips if left overnight, and covers stuff in grime from tranny back (automatic underbody coating?). It needs a half quart ATF added every 3 or 4 oil changes, I'm not going to mess with it until it gets worse.
The idle air control valve system doesn't work right. The system is hideously complex, with independent solenoids for raising idle; one for power steering when you turn the wheel, one for A/C compressor, a thermostatically controlled element on the throttle body to raise idle speed when cold (coolant runs through it), and then the electric IAC valve itself. I spent a good many hours working on it, changing parts, and gave up. I settled on unplugging the IAC valve and setting the idle stop screw to 750 RPM at operating temp in gear. Downside to that approach is it requires some manual throttle input at cold starts (under 45F or so) for the first 15-20 seconds. Sort of like a carbureted engine whose high idle position doesn't work right. When I get some free time I'll work on it some more, but it doesn't really bother me so tends to fall to the bottom of the to-do list. No codes other than the idle speed circuit code.
I've got a shop under construction with a vehicle lift planned, so I think there's a good chance I can coax this thing to 350k+ with no major engine or transmission work, other than seals perhaps. Luckily it's a white car so paint has held up good, once it starts looking like a hooptie is when I get tired of vehicles and need to upgrade.
rollover video
(image from late last summer) would post more recent pics but really needs a bath!
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