96 Maxima SE Repair Advice

[sixninjas]

1st time user here.

Hello all. I have a 96 SE 5-spd (Maxima). I love it, however, I recently visited the Nissan shop and am told I need a new CV axle in front driver side wheel. I am a full time student, so money is tight. Also was told the exhast system has holes in it and the mufler would need replacing within the year. The exhast pipes that run under the car are arround $2000 in Nissan parts. Needless to say, I will not be fixing those b/c the service guy said they will be fine, but there is a ring that has come lose and rattles every time I go over a bump. I can live w/ the rattle b/c I am not spending $2000 to fix it. I have also noticed some spark nocking when I have my windows down. I know the car has been taken care of b/c it has been in the family since it had 20K miles. I now have 109K. I would like to keep it for another 100K if it is not too expensive to do so.

Questions:

I have always prefered to have the Nissan folks fix the car, but it is expensive. Is this necessary?

How important is it to fix the CV joint now? What happens if I decide to wait for a couple of months?

Any easy way to fix the spark nocking, I already give it prem. fuel?

I notice some hard starts too. Any imput about what that may be from?

Any heads up about repairs to expect in the future?

Thanks in advance.

P.S. I never won any spelling bees.

[dragon-dude]

sixninjas,

you can check if your cv boot is starting to tear or not. If it looks like its started to crack pretty bad or is already torn(throwing grease all over inside the wheel well) you'll NEED to replace it.

A pain in the butt to replace. If the bearings in the CV joint is not messed up(rust or dirt scraping the balls) you may alternatively get by by using split cv boot available at auto parts shops. More expensive than oem boots, but you don't have to take the whole cv joint out just to install a boot.

As for the exhaust, a hole isn't going to do anything other than creating loud noises. If there is a hole in the pipe before the catalyc converter than your car will be polluting the air, fix it if you care about the environment.

Your description of Spark knocking may not be spark knocking, instead it could be misfiring.

Spark knocking is only when a cylinder predetonates: aka
- Timing is off (though a 96 maxima engine is electronically controlled I thought.)


Reasons for Misfirirngs:
- Timing is off
- bad spark coil
- fouled/bad spark plugs
- air mixture incorrect (the least possible reason)


Good luck to you. BTW. $2000!!!!! Thats a LOAD of money! May as well put it towards a different car!

rough estimates:
CV boot - approx $20 bucks
muffler - anywhere between $100-$200 bucks

[sixninjas]

dragon-dude,

Thank you very much for your imput. I really appreciate it! I did read somewhere that a faulty computer could give a spark nock sound. I will look into it. Thanks again,

Sixninjas

[i3o2Matt]

i've got a 89 maxima SE 5-spd n i had to have the left front axle replaced...lol it cost me i think 143...if not it was 243....either way it wasn't all that expensive...as for the hole in the exhaust...you could probably get by with buying that exhaust repair tape n taping it probably an inch or two extra in both directions past the hole...good luck tho

[getgopi]

Early in 2003, I started hearing an annoying rattle from under my Nissan Maxima (1996 SE 5-Spd). It turned out that a good portion of the exhaust piping was completely rusted through and was just hanging off the undercarriage. My Max had gone through 8 New England winters by then. The local Nissan dealer quoted me $600 plus. So I took my Maxima to the local Midas and they installed (I think, welded on) new exhaust piping for around $150. I haven't had a problem since. But when I go to the car wash, I now make it a point of asking for their Rust Protection option once in a while. Hope that helps

[SuperStock96]

I don't know about the knocking, but I just had my front CVaxles replaced at Pep Boys for $300 for both the fronts.

[VQmax95]

2000 dollars for exhaust?!? you could have a better sounding/performing aftermarket exhaust for much less than that.
Budget Ypipe- $190
warpspeed Bpipe-$170
Carsound Cat-90
Muffler- anywhere from 70 to 300.
so you could have a whole exhaust for 750 or less...

[sixninjas]

I appreciate everyone's input about the matter. I am never taking it back to the Nissan Dealer again. I let them replace both CV axles (they said it needed both this week) and then some tune up stuff that should take care of the spark knocking sound. I have had it with them. I feel they are screwing me every time I speak with them, but they have been good to the family in the past, however, there has been some change in employees since. I am done with it. Thanks everyone.

Sixninjas

[VQmax95]

Thats why the dealership is often times referred to as the stealership.

[i3o2Matt]

VQ--when did sixninjas say anything about the exhaust costin $2G? he never did...he said $200...not $2000...juss a fyi

[VQmax95]

Originally Posted by sixninjas

The exhast pipes that run under the car are arround $2000 in Nissan parts. Needless to say, I will not be fixing those b/c the service guy said they will be fine, but there is a ring that has come lose and rattles every time I go over a bump. I can live w/ the rattle b/c I am not spending $2000 to fix it.

Looks like 2000 to me...and twice.

[i3o2Matt]

sorry about that...i musta been like really tired n didn't realize that 3rd "0" was there...ur right, it is 2000