Another vehicle 92 Nissan Sentra

[user removed]

In the 1992 model year they offered a 3 speed without lockup and later in the same year a 4 speed with lockup on high gear only. Mine was made 2-92 and has the 4 speed with lockup. The 3 speed is rated at 30 highway, while the lockup 4 speed is rated at 33. I just try to get it above 40MPH where it locks up without any other imput from me other than throttle position.

regards
mech

[user removed]

8k miles since purchase

January:

577.1 miles
16.821 gallons
$32.99

Insurance
$22

February:

706.1 miles
16.821 gallons
$41.88

Insurance $22

Bought a rock auto heater blower motor to replace the Siemens (made in china) crap that was blowing fuses if you went to high speed. Cost $40.02, working fine now.

regards
mech

[user removed]

This car is boring, the front seal seeps, but not enough to require adding oil between 5k+ mile intervals. The front struts creak when you turn the wheels quite a bit. I might take the struts out and fix that, of course one of the few things I paid SOMEONE ELSE TO DO!. The right outer cv boot is split, but it seems like no one wants to do anything but replace the axle with a rebuilt when this one starts clicking in turns.

I still can't bring myself to run the tank below 3 gallons left, so I revived one of my 2gallon spare gas cans to carry around until it actually starts to run out of gas.

regards
mech

[Chrysler kid]

Has to be a manual transmission for me to be a daily driver.

Otherwise it's just boring to get in and sit down and listen to the radio passing time till your destination, for me the manual transmission gives me a mechanical connection to my vehicle and I'm not simply riding to the destination.

[user removed]

Last tank bumped up to 37.1 mpg with the much warmer weather and a 150 mile road trip. I pulled the front struts to compress the springs and reposition the lower rubber insulators so they would not make ugly noises when I turned the front wheels. When I put it back together the axle shaft had popped out of the outer CV joint and I could not get it back in until I checked the snap ring and found it broken in two pieces. The boot was already broken so I managed to drive it to my neighbors repair shop and got a rebuilt axle which he installed.

Today I went after the front end alignment and realized the tie rod threads were not equal length on both sides. After setting the camber, which is adjustable with the replacement struts (not adjustable on the originals) and discovering the unequal length tie rods, I set the toe rods to the same length, set the toe to the correct dimension and test drove the car. It tracked well, straight with hands off the wheel, but the steering wheel was at about 11 o'clock instead of 12 o'clock.

Fortunately this model Nissan does not have a master spline. so I pulled the steering wheel and test drove the car again so I could get the wheel perfectly centered.

Now it is much more stable at speed, unequal length tie rods do crazy things to handling and it is now much more stable at speed and not squirrely at all. Also no creaking-squeaking front suspension when I turn the wheels a lot at low speeds.

For a while when I could not get the axle shaft back in place, I thought I was going to have to get the car towed to the shop to replace the axle, but the axle stayed in place the 2.2 miles to the shop. $150 later and 4 hours messing around with the alignment, pulling the steering wheel, test driving repeatedly and the ordeal is finally over.

I think when I get the front engine oil seal done, I'll probably replace the fan belts and check the idler pullies carefully. That should get me set for quite a while as far as maintenance-repairs are concerned.

8600 miles on this $300 car. I think after the front seal is done it should be ready for another 50k miles or more.

This will bump my cost per mile higher than the 20 cents I calculated before, but it also means there should be no more "catch up" maintenance and or repairs.

regards
mech

[user removed]

Originally Posted by Chrysler kid

Has to be a manual transmission for me to be a daily driver.

Otherwise it's just boring to get in and sit down and listen to the radio passing time till your destination, for me the manual transmission gives me a mechanical connection to my vehicle and I'm not simply riding to the destination.

A manual would be nice, but then you have input shaft bearings and clutches, timing belts and valve adjustments. The things a Honda needs that this Nissan does not need. I don't even turn the radio on 98% of the time. deaf enough already at 64.

I was a Chrysler fan in the 1960s, worked at a Chrysler Plymouth dealership when the first Superbirds came out. Replaced a nose cone on one in their bodyshop.

regards
mech

[user removed]

Closing in on 9k miles.

TCO 21.1 cents per mile.
TCO including the trailer 24.4 cents per mile
March monthly costs around $88 (gas and insurance @1100 miles)).

Last thing to fix is the front oil seal, but I'll probably wait a while and check the belts and idler bearings since they have to come off (the belts) to do the front seal.

regards
mech

[user removed]

It's been about 5k miles on this oil change. Even with the front seal seeping the oil level is halfway down the safe range mark, but still not that dark and ugly. Nowhere near as nasty as the Wifes 2012 direct injected Sorento with the same miles on the oil. I have been refilling at the end of the month, it keeps monthly cost calculations simple.

I was filling two 5 gallon jugs when I did the month end refill, one of the reasons why one fill was over 14 gallons. Now I'll stop as gas prices seem to be dropping again and we will be finished with winter blend fuel very soon here.

I still have not run it down low enough for the fuel pump to cavitate and loose pressure, carrying a two gallon spare gas can to top it up when it finally gets low enough. I hate doing that to electric fuel pumps.

regards
mech

[user removed]

I did a short fill today. The gas gauge was reading exactly 1/2 tank, but it took less than5 gallons to fill the 13.8 gallon tank. Walmart was $1.989 and I just got over 40 MPG for the first time in months.

With the price dropping, I might not fill my extra containers, but we might have summer blend here already. Going to leave the hot air intake in place. 7 cents a mile including insurance.

regards
mech

[user removed]

9500 miles on this $300 car. Changed the oil and filter yesterday. 3.2 quarts Mobil 1 high mileage synthetic and a Fram extra life 15 k oil filter. Filter replaced every two changes, oil every 5k miles. About $21 per oil change.

I went to my old shop to see what he wanted to replace the front seal. Worst case $450 including a new wear collar (where the seal rides on the front pulley), belts and idler bearings.

Too much money, it can keep seeping as long as the oil level does not drop more than halfway of the safe operating range on the dipstick. I ain't paying that much, I'll just do it myself and just replace the seal, if I ever do it at all.

9th month since purchase.

regards
mech