Nissan Sentra Series 3 is it still a good buy?

[Dead Guy Sligh]

Good day to all.

I am planning to get a series 3 sentra ex or preferably super saloon. Is it still a good buy? I really like the car's appearance not to mention Nissan's reputation of having a very strong A/C which is good in a tropical country like the Philippines.

I already browsed along the site what to look for buying a second hand car, like bring along a mechanic before buying the car, paint should be at least original, mileage shouldn't be that high (age of car against mileage).

What are the things to expect in a 10+ year old car and what are the parts that needs to be replaced just for me to have a piece of mind that it will not broke in the middle of the road?

Any inputs are highly appreciated.

Cheers to all!

[Gerbo]

Sir, this may help....
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[gnoj666]

according to my friends experience. . . eto mga problems encountered nya :

* DAMPER PULLEY
* hairline crack front bumper
* broken?bale center console (yung malapit sa handbrake)
* bROKEN POWER ANTENNA
* DEFECTIVE CAR BATTERY
* POWER STEERING REPAIR KIT WITH LEAK
* IBA IBA BRAND NG GULONG
* ME CRACK FRONT WINDSHIELD DI NAPANSIN DAHIL ME STICKER NG AAP
( TINAKPAN INTENSYONAL PARA DI MAHALATA)
* PUDPUD BRAKE PADS SA LIKOD

BTW NISSAN EXALTA STA 2000 YUNG CAR NA NABILI NYA

HOPE THIS WOULD HELP

[technismo]

yup ganyan din car ko.. maganda magasama u ng mekaniko para makita nya kung ok pa yung makina, suspension at wala major accident.. tnx

[Dead Guy Sligh]

Thanks for all the inputs sirs, I really appreciate it.

Preferably I will be looking for Series 3 model 96 to 98 ( I believe this was the last year of production of S3's) or I might be also considering Series 4.

[RC-V]

my bro still drives his 12 year old series 3 but next year he is planning to retire it. the engine is still in good shape, only break down i could remember is the clutch disk failed once. due for replacement na hindi napalitan kaya while driving hindi na kumagat yung clutch to shift gear.

gts bumper w/ foglights looks very nice to sentra b14. add mo na din yung gts grille.

[ghosthunter]

Originally Posted by Dead Guy Sligh

Good day to all.

I am planning to get a series 3 sentra ex or preferably super saloon. Is it still a good buy? I really like the car's appearance not to mention Nissan's reputation of having a very strong A/C which is good in a tropical country like the Philippines.

The car is still a good buy but better to check the car's actual condition inside and outside as a sign of the car's condition in the unseen areas. Example, if the interior area of the car looks worn out, assume the car has seen better days and go look for another car.

If you are planning to buy an automatic tranny sentra, test drive it and check for ANY shift shock. Normally it should be very minor. If the car jerks when shifting between gears, its a bad sign for the tranny.

What are the things to expect in a 10+ year old car and what are the parts that needs to be replaced just for me to have a piece of mind that it will not broke in the middle of the road?

Shock absorbers and springs
Rubber bushings / ball joints
A/C compressor (potential leaks can be expensive to fix here)
A/C filter
Radiator fan motors
Radiator (rust can clog the tubes)
Radiator cap (old caps will not seal properly if rubber has hardened or cracked)
Power steering hose (potential sudden failure if minor leaks not given attention)
Engine mounts (leads to vibration)
Brakes (pads, pistons)
Axel boots (torn boots can let water & dirt in and grease to leak out and cause pre-mature wear)

Minor items:
Power window motor and window guides
Power side mirror motors (mirror folding mechanism)
Power antenna (usually broken plastic "gear")
A/C blower (generally cleaning if not done in the last 2 years)

[Green_Angel]

i'm also planning to a buy either an EX saloon or an FE sentra. thanks for the infos.

[jansky]

i know this is OT
what is the horsepower of
Series 4
series 3
series 2

[bryant77]

Series 4 - FE model, Engine GA13 - 79hp, Super Saloon, Engine: GA16DE - 115 hp, I think meron Ga14 engine ang series 4
Series 3 - GA16DNE - 105hp
Series 2 - Super Saloon Model, Engine:GA16DE - 115 hp
- LEC model, Engine GA13 - 79hp

[RC-V]

and i always thought that series 3 got 110hp in it. as far i could remember their brochure say so 110hp. or baka namali lang ako.

[OTEP]

My brother had one. Bulletproof engine (timing chain system). The rear suspension is also very simple (less parts to break). The platform had a long lifespan being used up the first Exalta generation (lots of parts).

The car is now with my uncle. Somehow I still think it wasn't a very wise decision to have sold the unit. At least it was sold to a relative.

[ghosthunter]

Originally Posted by bryant77

Series 4 - FE model, Engine GA13 - 79hp, Super Saloon, Engine: GA16DE - 115 hp, I think meron Ga14 engine ang series 4
Series 3 - GA16DNE - 105hp
Series 2 - Super Saloon Model, Engine:GA16DE - 115 hp
- LEC model, Engine GA13 - 79hp

The GA16DE engine was rated to produce 110hp.

[jansky]

Originally Posted by RC-V

and i always thought that series 3 got 110hp in it. as far i could remember their brochure say so 110hp. or baka namali lang ako.

yap me too.. so series 2 and series 4 use the same engine

[ridihil]

Originally Posted by jansky

yap me too.. so series 2 and series 4 use the same engine

actually the sentras b13 (series 2) up to b14 (series 3, so called series 4 and the first generation exaltas) use the same engine. when it was launched noong series 2 pa, (correct me if i'm wrong) sya yung isa kung hindi man yung may pinakamataas na hp rating at that time. sya lang din ang timing chain.

OT po...
so if you would get one, ok lang din ba series 2? heard it was the best sentra made daw. ok lang kaya mag automatic? ayaw ko na kasi mag manual eh... =) fc nya?