How much abuse can it take?

kazbanz, Feb 13, 8:59pm
On a buying trip I found a mint 1996 Nissan sunny with low k's about 11 years ago.
The buyer of the car paid a visit on me today bemoaning the unreliable car.
I kid you not in 11 years its now close to 240000km and I don't think she has ever given the poor thing an oil change. CV boots split apparently a year ago and it doesn't handle too well due to it always being loaded down with fairly heavy family.
Yet turn the key and it fires up first time and other than the clacking CV's is still running perfectly.
I wonder what it takes to kill the poor thing
tamarillo, Feb 13, 9:04pm
Are we taking the buyer or the car here? Sounds a wee bit unrealistic in her expectations.
morrisman1, Feb 13, 10:37pm
takes a lot to kill a nissan!
tgray, Feb 14, 6:37am
There's an awful lot of 20 year old Jappas out there with over 200k on them now.
Yesterday a customer showed me their 1995 Primera with 325,000k on the clock and the engine sounded just fine.
This is half the reason we have such an old fleet on cars in NZ - they just keep on going and many people don't see any good reason to replace them.
kazbanz, Feb 14, 7:06am
yea toby but 200000km and never serviced that whole time. ?
Im pretty sure the last oil change it got was when I did it 11 years ago.
msigg, Feb 14, 7:08am
Yes as above, the main destroyer of engines is the head gasket going due to corrosion(not economical to repair, or body damage) if this dosn't happen then the motors just keep going, they don't wear as they did 40 years ago because the tollerances are much better and better manufacturing process, this is especially true for the basic japanese cars.
franc123, Feb 14, 7:24am
The reason this happens is because in that period the overall quality was still good, particularly the componentry, the rust problems had been sorted and it was before they went nuts on fussy and fancy oil fussy technology like variable valve timing, and controlling too many things with a computer AND at the same time cutting R&D budgets and component costs. The stuff made 10 years later won't last as long, well at least not without problems it won't
poppy62, Feb 14, 7:27am
Rust is pretty good at it.
marmar1, Feb 14, 7:37am
Not all nissans can take abuse.There was a guy I worked with about 20+ years ago bought Nissan turbo something and after about 3 months decided to do a oil change on his car and he took some hyd oil from the workshop. ( which we didn't know at the time ) He then change his oil then went racing down the motor and the engine died.Lucky for him he had a warranty and they replaced the engine know questions asked.
skin1235, Feb 14, 7:38am
its a worry isn't it, the engine will be loaded with sludge etc,
It would be a death sentence to now change the oil though, it would loosen up so much crud the galleys would block
That Nissan Black Death was not a figment of imagination, almost certainly most nissan engines of that era that have quit died due to it, either the end mains, chaintension and lube system or the cam/s
And you can bet she will not get rid of it while the engine is still going, rust hasn't been an issue yet, with luck a failed warrant for rust and the cost of that repair will be reason it is removed otherwise in another 4 yrs she'll be badmounthing ya Kaz for selling her a lemon
kazbanz, Feb 14, 8:56am
Actually she was bemoaning the fact she couldn't afford to fix the problems it has.
after 11 years it needs 2 front shocks costing $300 fitted
2 outer CV's costing $250 fitted
engine outside degrease. Rocker cover replace or reseal $100
engine flush? oil change $100
I worked it out as being under $100 a year of ownership
bjmh, Feb 14, 9:16am
I'm replacing a radiator in a 2004 Skyline. like a maxima. the woman owner brought a protector warranty in 2012 . she has done 50,000km since then.She said the warranty will cover it. err no you have never serviced it.So I did a service on it ,drained out 1.5 litres of black oil.Apart from the the radiator leaking,the engine is going well.I'm amazed that it survived with the lack of oil.
skin1235, Feb 14, 9:19am
if it hasn't had a change in the last 5 to 6 yrs or as you suspect 11 years, it would be a brave person to give it an oil flush and change
gsimpson, Feb 14, 11:11am
Our Nissan Serena died at 120k. No oil at the top end. The oil galleries were blocked with sludge. It probably had never had an oil change in Japan.
Four months after getting this sorted the engine developed a death rattle on the Lindus pass and engine seized. So cleaning it out didn't really help
henreitta, Jun 19, 1:20am
Guess there no need to ask then, how it get a W O F , sheesh, i thought i was hard on cars.