# Should I buy a 2003 Spec V? Problems to be aware of?



## chelito92105 (Jan 19, 2007)

Hi I am looking at a 2003 nissan sentra spec v that I think that I might buy. It is going for 10 grand but it only has about 30 thousand miles. I was just wondering if there were any things I should be aware of before buying the car and questions I should ask the guy before I make a deal. Thanks and all your input is appreciated.


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## saint0421 (Sep 24, 2006)

Ask the dealer if all the recalls have been done on it. Check the carfax report on it. Get a catless header first thing if you do get it. Loc-tite the butterfly screws. I always bring someone else with me who knows just as much, if not more about cars, in general just to have a second set of eyes inspecting the car.


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## chelito92105 (Jan 19, 2007)

saint0421 said:


> Ask the dealer if all the recalls have been done on it. Check the carfax report on it. Get a catless header first thing if you do get it. Loc-tite the butterfly screws. I always bring someone else with me who knows just as much, if not more about cars, in general just to have a second set of eyes inspecting the car.


About the catless header, is this really necessary? Will it still pass the smog stuff with it? I live in California so I know theyre pretty strict about that. How much does the header cost? Last, is the price for the car good? Thanks


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## saint0421 (Sep 24, 2006)

The catless header is to get rid of the first converter and yes it's needed. You can get one on ebay for ~$250. You can do an 02 sim or use the anti-fouler method to NOT throw a CEL which then you should pass. Unless they do a sniff test, you should be ok if you keep your second cat or have a high flo. Not so sure bout the sniff test thing though. I got my car inpected in Dec and all they just did was a visual inpection (TX). The guy asked me if if I put a hi-flo cat i, I told him yea. I got the sticker, paid, and drove away. The price? Dunno, i'd have to personally see the car to give you an accurate opinion. If the dealer's asking for 10k I'd haggle wit'em to get him lower. That's just me though.


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## Timmah603 (Feb 20, 2007)

Bought an 04 2 years ago for 8K before financing. 36K Miles. Haggle is the word! About the pre-cat on the exhaust manifold, you most certainly DO NEED TO GET RID OF IT!!!! I went through two recalls on them and was the first through my dealer ship to be approved for my third replacement motor because of the damn thing!!! What happens is they desintigrate after about 20,000 miles of driving even remotely hard, and the pieces get sucked back in by being so close to the valve openings, which reaks havoc on your motor. As far as emitions go, I live in NH which just started enforcing emitions last year and they are very strict, but I found a loophole. If you only take your car to Nissan for inspection, and buy a catless NISMO header you will pass because it is looked at as a stock Nissan part.


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## Lzer0st (Sep 9, 2005)

well im thinking of purchasing a 05 spec v so img uessing it should all be good and shouldnt be recalled for the new models right?


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## Team7-B15 (Dec 11, 2006)

Spec V's are decent vehicles for a all around car, performance is a great starter, handling if you get the Nismo suspension package its great, drivetrain is decent, fosgate sound system is better than a normal factory setup, but worst i would say the electrical setup and the pre-cat. Other than that, good bang for the buck.


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## b15chik (Jun 4, 2005)

you will not pass california emissions with any aftermarket header, as there are no CARB legal ones made for the sentra. if you suck in a butterfly screw or pre cat, that should be covered by nissan even though the warranty is up. if it were me, i wouldn't be going with an 02 or 03, but the 03's have less problems than the 02's.


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## Oldnissanguy (Jan 6, 2005)

As the old saying goes, make sure that 30K wasn't 1/4 mile at a time.


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## Timmah603 (Feb 20, 2007)

b15chik said:


> you will not pass california emissions with any aftermarket header, as there are no CARB legal ones made for the sentra. if you suck in a butterfly screw or pre cat, that should be covered by nissan even though the warranty is up. if it were me, i wouldn't be going with an 02 or 03, but the 03's have less problems than the 02's.


So am I to assume that you cant even run the Nismo catless header out their? At least in NH if its Nismo it flies as factory equipment. How would an R tune pass with it as standard equipment?


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## b15chik (Jun 4, 2005)

nope, there are no aftermarket headers available for the sentra that are carb legal. and having no cat in CA is a 3k fine i believe. something expensive anyways


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## Timmah603 (Feb 20, 2007)

Well, I guess that the whole " Live free or die " NH slogan comes in more handy then I thought.


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## b15chik (Jun 4, 2005)

haha yeah, CA is the suck with smog.


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## cral (Jul 24, 2005)

the gxe has 2 cats and as long as the main rear one remains you should pass youe e test but ask a station to verify


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## b15chik (Jun 4, 2005)

why doesn't anyone listen to me? 
THERE IS NO CARB LEGAL HEADER FOR THE B15. IT WILL NOT PASS CA EMISSIONS, lol
(unless you find a station that will take money to pass you. since it's a federal offense now they're hard to come by)


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## Team7-B15 (Dec 11, 2006)

wow, you would think that DC Sports or megan would have a CARB EO exempt on it or something pending.


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## b15chik (Jun 4, 2005)

i guess they don't really have much of a market for it. when i got smogged in CA, i just put the stock header back on


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## Team7-B15 (Dec 11, 2006)

how often is it over there, every year? Its every other year in Nevada and they let you get away with a lot of stuff. As long as your computer (obd system) can pass.


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## b15chik (Jun 4, 2005)

yeah california is the most strict of the states. here in az as long as you're not throwing a code, you're fine. i think the smog dates are the same everywhere? except florida those bastards. it's 5 years when it's new, then every 2 after that


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## cral (Jul 24, 2005)

b15chik said:


> yeah california is the most strict of the states. here in az as long as you're not throwing a code, you're fine. i think the smog dates are the same everywhere? except florida those bastards. it's 5 years when it's new, then every 2 after that




my state ===pa my county allegheny county will not look at your car if your cel is on and they are just as strict as california for the emissions--- in fact they use california standards in this county and in this county as long as the "main" rear cat is in and you place a forward catless header in it should pass because the readings from the smog test are taken from the rear cat the the forward one ---the forward cat basically is a divider for your 4 exhaust ports with very little to do with the actual functions of a catylitic converter since it doesnt hold a super heated catalyst like the rear one.


ps: we have to o this every year


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## b15chik (Jun 4, 2005)

.....and they do a visual inspection in california, and like i stated before, and an aftermarket part like a header or intake without a carb sticker won't pass. the guy actually got into my engine bay pretty good with a flashlight, and got under my car too. but anyways, i'm done arguing that, i lived there, obviously i wouldn't know


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## Timmah603 (Feb 20, 2007)

b15chik said:


> why doesn't anyone listen to me?
> THERE IS NO CARB LEGAL HEADER FOR THE B15. IT WILL NOT PASS CA EMISSIONS, lol
> (unless you find a station that will take money to pass you. since it's a federal offense now they're hard to come by)


Either that or they missed the whole idea of " CALIFORNIA EMISSIONS LEGAL " Why indicate that if its not a big deal? I just didnt know just how much of a PIA it is.


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## esejoker402 (Jan 30, 2007)

buy the car then go to the station get tested then by the cat later


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## slider5634 (Mar 11, 2007)

So, aside from the cat problems, it sounds like this is a reasonable vehicle. I'm actually looking at getting an '03 SE-R Spec-V with about 40000 on it. I am just wondering how reliable this Sentra model is in general.

My dad has a '94 Sentra LE with just over 230,000 miles on it and it's still going strong. If this generation Sentra will hold up that long I won't even hesitate.


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## b15chik (Jun 4, 2005)

the qr is definitely not the same as the old engines, lol. just do a carfax and make sure all of the recalls are done on it


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## esejoker402 (Jan 30, 2007)

i got a p2 xe with oly 87,000 original miles


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