# I have no clue what kind of Sentra I have...



## LSDisk0 (Dec 8, 2011)

So, I have been very curious as to what model sentra I have; I have NEVER seen another one like this. so could I get some help on it, please lol


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## rogoman (Dec 16, 2004)

Look for a VIN number that may be located on the dash at the base of the windshield. Also there may be a F.M.V.S.S. Certification Label located at the base of the driver's side door opening. Write down the info and let us know. Many of us have online FSMs that will help to identify the car.


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## LSDisk0 (Dec 8, 2011)

I went to a dealership to get a piece for my speedo cable(failed) and the guy was in awe of my car. he claimed that it is a "Nissan Sentra 'Classic'". He also said that it's incredibly rare to see them in America because they imported very limited numbers of them into the states. Supposedly it has a B12 Sentra body but a B13 chassis; so if that IS the case, then wtf.

The VIN is:
JN1GB22S7KU552161


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## ahardb0dy (Nov 9, 2003)

Kind of confusing your Vin number JN1GB22S7KU552161
JN1 means it was made in Japan

Using your Vin number and looking it up in Nissan FAST program US models (number didn't come up in Japan or Europe versions) I got this:

Sentra 
B12 model
manufactured 02-89
2 door sedan
GA16 i engine
manual trans 4 speed
2 wheel drive
California emissions
exterior color - white
interior color - grey

model number - GLB12RSIV

breaks down as:
G - GA16I type engine
L - left hand drive
B12 - car model
R - 2 door sedan
S - standard (trim)
I - single point injection
V - California

Taken from Factory Service Manual for my 1990 Sentra

JN1GB22S7KU552161
JN1 - Japan - car
G - GA16I engine
B - Sentra
2 - Model Change (0 to 9)
2 - 2 door sedan
S - Restraint System - Standard
7 - check digit always 0-9 or X
K - Model year - 1989
U - Plant code - Zama
55261 - Serial number

So, does this sound about right for your car??


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## jessid1023 (Mar 15, 2012)

I have this same problem with my car. its a 84 sentra with a 1.6 in it. 5 speed m/t. need vacuum diagram to no what a compasitor is and where it goes


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## ahardb0dy (Nov 9, 2003)

You didn't give much info to go on with your 84, US model, Canada?? See if this helps you:


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## ahardb0dy (Nov 9, 2003)

I also found this using Nissan FAST (program the parts dept uses at the dealer), Compensator set -idle, the part in red, the vacuum hose in the above diagram may run up to this part that appears to be mounted inside the air filter housing:










and the part number for that part and a price from an online Nissan dealer is below:

Part Number 16330H7200
Part Name COMPENSATOR
MSRP $134.07
Core $0.00
Online Price $98.54


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## jessid1023 (Mar 15, 2012)

thank you that is what i needed but sorry i was wrong it is a condenser not a compasitor. thanks


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## ahardb0dy (Nov 9, 2003)

Only condenser that comes up in Nissan FAST is related to the AC, are you sure that is what you need?


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## Sentra_Classic (Nov 3, 2011)

What year is it? I have a '93 Sentra Classic, and yes, they are an odd duck.

There is quite a bit of misinformation about these cars, so I'll try to clear up what exactly this is.

As many people know, the B12 chassis officially ended with 1990 being the final year. In 1991 the B13 chassis was introduced. However, in Mexico, the B12 continued on until 1993 due to the fact that it was cheap to produce, and cheap to sell. Because the USA and Canada have much higher safety standards than anywhere else, they usually can't keep building old models of cars, because the standard of safety keeps going up. Other countries are a little more relaxed though, a good example is how the original VW Beetle was built in Brazil until 2002.

Anyways, Nissan of Canada was willing to pull brand new B12 Sentras from Mexico, re-badge them in english, and sell them in the Canadian market. It was sold as an inexpensive alternative to the newer B13 Sentra, and they sold pretty well here. Very few options were available, auto tranny, few paint options, and that's about it. It was a very basic car, A/C may not have been available to keep costs down.

Now one might think, that because it was available from '91 - '93, it would be pretty much just a 1990 model, built in a later year, but it's not.

Here's where things get messy. 

The '91 - '93 Sentra Classic looks like an '89 or a '90. It has the same from clip, tail lights, interior, but it uses a E16i engine, and all associated parts relating to that engine. From a parts standpoint, it's really a 1988 model, with a 1989 front clip. My best guess is that the E16i is cheaper to produce, and in Mexico they just never upgraded it to keep costs down. It's no power house, but it's reliable, good on gas, and easy to fix. 

Any time I've had to buy parts for my car, I don't even bother bringing up the fact that it's a '93, it just confuses people because the "Classic" is almost never listed, so you end up with parts for a B13 by mistake. I just tell people it's an '88, and the parts work every time.

Even the guys at the dealership who were around when these cars were new had trouble getting the right parts, and just looked up a 1988 to get the right stuff.

It's a mess, but to be perfectly clear, it's not a B13, it's a B12. It was sold in Canada only from 1991 to 1993, but it's really a 1988 with a 1989 front clip.


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## dc588 (Aug 14, 2007)

Sentra_Classic said:


> What year is it? I have a '93 Sentra Classic, and yes, they are an odd duck.
> 
> There is quite a bit of misinformation about these cars, so I'll try to clear up what exactly this is.
> 
> ...


Dam,this is some good info....


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## LSDisk0 (Dec 8, 2011)

mine is not an 88, it is an 89, as previously said while my VIN was decoded. 
my car came stock with side skirts, and a wing. 
And as I previously stated, the guy at the nissan dealership near me said that it was a Nissan sentra classic, and that it had a B13 frame and a B12 body, and a GA16i, which would make sense because if I go to get a part for it and say just 89 nissan sentra, its not the right part if its for the frame. aside from struts and brakes. 
also, it is a 4 speed manual, so it can't be from Canada, or Mexico. 
The interior I haven't seen another sentra with an alarm stock(which mine had) as well as trunk liner stock. there are many things on my car that make it different than a normal 89 sentra. When I went to get a new Brake Master Cylinder, I had to get a B13 Master because a B12 didnt work correctly. 
Also, I never said my car was a B13, I said it was a combo of both, B13 and B12, which is completely feasible.


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