# common 200SX problems



## jay200ser (Sep 22, 2005)

hey guys
Iam new to the forums and am pretty convinced that I am going to be purchasing a 200SX se-r, or an NX2000 if I can find one with low enough KMs, they both seem to be quite rare over here(vancouver island). Anyways Iam just wondering if there is a list of common things I should be on the look out for, and max KMs, you think I should look at, I will probobly be going all out N/A on it, intake, headers, exhaust, ecu, cams etc....I will get it compression tested and a thourough inspection before I make my final decision, although Iam an apprentice auto technician so I can do most jobs myself, as well as get parts at cost, and that helps alot in this industry. Any help would be appreciated thanks alot in advance guys.


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## DanTheMan (Jan 12, 2003)

*200sx se-r or nx2000*

I would lean toward an se-r from mid 1990's or above but before the 2000 model year (new body, engine, vspec etc...) I like the B14 chasis more than the re-design.
As far as Mileage, anything less than 200,000 mi should run well unless poorly maintained or raced at every stop light. Things to check would be (on a test drive) all gears slip in/out without grinding/popping etc... Clutch doesn't slip (oh yeah, go for the stick/manual).
Going NA and building up the engine would mean you could even get a crappy motor and re-build it because you're gonna re-build anyway right?
As far as cams, 3 angle valve job ecu etc... JWT has some nice cams and they are the only true nissan ecu re-programmers I am aware of after years of searching. Don't expect a massive gain though, more bang for your buck to go turbo with hotshot turbo kit and jwt re-program. This is the way to nirvana on our cars, somebody posted a 233whp turbo 1.6 recently so the 2.0 se-r should surpass this and more kits are available. Come to think of it for the cost involved you could just pull the engine, sell it or whatever and drop in a crate jdm sr20deT with ecu included but a clutch upgrade is prob. in order unless you get a trans with it.
Se-r's are more common than the NX as far as I know. Emissions could be a problem depending on your state.
Code scanner is a must for DIY auto-work ($100). Keep us posted...


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## himilefrontier (Jan 21, 2003)

JDM DET ECU won't work on a USDM OBDII car like a B14. However, it will work on a B13 car with a SR20DE harness. As for common problems, I seem to have run into a stretch of bad luck in the last few months as my : Power Steering pump, radiator, starter, both axles, both front hub assemblys , brakes, ignition switch, front main seal, belts, battery, a radiator hose, transmission seal, rear limiter mount and now my idler pulley and A/C compressor clutch have all decided to die on me.This within a stretch of 4k miles and it currently has 137,000 on it.

However, it was pretty good for the preceding 65,000 miles of my ownership and I was able to fix everything for less than $300 by using a carefully selected mix of mostly junkyard and some new componenets. Also, the engine runs flawlessly, the transmission is good, it doesn't throw any codes ( No CEL) and for the most part drives like a new car-even though it looks like a refugee from a demo derbey. All the options still work (including cruise control) and I can fix everything that breaks, even when it is not easy to get to things. Parts are not always cheap-especially new- and some parts are special order or dealer only that you would thing are common replacement parts.

Overall though, Sentras tend to be good cars especially when compared to Neons and Cavaliers. They also seem to be able to outlast most Civics as well as many other cars in this segment.Maintenance is key though, and cleanliness and a lack of oil leaks will keep the number of failures to a minimum.


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## jay200ser (Sep 22, 2005)

ok well now Iam starting to edge towards the hotshot turbo kit, from what dan the man says, all i was thinking about was about 200WHP, but if i can get 230+WHP for close to the same price as going full bolts, with cams etc, with a turbo instead that sounds a lot more fun, Iam up in canada and the part that I live in has absolutely no emissions testing, so I could gut the cat or whatever I want and it wound't cause any problems, anyways iam edging towards a 1995-1996 se-r, becuase i think the 1997+ don't come with a limited slip from what I have read, and the limited slip really appeals to me for some reason, another question is what cars if any of the 200sx's came with the t-tops VS sunroofs, vs nothing etc?(were they all options?)
I thought they all came with nothing or else T-tops but i recently saw one with a sunroof, anyways these are RARE cars around here, I hardly ever see them on the street, and have seen one for sale online in my area in the last 3 months, and I have been keeping my eye, out online and in all the papers and advertisments, its starting to push me towars a teg GS, due to the fact that there are 100s of them in the paper...LOL i really want the 200sx se-r though!


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## himilefrontier (Jan 21, 2003)

Well, as far as I know, no B14 SE-R ever had the LSD. The B13 from 1991-93 is the only Sentra SE-R that had them, IIRC. T-Tops were not an option on Sentras of any year, but were available on the NX's. Sunroofs were optional on SE-R's of all vintages. If you want an SE-R, you have the SR20DE engine which has more overall potential than the GA16DE in the base Sentras and 200SX's, but they are not always easy to find. Comparing the Integra to the Sentra, the Integra's suspension is far better than the Sentra, but the engine is not as friendly to boost as a Sentra's. The Honda B and D series engines do not have cast-in bore support at the deck because they are die cast blocks. All Sentras (Except B15 SE-R Spec V's) use sand core cast blocks and do have support for the cylinders. This makes them more boost friendly than the trouble prone Hondas in stock condition. Also, some Japanese and European Nissans use a VVL system like the VTEC called "NEO VVL" in the SR engines and those engines are swappable to the Sentra.These would be the SR20VE, SR20VET, SR16VE and SR16VE N1.They are not stock in any Sentra/Sunny, but come in the Pulsar, Primera and X-Trail.


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## af200sx/se-r (Dec 26, 2004)

The 200sx se-r from 95-97 came with LSD.
Don't be Honduh or Acura guy!! Everyone and their grandma has one!
I say find a 95-97 SE-R and throw a GTi-R engine in it.
Or if you want to stay n/a throw a ve in.


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## IanH (Feb 11, 2003)

af200sx/se-r said:


> The 200sx se-r from 95-97 came with LSD.
> Don't be Honduh or Acura guy!! Everyone and their grandma has one!
> I say find a 95-97 SE-R and throw a GTi-R engine in it.
> Or if you want to stay n/a throw a ve in.


It is correct that the 97 SER has a LSD, I was with my daughter when she purchased one new. Its the SE Sentra 98-99 with the SR20 that doesn't have the LSD. 
Her husband drives it now ......and before you ask i get first dibs if its ever sold.


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## psuLemon (Apr 23, 2003)

jay, most 200sx cam with a sunroof.. only the NX has t-tops. With our cars, turbo is the only true way to get power and its pretty cheap for the sr20. I would suggest before you even think bout modding, sit down and design a plan of what you want to do with your car. Things will flow better and there is less hesitation. You also might want to check out some of the projects on www.nissanperformancemag.com and check out www.sr20forum.com. they are all very useful.


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## jay200ser (Sep 22, 2005)

great thanks for all the responces guys, ya i don't really want a honda, but i have been activly looking in papers, buysells, online, and have seen one decent 200sx se-r for sale in the last 3 months, i guess people around here like to hold on to them, as well as Iam in the automotive industry and many people know what Iam looking for and they haven't said anything to me either...then i look at honda/acuras, and there is pages of them for sale, every make model and type, I have even seen more of the rare teg type Rs for sale then I have 200sx's thats why iam started to think i shuold move on, i just really want the 200sx....


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## jay200ser (Sep 22, 2005)

ok heres another question guys, what are all the cars that have the sr20de, motor, i like its boost capability and reliability, so maybe i'll take a look at other vehicles with the motor?, preferably mid 90s...


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## psuLemon (Apr 23, 2003)

jay200ser said:


> ok heres another question guys, what are all the cars that have the sr20de, motor, i like its boost capability and reliability, so maybe i'll take a look at other vehicles with the motor?, preferably mid 90s...


the 200sx se-r, the sentra SE all had the sr20. Even the ga16de is very very boost reliable as its head design is very resistant to detonation. You will just make more power out of the sr20det as the aftermarket is larger


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## himilefrontier (Jan 21, 2003)

jay200ser said:


> ok heres another question guys, what are all the cars that have the sr20de, motor, i like its boost capability and reliability, so maybe i'll take a look at other vehicles with the motor?, preferably mid 90s...


200SX SE-R from 95-98 (B14)
Sentra SE 98-99 (B14)
Sentra SE-R 91-94 (B13)
NX2000 91-93 (B13)
Infiniti G20-all years
Japanese 240SX variants ( Silvia, 180SX)


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## jay200ser (Sep 22, 2005)

maybe i'll get one of the later 90s sentras, although if I did that it would be quite a while before I would be able to afford a turbo kit, hmmmmmmmm what do you guys think, its got alright looks to it, it could be more of a sleeper which I like.


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## himilefrontier (Jan 21, 2003)

jay200ser said:


> maybe i'll get one of the later 90s sentras, although if I did that it would be quite a while before I would be able to afford a turbo kit, hmmmmmmmm what do you guys think, its got alright looks to it, it could be more of a sleeper which I like.


I have owned 2 B14 Sentras with GA16DE's and am not a huge fan of the styling ( or lack thereof) -especially in the rear ( but to each their own). I suggest getting the 5 speed , whichever engine you get, as I had a 98 Sentra XE with a 5 speed and it was MUCH better on gas and accelerating than my current automatic ( but then, I got rid of my 5 speed when it was only 3 mos old, I got this one wrecked for $350 when it was 8 years old). I am going to try to swap my 95 over to a 5 speed because the difference is just that good. Also, beware that there are essentially 2 different "generations" of B14's- 95-97 and 98-99. There are minor improvements in the brakes and changes to the ECU on the later models. Later GXE and higher models came with 14 instead of 13 in wheels to clear slightly improved brakes (9.8 instead of 9.1 in rotors, IIRC).I think the 98 Sentras look the best, but that is a matter of opinion as some prefer the 99 look and some may even like the really plain 95-97 front end. Avoid any that show signs of poor maintenance as Nissans are great when taken care of, a real expensive mess when treated to years of neglect. Properly cared for, Sentras go over 300,000 miles with their original drivetrain, poorly maintained expect about a third of that. Look especially inside the valvecover by removing the oil cap. No sludge should be present and you should see aluminum ( albeit tinted by the oil). Also look at the dipstick, and not just the fill level. Look at the top of it too and check for excessive varnish buildup which would indicate irregular oil change intervals. Oil leaks also lead to plenty of trouble as old oil becomes slightly acidic and will damage rubber parts like belts and hoses, making them soft and failure prone. Mine is a total beater with 4 different colored bodypanels and the rest is primer grey, headliner held up with staples, mismatched steelies, etc. However, I keep the engine compartment spotless and fix any and all leaks whenever they occur. The main seal leak mine had for a while managed to ruin the belts, a motor mount, an alternator and an A/C compressor- all from a $7 part! I learned my lesson and suggest looking for a car maintained by someone who treated it right.Most B14's are driven by inept owners who see them as cheap shitboxes to get around in, so most are not properly cared for and you have to be careful.


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