# Common 3.5 SE issues



## carguy1984 (May 9, 2010)

Hi to everyone. I'm new into the Nissan world. I used to own all Hondas, but decided recently to try a switch.

I'm about to buy an '05 3.5 SE, 5spd, and I'm wonder what type of common problems they have that I should be aware of. The one I'm buying has 117K, but is in remarkable shape and drives near perfect. Also, what kind of maintenance techniques are normally involved?

I hope I've been specific enough.

Thanks to all.


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## Tony Two-Tone (Feb 18, 2010)

carguy1984 said:


> Hi to everyone. I'm new into the Nissan world. I used to own all Hondas, but decided recently to try a switch.
> 
> I'm about to buy an '05 3.5 SE, 5spd, and I'm wonder what type of common problems they have that I should be aware of. The one I'm buying has 117K, but is in remarkable shape and drives near perfect. Also, what kind of maintenance techniques are normally involved?
> 
> ...


Check for wheel bearings, warped rotors, and clutch feel. That's about it.


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## carguy1984 (May 9, 2010)

Tony Two-Tone said:


> Check for wheel bearings, warped rotors, and clutch feel. That's about it.


Thanks. All those felt ok on the test drive, but I'll keep an eye on them over time.


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## Nickaltima (Jan 11, 2008)

idk bout the clutch feel..my 3.5 5spd clutch has 150k on it and only just recently started slipping on high rpm launches it is pretty modded tho..when this 1 goes im putting a stock 3.5 clutch in again..also if i were u id buy it cause the 35's in 5spd are RARE..since ive had mine ive replaced 2 maf's due to cold air intake and a set of front brakes which i got 80k out of..as long as it was cared for it will last you 300k minimum no lie


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## carguy1984 (May 9, 2010)

Nickaltima said:


> idk bout the clutch feel..my 3.5 5spd clutch has 150k on it and only just recently started slipping on high rpm launches it is pretty modded tho..when this 1 goes im putting a stock 3.5 clutch in again..also if i were u id buy it cause the 35's in 5spd are RARE..since ive had mine ive replaced 2 maf's due to cold air intake and a set of front brakes which i got 80k out of..as long as it was cared for it will last you 300k minimum no lie


I did end up buying it and I love it. The clutch does feel great. I just replaced the front brakes @ 118K and it's the first time they've been done. The back brakes were recently done too. I put a CAI on it and the MAF is good so far. I was kinda worried about it tripping the check engine light by overdoing the MAF. I get pretty decent MPG too, averaging 26 combined city/hwy. I checked it over and haven't noticed anything wrong, other than some slightly loose rear sway bar bushings. It's also 95% clean of rust, considering it's an upstate NY car.


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## Nickaltima (Jan 11, 2008)

good to hear man..ull enjoy this car for years to come..your maf sensor should b ok for a while..mine didnt go until almost a year ofter the cai..my advice go buy a can of cnc maf sensor cleaner and spray it every oil change or every other change..it will help a lot..i did forget to put in my last post that i had to put new lower ctrl arms on recently the pass side had a bad bushing and dr side had a bad ball joint..but that wasnt until years down the road..i guess its kinda common with higher miles on the altima and max..if you get a little noise in the front chances are they need replaced..they are pricey but will last another 100k easy..when its important stuff i put all nissan parts back on cause they last so much longer..one of the 1st things i did was headers and exhaust..made the biggest difference and still kept my good mpg lol look into it u wont be disappointed..it is a pretty intense install for the headers unless u drop the motor(i didnt in my case..took about 10 hours) if u have an ?s man dont hesitate to pm me or post on this thread..good luck with the car your gonna love it just like i do!


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## carguy1984 (May 9, 2010)

Nickaltima said:


> good to hear man..ull enjoy this car for years to come..your maf sensor should b ok for a while..mine didnt go until almost a year ofter the cai..my advice go buy a can of cnc maf sensor cleaner and spray it every oil change or every other change..it will help a lot..i did forget to put in my last post that i had to put new lower ctrl arms on recently the pass side had a bad bushing and dr side had a bad ball joint..but that wasnt until years down the road..i guess its kinda common with higher miles on the altima and max..if you get a little noise in the front chances are they need replaced..they are pricey but will last another 100k easy..when its important stuff i put all nissan parts back on cause they last so much longer..one of the 1st things i did was headers and exhaust..made the biggest difference and still kept my good mpg lol look into it u wont be disappointed..it is a pretty intense install for the headers unless u drop the motor(i didnt in my case..took about 10 hours) if u have an ?s man dont hesitate to pm me or post on this thread..good luck with the car your gonna love it just like i do!


Luckely, no front end noise yet. The rear sway bar bushings are slightly loose, but nothing I'm going to worry about until I hear some clunking back there. I work at a dealership so I get nice discounts on parts. I just replaced the drivers seat belt buckle and the fuel door. Both together were $46 w/ tax after my discounts. The list price together was $70 before tax, lol. My SES light came on for a while showing a large evap leak, but then it went off and haven't seen it since.

I will be replacing the whole exhaust pretty soon since it's getting rather crusty. I'm crossing my fingers for it to last until next year because I know it's not cheap. I'm gonna go with something performance but I'm not sure what yet. I want a decent power gain, but I don't want it loud and annoying. Any suggestions? Magnaflow has my attention right now for a good price and stainless mufflers. I'd love a Borla, but that's out of my price range 

I've also been running it on 89 octane instead of 93 and I haven't noticed any difference in performance. I also get better MPG, up to 28 on average, from 26.5.


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## Nickaltima (Jan 11, 2008)

my exhaust which is a magnaflow didnt really make a very noticeable gain i did feel a little mid to top end difference though..the thing that made the biggest difference was my headers..i found a set of hotshot headers on the net for a great price brand new but idk how lucky ull b to find them since they are out of business lol..another mod i did that noticed a difference was my motor mount inserts front and rear..it cut my wheel hop down to about 20% if it even hops anymore at all..i got my exhaust on ebay for 515 shipped on a buy it now or best offer auction...and as far as u getting better mpg on 89 thats crazyyy cause i was always under the impression that the higher the octane the better the mpg..but id kinda be a little weary puttin 89 in b.c if i put anything less than 91 i get a slight pinging/weird noise from the motor..but if it works for you keep doin it lol but the 15 cents you save a gallon id rather spend it on the better octane gas but thats just me tho..hope ya have fun with the car man good luck


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## Nickaltima (Jan 11, 2008)

o and i too had to replace my fuel door due to the hinges getting messed up..and i think i only paid 27 bucks with tax if i remember right which im pretty sure of cause i only did it like 3 months ago lol..theres some things ill get from the stealer but some things they are crazy outta this world too expensive for such simple parts..along with NEVER having anything in stock for my car which pisses me off when im in a bind..like as simple as an axle nut..3-5 days..like cmon its an axle nut!!


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## carguy1984 (May 9, 2010)

When it comes down to my exhaust, I'll probably end up getting a pair of Borla mufflers and a custom pipe+resonator. The one thing that concerns me with headers and a high-flow cat is the O2 sensors. I don't wanna deal with the SES light always on. I've heard that cheap headers will cause that. I've heard sound clips on youtube and Borla sounds very nasty on the V6 and not too loud either. Did you ever have any trouble with the SES light when you swapped your exhaust over or have you ever heard of issues with that?

I haven't heard any kind of noise from dropping to 89 octane. The owners manual says it'll run fine even on 87, it just recommends for maximum performance to use at least 91.

Haha, a guy I work with who has a lightly modified '87 Mustang GT tried to race me not too long ago and he couldn't keep up. He was rather embarassed and mad.


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## carguy1984 (May 9, 2010)

carguy1984 said:


> When it comes down to my exhaust, I'll probably end up getting a pair of Borla mufflers and a custom pipe+resonator. The one thing that concerns me with headers and a high-flow cat is the O2 sensors. I don't wanna deal with the SES light always on. I've heard that cheap headers will cause that. I've heard sound clips on youtube and Borla sounds very nasty on the V6 and not too loud either. Did you ever have any trouble with the SES light when you swapped your exhaust over or have you ever heard of issues with that?
> 
> I haven't heard any kind of noise from dropping to 89 octane. The owners manual says it'll run fine even on 87, it just recommends for maximum performance to use at least 91.
> 
> Haha, a guy I work with who has a lightly modified '87 Mustang GT tried to race me not too long ago and he couldn't keep up. He was rather embarassed and mad.


Another thing about the exhaust system, that confuses me, is the design. When I see pics of headers, it looks like the whole pipe right into the catback section. I can't figure out where the catalytic converter falls into place. It doesn't get skipped, does it? But then I look at pics of cats, and they're shown with the whole y-pipe minus the headers on top. Which is which?


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## Nickaltima (Jan 11, 2008)

it deletes the cats on your manifolds and either gives u the choice of a highflow at the end of your y pipe or deleting it all together(aka race pipe)..you will get a ses light when you put headers in no matter what if they are ebay or name brand b.c your deleting 2 cats..the trick is to go to your local autozone or advance auto parts store or w.e and buy 4 of the same size spark plug non fowlers i forget what size i bought i think 5/16's???? maybe lol..but neway u get them and you drill out 2 of the 4 just enough to make a hole on them flush with the walls of the non fowler to get your sensor to screw into them and you screw the the un touched ones under the drilled 1s..doing this brings your 02s out of the stream a little in return tricking the ecu to thinking there is still 2 more cats..i did that to mine and have NEVER had a ses light and its been over a year now..and as far as the octane thing whenever i put a lower octane gas in my car i get a weird ass noise that not every1 would b able to hear its hard to explain and its slower


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## carguy1984 (May 9, 2010)

So, there's obviously no way to buy just the top header pipe and bolt it onto the cats? Seems odd that aftermarket would be designed that way. Is your spark plug method likely the only way to bypass the SES light? Can better 02 sensors be bought?
I know by next year I'll likely be replacing the exhaust manifold section but I don't wanna go factory. I'll check with some of my friends who are good with exhausts and I'll see how well they'd be able to do something like that.

How much did the spark plug foulers cost, anyway?


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## Nickaltima (Jan 11, 2008)

no you have to get the down pipe too and if you crawl under your car and look at the oem down pipe youll see why you want to replace it the design is retarded and the pipe is tiny as shit..and when i took my cats off they were both plugged and the 1 was starting to break apart..so if i were you id deff consider getting rid of them..there robbing your engine of SOOO much power and they have the potential to ruin the engine..as for the non foulers they were only like 2 bucks a piece..thats the only way i know of to keep the light off..you cant buy better sensors b.c the reason they come one if b.c if u were to just screw them into your new downpipe all 4 would be in the same stream..when you do the non foulers it brings 2 of them out of the stream so they get 2 diff readings and makes the ecu think there is still cats..its perfectly safe and it wont harm anything..if you live close to the buffalo ny area id have you come see me and id take u 4 a ride and youd INSTANTLY want to get headers lol..of all the cars my friends have rx-8's 350z acuras all of them they say my car sounds the best..and btw the non foulers only cost like 3 bucks a piece..its putting the headers in thats the pain in the ass part lol


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## carguy1984 (May 9, 2010)

I found an illustration on Google of the non-fouler trick and it actually looks rather easy. Sadly, I really don't have the cash for headers right now, so I'm hoping they'll hold out until next year. A couple guys I work with know the the non-fouler trick too so that could make it easier. Something tells me my MPGs will jump a bit with some headers installed considering the cats would be dropped. I'm getting right now almost 29hwy w/ the CAI and 89 octane. I've taken it to several car shows and get a lot of compliments on it, especially considering it's the only import, lol.


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## Nickaltima (Jan 11, 2008)

it really didnt change my mpg..i only use 93 in my car rtho for the last 4 years ive owned it and i get combined about 25mpg..and if im not running the air on he highway i get around 31mpg..youll get a little better if you had an exhaust b.c u have the cai already but on order to get more air in you have to b able to get it out and the restrictive exhaust just dsnt cut it..and i mean if you dont have the cash to get a set of good headers you can get the ebay 1s the guy that helped me put mine in..which was a pain in the ass btw..had a set of ebay 1s and they were dollar for dollar the same exact thing as my hotshot's just cheaper metal and by that i mean the metal was thin..i dont see them lasting very long even though they are stainless they were just pretty thin and couple that with extreme heat and salt from the winter and its a recipe for disaster..if you can wait save and get a good set if you cant get the ebay and wrap them good..maybe even send them out to get a good ceramic coating through summit racing


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## carguy1984 (May 9, 2010)

I definitely plan to stay away from eBay junk. I'll be saving for a good set, because I want it to last more than a year. I know what salt does to cars since I live just south of Utica. NY probably holds the record for the most rusty cars on the road, lol. I've been looking at OBX headers, and while the look nice and the price is right, I don't like that they totally eliminate the cats. I'd rather pass inspection the legal way and not have my car smelling nasty. I'm hoping to find a good set that includes the last cat or just buy a cat extra to the OBX. I'm definitely considering the Borla catback now, or at least a custom pipe w/ Borla mufflers. My friend has an F150 w/ the 5.4 Triton and he has a CAI & Borla cat back. That truck sounds nasty and has quite a bit more get up and go.


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## Nickaltima (Jan 11, 2008)

my hotshot's came with a small highflo on the down pipe..it still has a string exhaust smell tho lol..iive read a lot of reviews on the obx's and heard they have quite a few install probs lining up..although my hotshot's had a little prob lining the down pipe up to the manifolds..but i managed to get them on..and fyi..the race pipes(w/out cats) sound BAAAD AAAAASSSSSSS on our cars im really thinking about having a test pipe made to delete my resonator for added bad assness lol..i just dont know if the obx feel chinsey like the ebay 1s do i never have seen them up close..and i heard the welds tend to heat up and crack idk tho..i did the vias delete on mine..right now since its not tuned i lost some bottom end but gained a nice chunk of top end..also i put front and rear solid motor mounts in..practically eliminated my wheel hop and they are pretty cheap..i actually have an extra 1 id sell ya for cheap..the fronts real easy to swap 2..i also bought a fidanza short throw//STAY AWAYYY//..it broke my shifter cable..i have to ni**er rig it until i get my b&m in next week and a new cable..im in the process of ordering phenolic manifold spacers too i heard they make a big diff as well..also a stillen light weight pulley and then ill b pretty much done beside a stage 1 or 2 clutch with fidanza light weight fly and get it tuned and im done it should put me pretty close too 300whp id think..also the reflash gives you an extra 500rpm and gets rid of the electronic throttle b.c our cars wont ever see WOT without that reflash..technosquare does it but its around 600 all said and done and without a car for a cpl days..but heard its way worth it


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## carguy1984 (May 9, 2010)

Nickaltima said:


> my hotshot's came with a small highflo on the down pipe..it still has a string exhaust smell tho lol..iive read a lot of reviews on the obx's and heard they have quite a few install probs lining up..although my hotshot's had a little prob lining the down pipe up to the manifolds..but i managed to get them on..and fyi..the race pipes(w/out cats) sound BAAAD AAAAASSSSSSS on our cars im really thinking about having a test pipe made to delete my resonator for added bad assness lol..i just dont know if the obx feel chinsey like the ebay 1s do i never have seen them up close..and i heard the welds tend to heat up and crack idk tho..i did the vias delete on mine..right now since its not tuned i lost some bottom end but gained a nice chunk of top end..also i put front and rear solid motor mounts in..practically eliminated my wheel hop and they are pretty cheap..i actually have an extra 1 id sell ya for cheap..the fronts real easy to swap 2..i also bought a fidanza short throw//STAY AWAYYY//..it broke my shifter cable..i have to ni**er rig it until i get my b&m in next week and a new cable..im in the process of ordering phenolic manifold spacers too i heard they make a big diff as well..also a stillen light weight pulley and then ill b pretty much done beside a stage 1 or 2 clutch with fidanza light weight fly and get it tuned and im done it should put me pretty close too 300whp id think..also the reflash gives you an extra 500rpm and gets rid of the electronic throttle b.c our cars wont ever see WOT without that reflash..technosquare does it but its around 600 all said and done and without a car for a cpl days..but heard its way worth it


Are you serious? The electronic throttle doesn't open up all the way from the factory? And this thing is still this quick bone stock?? What a mind blower! I never thought about that.
I would like to think that any aftermarket header or most anything probably isn't going to be a perfect install. Believe me, I've been there. I'll definitely have to do some research to find a decent setup somewhere. I know I will keep a small resonator on to keep the noise down. As much as I like to sound nasty, I hate to be loud...plus it gets on my nerves when I'm cruising around, lol.
After you mentioned all that, now I'm interested in getting a reflash done to spice this thing up a bit, haha. There's a popular place in Binghamton that does a lot of work with imports that I'll have to check out. I wish I remembered the name.


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## Nickaltima (Jan 11, 2008)

yea it will never see WOT until its told it can from a tune lol..even tho i have a huge resonator and a cat my car is still loud as hellllll..and i never could really tell in the car thats where the resonator delete came to mind until the day i had the alignment down after i lowered it and the guy took it for a ride and i could actually hear it outside the car driving and i was amazed at how it sounded and i kinda felt bad for all the times i drove through neighborhoods not thinking it was that loud haha..and as far as getting a tune or a reflash..id wait until your all done doing w/e your gonna do to the car cause if u get it tuned and add parts to it after you gonna have to keep getting it retuned and that can get pretty expensive..also if you decide to get a dyno tune you have to get a wideband and some sort of engine mngmnt system like a greddy e-manage or a piggy back or stand alone..and for the price of all of that its cheaper and easier to get a reflash thats pretty much the same thing in the end thats y i choose to go the reflash route..how close to the niagara falls area do you live??? id love for you to come take a ride in my car and see what all the stuff that you want done and i have already would make your car feel like lol cause if you think your cars quick right now your jaw will drop after you ride in mine hahaha


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## carguy1984 (May 9, 2010)

I'd love to take a ride in your car, but I live about 4 hours away and I'd never find the time. My wife and I are in the market for our first house right now anyway, lol. Plus, we just junked our old Subaru and got her an '07 Sentra, 6spd. That's all why I'm hoping my exhaust will last until next year cause I don't have the extra cash right now, lol. Now that she's got the Sentra, I can do whatever I want to the Altima and she won't complain because we'll just take hers everywhere, ha. I'm not to worried about it being loud, because I don't think anything could've been as loud as my old Civic I had before the Altima. It had a straight pipe and was VERY noticeable. Once I do get on there what I want, I'll drive to Binghamton and get it tuned at a shop down there.


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## Retell (Apr 27, 2010)

Hey Nick I too just switched from owning all Honda's to Nissan and also have a 3.5 5speed! Where in NY are you? I am in Central NJ


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## Nickaltima (Jan 11, 2008)

im up in NY..in between Niagara falls and Buffalo..retell i just looked at your other post and how you dropped your motor and tranny hahahaha that shits insane id never have the balls to do that..i wish i did!!!! b.c then id change my clutch and flywheel myself lol..did u buy an auto or manual??


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## Retell (Apr 27, 2010)

5 speed sir  Light weight flywheel and stage 1 clutch. Yeah unfortunately it looks like it is uneconomic to rebuild my engine, I will need to replace it, they seem to run about $800-$1000 which isn't horrible especially since I only paid $2,000 ^_^. If you need any help let me know, we should get a meet going once my car is back I have a friend in NY with a supercharged Xterra I'm sure would join in


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## Altima SSS (Oct 10, 2007)

carguy1984 said:


> I just replaced the front brakes @ 118K and it's the first time they've been done.


It had the original brake pads for 118K miles?  ... if so, guess nobody really used the brakes. I'm luck to get 50~60K out of a set of brake pads. Maybe you meant it was the first time rotors where replaced?


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## carguy1984 (May 9, 2010)

Altima SSS said:


> It had the original brake pads for 118K miles?  ... if so, guess nobody really used the brakes. I'm luck to get 50~60K out of a set of brake pads. Maybe you meant it was the first time rotors where replaced?


Well, the guy I bought the car from never replaced any of the front brakes himself and he had it since 95K. He knew the woman who had it before him and he doesn't think she did anything either. The rotors were whipped when I took them off, and the pads were pretty well gone too. It's still got all the original suspension parts, although the front struts are about toast and now the rear sway bar bushings are a bit loose and it does have a slight clunk at times. I know the struts are about done because the car rolls VERY easy around corners, even when I take them slow, lol.


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## Nickaltima (Jan 11, 2008)

nahh its actually not uncommon..i got 80k+ out of my front pads...90k out of front rotors and still smooth..as long as you keep ceramics on them your straight for quite a long time..and i use my brakes waaaaaaaaaay more than i down shift lol i look at it as ill gladly replace brakes to avoid xtra stress on the clutch haha and retell im in lewiston NY..about 20 mins away from Niagara Falls ans Buffalo NY...and if i were in your position with the money you saved by getting the car for pennies..id build that motor up..stage 1 or 2 heads..cams all of it lol go forged everything and throw a 150 shot or more on that bad boy youll b pushin like 400+ to the wheels with upgraded everything plus the nitrous haha


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## Nickaltima (Jan 11, 2008)

carguy1984 said:


> Well, the guy I bought the car from never replaced any of the front brakes himself and he had it since 95K. He knew the woman who had it before him and he doesn't think she did anything either. The rotors were whipped when I took them off, and the pads were pretty well gone too. It's still got all the original suspension parts, although the front struts are about toast and now the rear sway bar bushings are a bit loose and it does have a slight clunk at times. I know the struts are about done because the car rolls VERY easy around corners, even when I take them slow, lol.


Yea i get a clunk in the rear too usually everyday when im backing out of my driveway lol..i lowered mine last year..kyb gr2 all the way around and tien s-tech springs..and it made the car handle A LOT better..i used to get scared when it was all stock taking corners at any speed hahahaha which it to be assumed with a 3800lb sedan..but as far as the rear sway mounts...you can get the front and rear nismo bars for really cheap..i mean the front for our cars is pretty much for show its the rear that makes a diff but i mean im sure the front will make a slight diff nothing 2 noticeable from what i read..also i got Raceingline motor mount inserts front and rear..pretty much eliminated my wheel hop..they make a nice looking set of traction bars that hook to the frame and control arms too for a decent price of like 150 i think..that would ensure all your wheel hop will b gone..im thinking about gettin them sisnce there only 150


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## carguy1984 (May 9, 2010)

Nickaltima said:


> Yea i get a clunk in the rear too usually everyday when im backing out of my driveway lol..i lowered mine last year..kyb gr2 all the way around and tien s-tech springs..and it made the car handle A LOT better..i used to get scared when it was all stock taking corners at any speed hahahaha which it to be assumed with a 3800lb sedan..but as far as the rear sway mounts...you can get the front and rear nismo bars for really cheap..i mean the front for our cars is pretty much for show its the rear that makes a diff but i mean im sure the front will make a slight diff nothing 2 noticeable from what i read..also i got Raceingline motor mount inserts front and rear..pretty much eliminated my wheel hop..they make a nice looking set of traction bars that hook to the frame and control arms too for a decent price of like 150 i think..that would ensure all your wheel hop will b gone..im thinking about gettin them sisnce there only 150


At this point, I'm more so in the market for a full exhaust. I've found some headers for $150. I'd love to save up for the Borla catback (drooling). I don't think I'll get into any kind of racing at all. I'm the type who likes to get on it once in a blue moon.
You say it's a 3800lb car? My title says 3063, which sounds about right.
Have you ever replaced both serp belts? Are they a pain in the butt? I noticed mine have a constant mild chirping. I'm sure they're due for replacement anyway. Also, I noticed that the A/C doesn't want to shut off when I press the button. The light turns off but I can still hear the draw on the motor. The draw doesn't quit until I turn the fan off. Even when the I turn the fan back on w/o the A/C light on, I can feel the power draw off the motor when I'm driving. It's also obvious because cold air keeps coming out, lol. Has that ever happened to you? Seems like it's an electrical problem.


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## Nickaltima (Jan 11, 2008)

i personally think borla is over rated..its all the same pipe its just diff mufflers..my magnaflow was half the price and all the same stuff resonator and all...and like i said about the cheapy headers..if it were my car i wouldnt spend all the time and bloody knuckles putting them in when there only going to last for a year or 2..you gotta remember there is A LOT of heat going through them and with cheap thin metal..you get what you pay for lol so if you were going to save for the borla id say get the magnaflow and put the money you saved into a decent set of headers lol...and as far as the air coming through when the air is off or heat for that matter..its a nissan thing..you actually have to keep it either on the feet setting or leave it on a face setting and push the recirculate button to on and it wont let any air come in...as long as its not on the a/c or defrost i can assure you the compressor isnt turning its just for some reason air still comes through unless you do 1 of the 2 things i said earlier..and as far as the belts i havnt replaced mine yet but they do make some noise id say maybe once every 10-15k miles but they dont look that bad to replace when you take the tire off and the plastic shroud off its pretty much all visible from there..and lastly lol my door sticker when i checked it when i 1st got the car some 4 years ago im pretty sure it said significantly more than 3063..especially with a full load..easiest way is to go to a scrap metal place and ask them if you can drive up on there scale real quick lol


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## carguy1984 (May 9, 2010)

Nickaltima said:


> i personally think borla is over rated..its all the same pipe its just diff mufflers..my magnaflow was half the price and all the same stuff resonator and all...and like i said about the cheapy headers..if it were my car i wouldnt spend all the time and bloody knuckles putting them in when there only going to last for a year or 2..you gotta remember there is A LOT of heat going through them and with cheap thin metal..you get what you pay for lol so if you were going to save for the borla id say get the magnaflow and put the money you saved into a decent set of headers lol...and as far as the air coming through when the air is off or heat for that matter..its a nissan thing..you actually have to keep it either on the feet setting or leave it on a face setting and push the recirculate button to on and it wont let any air come in...as long as its not on the a/c or defrost i can assure you the compressor isnt turning its just for some reason air still comes through unless you do 1 of the 2 things i said earlier..and as far as the belts i havnt replaced mine yet but they do make some noise id say maybe once every 10-15k miles but they dont look that bad to replace when you take the tire off and the plastic shroud off its pretty much all visible from there..and lastly lol my door sticker when i checked it when i 1st got the car some 4 years ago im pretty sure it said significantly more than 3063..especially with a full load..easiest way is to go to a scrap metal place and ask them if you can drive up on there scale real quick lol


The one reason I like Borla is because they have the lifetime warranty for the whole thing. The problem I'm finding with headers right now is even after googling, the only ones popping up are OBX or eBay style. And yes, I agree, I don't want something that'll fall apart in a short time. Obviously, you know what NY roads do to a car during winter, lol.
Last I checked, the door sticker shows the GVWR, which is it's max load.
Maybe I'd have some better luck on headers if I checked some exhaust dealers or installers. It sucks that 350Z headers don't fit. I was considering Monroe Muffler to have a custom catback installed for a lot cheaper than a whole kit. Maybe they'll be able to hook me up with some headers. The service manager at my garage I work at used to manage Monroe and he said they do good work on exhaust systems.
I'll have to pop off the wheel and check the belts to get a good look.


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