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How Long to Keep Your Quest?

11 messages,  Last post on Apr 28, 2013 at 9:20 AM

You are in the Nissan Quest Forum.

What is this discussion about? Nissan Quest, Van

    

Messages Page 2 of 2

#2 of 11 Re: steve HOST et al [rockmobile] by steve_ HOST

Dec 12, 2011 (11:53 am)

Replying to: rockmobile (Dec 12, 2011 9:33 am)
I have ~168k on my '99 GXE. It's doing okay - did a 5,000 mile road trip in it back in September. But I took my car title with me in case it broke down. We wanted the option to sell it for scrap on the spot and buy a beater to get back home in.
 
Both our vans are likely not worth much more than $2,000 assuming no repairs are needed, okay tires, etc. Worth way less of course as a trade-in. I don't carry collision on it any more either. If I hit a deer and wreck it, I'll likely junk it.
 
But -- it still rides good, is comfortable, has good tires, strong AC (the heater, on the other hand....), I have my canoe rack dialed in for it and nothing else out there really appeals all that much to us.
 
I put ~$3,000 into the van a few years back when it had around 125,000 miles on it and that was painful, but that's still just 6 or 8 car payments in the overall scheme of things. Now I'm glad I did it of course.
 
If push came to shove for me I'm not sure what we'd do. Probably trade it in, and hope we get a good decade or more out of the next one. It's been a gem though.
 
Check out To Fix Up or Trade Up, That is the Question - there's a similar debate about a Caravan going over there too.
 
What's wrong with yours?
 
Steve, visiting host

#3 of 11 Re: steve HOST et al [steve_] by rockmobile

Dec 12, 2011 (12:22 pm)

Replying to: steve_ (Dec 12, 2011 11:53 am)
I am quickly approaching the required 210k miles tune-up: Timing belt, plugs, etc. There's a lot of noise coming out of the front and it could mean water pump or alternator or a pulley or all of the above; transmission shifting funny when cold; it leaks oil from somewhere; uses a little antifreeze, plus rust around the rear door and rocker panels.
 
We are in the same situation, I do not see anything out there that could replace this van. Of course things could be different if I had the means to plunk $45k for a new one.
I am leaning more towards just run it till it dies without spending any money on it, which is probably what you are doing.
Anyway, this has been by far my best vehicle. Mine is also a 99 GXE.

#4 of 11 Re: steve HOST et al [rockmobile] by steve_ HOST

Dec 12, 2011 (4:02 pm)

Replying to: rockmobile (Dec 12, 2011 12:22 pm)
It's a non-interference engine so you can skip the timing belt, unless you have a heavy freeway commute where losing power if it breaks would be a bit unnerving. Otherwise you'll just get stranded somewhere until you get a tow. I'm on my original timing belt still, got my plugs replaced around 120k. Probably could have waited on those too.
 
May not be related but a flaky throttle position sensor can cause hard shifts from first to second.
 
Don't know about your other issues.
 
Mine has no rust, but I just moved to the UP a year ago, so that's not going to be true much longer.

#5 of 11 Re: steve HOST et al [steve_] by rockmobile

Dec 12, 2011 (4:23 pm)

Replying to: steve_ (Dec 12, 2011 4:02 pm)
That's an encouragement. Thanks for the replies.

#6 of 11 Re: steve HOST et al [rockmobile] by steve_ HOST

Mar 23, 2013 (1:34 pm)

Replying to: rockmobile (Dec 12, 2011 4:23 pm)
Still driving your van?
 
Mine's at 180,040. Got a new thermostat last December and that made a big difference in the interior heat. It needs new tires; but I think we're going to try to drive it yet another year. We'll see; we have three ~1,000 mile road trips for sure planned before the end of June and if those pan out, we may drive the sucker to LA in July. That would be a 4400 mile round trip.

#7 of 11 Re: steve HOST et al [steve_] by rockmobile

Mar 23, 2013 (6:01 pm)

Replying to: steve_ (Mar 23, 2013 1:34 pm)
I still have my Quest. It has 222,500 miles and it is still going. I do a lot of highway driving so last August I spent around $1300 to change the timing plus all the other belts, water pump, brakes, etc.
 
It is beginning to make some strange noises after I turn it off; it also smells after I turn it off due to slight oil and coolant leaks. Lately I am also getting a whiff of fuel. This may be its last year, but I still don't know what to get. I think I'll rent a Forester for a week to check if I can live with it.

#8 of 11 Re: steve HOST et al [rockmobile] by steve_ HOST

Mar 23, 2013 (7:01 pm)

Replying to: rockmobile (Mar 23, 2013 6:01 pm)
My sister likes her Forester but it's an '05 and lots has changed with them since then.
 
Good minivan tire-kicking thread here.
 
Oh, from what I've read around the net, the fuel smell could be fixed simply by tightening the clamps on the fuel lines going to the fuel rail.

#9 of 11 Re: steve HOST et al [rockmobile] by steve_ HOST

Apr 27, 2013 (10:06 am)

Replying to: rockmobile (Mar 23, 2013 6:01 pm)
My timing belt broke ~3 weeks ago 50 miles out of town on a day trip. $150 to tow it to my mechanic where we left it while we drove the Subaru on vacation.
 
Picked it up a couple of days ago. $525 for the belt and a new water pump. My towing insurance paid $100 of the tow, so out of pocket costs are $575.
 
Disappointed that the belt didn't get to 200k (have 182k on it now).
 
Next up, new tires.

#10 of 11 Re: steve HOST et al [steve_] by rockmobile

Apr 28, 2013 (8:51 am)

Replying to: steve_ (Apr 27, 2013 10:06 am)
Nice to know the repair did not cost you much, and I think 182k miles for timing belt might be a record; I would not be disappointed.
 
It was kind of scary when you mentioned timing belt failure and bodily damage. It had me thinking and thinking, then I remembered I had a friend - back in the day- who had a Ford Fairmont he was driving back from Virginia to NY, that was late seventies or early eighties according to my hard core memory.
Well, the thing died on I-95 right in front a semi -- Ford was notorious for fuel problems during those years. All I know is that the encounter made him spent about two months in a DC hospital.
That's why I decided to change all the belts last year.
Another thing is that as the temperatures get warmer, most of the other problems have subsided, so my van just keeps humming.

#11 of 11 Re: steve HOST et al [rockmobile] by steve_ HOST

Apr 28, 2013 (9:20 am)

Replying to: rockmobile (Apr 28, 2013 8:51 am)
I think 182k miles for timing belt might be a record
 
I've read about at least one owner somewhere on the net (Yahoo?) who got 300k on his belt.
 
Our belt broke in a "good" spot. Would have been better if it had happened at home, but we were in a small town just at the city limits, 40mph speed limit, 4 lanes, wide shoulders, little traffic. I knew immediately what had happened, coasted to the side and put the flashers on, and gave it a couple of test cranks.
 
But yeah, could be dicey in heavy traffic on a freeway. But other stuff can break and disable you, and my sweet wife is pretty tolerant of my "experiments" (I'd discussed the potential scenario with her many times in case it happened with her driving).
 
Within a minute of popping the hood, some guy did a U-Turn, got on his cell to call his wife to get the number of the one tow truck in town and we were set. While waiting for the tow, I called my insurance company and two other locals stopped to offer help, as did a state trooper.
 
You meet the nicest people broken down on the side of the road.

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