New Daily Driver Advice Wanted
 

The 2001 Sentra SE is starting to get a bit haggard -- rattly, weak A/C, increasing oil consumption, iffy CV joints...nothing catastrophic, but enough that I'm looking at replacing it, if I can find something cheap.

This just popped up on the local CL a yesterday:

2009 V W Golf GTI - $4500

https://images.craigslist.org/00b0b_...x_1200x900.jpg

https://images.craigslist.org/01414_...B_1200x900.jpg

https://images.craigslist.org/00O0O_...6_1200x900.jpg

https://images.craigslist.org/00S0S_...c_1200x900.jpg

I've done some prelim research, but the VWVortex forum isn't the easiest to find solid information on.

Any known issues or things I should be aware of? Thoughts or advice?

From my experience with the passat they can be hit or miss. Both sisters and all their friends had passats. A couple were great but some others had leaky sunroofs and heater problems as common issues. Even when i worked at a shop it seemed like some VW were great and others had a ton of issues just kind of a luck of the draw thing I guess.

The one above looks nice i would drive it. They drive nice and are good on gas and its not like this community cant fix stuff.

As I understand it, the switch from FSI to TSI was 2008.5, so this should be the TSI with a timing chain, correct?

Seems logical but i dont know enough about the newer ones to give a solid answer. all the ones i have had experience with were 2002-2008

Should I prepare for pain or ditch the '13 135i DCT? Only 28.5k miles at this point. At the current rate, I'm putting about 300 miles a month on it. It's going to the shop next week for the belt/tensioner and new plugs and a possible software update if it doesn't have the late '14 update.

They definitely have their issues, but I'd prefer a e90 (or 1-series if you must, just a squished e90) over any VW/audi/Nissan product. Don't get me wrong, they're good cars, and some people don't mind working on them, the mood around my shop is just "wtf VW/nissan, why would you do that" when we're working on them. Seem to have a lot of issues above the 60-90k range. OP, just saw your CL link was for 150k, jesus, no.

Just be prepared to properly take care of misfires. Do plugs first, then coils. Then if the misfire persists, injectors. BMW calls 1-2-3 bank 1, and 4-5-6 bank 2. You have to replace injectors a bank at a time, so a single misfire on a cylinder still requires 3 injectors, at $250 each. Make sure to drive the piss out of it to try to prevent carbon build up (a reason to avoid any DI engines). High Pressure Fuel Pumps can go out, other than that it's worn suspension components, plastic cooling components, oil filter housing gaskets, and valve cover gaskets. We've been seeing an increase in oil pan gasket on high mileage M/N5x motors too.

In general for BMWs, avoid anything but the 3-series, steer clear of X-drive models, and avoid turbos, and that list is in order of priority. Your 1 series is 90% of a e90, so you're ok on the first part.

I don't think there are many issues with the DCT, just keep up on 40-60k fluid changes (lifetime fluid my ass), including pan and mechatronic seals. I know the e90 m3 DCT's have a pan on the side that requires dropping the transmission to reseal, not sure about yours, we haven't seen a lot for major services yet. I'd be careful about software updates, we had one customer with an earlier 335 auto (non DCT) that started to have transmission codes for failing clutch packs when he started tuning it. Traded it in for a manual.

/thread jack

That bad, even for a $4k beater daily? Just looking for something decent and cheap to replace my 2001 Sentra with 235k miles, bad A/C, and increasingly bad oil consumption.

What about a Honda accord or something similar. When i worked in a shop those always seemed to run good and were some of the easiest cars to work on. Seems like you cant kill them either.

Huh. I expect the worse from Germans, but Nissan? That's a surprise (not doubting, just surprised).

The local CL market here is just so bad. If I wanted a full-size pickup, I'd have my choice. But finding sporty, compact imports with manual transmissions? Not so much.

What I'd really like is a 2005+ Volvo S40 T5 with a manual transmission, but they're not too common, and typically closer to $6-7k.

Oh sorry, I thought you were up in Washington for some reason, your market will be much different.

Nissan is pretty terrible, yes. Just tried to install an upgraded Mishimoto radiator with a Stillen supercharger setup on a 2018 370z (don't try it, it won't work), and stock, the AC condenser is the same piece as the radiator, so replacing a radiator requires not only replacing the condenser, but obviously drain/recharge the AC system. Also, if you wanted to remove the fans, you'd be left with this:

https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...9c68ac1d24.jpg


Why. Just why.

Thanks for the input! I need to get it out of town more often so I can drive the piss out of it, the old "Italian tuneup" cured my track rat Miata of it's oil consumption issues in one track day.

As it sits now, I basically drive it to work on city streets with the fastest limit being 45 and no highways. As quick as the DCT cars, you can't really mat the throttle for more than a few seconds before you're in "we are taking you to jail for doing 40+ over" territory.

I did find this...a bit more but still within my budget. High miles, still, though.

2004 BMW 330i sedan, 6 speed - $5000

https://images.craigslist.org/01717_...e_1200x900.jpg

There are about 7,000 Civic SI's on the Atlanta Craigslist in your price range. I've been tempted to buy one just because. It's not that far to drive from Jackson.

Other than needing to replace the water pump/thermostat/radiator at that mileage (if it wasn't done at 100k), that will be a much nicer place to spend time.

I don't understand the "sunroof off the track." If it was off the track I would assume it leaks, what's more likely is the motor is toast. Drop the headliner and replace it.

With it also having a sagging headliner it's entirely possible it does leak.

Buy a Toyota