I’ve been driving a 2000 Nissan Sentra SE since 2004. Previous to that, I drove a 1991 Nissan Sentra SE-R. Previous to that I drove a 1991 Nissan Sentra SE-R. Previous to that I didn’t have a driver’s license. So as you can see, I have a lot of experience driving slow econoboxen. I have very little experience behind the wheel of other cars. In fact, I could probably list them here fairly easily. I’m not going to, because that’s not what this entry is about.
Last fall, after failing the state inspection twice, I started to poke around looking for “new to me” cars. At the time, winter was rolling in and there wasn’t really anything wrong with my car other than its inability to pass emissions, thanks to the aftermarket header that I installed in the Spring. Also affecting my ability to pass was a persistent check engine light that I’ve had for a few years. I was able to pass earlier inspections by clearing the code, but not this time.
So my 2000 Sentra is technically illegal- for more than a year and counting.
This isn’t why I’m looking at new cars, though. On top of the inspection issue, I have some long-neglected issues that I have ignored for a while. The air conditioning doesn’t work and it likely needs a new compressor. The rear brakes are pretty much shot and have a rotational noise that comes on during braking. It needs new calipers/rotors/pads back there. The fronts are still in decent shape, but they haven’t been touched in a couple of years.
Oh, but I could just drop $500 and a weekend of my time to take care of all these, right? Maybe, in a best-case scenario, but I have to face the fact that I don’t want to. I’m sick of my car. It’s slow. It’s loud, thanks to a noisy riceboy aftermarket exhaust that I had to put on to replace the rusted-out stock one. I have to track down a stock header and replace what I have on there to pass emissions. I have to figure out once and for all what is causing the check engine light, and fix it. There is some troubleshooting involved with both this and the air conditioning. I suspect the compressor is bad, but again, I have to troubleshoot it in earnest to know for sure.
I’m about to hit 130,000 miles. What will be the next big thing to need repair? I now realize the key to keeping cars well into their six-figure mileage is to stay on top of the little things. I should’ve fixed the AC in 2007 when it started to show signs of trouble. I should’ve knocked down the evap system issue that caused the check engine light when it first came on. (Not for lack of trying, I replaced a few things in that system last year but it didn’t solve the problem.) I don’t mind working on my cars. I love the cost savings, and knowing what you did is actually the correct thing. However, I’m flat-out tired of my car. It’s not fun to drive. It struggles to pass anything on the road. It’s loud, boring, and I want a new one.
It has always treated me well, though. It has never left me stranded and it hasn’t needed much in the way of repairs. Just wear and tear kinds of things which you get with every car. It’s paid for and it gets good gas mileage on cheap gas. I haven’t totally neglected it, although lately I feel like I have been. I’m a few thousand miles over the 3k oil change interval and I need to rotate the tires. Otherwise, it has decent tires and the alignment is good.
At the end of the day, the B15 will be getting replaced- and soon. I will clean it up a bit and post it for sale on Craigslist. In fair condition it is worth about $2700. I will try and get at least $2000 for it and wave my final goodbye to Nissan ownership, for now.
