Hey everyone,
I recently totaled my 95 prelude and am searching for another car. There are a few 95 240sx SE models in my area that I am looking at, but I need to know if there are any specific trouble areas to ask about or look out for while test driving/ inspecting the car. Thanks!
-Neil
Things to look for when buying a used 240?
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Bronze MFP
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mitchs_240sx_se
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um .......... you shouldn't have to worry about much because there good cars. Most likely they'll have wear and tear if there high mileage. The biggest suggestion I can make is to bring it to a local Nissan dealership and plug it into a computer so you could get a full history report. The only problem is that it's gonna cost about $150 to get that done but in the long run your better off that way.
Apart from the usual things you look for when buying a used car (smoke, accident damage/sprayover, rough idle, funny sounds etc.) look for this in particular.
Listen carefully to the 240's engine while it's running. If you hear a rattle/scrape from the front part of the motor, a timing chain replacement is probably in your near future ($800-$1000 with labor).
Other than that, there aren't many intrinsic issues with them, they are pretty solid.
EDIT: I like your handle, BRONZE! Gonna git you!
Listen carefully to the 240's engine while it's running. If you hear a rattle/scrape from the front part of the motor, a timing chain replacement is probably in your near future ($800-$1000 with labor).
Other than that, there aren't many intrinsic issues with them, they are pretty solid.
EDIT: I like your handle, BRONZE! Gonna git you!
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Bronze MFP
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Lol, meantime, you are the first person I have not had to explain my handle to in the 6 years I have been using it! Some people just don't understand ;-)
i ran a carfax report on a black 240 that I am most likely to get. It came out completly clean. Besids the timing chain, a friend of mine said to listen to the power steering while making sharp turns and listen for grinding. Also to listen for any squeaks coming from the suspension. Back to the timing chain... i've heard that you should never have to replace it, that the tensioner is the problem... set me strait, this is the first car I will have that isnt a honda (damn timing belts to hell!!!!)
i ran a carfax report on a black 240 that I am most likely to get. It came out completly clean. Besids the timing chain, a friend of mine said to listen to the power steering while making sharp turns and listen for grinding. Also to listen for any squeaks coming from the suspension. Back to the timing chain... i've heard that you should never have to replace it, that the tensioner is the problem... set me strait, this is the first car I will have that isnt a honda (damn timing belts to hell!!!!)
if the tensioner was always checked and taken care of, the chain itself should never ever wear out, its metal for christ sakes!
And if for some reason the chain goes bust, just get one from a junk yard car... this isnt a peice that needs to be in prestine condition, just make sure that everything connected to the chain itself are in good condition.
And if for some reason the chain goes bust, just get one from a junk yard car... this isnt a peice that needs to be in prestine condition, just make sure that everything connected to the chain itself are in good condition.
The whole point of replacing the timing chain is because it stretches and distorts over time. Picking up one from a junkyard may put you back right where you started. If you're going to invest the 8-12 hours of labor to get the chain changed, do it right and always buy a full new kit. And everything inside the engine should be in pristine condition, there's no sense in swapping out an old part for another old part.
The tensioner isn't always the cause of timing chain wear. Keep in mind this is not a pushrod V-8 timing chain, which is about as simple as a bike chain. The KA24DE has to run its chains all the way from the crank up to the cam sprocket, and then actuate 2 cams on top of the head. That's a lot of chain length to stretch over time.
The tensioner isn't always the cause of timing chain wear. Keep in mind this is not a pushrod V-8 timing chain, which is about as simple as a bike chain. The KA24DE has to run its chains all the way from the crank up to the cam sprocket, and then actuate 2 cams on top of the head. That's a lot of chain length to stretch over time.