Nissan Sentra SE-R?

"Logansteno: Bought a VW?" (logansteno)
08/17/2014 at 22:04 • Filed to: None

What can you guys tell me about them?

And why do all the ones I see on CL say they have a replaced engine?

DISCUSSION (51)

Brian Silvestro > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
08/17/2014 at 22:06

Someone just posted a review of this car on here. Like, today.

EDIT: found it: http://oppositelock.jalopnik.com/1993-nissan-se…

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > Brian Silvestro
08/17/2014 at 22:10

There has to be significant differences between the two. Being two different generations.

Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
08/17/2014 at 22:10

My cousin has one like that, but hers is silver.

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire
08/17/2014 at 22:11

Manual?

Brian Silvestro > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
08/17/2014 at 22:12

I literally know nothing about this car. I didn't know it had generations until, you know, just now.

jvirgs drives a Subaru > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
08/17/2014 at 22:12

I have an '04 SE-R with the slush box. the Spec-V which is what is pictured had the 6-speed manual and some even had the Brembo package. Both had the 2.5 4-cyl Altima engine. People probably drove them hard to the point they blew them up. Gas mileage is meh, I average 17 city and 26-28 hwy if I'm lucky. It has a stiff ride and which I prefer and it has great steering feel. Only thing I don't like is after 10 yrs, I've owned it for 6 and 116k, the seats are not comfortable and the backseat is tiny. Trunk space leaves a lot to be desired.

Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
08/17/2014 at 22:14

Yes?

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > jvirgs drives a Subaru
08/17/2014 at 22:14

Is it pretty fun to drive though?

jariten1781 > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
08/17/2014 at 22:15

Car and Driver LOVED the first gen when it was new. Like every issue they'd mention how amazing it was. It annoyed 10 year old me because I wanted to read about Ferraris ... not Nissans.

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > jariten1781
08/17/2014 at 22:16

Well that's good to know.

jvirgs drives a Subaru > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
08/17/2014 at 22:16

I love me some twisties in this car. I'm afraid that the next car I get isn't going to be as engaged as this car is. And I don't think mine as ABS either. Locked'em up a few times avoiding morons.

mcseanerson > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
08/17/2014 at 22:17

HATE IT. I had an 05 SE-R spec V. Redlined at 6k, did not seem to enjoy revving, shifter was very vague. I actually replaced it with a base 04 Mazda 3 with a 2.0 5 speed stick and no ABS. I liked that car immensely compared to the Nissan, even if the only element I consider is sportiness.

SonorousSpeedJoe > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
08/17/2014 at 22:17

Some of them have Brembos, but I think that the Brembos and ABS were mutually exclusive options. The SE-R Spec-V has a 6-speed and LSD, while the regular SE-R has a 5-speed manual or 4-speed auto. Both models use differently tuned versions of the Altima's QR20DE 4-cylinder.

The pre-facelift, Skyline-esque version of the B15 SE-R that you posted had some engine issues. From Wikipedia :

Initially, for 2002 and 2003, the SE-R Spec V (along with the SE-R) was given an aggressive front fascia (styled after the Skyline GT-R ) with side still extensions and rear trunk-mounted spoiler. Other notable features include a catalytic converter on the exhaust manifold, and air fuel ratios in a range, when driven aggressively, that could overheat and damage the ceramic catalyst substrate.

This slight design oversight, along with a variable intake cam timing system that also functioned at light load cruising as an exhaust gas recirculation system (EGR), would allow the motor to ingest damaged ceramic catalyst substrate. The abrasive nature of ceramic in the cylinders was responsible for abnormally high oil consumption rates and a large number of engine failures secondary to low oil levels due to compromised piston ring sealing.

Other areas of concern include a manifold design which contained dual intake paths. The dual runners were switched by means of a butterfly valve assembly, unfortunately in early models, the screws were prone to backing out and subsequently making their way through the motor, wreaking havoc on the piston faces, combustion chambers, and possibly valves on the way through. These two flaws however, can be easily remedied by using an aftermarket exhaust-manifold and by using a suitable adhesive (e.g. Loctite) to secure the butterfly screws. Head gasket leakage between cylinders is also very common with both engines in particularly 2002 models, but the problems are more isolated as the years go on. The QG18DE almost never suffered from the same issues as the QR25DE did.

mcseanerson > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
08/17/2014 at 22:18

The older one would be much better. The newer SE-R is just the base Altima motor in a Sentra.

mcseanerson > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
08/17/2014 at 22:18

No, and it calls for premium fuel on top of the mediocre mpg.

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > jvirgs drives a Subaru
08/17/2014 at 22:19

No ABS is nothing I'm not used to.

My interest in this car has been piqued. I shall do more research into it.

daender > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
08/17/2014 at 22:20

Because racecar. Like Honda Si and Mazdaspeeds, FnF/NFS teens and adults got them and raced them until they broke.

mcseanerson > jvirgs drives a Subaru
08/17/2014 at 22:20

Mine had ABS. I had an 05 Spec V.

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > SonorousSpeedJoe
08/17/2014 at 22:21

Yikes. Sounds like a troublesome engine.

mcseanerson > jariten1781
08/17/2014 at 22:21

I have never trusted C&D reviews because they try to find a way to love everything.

mcseanerson > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
08/17/2014 at 22:24

It is.

jvirgs drives a Subaru > mcseanerson
08/17/2014 at 22:26

I know at least in 04 they were an option on most models with the exception of the spec-vs which i believe came standard with them

mcseanerson > jvirgs drives a Subaru
08/17/2014 at 22:28

I didn't care for the car, it just felt sloppy to me. I was amazed how much better a base Mazda 3 felt to me.

jariten1781 > mcseanerson
08/17/2014 at 22:30

This was to a different level though. Decades later I remember their obsession with this car. The only other vehicle I remember them loving this much was the Contour SVT.

SonorousSpeedJoe > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
08/17/2014 at 22:31

The Toyota Corolla/Matrix XRS and Celica GT-S wouldn't have Brembos or as much aftermarket support (well, maybe the Celica would be alright), but I figure that they're more reliable. We had a regular Matrix XR for a time, and it was dependable.

dogisbadob > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
08/17/2014 at 22:31

Kinja'd!!!

oooo yellow calipers add like 30 hp

mcseanerson > jariten1781
08/17/2014 at 22:34

Oh man, I didn't notice the first gen part. I'm all behind Nissan's old motors. The QD25 whatever the hell they called the thing in the 05 model was like a truck motor. Who ever heard of an import 4 cylinder that redlines at 6k? I had an 80's pulsar that used a similar motor to the first gen SE-R and I loved that thing. It just loved to rev and was great on gas and ran on regular fuel, all things the 05 didn't do.

Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies > SonorousSpeedJoe
08/17/2014 at 22:35

Plus 8500 redline!

SonorousSpeedJoe > Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies
08/17/2014 at 22:52

That's what I like about the motor, LOL. It would've been nice to have that, a 6-speed manual and rear disc brakes instead of the 4-speed auto and rear drums that our XR had. Hell, even an M-Theory Edition with the 5-speed manual and rear discs would've been better!

Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies > SonorousSpeedJoe
08/17/2014 at 23:06

My Mom has the last gen Vibe GT, so it got more torque at the expense of less horsepower and lower redline. It does have rear discs though.

Tohru > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
08/17/2014 at 23:08

The motors are shit in the 90's ones.

A friend of mine from school looked at a '92 SE-R once. White pearl paint, pink and blue graphics, 5-speed... and 225k miles - 125k of which was on the second motor. I did a motor-hot compression test on it and came up with 125-150psi across the board - about the same as a hot Briggs & Stratton (for reference, a good figure for a hot motor is 225-250).

I told him the motor was cashed, but he bought it anyways... for $1400... that he had to take a loan out for.

It made it 3 months before it lunched a main bearing. He sold it to a scrap yard for $75.

SonorousSpeedJoe > Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies
08/17/2014 at 23:15

Hmm. I thought that the Matrix XRS and Vibe GT had roughly the same horsepower and torque, but I didn't know about the different redlines.

P5guy now GTIguy > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
08/17/2014 at 23:33

i hear that if you don't remove the front catalytic converter it ruins the car eventually.

Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies > SonorousSpeedJoe
08/17/2014 at 23:44

They do, but the last generations of both had the 2.4, while the first generation had the 1.8.

SonorousSpeedJoe > Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies
08/17/2014 at 23:50

Ah, so yours has the 4-cylinder from the Camry - I didn't catch the last-gen part when I first read it.

Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies > SonorousSpeedJoe
08/17/2014 at 23:55

Well, my Mom's. I wish mine had that 4 cylinder instead of it's V6.

Sir_Stig: and toxic masculinity ruins the party again. > mcseanerson
08/17/2014 at 23:58

it recommended premium, but accepted regular

mcseanerson > Sir_Stig: and toxic masculinity ruins the party again.
08/17/2014 at 23:59

Mine ran kinda jakey on regular.

DancesWithRotors - Driving Insightfully > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
08/18/2014 at 00:10

In addition to the butterfly valve screws, they also had a nasty habit of disintegrating pre-cats on the exhaust header that would suck bits back up into the engine... Headers plus fixing the butterfly valves tend to knock out both of the major issues.

Sir_Stig: and toxic masculinity ruins the party again. > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
08/18/2014 at 00:16

I owned a 2003 Spec V, I had a love hate relationship with it. Headrest didn't go up tall enough (6'4"), seats in that gen (00-03) only came in red accents, the rear seats didn't fold down, no abs, the driver window switch broke, and snap oversteer happened FAST. On the plus side: mechanical LSD was amazing in the snow, the front bumper was awesome looking, decent room in the back seats, engine note was great, best turquoise paint in the biz, and 185 foot pounds was pretty awesome.

I never had any major mechanical problems, just a locked brake calliper and some suspension work.

I wouldn't buy another one, but I don't regret buying mine.

Sir_Stig: and toxic masculinity ruins the party again. > mcseanerson
08/18/2014 at 00:25

Mine definitely felt better on premium, but I ran the first year on regular before I saw the sticker that said 89octane was recommended.

Hi there > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
08/18/2014 at 00:30

No ABS isn't a big deal in a little car. So long as one can learn to not panic stop i.e. mash the brake pedal and not release it or "pulse" the brakes. ABS does work better but there was a time before ABS, my old '91 Civic hatch doesn't have abs but it barely weighs 2,000lbs soaking wet so it's not much of a deal.

TheJWT > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
08/18/2014 at 00:37

Let's see...

B13's (The best, but I'm biased) have an SR20DE, LSD, and 5 speed manual only.

There was no B14 SE-R, But the SE was essentially the same thing, only without an LSD. There were very few exterior changes between the SE and the lower models, so they are a sleeper of sorts

B15s had the 2.5l, which had more power and torque, but didn't rev as freely as the SR20. They didn't come with an LSD either, and are probably the most common.

If you're in the market for one, go for the B13 ;)

langadamd > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
08/18/2014 at 21:46

I had mine for a year, the previous owner must have ran the hell out of it. It leaked a ton of oil and a lot of the time had some other things wrong with it. Absolutely a hoot to drive if you can find one that wasn't beat to shit.

langadamd > SonorousSpeedJoe
08/18/2014 at 21:47

The weird thing is that if you had the Brembo upgrade, the ABS was disconnected. As mine did. Or so I thought, not sure if you had to option both.

Captain_Spadaro > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
08/18/2014 at 22:52

The QR25DE in the pictured gen is pretty shitty. Has a rep for eating catalyst material and throttle blade bolts.

SonorousSpeedJoe > langadamd
08/18/2014 at 22:56

I think that the Wikipedia page I cited states that they couldn't be had together.

thunder1979 > mcseanerson
08/19/2014 at 13:12

6.5K and it had torque for days. Remember, it was a motor designed for the much heavier Altima.

I had a 2003 SE-R Spec-V. Slotted rotors (with ABS), Nismo S-Tune exhaust(sounded amazing! Deep tone, no coffee-can buzz), and a Nismo rear sway bar. The car could turn and stop on a dime. Never had motor or transmission problems and had it up until just before this last Christmas when ironically enough another driver decided they needed to cut over into my lane (the left lane) to get to the eye doctor's office. They did so without looking and rammed the car into the curb totaling it in the process.

thunder1979 > dogisbadob
08/19/2014 at 13:15

Those are the optional Brembo front brakes (They are actually gold like the G35's with Brembos). They probably subtract 30 ft from 60 to 0.

dogisbadob > thunder1979
08/19/2014 at 14:16

Yeah, but you couldn't get Brembo *and* ABS. The lack of ABS negates any savings that Brembo would provide. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if the Brembos had a *longer* stopping distance than the non-Brembo ABS.

Nick McKay > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
08/19/2014 at 14:19

I owned Several (have an 02 Spec-v right now) they have an issue where the pre-cat (its a catalytic converter that is nestled up against the engine) breaks down, and because of the emmissions equipment, the intake and exhaust stroke overlap, so that when it intakes clean air, its intaking a little already burnt fuel to help with emissions, but at high RPM, this vacuum can pull right from the area where the pre-cat is. when the pre cat gets really hot (like during a spirited run onto the freeway) the pre-cat can start to break down, and this ceramic and metallic material can get injested into the engine and score the walls causing a failure. i would say probably 35+/- percent of Spec-Vs were prone to this, and so will have a remanufactured engine, this doesn;t solve this issue, replacing the Cat Header with a Catless header (like the one that markspecv sells on b15u.com) fixes the issue. also the car has an issue with the butterfly screws, they are pain machine screws, that have no lockwasher and can back out. taking the intake manifold of and adding some blue locktite solves this. otherwise. 300,000+ Kms and still going strong.