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Nissan Problems

Are you having problems with your Nissan? Let our team of motoring experts keep you up to date with all of the latest Nissan issues & faults. We have gathered all of the most frequently asked questions and problems relating to the Nissan in one spot to help you decide if it's a smart buy.

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Knocking noise in 2015 Nissan X-Trail diesel engine

There's often a disparity between what a car is insured for and what it might be worth on the second-hand market. In any case, with a worn out engine, its market value would be next to nothing anyway. And with 290,000km on its odometer, you might have trouble finding a buyer willing to take a punt.

That said, even if you put a low-kilometre second-hand engine in it, the fact remains that everything else from the transmission to the wheel bearings, brakes and suspension have also done 290,000km and can be pretty much guaranteed to be fairly worn themselves. You could then find yourself shelling out more money every year to keep the car running on the basis that you'd already spent $10,0000 on a replacement engine. Sometimes it's better to cut your losses and buy something newer.

Issues with lane-keeping assistance in a 2023 Nissan X-Trail

This model X-Trail is fitted with active lane-keeping assistance which is sort of a helping hand when the driver isn’t keeping the car in the centre of its lane. It could be that this system is what’s causing the car to feel like it wants to pull you into the next lane.

You need to have this checked under warranty as soon as possible, since it’s an obvious safety issue. This isn’t just a Nissan thing, either. Many brands have had complaints about these systems, and in some cases, cars fitted with collision-avoidance systems have been known to slam on the brakes when the car’s camera 'sees' something like a wheelie-bin on the footpath and mistakes it for a truck entering the road. Speaking of which, your lane-keeping assistance is controlled by a camera at the front of the car. Have a quick check to make sure there’s not a huge dead bug confusing the camera.

The transmission of my 2001 Nissan Patrol is thumping

You could be dealing with either a worn transmission itself (where wear inside the gearsets, shafts or torque converter has made something sloppy) or there’s something else in the driveline (such as a differential or universal joint) that has likewise allowed some looseness or play to enter the equation. In either of those cases, a thump or clunk during shifts can be a symptom. It feels worse under acceleration, as that’s when the maximum stress is on all those moving, meshing parts.

Sometimes, a transmission can be serviced and adjusted to get rid of thumping or banging during shifts. Take the car to a transmission specialist who will be familiar with this transmission and may be able to return it to civility.

Transmission issues with my 2010 Nissan X-Trail

This model X-Trail used a conventional automatic transmission with a torque converter. There are lots of things that can cause this condition, including a failure of the torque converter or any number of moving parts within the transmission itself.

But the first check is to see if there's sufficient transmission fluid inside the gearbox. Use the transmission dipstick to check the fluid level according to the owner's manual's instructions. A transmission with low fluid can certainly exhibit the symptoms you've noted. A quick fluid top up might put the wheels back in motion.

Bear in mind, however, that the transmission is a sealed unit and should only require top ups if there's a leak somewhere. That leak needs to be identified and fixed or the problem will recur.

What could be causing thick exhaust smoke from my 2003 Nissan X-Trail

You can tell a lot about exhaust smoke by its colour. If it's a blue-grey colour, the smoke is probably from burnt oil. If it's black, excess fuel is probably the cause. Make sure, too, that what you're seeing is not just water vapour that is a normal part of the combustion process and will disappear as the exhaust system heats up and turns that vapour into steam (which is invisible).

But if it really is blue smoke you're seeing, it could be a case of worn out piston rings, or worn valve guides or seals. If it's black smoke, you could have a problem with injectors, the fuel pump, intake system, spark plugs, any number of sensors that control the engine's fuel:air mixture, or about a thousand other things. That fact that the smoke disappears after a while suggests that the engine is happier when it has some heat in it, but really, it shouldn't blow any smoke of any colour at all.

The engine light in my 2011 Nissan Dualis won't turn off

That's a pretty impressive innings for a Dualis. You obviously maintain it well and drive it sensibly. The engine light on your dashboard is telling you that the car's on-board computer has noticed something isn't right and needs to be fixed or reset. This could be anything from a stretched timing chain to an oxygen sensor in the exhaust system or dozens of things in between.

The best approach is to have the car scanned to see what fault codes the computer throws up. From there, you'll have a much better idea of what the problem is.

The orange or yellow engine light means the car is still safe to drive, but you still need to have it looked at as soon as you can to avoid doing further damage to whatever system is not working properly. If the warning light (of any sort) is red, then you should stop driving as soon as it's safe to pull over and have the vehicle towed to a workshop.

There is a tapping noise from the motor of my 2007 Nissan Navara

This sounds like a classic case of a hydraulic lifter (also called a lash adjuster) that is dying a slow death. These components rely on engine oil pressure to maintain the correct clearance between the engine valves and the rockers that actuate them, and any wear will show up as a ticking noise when the engine is first started and is still building oil pressure. They can often 'tick' for a few seconds or more before going quiet.

The recurrence of the noise has probably got something to do with a fall in oil pressure at idle when the engine warms up, allowing the lifter to start ticking again. But the engines in this series of Navara were also known for ticking or rattling noises as the result of worn camshaft-chain tensioners, broken or damaged cam bearing bolts and wear in the auxiliary pulleys and belt tensioners. If the noise does turn out to be a dud lifter, do the smart thing and replace them all, as wear in one means certain wear beginning in the others.

Vibration developing in my 2005 Nissan X-Trail

It sounds like you've tackled the obvious causes of this type of vibration. The dual-mass clutch is a prime candidate and any car with worn engine mounts can vibrate when it's running.

Digging deeper will involve ruling things out in a process of elimination. So, to start that process, does the vibration go away when the vehicle is stationary or only when it's moving? If it's the latter, you could have some kind of transmission or tail-shaft problem. Ot perhaps even a warped brake rotor or seized brake caliper.

But if the vibration is there whenever the engine is running, then you need to start to look at things like the harmonic balancer on the front of the crankshaft and whether the engine itself is actually running smoothly (regardless of where the idle is set). The stepper-motor (which controls the idle) could be faulty leading to the engine flaring between gear changes, and an engine that has a blocked exhaust, dirty air-filter or even worn spark plugs can run roughly. It could even be something like camshaft timing that has jumped a tooth, leading the engine to run poorly and contribute the bad vibrations you're feeling. Also, check the rubber drive belt that powers the alternator and power-steering pump. A worn belt or worn out tensioners and pulleys can also create problems like this. Check the power steering pump itself for signs of its seizing or jamming as it turns.

What petrol should I be using in my 2015 Nissan X-Trail?

All Nissan models officially sold in Australia with a build-date later than 2004 can use ethanol blended fuel with up to 10 per cent ethanol content. That can reduce fuel costs, because E10 fuel is usually cheaper at the pump. Bear in mind, however, that you might use a little more E10 than non-blended fuel because of the slightly lower energy content of E10.

Beyond that, your X-Trail requires regular petrol with an octane rating of 91, which is pretty much the normal brew on any service-station forecourt. You can use higher octane fuels without harming the car, but there would be little to no benefit in doing so. And your wallet will thank you for not bothering.

What is the GCM of a 2005 Nissan Navara?

The towing limit on this model Navara varies enormously according to what engine and transmission is fitted. As a result, the Gross Combination Mass (GCM) also varies a lot between models. As such, the 2.4-litre petrol Navara has a GCM of 4230kg, the V6 petrol a GCM of 4850 and the turbo-diesel is much higher at 5920kg.

Don't forget, the GCM includes the vehicle, whatever it's towing and everything else on board, including fuel, accessories and even passengers.

Disclaimer: You acknowledge and agree that all answers are provided as a general guide only and should not be relied upon as bespoke advice. Carsguide is not liable for the accuracy of any information provided in the answers.
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