Nissan Problems

Unless your B17 Pulsar has the optional manual transmission fitted, then it definitely has a CVT. The reason Nissan (and many other carmakers) still use the old PRND symbols for the gearshift are because that’s what people understand, so there’s no confusion.

In any case, even though it’s a CVT and not a conventional automatic, the CVT still has a Park position, a Neutral and both a Drive and Reverse position, so the symbols are entirely consistent with that anyway.

In conventional automatic transmissions, a delay when selecting gears (often reverse) indicates worn internals and the need for a rebuild. Your Nissan is fitted with a CVT transmission rather than a conventional auto, but it still operates on the basis of hydraulic control. Which means that the problem could still be one of internal wear. A transmission specialist is likely to be your best point of contact for this problem.

The first thing to do, though, is check the level of fluid in the transmission. A level that is low can mean delays when selecting gears and even slipping of the transmission under load. However, if the level is low, there must be a leak somewhere as these are sealed systems and should not require regular topping up.

It could be a fuel problem, but it could easily be something electrical, or perhaps something from left-field such as a blocked exhaust system. Perhaps a sensor somewhere in the driveline is functioning properly until it gets hot and then shutting down, causing the engine to stall. Perhaps you have a bad earth point or loose electrical contact. Maybe the fuel pump is on its last legs and unable to supply enough fuel to keep the engine running.

It’s all a bit of a guessing game, but fortunately, modern cars have on-board computers which detect problems and log them until the car can be scanned. At that point, the glitches and problems should be revealed and you can start to plan how to solve the problem.

If your can manually force the shift then there’s probably nothing wrong with the actual gearbox and its mechanicals. Instead, the problem is likely to be an electronic one, perhaps with the speed sensor that tells the computer the car’s road speed and tailors the gearshifts to reflect that. Don’t forget, however, that gearboxes like the Nissan’s with many gears, often won’t select higher gears at low speeds. So if the car refuses to select sixth or seventh gear at urban speeds, that’s possibly just the calibration Nissan has fitted to it.

If this is an actual problem (and not just a characteristic) this is a very new vehicle and would be covered for this sort of problem by the factory warranty.

The Nissan Z originally debuted as the Nissan Fairlady Z, or Datsun 240Z in some markets, in October 1969.

Fan belts and other rubber drive belts can squeak or squeal if they’re not correctly adjusted for tension. Usually, a too-loose belt will be the cause, and to fix it, you need to slacken off the adjuster and tighten the belt to the correct tension.

In some cases, though, you may find the noise is coming from a partially seized or worn bearing in one of the pulleys. You could try a little squirt of penetrating fluid on the bearings to see if that makes the noise go away. If the bearing is really worn, however, it will need to be replaced.

Sometimes the noise will be caused by coolant or water getting on to the rubber belt. Check the radiator and its hoses for leaks that could be allowing fluid on to the rubber and making it squeal.

This fuse on the battery is there to protect the entire electrical system (and indeed, the car itself) from damage due to a short-circuit. It’s a good idea, particularly in a four-wheel-drive where you might be running a lot of electrical gear such as extra lighting and a fridge.

The problem with this system, though, is that because it protects the whole car, just about any electrical system on the car can cause the fuse to blow.

If the starter motor is the most recent change to the car’s electrical system, then that’s where to start looking for a short-circuit. However, the problem may not have anything to do with the starter motor. An auto electrician should be able to pin-point the problem and fix it without resorting to simply replacing components one at a time.

A car that continually breaks the same component time after time probably has a bigger problem than simply the part that keeps breaking. It sounds like you need to have the transmission and torque converter checked for alignment and correct interface. Any problem with the way they fit together could explain why an O-ring keeps failing. Continuing to replace the O-ring won’t fix a more complex problem.

Either that, or the mechanic who is changing the O-rings is making the same mistake over and over again and not using the correct lubrication or fitting procedure.

The last decade of dual-cab four-wheel-drive utes have emerged as the tow-vehicles of choice, and you see them everywhere filling roles exactly like the one you have planned. Popular models include the Ford Ranger you’ve nominated, Toyota HiLux, Mazda BT-50, VW Amarok, Mitsubishi Triton, Nissan Navara and Isuzu D-Max. But there are also cheaper alternatives including makes like the South-Korean made Ssangyong and various Chinese brands like LDV and Great Wall.

Just make sure you know exactly how much you need to tow before making a decision as some of the cheaper models don’t have the same outright towing capacity and even if they do, some of them don’t have the engine performance to make towing as easy as it should be. For parts availability, the Toyota would be king in really remote areas, but any of the major brands are pretty well covered in Australia.

Meantime, don’t rule out ute-based wagons such as the Ford Everest, Isuzu MU-X, Mitsubishi Pajero Sport and Toyota Fortuna. These offer better ride comfort when unladen thanks to more sophisticated rear suspensions and most have as much or almost as much towing capacity as their ute brethren.