Nissan Problems

Read the report from Howard Ramsay and see you're not alone. The claimed fuel economy is 14.3 L/100 km for your model in urban, or city driving, but it the ultimate real life outcome depends heavily on the sort of driving you're doing. I reckon the dealer is probably correct, there isn't much wrong with your car.

I wouldn't do it, there's no justification for it. Some people might think there's a benefit in added lubrication of the valve train etc, but that's unlikely as diesel fuel does have some lubrication properties anyway. You might clog up the catalytic converter if you did run it on 2-stroke fuel, and it's likely to result in more exhaust smoke.

Nissan's claims for your Pathfinder are 10.2 L/100 km average overall, and 12.4 L/100 km in urban situations. Using the latter figure as a guide your car is consuming around 30 percent more fuel than the company's claim. It must be remembered that the claim is taken from a standard lab test and not real life, and that it's meant to give a comparative figure when comparing one car to another, but to then find you car is guzzling 30 percent more fuel is unacceptable. Take it back to your dealer and demand something be done about it.

Clutches seem to be a particular problem with Nissans; you’re not the only one who has come to us for advice. The response you received from Nissan is the one most owners get when complaining about the life of the clutches in their cars. You could pressure Nissan in the hope they will relent and examine the clutch, but even if they did I’m sure you would find that the clutch is worn out. I doubt very much if you would get Nissan to come to the party and cover the cost of a replacement; the best course of action is to install a heavy-duty replacement clutch and a solid flywheel. I would urge you not to install a standard Nissan clutch and dual-mass flywheel, as you are likely to have the same issue all over again in another 40,000 km or so.

There is no scheduled maintenance on the Patrol's pump or injectors, and our Nissan experts tell us the pump and injectors are very durable. They add that they have vehicles they service that have done well over 300,000 km without any servicing on the fuel system.

Our Nissan specialist Jerry Newman says it is not unusual to find oil in the air cleaner on diesels, Nissan and other brands, but the issue really comes down to how much there. A small amount, such as a smear, is nothing to be concerned about. It would have come through the breathing system. If there's a lot of oil then it would be a problem, and you should look at the engine breathing system to find a fault. Newman says that's most unlikely on such a new car.

The claimed fuel economy for your Patrol is 11.8 L/100 km on average, which is of course just a figure provided for comparison purposes and as we have found out isn't necessarily a very accurate indicator for real life economy. One carmaker has told us that their real fuel economy number could be as much as 50 per cent out. On that basis yours would fit within the possible bandwidth of fuel economy on the Patrol. Check the exhaust to make sure there isn't a partial blockage that might be restricting the flow.

The engine is tuned to run at its peak on Premium Unleaded fuel, which has an octane rating of 95. By using that fuel you will get better performance and better fuel economy, most likely better fuel economy than you would when running on the cheaper Regular unleaded. Nissan approve the use of E10 ethanol blend fuel, so that would be the best alternative fuel if you can't afford Premium.

Clutches are not generally covered by the warranty, they are considered to be a consumable component. That presumes that the wear is normal and not abnormal, but the problem with that that is that who determines what is normal wear and what is abnormal. I would consult an independent Nissan specialist and consider having a heavy - duty clutch fitted.

Have you checked your invoice to see how much oil you have been charged for? It could be a case of being overcharged for oil you don't need, or it could equally be incompetent service staff simply overfilling your engine.