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.

If the knock sensor was at fault it would show up as such on a computer check, and changing the plugs to colder ones is unlikely to do anything, and it's not possible to reset the ignition. Check the airflow meter and have a carbon clean carried out. The most likely cause of the problem is a build-up of carbon in the engine.

Unfortunately, the most likely thing that has happened is that the tyre sidewall has been fractured through hitting a kerb and it’s the rubber outer casing that is bubbling. It’s a relatively common failure. The best thing to do is to strip the tyre from the rim and have a tyre expert inspect it. Once you do that I would expect to see the fracture on the inner sidewall.

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.

It was common practice to idle early turbo engines for one to two minutes before switching off to help protect the bearings in the turbo. It was done to ensure the turbo was not spinning at high speed and was not too hot when the oil pressure and flow was shut off. As you say some people even fitted aftermarket "turbo timers" to delay shutdown for a period after the ignition was turned off. Early turbochargers weren’t as robust or reliable as today’s are and some manufacturers recommended a short idle before shutting the engine down, particularly immediately after operating the engine at high load. Turbochargers and turbocharged engines, such as the 2.0-litre diesel and 1.4-litre petrol engines in the Cruze, have come a long way since those early days, so you don’t have to let them idle for a period before turning them off.

80 litres is the volume of the tank, but that’s allowing for expansion of the fuel as the temperature rises, so you will never get the full 80 litres into it. The 70 litres you’re able to get in is about right.

I would send Nissan a letter attaching the invoice for the repair and ask that they reimburse you for the cost of the repair. They need to be made aware of your dissatisfaction, but I doubt they will come to the party.

My contacts say there is no problem with the chain on the D40, bearing in mind that all chains will stretch over time, so you have to suspect the service guy is trying to sell you something you don’t need. On top of that there should be no difference between the Spanish sourced model and the one from Thailand, as the engine is the same in both.

Even though you have new tyres make sure they’re properly balanced; if they are not good tyres of a reputable brand they can be out of round. Also check the diff and Panhard bar bushes for wear, and replace them if they are found to be worn. If all that checks out ok then it’s likely to be the swivel bearing adjustment on the hubs.