Nissan Problems

There is no law I am aware of that requires carmakers to hold a certain stock of parts, but it has been the practice in the past that they would hold parts for a period of 10 years. That was before the dreaded GFC. We know that carmakers are cutting back on the stock of parts held, that costs money, and are relying on being able to quickly source parts from overseas if they aren't on hand locally. I'd say you have been treated poorly; Nissan should have been able to fly in the parts you needed from their overseas affiliates and have them here in a matter of a few days. Jump up and down and make a fuss, it seems that's the only way some carmakers get the message.

For starters, make sure the oil used in the service was the correct Nissan recommended oil. Even if it was have the oil changed again. The spare wheel is a full-sized one, being a normal 16-inch wheel, but because it isn't the same size as the road wheels, which are 18-inch, it is speed limited.

It could be a sensor that’s playing up and sending the wrong signal to the computer on occasions, a sensor like the crank angle sensor, or it could be as simple as the fuel injectors needing a clean.

First, you need to put Nissan's attitude to running its cars on LPG into context. Nissan doesn't design or test its cars on LPG, so it has no knowledge of the impact of doing so. If they supported changing to LPG Nissan would, in effect, be taking on the responsibility for what might happen should you convert to LPG, so they advise against it. It's actually got little to do with whether or not their cars would happily run on LPG or not. The problem you will have is finding a certified kit for the conversion. Because of the low demand for converting the Maxima kits haven't been developed.

That model was known around the trade as the ‘grenade’, as it was just a matter of time before it blew up. I would suggest it could have.

The Micra is a cheap-and-cheerful car and the carpet is probably also cheap. Having it wear as you have had it frustrating, and it's probably unacceptable in such a short period of time. Having been to the dealer, and to Nissan, and been rejected your only course of action is to consult the consumer affairs people in Queensland.

You would expect it to be revving harder with the extra load of the trailer on the back, so that’s normal. I would engage overdrive when conditions suit, like on the flat, and run at the lower speed, but disengage it when the engine starts to labour, such as climbing hills or pushing into a head wind etc.

It sounds like the torque converter locking up, which is a normal function of the transmission to save fuel. When it does you should see the engine speed drop as the converter locks up and rises again when it unlocks. It’s likely that you’re driving on or around the lock-up speed so you’re getting it cycling in and out of lock-up. Taking it out of overdrive at that speed will get around the problem.

Your cheapest course of action would be to fit a non-factory clutch kit and don’t replace the dual-mess flywheel. That would cost you around $600, but wouldn’t be my recommendation. A non-factory clutch kit with a replacement dual-mass flywheel would cost around $1800, a similar cost to an equivalent factory kit, but the best course of action given that you tow would be to fit a non-factory heavy-duty clutch and a solid flywheel. Cost for that would be about $1800.

My experience is that the D40 Navara is quite a smooth riding ute, sure it’s designed to carry a load, but compared to, say the old D22 Navara, which was a bone shaker the D40 is very smooth. It’s very unusual for a tyre to develop flat spots in a short period of time; the vehicle would have to be sitting for a long time for that to happen. Goodyear Wranglers are generally regarded as good tyres. If you wanted to try other brands, try B.F. Goodrich or Michelins.