Nissan Problems

The most likely culprit is the idle speed motor. Nissan service specialist Jerry Newman says he’s had to replace a number of them on customers’ cars he looks after.

Check the fuel supply side of things; it sounds like it’s not getting enough fuel on either side. Check the fuel pump, they are known to wear out on cars running dual-fuel systems.

If as I suspect the fan is not working on positions ‘one’, ‘two’ and ‘three’, but is working on ‘four’ it’s likely to be the power resistor module and the only one you can use is the genuine Nissan part. If it’s not working on any fan speed position it’s possibly a fuse, or the fan motor itself.

It can happen if someone overtightens the sump plug. The thread can be damaged and distorted, but the usual way of fixing it is to use an oversize plug as has been used on your car. The thread can sometimes be retapped to repair it as well. Replacing the sump seems overkill. If it's not leaking and the oversize plug can be unscrewed and retightened without any problem then I would leave it.

The Patrol six is known to crack heads and blow head gaskets when running on gas because of the higher temperature when on LPG, but it’s rare for it to happen on petrol. Still, I would be running a leak test to determine if there is a problem with the head or head gasket.

Heavy black smoke is normally a sign of over-fuelling. You could try another Nissan dealer, as not all dealers are up to speed on diesels, or go to an independent Nissan service agent, such as Jerry Newman at Cheltenham Service Centre (03 9583 0500).

The warranty has run out so you’re really pushing uphill if you want to get Nissan to pay for the repairs. If the rust hasn’t penetrated the sheet metal I would apply some rust preventative and try and limit the damage over the long term.

The engine has a timing chain and doesn't require servicing, and there doesn't appear to be a problem with it breaking.

Although you appear to be well within the towing capacity of the X-Trail it's wise to fit an external cooler. Overheating an auto-transmission is like a death sentence to it.

It's most likely that the fuel pump is worn out and needs replacing. It often happens when you run the petrol level down too low.