Nissan Problems

Changing a clutch in any car is a big job and can easily cost the sort of money you’ve been quoted. And when that car is a front-wheel-drive vehicle, there are a lot of things to remove (like the driveshafts) before the gearbox can be removed and the new clutch fitted.

While I agree that the symptoms you’re reporting do sound like a worn out clutch, I’d like to know what else the mechanic thinks will be wrong. He or she may, for example, be budgeting for the removal and machining of the flywheel as part of the clutch replacement, That can easily add a couple of hundred to the bill. Also, where is the mechanic sourcing the new clutch? You may have found a replacement kit online for the $500 you’re quoting, but is it a quality part from a reputable brand or a no-name piece of rubbish from an internet clearing house?

A car with a little extra ground clearance is great for camping as it often allows you to get a little farther away from the masses in their caravans who tend to huddle around the shower block at bush campsites.

The Subaru Outback is a good, solid choice and if you can find an independent workshop to service it, you’ll avoid the cost of dealership prices. And you’re right, the all-wheel-drive would be great for gravel roads. Another vehicle to look at would be a late-model Ford territory diesel which is big and clever inside and has the option of all-wheel-drive. The diesel engine is a plus on the bush where that fuel is more readily available (in really remote areas) and gives you more range for big holidays in the mulga.

Don’t rule out things like the Mitsubishi Pajero, either, which won’t be as around-town friendly, but is a proven quantity and is absolutely tremendous off-road. The same goes for a Toyota Prado or Nissan Pathfinder prior to the current model (which is a bit less hard-core adventure).

There are literally dozens of things that can make a check-engine light illuminate, Kathleen. A faulty sensor, dud component, bad or dirty fuel, a vacuum leak, you name it, even the smallest glitch can cause the dreaded check-engine light to ruin your day.

The best advice is to take the car back to the workshop that serviced it and ask if, perhaps, the mechanic forgot to tighten or reset something properly. An interrogation by the workshop’s computer should throw up any fault codes present and from there, the workshop should be able to figure out the actual problem. It could be a coincidence, but, equally, it could be a simple thing the workshop has overlooked or forgotten to reset during the service.

Are you sitting comfortably? Good, because this gets complex, with the manufacturer listing a huge range of variations of its 2020 Nissan Frontier towing capacity, depending on the body style, engine and transmission fitted. It breaks down like this:

Frontier S: King Cab manual – 1724kg; King Cab auto – 1719kg; Crew Cab 4X2 manual – 3012kg; Crew Cab 4X2 auto – 3003kg; Crew Cab 4X4 – 2889kg.

Frontier SV: King Cab 4-cyl manual – 1728kg; King Cab 4-cyl auto – 1719kg; King Cab V6 2WD – 3048kg; King Cab V6 4X4 – 2952kg; Crew Cab 4X2 – 3012kg; Crew Cab long-bed 4X2 – 2948kg; Crew Cab long-bed 4X4 – 2835kg.

Frontier Desert Runner: King Cab – 3035kg; Crew Cab – 3003kg.

Frontier Pro-4X: Crew Cab manual – 2867kg; Crew Cab auto – 2853; King Cab – 2926kg.

Frontier SL: Crew Cab 4X2 – 2939kg; Crew Cab 4X4 – 2830kg.

Nissan Terrano II problems are often related to poor running or rough idling. This can usually be traced back to the MAF (Mass Air Flow) sensor which `reads’ the amount of air going into the engine and passes that information on to the engine’s computer. Some poor running or difficult starting is also often blamed on the fuel pump or injector pump problems, but is often the fault of the fuel lines which can leak and allow air to enter the fuel system.

Difficulty in selecting gears in the manual gearbox version often means a worn out transmission, while a humming or whining noise at speed can point to worn wheel bearings. The turbocharger on the Terrano II is also a wearing part and poor performance or a whistling noise under load suggest wear in this area.

This is sounding like one for Consumer Affairs, to be honest. Clearly, the vehicle is not safe to be driven in its current condition (for a variety of reasons) so I think Nissan should come to the party and at least offer you a replacement vehicle until your is fixed. And if your vehicle can’t be fixed, I don’t think the option of a replacement vehicle or a full refund should be out of the question.

The factory warranty is there to protect you, but in cases like this where the problems can’t be resolved in a timely manner, the warranty isn’t worth much at all.

Check out consumer.vic.gov.au and follow the links to the section on cars. It would also be worth informing your dealership that you’re about to get serious; it might make things happen a bit faster.

By the way, PO226 is a generic fault code (not specific to Nissan or this model Navara) and relates to a fault in the range or operation of the throttle-pedal position switch. But your other problems including the Bluetooth and reversing camera failure all point to a bigger electrical problem. Has the vehicle’s body computer been checked?

That’s an awful lot of money for a 2006 Nissan Patrol, Heather, but there are a couple of mitigating factors. The first is the incredibly low mileage and if there’s a GU Patrol out there with fewer kilometres showing, then I’d be a bit surprised.

The second thing in the car’s favour is that it has the mighty 4.8-litre petrol six-cylinder engine which is one of the best towing engines ever made for a passenger vehicle. A Patrol with that engine will always find a buyer even if, at $18,000, it’s right at the top of the price ladder. Then again, given that it represents more or less a brand-new 2006 Patrol (and this model was a cool $80,000 on the road back in the day) maybe $18,000 is a steal. Depends on how you look at it.

The only caveat is that it will use lots and lots of fuel and double that amount if you tow a caravan with it.

It would be helpful to know the trim level of your car, Piri, as the trade-in price range from the ST 4X4 to the top-of-the-range Ti could be from around $15,000 up to $22,000. Also, without seeing the car in the flesh, it’s very difficult to make such a call on a car’s trade-in value. That said, at 140,000km, your car has pretty high kilometres for its age and that would play against it as a trade-in.

In the end, it might simply be the smart thing to do and just drive it till it falls apart, but you should know that these X-Trails are not the cheapest vehicles to maintain and keep running in perfect condition. The way Nissan laid out the driveline, in particular, sometimes means that what should be a little job is actually quite a big one. Bigger jobs mean more hours and, in a mechanical workshop, time is definitely money.

I would always approach a car’s manufacturer in a case like this, if only because 90,000km is not, in my estimation, an acceptable distance for a transmission to last before it needs total replacement. That said, I wouldn’t hold my breath in this case because the vehicle is well and truly out of warranty.

The other people I’d be talking to would be the RACV. The club will be very concerned to hear that a car it inspected has had such a major malfunction and may have some consumer advice of its own. Then again, if the inspection was a full 18 months ago, then again, I don’t like your chances. But it’s got to be worth a shot.

The other thing that bothers me is that the vehicle is an ex-fleet car, probably a rental car, so despite a full service history, that has to rate as a chequered past. The other part of the problem is that the mechanical layout of the X-Trail makes some repairs very time-consuming, and that’s a great way to jack up the price of any repair work. If it does turn out that you’re on your own, a second-hand gearbox from a wrecked X-Trail might be a better bet than a brand-new one.

If the noise sounds like a dull thud or knock from deep within the engine, then I have bad news. Something inside the engine is probably trying to get out. And if it does, the engine will be instantly turned to junk. The worse news is that it probably already is (junk) even though it’s still running, because the damage has already been done. From the sound of things, your engine is perhaps only a few seconds away from exploding expensively.

Noises like this are usually caused by wear in the bearings – typically the con-rod bearings – and while they can be fixed if you do so before the engine grenades, it will always be an expensive job. In fact, it would likely cost more than the actual value of a 2005 Pulsar itself.

The best advice, then, is to let a mechanic have a listen to see if it’s as bad as you’ve described. From there, I reckon a second-hand engine form a wrecked Pulsar would be your best bet if you’re determined to keep the car.