Nissan Pulsar Problems

It looks as if Nissan Australia has not communicated nearly well enough with its dealers. We've also had an update from the Juke owner with a similar issue — numerous dealers are still quoting the outdated service details.

The car world has changed a lot since your Pulsar Q was a top-drawer choice and these days I would recommend the Mazda2, which gets The Tick and should be similar money but slightly easier to handle.

It's not just about the 'plate" but about the build date. That is the start of a car's life. The build dates will depend on which model of Pulsar you want to buy. Since it's a calendar date, you'll have to wait for next year.

It should definitely be replaced. Nissan spokesman Peter Fadeyev says: "This matter can be checked and, if needed, rectified by a trained technician at any authorised Nissan dealer."

You should ask for a new sender unit under warranty. They gauge should read properly and Jim Cummings' experience shows there is a problem.

Some dealers are using extra service items to boost their profitability but I have not had any manufacturer tell me about the need for fuel or air care cleaning. Never authorise work outside the official service and ask for replaced parts to be returned to you.

The GTI is a much better drive and a much better car. But if price comes first you'll will get a great fantastic deal on a Pulsar, including the ST-S that comes with the SSS engine and is still hugely overstocked.

If it's a manual it could be that she's trying to drive it in too high a gear and she should change down to a lower one. If it's automatic I would be looking at the engine idle settings to make sure that they are correct and the engine is not idle is not set too low. Changing fuel makes no sense at all.

$14,340 is at the upper end of the used car price range for the model, but it’s still a significant saving over the new car price and in my view it does represent a better deal than buying a new car.

Provided the service is done "by the book" and with manufacturer-standard parts, there will be no effect on your warranty.