Nissan Pulsar Problems

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.

It is probably a leaking head gasket, a known problem with the Pulsar, and it shouldn't be difficult to repair. Once it's repaired the car should drive as well as ever, and you could keep on driving it as long as you like.

I'D EXPECT it do 8.5-9.5 litres/100km around town, a little less on the highway. Check the spark plugs and leads to make sure they are in top shape and replace if necessary. Change the air filter if it hasn't been changed in a while. Run fuel-system cleaner through it, and take the car for a long run on the highway, with some hard acceleration to blow out accumulated carbon in the engine. The engine could also be down on compression, so check that too.

The dealer’s advice is correct that your transmission is working normally as it should. Nissan specialist Jerry Newman told us there is no quick fix that would enable the transmission to select fourth as you would like it to.

Nissan says only models post 2004 can run E10, which isn’t a lot of help for owners of older models like yours. The 1999 Pulsar hatch has multi-point fuel injection, so there’s little chance of you having a problem with E10. If you were concerned about the effects of E10 you could run premium unleaded.

When new Nissan claimed the 1.6-litre would do around 8.0 L/100 km and the 2.0-litre around 9.0 L/100 km, so the fuel consumption of your car is a little higher than it should be based on those numbers. But you have to consider your driving conditions, the terrain, the condition of the car, and the fact that the engine is now worn. Check the fuel and ignition systems to make sure all is well with them, I would also check the compression and make sure it’s on the mark as well.

Catalytic converters do fail, they operate in a harsh environment in the exhaust system, and so it's not surprising that they do on occasions fail. I had one recently myself, and it was nothing to do with E10 fuel, the car has never had E10 fuel in it, but it was 10 years old and that was acceptable life. One thing I did discover at the time was that dealers and exhaust system shops I checked charged like the proverbial wounded buffalo, and simply replaced the old converter with a new one off the shelf, whereas a mechanic who specializes in the brand of car I drive was able to fix it for a tenth of the cost of the factory part. Shop around and you could save heaps.

I would top it up and watch it for a week or two. If it drops substantially then take it back and have it checked, but if all was well before the service there’s no reason to think anything has happened during the service to change that. Trying to prove the mechanic didn’t top it up properly is too difficult to attempt. If you’re unhappy with him go somewhere else next time.

A four-cylinder car is the way to go when you're learning; toomany young drivers buy turbos, V6s and V8s and often get into troublewhen they outdrive their skill and experience. The Astra is one ofthe cars I would certainly consider, but you need to be aware of thecam timing belt problems they had with that model. To avoid breaking the belt, and causing massive internal damage to the engine, the beltneeds to be replaced every 60,000 km. With that in mind it'simportant to makesure that any car you consider has had the beltchanged according to that schedule, and be aware that he will have toreplace it every 60,000 km in the future. A 10-year-old Astra willset you back $8000-$9000. Others to consider are the Mitsubishi Lancer, Nissan Pulsar, Mazda 323 and Toyota Corolla.

MY INFORMATION says the Pulsar GL has single-point fuel-injection, not a carburetor, so I'm not sure what adjustments the mechanic made. I would be checking the electronic sensors, specifically the oxygen sensor, that control the air/fuel ratio.