Nissan Pulsar 2001 Problems

Your car is probably still worth around $4000 to $5000 depending on condition and kilometres. The catch is that you won’t be offered that much if you use the car as a trade-in, and the value I’ve quoted would be to sell the car privately, not back to a car dealer. A lack of demand for good used cars is keeping values a little higher (a lot higher in some cases) than they might have been, so even though your car is still worth decent money, you’ll pay a bit extra for whatever you replace it with.

As far as lifespan goes, that has a lot more to do with maintenance than any other factor. If your car has been serviced by the book, there’s every chance it could last for 200,000 to 250,000km and perhaps even more. But I’ve also seen neglected cars die incredibly young.

It could be a fault with the computer, but I would have it investigated rather write it off as a computer glitch. You could have a problem with the cooling system, so I would have a mechanic investigate it.

It could be due to bad fuel. Run it out as best you can, or drain the tank, and refill with fresh fuel from another servo, preferably one that sells a lot of fuel so you can be confident the fuel is fresh.

If it still does it then look for other causes, such as fuel filter, fuel pump, air filter, throttle body, spark plugs.

It’s unlikely to be electrical, or the gauge itself. It’s more likely to be the thermostat, but before you do anything make sure the cooling system is filled to the full mark.

You are right to be suspicious when on average a car of that age would have done well over 200,000 km. Check the car's service book to see when and at what odometer readings the car has been serviced since it was new. That should give you an idea if the odometer is correct. With so little use it should be pristine inside with little wear on the seats and the carpets.

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.

I WOULD have no concern about running your car on E5, or E10 for that matter. The amount of ethanol is so small it won't cause you any trouble. Nissan is being cautious. It doesn't want to open itself to claims later if owners have a problem.