Nissan Pulsar Gearbox & Transmission Problems

A modern engine like the one in your Nissan uses electronics to control the ratio of fuel and air, rather than a physical choke like older engines use. However, in order to control this ratio, the modern engine relies on a range of sensors dotted around the car to tell it what’s going on. Examples include a throttle-position sensor, ambient temperature sensor, coolant temperature sensor and many more. If just one of these sensors fails or starts relaying false information, all aspects of the car’s running (including its throttle action) can be compromised.

But before you start scanning the car and spending money to fix the engine flaring during gear changes, take a hard, critical look at what you’re doing with the pedals when shifting gears. If you don’t completely release the accelerator pedal during a gear change, or get your hand-foot co-ordination wrong, the engine will naturally flare during the shift. And because modern cars have a throttle-by-wire system, there’s not the same degree of feel and feedback through the accelerator pedal as some of us are used to. It sounds a bit obvious, but checking your driving style is the first step.

The best source of that info would be an automatic transmission mechanic or a wrecking yard specializing in Japanese cars.

Try gently releasing the clutch while you’re holding the lever in the reverse position. It’s probably an adjustment issue, it could be a clip that’s broken, and nothing serious. I would take it to a mechanic who should be able to tell you exactly what is wrong with it.

If we were in the USA your car would be called a ‘lemon’ and you would be getting a refund or a replacement car. Unfortunately this isn’t America and we have pathetically weak consumer laws and an even weaker body (ACCC) overseeing them. You could try to negotiate a deal with Nissan, who I don’t think have a leg to stand on, or get a lawyer involved.

The transmission in your car is a CVT and changing the oil is definitely recommended. If you doubt that the full service hasn't been done go back to the dealer and ask for an explanation.

You would like to think that it shouldn't happen, but the reality is that sometimes it does. As it's out of warranty it's up to you to try and negotiate a deal with Nissan to cover at least part of the cost of the repairs. Do that by going directly to Nissan's customer service (1800 035 035) and requesting them to help out. If that fails you could seek help from the Victorian Government's consumer affairs department.

Nissan spokesman Chris Jordan can clear up the misunderstanding: "We do not instruct Nissan dealers to do any specified oil change on Xtronic (CVT) transmission in the 2013 Pulsar. Dealers are able to monitor any potential CVT deterioration via computer when analysing data at service. We do, however, recommend dealers inspect (and if necessary replace) CVT fluid every 100,000km in cases of high loading on the transmission, such as towing or off-road use."

We aren't getting reports of problems with the latest model, the reports we have had relate to 2010 models or so. That said, I would be wary of buying the Cruze, the best thing about them is the cabin size. I would go for the Lancer first and Pulsar second, the Cruze a long last.

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.

CVT transmissions in general have been the subject of criticism; it's not only Nissans that can be affected. CVT transmissions are not new; they've been used since the 1970s when they were fitted to DAFs. General Motors looked at them in the 1980s, but abandoned the plan to build them in France for use throughout the GM world, including Holden. The problem was the Van Dorn belt, which is the heart of the transmission. In those days they wouldn't handle high torque, so they were ok on small engines, but on larger engines, such as a six-cylinder. They've come a long way since those days and they are much better, but they can still have problems. The things to look for are slipping on take-off and shuddering. It's not something you should be overly concerned about, but it's something you should be aware of and conscious about. The use of fish oil is a good idea if you live near the sea. Even though cars today use good quality steel treated to prevent rust the extra protection of fish oil makes it worth doing.