Nissan Pulsar Problems

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.

If the Pulsar is in good condition, as you seem to indicate, it might be best to repair it. A mechanic should be able to work out if it's a head gasket problem or a cracked head and from that give you a cost to repair the engine. It might be better to spend a few hundred dollars on repairs than spending a similar amount on another old car that might itself have problems. Trade-ins are generally passed down the line, from dealers to used car lots, until they are no longer viable and they are then scrapped. Check local used car yards. If they don't have a car for you give them an idea of what you want and they might be able to source one. There are also plenty of websites offering used cars for sale, and they are probably the best place to start shopping. If you need help using the sites, get a friend or relative to help. 

It's far better to have more ratios, since it keeps the car's engine operating at maximum efficiency for more of the time. Top-end car companies are now going for eight speeders, which are brilliant with diesel engines. But Japanese companies are turning to constantly variable transmissions, which don't have cogs - just adjustable belts that stop at preset ratios - and these are often disruptive and the operating software is poorly tweaked.

The first thing is that it would seem that the so-called fix isn't a fix. Adjusting the idle would seem to be a stab in the dark in the hope it might alleviate the problem. Take it back to the dealer, and refuse to be stonewalled. Demand an answer, and an explanation of what they are going to do about it.

It's most unusual for an engine to break a connecting rod under normal driving conditions if the engine has been serviced regularly and the oil changed. After so many years it's unlikely to be a manufacturing fault, so I doubt that you would have any chance of getting Nissan to even listen to your case. I would suggest you take up one of the offers you have in front of you.

If there is a sudden loss of power, as you describe, I would be looking for an electrical fault, perhaps a faulty sensor, such as the crank angle sensor.

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.

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.