Help - think my car is dying

[CMF_jaylaw17]

For a few days, my car (2001 nissan micra activ 1.0) has felt a bit underpowered. Yesterday as i was driving in second gear, as i got near the top of the revs, the car started kangaroo-ing. I changed to third and the same thing happened. After driving for a while the problem seemed to get better but it was still a bit spluttery. This morning, as we were driving, I went to change into third and the car kangarood again but also the battery light flashed briefly. A few second later the car kangarood then stalled with the battery oil and engine management light on. I tried to start it and it turned over but didn't start. I tried again and it started but felt like it was going to stall again. At first I thought it was the fuel filter but after this morning i'm not sure. Could it be a battery problem?

 

[smidge]

i like that you use the term kangaroo'd!! at least you can be pretty sure its an electrical problem! pretty hard to know from exactly what you've said, is a mechanic not an option?

either that or buy a haynes manual would be my two suggestions

 

[CMF_jaylaw17]

have a haynes manual but no joy. cant afford mechanic! trying to get some ideas first.

 

[CMF_frank2]

jaylaw

my guess would be a corroded connection, engine bay fuses, throttle body, dizzy ?

frank

 

[CMF_funky2nite]

jaylaw17 WROTE:

"For a few days, my car (2001 nissan micra activ 1.0) has felt a bit underpowered. Yesterday as i was driving in second gear, as i got near the top of the revs, the car started kangaroo-ing. I changed to third and the same thing happened. After driving for a while the problem seemed to get better but it was still a bit spluttery. This morning, as we were driving, I went to change into third and the car kangarood again but also the battery light flashed briefly. A few second later the car kangarood then stalled with the battery oil and engine management light on. I tried to start it and it turned over but didn't start. I tried again and it started but felt like it was going to stall again. At first I thought it was the fuel filter but after this morning i'm not sure. Could it be a battery problem?<BR>

I have similar symptoms in my micra but not as bad as yours much better indeed. mine's a '95 model.

I got two differnet mechanic's opinions, it needs engine tuning, this is done electronically through the computer plugged near the carburetor sorry for my spelling. carubretor is the part on which the air filter attaches onto.

this here locally costs around $50 through the computer , I haven't done it cos I just weren't 100% that it was the solution as the mechanic concluded to this in matter of seconds...

I happen to be close friend to one of the agent's mechanics here locally. He used to work with the agent here now he's not he said it can be solved by adjusting the gas pedal, Next friday I should take it to him to sort this out, I'll keep you updated on how this all worked out.

If I understood him well, it have lost some 'automatic choke kindof' so it's either apply some accelerator permanently through the computer or by just applying some through the pedal. He's sure it works out & I do trust him a lot we're close friends, he's my g/f's sister hubby.

cheers mate!
Ian - Malta

 

[CMF_micragirl]

ho hum its the throttle body, you need to re-solder it, theres a thread on how to do this in this forum somewhere. Good luck with it.

 

[CMF_jaylaw17]

thanks guys, well I've had a right run in with a garage in seaham over this problem. He had my car for a week from last monday. on the wednesday he replaced my iridium plugs (fitted about a year ago) without asking me first and told me it was fixed. so i went to pick it up and he charged me fifty quid. took it home and in the morning it was doing exactly the sam so i took it back. he then informed me he didn't know what was wrong - no offer of a refund - and told me he would look at it again and get me a receipt for the plugs (which never surfaced). by friday lunchtime i hadn't heard anything so i rang again to be told that he didn't know what was wrong with it. he started talking about splitting the exhaust as well as more parts he had already replaced without my permission. so i explained i wasn't prepared to pay for any work, i just wanted him to find the fault and grudgingly left it with him. saturday morning and still no word from him so i go to the garage to check up - closed. no sign of my car. i ring him and get the same 'i dont know whats wrong with it'.
I tell him it's not good enough and i want my car back. he goes off it saying im being unreasonable and he's trying to help and threatens to get my car out and leave it on the forecourt with the keys in and hangs up. i go to the garage and wait for 45 minutes and no word. i ring him and after another verbal beating get him to agree to give me the car back on monday. I went down this morning to be greeted by a barrage of verbal abuse being told i had a f*ing attitude and dont ever f*ing come back to his f*ing garage.
So now i'm stuck with the same problem and 50 quid worse off. f*ing cowboys!

any help would be more than welcome.

 

[CMF_micragirl]

How did you go with your car? Is it fixed yet? Part of the reason I sold my darling was because I couldn't find anyone who knew enough about Micras to work on them. Even the mechanics at the dealership had no clue, one even asked me what a Micra was when I went in for a new water reservoir bottle.

 

[CMF_challenger]

Dear Jaylaw17,this is a common problem on micra's.Mine had over 200000 kms when it did it.The solution is to replace the throttle body,which is quite expensive as genuine,so you should search for a used recalebrated or an imitation one which i.m.o is the best because it is of the same factory that produces the original ones.My micra did it once and never again,my sister drives it now and never had a complain(248000 kms!).As for the mechanic don't bother,he is an a*hole.Hope to fix your micra.Cheers.