Well I've driven in to work today and it's still doing it. My MOT and full service is now booked for next Thursday. I don't think the engine will suddenly fail, but I'm taking it in again after work today. After having paid nearly £90 for a new tyre and the bearing problem, I'm not happy.
Christ on a bike, it warms my cockles to share the road with a doofus that has no idea that clean and plentiful oil is a vital part of the healthy running of a car engine.
Is it just me or is that common sense ?
Get it to a garage and get it serviced FFS.
I agree! I don't drive but I live with a mechanic, so probably know more about cars than I need to.
A friend has a car she just drives, she tells me the other week it keeps losing power and judders, and the engine management lights is on. I ask her is she has checked the oil to see if its using alot. She say's no...., so I tell her to check it. She tells me again about the problem, I ask her if she has checked her oil she say's no.... O/H takes the car in for a look.... nearly no oil!
Its a basic thing that you car needs to run. If it runs out the car could potentially need a new engine..... thats costly OP. get oil in the car, you don't have to wait for the mot to do such a basic thing.
Well I've driven in to work today and it's still doing it. My MOT and full service is now booked for next Thursday. I don't think the engine will suddenly fail, but I'm taking it in again after work today. After having paid nearly £90 for a new tyre and the bearing problem, I'm not happy.
Why? If you run your car without taking care of it and only get it seen to once a year then these things will happen. Cars cost money.
I agree! I don't drive but I live with a mechanic, so probably know more about cars than I need to.
A friend has a car she just drives, she tells me the other week it keeps losing power and judders, and the engine management lights is on. I ask her is she has checked the oil to see if its using alot. She say's no...., so I tell her to check it. She tells me again about the problem, I ask her if she has checked her oil she say's no.... O/H takes the car in for a look.... nearly no oil!
Its a basic thing that you car needs to run. If it runs out the car could potentially need a new engine..... thats costly OP. get oil in the car, you don't have to wait for the mot to do such a basic thing.
I've already filled it up with oil and there are no longer any warning lights on.
Well I've driven in to work today and it's still doing it. My MOT and full service is now booked for next Thursday. I don't think the engine will suddenly fail, but I'm taking it in again after work today. After having paid nearly £90 for a new tyre and the bearing problem, I'm not happy.
I just knew the BIB would be the next thing. You took the car in and tell us 'I don't remember what the guy said' but immediately start bleating about the cost. why don't you know what he said? Wasn't it on the bill? You needed a new tyre - your car could have been a potential death trap and cause an accident in which someone else could be badly injured.
You've no doubt heard the phrase 'a stitch in time saves 9' , which roughly translated in this case means failing to maintain something properly means a much larger wodge of cash is required to correct your neglect. As said before, you should be checking tyre pressures, oil, antifreeze and screen wash weekly.
I am just grateful I don't drive in London where you might be .......
As others have said, this sounds like warped discs, they will need looking at by a garage.
If you are interested to know how it can happen, read on.
I note you said right at the top your Micra is an automatic. Do you do a fair amount of high speed driving? By that I mean motorway/dual-carriageway speed. Reason for asking is this. Image you are driving along the motorway at, say, 70mph and you come to your exit, so you go up the slip road and there's a set of lights at the end, or a queue or some other reason to stop. You drive up to the lights and stop. But as its an automatic car, you keep your foot on the brake to hold the car stationary. All the heat that was generated in the brake pads by stopping from a high speed is now just sitting there with nowhere to go, and the pad is being pressed onto the disc, hence your brake discs can warp due to the heat bleeding back onto them. In a non-auto car, you'd probably take your foot off the brake while stationary and allow an air gap between the disc and the pad but you don't get that if you keep the brakes on while you wait. I'm not saying it doesn't happen in a manual car (it does, if you keep your foot on the brake) but its more common in automatics
This happened to me a long while ago, I warped the discs on my car and had to get them replaced. If you want to avoid this happening, don't keep your foot on the brake when stopped, especially if braking from high speed. Stick it in neutral and apply the handbrake.
I just knew the BIB would be the next thing. You took the car in and tell us 'I don't remember what the guy said' but immediately start bleating about the cost. why don't you know what he said? Wasn't it on the bill? You needed a new tyre - your car could have been a potential death trap and cause an accident in which someone else could be badly injured.
You've no doubt heard the phrase 'a stitch in time saves 9' , which roughly translated in this case means failing to maintain something properly means a much larger wodge of cash is required to correct your neglect. As said before, you should be checking tyre pressures, oil, antifreeze and screen wash weekly.
I am just grateful I don't drive in London where you might be .......
Please stop having a go. I apologised for my naivety earlier.
The way the guy explained it was rushed and being the non-confident person that I am, I did not ask him to write it down. Everybody is different and I had to juggle a few things yesterday so I had a lot on my mind, especially since I had just come from a hospital appointment for an ultrasound scan on my liver (which is in another thread). What he said did make sense when he explained it, but not being a mechanic, I trusted he knew what he was talking about.
The tyre is on the bill, yes, but this was unrelated to the juddering issue. And I am not intending to bleat about the cost, so I withdraw what I said about the £90. Sorry. My dad mentioned a tyre may be less expensive than the price it was, but I didn't mind. I am more "not happy" that the problem hasn't been sorted and I am annoyed at my own incompetance, not the abilities of the mechanics and the people at the garage, who were very helpful. I know I am at fault for not properly maintaining my car and nobody but me should take the blame for that, which I do.
As others have said, this sounds like warped discs, they will need looking at by a garage.
If you are interested to know how it can happen, read on.
I note you said right at the top your Micra is an automatic. Do you do a fair amount of high speed driving? By that I mean motorway/dual-carriageway speed. Reason for asking is this. Image you are driving along the motorway at, say, 70mph and you come to your exit, so you go up the slip road and there's a set of lights at the end, or a queue or some other reason to stop. You drive up to the lights and stop. But as its an automatic car, you keep your foot on the brake to hold the car stationary. All the heat that was generated in the brake pads by stopping from a high speed is now just sitting there with nowhere to go, and the pad is being pressed onto the disc, hence your brake discs can warp due to the heat bleeding back onto them. In a non-auto car, you'd probably take your foot off the brake while stationary and allow an air gap between the disc and the pad but you don't get that if you keep the brakes on while you wait. I'm not saying it doesn't happen in a manual car (it does, if you keep your foot on the brake) but its more common in automatics
This happened to me a long while ago, I warped the discs on my car and had to get them replaced. If you want to avoid this happening, don't keep your foot on the brake when stopped, especially if braking from high speed. Stick it in neutral and apply the handbrake.
That certainly makes a lot of sense. I will try this in the future. Thank you.
After taking it to the garage again this evening, they seemed to have diagnosed an idle misfire, possibly caused by a spark plug or coil. It will get worse over time, and since I have a long drive on Sunday and my MOT and service wasn't until next Thursday, they asked if I could bring it in tomorrow morning.
Thus, the MOT, full service and assessment of the idle misfire is all being done first thing tomorrow morning, as a safety precaution. Should be ready to collect in the afternoon.
As others have said, this sounds like warped discs, they will need looking at by a garage.
If you are interested to know how it can happen, read on.
I note you said right at the top your Micra is an automatic. Do you do a fair amount of high speed driving? By that I mean motorway/dual-carriageway speed. Reason for asking is this. Image you are driving along the motorway at, say, 70mph and you come to your exit, so you go up the slip road and there's a set of lights at the end, or a queue or some other reason to stop. You drive up to the lights and stop. But as its an automatic car, you keep your foot on the brake to hold the car stationary. All the heat that was generated in the brake pads by stopping from a high speed is now just sitting there with nowhere to go, and the pad is being pressed onto the disc, hence your brake discs can warp due to the heat bleeding back onto them. In a non-auto car, you'd probably take your foot off the brake while stationary and allow an air gap between the disc and the pad but you don't get that if you keep the brakes on while you wait. I'm not saying it doesn't happen in a manual car (it does, if you keep your foot on the brake) but its more common in automatics
This happened to me a long while ago, I warped the discs on my car and had to get them replaced. If you want to avoid this happening, don't keep your foot on the brake when stopped, especially if braking from high speed. Stick it in neutral and apply the handbrake.
The discs on the Micra of this type are vented, this theory does not apply.
Constant heavy braking is the main cause of warped discs.
The best way to avoid discs being warped is to not hold the brake on all the time when braking hard....press the brakes on and off to help with cooling.
After taking it to the garage again this evening, they seemed to have diagnosed an idle misfire, possibly caused by a spark plug or coil. It will get worse over time, and since I have a long drive on Sunday and my MOT and service wasn't until next Thursday, they asked if I could bring it in tomorrow morning.
Thus, the MOT, full service and assessment of the idle misfire is all being done first thing tomorrow morning, as a safety precaution. Should be ready to collect in the afternoon.
It's quite common for the coils to fail on the Micra.
After taking it to the garage again this evening, they seemed to have diagnosed an idle misfire, possibly caused by a spark plug or coil. It will get worse over time, and since I have a long drive on Sunday and my MOT and service wasn't until next Thursday, they asked if I could bring it in tomorrow morning.
Thus, the MOT, full service and assessment of the idle misfire is all being done first thing tomorrow morning, as a safety precaution. Should be ready to collect in the afternoon.
If the garage can't be certain of the cause I would suggest getting the spark plugs changed first as these are a service related part and then see how you get on afterwards.
If the garage can't be certain of the cause I would suggest getting the spark plugs changed first as these are a service related part and then see how you get on afterwards.
Yes, they said that was part of the service so that would be their first step to take.
It passed the MOT, had a full service and they changed the spark plugs, but there's still a slight judder. They've spoken to Nissan and another specialist who say they don't know what it is. The garage reckon it's either needing to add a fuel additive to clear any blockages, or the set of coils needs changing, but it should be fine to drive as it runs smoothly. My dad is going there now to speak with them.
Can you feel the juddering through the brake pedal?
Could it possibly be fractured/cracked ABS reluctor ring(s) causing the ABS to kick in?
I can't feel anything directly through the brake pedal - it's more underneath the car itself. I can see the exhaust pipe juddering as well.
Yet another update:
The car ran smoothly going to and from my girlfriend's house yesterday. Still judders when at a standstill though. My next action is to check my AA warranty (which runs out at the end of the month) and see if coils are covered, which I think they are.
If it is, I'll get it seen to by a garage, local or otherwise. If not, I'll still get it seen to.
The car is currently with Halfords. I'm paying £50 for a diagnostic test, but nothing except the camshaft is coming up with an error. No error from the coils, although my local garage reckoned they were sure this was the problem. Waiting to hear from Halfords' technical guy.
The car is currently with Halfords. I'm paying £50 for a diagnostic test, but nothing except the camshaft is coming up with an error. No error from the coils, although my local garage reckoned they were sure this was the problem. Waiting to hear from Halfords' technical guy.
A real puzzle this is...
AH!!
The fault is coming up as camshaft position sensor fault?
If that is the case then ask Halfords to swap the crankshaft position sensor and the camshaft position sensor around...they are the same sensor!
If the fault is still there they need to check the timing chain for wear....on the Micra the tensioner should not protrude more than 10mm....if it does you will get all sorts of engine faults, including the camshaft position sensor fault showing up, which is actually telling you that the ignition timing is out.
This is a well known problem with the Nissan engines with timing chains.
Comments
[ i'm assuming the Micra has disc brakes at the front only ]
I agree! I don't drive but I live with a mechanic, so probably know more about cars than I need to.
A friend has a car she just drives, she tells me the other week it keeps losing power and judders, and the engine management lights is on. I ask her is she has checked the oil to see if its using alot. She say's no...., so I tell her to check it. She tells me again about the problem, I ask her if she has checked her oil she say's no.... O/H takes the car in for a look.... nearly no oil!
Its a basic thing that you car needs to run. If it runs out the car could potentially need a new engine..... thats costly OP. get oil in the car, you don't have to wait for the mot to do such a basic thing.
Why? If you run your car without taking care of it and only get it seen to once a year then these things will happen. Cars cost money.
I've already filled it up with oil and there are no longer any warning lights on.
seriously, don't drive with the oil warning light on.
would the judder be a wheel balancing thing?
The garage thought it was and hence did something with the bearing and changed the tyre, but it still does it.
The steering wheel does not shake.
I just knew the BIB would be the next thing. You took the car in and tell us 'I don't remember what the guy said' but immediately start bleating about the cost. why don't you know what he said? Wasn't it on the bill? You needed a new tyre - your car could have been a potential death trap and cause an accident in which someone else could be badly injured.
You've no doubt heard the phrase 'a stitch in time saves 9' , which roughly translated in this case means failing to maintain something properly means a much larger wodge of cash is required to correct your neglect. As said before, you should be checking tyre pressures, oil, antifreeze and screen wash weekly.
I am just grateful I don't drive in London where you might be .......
If you are interested to know how it can happen, read on.
I note you said right at the top your Micra is an automatic. Do you do a fair amount of high speed driving? By that I mean motorway/dual-carriageway speed. Reason for asking is this. Image you are driving along the motorway at, say, 70mph and you come to your exit, so you go up the slip road and there's a set of lights at the end, or a queue or some other reason to stop. You drive up to the lights and stop. But as its an automatic car, you keep your foot on the brake to hold the car stationary. All the heat that was generated in the brake pads by stopping from a high speed is now just sitting there with nowhere to go, and the pad is being pressed onto the disc, hence your brake discs can warp due to the heat bleeding back onto them. In a non-auto car, you'd probably take your foot off the brake while stationary and allow an air gap between the disc and the pad but you don't get that if you keep the brakes on while you wait. I'm not saying it doesn't happen in a manual car (it does, if you keep your foot on the brake) but its more common in automatics
This happened to me a long while ago, I warped the discs on my car and had to get them replaced. If you want to avoid this happening, don't keep your foot on the brake when stopped, especially if braking from high speed. Stick it in neutral and apply the handbrake.
Please stop having a go. I apologised for my naivety earlier.
The way the guy explained it was rushed and being the non-confident person that I am, I did not ask him to write it down. Everybody is different and I had to juggle a few things yesterday so I had a lot on my mind, especially since I had just come from a hospital appointment for an ultrasound scan on my liver (which is in another thread). What he said did make sense when he explained it, but not being a mechanic, I trusted he knew what he was talking about.
The tyre is on the bill, yes, but this was unrelated to the juddering issue. And I am not intending to bleat about the cost, so I withdraw what I said about the £90. Sorry. My dad mentioned a tyre may be less expensive than the price it was, but I didn't mind. I am more "not happy" that the problem hasn't been sorted and I am annoyed at my own incompetance, not the abilities of the mechanics and the people at the garage, who were very helpful. I know I am at fault for not properly maintaining my car and nobody but me should take the blame for that, which I do.
Also, I am not in London.
That certainly makes a lot of sense. I will try this in the future. Thank you.
After taking it to the garage again this evening, they seemed to have diagnosed an idle misfire, possibly caused by a spark plug or coil. It will get worse over time, and since I have a long drive on Sunday and my MOT and service wasn't until next Thursday, they asked if I could bring it in tomorrow morning.
Thus, the MOT, full service and assessment of the idle misfire is all being done first thing tomorrow morning, as a safety precaution. Should be ready to collect in the afternoon.
The discs on the Micra of this type are vented, this theory does not apply.
Constant heavy braking is the main cause of warped discs.
The best way to avoid discs being warped is to not hold the brake on all the time when braking hard....press the brakes on and off to help with cooling.
It's quite common for the coils to fail on the Micra.
If the garage can't be certain of the cause I would suggest getting the spark plugs changed first as these are a service related part and then see how you get on afterwards.
Yes, they said that was part of the service so that would be their first step to take.
Fair enough, I stand corrected. Every day's a school day
I posited the warped disc theory on a US motoring website [ USA, land of the automatic car ] and no-one had ever heard of it.
It passed the MOT, had a full service and they changed the spark plugs, but there's still a slight judder. They've spoken to Nissan and another specialist who say they don't know what it is. The garage reckon it's either needing to add a fuel additive to clear any blockages, or the set of coils needs changing, but it should be fine to drive as it runs smoothly. My dad is going there now to speak with them.
The plot thickens...
Could it possibly be fractured/cracked ABS reluctor ring(s) causing the ABS to kick in?
I can't feel anything directly through the brake pedal - it's more underneath the car itself. I can see the exhaust pipe juddering as well.
Yet another update:
The car ran smoothly going to and from my girlfriend's house yesterday. Still judders when at a standstill though. My next action is to check my AA warranty (which runs out at the end of the month) and see if coils are covered, which I think they are.
If it is, I'll get it seen to by a garage, local or otherwise. If not, I'll still get it seen to.
Note to self : read to the end of a thread before commeting.
The car is currently with Halfords. I'm paying £50 for a diagnostic test, but nothing except the camshaft is coming up with an error. No error from the coils, although my local garage reckoned they were sure this was the problem. Waiting to hear from Halfords' technical guy.
A real puzzle this is...
Engine mounts?
AH!!
The fault is coming up as camshaft position sensor fault?
If that is the case then ask Halfords to swap the crankshaft position sensor and the camshaft position sensor around...they are the same sensor!
If the fault is still there they need to check the timing chain for wear....on the Micra the tensioner should not protrude more than 10mm....if it does you will get all sorts of engine faults, including the camshaft position sensor fault showing up, which is actually telling you that the ignition timing is out.
This is a well known problem with the Nissan engines with timing chains.