Advice on a Nissan Micra

dylanandlulu

Hello, I have just come on this forum for a bit of advice regarding a car a bought from a well known dealership about 3 weeks ago.

I bought a Nissan Micra Spirita registered in June 2007 and it had 1800 miles on the clock. There was a FSH with it being serviced every year and doing about 600 miles each year. I was looking for a new car to replace an old model and so I was looking for something more reliable mainly, something that wont be failing every MOT or breaking down.

Anyway, this was the first time I have bought a car, the previous car I had came to me from within the family. Since I collected it, it just seems like I have had nothing but trouble. It had to go back after a week because of a faulty reversing light and then I went on holiday for a week and when I came back, I had some problems with it. It seems to be shuddering when idle and when driving and seemed to not respond to the accelerator, and then shoot forward. The engine management light was also on. The dealer replaced an o2 sensor and it seems to be running smoother. It still varies its revs slightly when idle, especially if air con etc is in use.

I just want some general advice about whether this may be problems caused by the extremely low milage; now I worry every time I drive it as to whether it is going to break down again. I am wondering whether to trade it in or keep it; I've just got no confidence in the car at the moment and its hampered by the fact I dont know much about cars!

Thanks in advance!

benham3160

dylanandlulu wrote: »

Hello, I have just come on this forum for a bit of advice regarding a car a bought from a well known dealership about 3 weeks ago.

I bought a Nissan Micra Spirita registered in June 2007 and it had 1800 miles on the clock. There was a FSH with it being serviced every year and doing about 600 miles each year. I was looking for a new car to replace an old model and so I was looking for something more reliable mainly, something that wont be failing every MOT or breaking down.

Anyway, this was the first time I have bought a car, the previous car I had came to me from within the family. Since I collected it, it just seems like I have had nothing but trouble. It had to go back after a week because of a faulty reversing light and then I went on holiday for a week and when I came back, I had some problems with it. It seems to be shuddering when idle and when driving and seemed to not respond to the accelerator, and then shoot forward. The engine management light was also on. The dealer replaced an o2 sensor and it seems to be running smoother. It still varies its revs slightly when idle, especially if air con etc is in use.

I just want some general advice about whether this may be problems caused by the extremely low milage; now I worry every time I drive it as to whether it is going to break down again. I am wondering whether to trade it in or keep it; I've just got no confidence in the car at the moment and its hampered by the fact I dont know much about cars!

Thanks in advance!

The revs wavering slightly when it's idling with the aircon is normal, same as if the engine is cold.

My genuine advice, take the thing, drive it around a bit to get it warm, then for the next hour absolutely "drive it like you stole it," leave it in third gear at motorway speeds for a mile or two, rev the nuts out of it, and generally give it plenty of abuse.

Should "blow the cobwebs out," you'll burn a lot of petrol but you'll be doing it a favour.

This is why I always advise againt super-low mile cars.

Regards,
Andy

vikingaero

dylanandlulu wrote: »

The dealer replaced an o2 sensor and it seems to be running smoother. It still varies its revs slightly when idle, especially if air con etc is in use.

When the car is at idle, and you switch on the a/c the revs will lower, as the engine has to power the a/c compressor. Perfectly normal!

cyclonebri1

Regardless of brand, a car of that mileage has not done enough miles for all the in built snags to have surfaced. It's a lucky new car buyer that doesn't get a few of these.
Probably be fine for years, unfortunately you haven't had the benefit of the waranty.;)

dylanandlulu

Thank you all for your replies, Ive taken it on a decent motorway run at the weekend and then taken it on a second run where I 'drove it like a stole it'. It seems ok so far, hopefully itll stay that way, Ive already put about 700 miles on it.

I think Ive learnt my lesson about extremely low milage cars, Ive got about 2 months left on the basic warranty I got at the dealership I bought it from, but hopefully nothing else will crop up; I already know the phone number by heart!

Hammyman

dylanandlulu wrote: »

I just want some general advice about whether this may be problems caused by the extremely low milage; now I worry every time I drive it as to whether it is going to break down

Yes it is caused by low mileage. It would benefit immensley from being driven like you stole it for 20-30 miles once every so often.

Kilty_2

Don't think I'll buy a "low" mileage car again tbh.

mchale

google: "micra timing chain"

cyclonebri1

Hammyman wrote: »

Yes it is caused by low mileage. It would benefit immensley from being driven like you stole it for 20-30 miles once every so often.

Nobody would believe he had tho':o

hartcjhart

mchale wrote: »

google: "micra timing chain"

yep common fault

puddy

me and my friend both have micras, hers is 03 mine is 05. mine is the basic basic model, no engine computer etc. hers is the second from top model. she says she has had a lot of trouble with it, the engine warning often comes on but no one can find anything wrong with it. the timing belt went at 60k miles etc.

i havent had problems with mine, except for last winter, when it was v cold and i hadnt been driving it very regularly. i had previously been doing about 100 miles a day, then to nothing, then the car didnt start a couple of times. now im back to regular motorway driving, no problems at all. so i suspect they like being driven.

her theory is that the engine computer has a lot of faults in it.

mine is now at 56k miles and im wondering about when the timing belt will go, as it seems a common problem