Slight power loss 3rd / 4th gear?

Flatulentoldgoat

On my Nissan Note (2011) which I've had since '17 I've always found the 3rd to 4th change sluggish. Car drives OK otherwise, it's been ace if I'm honest in terms of reliability. I'm just not sure why there's like a turbo lag from 3rd to 4th. Best way to describe it is when I change into any other gear power is pretty much instantaneous. Whereas making this change there's a throttle delay, it's brief but I put up with it. It's like a drop in revs (takes a moment despite pressing the gas for the revs to resume) I do not drive or care to drive like a speed demon any way.

I know the DMS and clutch was changed according to it's service history but the biting point seems good and there isn't any rattles or slippage.

Any thoughts?

Steve182

I suspect there a larger difference in gear ratio between 2-3 and 3-4 than there is between 1-2 and 2-3. Look at the rev counter to confirm.

AdrianC

Flatulentoldgoat said:

On my Nissan Note (2011) which I've had since '17 I've always found the 3rd to 4th change sluggish. Car drives OK otherwise, it's been ace if I'm honest in terms of reliability. I'm just not sure why there's like a turbo lag from 3rd to 4th. Best way to describe it is when I change into any other gear power is pretty much instantaneous. Whereas making this change there's a throttle delay, it's brief but I put up with it. It's like a drop in revs (takes a moment despite pressing the gas for the revs to resume)

Yes, of course the revs drop when you change up. That's the whole point of a higher gear.

Do you know what turbo lag is?
What engine's in your Note?

BOWFER

I suspect you're just changing up too early.
If you're changing up at the point the revs in 3rd and 4th are falling below 2000rpm, the turbo will take time to spool up again and work.
If you were to wait a bit when changing up, so that the revs in 3rd and 4th are higher when you go into them, the turbo would be spinning and everything would be fine,.

Flatulentoldgoat

AdrianC said:

Flatulentoldgoat said:

On my Nissan Note (2011) which I've had since '17 I've always found the 3rd to 4th change sluggish. Car drives OK otherwise, it's been ace if I'm honest in terms of reliability. I'm just not sure why there's like a turbo lag from 3rd to 4th. Best way to describe it is when I change into any other gear power is pretty much instantaneous. Whereas making this change there's a throttle delay, it's brief but I put up with it. It's like a drop in revs (takes a moment despite pressing the gas for the revs to resume)

Yes, of course the revs drop when you change up. That's the whole point of a higher gear.

Do you know what turbo lag is?
What engine's in your Note?

It's the 1.5 D (k9k) same as the Qashqai I believe. Curiously, my sister has the same engine in her Clio and I've driven that for years. I can almost change from 3rd to 4th in that without even noticing it when if I'm accelerating! If I try that in my car, (irrespective of revs 2000 normally) the power pulls back briefly, then it resumes accelerating. It's very odd.

BOWFER

Flatulentoldgoat said:

It's the 1.5 D (k9k) same as the Qashqai I believe. Curiously, my sister has the same engine in her Clio and I've driven that for years. I can almost change from 3rd to 4th in that without even noticing it when if I'm accelerating! If I try that in my car, (irrespective of revs 2000 normally) the power pulls back briefly, then it resumes accelerating. It's very odd.

Have you ever had the EGR valve cleaned or replaced?
They're bad for causing flat spots if they get gummed up.
They're not expensive or hard to replace, I'd try slamming in a new one for £100.

Flatulentoldgoat

BOWFER said:

Flatulentoldgoat said:

It's the 1.5 D (k9k) same as the Qashqai I believe. Curiously, my sister has the same engine in her Clio and I've driven that for years. I can almost change from 3rd to 4th in that without even noticing it when if I'm accelerating! If I try that in my car, (irrespective of revs 2000 normally) the power pulls back briefly, then it resumes accelerating. It's very odd.

Have you ever had the EGR valve cleaned or replaced?
They're bad for causing flat spots if they get gummed up.
They're not expensive or hard to replace, I'd try slamming in a new one for £100.

Interesting....I wonder is this is linked to code P0170 that I have been getting. I'll look into it. I'm pretty handy, if it's a simple hot swap I might be able to do this myself?

BOWFER

Flatulentoldgoat said:

BOWFER said:

Flatulentoldgoat said:

It's the 1.5 D (k9k) same as the Qashqai I believe. Curiously, my sister has the same engine in her Clio and I've driven that for years. I can almost change from 3rd to 4th in that without even noticing it when if I'm accelerating! If I try that in my car, (irrespective of revs 2000 normally) the power pulls back briefly, then it resumes accelerating. It's very odd.

Have you ever had the EGR valve cleaned or replaced?
They're bad for causing flat spots if they get gummed up.
They're not expensive or hard to replace, I'd try slamming in a new one for £100.

Interesting....I wonder is this is linked to code P0170 that I have been getting. I'll look into it. I'm pretty handy, if it's a simple hot swap I might be able to do this myself?

P0170 is often linked to the MAF (Mass airflow sensor), I didn't know you were getting a fault.
And it's perfectly feasible that could be giving you the flatspot you're noticing too.
So I'd be looking to replace the MAF first, a very easy job.

AdrianC

Flatulentoldgoat said:

Interesting....I wonder is this is linked to code P0170 that I have been getting.

Whether it's EGR or not (I suspect not, given P0170 is fuel trim), the code and the hesitation are almost certainly related.