2001 Primera Sport-Plus 2.0i with CVT-M6 automatic gearbox. Only 22,000 miles.
Has been pinking for months and the main-dealer has been unable to sort the problem out.
The pinking only happens under very specific conditions....
Generally it is when gently cruising at between 30-40mph, with light or no throttle, when the gearbox will select a very high gear, revs drop to about 1200rpm.
As soon as you apply even very gentle throttle the engine will pink hard for a period of about 5seconds until the revs have risen to over 1500rpm.
Sometimes the engine feels as if it is labouring, and the gearbox isn't wanting to change down, and that it has probably selected too high a gear in the first place.
If you use the tiptronic over-ride, and select top-gear, the car can be made to pink, if the throttle is floored to the max, but it is more difficult to induce under these same driving conditions.
I had one of the earlier primera automatics (a normal 4 speed auto) b4 this car, and it was a much better vehicle.
The CVT auto is dreadful - do not buy one - sluggish and unresponsive and the car does not inspire confidence when driving in heavy traffic, as the acceleration 0-30mph is so poor, and if one has to pull out of a side-road onto a busy road I am always nervous that the car will not pull away quick enough. - is this also a characteristic of this car, or is there a problem with mine and is it connected with the pinking ???
The car is also very sluggish on hills, one almost always has to select the manual over-ride and change down a gear tomaintain momentum.
The Nissan main dealer say according to the diagnostic computer all the sensors are working OK, and they have retarded the ignition, and fitted colder plugs.
They have also re-adjusted throttle linkages, and reset the gearbox tiptronic paddles (why this should affect it I don't know)
I am not quite sure why my primera should need its ignition retarding and colder plugs fitting, when every other primera manages to drive OK without them - I think this is treating the symptom rather than the problem.
Despite these modifications the vehicle is still pinking. The pinking was worse during the hot summer, but it is still doing it in the winter.
Nissan Technical support have said to the dealer they don't know what the prolem is, and would love to know when the dealer finds out !
The dealer wants to take off the cylinder head as he thinks there might be a "hot-spot" somewhere causing the pre-ignition.
I am resisting this so far, as I know that they never go back on as well as when the engine was new, as there is always some distortion, and you can end up with constant head problems in the future if it is not done absolutely perfectly.
I would also have thought a hot-spot would make the car pink under a wider range of conditions, not under the very specific ones it seems pink under.
The next suggestion is to make some adjustments to the automatic gearbox, which I am hoping is getting closer to the cause of the problems.
Any suggestions anyone ???
The car is under warrnty until April04, but it has taken more than 6 months to get no-where and I am concerned it may go out of warranty before a solution is found, and I could end up with some verybig diagnostic bills !
Thanks in advance !!!
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I think you have a transmission problem rather than an engine problem.
Pinking occurs when the 'end gas' in the cylinder explodes before the flame front (initiated by the spark plug) reaches it.
This can happen for several reasons, including:
1. 'Hot spot' in cylinder (can be carbon, or over-hot plug).
2. Excesive pressure in cylinder due to load or over-advanced ignition.
Pinking due to hot spots of hot plugs usually occurs at high RPM. In your case I think fitting colder plugs is a complete red herring. I'm not sure how they retarded the ignition either - since it is has a map stored in memory (which is not readily adjustable by the dealer).
I think your gearbox is moving to too high a gear, too soon.
Trying to sustain a 30-40mph cruise at 1200rpm (if I've read your post correctly) is not really viable. It should immediately drop ratio as soon as you apply a load (via throttle).
Would it be possible for you to do a direct comparison of approx. rpm at given load/speed with a similar vehicle (perhaps with service manager in the car with you). This may yield a result.
Some minor pinking under full throttle is not necessarily anything to worry about.
Incidentally, I don't like CVT's much myself either. I wouldn't be keen to buy one.
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They said they can adjust timing and mixture by attaching the diagnostic computer to the ECU (within certain limits).
I too thought the change of plugs was a red herring...
The pinking isn't minor..... during the hot weather it does it all the time during town driving .
I too thought it a transmission problem from the start, but then again, I'm only a research scientist, not a mechanic, but of course they thought differently... but are coming round to my way of thinking it seems.
The mechanic has travelled in the car with me when I demonstrated the problem.....
I await their gearbox adjustments with anticipation.
He did say the reason the CVT box feels sluggish in the newer primeras is that it selects the highest possible ratio as soon as you lift off the throttle.
I thinkitis selecting too high and not downshifting quickly enough as you say.
They seem to think they can adjust this, electronically.
if this doesn't improve matters I'm not sure what to suggest.
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have owned two primeras 99 1.8 and a new shape 2002 1.8 would never again own them as they are so unreliable the first went
back to the supplying dealer 18 times for all kinds of simple probs. thought this would have improved when the new shape came however had to return the vehicle after 2 weeks and change to current tino which is far more reliable and economic. however as far as the pinking is concerned have had probs in 2 vehs previously one with a vectra and the other the worst veh ever made,early omegas. problem was overcome with changing the petrol believe or not. cheap supermarket fuel was the problem and also after using it the fuel jets in the engine were either replaced or cleaned out.
hope this helps sorry for knocking the primera
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Having had 3 Primeras (1994' 1.6LX, 1997' 2.0GT & 2000' 1.8 Sport) I have had many dealings with Nissan technical, and they tend to be good sometimes, and very bad at others.
I also have found that as long as your problem started during warrenty, and is documented, they should continue after warrenty period. My 2.0GT had 2 clutches fitted, one at 36,000 and another well out of warrenty at 54,000 miles, 4 years. In the end they found it was a faulty gearbox casting.....
Enjoyable car, not so enjoyable serice!!!!
Neil T
SEAT Leon TDi 150, Toledo 20VT Sport, Various Montegos...
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