K13 Micra Tekna Dig-s engine problems

I am having major problems with my K13 dig-s. Was initially going into limp mode with eml on. Error code was P0011. Done an oil change, changed spark plugs and air filter and still would not start. Replaced battery as auto technican said mine was shot... at a cost of £248 (stop start). Other advice he gave was to take it to a dealership as he had not worked on a Dig-s engine before so did not know how to fix it as it would still not start. I then replaced the inlet solenoid valve in a last ditch attempt before heading to dealership. Car now starts and drives but has a very rough idle where I can feel the car pushing to keep engine running. Drives jittery with a loud whistling noise, mainly on acceleration and mpg has dropped to 16.4. Oh and I can also hear a clunking noise when air con goes on that was not there before. Not throwing up any error codes anymore. Any help would be much appreciated!
 

SplanK

Site Supporter
P0011 - A quick google shows that this code is related to the cam position sensor. Either the cam position sensor itself is faulty, of the cams are not in the correct position and the solenoid/actuators are not operating. It could also be that the timing chain has skipped a tooth but probably unlikely.

https://www.700r4transmissionhq.com/p0011-nissan-micra/ - Gives all the issues you are getting - poor idle, poor MPG, loss of power. Nobody over the internet can really tell you exactly what the problem is without checking it..

Some further reading: https://www.micra.org.uk/threads/read-fault-codes-micra-dig-s.67184/

A whistle - could this be the supercharger? Is the engine light on still at all or in limp mode (IE loss of power and wont rev beyond 3000-ish rpm?), how far have you driven since clearing the fault, or did the code self clear? A whistle whilst the supercharger is generating boot pressure could possibly indicate an air leak? Problem with modern cars is whilst the basic principles are 'rotation, air, fuel and spark' - getting the stars aligned and all of the sensors showing the thumbs up can cause diagnostics to be tricky without 'the computer' to interrogate the ECU's. Reading a fault code gives you some direction but is more often part of the symptom rather than the fault!
 
Thanks so much for getting back to me... the thread you linked is the one that got me the replace the solenoid valve which has somewhat fixed that initial problem. The code was cleared and has not came back on. I have drove it today for about half an hour or so but just around the doors incase it stalled and would not restart and the eml has not came back on and there is nothing showing on the diagnostics tool. The whistling noise sounds like wind blowing through a gap. There is also a strong smell of petrol when the acceleration jerks during driving. I'm starting to wonder if something has been left loose or the MAF sensor has been damaged when the air filter was changed? I'm not even sure if that is possible? This is all from self research as I have had the car to a garage and also had an auto electrics mechanic to look at car and neither had worked on this type of engine so where not a great deal of help other than to tell me to get the car into a dealership to be looked at properly by an expert. The car is no longer in limp mode since changing the solenoid and actually feels like its driving okay power wise other than the intermittent jerking on acceleration. I also had the auto stop-start problem that is mentioned in the thread you linked and that has also been rectified I am just now left with a whole new host of issues. Only other thing probably worth mentioning is with regards to the mpg. The digital display fluctuates wildly when driving and has my average at 16.4 mpg. I guess I might have to bite the bullet and take it into a dealership :unsure:
 
Sorry also worth a mention is that the car actually starts with no problems at all but when idle you can hear/feel it starting to lost power then it kicks itself back in without any intervention from me.
 

SplanK

Site Supporter
If the MAF was broken it would likely throw a code although not always.

With the whistle noise you mention, without hearing it in person, my thoughts go to a boost/vac leak which does not always trigger an engine light or code but could cause poor running conditions. Does it do it all the time and without engine load (IE not driving anywhere and gearbox in neutral?) The supercharger turns itself on and off throughout a drive and thus you switch between running vacuum and boosted air pressure. With the gearbox in neutral and from idle, bring the revs up to around 2000rpm and you should hear the supercharger initially and after a short while, it will turn off - does the whistle noise change?

Are you able to video record it and place it online, such as youtube? Are you able to pin point or identify its rough location within the engine bay?

Does your diagnostic tool allow you to read the long term and short term fuel trim values from the ECU at all? These values show you that the engine is attempting to compensate the factory fuel map due to an issue, such as an air leak. If I remember correctly 0 or very low values are to be expected (IE between -10 and +10), however high values (in both positive and negative) may indicate an issue.

Did you remove and tweak any pipes at all when you were working on the car or accidently slip? Maybe you forgot to pop one back on, one has split or come off if not seated correctly so worth double checking.

Have you checked the airbox is seated correctly after replacing the air filter? I find the airbox difficult to deal with and could be miss-aligned/gap. When this happens however you wont be getting the security clips hooked over. However this is unlikely to cause any of your poor performance issues but could generate noise when the supercharger runs as the airbox also acts as an intake silencer - the supercharger whine without the airbox seated properly (or at all) is surprisingly loud!
 


Sorry for the late reply. I was trying to get help with recording the noise. Im hoping this link works!! There was pipes loosened so I will get my neighbour to check and also use his diagnostic tool to read the fuel trim values when he gets a minute. Still no eml coming on.
 

SplanK

Site Supporter
Is it a manual or CVT (auto)?

From that video, that to me sounds like a supercharger whine which may suggest that you have a pipe loose or airbox cover not on correctly (latter wont affect MPG or driveability though). It could be belt related as well but that tends to be a squeak

If I'm right and its supercharger noise, then if you have the car parked up and in neutral, free rev it up to around 2500-3000 and hold it there (video if it you can) - then 'blip' the throttle to encourage the supercharger to turn on. The supercharger will initially spin up but then should disengage. You can hear the supercharger normally, however if something is wrong, IE airbox not connected properly or other pipe disconnected then it will be louder than normal.


A quick video of mine just now with the air filter and cover removed just as a comparison for you. I free rev it to 2500-ish, no noise (which may explain why you cant hear it at idle looking under the bonnet), a quick throttle blip whilst maintaining higher than idle revs and you can hear the supercharger whine clearly and then it turns off again.

0-8 seconds - free revving to around 2500 (supercharger disengaged)
9 second mark - quick throttle blip to engage the supercharger
9-12 seconds - supercharger whine
12 seconds onwards - supercharger disengages and noise goes away
 
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Hi. Okay so I followed your instructions and that exact thing happened in your video. On inspection the large hose going into the left side of the airbox at the back (I'm assuming the to do with the supercharger) had blown loose. It has been re-attached and the noise has gone!! I have taken it for a little drive and the driving is now really smooth with no jerking on acceleration and it is not stalling or attempting to stall at standstill! The mpg still look a bit iffy (I'm not sure if it is meant to fluctuate wildly on the gauge on the dash when driving as I have never had reason to look at it before) but I am going to try and take it for a good run out tomorrow to see if that rectifies itself. I cannot thank you enough for your help :)
 

SplanK

Site Supporter
Great news! Keep an eye on it (or ear!) as under boost it could come loose again if a clip or something has broken, but fingers crossed it just got forgot about during other work :)

The live MPG read outs will fluctuate wildly as you drive, even at a steady state, its just the nature of it and especially when cold. But the average should give you an idea so I would reset it and see how it goes.
 
Great news! Keep an eye on it (or ear!) as under boost it could come loose again if a clip or something has broken, but fingers crossed it just got forgot about during other work :)

The live MPG read outs will fluctuate wildly as you drive, even at a steady state, its just the nature of it and especially when cold. But the average should give you an idea so I would reset it and see how it goes.
I'll try resetting it and see how I get on. Thanks again for all your help!!!
 
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