New Owner - Few Questions

[Relaxed]

Greetings all,

New owner of a 2009 Nissan Micra 25. A few questions - will be grateful for any answers.

Purchased it this month from a small, independent dealer.

Up till 2018 the car had done 41k, and quite regular service stamps. Since then it is now on 76k, and no extra history. However, the dealer has said he did an oil & filter service after he acquired the vehicle.

Should I put the car through a full service ? I don't want to spend too much money on it right now, especially as it looks like I have overpaid for it anyway.

Other questions:

- The interior seems very , very creaky - seems to be coming from the front seat for the most part. Is this common for a Micra, and is it a simple case of using WD-40 to fix it?

- Does this model have a timing belt or chain ? And if chain, do I need to do get this replaced at certain intervals?

- Getting some conflicting information about whether E5 or E10 is suitable for this vehicle. A Nissan dealer I spoke to seemed to be mixing up his E5 / E10, which made it even more conflicting.

Thanks in advance for any replies.

 

[nismo_400r]

Hi,

I have a 2006 Micra Sport SR (1.6 litre), which is probably a different engine to yours but hopefully I can still help!

If the oil looks clean on the dipstick then I wouldn't service it yet, but I personally wouldn't go to the full service length, just because I have been stung with used cars in the past. Spark plugs are every 3rd service on the CR petrol engines (1.0, 1.2 and 1.4), which is 36,000 miles, however if they have been left too long it won't cause damage, as they have to get really worn before the engine will misfire.

Creaky interiors are quite common on the K12s, mine is terrible for it and I don't think I've ever been in one that doesn't knock, creak or rattle. I don't know of a fix but would like to know if there is one as that's my main problem with my K12 compared to my K13.

All petrol engined k12s are timing chain, diesels have a timing belt. From what I can tell looking through the workshop manual, there is no fixed service life of the timing chain, it is probably a case of replacing it if it becomes damaged/worn.

According to the government e10 checker website, all Nissans after 1st January 2000 are compatible with e10, however I find in both of my cars that is is actually cheaper to run the premium e5 petrol due to the difference in miles per gallon.

Hope this helps

 

[Relaxed]

Hi,

I have a 2006 Micra Sport SR (1.6 litre), which is probably a different engine to yours but hopefully I can still help!

If the oil looks clean on the dipstick then I wouldn't service it yet, but I personally wouldn't go to the full service length, just because I have been stung with used cars in the past. Spark plugs are every 3rd service on the CR petrol engines (1.0, 1.2 and 1.4), which is 36,000 miles, however if they have been left too long it won't cause damage, as they have to get really worn before the engine will misfire.

Creaky interiors are quite common on the K12s, mine is terrible for it and I don't think I've ever been in one that doesn't knock, creak or rattle. I don't know of a fix but would like to know if there is one as that's my main problem with my K12 compared to my K13.

All petrol engined k12s are timing chain, diesels have a timing belt. From what I can tell looking through the workshop manual, there is no fixed service life of the timing chain, it is probably a case of replacing it if it becomes damaged/worn.

According to the government e10 checker website, all Nissans after 1st January 2000 are compatible with e10, however I find in both of my cars that is is actually cheaper to run the premium e5 petrol due to the difference in miles per gallon.

Hope this helps

Thanks for your reply, very helpful indeed !

Reassuring to know about the creaks, was concerned I might have purchased a defective one.

Excuse my ignorance - but is the timing chain something I can check myself for wear etc, or does this need a mechanics' expertise?

Thanks.

 

[nismo_400r]

Generally, if the engine is running fine and there's no rattling then the timing chain should be fine. Chains tend to stretch and rattle as they wear, but they last longer than timing belts.

 

[Relaxed]

Generally, if the engine is running fine and there's no rattling then the timing chain should be fine. Chains tend to stretch and rattle as they wear, but they last longer than timing belts.

Great, thank you