Oxygen Sensor -Micra Auto 1.2 (53 plate)

[LadyNissan]

This morning the malfunction light came on. Duly took to Nissan garage - was advised it was the oxygen sensor (front) that was faulty. Quote given just under £300. As the car is just out of warranty (only 2 days would you believe it) and it has only done 9500 miles in the 3 years the service dept got in touch with Nissan headoffice to ask if they would the cover the cost. Apparantely they said yes - they would pay the part if I paid for the labour. I agreed to this. Although of course not happy I thought I could write letter to Nissan headoffice afterwards. I paid £105.00 for labour (including VAT).

My question.... yes ok strictly speaking outside of warranty but should an oxygen sensor (what ever that is exactly) go faulty after only 9500 miles - I'm thinking no but then I'm not a mechanic and know nothing about cars! I do appreciate that Nissan paid for the part but do you think its worth writing to Nissan to ask them to help pay towards the labour purely on the grounds that it went faulty after such low mileage?? Back at work I was asked if I do short journeys. Yes I do. To work one way it is only 6-8 miles and my circle of friends live nearby. Doesn't state in the handbook to avoid oxygen sensors going faulty need to do long journeys every so often if your average mileage is not that much. Therefore how much is often and for how long, ie every couple of weeks need to do a 50 mile journey?!?

Going back to my original question, in mileage terms roughly how long should one of these sensors last for but also am I being unreasonable hoping that Nissan headoffice will stump up more money to pay for the labour.

Your advice/help greatly appreciated. (I'm just hoping the back sensor doesn't go now). Oh yes... got home this evening and discovered the technican/mechanic did not put the fuse box cover back on under the steering wheel - another out of my way journey to do. Although I think I will ask them to deliver it to me considering it their fault. Can only but try.

Again, thanks for any help you can give me.

 

[Fordy]

tbh the oxygen sensors can go at any age, any milage, any reason. so i would think your self lucky that nissan paid for the part. and i doubt nissan will pay the labour cost unless youve been messed about alot.

one thing tho i can highly recommend you do since its out of warranty is to kept the servicing correct, dont be late on months or milage.

because if the timing chain stretches your looking at a bill not far off £1000 inc labour and parts etc but if its kept to the correct servicing you can get nissan involved etc and get a goodwill claim where nissan will pay so much etc

also try to give your car a good driving every now and again as the engine will be greating choaked up

 

[LadyNissan]

Thanks for your advice Fordy.

On the separate matter of servicing... I bought it pre registered. registed in November 2003, I purchase Feb 2004 (5 miles on clock when bought). Letter I had from the dealership's headoffice (Glyn Hopkin) advised me the services were due every February but as it happens today the service guy said that really the service should be due on the registration date anniversary and not when I purchased it. Which one is correct? Timing chains last about 5 years dont they are at least get changed every 5 years? The 3rd service (in Feb 07) hopefully won't be as expensive as the 2nd one. The 2nd service was £280.

 

[Dave Bull]

Timing belts maybe, but not timing chains!

Timing chains are generally for life!

 

[Fordy]

lol as if, k12 and QG timing chains are cr*p nissan blame poor servicing something on the lines of this "the escaped combustion gases over a period of time induce excesive wear on the timing chain" bascially in lamens terms the chains are no good and are prone to stretching (elongating)

i can get the bulletins and post them up if people dont believe me.

the main expensive problems on k12's are:

timing chain stretching
valve seats burning out

 

[5ilver Micra]

£105 labour jesus what they chargin a hour...i would say it would only take about a hour to change a Sensor...5 min job on a k11 so im not sure on a k12. We only charge £20 a hour...lol

 

[Fordy]

Thanks for your advice Fordy.

On the separate matter of servicing... I bought it pre registered. registed in November 2003, I purchase Feb 2004 (5 miles on clock when bought). Letter I had from the dealership's headoffice (Glyn Hopkin) advised me the services were due every February but as it happens today the service guy said that really the service should be due on the registration date anniversary and not when I purchased it. Which one is correct? Timing chains last about 5 years dont they are at least get changed every 5 years? The 3rd service (in Feb 07) hopefully won't be as expensive as the 2nd one. The 2nd service was £280.

sorry i dont know about the reg date and purchase date i would of thought it be the reg date but im not sure.

nissan cam belts are 5 years or 54,000 miles
renault cam belts eg primarstar interstar kubistar and 1.5dci k12 micra are due 72,000 dont know about years ill have a look tomorrow

if you look in the service book which gets stamped etc you will see the service sheet which should tell you on additional items the time limits on stuff and mile limits

k12's dont have fuel filters

some k12's have pollen filters but not all of them so make sure you dont get charged for one if you dont have one.
im going to get a picture of where the pollen filter is located so people can check for themselfs if they do or dont have one

 

[LadyNissan]

Hi Guy, thanks for all your help.

Further question....people have mentioned my journey could be too short. I noted my journey to work is only 6 miles. I though ok I'd take a slight longer journey home and noted it was 10 miles. Is a 10 mile journey still classed as too short? It seems silly to me having to waste time going out of my way, using up more petrol to ensure that this problem with O/sensor doesn't happen again - if of course it was down to that. But of course would do it to avoid it happening again.

Also cheers re the pollen filters - dont want to get charged for something I dont have.

 

[Wolodemer]

Journey time.

Hi Guy, thanks for all your help.

Further question....people have mentioned my journey could be too short. I noted my journey to work is only 6 miles. I though ok I'd take a slight longer journey home and noted it was 10 miles. Is a 10 mile journey still classed as too short? It seems silly to me having to waste time going out of my way, using up more petrol to ensure that this problem with O/sensor doesn't happen again - if of course it was down to that. But of course would do it to avoid it happening again.

Also cheers re the pollen filters - dont want to get charged for something I dont have.

Short journey times are not the cause of malfunctioning of components, mechanical parts can go wrong from time to time. As long as the car is seviced according to manufactures instructions, mileage or time whichever comes first! then things should be fine. But mechanical parts do wear out and go wrong.

 

[Skyliner34]

Hi,

The oxygen sensor (at the exhaust with me) went almost exactly a year ago. It's a 55 plate 1.2 S. I didn’t get charged anything, I had to write a letter to Nissan to complain about my local garage because they couldn’t find the fault and couldn’t give a toss.

Nissan gave them a rocket and our local Nissan dealer apologised to us and did it all for free

I think I made a post about this a year ago. Something about kangaroo jumps.