Slow 1.0: problems?

Hi all,

I'm new here, I have yet to buy a 1.3 myself, but my sister has a 1995 1.0 Micra, and it slows down to 35-40mph going up hills ( has to drop from 5th to 3rd gear). I know a 1.0 engine is small, but the car is small and it should do hills faster than 40mph in 3rd gear right.

Now I had a go at driving the car, and it's nippy on the off, but feels flat after a bit, especially on hills, it supposedly drinks fuel too, when I got in to try it for the first time (it's new to her), I thought the fuel gauge was dead, but the light was on, it was running on fumes (little did she realise!), she claims she put a tenner in it the other day.

My first inclination is binding brakes, the brakes are fantastic btw, the handbrake lets go because it stops when u pull it.

But could it be over-fuelling (faulty o2 sensor), or a weak spark or something. It start spot on though!!

Any ideas?

Thanks
Deian
 
Hello deian

I just got a 1.0 last weekend, its the same apart from my brakes, they're ok. It drinks as well. Put in £30 so far just for work 16miles every 5 days. I put a length of big drain pipe on the airbox instead of thee factory job. Got some mad hills to climb, (possibly why it drinks), increasing air intake helps in the high rev range.

When you drive, does it labor in 2nd? 1st into second always labors, unless I rev the engine hi!! Can't be right.

Cheers Mike :)
 
OP
OP
D
Hi,

It's quite a normal hill, not THAT steep, I will check it again tomorrow. Not sure about a misfire, I think so, it goes a bit flat after a bit of labouring. It doesn't stall, and it smooth as silk on idle and take off, I'm thinking dizzy cap/leads/plugs? But not sure about the fuel consumption though, i'll see what kind of mileage she's been getting on the last £10 since weds.

Thanks
 
you could try giving it a service, you'd be surprised what a difference an air filter and plugs change will do for a car.
 
OP
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it had a service 6k ago by nissan main dealer, it's got fsh with all nissan stamps, still, i like a challenge, i'm pretty good with cars, i reckon it's binding brakes myself, i'll check the basics while i'm at it too. thanks for the help so far
 

frank

Club Member
hi deian

my wife,s 1.0 went through a phase a couple of years ago where it felt very gutless (especially in 2nd), it cleared itself after a few weeks :confused:
the 1.0,s are quite high geared and i find that low profile tyres help, especially for urban driving (i run 165/55/13,s on the front)
 
Hey deian

If you resolve the fuel matter, let me know, please. I'm absolutely skint for a while. Need to recover from buying the car. Had to borrow £600 for it. Thought I'd have a cheap runner for work.:down: I wanted a subwoofer in the boot, probably be too heavy for it. :(

Cheers Mike

i find that low profile tyres help, especially for urban driving

frank, can you please explain

Cheers Mike
 
6000 miles is about right in between services, should always give a new car a service when you get it regardless of when it was last done.
 
OP
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I have the answer to the problem here:
The baffle fibres in the backbox had broken down and blocked up, restricting the flow of the exhaust. Funny thing is, it's my sister who found this out by just randomly checking up that end, she pulled what she described as 'hair' out of the exhaust.

So she took the car back to the garage and because she had 2 months warranty on the car, they replaced the backbox AS WELL as the fuel and air filter, even though it was done in the last service. Fair play to the guy. The difference is astonishing! If the 1.0 is this nippy, I wonder what the 1.3 is like?

Thanks for all your help and input.
 
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