Coil Pack

galwaydude18

Hi the girlfriend bought a 00 Nissan Almera today. Its a 1.5 16valve petrol.

It seems to be lacking power but the Guy she bought it off rang his mechanic and he told him that it needs a new coil pack.

Could this be the cause of it's lack of power? I'd so is it a big job to get a new coil pack replaced.

The car was taken in by a garage for a trade in and that is where she bought it.

Kenny Logins

10 minute job. It will cause running problems, lack of power etc.

galwaydude18

Kenny Logins wrote: »

10 minute job. It will cause running problems, lack of power etc.

Ok thanks for the quick reply. Ya it runs fine apart from the lack of power. Is it the kind of job a DIY person can do? Iv changed oil, spark plugs and filters before

galwaydude18

Kenny Logins wrote: »

10 minute job. It will cause running problems, lack of power etc.

Ok thanks for the quick reply. Ya it runs fine apart from the lack of power. Is it the kind of job a DIY person can do? Iv changed oil, spark plugs and filters before

Kenny Logins

I've done it on an '02 Focus and I know feck all about modern cars.

No idea about an Almera though... Look up the part on micksgarage.ie.

colm_mcm

Bring to a mechanic if new plugs and coils don't do the trick, it may be a stretched timing chain

Do the plugs first, then coils, hopefully its just plugs

McP2011

If its running alright i doubt its a coilpack...it should be of a cylinder/misfiring if it was.

Nissan doctor

Your brave taking the word of some random person that the seller may have called.

Coil packs are not a common failure on the almera at all, Stretched chains are though!

mickdw

Surely its up to the garage to look after this for her.
If its a stretched chain, the car is scrap imo.

Nissan doctor

mickdw wrote: »

Surely its up to the garage to look after this for her.
If its a stretched chain, the car is scrap imo.

Why would it be scrap? Its not a huge amount more expensive then changing certain timing belts.

galwaydude18

Ok thanks lads. I'll start with the spark plugs and coil pack and take it from there. Hooefully that will sort it out

Nissan doctor

galwaydude18 wrote: »

Ok thanks lads. I'll start with the spark plugs and coil pack and take it from there. Hooefully that will sort it out

There is one coilpack for each plug.

Is the car running smoothly just down on power, i.e flat spot when you try to accelerate or is it running badly and spluttering when you try to accelerate?

galwaydude18

Not sure what you mean by sputtering? Its around 2000 revs when it seems to chuck as if it's losing power and once above that she said it smoothly but seems to be lacking power when driving

Nissan doctor

galwaydude18 wrote: »

Not sure what you mean by sputtering? Its around 2000 revs when it seems to chuck as if it's losing power and once above that she said it smoothly but seems to be lacking power when driving

I wouldn't be putting my money on a coilpack unfortunatly.

galwaydude18

What would u be putting it on?

Nissan doctor

galwaydude18 wrote: »

What would u be putting it on?

An airflow meter could cause similar issues but the already mentioned stretched chain is more likely.

When you switch on the ignition, does the engine warning light come on and then go off when you start the car?

galwaydude18

As far as I know the engine light stays on once the ignition is turned on

Nissan doctor

galwaydude18 wrote: »

As far as I know the engine light stays on once the ignition is turned on

Well then before you try replacing anything have the fault diagnosed.

ford jedi

im with nissan doctor 99% of the time its a stretched chain ,, hard to think it is as they dont rattle, done stacks of them ,,rarely every done leads of coils on any nissan its sadly the chains let them dowm, and as for scrap i dont think so .any half decent mechanic could sort it out.

galwaydude18

Ok I got to bring it for a drive just there. It drives smooth when on the bypass once the revs are 2500 and above. Once you change gears either up or down the revs drop and once your 2000revs or less it chucks like it's losing power until it goes above 2500 revs again. The same happens going around round abouts.

The engine management light did not stay on once the ignition was turned on.

galwaydude18

The car is in the garage this morning to be connected up to the computer and see does it return any error codes. Will let you guys know how I get on later on.

galwaydude18

Well I had the car in the Nissan garage and they told me that it's the timing chain that is streched. Im getting one for €200 plus whatever my mechanic will charge to fit it.

How many hours labour does this job usually take to do?

Nissan doctor

galwaydude18 wrote: »

Well I had the car in the Nissan garage and they told me that it's the timing chain that is streched. Im getting one for €200 plus whatever my mechanic will charge to fit it.

How many hours labour does this job usually take to do?

I presume your getting the chain from Nissan? You can get aftermarket complete kits, chain, chain guides, tensioner, pulleys etc for around the 100 euro mark.

galwaydude18

No from a car part shop. Maybe when I collect it tomorrow I should ask for trade price?

There are a few other issues Nissan showed on the health check but will the mechanic to let me know if they need to be done straight away or can I wait a few weeks as the funds are tight at the minute

galwaydude18

Does anyone have any idea how many hours labour is involved in changing the timing chain?

colm_mcm

What sort of garage sells an almera with a known problem that is synominous with that particular car?

galwaydude18

A Nissan garage where cowboys work. The girlfriend needs it to travel 60 miles a day to college so she can't be without a car hence the reason she wants to sort it out.

Do know how long the job takes to do?

colm_mcm

Bring the car in, make a fuss, theres no way a Nissan garage didn't know it was faulty. I don't understand how you can be so passive.

galwaydude18

I understand what your saying Colm but I work in Dublin and girlfriend is in college so don't have time during the week to drive three hours to where the car is brought.

If you have ever changed one before could you please let me know roughly how many hours labour it took.

Cheers :-)

Nissan doctor

It would be about 6 hours for someone who hasn't done any/many before.

Down to 3-4 hours with experience.


TBH if you bought it from a Nissan garage with this problem then I'd be calling them and telling them where in Dublin they can collect it from for repair!

galwaydude18

Picking up the timing chain kit this evening and getting my mechanic to fit it for €150 labour.

galwaydude18

Just to let everyone know got the timing chain done today and the car is now driving 100% now thank god

unkel

How much was that (parts + labour)?

Nissan doctor

galwaydude18 wrote: »

Picking up the timing chain kit this evening and getting my mechanic to fit it for €150 labour.

Either he's not familiar with the job or he's doing it as a nixer, either way, if €150 labour is all you pay-you've done very well.

galwaydude18

I bought the full timing chain kit for €200.it came with the tensioner and pullys.I also bought 5l of oil, oil filter and coolant for a further €40 so total for parts was €240. My mechanic then did the work for €150 labour. It wasn't a nixer either. This mechanic is an x Nissan mechanic before the place he worked in closed down.