Speed limiter on car i just bought?

lightspeed · 28-02-2013 10:46PM #1

Hi i just bought a 1996 automatic nissan March jap import but the NCT is due up at the end on 9th March 2013.

The guy i purchased it from says that he put a speed limiter on it because he did not want his wife driving to fast so the limiter only allows the car do up to 80 miles per hour. I took it for a test drive around the town and everything seemed fine. Im from Dublin and this car was in Galway. So i get on the motorway back to Dublin and when i accelerate it begins to fall back in speed and then the check engine light and battery light comes on and the car loses all power.

I pulled over to the hard shoulder and started the car up and it happened again. I rang the guy i got he car from and he asks if i went over 80 and said that it was due to the limiter he mentioned. As he had not gone into much detail about the limiter at the time, I thought he meant he had previously had the car like this as he had mentioned that the wife got the car whilst learning to drive.

It is actually around 90 klm/hr that the car encounters these problems. So it does seem to be that he is telling the truth and advised me that i would need a mechanic to remove it.

Does anybody know if a limiter would cause a car to stall like this and how can I get it fixed?

For Forks Sake · 28-02-2013 10:50PM

Cash is king · 28-02-2013 10:55PM

A micra driving fast! Now thats a new one on me!!!

Big Nasty · 28-02-2013 11:00PM

Private or dealer?

A lot of JDM cars have limiters that cut in at a certain speed and when you hit the set speed you get a drop in power and normal service resumes once you go back below said speed.

What you're experiencing sounds well different and I find it hard to believe the seller installed an aftermarket limiter to slow his woman down - in fact if what he's saying is true you should have walked away from it.

Actually either way you probably should have ran dude.

Mick ah · 28-02-2013 11:01PM

Sounds fishy to me to be honest.

All jap cars by law have them (in Japan) some of them still have them when they arrive here.

However they don't just fvck your car like that. They just stop out going over a limit.

I reckon you just got a lemon

navara man · 28-02-2013 11:11PM

lightspeed wrote: »

Hi i just bought a 1996 automatic nissan March jap import but the NCT is due up at the end on 9th March 2013.

The guy i purchased it from says that he put a speed limiter on it because he did not want his wife driving to fast so the limiter only allows the car do up to 80 miles per hour.

80 miles per hour in a 96 nissan and you want to go faster :eek::eek:

colm_mcm · 28-02-2013 11:30PM

You've been had. Simple as that.

90kmph is only about 55mph.

Unlikely you'd get anywhere, but if it was me, I'd call him and record the call, play dumb and get him to tell you more about the limiter etc, when he got it fitted etc. he knows well the car is faulty.

Also I'd be curious as to how long the seller had the car for.

Stick the reg in here for the craic
https://www.motortax.ie/PSE/start.do;jsessionid=0aa0114730d82b8022fac6494a2cb32dd3937bac1384.e38PaNaSbh0RaO0LaxaPe0?page=welcome

lightspeed · 28-02-2013 11:35PM

navara man wrote: »

80 miles per hour in a 96 nissan and you want to go faster :eek::eek:

Id be happy enough with 80 miles an hour but it looks like he meant that i cant go over 80klm/hr. I was able to see my exact speed using my gps and it started to act up when it got to 88 Klm and would lose all power when it gets past 95klm/hr. What else could be the problem?

I probably should have been less trusting and asked more questions. He showed me on the NCT certificate that it was only at 51000 miles and that it is now at just over 56,000 miles. He was a foreign guy who said his wife used the car while she is learning to drive and just used it around the town to shopping and take his child to school.

Im not sure if i have much of a comeback on this. From what i read, its illegal to sell a car that is not road worthy under the sale of goods and supply act which includes car sales from a private individual. The Citizens advice website states that a buyer of a vehicle that is not roadworthy should contact the Gardai.

Does anybody know if i would need to take to a nissan dealership to have the problem looked at or would most local garages know how to fix the problem?

shooter88 · 28-02-2013 11:46PM

That guy is long gone..sorry to say

dougie-lampkin · 28-02-2013 11:47PM

lightspeed wrote: »

I rang the guy i got he car from and he asks if i went over 80 and said that it was due to the limiter he mentioned...

You either need to see a good auto electrician or Keanu Reeves.

Contacting the Gardai won't help your case, it's not illegal for him to sell an unroadworthy car since he's not a dealer. You have no recourse with the seller, he's even told you that the limiter is fitted. It will take a decent auto spark no more than 10 minutes to disconnect the thing.

lightspeed · 28-02-2013 11:49PM

Do you reckon i would be better looking for an auto electrician or taking it to a nissan garage to diagnose the problem?

Big Nasty · 28-02-2013 11:50PM

lightspeed wrote: »

Id be happy enough with 80 miles an hour but it looks like he meant that i cant go over 80klm/hr. I was able to see my exact speed using my gps and it started to act up when it got to 88 Klm and would lose all power when it gets past 95klm/hr. What else could be the problem?

I probably should have been less trusting and asked more questions. He showed me on the NCT certificate that it was only at 51000 miles and that it is now at just over 56,000 miles. He was a foreign guy who said his wife used the car while she is learning to drive and just used it around the town to shopping and take his child to school.

Im not sure if i have much of a comeback on this. From what i read, its illegal to sell a car that is not road worthy under the sale of goods and supply act which includes car sales from a private individual. The Citizens advice website states that a buyer of a vehicle that is not roadworthy should contact the Gardai.

Does anybody know if i would need to take to a nissan dealership to have the problem looked at or would most local garages know how to fix the problem?

There's your problem right there - flux capicator is wankered.

EDIT: I see you said 88kmph not mph, must be something different so.

lightspeed · 01-03-2013 12:09AM

Would the flux capacitor explain why it is only a problem when it gets to a certain speed?

I drove it home and kept it at 80 klm and it was running perfect at that speed. So im quite confused if it is something that i need an auto electrician to look at or should just assume ive been had and diagnose the problem. Im assuming that parts for a 1996 nissan micra could b easily found in a scrap yard and the car repaired cheaply enough. I only paid €600 for the car.

TheChizler · 01-03-2013 12:20AM

What's the horsepower of the car OP? You need about 1.6 M, about 1.21 GW for correct operation at those speeds.

colm_mcm · 01-03-2013 12:20AM

Unless you bought the car next Tuesday then its unlikely to be the flux capacitor

delly · 01-03-2013 03:08AM

colm_mcm wrote: »

Unless you bought the car next Tuesday then its unlikely to be the flux capacitor

Lads, I don't think a flux capacitor would cause this at all, namely because a car of that age wouldn't have one. I could be wrong, but I think 1985 was the last production year that they were added and the car is way younger than that.

pete4130 · 01-03-2013 05:00AM

colm_mcm wrote: »

You've been had. Simple as that.

90kmph is only about 55mph.

Unlikely you'd get anywhere, but if it was me, I'd call him and record the call, play dumb and get him to tell you more about the limiter etc, when he got it fitted etc. he knows well the car is faulty.

Unfortunately I think you have to inform someone if you are going to record a phone call if you want to be able to use it as evidence. Thats the reason you can't get smart phone apps to record your calls.

12gauge dave · 01-03-2013 05:12AM

Just bring it to a local garage in your area and get them to have a look its all you can do mate.

Every jdm car i had wouldnt hit the limiter till 190kmh speed would fall back for a second the car wouldnt shut off or anything

monkeysnapper · 01-03-2013 06:04AM

lightspeed wrote: »

Would the flux capacitor explain why it is only a problem when it gets to a certain speed?

.

Make sure when you get it fixed its done properly because if its a itamitant problem you don't want it breaking while your on a journey because there might not be anyone alive who can fix it

Big Nasty · 01-03-2013 06:42AM

monkeysnapper wrote: »

Make sure when you get it fixed its done properly because if its a itamitant problem you don't want it breaking while your on a journey because there might not be anyone alive who can fix it

Worst case scenario there's always a bit of lightening, although you never know where it's gonna strike.

lightspeed · 01-03-2013 07:17AM

If i take it to a garage and the problem is expensive to fix, do you reckon the car could be deemed not road worthy amd so i could just call the gardai and say to them ive been sold a dangerous car that not fit for the road. However, given that the NCT is not up until the middle of March 2013, is that not even an option?

djimi · 01-03-2013 07:24AM

I doubt that this world be enough to deem the car unroadworthy; that would usually refer to a car that has a dangerous defect (as in a potential safety issue) or one where the car has a critical defect (where it is not capable of running at all).

thecomedian · 01-03-2013 07:27AM

lightspeed wrote: »

If i take it to a garage and the problem is expensive to fix, do you reckon the car could be deemed not road worthy amd so i could just call the gardai and say to them ive been sold a dangerous car that not fit for the road. However, given that the NCT is not up until the middle of March 2013, is that not even an option?

Forget about the gardai, and forget about going back to the seller (If it was a private sale). You have no comeback.
Bring it to a Indy garage.

If only there was a way you could go back in time!

AltAccount · 01-03-2013 07:31AM

The car is already not roadworthy IMHO.

Call him and ask him for the name and number of the guy he used to fit the limiter, because you want it removed.

If he gives you a name, then go and get it removed and hopefully it'll drive fine.

If he starts hemming and hawing, call him on his bullsh1t and tell him you're on your way to get your money back, and if he won't give it to you, you'll call the Gardai.

langdang · 01-03-2013 08:00AM

CVT box, hmmmm...
Don't think sounds like an actual limiter that anyone competent or sensible would fit.
Based purely on my reservations about CVT autos (ok, some newer ones might be fine but..) I'd guess you have a gearbox issue that coincides with a certain load or CVT gearing. I don't think it would constitute "dangerous unroadworthy" but you have been had. My opinion fwiw

thecomedian · 01-03-2013 08:26AM

AltAccount wrote: »

The car is already not roadworthy IMHO.

Call him and ask him for the name and number of the guy he used to fit the limiter, because you want it removed.

If he gives you a name, then go and get it removed and hopefully it'll drive fine.

If he starts hemming and hawing, call him on his bullsh1t and tell him you're on your way to get your money back, and if he won't give it to you, you'll call the Gardai.

And what is the OP going to say to the gardai?

AltAccount · 01-03-2013 08:45AM

thecomedian wrote: »

And what is the OP going to say to the gardai?

Correct me if I'm wrong, but the seller sold an unroadworthy car, they knew the issue existed, they didn't properly disclose the issue.

Whether the seller is trade or private, afaik what they've done is against the Sale of Goods and Supply of Seevices Act.

thecomedian · 01-03-2013 08:57AM

AltAccount wrote: »

Correct me if I'm wrong, but the seller sold an unroadworthy car, they knew the issue existed, they didn't properly disclose the issue.

Whether the seller is trade or private, afaik what they've done is against the Sale of Goods and Supply of Seevices Act.

You would have to go to a civil court.
Something could have broken in the time the op got it (I'm not saying it did). Very hard to prove anything, the seller could deny it and say he knew nothing about it.
If the car was very dangerous he might have a case but it isn't.

AltAccount · 01-03-2013 09:01AM

thecomedian wrote: »

You would have to go to a civil court.
Something could have broken in the time the op got it (I'm not saying it did). Very hard to prove anything, the seller could deny it and say he knew nothing about it.
If the car was very dangerous he might have a case but it isn't.

You think a car that spontaneously loses power at motorway or overtaking speeds isn't very dangerous?

thecomedian · 01-03-2013 09:18AM

AltAccount wrote: »

You think a car that spontaneously loses power at motorway or overtaking speeds isn't very dangerous?

The seller can say it was running ok when he had it.

Henry Ford III · 01-03-2013 09:43AM

AltAccount wrote: »

Correct me if I'm wrong, but the seller sold an unroadworthy car, they knew the issue existed, they didn't properly disclose the issue.

Whether the seller is trade or private, afaik what they've done is against the Sale of Goods and Supply of Seevices Act.

No evidence that car is unroadworthy. It won't go fast but that isn't necessarily a dangerous thing.

Speed limiter on car i just bought?

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