[EVERY NEWS04] NISSAN X-TRAIL

Long time no see. The fall is finally coming. Today I picked up one of the very famous SUV, Nissan X-Trail.

X-Trail was produced as a rival of TOYOTA RAV4 & HONDA CR-V. But X-Trail carried through to be an off-road vehicle even other SUV changed their concept to rich machines. After the first model change, X-Trail improved its driving performance and functionality keeping its concept, an off-road SUV. X-Trail has many equipment for out door activity, so very poplar among users who like camp, long driving, off-road driving, etc. From 2007 through 2009, X-Trail was the best seller SUV in Japan.

Nissan X-Trail(2000~)

AIR CONDITIONER SYSTEM
I sometimes found records about air conditioner(A/C) trouble of X-Trail. Their main symptoms are these.

(1) Wind blow from A/C panel but not cool.
(2) Wind doesn't blow completely.

If relay of A/C compressor have broken, A/C can't send cool air like (1). This trouble have found from some X-trail. Please check the relay if you got trouble in A/C.
In case of (2), don't you hear an loud sound from under the assistant driver's seat? If so, it may trouble of a blower motor. It is electric motor which spin a fan of A/C. If it is broken, it can't send air.

In passing, when you turned on A/C with AUTO mode on a cold day, vehicles don't send air till its water temperature is getting increase. It is to avoid to cool a passenger room, not a breakdown.


BACK DOOR CONDITION & BODY FRAME
If a back door(tail gate) goes down by itself when you open it, its dumper rods may have worn away.

Or, if a back door doesn't close well, lock parts of a door may be deformed because of shock or something. Repairing lock parts only is not so difficult, but I want to ask you to check a distortion of its body frame once you realized such condition.

as you know the main reason of a distortion of frame is a car accident. So if its body frame has distortion, this vehicle may has damages on other important parts even visible body damages had fixed. So please open a back door, and check whether body frame has repair marks, whether it has a distortion between body  & all doors carefully.

FULL MODEL CHANGE ON AUG, 2007
After the model change on August 2007, X-trail added the electric control 4WD system. That is a driving assist system that control engine torque, speed at a downhill, break, etc for all load condition. Passenger room are waterproofing type to against dirty. Its luggage board in the luggage space is detachable so that you can wash it. Under the luggage board are trays to put your luggage away with great efficiency. These items are really useful if you work with this vehicle, when you go to out door activity.

[EVERY NEWS 03] TOYOTA VITZ

Hi there. Yen exchange is getting really heavy for us...Anyway this week I pick up one of the best seller vehicles of TOYOTA, Vitz.

Its design, high quality safe performance, and environmental performance charmed many people, and Vitz brought compact car boom among Japan with HONDA Fit, NISSAN March. Even now they are said "They changed the Japanese small vehicles".

TOYOTA Vitz 

1999-

ENGINE OIL
There are seemed many Vitz which had trouble on its engine because of neglect of engine oil replacement. It is possible to break its timing chain or belt if its engine oil haven't replaced at fixed intervals. Breaking timing chain cause serious damage on its engine, and it may costs a lot to repair.

Once you buy Vitz, please try to hear its engine sound carefully. If it has heavy clatter noise, it may one which are neglected engine oil replacement.

If it was heavy to compare engine sounds, please take its engine oil cap off & check backside of it. If it has heavy dirty, it may be possible that the vehicle has been neglected an engine oil replacement.

This 2 check points are not only for Vitz. They may be helpful for any vehicles.

Engine oil for Vitz are 5W-20, 5W-30,10W-30 of API SJ/ILSAC GF-2 or 10W-30 of API SH. Vitz like a low viscosity oil. So 5W series are ideal in Japan products.


AIR FLOW SENSOR (AIR FLOW METER)
Vitz 1999~2005 model (SCP1* or NCP1* ) are sometimes reported trouble of an air flow sensor(air flow meter). Its main symptoms are turning on an engine warning lump during driving, but it turn off once restart engine

This trouble may happen because lean signal is sent longer time than actual and the sensor figure that is warning. Surely in other cases any engine trouble has happened truly. So please check your vehicle carefully once you found that an engine warning lump was turned on.


An air flow meter for Vitz is non-analyzable type. It isn't designed to analyze to cleaning. So I recommend you to replace it once it has trouble though some people have continued to use it cleaning by themselves.

[EVERY NEWS 02] MITSUBISHI CHARIOT GRANDIS

Good evening, Autumn is finally coming!! Good by summer beach, Hello autumnal tints!! This week I'd like to pick up a really poplar wagon from Mitsubishi, Chariot Grandis.

Its first model is "Chariot" made in 1983. After 1993, the name was changed to "Chariot Grandis".

MITSUBISHI Chariot Grandis
1993-2003

DIFFERENCES BETWEEN N84W & N94W
Some customer asked the difference of N84W & N94W.
N84W is 2WD, Front engine Front drive vehicle. Other hand N94W is Full-Time 4WD. Because of the difference of drive system, N84W is 1570kg but N94W is 1670kg(In case of glade EXCEED).

If you want high power vehicle, N94W is recommended. But on the fuel expenses side, N84W is better on normal road.

And fuel tunk size is also different. N84W can hold maximum 63L. N94W is 58L.


CARBON DIRT
Chariot Grandis has GDI engine, which is direct injection type. This engine is easier to get carbon dirty around injections then other engine type. This carbon dirt disturb the normal burning. Then it cause more carbon dirt.

This carbon dirt often is a cause of unstable idling, black smoke from an exhaust, engine stop, etc. Many Chariot Grandis owners have complained same accident. Almost of their mileage are over 60,000km. It is better to clean carbon dirt sometimes & pay attention its engine condition once you buy Chariot Grandis.


ENGINE OIL DECREASING & NOISE FROM RUSH ADJUSTERS
GDI engine is also said that it is easy to decrease its engine oil. If engine oil decrease in large quantities, oil may became to easy to include air.

The air come into hyperbaric chambers of rush adjusters, then rush adjusters shrink too much. And then they make clanging once valves closed.

4 rush adjusters are necessary for each cylinder. Replacing all rush adjusters costs very much. It is better to check the oil quantity often.