Nissan - Sentra :: 2008 - Can't Accelerate Up Steep Hills Or Over Bumps?
Mar 24, 2014
I have a 2008 Nissan Sentra with 90-something thousand miles on it. Last summer I moved from Texas to Oregon, so it went through 125° Arizona heat (during which overdrive stopped working for a while) and mountains for the first time. Ever since then, if starting from a parked position, I can't go over hills or bumps or even curbs. I can IF I was already driving on a flat surface. But if I stop on an incline and then try to drive forward (or reverse up it), I can't. The RPMs don't go above ~1.5k until I'm back on a flat surface.
The check engine light is on, and has been on since last summer, but the code it spits out is something dealership specific. People have told me it "might be something with the transmission". The problem hasn't gotten better or worse since last summer, so I just ignored it and got really good at not stopping before steep inclines or hitting curbs or anything (lol). But if I ever need to, I'll be in huge trouble. I can't even drive over medium sized rocks if I park too close to them.
The first time I found out about this was when I pulled into a friend's downhill driveway last summer, and then couldn't reverse out of it. He had to push it back up.
Note: from a stop, it will go up GRADUAL hills and over SMALL bumps just fine, but anything that takes more than 1.5k RPMs to overcome isn't happening. It will go up steeper hills and larger bumps (and curbs) only if I was already driving, but it still can't tackle the steepest mountain road inclines like other cars can.
The 1.5k RPM problem goes away when it's on a flat surface (or if I started driving on a flat surface before encountering a hill), and it accelerates normally again. However... It also takes a couple of seconds to rev beyond 1.5k RPMs after stopping at a red light.
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My 2003 Nissan Sentra was doing fine a few days ago until I started up a very steep hill and went into 1st gear. There was a burning smell for about 2 blocks so I shifted to 2nd gear. The smell went away. When I was in 1st gear it did not sound or feel like I was trying to go too fast for the gear. I just smelled the burning. Same hill in 2nd, no smell. How much should I worry?
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2004 Nissan sentra 36,000 miles, stalls when it rains after I stop for a red light or a STOP sign. While pumping the gas, I have to wait a minute or more before it accelerates and moves. It is an automatic. I had a mechanic check the spark plugs and sensor codes. All checked out okay. Car drives fine in dry weather, no stalling. Bought used from out of town.Mechanic told me to bring it in when it rains. But that's not safe, because it will stall. Could moisture, humidity, or air pressure affect sensors?
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I have an 89 Nissan Sentra 4x4 wagon 5 speed. It only has 40,000 miles. When I upshift or try to accelerate at low rpms (1-2k) it bogs down a bit or feels like it might even be missing on a cylinder. I just replaced the spark plugs (correctly gapped) but not the wires, with no change. I also have been running fuel system cleaners in the gas with no change. Could it be as simple as the fuel filter?
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In ordinary cars, the cruise control (CC) only has control of the throttle. That is to say, when the car encounters a hill, the CC system increases the throttle. Coming down a hill, the CC unit will reduce throttle. If the speed increases too much, the CC unit can not reduce the speed of the car. On especially steep hills, the speed may well become too high.
In contrast in my Prius v, I find that the CC holds the speed study even on steep downgrades. This is possible due to the hybrid system which regenerates power. Even on steep grades, the CC system holds the speed rock steady at the set point.
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I am having an engine temp issue when climbing steep hills. The gauge goes from normal to the red line but not into the red. The VDC OFF light is on but the CEL is not one. Once I reach the top of the hill the engine begins to cool off and returns to normal. Yesterday I had the radiator flushed and the thermostat changed. Am I looking at a water pump or head gaskets?
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I drive a 2008 nissan sentra (98xxxmiles). I commute 100 miles daily and have an issue that occurs only when it is snowing. Regardless of how much snow is on the ground, every time there is decent snow fall my car will randomly buck. feels almost as though my transmission slips for just an instant and then regains control. for a while, i had to study this issue before i could fully wrap my head around it. I took the car to my shop and they could detect nothing wrong with the car, which is definitely not the case. I suspect that there is an issue with a sensor or an actuator involved with the overdrive that is having the issue. But I could be wrong.
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There have been two instances where I have shut the car off and then it is dead when I try to restart. Not even any clicking. After it sits, it may start again. We replaced the battery, but the car wouldn't start again. Same symptoms... No clicking, or anything like that. Nissan dealer says the battery is fine and if it happens again, replace the battery because maybe it's faulty.
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I turned my car on and put it in gear and I realized I was not moving. I put it back in park and tested my brakes but it felt like my brakes were already pushed all the way down to the floor. I also noticed my engine light on. I turned my car off and turned it back on and everything was okay. This happened once before a month ago. I have an 08 Sentra.
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My son owns a 2008 Nissan Altima with about 110,000 miles. The engine has a ticking noise that is louder and faster when the car accelerates. It is worse when the car is cold. Once it warms up, the noise will get less and even goes away. Valves? Doesn't seem to be tire related and we recently had the belts checked and replaced when needed.
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I have a 2012 Nissan Versa with a 1.6 Engine/CVT transmission. When going down a steep hill the RPMs rev up to at least 3000 or more...is this normal for a car to do this?
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I own a 1986 Chevy Silverado C10. I have replaced much of the truck in the seven years i have owned it, including the engine about 35,000 miles ago. The modulator valve on the transmission became unbolted from the transmission housing a while back (the "tab" of the transmission housing actually cracked off). The truck lost power when this happened and most of the transmission fluid leaked out before i realized something was wrong , stopped and called a tow.
I replaced the modulator and secured it with a "Z" shaped clip made of roughly 10 gauge steel that bolts to the modulator and then to the frame that suspends the transmission. Then i noticed a loss of power up hill and the truck has trouble accelerating over 45-50 mph., possibly has trouble shifting into over drive "?".
I replaced the detent cable next, and changed the transmission fluid, filter, and gasket while i was at it. I have also replaced plugs and wires, and done a general tune up since then, but i still have trouble on hills and accelerating on the highway. I drive up a hill every day coming home from work and the truck slows to roughly 25mph, even if i start the hill at 45mph., and it climbs slow and seems very bogged down. Something to check before i assume the transmission needs replaced.
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The car has drastically dropped gas mileage from 17mpg to 11-12 mpg. It's laboring, and I even have to accelerate going down hills where I am usually breaking to keep from going too fast. I have had the whole car looked over twice -- timing belt was a little old, so we replaced it. The gas filter was full of gunk, and it was replaced. Still has the same problem. Mechanic can't find anything else wrong. I'm getting ready for a long road trip and don't want to pay for all that gas or break down along the way.
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I have owned a 2007 2nd Gen Prius for about a month in a half. I love my Prius although I purchased it with high miles (just under 200K) I felt a little adventurous and took it on a rather lengthy trip from Ohio to Nebraska and then to South Dakota and back home) a few weeks ago and I've noticed a few things since.
Before this trip I could let my car coast down slight grades or hills with no issue. The car just coasted like normal which save gas of course. Well now on slight hills it feels as if the car is down shifting. It actually slows itself down slightly. On steeper grades it will still coast but up until a few weeks ago I could literally coast on a slight grade. Not so anymore.
Also when I accelerate now sometimes when I lift my foot off the accelerator it bucks or jerks. It's not very violent but noticeable. I didn't experience any of these issues before the trip. I was wondering if the rocky back gravel roads of Nebraska could be a contributing factor in any of this or perhaps the steep hills of Rapid City South Dakota (SD was when I first noticed the reduction in coasting)
I've been in to see the Toyota Service department In my area and of course they told me that, "Those Prii just drive like that". I refuse to accept that since I am very sensitive to changes in drivability in any vehicle that I own and I know that my Prius operates and feels differently than it did before.
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I have a 98 Nissan Sentra every now and then when I get in it to start it I get nothing but if I hold it or turn it to the off position a few times it will start, what this could be....
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I have a 2000 Nissan sentra and I have times when I will drive for couple days and then it won't start it will just crank over and over but won't fire I have had it to several people but no answer replaced the fuel pump relay switch but nothing
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I have a 2002 Nissan Frontier with a non supercharged 3.3L v6. The truck is a crew cab, long bed and 4x4. I have had this truck since I bought it used in 2004 with 26k miles. The truck now has 196k miles and I have done a little modifying to make it a bit more off road capable.
I have done all the work to the truck myself, until last fall when I finally broke down and took it to a dealer, who was not able to find my problem, but I will get to that...First of all, the truck has steel bumpers, a winch, a tool box, onboard air system and large tires, all of which make the little 3.3L work hard. However, for three years since I quit making modifications, the truck ran perfectly cool and the temp needle never once went above the normal operating position, even through thick sand at the beach, mountain trails and towing heavy trailers, until last summer.
Late last summer, on 90+ degree days, I noticed the temp needle would start riding above normal when I had the AC on. It didnt matter if I was on the highway, the city streets or idling in the driveway. When I turned off the AC the needle went back to normal. This started happening occasionally at first (once every 2 weeks) then towards fall it started happening more frequently, almost every 90 degree day. Soon after I noticed the problem, it would happen even with the AC off, but not get quite so hot.
After a few weeks of this, I started chasing the problem. I replaced the radiator cap, the thermostat (tested the old one and tested the new one before installing,) I took the radiator to a rad shop and had it boiled and flow tested, I replaced both coolant temp sensors, and then finally the water pump. When none of those repairs made a difference I built new radiator fan shrouds and that made no difference. At this point I was starting to get discouraged so I borrowed a scan tool from a friend and drove around for a few weeks with it plugged in. I was reading live temperature readings of the coolant and verified that the gauge was working correctly.
The truck ran about 200 degrees with the AC off most of the time, then, when I turned the AC on, no matter if I was sitting in park or driving on the highway, the temp would steadily climb until it got to 222 degrees and I would shut off the truck, at that point the needle was near the danger zone and according to several nissan dealership, the highest normal operating temp is 204, but it should stay around 195. At 205 degrees, the needle would start to move above the normal position, so the gauge seems to be fine. As summer turned into fall, the truck started running cooler as the days began to drop into the 70's. I finally got fed up with chasing my tail and took the truck to a dealer with my main concern being a blown head gasket or cracked head.
The dealership inspected the head and tested the coolant for hydrocarbons and said that the head and gasket are not the issue. They advised that the only other thing it could be is my fan clutch. After that dealership visit, the days were cool so I drove the truck all winter without changing the fan clutch. Then, 2 weeks ago, on a 70 degree day, I hooked up my truck to an empty trailer (maybe 1000lbs) and towed it 15 miles. When towing up hill with the AC on, the temp needle started moving. I immediately went to napa and replaced my fan clutch. Confident that was the issue, I drove the truck to the mountains for a camping trip last weekend. While climbing the hills at 40mph and about 2500 rpm, the temp needle climbed to the near danger zone.
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I've got a 1997 Nissan Sentra GXE (Standard). Recently, my car decided to stop starting. Here are some of the symptoms:
1) If I would go down a hill and come to a stop, or even if I was slowing down to come to a stop at a stop sign or light, my car would turn off over 50% of the time. It would usually always start back up, until last week. My car turned off as I was slowing down to turn into the mall. I was able to coast into the parking lot.
2) When I turn the key it clicks and makes a "rrrrrr" "rrrrrrr" sound.
3) I was able to get the car started once after I pumped the gas so I don't think it's a fuel pump issue.
4) The automatic windows, lights, and radio still work so I'm ruling out a battery or alternator issue either.
5) My car couldn't be jumped or push-started.
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My brakes are squealing; going to replace pad or lining; what is typical cost?
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Three mechanics have given us three different opinions about what is wrong with our 2003 Nissan Sentra. I'd like to hear from the Car Talk community.The problem started when our car began to shake when we drove above 40 miles per hour. We got the radiator replaced. However, the car still would not always start. We took it to the Nissan dealership. The mechanic there said it needed a new fuel pump.
We took it to mechanic #2 for a lower-cost fuel pump replacement. However, the car has started every time for them. So they cannot be confident that there is something wrong with the fuel pump. The fuel pressure does drop off after turning the key off. This mechanic said our main problem is that there is antifreeze in cylinders No. 2 and 3 of the engine (likely from when our radiator broke). There is either a crack in the cylinders or the head gasket has failed. They are estimating $1,200 to $1,600 to fix this. They said if we don't take care of this, the antifreeze will continue to circulate and damage the engine further.
The Nissan dealership says if there were antifreeze in the engine, the check engine light would have come on. Also, they say they would have noticed if there were antifreeze in the cylinders. Their opinion is the fuel pump is only thing that needs to be fixed.
We then called mechanic #3 to get another opinion. This mechanic specializes in Hondas/Toyotas/Nissans. He hasn't looked at the car yet, but he thinks that the motor could be damaged since the car was shaking when the radiator broke. He says he thinks it is unlikely that the fuel pump needs replacing, and he thinks the check engine light would not detect the antifreeze in the engine.
Fuel pump, antifreeze in cylinders, or motor? Or all three? What do you think?The car has about 85,000 miles on it.
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My car has been working okay. But this morning when i was taking my mom to work. When i pulled into her jobs parking lot i heard a loud sound. I didn't pay any attention to it because the car still acted fine as it been. That was around 7 or 8 this morning. Then around 4 when it's time to pick my mama up. I got in the car it started right up. But i notice that it was jerking or vibrating real bad (but it always vibrates). Then when i started driving it i had to force it to go. When i came to a complete stop at red lights the car was acting like it was trying to cut off and it was jerking and vibrating out of control. It was doing that so much that i had to put it in park and run the motor to keep it going then when the light turned green i put it in drive and it still was acting up. It was so bad that i had to turn around and slowly get it back. I notice though that i smelled something burning. When i parked back at home it was smoke coming from the lights and hood. I know it didn't overheat i didn't have it on for that long maybe 10 minutes at the most. We just got a oil job not too long ago and the service engine light is on. The light has been on for a while now. But before we knew it was the crank shaft sensor. We keep replacing that but that continues to go bad. I really need to know what is possibly keeping my car from picking up speed and why is it smoking? We use this car for everything. My car is a 2001 nissan sentra.
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