Hi guys,
Have just been browsing around on the board and now understand why people love the March/Micra! They are also becoming very popular here in Zimbabwe!
I have a small vehicle workshop with friends and a few days ago another friend brought in a recently imported (but used) Nissan March [Chassis K11-902923, Model EAEARHZK11EDA, Engine CG10(DE) 997cc, Transmission code NP-TC46NHD1AA]. The car has a CVT gearbox. The car is not changing gears. It takes of smoothly but does not change gears. I am aware of the nature of CVT boxes and that one does not easily detect gear changes in a CVT car. However, in this vehicle, the car will scream and scream and will struggle to get to 80km/h. I have pushed it and it did get to 120km/h but I could tell that i was torturing the car. Occasionally, the vehicle will sound as if it has changed a gear soon after take off, but this is rear. We took the car for electronic diagnostic testing and all systems were reported to be ok. This indicates that the problem is most likely mechanical, rather than electronic. What could be the problem? How do we rectify it? To complicate matters, CVT gearboxes are highly unusual here in Zimbabwe and no one repairs these boxes or has any real experience with them.
I have noticed that the oil is a very light brown. Am told that the oil should be pink. Is this true? Is all CVT oil pink?
We would like to open the gearbox and am wondering if there is anyone out there who has done this before. What should we look out for? Does anyone have a downloadable repair manual?
P.S. Importing another gearbox will cost +US$3000 from IBC Japan - this is more than the cost of importing another March.
We would greatly appreciate any help that we can get. (This morning i drove another March with a CVT gearbox, and it was smoother, and less frenetic than the one i mention above)
Regards Lemuel Dennis Harare, Zimbabwe