Faults:
Rear wiper doesn't function since buying the car (came on one briefly), suspect this may be due to electrical/grounding problem (-see below-), or the infamous problem with modern Nissan's, with the wiper blade bush deteriorating or wiper motor defective. You can hear the relay clicking in time when they're switched on though. Once, my front wiper wouldn't turn off.
Headlights sometimes produce a buzzing noise from the dash, also one sidelight is brighter than the other (suspect that this may be due electrical/grounding/incorrect voltage issues).
Sometimes slightly sluggish performance/acceleration, and increasing engine noise at idle or speed since buying (have changed the filters, but haven't touched the exhaust, that seems in reasonable condition). Also, fuel consumption has become worse over time.
The wheels are a bit narrow, and acceleration from still or sudden breaking can cause excessive wheel-spin, even more so in the wet.
General Comments:
This is a fantastic car.
I bought it because it offered many of the same basic strengths of my previous 1989 Sunny Diesel (i.e. reliability, economy, features), but with a distinctive sporty edge.
The cabin is reasonably equipped (same configuration as the Sunny) if slightly sparse.
The seats are in excellent condition and are molded so they're comfortable.
The black paintwork has so far held up excellently, and when polished has fooled several people into thinking it is brand new.
I love the fog lamps, and the overall appearance of the car is stunning (gets many looks, people don't know what it is since so few of them were ever made), looks as though it belongs on a racetrack.
Despite some people's criticisms, the performance/acceleration is actually pretty good for a 1.6i engine (better than most), and although the engine needs a bit of coaxing to get going, it's great fun to merge onto the motorway in 2nd/3rd gear and leave everyone else standing, and while the engine's noisy it sounds the part at speed. After all, the car is a normally aspired Sentra rather than its larger cousin the Silvia, but don't let that fool you, because despite their unfair reputation for being dull, the Sunny/Sentra have quite a bit of kick on them, for those who know how to handle them, plus the car's GA16DE engine (also used in the Almera/Sunny/Pulsar/Primera/Sentra/Silvia 1.6) is easily interchangeable if need-be in future for rebuilds, and is supposed to be one of the best engines for modifications/tuning being very responsive to customisation.
Strangely though, the performance does seem to vary greatly from day to day (I noticed this on my previous Sunny too), sometimes its more responsive than others, regardless of engine temperature.
Also love the frame-less electric windows, fuel-cap/boot release and twin-Targa roof, very classy.
The factory fitted alloys are a bit plain, but do the job.
The radio/cassette stereo is pretty good as is the four-speaker setup (could have done with a CD player though), and the aerial when pushed in as far as it goes still protrudes enough to encourage people to bend/brake it.
The heater is excellent, although the rear windows demistifier does almost nothing.
The back seats are a bit cramped (as you'd expect from a 2+2 coupe), but the boot is very spacious, as is the cabin.
Overall a superb car that is much underrated.
Incredible value for money, and different & distinctive.
Fantastic car.
14th Jan 2005, 15:06
For the buzzing noise and the intensity of your headlights: it's an electronic box situated near the left driver's foot that's faulty. Nissan had some problems with this control box over years.
FOr the fuel consumption: try to replace the O2 sensor, that fixed a similar problem I had.
For my part, I'm very satisfied with this car even though it has 13 years of harsh life in Canada!!