[peptidbond]

Good afternoon,

A couple simple questions:

1. I need to change my manual tranny fluid. I am pretty skilled, but is this something a dealer should do for warranty reasons? If not, what fluid is called for by the service manual and what fluid (weight and brand) would you suggest? Finally, tips on changing the fluid???

2. I have a basic question about the Distance Till Empty indicator (DTE). When it comes on, does it mean XX miles until you totally run out of go-go juice? Or, does it mean XX miles until you should fill up? The reason I ask is because the Z is supposed to come with a 20 gallon tank. When my DTE indicator comes on, it says about 40 miles till empty, or about 2 gallons. If I fill up right then, I only get about 15 gallons in. That means a total of 17 gallons. However, if DTE means distance until I should fill up, then I could have a 20 gallon tank. Anyone ever push the DTE boundry and found out the hardway what it means?

3. Finally, I am suddenly having trouble getting my tank to fill. I know it can be a little finicky, but that is not what I am talking about. I will squeeze in gas until it is literally coming up the pipe. Once I drive off, the gauge never reads completely full like it used too. Also, my mileage per tank seems to be down some. Anyone else have this issue?

 

[bsr8129]

not sure about the others but i can give some answers about DTE, its not until completely empty i have had mine say zero, actually four lines going across, and still driven about 10 more miles, filled it up and only put about 17.5 gallons in it, so when it says u have 0 miles left, start looking for a gas station u wont run out right away but ur getting there.

 

[peptidbond]

That's what I figured. The whole 20 vs 17 gallon thing has always bothered me. I mean, that is a big difference. I almost feel like pulling the tank and meassuring it myself.

By the way, if you are wondering why this matters to me, it is because I travel long distances from time to time. I am one of those people that only wants to stop if it is an absolute must.

 

[Old grey]

You want to remember that the fuel pump is in the tank, and the fuel is what keeps the pump from over heating. Don't run it to low, as it could ruin your fuel pump.

 

[peptidbond]

[/quote]
I guess that makes sense. However, the fuel pump is at the top of the tank. If I ran it past half empty, I would easily become uncovered (mostly).

As a side note, I just filled up yesterday. The idiot light was on and DTE said 33 miles. When I added fuel, I could only get 13.27 gallons in. That means I had at least 3.75 gallons in there if it is truly a 17 gallon tank. If it is a 20, then I had 8.75 gallons. What the ****!?!?!

 

[smoothz]

First of all, the mfr always makes it safe to drive for a while even when that low fuel light comes on. We do have a 20 gallon tank, but that DTE is telling you to start looking for a station, not how much gas you really have left. It's like a buffer.

As for changing the tranny fluid, you can do it yourself if you have a lift and the proper pumps for draining and filling the case. You can get the kit at any auto store. I would recommend using Redline synthetic fluid or any other aftermarket, high performance fluid out there. You can buy those at a tuner shop if you can't find it at a regular store.

Your stated problem with not being able to fill up completely is rare but can happen. I've had that happen a couple of times, and I truly think it's the station pump instead of the car. The pump shuts off if gasoline flows back into the filler hose. That's a safety mechanism to prevent gas from overflowing or splashing out of the car.

 

[inanabhay]

regarding tranny fluid and replacing - do it under warranty

regarding DTE - i recall 1 guy saying he did about 110 miles after DTE reading ----
personally, my DTE reached ---- about time when reading was about 19 Kms - don't know if you understand, but its like this: DTE reading shows 19 Kms, then immediately thereafter shows ----. therefore, i think its a safety warning.

regarding filling tank - whilst our models are supposed to have 80 Litre tanks, i've seen some publications quoting 75 Litres. Personally, most i've filled up has been about 72 Litres, when DTE reading ----.

some guys have had issues with faulty tanks and had them replaced under warranty - check it out

good luck

regards

 

[peptidbond]

[/quote]

Smooth,

I guess that makes sense. When my DTE comes on, it says 40-50 miles but I only can squeeze in 15 gallons (normally, see next paragraph). That leaves 5 gallons in the tank which would be 100 miles. To me, that is not empty. That is another 1.25 hours of driving.

As for the tank, the pump shutoff makes sense. However, this past summer I would go to DTE=45 and then fill up. I could easily get 15-16 gallons in and then the needle would go all the way to F. Now, when I get to DTE=45, I am lucky if I can squeeze in 13-14 gallons. I literally will run the pump at a trickle so it does not shutoff automatically. When the needle rises, it will come just below the full line. Mileage-wise, I am only getting 280 or so before DTE comes on. Before, I would get 300+. However, my mileage indicator has remained the same.

It seems like a small issue, but I am really close to the expiration of my bumper-to-bumper warranty.

 

[smoothz]

^^^^^Better get that car in before the warranty!

 

[peptidbond]

Yeah, I am already building my list of things to fix. I should have it in the shop in the next week. I am at 34,200 smiles, so I still have 1800 smiles before the end of the warranty.

 

[peptidbond]

UPDATE:

I was running empty on gas yesterday. I ran it down until DTE = 40, and then 22, then 19, then 15, and then it said ----. At that point, I hit the nearest Sunoco. The very must I could get in was 14.12 gallons. It was literally coming out of the tank I filled it so much.

So, that means the sending unit is saying empty when there is actually 3 gallons or more in the tank. There is definitely something wrong. When I return from vacation, it is going right into the shop.

 

[peptidbond]

UPDATE:

I took my car into the dealer to address a few TSBs and the sending unit/fuel gauge/gas tank issue. The sending unit was NOT producing a correct signal (1volt = full, 0volt = empty). They have ordered the parts and they will be installed next week.

I knew I was not going crazy. Thank you everyone for your help.

 

[jetpilot718]

Nice, glad to hear you got an answer to your question. What ya also have to consider is that not all the fuel in your tank is usable. Meaning, some of it cannot be sucked into the injectors, and sits at the bottom of the tank. Though the total capacity may be 20 gallons, I wouldnt be surprised if 1-1.5 gallons of that is unusable.

 

[studybuddy]

I ran mine down until it was crazy-low today. I was seeing how many miles I could get out of a tank and got over 400. I then waited about 10 miles after I got the --- indicator and then went and put 16.5 gallons in. It was overflowing at that point.

Anyways, how big is the tank?

 

[jetpilot718]

[/quote]


As quoted by Nissan, 20 gallon capacity. Thats what the debate is about in this thread.. the accuracy between the actual capacity of the tank versus the indicated capacity/fuel remaining readout.

 

[smoothz]

I'm glad the dealer found the problem and is fixing it. I hear a sigh of relief. I can let mine run to --- and then fill up with about 17+ gallons.

As for the tranny and diff fluids, that will be one of my other 'mods' at the end of this summer. I plan on using some synthetic fluids. Probably go with Redline again.

 

[tmak26b]

I highly recommend synethic fluid like Redline or Royal Purple, it SHOULD help cure the clunky tranny. Dang, dont you just love the Nissan bug. I dont know what dealer you are going to, but I dont see how you can get them to warranty it, lucky you! Heck, I wouldnt mind pay for the tranny fluid if the dealer will do the labor for free under warranty (5000 miles on my car)

 

[smoothz]

[/quote]
I plan on doing it myself. There is no warranty issue. Fluid is fluid, as long as it's made for those parts. If anything goes wrong with the part, they have to cover it.

 

[peptidbond]

[/quote]
Yea, huge sigh of relief.

As for the diff fluid, I changed mine this past summer to Mobil synthetic. I didn't need a pump (do I really need one for the tranny?) and it was pretty easy. I drained it while the existing fluid was warm-hot. I then let things cool down while I warmed the new diff fluid in hot water. Finally, the girlfriend stood over the car and held the new fluid bottle like an IV bag and squeezed. I was under the car manning the tube from the bottle to the diff. It went pretty quick and was not that hard. Frankly, I imagine you could do the same thing for the tranny because the fluid weights are the same.

 

[tmak26b]

I know they cant void warranty for the fluids, but it just doesnt make sense for me to pay out of my own pocket to change tranny fluid at 5000 miles. Just because Nissan cant get their $hit together and I have to deal with it? It's stupid :banghead: I should have just kept my other car


[/quote]
I plan on doing it myself. There is no warranty issue. Fluid is fluid, as long as it's made for those parts. If anything goes wrong with the part, they have to cover it.
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