Hello, I purchased a 2010 2.5 Altima with 9K miles in 2011. After @ four months I noticed a slight miss at 30-45 mph upon acceleration. I told the dealership and they said it wasn’t throwing a code. After two more visits I again complained about the miss. At this time the service person handed me a “Customer Satisfaction Bulletin” that explained that cars (Altimas, 2009- 2011 with my trans. and engine experience this “SURGE” as they called it AND that it is NORMAL.
There is no way in hell that a auto maker would produce a car that does what my car does and consider it NORMAL. Buy the way, there is a “FIX” that was done but didn’t work, that involved changing motor mounts and computer programming. ANY IDEAS /COMMENTS are welcome.
Butcher, Consumer Reports Reported The Highest Rating Possible - Much Above Average - For Both Minor And Major Engine And Transmission Problems For 2010 4 Cyl. Altimas.
The Whole Car Scores An Above Average Rating, As Well.
(tongue in cheek) Could it be that both Nissan and Consumer Reports are correct and it’s basically just you that finds it unsatisfactory, it’s normal, and you’re expecting too much from your car ?
After all, the dealer showed you a letter that says, “Normal” !
CSA
Get a second opinion. It could be another Nissan dealer or an independent shop.
Personally I would not call a car junk for a slight miss. You do not claim a more serious issue. Many systems that are normal in cars could result in this. Between 35-40 many modern AT go to lockup mode. This can be perceived different ways by different drivers and depending on acceleration and road grade or load on the engine. How do you KNOW it is a miss? If you are unsatisfied then take it elsewhere for diagnosis, but if it really is a “slight miss” you are not likely to ever be happy with this car. Sounds like it may be normal to me.
As always with a miss under load on a modern car check for consistent fuel and spark and computer data. Have they actually run an active data scan on the road while reproducing your issue? Have they seen a glitch in the data? Will they tell you?
Bulletin AT10-004B may apply to your vehicle, it is to address a surge condition not a misfire.
There is a slight vehicle hesitation type feel and/or a surge type feel when all of the following conditions are present:
^ Speed between 10 and 45 mph and
^ Transmission torque converter clutch is engaged (lock mode) and
^ Engine RPM between 1200 and 2000 and
^ Light acceleration
IMPORTANT NOTE:
Very slight vehicle hesitation type feel and/or surge type feel under these conditions are a normal operating characteristic of this vehicle and are within design specifications for the vehicle. However, for those customers who are particularly sensitive to this characteristic of their vehicle, the actions in this bulletin may be performed for customer satisfaction.
The repair involves a TCM software update and the installation of a torque rod service kit.
If you compain of a misfire that isn’t there this may frustrate the technician and result in “No problem found” answer. A misfire is different from a surge, a misfire usually has a distinct vibration, reduceced power and throttle response. Your vehicles engine ECU has a misfire monitor that should flash the check engine light when a misfire occurs.
Reference To The Bulletin And TCM Update/Torque Rod Service By Nevada_545 Sounds Like The “Customer Satisfaction Bulletin” And “Fix” That Woodbutcher Got That Didn’t Help.
CSA
I see, I misunderstood “new motor mounts” as an attempt to cure a vibration. A torque control rod is not really new engine mounts.
I Thought A Torque Rod Would Be What Some Call An Engine Anti-Roll Device Or “Front Engine Mount” ( I Guess Some Are In The Rear Of The Engine).
CSA
I don’t know how Nissan is using the term torque rod but it can also mean a suspension component; the rod that affixes the lower control arm to the subframe to keep it from yoyoing back and forth.
These are often referred to as strut rods also and a problem in this area can cause a lurch.