My 2010 versa has a knocking noise. It has about 5900 miles on it, all interstate mileage. It started about 1500 miles ago - the dealership (well, one) stated it was just a nissan. Another said it was "cheap gas" - even though I've only used cheveron or bp. This past weekend, I lost almost all power - I literally had to floor it to keep speed up a slight incline. I have to floor it to get speed on the interstate. Could it be bad gas? Its rather annoying to drive now, and it's really pathetic that our other vehicle (05 focus with 130,000+ miles) drives better and sounds much better than a new car. Any suggestions would be appreciated!
page 294 on Manual may explain,hope it helps. Mine is new and going crazy too. I brought to dealer for checking and they said nothing wrong with it. My friend thinks I'm just being paranoid too since it's a new car, but I swear, my 9 yrs old Pathy didn't have this much noise.
E–85 fuel
E-85 fuel is a mixture of approximately 85% fuel
ethanol and 15% unleaded gasoline. E-85 can
only be used in a Flexible Fuel Vehicle (FFV). Do
not use E-85 in your vehicle. U.S. government
regulations require fuel ethanol dispensing
pumps to be identified by a small, square, orange
and black label with the common abbreviation or
the appropriate percentage for that region.
Aftermarket fuel additives
NISSAN does not recommend the use of any
aftermarket fuel additives (for example, fuel injector
cleaner, octane booster, intake valve deposit
removers, etc.) which are sold commercially.
Many of these additives intended for gum, varnish
or deposit removal may contain active solvents or
similar ingredients that can be harmful to the fuel
system and engine.
Octane rating tips
Using unleaded gasoline with an octane
rating lower than recommended can cause
persistent, heavy “spark knock.” (“Spark
knock” is a metallic rapping noise.) If severe,
this can lead to engine damage. If you
detect a persistent heavy spark knock even
when using gasoline of the stated octane
rating, or if you hear steady spark knock
while holding a steady speed on level
roads, have a NISSAN dealer correct the
condition. Failure to correct the condition
is misuse of the vehicle, for which NISSAN
is not responsible.
Incorrect ignition timing may result in spark
knock, after-run and/or overheating, which may
cause excessive fuel consumption or engine
damage. If any of the above symptoms are encountered,
have your vehicle checked at a
NISSAN dealer.
However, now and then you may notice
light spark knock for a short time while
accelerating or driving up hills. This is not a
cause for concern, because you get the
greatest fuel benefit when there is light
spark knock for a short time under heavy
engine load.
CAUTION
● Your vehicle is not designed to run on
E-85 fuel. Using E-85 fuel in a vehicle
not specifically designed for E-85 fuel
can damage fuel system components
and is not covered by the NISSAN new
vehicle limited warranty.
● E-85 is a mixture of approximately 85%
fuel ethanol and 15% unleaded
gasoline.
● U.S. government regulations require
ethanol dispensing pumps to be identified
by a small, square, orange and
black label with the common abbreviation
or the appropriate percentage for
that region.
Technical and consumer information 9-5
