Problem with my tintop

[Dirty Den]

Car is a Nissan Micra. I was on the way home from the area meeting when, upon changing gear, I heard a bang/thud from the gearbox. Was still able to drive the car and change up/down through the box afterwards.

 

Since the bang/thud, the gearchange feels less 'positive' than it did before, and when I move the gear level from left to right in the gate, it makes an awful tinny clunking sound.

 

As I need to drive the car first thing tomorrow, I've called the RAC (bet they will be pleased be called out in this weather! ) to get them to have a look at it.

 

Any ideas as to what could have happened, and more importantly, by driving the car home, am I likely to have done any damage?

 

TIA,

Den ☹️

 

😬 - Self portrait - still unable to remove the smile!

[Dirty Den]

Mick - thanks for your email. It's a MK2 (K11) Micra.

 

The chap from the RAC (well, one of their contractors anyway) took a look at it, the best he could in the weather conditions 🙆🏻

 

He suspects a problem with the gear linkage, possibly a retaining spring has been lost. He seems to think that the tinny clunking sound might be the linkage making contact with one of the exhaust heatshields.

 

Den

 

😬 - Self portrait - still unable to remove the smile!

[stevefoster]

Sorry to hear this. Are you brutal with it or is it a rare glitch in Nissan's reasonable reliability...

 

Get a ZX and be done... Oh yes, I have a slight problem with my rear brakes but that is another story....

 

Did you drive Mica today?

 

/Steve

 

My racing pics, 7 DIY, race prep. Updated often here

Hants (North) and Berkshire area club site

here

 

[Dirty Den]

Hi Steve -

 

I wouldn't say I am brutal with the gearchange, but equally I wouldn't claim to be the smoothest! ☹️

 

I'm hoping the chap from the RAC is right, that it's simply a retaining spring gone AWOL and that allows it to bang against a heatshield. I'll find out next week anyway, when it's going into a local garage for a look. From looking at my Haynes manual, it doesn't seem to be too complicated 🤔

 

At least the linkage (or whatever the problem actually is?) didn't leave me unable to drive the car home last night - wouldn't wanted to have been stuck at the roadside for an hour in the weather we had last night. At least I was able to get home and wait for the RAC.

 

Haven't driven the car today - thankfully I'm off work due to leaving for the rally tonight. I was going to give a mate a lift into work this morning, but I've told him I'd rather not drive the car, just to be safe... 🤔

 

Guess this is poetic justice for laughing at Ninja Boy last night? ☹️ I take it all back...

 

Den

 

😬 - Self portrait - still unable to remove the smile!

 

Edited by - Dirty Den on 14 Nov 2002 09:35:54

[Dirty Den]

Just in case there any other Seveners out there, who have a Micra as a tintop - the problem is sorted. Turned out to be the tensioning spring in the gear linkage - it has snapped at one end and was dangling from the linkage at the other end.

 

When I changed gear/moved the stick from left to right in neutral, in the gate, the spring was rattling against an exhaust heat shield. One new spring fitted, and all is good as gold, no sloppy gear change anymore!

 

Spring was 8 quid from a Nissan dealer, my local garage charged me a couple of quid for doing it. Faith restored in Nissan reliablity (although I never had this happen on my old Honda! )

 

Den

 

😬 - Self portrait - still unable to remove the smile!

[stevefoster]

My father had very expensive gearbox surgery to a Honda... Nothing is perfect!

 

/Steve

 

My racing pics, 7 DIY, race prep. Updated often here

Hants (North) and Berkshire area club site

here

 

[KevSull Too]

Den,

 

That's what you get for buying such a high performance car!!!!

 

😬You laugh at me because I'm different, I laugh at you because you're all the same. 😬

 

[Dirty Den]

Kev -

 

Den

 

😬 - Self portrait - still unable to remove the smile!