Nissan Note XE - New Nissan Note - warning lights

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Sat 25 Feb 2017 19:27
Nissan Note XE - New Nissan Note - warning lights - JohnnyM

Hello all,

We picked up a brand new Nissan Note Xe from dealer last Thursday. My wife drove it without issue for the past couple of days - longest jaunt was a circa 40Km each way motorway drive on Friday. Today, Saturday, she took the kids off to head on a trip. She was on the motorway having driven about 35km when all warning lights came on. She pulled over, managed to get to an off-ramp and stopped car. All warning lights on and wouldn't start. Mechanic arrived and said there's no fanbelt on the engine. She's just en route home now in rental car. Any idea how this could happen and what damage would have been done to engine without belt on it? We're presuming that belt must have been a dud or badly fitted and came off. I'm not good on the motoring mechanical side so just trying to figure out possibilities before we go nuclear with dealer on Monday.

Thanks all.

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Sat 25 Feb 2017 19:31
Nissan Note XE - New Nissan Note - warning lights - RobJP

If you're in the UK (and I'm not sure you are, as you refer to a km as journey distance) then simply reject the car under the Consumer Rights Act.

I wouldn't want the car back, personally. If the engine hasn't been getting adequate cooling then major damage could have been caused.

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Sat 25 Feb 2017 19:35
Nissan Note XE - New Nissan Note - warning lights - JohnnyM

Thanks Rob. We're in Dublin. Seems incredible that on a brand new car that either there was no belt or that it broke.

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Sat 25 Feb 2017 19:57
Nissan Note XE - New Nissan Note - warning lights - galileo

Is the fan actually driven by a belt? Most cars these days have electric fan drives controlled by the ECU.

What the 'fan belt' probably does is drive the water pump and alternator. Many cars have a separate belt for aircon pump and maybe power steering (some cars have electric power steering so depend on the alternator/battery being able to supply power.)

Running at motorway speeds in Britain in February a fan is unnecessary, the slipstream of air through the radiator is enough, but if the waterpump doesn't run overheating is probable.

Also, if the alternator hasn't charged the battery I'd expect warning lights anyway.

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Sun 26 Feb 2017 17:33
Nissan Note XE - New Nissan Note - warning lights - skidpan

If the auxilliary drive belt has been lost it will have allowed the engine to overheat and whilst it may not show up itself immediately costly engine problems will be on the horizon.

The only solution is to request a replacement car.

Edited by skidpan on 26/02/2017 at 17:33

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