Nissan Almera (2000 - 2006) - 03 1.5 Timing Chain replacement

Honest John Back Room » Technical matters
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Sat 5 Sep 2009 00:18
03 1.5 Timing Chain replacement - Nabil
The Timing Chain on my Nissan Almera stretched and now it takes me forever to start it and it's very jerky and it even stalls without any warning.
Google suggested this is common problem with the Almeras and it's very expensive to repaire: Nissan quoted me £900-£1000.
Nissan are still refusing to issue a recall and repair their own defective timing chain and said they are not aware there's any problem with the Timing Chain and no one reported it!

TheAA recommended Nationwide Autocentres who quoted me £530 for non-genuine Timing Chain kit. There's £200 difference between a genuine Nissan part and non-genuine one.
Am I making a mistake by using non-genuine timing chain kit?
The car is only worth 2k or 2.5k max.

Thanks for your advice.

P.s Will never buy a Nissan car again let alone an Almera.
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Sat 5 Sep 2009 00:58
03 1.5 Timing Chain replacement - Wurzel83
What leads you to beleive that the starting and stalling is timing chain related? Ie - has a garage looked at the chain? What is the milage?
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Sat 5 Sep 2009 01:13
03 1.5 Timing Chain replacement - Nabil
To start with, the diagnostics at a local garage suggested it's the camshaft sensor so I got that replaced it but it made no difference.
When I took it to a Nissan garage the mechanic said the error codes are related ot a Timing chain, although to be fair he said further tests are required.
My mileage is 60k miles, but a simple search on google will show that this a very common problem and occurs event at low mileage (35k).
Really disappointed with Nissan not issuing a recall and fixing their faulty part.

Would you use a non-genuine part? The Nationwide autocentre parts come with 12 months or 12k miles.
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Sat 5 Sep 2009 04:52
03 1.5 Timing Chain replacement - davecuk
Well it doesn't sound like the pattern part could be any worse than the OEM one does it!

That said, I very much doubt your problems are caused by the timing chain.

Edited by davecuk on 05/09/2009 at 04:53

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Sat 5 Sep 2009 12:24
03 1.5 Timing Chain replacement - bell boy
a well documented problem and one i dread will affect me one day in a moment of sticky up hand madness
to op
find a garage independant that has the wit to tackle this job and let them do it rather than a fast fit place (im saying no more)
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Sun 22 Jan 2012 10:23
03 1.5 Timing Chain replacement - jonny10buds

I've now had two Almera's and one Primera with this problem, the chain stretches and throws out the cam timing causing violent jerking while driving and the EML light to come on, sometimes the driveability improves as the engine warms up. It always scans up as the cam position sensor but the cure is a new timing chain kit, £400 up fitted.

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Sun 22 Jan 2012 10:45
03 1.5 Timing Chain replacement - gordonbennet

Why the current fetish timing chains, they often stretched and rattled like billio on old designs, i'm perfectly happy with a cambelt, i know it will want renewing at a sensible point and it won't need the engine dismantling to do the job, good opportunity to renew the water pump if driven by the belt.

Buy a north south engine and the cambelt might be an hours easy job anyway...Toyota 3 litre 4 pot Diesels for example.

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