2006 Nissan Otti: Discussing Causes and Solutions for Engine Issues and Decreased Fuel Economy

Hey there! Well, aren't we in the same boat? I recently had similar issues with my 2009 Nissan Pino. The symptoms were quite similar to yours - the inaccurate fuel read, unexplainable power losses, stalling, and the pesky check engine light. My initial thought was a sensor malfunction, just like you said. However, when I took her to the garage, turns out it was damage to the cable harness. It seems these minor issues can turn out to be quite a major headache. The damage was messing up electrical connections and signals, leading to the erratic behavior of the vehicle. Once fixed, the improvements were quite noticeable; smoother acceleration, no unusual shut-offs or jerks, and the fuel economy got better. So yeah, even though your suspicion might be an air mass sensor issue, a damaged cable harness may also cause such problems. The mechanic was pretty thorough and showed me how the damaged harness had completely thrown the system off. Always good to take into account multiple possibilities. Hope this helps, and all the best with your Otti!

Heya! Thanks for sharing! It's interesting - I wouldn't have thought of a damaged cable harness as the culprit, but your explanation makes a lot of sense. It sounds like those mechanical gremlins can definitely cause some strange symptoms. By the way, would you mind sharing what ballpark figure you had to fork out for the repair? Just trying to estimate how deep in my pockets I might need to reach. Also, have you encountered any related issues since the fix? Cheers!

Hey! After hearing about the cable harness problem, I had the little Nissan checked out too. Spot on! The damaged wiring was messing up signals and we fixed it up for around 95 Euro. Can't really complain, considering the smooth ride ever since! Oh, and remember my initial guess about the air mass sensor? Turns out, my hunch was also right! On close look, my mechanic identified a defect in the sensor. We got it fixed, and since then it's been smooth sailing - no black smoke, no unusual shut-offs or jerks and thankfully, no more plunging fuel economy! So yeah, hope this gives you a bit of relief. I guess when it comes to car trouble, our guesses can be on point sometimes, eh? Here's hoping your Otti gets well soon! Cheers!

Hey! Thanks for getting back to me. That's certainly re-assuring, and hearing from a fellow Nissan owner, I feel less dreadful about my visit to the mechanic this time. And 95 Euro isn't too bad, I was expecting it to hurt my wallet a bit more. Funny how you mentioned the air mass sensor too! This really goes to show how interlinked the components of a car can be. Your input certainly puts me at ease and gives me a good starting point to discuss with my mechanic. Here’s to hoping my next encounter with my mechanic will be as smooth as yours. Cheers!