So, how big of a turd is the MR18 engine and Versas in general?

The Nissan Versa Tech Discussion forum is the place to discuss Versa performance modifications and maintenance.
BIGGUNDOCTOR
Posts: 2
Joined: Fri Apr 20, 2018 2:24 pm
Car: 2007 versa cvt 128,000

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Last July I was looking for a new car as my 98 Saturn SC2 had rolled 314,000 and started having some issues. A friend of a friend sold me a 2007 Versa with the CVT with 107,000 miles and a stack of maintenance records. Wasn't what I was really looking for , but I'll give any brand a chance. Instead of driving it until it quit I figured on running it up to 150,000 then selling it off while it still had good resale value. For me that would be in about one year with my commute. Then the fun started. Fuel economy is not what I had expected at 32 when my Saturns easily knocked off 40. It had a very slight harmonic vibration at certain speeds that I thought might be tire related when I bought the car, but it ended up getting worse (vibrating at all speeds not just one). Ended up replacing both axles at 121,000 as they were toast, literally falling apart at the joints. Now 14,000 miles for me is a short time as I drive 700 miles a week to work alone. Replaced the wheel hubs too because they were showing wear on the splines. Had the trans serviced at the dealer ($160) and was informed with the heat we get in Las Vegas that it needs to be done every 30,000 - another reason I prefer stick shifts.... They also pointed out that the front A arm mounts are cracked and that the entire A arm is replaced ,not just a bushing. The motor mounts are also cracked...... Then at 128,000 I am driving into work and it just starts to slow down with no power, and no dash warning lights. I pull off onto the shoulder of the highway and try it again. It starts but is running like crap with a lot of vibration. Limp it to the offramp and park at the Indian res for the night. Wake up in the morning and pop the hood to see the dip stick blown out of the engine and oil everywhere. It was a qt low so I topped it off and try it. It fires up but runs like crap. Plugged my code reader in and it says cylinder 3 misfire. Other research shows that this engine was a poor design and drops #3 fairly often (oval cylinder).

#1, how do you check the compression? My tester won't go down those skinny holes in the head, and all of the extension tubes I have found are for 14mm plugs not the 12mm this has. Just need to verify that it is indeed a bad cylinder before yanking it out.

#2 What year 1.8 engines can I use and out of what models? Looking for a running engine that I can drop in and off this car as fast as I can.

#3 Is there anything to watch out for when changing the engine, or is it pretty straightforward?

My last three cars were all Saturns; 98 SW2, 99 SW2, 98 SC2, and I ran them up to 293K, 247K, and 314K with the original axles, clutches, brakes last 100K with me, and I got a best of 43.2mpg with the 98 SW2. Now one feature that the Versa has that I really did like over the Saturns was the AC. Once I got that dialed in it was putting out 36F at the vent which is appreciated when it is 115F outside. I could have lived with the low mpg for a bit, but the mechanical problems killed it for me, so I will probably not go back to a Nissan


amc49
Posts: 1183
Joined: Mon Jun 19, 2017 7:24 pm
Car: '11 Nissan Versa
'17 Nissan Altima

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The MR18 engine had bore plating issues that failed a whopping number of them way early until like the late '09 or'10 models.

I have '11 and experiencing the same with the axles at 75K miles, they are dead and laughable. I cursed the Fords I left but every FWD axle I ever had on them easily made well over 175K miles. The Nissan axles are soft steel garbage with no hardening on them like cheap Japanese crap.

Read up on Nissan CVT trans reliability and you will want to dump the car yesterday, they've been building them for years and like Ford have done literally nothing to make them quit failing way early. It just sells more transmissions, the way of the corporations in a Trump world now. You no longer fix a known issue, you lie and say you fixed it. Look about this site, you'll find complaints all over the place. Nissan uses CVT as a sales gimmick but more importantly the transmissions can be built at some 50% of the cost of a normal automatic. That contributes greatly to the sales profit of lower end cars with profit margins so terribly tight.

You'll need to come up with a specialty fitting likely for a compression test. I haven't yet but will likely make one out of a dead spark plug.

Incidentals like lighting sockets are cheap trash, they melt super easy and won't even hold a bulb in place past the original pulled out.

The a/c clutch works in some unfathomable way, it tries to run in almost every mode on the controls, sometimes with an a/c light on but often with it out. Meaning a/c which DOES work well like yours WILL wear out way early, mine has a compressor already whining with high wear in it. Nissan runs them way too much of the time to die early. A/c blowing on your feet??? You gotta be kidding.


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