Nissan TIIda Problems

I take it the smoke is coming out the tailpipe when you crank the engine, even though the engine is not starting or, at least, not running to the point where the car can be driven. It sounds like you might have 'cooked' the engine as old school mechanics would put it. When the radiator started leaking, allowing the coolant to escape, the engine overheated and 'cooked'. Which means the severe heat inside the engine damaged something sufficiently that the engine now won’t run.

You could be dealing with a blown head gasket or a warped cylinder head, or even damage to the pistons. The smoke you’re seeing when you crank the engine could be oil smoke that’s a result of fired piston rings due to the overheating episode. The first thing to do is let a mechanic run a few tests on the engine to determine whether it’s retrievable or junk. From there, you can make an informed decision on whether to fix the car or cut your losses and simply walk away. If the engine is damaged beyond help, a second-hand engine from a wrecked Tiida might be an option if you decide you want to keep the car.

The check-engine light on any modern, fuel-injected car is there to let you know there’s something amiss with how something within the driveline is working. However, precisely what that thing is could be one (or more) of about a thousand things. The absolute best advice is to take the car to a workshop and have it electronically scanned. The onboard computer (which is what triggers the check-engine light) should have recorded what was at fault and should then be able to tell the workshop’s computer where to start looking.

Until you have this scan performed, you won’t have a clue what the problem is, and the causes could be anything from a dud oxygen sensor, to a stretched timing chain, and a dead spark plug wire to a blocked fuel-injector.

You may have a damaged or worn transmission that is simply not operating properly in a mechanical sense. But it’s also worth checking the level of the transmission fluid because low fluid is a common cause of this sort of problem. Without sufficient fluid and, therefore pressure and volume, the gearbox can’t operate properly, with symptoms including slurred shifts, transmission slippage, clunky or noisy operation and slow gear selection.

I'd be ignoring the Nissan dealer in question and taking the car to an auto electrician. You might just find that the problem is something much simpler than all four windows needing replacement. Generic parts will probably not be an option, but wrecking yards are full of Tiidas with electric windows waiting to be fitted to other Tiidas.

Meantime, I'd be very suspicious of the Nissan dealer's quote. For a start, replacing the windows really shouldn't cost that much. Also, why do all four windows need replacing? Did they all fail together? If they did, it's far more likely the problem is with a fuse, relay, a switch or the body computer, rather than four individual assemblies failing in unison. If the dealer doesn't want to do the job (which is what the quote is telling me) they should just say so, and not come up with ridiculous quotes like this one.

There’s absolutely no correlation between body styles (hatchback versus sedan) and the propensity for leaking brake cylinders. The difference between your mum’s and your previous car and the Tiida is probably all down to the quality of the parts, not whether it’s a hatch or sedan.

Brake cylinders leak when the rubber seals inside them fail. But because the cylinder is hidden within the brake drum, a leak is often only found when the car is being serviced or inspected for a roadworthy certificate. And as you’ve found, that’s often too late to prevent the brake shoes becoming contaminated by the leaking brake fluid.

The best way to avoid leaking brake cylinders is to have the braking system flushed regularly. It’s also important to replace any leaking wheel cylinder with a good quality unit. I’m tipping the reason your cylinders failed the second time was because the original ones were replaced with cheapies (possibly sourced online) which simply weren’t as good as the Nissan originals. Always beware when buying replacement parts of any sort that they’re good quality, particularly when it comes to critical safety systems like brakes.

Take it to a mechanic to have it checked. It's most likely to be related to the cars' electronics.

Yes, it is a good car overall. The best thing is to have it checked by a mechanic experienced in Nissans.

I would suggest the Soul could be ruled out on the basis that it won't have a high resale value when you want to sell it on. Your budget will limit your choices, if you could stretch it another $3000 you could look at the Honda HR-V or CR-V, or Kia Sportage.

There could be a number of reasons the steering is rattling and you really need a mechanic to listen to it so the cause can be isolated. It could be from the top of the column, the bottom of the column, the steering joints, or if it's down under the front of the car it could be the steering rack. Before you fix it you need to know where the rattle is coming from. The lights coming on could be an electrical connection problem.