MarkusSchneidi

Seeking Advice on '08 Nissan XTrail's Check Engine Light, Reduced Engine Power, and Jerking During Acceleration

Hey folks, I've been having a bit of a rough time with my '08 Nissan XTrail, petrol version. Recently, it's been showing me a lit check engine light, suffering from reduced engine power, and the engine's been really unsteady with quite a bit of jerking when I accelerate. I'm also hearing a loud hissing sound during acceleration and it's shaking rather a lot when idle. Initial thoughts are some kind of leak in the intake system - anybody had similar problems? Any advice on pinpointing the issue or tips on how to tackle this would be really helpful as well, especially if you've had a professional fix it up for you. Thanks a bunch!

(Translated from German)

4 comment(s)

Hey there, Just to mirror your issue, I went through something quite similar with my '06 Nissan Qashqai, just about 2 years older than your ride. Quite an uncanny resemblance, huh? Now, I'm far from a professional mechanic, but I do have some experience messing around with car stuff. Sounds like you might have a leak in your intake hose. When that happened to my Qashqai, it threw everything out of whack: check engine light, power loss, the works. I took it to my eminently trustworthy local workshop and indeed, they confirmed my suspicions of a leaky intake hose. Had it replaced for roughly 100 Euro and it was as good as new. Lesson learned - don't ignore the hissing sound! If you could share some more details about your car, I might be able to help you out further. Mileage, any recent repairs, that sort of thing. Good luck, bud!

(Translated from German)

Hey, thanks heaps for your reply! Glad to find someone who's had a similar experience, even if it's not quite the same model. My XTrail has clocked around 16350 KM from the last servicing, which was pretty much just the basic stuff - oil change, spark plug replacement, etc., nothing major. With the symptoms I've listed, does it still sound to you like an intake hose issue? Your input really matters to me, considering you've been through the same ordeal. Hoping it's nothing way too serious! Cheers!

(Translated from German)

No worries, happy to help! Given your car's mileage and the symptoms, it does still sound like an intake hose issue to me. The hissing sound you're hearing could really be air being sucked in through a leak, and that would cause all the other problems you're experiencing: power loss, an unstable engine, jerking when you accelerate, shaking when idling and so forth. The check engine light would go on because the car's systems would notice the engine isn't getting the air it needs. What you could do is pop the hood and inspect the intake system carefully. If you see any cracks, gaps or loose connections in the intake hose, that might be your culprit. But just remember I'm not an actual mechanic - it's always safer and better to consult with professionals about this kind of stuff. So, I'd recommend you to take your XTrail to a good local workshop and have it inspected thoroughly. Don't stress too much though, intake hose issues are usually not too serious or expensive to fix, at least that was my experience. Hope everything turns out just fine for your car. Keep us posted, yeah? Good luck!

(Translated from German)

Thanks a heap for the insight! I'll definitely check out the intake hose - hadn't thought to look there closely myself. Was a tad scared of popping the hood when it's all shaky as hell, but I surely should get over that. And yea, will certainly reach out to my local workshop. I've got a reliable one nearby, thanks to our small but mighty community here. So, let's hope it indeed is the intake hose issue and not some ominous, wallet-draining monster! Will keep y'all updated once I've figured it out, fingers crossed. Thanks again for the help and cheers to you, bud!

(Translated from German)

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