Car Clinic: My Nissan X-Trail will not shift into seventh gear
Your motoring problems solved
Q. My 2015 Nissan X-Trail will not shift into seventh gear in automatic mode, which I think is reducing the fuel economy. Why?
PS, Horsham, West Sussex
Browse NEW or USED cars for sale
A. According to Nissan, the car shifts into seventh gear automatically at about 80-85mph (German autobahn speeds). The engine is turbocharged, and because the turbo is driven by exhaust gas, the engine needs to run at a reasonable speed to keep the charger spinning properly. In the X-Trail, Nissan says, an engine speed above 2,000rpm is best for fuel efficiency. At 70mph, engine speed would be less than 2,000rpm in seventh, so the gearbox stays in sixth.
TIM’LL FIX IT
Tim Shallcross used to train AA patrols to fix cars. Now he advises the Institute of Advanced Motoring — read more from Tim here.
GOT A PROBLEM?
Email your question to carclinic@sunday-times.co.uk or write to Car Clinic, Driving, The Sunday Times, 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF, with a daytime phone number, your address and as much detail about your car as possible. We can’t reply in person, so don’t send original documents or SAEs. Advice is given without legal responsibility.
