Hi Scotty,
I have a 2012 Nissan Murano with 165,000 trouble free miles. It has the original engine and CVT. When I pull off from a stop sign the car hesitates to accelerate because of a loss of power to the engine. There is no check engine light and no codes stored. It feels like "first gear" is slipping, but the RPM's aren't increasing, which makes me think it's not the transmission but rather a sensor or fuel delivery issue. My local mechanic couldn't replicate the issue. What are your thoughts?
Thank you,
Adam Diebold
The CVT has already lasted longer than expected and it could well be failing. You would need to have it scanned by a transmission expert with a professional-grade scan tool to determine that. However, it is certainly worth checking the engine for any obvious performance issues before condemning the transmission.
How long has it been since the fuel filter was replaced? Air filter? Is fuel pressure OK? Any vacuum leaks? Have you tried cleaning the MAF sensor and throttle body? There may be no codes but have you tried recording live data while the problem is happening and playing it back to look for anything suspicious?
The fuel filter has never been replaced because it is part of the fuel pump. The pressure seems okay when my local mechanic checked it. There were also no vacuum leaks. I cleaned the MAF sensor after I noticed this issue, however these sensors are very finicky and throw a code when it as much as gets to cold outside. I also cleaned the throttle body about 6 months ago. I do not have the tool to record live data.
Regardless of whether it is built into the fuel pump, a decade and 165K miles is too long to leave a fuel filter in place. For this and future issues you might want to invest in an inexpensive scan tool that can snapshot live data, they are inexpensive. See the site FAQ section on scan tools in the under $100 section.