Featured image: Jean-Claude Holcher, CC BY-SA 3.0 <http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/>, via Wikimedia Commons
Like many cars, the Nissan Juke suffers from its fair share of common engine problems. These are actually more prevalent on the petrol versions, in particular the 1.2 DiG-T petrol engine which can suffer from all kinds of terminal issues such as the timing chain snapping and even fuel leaks.
That being said, the diesel engine does suffer from some issues which you need to watch out for, and in this article we’re going to cover some of the most common problems with the Nissan Juke 1.5 dCi diesel engine.
The origins of this engine
This engine is actually co-developed by Nissan and Renault - the engine code is K9K. It has been manufactured as a 1.5 litre engine with various power outputs since 2001, and has been fitted to a huge number of vehicles, including but not limited to the Dacia Sandero, Renault Clio, Nissan Micra, Renault Megane, Renault Kadjar, Mercedes A-Class Nissan NV200 and Mercedes Citan. This is a hugely popular engine and there are thousands and thousands of these units out there, many performing very reliably.
DPF (diesel particulate filter) issues
Unfortunately DPF issues are a fact of life for many diesel owners. I am of the opinion that many people in the UK have bought a diesel car when they really should not have, as their type of driving does not suit a diesel engine and will cause problems that aren’t necessarily due to a design fault or manufacturing error with the engine itself. Common DPF issues you may experience on the Nissan Juke are the engine management light illuminating and the car giving a sense that it’s coughing or spluttering above around 35mph. You may also find you get other lights on the dash to inform you of a DPF problem.
DPFs need to heat up to high temperatures every few hundred miles to clean themselves of all the soot and ash that accumulates in them. This means that the car needs to be up to temperature - all the coolant, engine oil and exhaust gas temperatures need to be high enough, which could take up to ten or fifteen miles on the Nissan Juke. Then, the car has to be travelling at a constant speed with the revs high enough for the cleaning (known as a regeneration) to take place.
Unfortunately, if you use your car around the city and it only gets a few miles per day, it’s unlikely to ever get to the required temperature to perform this cleaning. As such, the DPF gets clogged up with soot and ash and is unable to regenerate itself. Sometimes the DPF can be removed and cleaned out - other times it needs to be replaced. This is why a diesel car is the wrong choice for someone who does not drive on the motorway very often.
If you have DPF issues you might find they get solved by taking your car on a long motorway journey. If this doesn’t solve the problem, you’ll need your car looked at by a specialist. The good news is if you take your car on a 20 minute, 40mph run every week or so, you are unlikely to experience DPF problems on your Nissan Juke.
Oil pressure relief valve failure (oil pump)
I have seen this issue once, and have heard it being a reasonably common issue by other mechanics who have worked on more Jukes than I have. What can happen with the 1.5 dCi engine is complete and total engine failure - you will find that you simply lose drive and are unable to accelerate. The engine will shut down or stall and you will need to be towed. If you open the bonnet, you will likely find engine oil all over the engine.
This happens because of the oil pressure relief valve failing. If you remove the oil filter, you will likely find that the O ring that seals up the oil filter has been displaced - likely due to very high oil pressure. This is likely caused by an oil pressure relief valve failing inside the engine, and causing extremely high pressure which basically causes the engine to explode.
Unfortunately this can be a tricky one to diagnose and the likelihood is that you’ll need to replace the engine - the cost of which is likely to be at least £4,000 and possibly more, depending on where you’re able to source the new engine. There isn’t much you can do about this issue to be honest - it’s one that isn’t really caused by infrequent servicing or poor maintenance.
The only thing you really can do about issues like this is just make sure the car is maintained - you should be checking your oil every month at least just to ensure it’s at the correct level, and changing the oil and filter every 9,000 miles.
Juddering or shuddering on acceleration
This is a common issue in all engines, but there are specific things that might be causing it to happen in your diesel Juke. Firstly, this could be caused by the engine being starved of air. Check the engine’s air filter and ensure it isn’t clogged up with leaves or other debris - even if you’re having your car serviced regularly, it’s possible the garage has not changed the air filter (or if you just pay for a minor service, all they’ll do is oil and filter change and won’t check the air filter.)
What can happen if the air filter is blocked is that the air filter is strangling the supply of air to the engine and therefore the engine isn’t burning fuel as efficiently as it could. What happens then is the unburnt fuel gets thrown out of the exhaust, and leaves you down on power because the air supply to the engine is too weak and the fuel can’t be burned efficiently.
This could also be an issue with the fuel filter - if not enough fuel is passing through the fuel filter as it’s blocked, a reduced supply of fuel will be reaching the engine which can lead to juddering or shuddering when accelerating.
This could also be an issue with the mass airflow sensor (MAF) - which measures the temperature of the air coming into the engine and then controls the injectors to deliver the right amount of fuel compared to the airflow, meaning the air/fuel mixture is always perfect. A broken MAF may be allowing the wrong amount of fuel and air mixture into the engine. If there’s too much air and not enough fuel, you will be running lean, and you will find that your car judders when trying to pull away.
Injector problems
The fuel injectors on the 1.5 dCi engine are made by a French company called Delphi and they’re known for being a little bit fragile. If the fuel injectors are bad, they can be causing juddering when accelerating - again because the engine is getting too little fuel and too much air. Your injectors could also be over-supplying fuel, which you would probably notice as a strong smell of fuel when trying to start the car.
Additionally if the car struggles to start from cold, you may find yourself cranking the engine for a long period of time before the car starts. This is indicative of an injector problem. You may also experience a lumpy idle, or the car hunting (revving up and down on it’s own) - all of these are characteristic of fuel injector problems.
Fuel injection problems are expensive to solve - if one has gone bad, it’s usually good practice to replace them all. For the Nissan Juke you’re probably looking at least £500 to have the injectors replaced, and that’s if you use remanufactured injectors - new injectors will likely be more expensive.
Broken EGR valve
Common points of failure on this engine include the EGR valve. EGR (exhaust gas recirculation) is where the exhaust gas is recirculated back into the engine. This changes the chemical composition of the air entering your engine and lowers the temperature, meaning for a cleaner fuel burn and more efficient exhaust system. However, these EGR valves can clog up, stick open or stick closed, and as a result, can cause issues with poor fuel economy, inconsistent acceleration or even cause the engine to stall.
If you suspect this is your issue you may just need a new EGR valve, which most garages will easily be able to fit for you.
Poor fuel economy
This can be caused by a number of reasons, but often it’s due to the configuration of your car. For example, an auto will often get poorer fuel economy than a manual. Additionally it could be to do with your driving style - if you drive your diesel around town, you will almost certainly get poorer fuel economy than if you drove it on the motorway. The opposite is true for a petrol car.
As much as this might sound a bit strange, how you use your gears can impact how fuel efficient your engine is. With a diesel, especially if you’ve not driven one before, you actually have to drive it a little bit differently to how you would a petrol, especially around town.
You are better off from a fuel economy perspective staying in a lower gear and keeping the revs up - don’t thrash it, but also don’t change up as soon as you’re able to because this will cause the engine to labour. For example, you are better off at 30mph staying in third gear at about 2000 revs, than changing up to fourth gear, because when you go to accelerate up to 40mph, the engine will use more fuel trying to pull in 4th gear (as it’s more difficult for the engine) than it will trying to pull in 3rd gear. As counterintuitive as this sounds, it is the case for a modern diesel.
Hopefully this article gives you some direction as to what to expect from your 1.5 dCi diesel engine - they are largely quite reliable engines, but like any engine they experience some common problems. Check out some more of our articles on the Nissan Juke!
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About the author
Marcus Brown is editor-in-chief of The FatMech and is a mechanic with ten years' experience based in London, UK. Having worked for major dealerships for many years, Marcus now works for a local independent garage and has experience working on nearly every make and model of car. Marcus also has a passion for writing and teaching, which is where the idea for The FatMech came from. In his spare time, Marcus enjoys playing golf, doing home renovations and gardening. He lives just outside London with his wife and son.