i own a 1988 nissan prairie had it 3 yrs approx when i first got it the distributor base plate was loose which made the timing flutter causing it to be slow going up hills and also made it run rough when it was cold damp wether causing it to stall. once that was done this improved the car quite a bit i find the car runs best in summer in winter and especialy in wet cold wehter the distributor cap gets condensation causing itto stutter. this car has took me and my family around quite a bit of the uk without any problems. The only things that a re niggling and mabe some other prairie owners may be able to help is when opening the window while driving especially after going up[ gradients there is petrol fumes wafting in the car the only way to cure it is shutting the window and also pinking at times on acceleration otherwise a great car. Also if there is anyone who has got a prairie going back as far as 1982 to 1984 i would be very interested to hear from them .
Reviewing a 1988 model.
1.8 sgl
Owned for 3 years.
My car is an '87 1.8 sgl Prairie. The car is quite reliable, but blow 32 deagrees of celcius it won't start without warming the engine before. Also it can carry really heavy weigth - i've moved more than 600kg of stuff+1 passangers(+driver) with a single trip. My Prairie also has gas device (uses propane), but i havent tested it yet. At the very moment my Nissan is not running due to that i just finished paintwork and am fixing gearbox. Anyway I'm totally satisfied with this car and think that i'll drive it for couple of more years... If any questions, mail me [Log in to view email]
Ive had 1998 anniversary II model for about 6 years now, she starts every time no matter what the weather and is a great work horse. mine is also adapted for diability with passenger seat now being a wheelchair as the absence of a centre pillar means that the chair lift mechanism fits perfectly.One day in the not so near future i will have to replace her, but dont know if i will find anything as good!
had my E reg 1.8 anniversary II for 3 years now & love her to bits,but in the wet it missfires and dies!can anyone help as i have already tried distributor cap,rotor arm,ht leads & spark plugs! please help cos i am going to get fired from my new job if im late again!
I brought my priarie a year ago, for my camping holidays as it was a spaciuos car, i have a (H) 1991 SLX 5 seat model, at the moment its overheating and iam hoping its just the thermostat gone, but i have a niggle it might be the radiator also the locking mechanism has gone on the central locking and the passenger side electrics dont work, i have toiled with the idea of just getting rid and buying something else but i do like my car, its just the availibility of parts and the cost its a bit of a nightmare, also i have read everyone elses comments and i also need a manual, did anyone one have any luck in finding where we all could get one from?
Bought the car 2 yrs ago. Huge trunk, excellent driving position and it looks cute aswell.. The only thing i think is sad is the availability of parts, they're hard to find. Otherwise, best car i've ever had.
hi, I have had prairies since 1982 starting with a 1.5gl, over the years I have bought and restored in excess of 35 of these fantastic far ahead of their time vehicles and as a consequence of this I pride myself on knowing virtually every nut and bolt and most of the far and few between problems that occur from time to time. some tips you may be interested in: 1, if you need any engine parts for your 1.5, look no further than the 1.5 sunny there is more of them around and the power unit is identical, I have transfered many sunny engines into prairies the only difference is the engine mountings and exhaust manifold but dont worry, your prairie ones will bolt straight on to a sunny engine, for the economy concious a sunny 1.3 engine will also go in, slight loss of power but cheaper to run especially around town, but a well tuned prairie 1.5 will return at least 35mpg around town and about 44mpg on a good run. 2, the 1.5 exhaust back box can also be replaced with a sunny one if you do a slight adjustment to the rear bracket. 3, the sunny 1.3 or 1.5 gearbox is also interchangable with the prairie but you must replace the final drive units with your prairie ones otherwise your driveshafts wont fit, ( be careful they slightly changed the length of the splines on the 86 gearbox final drive units so make sure they fit before filling with gear oil ) 4, sunny wheels also go straight onto a prairie. 5, the 1.8 engine is basically a bluebird engine with the dissy at the front of the head instead of the right hand side, if you look at your prairie engine you will see a blanking plug at the right hand end of the head, the alternator is also in a slightly different position, with these exceptions everything else is identical and therfore interchangable, the gearbox however is not as most bluebirds had a hydraulic clutch. 6, one last thing, if you have to replace the front part of the handbrake cable, according to the book you have to remove the dash to get to the mounting bracket.........oh no you dont, save yourself at least two hours by cutting a groove about 1" long into the lower facia panel adjacent to the brake lever and apply slight heat from a hair dryer and bend it upwards, this then reveals a locking pin with a spring washer holding the handbrake lever in place, prise off the washer, tap the pin out ( note the position of the spring and wiring to the dash brake indicator light ) and then simply disconect the cable from under the car, remove the two retaining bolts on the engine side of the bulkhead and withdraw the lever from inside the car....simple, it can be a bit fiddly to get the bolt back in place but it can be done. --------------------------------------- to sum up I love these cars, they are spacious, economical, easy to work on, and extremely reliable especially the 1.5, and I'm sure many of you will share this view. I would be interested in starting an owners club if anyone is interested and I can be contacted at [Log in to view email] and I live in the north west area, look forward to your replies and good luck !!!!! prairie paul.
ps.dont hesitate to contact me if you need some advice, if I can help I will.
I've got a 4x4 auto version, 1990. Lovely comfy car, bit heavy on petrol about town (20mpg) but can get 29/30 on a long run. Distributor gave up at 120,000 miles! New one from Nissan £450, found a s/h one in Leeds for £15.00 Same as Bluebird, so maybe a B/bird manual might help if one is available. Watch the bodywork and touch in any stone chips otherwise they will spread. Don't see many Prairies about, but they must have sold reasonably well when new. LAtest offering is just a van with seats and windows - awful. Nissan got it right and now everyone is copying the basic style.
I have Nissan Prairie 2.0 Pro(1992 year) during 6 months. I love this car. But I've not found any information and/or technical manual of this model in web pages or on Nissan's web site. Could anybody help me about this? My e-mail: [Log in to view email]
I am a lucky owner of 1988 Nissan Prairie (sold in the US as Stanza SW, in Canada - Multi). The one I have is a 2WD, 2,0L fuel injected. Bought it in May of 1996 with appr. 87,000 miles on it. Now it has 217,000 miles. Original engine. Replaced a water pump, an alternator. Runs strong. The only problem with my car is its automatic transmission - had it rebuilt twice. Last week noticed some grayness of metal abrasions in the transmission fluid. I think the third time of the transmission rebuild is coming... Other than that - Absolutely love this car! I am a tall guy, but I swear this is the most comfortable car I've ever driven or had a chance to find myself behind a steering wheel of. This car enables you to get in and out with some dignity, as it does not humiliate you by making you crawl in and out. My mom with her lower back problems just loves it. Driving is a pleasure. Parking is extremely easy, - you sit high and the window area in that car can probably compete with an acquarium. It's like flying a helicopter - you just hover. Rear sliding doors are extremely convenient and practical. Each time I see them sliding, especially being parked in a close proximity to another car or something, I praise those Japanese engineers who came up with such a smart decision which enabled this car to be just fine without central pillars between the front and rear doors, - some (serious)weight reduction too. Trunk is just huge, especially for the car of its class and size. Through all these years, I've been getting nothing, but compliments about convenience and practicality of my Nissan from the people who have not been introduced to it earlier. I travel a lot internationally, and it's so good to see these lively cars all over the world. I saw them even in Russia, Ukraine, Cayman Islands. Sorry for such a long message. Just wanted to share.
I have a Nissan Prairie 1.8 1988. I also have problems with a tendancy to peter out after travelling for a few miles and loosing power on an incline. I am having trouble locating a workshop manual for her.Any helpful tips? Are there any good sources for second-hand spares?
Brilliant high level access with excellent sliding door accessibility (like when someone parks tight against your driver's door) Remove passenger bench seat in two minutes to create flat floored Tardis that swallows huge loads. I own two (one since 1988)
i have an E reg Prairie 1.8. Most of the time it is reliable & excellent runner but come the cold weather it stutters & chokes after about 6 miles from cold starting. it recovers within 2 -3 miles usually & is fine for the rest of the day. although sometimes it stops completely. Seems to be an automatic choke problem but can't bring ourselves to spend 500+ on a new carb. Anyone had a similar problem and solved it?
I've owned a couple of these blighters, both Mk1s. A 1.5GL and a 1.8SGL. I agree that they are still outstanding value for money. If there is anyone (esp in the UK) who is interested in getting together a list of owners, perhaps with a view to purchasing stocks of new old parts, I'd be pleased to hear from you. Mail me at [Log in to view email] Yeah, guess my other automotive obsession!
Never owned
Preloved Visitor
Reviewed December 2003.
Performance
Reliability
Parts Availability
Overall Value for Money
The prarie is a very reliable car but i know that eventually, hopefully not soon i will need the manual to carry out some basic repairs one problem, i cannot find one anywhere. I would be very grateful for your suggestions.
Owned for 2 years.
Preloved Visitor
Reviewed May 2003.
Performance
Reliability
Parts Availability
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WE LOVE OUR CAR BUT WE CANT FIND A WORKSHOP MANUAL FOR IT , IF YOU KNOW WHERE WE CAN BUY 1 PLEASE FEEL FREE TO EMAIL US AT [Log in to view email]
Owned for 1 year.
Preloved Visitor
Reviewed March 2003.
Performance
Reliability
Parts Availability
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kanon bil
Owned for 3 years.
Preloved Visitor
Reviewed October 2002.
Performance
Reliability
Parts Availability
Overall Value for Money
I have the JWG 4WD model now for 6 years. I thought it was a good balance of all things for a multipurpose vehicle. It appears the previous owner blew the engine and I got stuck with his lemon. I'm about to take off the engine head for the third time - blown gasket. It has some overheating problems which I haven't gotten to the bottom of. Tried all the obvious things (new radiator, no thermostat, carb adjustments, ignition and valve timings), besides pulling the whole block out and manually scraping away any rust buildup through the frost plugs. It also won't pull a hen off it's nest and is dangerous when overtaking - no power. I've just come up with a brainstorm that it must be a clogged catalytic converter, and I'll be fiddling with that next.
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