Flyer88

So here is the latest, this time from Robert Killam the Service Manager at my local dealership, Oakville Nissan. Last week he promised to contact Nissan Canada and call me about how to determine if the car actually has the LSD. He didn't call me back but after a couple of calls he told me that they could tell by putting the car up on a hoist and turning one front wheel. Depending on how the other wheel turned in response, the car either does or doesn't have LSD. When I asked which result was the proof, he said he didn't know but that the service technical did. Well guess what, the wheels turned in opposite directions and he says that means there is a LSD.

I was also told that the other way to test is to set the emergency brake and then do a burnout on dry pavement. I should expect one wheel to turn but not the other. However, after 1, 2 or even up to 10 seconds, the other wheel would "lock", proving the existence of the LSD.

It's been a while since a dealer has tried to feed me so much BS at one time. Of course, this is the same guy that told me there is a light for the LSD and a shut off switch, and that all the transmissions, including the auto, have the limited slip differential. But the best part was when he claimed repeatedly that the LSD is viscous, not mechanical. Even when I told him the brochure says it is helical and only on the manual trannys, he said it wasn't true. He also said that I am the first person to complain about this.

I know it is mechanical, and that if it takes 10 seconds to lock up then there really isn't any value. I know that an open diff makes the wheels turn in opposite directions if one wheel is turned on a hoist. In fact, I am pretty sure that all diffs would create the same result when not under load. Most of all, I know this guy has no clue about what he is saying.

Anybody think I need to find a new dealer?

Myrv

HLSD won't help if one of the wheels breaks completely loose (i.e. one wheel is on ice). If you find yourself in this situation you can fake the HLSD out by lightly pressing the brakes. This will cause the spinning wheel to experience torque and the HLSD will then transfer some multiple of this torque to the opposite wheel that has traction (hopefully enough to get you out). This is tough on the brakes but can help get you out of some situations.