Frequently Asked Questions - Engine

Can you upgrade a normally-aspirated engine to a supercharged one?

While it theoretically can be done, the cost would be greatly prohibitive. You would need to switch the driver's side valve cover, the SC unit itself, and various other parts, as well as the ECU.

It would be wiser to trade in, and purchase an SC model, or a NextGen X, which comes standard w 265 Horsepower. The 2000-2004 crank out 170 to 180, and the SC only brings you to 210.

How can I bypass the govenor or limiter on the X?

The "governor" is built into the ECM (Electronic Control Module) and cannot be easily disabled (you'd have to reprogram it). 95mph in an SUV is fast enough - don't become a statistic.

Why does the automatic version of the Xterra have more torque than the manual version?

Torque is usually measured "at the wheels" so through a change in gear ratios in the transmission, torque is effectively changed at the wheels. There is nothing a manual transmission owner can do to change this except to change the rear-end/diff gears.