Outer Limits 4x4 Board

Hi All,

Looking at buying a patrol and looking at the 3.0ltr turbo diesel.

I had a quick read of some of the issues affecting these engines.

If im looking at a series 3 2003 model should I be right or still expect some of these issues to raise there heads?

Cheers
Paul

so they never fixed their issues then?

I thought it was the 2.8 that was the hand grenade

barbz wrote:so they never fixed their issues then?

some people think they have - while they are better than they were by a LONG shot, they still have issues

I thought it was the 2.8 that was the hand grenade

Bzzzzzzzzzzz...... 3.0

Do you know any of these issues, most of the issues discussed here were on the older models 2000-02's.

Just finding it hard to find a 4.2 in my price bracket.

Cheers
Paul

Hi Paul,

The others are correct in saying the ZD30 still has issues in 2003 models.

But the issues aren't internal. They're now electrical shortcomings. The biggest of these issues, the melting thing, can easily be monitored.

Have a look here:
http://www.patrol4x4.com/forum/showpost ... stcount=12

This document contains alot of information regarding the ZD30. With a little work it can be a good package. The issues with them are not as common as many people will tell you but theres no denying they do exist. The majority of patrol sales since 2000 have been 3.0L Turbo Diesels - thats alot of patrols out there which are giving sterling service and being bloody cheap to run.

Other issues beginning to loom are injector pump problems - the Bosch VP44 pump used on these engines has a bad track record all over the world, and not only on the nissan zd30. A couple of the members of the patrol4x4 forum are working on the same solutions the americans have found - their results are looking promising.

My opinion? Depends on what you use it for, but if you're towing go for the 4.2L.

Cheers

barbz wrote:Do you know any of these issues, most of the issues discussed here were on the older models 2000-02's.

and later models, as i said, not as many, but if you can only just afford the truck, you couldnt afford the $10k (They are a high volume item now with nissan!) replacement for engine.

Just finding it hard to find a 4.2 in my price bracket.

you maynot find one. mate of mine ended up going 10k over his original price bracket to get one.

Thanks Yom,

That document is great, well where I am up to in it.

You mentioned melting, what exactly is melting?

Cheers

Combustion happens inside the piston in the zd30. If the EGT's go high and fluctaute the metal can develop fractures which are weak spots and eventually the high combustion temps will melt a hole through the piston. Bam - lots of knocking, white smoke and a whole lot of going nowhere.

http://www.patrol4x4.com/forum/showthre ... iston+hole

this thread actually has a nice picture of a failed #4 (most common) and shows the crack & hole nicely.

Trouble is theres no way of knowing if this damage has already been done when you're purchasing a second hand vehicle. And that goes for ANY vehicle. Its part of the risk you take when buying secondhand.. Sometimes theres a reason the owners are selling it.

From reading you either think quite badly of the 3.0 or love it (which isnt helping my case).

What would normally cause the high temps that could cause problems down the track? excessive towing? what else?

Is there anything from a detailed racq inspection that could help tell if the car is on its way out?

Also who has had problems with the 3.0 where the piston blows a hole or cracked heads etc. alot of people seem to know other people who it has happened to but it has only been with 2000 - 2002 models.

im looking at an 03 if I havent mentioned it already

Cheers
Paul

http://www.lonards-automotives.com.au/patrol.html

if you can afford to replace a donk if it goes bang, then go for it.

barbz wrote:From reading you either think quite badly of the 3.0 or love it (which isnt helping my case).

What would normally cause the high temps that could cause problems down the track? excessive towing? what else?

Is there anything from a detailed racq inspection that could help tell if the car is on its way out?

Also who has had problems with the 3.0 where the piston blows a hole or cracked heads etc. alot of people seem to know other people who it has happened to but it has only been with 2000 - 2002 models.

im looking at an 03 if I havent mentioned it already

Cheers
Paul

Not answering your first question. Just offering an unbiased perspective, UNLIKE most other people.

High temps can be caused by lots of things - if you drive one like you drive a petrol, it'll get hot quickly. High temps won't hurt it as long as its running within its design range. All that is required for it to move outside of its design parameters is a sensor to start playing up (usually airflow sensor), too little boost (blocked exhaust from a collapsed cat converter etc, variable pitch blades on turbo exhaust wheel siezing so the wrong boost levels or a vacuum leak on the vnt actuator plumbing somewhere, a boost leak through blown or leaking intercooler piping, leaking intercooler.

I'm sure theres other things I missed.