Outer Limits 4x4 Board

Who here owns a 3Lt GU and has actually had the engine troubles that everyone talks about? We've all heard the problems with them and yet you still many of them out there trundling around happily.

I'm in the process of upgrading to a GU and the 3lt ticks all the boxes except for the "engine problems". Ideally I'd be looking at as late a model as possible probably around the 2000 - 2001

I don't own one but did some research for the old man a little while ago and I couldn't find any occurance of engine failure from the series 3 onwards. Lots of probs in the series 2 but no proof of a series 3 or later failure.

what year does the series 3 start?

grimbo wrote:what year does the series 3 start?

GUIII - October 2001 onwards.

That is when they started the "Series III" - I only assume they upgraded the 3.0 as part of that release.

check the one on ebay for $18k....

gu4800 wrote:

grimbo wrote:what year does the series 3 start?

GUIII - October 2001 onwards.

That is when they started the "Series III" - I only assume they upgraded the 3.0 as part of that release.

I thought series III was more late 2002 early 2003

I've heard of heaps and Nissan have still replaced engines after warranty. Look here, http://www.patrol4x4.com

BowTieGQ wrote:I've heard of heaps and Nissan have still replaced engines after warranty. Look here, http://www.patrol4x4.com

they were, but now have a cut off date where they arent replacing some.. Some dudes on Exploroz have been rejected for repair, some are paying labour and free parts

but how amny are having problems is it an occasional one or 20% or…?

Are they high milegae units or all at 80 000km? And are they just the whatever year model?

Surely if it can make it too being "the truth" there must be some actual owners on here with the problem

grimbo wrote:but how amny are having problems is it an occasional one or 20% or…?

Are they high milegae units or all at 80 000km? And are they just the whatever year model?

Surely if it can make it too being "the truth" there must be some actual owners on here with the problem

again you may have more luck on EO, lots more 3.0's there

bogged wrote:

grimbo wrote:but how amny are having problems is it an occasional one or 20% or…?

Are they high milegae units or all at 80 000km? And are they just the whatever year model?

Surely if it can make it too being "the truth" there must be some actual owners on here with the problem

again you may have more luck on EO, lots more 3.0's there

will do

chachi_70 wrote:

gu4800 wrote:

grimbo wrote:what year does the series 3 start?

GUIII - October 2001 onwards.

That is when they started the "Series III" - I only assume they upgraded the 3.0 as part of that release.

I thought series III was more late 2002 early 2003

Nope, according to redbook.com.au, Oct '01 is the start of series III. That said, if I was to get one, I'd be buying late model with some factory warranty left and a faultless service history.

RoldIT wrote:Nope, according to redbook.com.au, Oct '01 is the start of series III. That said, if I was to get one, I'd be buying late model with some factory warranty left and a faultless service history.

I'd buy a TD6 and did

bogged wrote:

RoldIT wrote:Nope, according to redbook.com.au, Oct '01 is the start of series III. That said, if I was to get one, I'd be buying late model with some factory warranty left and a faultless service history.

I'd buy a TD6 and did

Well, that too ...

bogged wrote:

RoldIT wrote:Nope, according to redbook.com.au, Oct '01 is the start of series III. That said, if I was to get one, I'd be buying late model with some factory warranty left and a faultless service history.

I'd buy a TD6 and did

if I could afford too I would. Looking at a DX on the weekend

grimbo wrote:if I could afford too I would. Looking at a DX on the weekend

IMWO saving is well worth it, but depends if its a long term purchase/investment..

bogged wrote:I'd buy a TD6 and did

When?

What are the details? (ie, what year in the end, and klm's)

Did I miss the post?

You've been looking for one for so long i thought I would have read about it in the newspaper!

Mine is a 3lt 12/2001 build. has 200k on it and still going strong. The only thing ive really had to deal with is a leaking intercooler, but then i got the care second hand so i dont really know what was done to it before i got it. All i can say is im happy with it, having no problems

chachi_70 wrote:

gu4800 wrote:

grimbo wrote:what year does the series 3 start?

GUIII - October 2001 onwards.

That is when they started the "Series III" - I only assume they upgraded the 3.0 as part of that release.

I thought series III was more late 2002 early 2003

I've got series III,build date nov 2001,complied jan 2002

customer had his 3yr old [under warranty by a month of its 3 yr warranty] 3.0 patrol engine rebuilt under warranty afew weeks ago, after losing No 1 pot.

3 less than 3 yr old ones I am personally aware of with the 3.0 engine problem.

gu4800 wrote:When?

last week

What are the details? (ie, what year in the end, and klm's)

2003 TD6 120k klms, white, cargo barrier, std missan bar, b'stone roady tirtes.

Did I miss the post?

nope

You've been looking for one for so long i thought I would have read about it in the newspaper!

actually I wasnt doing the lookin'.



BTW
Thanks Eric.

A good mate of mine blew up his series 3 about a month ago

39,000k's on the clock it spat out piston number 3

Engine replaced under warranty with no explanation as to why the failure occurred

Hmmmm ... ok, it appears I was wrong regarding the series III's.

But I also know of a Petrol motor throwing a rod and a 4.2 Diesel engine. Sometimes engines aren't looked after or people do stupid things.

People will focus on the negative about something if there is a common belief that there is something wrong. Its like the old the old saying try not to think of pink elephants. If I had never mentioned pink elephants it would never even enter your mind to think about them. Same situation here, there seems to be a problem with some of the early 3 litre engines, the minute a later one gets wrecked automatically the assumption is that all 3 litre engines are faulty.

I bet there are many many 3 litres owners who have had no dramas as well. It seems to me that it is hard to seperate the fact from fiction which doesn't help me make the decision

grimbo wrote:But I also know of a Petrol motor throwing a rod and a 4.2 Diesel engine. Sometimes engines aren't looked after or people do stupid things.

People will focus on the negative about something if there is a common belief that there is something wrong. Its like the old the old saying try not to think of pink elephants. If I had never mentioned pink elephants it would never even enter your mind to think about them. Same situation here, there seems to be a problem with some of the early 3 litre engines, the minute a later one gets wrecked automatically the assumption is that all 3 litre engines are faulty.

I bet there are many many 3 litres owners who have had no dramas as well. It seems to me that it is hard to seperate the fact from fiction which doesn't help me make the decision

You dont need to try and convince us, if you want it, buy it, but dont ignore facts when they are presented to you either, I spent the extra and went 4.2, because just the perception of the 3.0 makes the resale plummet.

Only problem with that is alot of people buy them because they are now in an affordable price range, as long as they arent a hand grenade with the pin pulled. @nd hand, are you buying one someone is offloading because it may, or has a problem occurring?

I'm not trying to convince anyone else, I'm trying to work out if it is a limited number with problems which has then spread as ALL 3 litres are a problem. My research hasn't given much more than a few have had problems but a lot of people have mates of mates who have had problems. Reputations are a hard thing to get rid of

Still recon they're a small engine in a big truck.
They seem to go well but the 4.2 does it sooo easy.

I think with the onset of direct injection Nissan have taken the option of producing a smaller engine with more power and therefore cheaper production costs. It`s just the way the market has gone. Smaller engines that are revving higher must be under more strain. Rovers Tdi is like that , a good engine but can have head probs and wont do the miles that a TD42 will. It`s just like in football.....A good big un is better than a good little un!.
Alex

grimbo wrote:I bet there are many many 3 litres owners

As a side note - from memory, the 3.0TD represented about 70% of the total Patrol sales. So, yes, there are quite a few out there compared ot he 4.2 and 4.5/4.8 (petrol being the least).

Obviously, more on the road, more problems reported.

Try this: http://www.outerlimits4x4.com/PHP_Modul ... 691#812691

See how we go!

One thing to remember with these motors is they run big boost to make the power. A standard TD42T runs 7-8 psi the ZD 30's run 15 psi standard and there are many reports of them overboosting to 20 psi and more.
Boost pressure in itself isn't a problem, for example simply upping the boost on a TD42 will do little to increase power until the pump is tickled with to provide extra fuel for the now "oxygen rich" mixture.
The ZD 30 on the other hand is electronically controlled and as the boost increases it will automatically increase the fuel for optimum mixtures. This can be a recipe for disaster as the cylinder pressures are now waaaaay over the top and the exhaust gas temps skyrocket.
I believe this is the main problem with these blowing pistons so regularly, these engines are now getting the diesel engine equivalent of a petrol engine "pinging" or detonating and this is why the pistons are holing just like a petrol turbo engine on either high boost, poor timing or poor fuel.
Regards Andrew.