98-02 Nissan Patrol Turbo Diesel help

brendan88 · 25-03-2007, 05:42 PM

Howdy, i am currently a looking to buy a Patrol as a work car. I just need to know what to look out for when buying one. Does anyone know any problems too look out for. I am hopefully going to get a 3.0L diesel but if i ave to ill just get the 2.8.

Thanks in advance
Brendan

Dazza XLT · 25-03-2007, 05:47 PM

If I was you, I'd get a 4.2lt TD if possible.
We had nothing but problems with the 3.0ltTD while I was in the Territory. Turbo Issue, then a fuel drama. Bit too much car to push for the 3lt IMO.
Didn't have a drama with the 4.2lt TD we had.

Cheers

**Falcon Coupe** · 25-03-2007, 06:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by brendan88

Howdy, i am currently a looking to buy a Patrol as a work car. I just need to know what to look out for when buying one. Does anyone know any problems too look out for. I am hopefully going to get a 3.0L diesel but if i ave to ill just get the 2.8.

Thanks in advance
Brendan

I'm not sure about the longevity of the 3.0L, but i have the latest 2.5L Navara, i was dubious at first, but it produces the most power/torque in it's class and tows very well.

BAturb · 25-03-2007, 06:09 PM

my dad just bought an 04 4.2lt turbo diesel, he uses it to tow a 3ton boat, so a 3lt was never in the equation, like others say it is a big car for a 3lt, hold out and look for the 4.2lt turbo diesel, you will be much happier

Interceptor · 25-03-2007, 06:14 PM

i know a couple of people who have had the 2.8/3L patrols, reckon they're allright as a family hack, but put any weight into them or try towing something and they are useless

at work we've got a navara with the 3L diesel, head cracked early on, and since having the head done at the start of january, it hasnt been right since....

what about a landcruiser?

DoreSlamR · 25-03-2007, 06:16 PM

Back in 2003, when i lived up north I was told by a local mechanic who'd been working up that way for 20 odd years that on average he'd have about 5 turbo diesel patrols towed in to his shop each year due to turbos blowing up. seems the turbos cant handle the heat . I'm led to believe like the others say, that it was the smaller motor diesel that had the issues.

irsa76 · 25-03-2007, 06:57 PM

The ZD30 is crap. Avoid at all costs. You know it's bad when Nissan dealers won't own anything with the engine.

brendan88 · 25-03-2007, 07:16 PM

Yer i was thinking about the 4.2 but wasn't really sure whether it was worth the extra $$$. See im only an apprentice chippy so maby ill ave to wait to buy a 4.2. But i dunno how well my kombi is going to go full of tools

Interceptor · 25-03-2007, 07:24 PM

you're a chippy and you're gonna use a patrol wagon as a work vehicle?

XR Martin · 25-03-2007, 07:29 PM

Funny thing is the 4.2 actually makes less power and torque than the 3.0L (at the same rpms too)

:

irsa76 · 25-03-2007, 08:14 PM

Yes but the 4.2 will actually do the job. The 3.0 will probably burn a piston or two, saw it a few times.

Electric · 25-03-2007, 08:34 PM

I had a 2000 model GUII 3.0L Auto and it was brilliant.

Used it for work, for propper off road work (where the auto was great) and for towing (only about 2000kg though) sold it with 90,000ks on the clock and it never missed a beat...best car I've ever bought.

The ONLY warranty work was a rear tailgate lock from new (interior light would come on after going over a big bump off road) fixed at the 1,500k service...then nothing but fuel and oil till the day I sold it. Tyres even had another 20 - 30,000ks left in them.

But they were Michellins, I had the dealler **** of the EOM tyres before I bought it.

I drove the 4.2's and thought they were a shuddering slug. But that said I had a mate with a 4.2 NA and it had done over 800,000ks without anymore than a few sets of new injectors, never even had the head off. Would not expect that from a 3.0L.

But if it had the oil changed every 5,000ks I would not expect any dramas on one with less than 200,000ks.

Outbackjack · 25-03-2007, 08:34 PM

Ok, I owned a 3.0 litre turbo patrol for 4 years. From 02 till 06. Bought brand new. Serviced meticulously. Hawled my little roadster all over Australia on a car trailer. Never a beat missed. I have nothing but praise for the 3.0 litre motor. After spending a bit of time in the pub with the local nissan dealer workshop manager it would appear that all problems attributed to these engines come back to poor maintenance/missed services and serious thrashing. If you can get hold of a good one go for it. The 4.2 litre motors are gutless compared to the 3.0 litre. Make sure you get post 2002 though. It has larger sump etc...... I sold my patrol to a guy in Nhullumby up on the NT north coast. It spends its time now driving up and down the beach on fishing excursions. So if anyone reckons that they cant handle the heat, they're probably toyota bigots.

Paxton · 25-03-2007, 08:56 PM

I had a GU with the 2800 TD in it. Don't be fooled with the 3.0 TD. It is only a 4 Cylinder, where the 2800 was an I6. The 2800 was fantastic for the applications that I bought it for - towing the boat, some light-moderate off-roading, and highway use. It didn't have much turbo lag, and was happy to spin right to the 5500 RPM red line. The Gearbox was smooth, and it would pull a brick wall up a Brick wall in low range.

My only gripes were the requirements to get it serviced every 5,000 Kms, but the Nissan service (at the time) was fantastic. Way over and above the treatment that I got from Ford. The service manager at John Robinson knew me by name. I only had one problem, when the Mrs. was driving, when it did a fan belt, which Nissan replaced without a fuss, and even wanted to get their senior mechanic to investigate the problem.

Make sure you get an ST, and, preferably with a Bullbar, as I found that it was hard to see the front of the car. The way to tell the Series One GU Diesel motors apart, is the badge on the Driver/Passenger doors. The 2.8 (like the picture), says "Turbo Diesel Intercooler", whereas the 3000 says "Turbo Diesel Direct Injection".

The Truck Does snow.

The Truck in the Driveway.

If you end up with the 2800 let me know. I am happy to answer questions you have about it.

Green X · 25-03-2007, 09:18 PM

3.0 Litre Patrol if you get one get a late model one series 3 if you can.

These Motors have documented problems with burning a hole in No. 4 piston, a lot of theories as to why, but know body actually knows, You need to use a Japanese diesel Spec oil in them only forget the ratting off the top of my head but I can find out.

MAF sensors are another problem on the motors.

The 4.2 Turbo would be my pick of the bunch the thing is bullet proof; thou do have some cooling problems when pushed hard, this is due to Internal water Jacket design of the Block.

The 3.0 makes more toque but look at the toque curve of the Turbo 4.2 it has more toque available overall throe out the rev range, Stick on a 3-inch exhaust and dump pipe and get the fuel pump tuned and you can get respectable power out of em, I reckon a front mount Inter cooler would do wonders as-well.

The 4.2 is a old school Jap diesel,= **** power, average fuel economy, slow and sooty as but reliable as ****the 4.2 will give 0 reliability problems, it will get your there maby not first but you will arive LOL

XR Martin · 25-03-2007, 09:26 PM

Id love one with a Duramax 6.6L Diesel. 885Nm of torque

schmidty · 25-03-2007, 09:30 PM

The difference,

a 2.8L or 3.0L TD will be cheaper to run, and will be fine for the everyday.

Dont expect to get more than about 160,000km out of an early 2.8L or 3.0L TD. You'll be hard pressed to find one thats done over 180,000km without a rebuild. They are well stretched to their limits for a small capacity 4cyl diesel. Worked so much harder to get the power and torque output to push a 3 tonne vehicle. If it's been used for towing or hasnt been maintained meticulously, you're buying a bucket of trouble.

A 4.2 Intercooled TD is definaetly the choice as far as being rugged, reliable, and able to cop some punishment. Being a 6cylinder, and bigger capacity they do the same work with a lot less stress. You'll see the 4.2 TD in many cases doing up to 500,000km with nothing more than an injector pump overhaul.

If you're not prepared to spend the cash to get yourself into a GU series 3 3.0L TD, you're better off in the long run looking for a 4.2. Or honestly, even better off in a 4.5L petrol running dual fuel than an old time bomb 2.8L or 3.0L TD.

You cant find a 4wd much more rugged and reliable than a 4.2L Intercooled TD Patrol. By far the most solid and reliable driveline of any 4wd you'll buy. May not be the most refined, but tough as nails, and such a great platform for mods if you want to get serious off road.

mustang70 · 25-03-2007, 09:34 PM

i have driven a few, and found the 2.8 a slug, but the 3.0 not too bad.
but another poster has praise for the 2.8 and he's owned one so i guess he'w know. i've driven maybe three or four 2.8 and was amazed at how slow they were. bith the 2.8 and 3.0 are underpowered to me. i have also found factory brakes seem weak to me.
btw if buying a 2.8 or 3.0 throw a decent earth strap on it,chassis to battery to engine. the facory job is lame where it crimps and bolts to the body and can cause very eratic engine performance, especially if a DBW cruise control is fitted. whack a decent strap on it and problem solved.
problem comes form the DBW throttle system taking its earth through the engine, get a bad engine earth and you'll have throttle issues (engine lights on etc)
check out the factory strap, its pretty ****, the new model has a decent earth strap

Paxton · 25-03-2007, 09:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by schmidty

The difference,

a 2.8L or 3.0L TD will be cheaper to run, and will be fine for the everyday.

Dont expect to get more than about 160,000km out of an early 2.8L or 3.0L TD. You'll be hard pressed to find one thats done over 180,000km without a rebuild. They are well stretched to their limits for a small capacity 4cyl diesel. Worked so much harder to get the power and torque output to push a 3 tonne vehicle. If it's been used for towing or hasnt been maintained meticulously, you're buying a bucket of trouble.

Mine had 185,000 on it, and it felt as strong as when I bought it at 12,000 (repo job at the Auctions). It definitely felt stronger than my Territory does at 88,000.

schmidty · 25-03-2007, 09:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by brendan88

Yer i was thinking about the 4.2 but wasn't really sure whether it was worth the extra $$$. See im only an apprentice chippy so maby ill ave to wait to buy a 4.2. But i dunno how well my kombi is going to go full of tools

Another thing to remember, is that even though you can pick these vehicles up cheap now, new they ranged between $48,000 - $65,000. So expect that when things go wrong, or need overhauling, you're not working with a cheap car.

I know through having 4 wheel drives that if you wanna get serious off road, expect to have your hand deep, deep into your pocket often.

We found some good bog holes in the wombat forest over 1m deep, and long. Had a ball all day, but left the forest with no alternator. By the time i got home both diffs were noisy. Next day i spent over $200 on oils and filters. Drained engine oil, gearbox, transfer, both diffs. Filled with fresh oil, drove, diffs got worse. Ended up within 1 week of that particular trip, i had to have both diffs completely rebuild, re packed wheel bearings, new alternator, new starter motor, new ac compressor. That trip alone cost me over 2k. Even on tamer trips sometimes you go home unscathed, others it may be a dint, or a flooded interior, or just your pride. But be prepared that you're not stepping into something thats cheap to fix and maintain.

Especially if you get into a diesel. Anything that goes wrong engine wise is usually serious. They'll rarely let you down if maintained to a high standard, but buying second hand you cant know for sure. It only needs to be run on dirty fuel, or service intervals let drag out, or stopped with a red hot turbo. These common things can cost you big bucks in the long run. And when something major goes on a diesel, it'll leave a major hole in your pocket.

Know someone with an 80 series that did the big end. Cost 10.5k by the time it was back on the road in engine work and injector pump over haul.

So in the long run, even though it'll set you back a few more bucks now, the 4.2L might be better for you in the long run.

schmidty · 25-03-2007, 09:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Paxton

Mine had 185,000 on it, and it felt as strong as when I bought it at 12,000 (repo job at the Auctions). It definitely felt stronger than my Territory does at 88,000.

I've never personally seen one with more than 200,000km without a rebuild. Even though yours might have had 185,000 on it and still felt strong, i wouldnt be buying it second hand. Next owner will have a ticking time bomb on their hands.

For the nissan dealer to tell you to avoid them like the plague says something. Was talking to a service manager the other day who was saying they do big ends in the earlier 2.8 and 3.0's by the truck load, but the problems causing it have been rectified in the latest version of the engine.

Personal choice i suppose, but with all of the horror stories/feedback from friends, mechanics etc, i wouldnt be parting with my cash for a 3.0L Might be fine for the missus to drive and pick the kids up from school with, but i'm notouriously hard on my vehicles, so tend to focus a lot on durability.

brendan88 · 26-03-2007, 03:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by schmidty

Another thing to remember, is that even though you can pick these vehicles up cheap now, new they ranged between $48,000 - $65,000. So expect that when things go wrong, or need overhauling, you're not working with a cheap car.

I know through having 4 wheel drives that if you wanna get serious off road, expect to have your hand deep, deep into your pocket often.

We found some good bog holes in the wombat forest over 1m deep, and long. Had a ball all day, but left the forest with no alternator. By the time i got home both diffs were noisy. Next day i spent over $200 on oils and filters. Drained engine oil, gearbox, transfer, both diffs. Filled with fresh oil, drove, diffs got worse. Ended up within 1 week of that particular trip, i had to have both diffs completely rebuild, re packed wheel bearings, new alternator, new starter motor, new ac compressor. That trip alone cost me over 2k. Even on tamer trips sometimes you go home unscathed, others it may be a dint, or a flooded interior, or just your pride. But be prepared that you're not stepping into something thats cheap to fix and maintain.

Especially if you get into a diesel. Anything that goes wrong engine wise is usually serious. They'll rarely let you down if maintained to a high standard, but buying second hand you cant know for sure. It only needs to be run on dirty fuel, or service intervals let drag out, or stopped with a red hot turbo. These common things can cost you big bucks in the long run. And when something major goes on a diesel, it'll leave a major hole in your pocket.

Know someone with an 80 series that did the big end. Cost 10.5k by the time it was back on the road in engine work and injector pump over haul.

So in the long run, even though it'll set you back a few more bucks now, the 4.2L might be better for you in the long run.

Thats very true, they will be quite expensive to repair

Quote:

Originally Posted by Paxton

I had a GU with the 2800 TD in it. Don't be fooled with the 3.0 TD. It is only a 4 Cylinder, where the 2800 was an I6. The 2800 was fantastic for the applications that I bought it for - towing the boat, some light-moderate off-roading, and highway use. It didn't have much turbo lag, and was happy to spin right to the 5500 RPM red line. The Gearbox was smooth, and it would pull a brick wall up a Brick wall in low range.

My only gripes were the requirements to get it serviced every 5,000 Kms, but the Nissan service (at the time) was fantastic. Way over and above the treatment that I got from Ford. The service manager at John Robinson knew me by name. I only had one problem, when the Mrs. was driving, when it did a fan belt, which Nissan replaced without a fuss, and even wanted to get their senior mechanic to investigate the problem.

Make sure you get an ST, and, preferably with a Bullbar, as I found that it was hard to see the front of the car. The way to tell the Series One GU Diesel motors apart, is the badge on the Driver/Passenger doors. The 2.8 (like the picture), says "Turbo Diesel Intercooler", whereas the 3000 says "Turbo Diesel Direct Injection".

The Truck Does snow.

The Truck in the Driveway.

If you end up with the 2800 let me know. I am happy to answer questions you have about it.

Yer thats Exactly what i was after. But after reading i might investigate more into a 4.2L. Thanks for the info and pictures.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Interceptor

you're a chippy and you're gonna use a patrol wagon as a work vehicle?

Yer just to tow a trailer, but then i can also carry more people than a ute.

Tote · 26-03-2007, 04:32 PM

The 2.8s missed out on a few heavy duty bits that the 4.2 got like power assited clutch and a decent air cleaner.
3.0 litre injectors are in the vicinity of $1500 a pop as well I believe.
Go the 4.2
Regards,
Tote

DODDO · 26-03-2007, 06:00 PM

Hi,
As its been stated a few times before, dont go near the 3 litre. Yes, they are more powerful than the 4.2, but think about it, more power from a 4 cyl than compared to a 6 cyl. The 3 litre is too stressed out. They are prone to melting cylinders 3 and 4's pistons. This is caused from them revving hard for long periods of time and also from towing heavy loads.
Like any diesel, they HATE water in fuel, so my advice with ANY diesel vehicle is to fit a extra water/sediment trap in the system before the main fuel filter just so it catches the water anddirt and so you can see if you have picked up a bad tank of fuel. A VP44 fuel pump for a 3L costs around 3K to replace, so fitting a extra filter is worth the money.
Try looking for one that hasn't been used for towing heavy loads, as ive seen a few spit out 5th gear.
The 2.8 is an alright motor, a bit gutless but its ok. My Dads mate has one with over 350,000 on the clock and doesnt use one drop of oil or blow any smoke. He has just replaced the clutch in his in the last couple of weeks. Not bad for the amount of KM the car has done.
Steer clear of one that have been "re-chipped". They are a timebomb!
Go for the 4.2 mate, its a stronger motor, and I havn't heard of any issues with them.

I hope this is useful for you!

Cheers!

Paxton · 26-03-2007, 07:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tote

The 2.8s missed out on a few heavy duty bits that the 4.2 got like power assited clutch and a decent air cleaner.
3.0 litre injectors are in the vicinity of $1500 a pop as well I believe.
Go the 4.2
Regards,
Tote

My 2.8 had a Power Assisted Clutch. It has been my only manual to date that the Mrs. could drive. The Air-Cleaner I can vouch for. I was replacing Air-Filters every service, much to the glee of the Parts Interpreter.