Nissan ZD30 (3TDi) Serious Problem with Piston

Should add its a Nov 2000 series 1 model, I've had it serviced by Nissan every 10,000km on the dot which is better than the books 15,000km recommendation. It was recalled early on to have the oil capacity increased. I've had no other problems in the last 3 years and I've owned it from new. I often tow a T/Van which weighs about 700km and was travelling at 110km on a highway when the engine blew up. It made a pinging sound, lost power and blew a mountain of smoke and that was that. I'm due to buy another one soon but that will depend on how Nissan treat me with this just out of warrenty claim.

If you search on this forum there is a fair bit about motors blowing up like yours. Nissan do cover them, sometimes after a bit of a fight.2001 Landcruiser 100S Turbo Diesel
"We do not stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing"

Have you tried the search function?

Yeah what a shame. Nissan have made some beaut engines in the past but unfortunately this one has a problem. Don't let them screw you. It's a well known fact that these engines have a problem. They say the problem is licked but that's yet to be proven. Unfortunately nobody wins. BEAM ME UP SCOTTY


Hooroo
Ray
maddogmorgan@mail15.com

You could be on to something there, re the EGT's as I'd reckon that the computer would be set up to run as lean a fuel/air mixture as possible to meet emission and fuel economy targets. Get it too lean and you get melted pistons and turbo's as per most of the motor's that have gone phut.

Apparently the engine problems are/have occurred right round the world, not just here in Oz.
I've also heard that when the engines are replaced they are with current spec engines.
Not too many GU III have got enough k's on them yet to give any indication of better longevity.
Makes you wonder though that with all the cad design etc that they can get it so wrong. Or maybe they have cut the spec that far that there is no tolerance for even a slight variance on the norm.
Makes you also wonder how many other time bombs are out there waiting to go off.
Gets me on to another not unrelated subject, what is the long term lifespan of late model 4wd's.
As even the 'heavy duty' vehicles become more car like in their appointments, lighter in construction and made in such a way as to be able to do the job they are marketed to do but only for a certain length (shorter and shorter as time goes on) of time.Tough luck to the owner who loads it to its GVM continually, and heaven forbid actually expecting it to carry the load over rough roads and tracks causing the vehicle to wear out far quicker than we have in the past.