Nissan Patrol power upgrade

Well I had a Patrol and a 2500kg caravan and got absolutely sick of it changing down at the slightest rise in the road.

Solved the problem by buying a TD Landcruiser and was happy forever after.

I wouldnt be trying to extract too much out of one as they are fairly stressed as they are. The CRD is better than the old grenade but who knows by how much.

If I was you i would hook up a van of 2500kg and go for a drive over an undulating road and see how it performs. I wish I had before I bought it.

The Patrol forum is the best place to ask this and as you have been there probably already have the answers.

This is the most comprehensive article I have read on this contentious subject, most entertaining are the comments at the end ( if you have plenty of time )

https://outbackjoe.com/macho-divertissement/macho-articles/why-no-diesel-chip/

Only other option is the upgraded turbo .
gturbo is getting into some of the nissan turbos.
but is very well known on the toyota gear.
a simple look on youtube for gturbo will convince you of the upgrade.
Should transform the vehicle once installed and tuned.
cost a bit more but should give you some decent returns on cost outlay than the chip or ECU remap and bigger exhaust route

Unfortunately the truth is a 3 litre engine in a wagon that big meant something had to give. Now the 3 litre engine in this vehicle over the years has a shocking reputation. I don't make the reputation, others do. In reality even after doing exhaust and fitting a Stein-B chip you won't gain mountains. Do not buy a chip that pumps more fuel, the Stein-B adjusts injection timing alone. Both chip and exhaust will give you heaps more torque, great for towing. Tweaking is ok as long as you do the necessary maintenance and more. If you are going to do serious towing I would suggest a different vehicle with the appropriate power to weight ratio and reputation for long term reliability. IMO.

Gday
Why change the vehicle at all, there must be dozens of Nissan 3ltr s traveling and pulling big vans with no problems. My brother drove around Australia with a 3ltr Nissan and no problems at all. You are towing two and a half tonne trailer, its not a raceing car.

We towed our Bushtracker all over Tasmania with a 3 litre Patrol. Sure it lacks power compared to the 7.3 litre F250, but it did the job, and wanted to cruise at 120 :O on the flat.

Becasue of the controversial motor, we would not risk doing anything not stock standard. It has now done 200,000 kilometres.

Mate....get on the nissan patrol forum and speak to people in the know. These people own the vehicle and most will truthfully tell you the pros and cons of chips, exhausts and other mods. I know many Pajero owners that have chipped their vehicles are very happy with the improvement in fuel economy and power. This doesnt mean that your vehicle will be the same.

Hi,
I purchased a new 3lt CRD Auto Patrol in 2014. I do a lot of camping and tow a GIC Black Alpha camper trailer. It pulls the camper at legal speeds with no issues.
Yes it is a small motor for the size and weight of the Patrol but driven sensibly, is not over-stressed and reliable as any other similar motor. You will notice the weight & performance of any similar size & powered motor vehicle with a 2.5 ton trailer in tow.

The much early 3lt direct injection motors were problems. This was a design issue. The much later 2008 - on motors do not suffer from the same design issues. This is not to say that you should look after them, as with any modern diesel that has exhaust gas recirculation. This is the killer of modern diesel engines. It may be good for the environment, but not for modern engines.

I have fitted a Provent "catch can" to stop diesel fumes recirculating, causing diesel soot sticking to intercoolers, turbos, manifolds, & pistons. This causes pistons to overheat, and in extreme cases, melt. IMO this should be fitted asap. You can also block the EGR system, but this can cause other issues ( fault codes ) and will certainly void your warranty. A "catch can" will not void your warranty if you use one that has built-in pressure relief valves. A Provent meets these requirements.

If you want to gain some performance I suggest the following, although it would be prudent to do it after the warranty expires as Nissan is not the nicest people to deal with if an unlikely major engine problem happens.
2.5 or 3" exhaust
Larger intercooler
Reputable make Power Chip or CPU re-map. ( injector duration mod, not rail pressure increase)
and if you have deep pockets .... a Nomad valve body for the auto. No more chasing gears on hills.

The Patrol is a good reliable vehicle and arguably one the best "hard core" off road available today. Any vehicle towing a 2.5 ton trailer will suffer to some degree.

Capt.

You could always drop your tyre height a bit, that will make the patrol a bit torquier.