Friday, Jun 04, 2004 at 16:25
Another post by a NON 3.0TD owner trying to justify spending ~$6K extra on a 50's designed engine.
As for being a better tourer, it does not tow as well (power wise, as the bodys are identical) and has worse fuel economy. Is the supposed relaiblity what makes it better? You convienetly ignore other posts regarding a 4.2TD already had 2 turbos and about to get its 3rd. What about the harmonic balancer that has issues around the 90,000km mark (been a few of those before too). While the 4.2TD has had FAR less reliability issues than any engine I am aware of, it is NOT perfect.
Your statement of needing a mechanic every 30K is laughable (OK, its tongue in cheek) but then you add anyone with basic mecahnical knowledge can bypass the timing control on a 4.2TD is just false. No timing control on a diesel (mechanical or electrical) and it will simply not run across the rev range. If you remove the electrical control, where do you find the mechanical control to replace it !!! Or do you simply leave the timing at a fixed postion (and destroy the engine!!!)
Then to add to your ignorance you talk about ECU (Engine Control Unit - an electronic chip) analysing fuel. What the!!!! Just to fill you in with the problems with water in diesel, its the FACT that water cannot easily pass thru the injection nozzles. The 3.0TD has an injection pressure nearly 3 times that of the 4.2TD. This means the nozzles holes are smaller and more sensitive to water in fuel. But, the 4.2 also does not like water in fuel, its just that the nozzle holes as so relatively large that the water passes thru easier (but any water in fuel causes nozzle wear). Dirty fuel normally blocks the fuel filter and starves the engine of fuel. Simply changing the fuel fiter will usually get you going again until it blocks again (you do carry a spare fuel filter for your 4.2TD?). Run ANY diesel on dirty fuel for long enough and you will need a new pump and injectors before too long. But it has nothing to do with the ECU.
Look, I like a good debate about the relative merits of any vehicle. But when false facts are tossed in, it gets up my goat. Roachie simply does not like all the extra electronic gizmos that come with the 3.0TD, and I respect that, its his opinion.
But to say the 4.2TD is a far better tourer is just not supported by the facts IMHO. Yes, the 4.2TD has the runs on the board for reliability, but ask those who have owned both a 3.0TD and a 4.2TD what they prefer to tow with. Fit a Dtronic to a 3.0TD and it simply runs rings around the 4.2TD, particurlay when towing. So, it boils down to the reliability issue.
I fully acknowledge that the series 2 had issues with burnt/holed pistons, but the series 3 has none of these issues. There are other problems (EGR springs to mind) but no more common than other faults in any other engines. But others will prefer the proven track record of the 4.2TD and that is fine, there is no right or wrong answer here.
I could have easily purchased a 4.2TD Nissan (or 100 series 4.2TD for that matter) but I felt the 3.0TD was the right combination at the right price. I could not justify spending extra $$$ on the 4.2TD when it did not go as well as the 3.0TD or even get as good fuel economy. And as I was satisfied with the 3.0TD reliablity, why go the 4.2TD?
As for the price difference, Nissan is simply making huge profits on the 4.2TD as the engine tooling, R&D etc... has been paid for many times over. Even the intercooler comes off the 2.8TD, not the larger one on the 3.0TD. But wait until the replacement 4.2TD engine arrives, will have cost many millions/billions to develop, but will hardly be a price rise thanks to all those buying the 4.2TD now and funding the development cost.
I will stop my ranting and get off the soap box now that I have got this off my chest. And apologies in advance if I have offended anyone, but I just got all fired up (must be my red hair!!!).
Cheers
Captain
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