3.0ltr diesel nissan bad news?

I believe things have been fixed along the way so get the latest model possible. I will be interested to see the replys you get on this forum as there is some people who knows the in's and out's of this very well on what has been fixed etc.

Why not a Discovery 2 TD5 - much more reliable and a better vehicle than a Patrol - and there won't be that niggling feeling caused by your sub-conscience wondering when is the engine going to blow.

Be struggling to get a 3.0l for $20. But if you can look for one where thee engine has already been replaced under warranty.

Leroy

Only the early 3 litre patrols had problems, though I'm not sure of the cutoff date. You are sure to get heaps of people knocking them with a question such as this but all makes have had their flaws! I could tell some very interesting stories about Landcruisers, Pajeros, and Disco's for example. (As for a Disco being more reliable, I find that remark quite amusing.... Don' start me!)

Having said that, I know two people with very early 3 litre Patrols (heaps of kilometres) and neither have had ANY problems at all and BOTH love their vehicle. Nissan however, did make changes with the later ones I think to avoid problems with pistons overheating and therefore sometimes failing.
BTW, my elderly GQ 4.2 has never had a part bought for it other than filters and the like, and new bits for mods like turbo, big exhaust and other improvements. Quite simply the best and most reliable vehicle I've ever owned in over forty years.
Q. Why not also consider a good GQ? If you found a well loved one you could be very happy indeed, and in that price range you'd be able to pick and choose.

Are you talkin of the 3.0 GU or 3.0 GQ?

You wouldnt get a 3.0 GU for $20k.
4.5 petrols, 4.8 petrols and 2.8's would be the only GU you would get for the money you have.

4.2 GQ with turbo and fully kitted should see you with change.

Seen plenty of naturally aspirated 1hz's with oil control problems and having to be rebuilt and replaced early in their life. Also seen a few of the latest turbo Cruiser engines in the ute and wagon with failing cylinder heads. I think give the ZD 30 a shot because the vehicle is only as good as the dealer backup and i don't think Nissan would shy away from your engine if it developed a problem down the track.
PS. also seen plenty of Recent Cummins, Cat and John Deere engines with major mechanical faults as well but nothing that can't be fixed.

G'day kimtone,

Not sure what state your in, but if you're interested in a 2.8TD GU with a motson's chip to give it the same power and torque as the 3.0lt and dual batts for the same money then give me a holler at pezzamail@bigponddotcom.

Avagoodn
Pezza

I can not understand the need to risk a problem with a 3 ltr patrol. I have two mates with one each and on a trip to the centre last year we all did the same distance, over the same roads , at the same speed, carrying the same weight (approx) using the same fuel supplies and guess what....both patrols (1 auto, 1 manual) got the same fuel consumption as my n/a 1HZ 80 series. Oh what a surprise!! Fuel consumption is a product of weight, speed and terrain and of course right foot weight.
Sure the Patrol is nice to drive but it is still a bl....dy truck so why people risk a problem for no gain is beyond me. Is it just the thought that "hey I can wring the neck of a 3ltr and it can now keep up with a 4.2" I wonder. Imagine the problem of ANY 4wd going BANG in the middle of the Simpson let alone taking the risk with a stressed 3ltr anything. By the way, both my mates 3ltrs have been trouble free and I keep my fingers crossed for them. At least they travel with a Toyota if anything does go bang. HE HE.

Funny about the John Deere engine not having any problems. I have been working soley on John Deere Machinery for 16 years and i look after 5 John Deere dealership workshops currently, and we had 14 broken crankshafts in the JD Teir 2 6081 engine in the last 6 months and 2 with piston failures. I have also seen the 16 litr Cummins in the TJ new holland's with cylinder head failures to the extent that Cummins could not keep up with the demand. As for your pussridden 1HZ's the amount of 75 series Field service vehicle's that we have had in Dealerships we should have rented an oil well to keep their sumps topped up. Lucky we had Patrols as well i say, as all we did to them was brakes and springs and the normal services. All the Nissans did their 300 - 500 000 km overloaded beyond belief and throttles flat out with operator abuse as per usual company vehicle standards. As for the 75's well i got sick of forking out money for diffs, Cv's, Gearbox's, transfercases and reringing 2 dollar oil burning engines. Also i was sick of the back breaking $1 seats that we had to replace as well , so the Toyota's were f#$%@* off not long after their first timing belt was changed. So if you ask me what i thought was a timebomb well a Landcruiser is right up there in my eyes.

PS. So what i am trying to say is, all machinery has faults and it is how the manufacturer handles the repair,to try and make it as cost effective and painless as possible to the consumer. The crankshaft problem in our engines hasn't stopped us from selling the Rolls Royce of Ag Machinery.

Don't know much about the 3.0 moter, but I have just taken my 2.8 turbo diesel to WA and back over the Outback highway - towing jAYCO O/ROAD van. Both performed well and the 2.8 has amazing performance. I have driven a 4.2 l patrol and the 2.8 leaves it for dead. I am selling my Patrol & van - if you are still looking give me a call on 0427726010 and I can give you the details. I realise it is some time since your question, but I have only now logged on.