How do you Pick a GU 3.0l Series 3

Pluto
I have a Mar2002 GUII and I am just about to do the 80000 service before I go to Tassie. There is a lot of hype around about the engine but if the vehicle in question has the service history by a dealer there should be no probs. I have an auto and I am very happy. Get one and enjoy.

G'day Graeme, I love my GU III, now that it has King Springs/Koni's under it. Just had my MAJOR 40,000k service done for $!,100 (glad they don't come around too often) but the work covered everything and I have a clean bill of health :-).

I reckon regular servicing is the key to reliability and I wouldn't mind betting some of the problems with the earlier ZD30's are caused by poor or neglected servicing, either done by dealers or private mechanics. $1,100 now will sure beat a 5 figure repair bill further down the track when warranty has expired.

In future I will supply my own oil, coolant, brake fluid and filters (all genuine of course) and I am sure that will save a couple of hundred bucks, but you live and learn.

BTW, have a great trip, Tassie is a wonderful place to explore.

Cheers,

Peter

Did you say $1100 for a 40K km service?

What on earth did they do? That's astronomical for a vehicle with so few kms on it.

I had been thinking of buying a GU Patrol too but that wouldn't want to come around often.

Dave

Is this the way they offset there warranty claims for all the ones that blown up?
Axle

Thanks PG, That's an easier identifier than scrutinising serial numbers.

G'day all, that $1100 bill came about because I have no faith whatsoever in the local Nissan dealer here in Hobart, and the the next Nissan dealer is nearly 200 k's away.

The service centre I chose is highly respected here in Hobart, and their directions were to start at the front and finish at the back and check and/or change everything in between that needed doing, including flushing the intercooler and finally fitting the second CAV fuel filter.

The expensive parts were the genuine Nissan filters, oils, coolant, brake fluid and seals for the wheel bearings. If Nissan doesn't get you one way, they will get you another down here.

I will be shopping around on the North Island before my next service, I'm sure I can get better parts prices there.

Cheers,

Peter

Hi Peter,

I wouldn't have expected that any of the above were super expensive bits. I'm guessing they knew they were paid by the hour and paced themselves accordingly.

Either that or as is common at many dealerships - the first year apprentice did it.

I'm being a bit sarcastic & just a little cynical I know, but I've always found that if you can find a good small to medium sized independant operator who is trusted by others you know you'll be far better off.

He needs to maintain a reputation for the sake of his business and income. The dealers know that if you aren't happy there's dozens of others buying new cars each week and a high percentage will come back for service - often based on the well maintained but false belief that if they get it serviced elsewhere they will void their warranty.

Ouch is all I can say. Hope you have good luck in your quest for a good reliable mechanic.

Dave

I am getting my 80,000 service done at my local Nissan dealer as I have had nothing but good service there at a reasonable price. It is where I bought the vehicle. I also think that in a smaller place like I am a reputation for good or bad is very quickly spread.
As a by-the-way I have just got a Waeco 50 package and following the advice on this forum will run a power and earth direct to my aux battery in 30amp wiring for maximum reliability as I wish to take home some of Tassies finest produce.
I am very partial to smoked salmon, camembere cheese washed down with a good bottle of wine and contemplating the joys of life with my wife.
Graeme

G'day all, again. This business I am going to now doesn't have apprentices, all trained knowledgeable technicians, and the same technicial will work on my vehicle every time it goes in from now on. All good. I don't mind paying for quality service, but when I pay for good service and get an apprentice ..... you might say I get a bit P...ed off!

The local dealer has a good reputatation for straight forward work, but as soon as something out of the ordinary comes along they don't want to know, it becomes too hard. The price of my 30,000 service changed 3 times between quote and work performed. I queried this of course, but no reply to email and not a straight answer on the phone. NEVER AGAIN!

Graeme, good luck with your service, and with expectations of the trip like that you can't go wrong ;-)

Cheers

Graeme. The amp rating means nothing but an indication of the amount of current required to melt the insulation. The voltage at the other end is dependant on the diameter.

Go for good quality 6mm dia cable (about 4mm²).

As for your Nissan dealer, in small towns it's a bit different.

Dave

Thanks Dave I will do that as soon as I get home in about 10 days as I am doing things by remote control from here. The saving grace is we have a hi speed sat link in this very remote location. My wife has just told me my new Waeco arrived this morning.
Graeme

Hi Roachie,

I'm surprised you still have the modern round wheels on your dinosaur, not the caveman stone square ones - proven to be much more reliable, the round ones go flat on the bottom occasionally, unlike the square stone ones ;)

And good to see you got rid of the GPS, far too complicated and modern to be a useful device in the bush.

But as for the Fitch, where does that modern miracle device fit in???

Cheers mate

Captain

hahahaha, Captain....you got me there I reckon!!!

The Fitch is my attempt to drag my sorry ass (as the yanks would say) into the 21st century!!! It is very much a trial and the jury hasn't even heard all the evidence yet, let alone adjourned to make a decision.

As for the 3L, I guess you and I are just gunna have to agree to disagree and still be mates at the end of the day.

I had some good news today from my friends over in NSW (Pud and Barb, Goulburn...formerly of Yass)....... Their 3L (2000 model) expired several weeks ago. They have been negotiating with Nissan for the $5,500- repair bill and looked like all was lost there for quite some time. But, Nissan's public relations lady phoned them today to advise that as a gesture of goodwill, they would cover the cost of parts for the re-build. This was partially because of the several other issues they've had with their Patrol since purchasing it new. The injector pump had to be replaced under warranty and the intercooler leaked oil and blew a hose off at one stage too. They also had to replace that serpentine belt-tensioner and other stuff like that.

Sorry, but despite the issues I've had with the 4.2 (largely of my own making cos of all the weight I have added to it), I still love my truck, just as I know you do with yours too.

Cheers mate

Roachie

Hi Roachie,

Glad to hear Pud and Barb have had Nissan come to the party (abeit late and only partly).

I know you don't like the 3.0L, but like it or not, these high tech diesels are the future. All puns aside, the 3.0L from 1,500rpm leaves the old tech diesels for dead, more power, torque and better economy. But at idle type speeds, there is no substitute for cubic inches and high compression!!! Factor in the ability to use a hammer and screwdriver to fix most problems (unlike the laptop for the 3.0) and I can see why you like the 4.2

But for a daily driven vehicle, my old 1HZ seemed like the tortoise compared to the 3.0L hare. Do I think the 3.0L has the ultimate reliability of the 1HZ (or Nissan 4.2) - No. But then again, with UHF, CDMA, GPS, HF and EPIRB, do I think its ever a life and death decision, -No.

Everything is a compromise and each to their own. Life is full of choices, just hope we make the right ones for our circumstances. Hanging out for Holden to bring out the H3 hummer, certainly keen to give that a go :) I have never bought the same brand of vehicle twice in a row (yet!), life is too short to to get stuck on one brand !!!

Cheers

Captain

Hi Captain,
Sorry, but I have to disagree slightly. The early series 3's had steal rims, where the later ones all had alloys. The 2003 upgrade model you are refering to had no change in the 3.0Di except for the minor dash changes and that was when the 4.2 got the intercooler. Series IV's are current model.
Just being pickie.
Cheers

Chaz

Thanks for that Captain. I mighnt take you up on the offer. Will MM later.

I test drove a series IV last night.

Hi Chaz,

There were a couple of incarnations of the series "III". The steel wheels were on the very early III's, but was changed mid life, not at a model change (ie. it was only changed due to steel wheels cracking, not with a dash or trim upgrade).

There are definetly some changes in the motor bay, my BIL has a Aug 2002 while I have an Oct 2003 model and parked side by side you can see the differences, the "charcoal" cannister being the main one easily visible (couldn't put the battery isolator in the same spot due to it).

As for the latter models being series IV, it was simply what others refered to them at the time, prior to the "major" change of the current GU's. Whether they are actually IV's or V's, I don't know - Nissan certainly don't call the latter series III a series IV but I haven't heard the latest model referred to as the IV either - no big deal either way.

Cheers mate

Captain

I won't disagree with you Brian.

The heart says 4.2 and the wallet says 3.0.

I think they usually pick them up on a tilt tray....

If you cant afford a 4.2 yet, wait. Poor people cant afford cheap things.
YMMV

"I think they usually pick them up on a tilt tray...."

ROFLMFAO!!!!!!!

You're a card Truckster!! ;-)

It's not as simple as affording it. There simply aren't any available in Perth at the moment.

Fresh deliveries of patrols are in the yards at the moment. There should be at least a few in the yards at the moment, but I haven't found them. I'm not inclined to wait for next month's round.

There are one or 2 other states in the country...
Try contacting Eric (rockcrawler) by members message, see what he can do

Thanks Flappa,

I'm not inclined to look at anything before 2004.

What is your definition of a 'serious 4x4'er'? One without a sense of humour?

Yes...