Terrano II Buying Advice & Workshop Manual

Submitted: Monday, Jan 15, 2007 at 19:52
ThreadID: 41244 Views:9276 Replies:8 FollowUps:6
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Hi,

I'm looking at buying a turbo diesel Terrano II and came across this site in my search for information. There seems to be rather limited info on these vehicles available on the net except for a few interesting posts from members of these forums.

I'd greatly appreciate any advice on buying a Terrano II such as any common problems they may have and any particular things I should check when inspecting the vehicle.

I also like to do my own maintenance and was wondering is there a workshop manual available the Terrano II? I'm having a bit of trouble tracking one down so if someone could point me in the right direction that would be great.
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Reply By: redmeatgrr - Monday, Jan 15, 2007 at 21:29

Monday, Jan 15, 2007 at 21:29
Ahh... the forgotten fourby... rare beast too, I have the 99 TDI model with a body lift, (Patrol body blocks will fit, we only raised the intercooler scoop brackets) suspension lift, winch, rear Air Lockers (yes, a Navara one will fit, so would a Courier snorkel) etc...

Spares?... no problem as it is an official Nissan import.

Faults...? Get a new airflow meter, no matter how well you think it performs, improvement will be instant, do not fit an oil based air filter, the oil mist will annihilate the airflow meter. Rear diff seals may leak, the clutch return spring is too weak (get a stronger one from a spring manufacturer). Worst engineering ballsup is the oil sender pipe from the side of the block into the alternator assembly, and hard to access, get an Enzed replacement.

A Calmini transfer case reduction set is available from the U.S. as well as front indie suspension lift kit. The rear springs you would want to get rid of straight away, they're way too soft.

More or as capable in the bush than almost anything in its class, and you will risk serious panel damage before it stops. 31 inch tyres will fit, just. Workshop manuals are available on ebay (disc).
AnswerID: 215543

Reply By: hoyks - Monday, Jan 15, 2007 at 22:16

Monday, Jan 15, 2007 at 22:16
With the air mass meter, there is a Bosch part number on the side as well as the Nissan one, provided it is the Bosch part and not a Hatachi one. Buy it from Bosch and save about $200. Injector nozzles are also available through Bosch. Nissan only do complete injectors and you are looking at around $2000 as opposed to $300.

You can download a manual from
Site Link

I have the paper one I got from Nissan, before they all started turning up on CD.

I found the clutch spring OK once the clutch has been bled properly. Mine gets along quite well and will sit on 110 all day. I get around 11L/100km which I am happy with.

They do have a tendency to run hot if worked hard in hot conditions. I replaced the radiator and fitted a 10” electric fan that helps a bit at low speed.

Water pumps are the same as a Turbo diesel Navara but are a bit awkward to replace, Starter motor is a pain to get out too.

Other than that, a nice low tech motor with go faster bits added. No cam timing belts/chains to have to worry about either.
AnswerID: 215552

Follow Up By: redmeatgrr - Monday, Jan 15, 2007 at 23:00

Monday, Jan 15, 2007 at 23:00
Yes, good observations, and to also mention a few more really good points on the Terrano II, there is ample room for an extra battery and even a winch solenoid assembly under the bonnet, Ryco has an aftermarket fuel filter replacement with the seethrough bowl that fits straight in, AGM manual hubs are available through ARB for around $250 or so, Rhino racks and Milford cargo barriers are available from many suppliers, oil filters can be found on the shelves of BigW and so on...

I'm really happy with mine, and oddly, mine appears to run fairly ok even under extremely hot conditions, dunno why as I've heard of this problem before with TII:s.

And the oddest thing:

When taking your foot off the accelerator and coming to a complete idle speed in first low or high (engine coming off boost on turbo) the vehicle sort of takes a second to collect itself and only it then continues to idle along on as per normal at around 750 rpm. This was a bit annoying. Guess what fixed it. A set of two Hiclones!! True story. Wouldn't know about fuel savings or increased power though.
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Follow Up By: hoyks - Tuesday, Jan 16, 2007 at 19:48

Tuesday, Jan 16, 2007 at 19:48
I forgot to mention those. I have done the Barrier, second battery and installed a pair of power outlets in the back with H/duty wire running to the back. About a month after I got it I up graded the springs to a heavy duty set and new shocks, I’m now running OME and find them good with good travel. The front hubs started to make a clicking noise as they weren’t disengaging properly and no amount of cleaning/regreasing would fix them. They were replaced with a set of AVM manual hubs that took about ½ an hour to fit. An ECB bullbar got fitted as a result of an altercation with a roo on the way home from work. I have also just finished building some draws and mounted my compressor in there as well.

Mine does the rough running thing after driving up our steep drive and stopping, but only for a second. Another thing I have found is that if you try and push the brake and accelerator at the same time to try and dry the brakes, the drive by wire thing cuts the engines power. I wondered about it, but according to the manual it is meant to be like that.

The manual in section EF & EC-3089 tells you how to bridge two terminals so you can check the onboard computer for fault codes which will save you a trip to the dealer.
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Follow Up By: hoyks - Tuesday, Jan 16, 2007 at 19:49

Tuesday, Jan 16, 2007 at 19:49
Oh, and mine has done 230000 and also used no oil between changes.
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Reply By: stevesub - Monday, Jan 15, 2007 at 22:32

Monday, Jan 15, 2007 at 22:32
We have one in NZ and have had a trouble free run out of it. Bought at 21,000km and now around 75,000km. Only one problem, a power window stopped working - new mechanism reqd so put the window up and diconnected the power window motor - thats what air con is for.

Other than that, a perfect run. We will see what it is like later in the week when I take it around the North island of NZ next week - have not seen it for 4 months as we live in Brisbane

Stevesub
AnswerID: 215558

Reply By: Shaker - Tuesday, Jan 16, 2007 at 09:31

Tuesday, Jan 16, 2007 at 09:31
Love mine ... Done heaps of Outback & High Country towing a Track Eagle camper trailer, as Hoyks said, they can get warm when worked hard in extreme conditions.
Mine has done nearly 350,000 km & I still average 11l/100km & use no oil between changes with a reasonable load on board, as it is ready to go camping 24/7.

I would be interested in more info re the body lift!
AnswerID: 215597

Follow Up By: redmeatgrr - Tuesday, Jan 16, 2007 at 14:05

Tuesday, Jan 16, 2007 at 14:05
Yep, the body lift is fairly easy on TII:s:

Use Patrol 2 inch body blocks, first remove front and rear bumpers or your front bullbar, then you need to modify the rear bumper by welding 2-inch extension brakets to it, same with the front bumper if you have the original one, then raise the intercooler scoop by adding a square 2 inch section of aluminium channeling onto it available from hardware shops.

That's all we did. 4WD systems in Adelaide quoted $500 three years ago for a similar Terrano II 2-inch body lift inc. body blocks and labour minus the bumper work, I heard, so it's not too bad moneywise, and definitely worth the effort... and it looks really wicked with the chassis rails clearly visible after the bodylift.

The honourable Esq., expert ale-meister John Rooth did an excellent review on Terrano II:s, October 1999 issue, 4X4 Magazine did a road test on a TDI TII, number 697, Overlander did a comparison test against the Cherokee turbodiesel in 1999, all excellent reviews, praising the vehicle to the heavens. Some of these mags might be available second hand on Ebay.

But oddly, according to a Nissan sales exec I had a yarn with, only 500-600 were ever sold here, probably due to its odd styling. In Europe, different story, the TII is and was amongst the top sellers at least in the UK and Germany.
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Reply By: kingswoodwagon - Tuesday, Jan 16, 2007 at 10:46

Tuesday, Jan 16, 2007 at 10:46
maniacbloke,

ive been using workshop manuals off CD (bought from ebay) for the last few years.
ive had no troubles getting the one i want.

i simply print off the section i need - ie three pages on removing rear shockies, then take them into the shed and get them covered in grease then throw them out when ive finished.

may not be the best when you broken down in the bush.
but remember, 'Proper Maintenance Prevents bleep Poor Performance.'

Gav
AnswerID: 215609

Reply By: maniacbloke - Tuesday, Jan 16, 2007 at 14:00

Tuesday, Jan 16, 2007 at 14:00
Thanks for the responses guys. All very helpful! I wasn't expecting so much info so fast.

Looks like its time to go hunting for my new Terrano II then I'll definitely be hanging around this forum allot more.

I purchased and download the workshop manual from the link hoyks provided above. If anyone else needs a copy I'm happy put it on one of my servers where you can download it for free.
AnswerID: 215648

Follow Up By: Shaker - Tuesday, Jan 16, 2007 at 14:34

Tuesday, Jan 16, 2007 at 14:34
Albeit a little premature .... .welcome to the T2 club!
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Reply By: scottwheels - Tuesday, Jan 16, 2007 at 17:19

Tuesday, Jan 16, 2007 at 17:19
Hi there,

I know I'm a bit late, but I second the responses here. My TII is a 98 TDi with 144k on the clock, I bought it with 80k.

We drove it around Gove for a couple of years, and it's ability surpassed my ambitions :D I certainly never had a problem going anywhere in it, even on some pretty hairy bush tracks.

The air mass flow meter is certainly a problem, mine failed at about the 95k mark (the original owner ran a unifilter which clogged up too fast on dusty gravel roads) but I have never had a problem since using the paper filter. BTW, I did get a Bosch replacement part which was significantly cheaper than the Nissan OEM part.

Unfortunately in the process of diagnosing the U/S air mass flow sensor, the mechanic cracked the fuel filter housing which cause the fuel to bleed back into the tank overnight making it difficult to start in the morning. Of course the workshop accepted no responsibility.

I have had to replace the clutch master cylinder, rear brake cylinders, fan belts a cracked engine mount, some flogged our steering rod, and cracked front bumper mounts. The Gove to Darwin track is ROUGH road by August. All in all not bad for the k's, the age of the vehicle and the driving conditions.

The only problem I've had that I can't seem to resolve is that after a muddy water crossing the check engine warning light came on and the engine seemed to loose power for a few seconds, then pick up again only to drop off again, surging and lurching as I negotiated the soft sand. Admittedly it was a pretty quick crossing to keep the momentum up, I lost my front number plate in the process.

The next day the light was off and I didn't have a problem until I got home and washed under the car, only to have the light come on again and the same problem repeat (on bitumen this time).

The local repairer said the ECU had no record of the fault and to bring it in again if it did it again. Which it hasn't yet, but I haven't done more water crossings that fast since then, so perhaps whatever was getting wet is now staying dry.

If you do post the repair manual on one of your servers, I'd appreciate a copy - hopefully I can repay your favour one day.

Cheers, Scott
AnswerID: 215698

Follow Up By: BobnShaz - Wednesday, Jan 17, 2007 at 14:12

Wednesday, Jan 17, 2007 at 14:12
i blew a rear brake light in my t2 and the engine warning light come on replaced brake bulb and warning light went off
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Reply By: Member - Julie P (VIC) - Thursday, Jan 18, 2007 at 21:16

Thursday, Jan 18, 2007 at 21:16
Love my Terrano II TDI - '97 model - had it for about 4 years I think - been heaps of places - all road conditions - into the Bungle Bungles - Windjanna Gorge - Gibb River Road - etc - etc - never let us down once on that trip (20,000k) - most parts are easy to get - haven't had a problem at all - unlike the Japanese imports - as others have said - maintenance is the thing - do the oil changes and filter changes, and the fuel filter changes etc.
My nechanic reckons we must hardly ever use our brakes - only done the rear ones once - had a minor problem in the ignition once - but was quite easily fixed -(trouble was we were fully loaded and on our way 5 k from home, Saturday morning - checking air in tyres on camper - car would not start - RACV guy came and picked the problem - we did not turn the motor off from Frankston to Mildura - then booked in to the Nissan dealer there and got it fixed) nothing else at all really - just general maintenance things.
you'll love it!!!
jules
AnswerID: 216243

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