3.0 litre Auto or 4.2 litre Manual?

Hi perthburts
I can give you some thoughts on the Patrol...... I would take the 4.2 every day! Simply because in low rev low range situations, ie before the turbo has spooled up, the 3 litre is a 4 cylinder 3 l trying to push 2.5 tonnes of car around, whereas the 4.2 has bucketloads of torque on tap. The downside is the 4.2 is manual only as far as I know.

For your other questions, have a look through the topics section up the top of the page, there is a sub section about vehicle set up, very handy!!

Cheers

Brian

Hi
I dont have a patrol. However we looked at this same proposition. I had an overwhelming responce in favour of the 4.2 litre diesel. The 3 litre is not so good for towing a big van long distance with a full load. The 4.2 litre apears to be very tough and reliable even if it is older technology. They are popular as well. We did a trip across the top and deisel is readily avaliable on all the main routes and some of the other roads as well. Thousands of travellers have deisel and swear by it. The 3 litre is a lovely car however from reading many posts on this forum and speaking to mechanics they are not really designed to tow a large load as they are not a large engine for a heavy wagon to begin with.
Anyway that is just my opiniun and the information that I recieved when I looked into a similar scenario.
Have fun with your purchase and enjoy the adventure!
Reagrds lenni

Personally I would not touch a 2002 3.0 Patrol with a barge pole.

Go to www.lonards-automotives.com.au and then click on Nissan Patrol.

This may give you an insight to the 3.0litre GU Patrol.

I have always steered clear of towing larger vans with less that 4.2 litres.

If you go petrol you will pay the price at the pumps and every time you fuel up you will wince. Diesels give better fuel economy and good longevity as long as you service them regularly. Petrols have more power and are usually easier and less expensive to repair.

Cheers

My parents have been travelling on an off for the past 6 years towing a 20 foot Roadstar van, first with 2000 model 3 litre auto TD Patrol and now with an '05 model. They have had no trouble with either and don't hold up traffic that is travelling at the speed limit.

However, if work is picking up your fuel tab I would seriously consider the 4.8 petrol :-)

Old saying;

You can't beat cubic capacity !

Perthburts

As a ZD30 owner now looking for a 4.2 due to reliability issues I would strongly suggest yo go for the 4.2. My vehicle is for sale when it get back on the road.

The 4.2 only comes in a manual though.

Redeye

Hi Perthburts

If those are your inputs its really a very easy choice and you should unquestionably go for the 4.8.

It technically out performs every other vehicle and the only valid reason for not getting (fuel consumption ) appears not a problem in your case.

It begins with bigger brakes , a 5 speed auto whereas 3lt is 4 and a much more powerful motor.

In general the patrols longer wheelbase also makes them great towers, and all will tow ok, the diesels just slowly.

GCR - Fuel is available , but I would recccomend bigger rear fuel tank - my 4800 can just do 1000km with a 145lt rear (no van)

Robin Miller

Hi Perthburts,

Interesting to read what mainly non-owners think of the 3.0TD. And I bet Redeye had a pre-2002 3.0TD that I too would avoid.

I have had my 2003 3.0TD for nearly 4 years and it has been great. It has FAR more torque than my 80 series 1HZ and the 3.0TD GU easily is easily the better tow vehicle - hills that were 3rd gear in the 1HZ can be 5th in the 3.0TD. I do have a Dtronic (420Nm torque @ 2,000rpm - more than the petrolV8 100 series) so that certainly helps. And it gets great fuel economy too, which means you get a great range with the twin tanks.

While my GU is a manual, it is less than perfect when taking off on hills while towing due to a torque curve that below ~1,000rpm see's it struggling, the 1HZ was better here. But an auto completely removes this issue. Around town the 3.0TD is much better than the 4.2TD, more petrol like is perhaps the best way to describe it.

But as Robin has said, the 4.8 has the 5 speed auto and power/torque from whoa to go. Its two disadvantages are fuel cost (not your problem) and range. Why Nissan dropped the 2nd tank in the 4.8 is something i just cannot work out (maybe they expected all owners to add gas?).

Anyway, if after a diesel I reckon the 3.0TD is great (but must be >late 2002) regardless of what the dinosaurs think of a small diesel engine (look at the ratio of a road trains weight to engine size!). But also take a good look at the 4.8 if fuel cost is not a concern and you can overcome the range issue (jerry cans or something). I would avoid the 4.5, not because there is anything wrong with it, just that the 4.8 is better.

Cheers

Captain

4.2

perthburts certainly the 4.2TDI over the 3.0 litre for towing and most certainly over a 2002 for anything. You just need to look back over Motherhen's posts about the way a 3.0 litre struggled with their Bushtracker which isn't a big one. The reliability of the 3.0 of that vintage is potentially 'ouch'.

You would find though with a biggish van a 4.2 would be better with some modification like a 3" exhaust and towing can also mean slightly more tuning than that. I am a 4.2 advocate certainly but as Robin suggests the 4.8 petrol would be a very good option with petrol available across Australia. I would also look to a gas conversion for where gas is available.

Go the big petrol - you'll even be able to sit on the speed limit with a six berth van - something a 4.2 can only dream of.

I wouldn't budget on getting 1000 k.m. out of 145 l though. I would have thought maybe 500-600 k.m. towing and being careful.

3 litre owners only buy them because they don't like paying for fuel which in your case is not an issue. It certainly can't be for the diesel reliability.

Sorry, just bored at work and saw an easy target. I would buy the petrol though.

I have a 4.2 dx manual and tow a 3 tonne boat, on short (about 400 k) and long (perth to sydney) trips. its great for towing and sits at 90 kph in 5th at about 2200 rpm, and burns about 16/17 l per 100 km with the boat. its old tech (as they say), but great towing vehicle. when I tow nothing I burn around 9/10 l per 100 k on trips. I also have an off road box trailer (about 800 kgs all up when full) and just came back from sydney/cervantes/broome/bungles/tanamai/alice and burnt 13 l per 100 on the whole trip, incl some off road stuff. also diesel is as cheap (???) if not cheaper than petrol now in most places away from the cities.

cheers
lambo

I've had the 3L and now the 4.2L. The 4.2 wins hands down (for me) but I have also driven the 4.8 (manual). Since work foots your fuel bill, I'd suggest the 4.8 with auto box - pretty awesome combo for towing a big van.

I'll leave questions 2 to 4 to be answered by more knowledgeable people on this forum.

Regards,

If you go the 4.2 option be aware that they can run hot when being worked hard. It is difficult to get used to but according to Nissan they are designed to cope with this. I have had a reliable and predictable run out of my 4.2 and it is worked to the hilt most days. I range from 14lt/100km empty to 20lt/100km towing fully loaded to 6.5 tonne GCM. 5th gear is a problem in these 4.2's built around 2000-2001 which is something else to keep in mind if looking at this vintage.
The earlier 3lt have had a bad run with detonation at early km's and I am not sure whether I would trust even the later models due to the "reputation" of this motor. I have not heard of many (if any) of the later 3lt's going bang though, so this is just my personal stance.
4500 petrol motors are renowned for big k's so if it is the right price and it suits, I would not discount this motor. Although I would rather enjoy the fruits of the 4800 given the option between these two petrols.
I would not like to sway your opinion one way or the other but would rather help you make an informed decision of your own. Good luck with the vehicle choice and have a wonderful trip.

Plenty of reading on this site to help with fuel locations and trek options as well as setting up your rig to cope with the travels you want, so have fun sorting through it all. You have time up your sleeve at least.

Regards, Trevor.

sounds like your only planning to use the car for 1 trip? correct?

can 4.2 be had with auto, not from nissan, but can be converted fairly cheaply :)

4cyl? search for grenade...

Mate I would go the 3 litre auto because:
Auto can change up & down on the run in sand, etc Manual can't.
Auto allows the revs to get up in to the 1000- band and spin the turbo up almost instantaneously which means power is on tap early when you need it. This is helpful in heavy going and in traffic around town. Manual can't do that.
3 litre has more torque & more Kw that the 4.2l and you can notice it when you drive them. The 4.2's are noted to be gutless.
Fuel economy and hence total range is better.
I agree with the comments re early ZD30's so if you go that way make sure you get one built after the problem period. I'd go 2003 onwards. Re the comments re towing there are heaps that tow big loads without problems. Note the 3 litre auto only has a GCM of 2500kg whereas the manual is higher. If the 4 cylinder engine is such a problem as others state it's a bit odd that the Pajero, Prado, Jeep, Range Rover, BMW, Hi-lux, Triton, Navara, Courier to name a few small manufacturers that are using them with some success and on the 2007 Nissan Patrol the ZD30 is the only diesel engine available across the range including the TI so Nissan must reckon any past problems are behind them to stake there entire diesel reputation on one engine. Before the experts remind me that all the vehicles mentioned are smaller than the Patrol, yeah I know that but my point is there are a lot of 4cyl diesels out the towing heavy loads without problems. I haven't done the trip you are planning since 1973 but from what I read I think petrol is pretty hard to obtain but they may have supplies of Opal (the unsniffable stuff) out there now. At least with diesel you know get it anywhere in the outback and it is safer to store, de-cant, handle, etc and doesn't vaporise. I would carry two spares for both vehicles and have 8 ply LT's on the van. I understand fuel availability wise there ar evirtual "roadhouses" out there now and plenty of coaches and trucks use that route, heresay only. It probably like a twin battery set up especially if you are running fridges, etc but at the very least take jumper leads, extra food, and a standard recovery kit (which you shoudn't need unless you go going off the main track) Best time would be between late April to eraly September (too hot otherwise) and if it rains STOP until it is dry again. When I did that trip you had to report to the police at Alice where they inspected your vehicle and preparations, food, fuel etc and when you reached Laverton you telegrammed them to say you had arrived. Also permits had to be obtained from Docker River and Warburton otherwise they would not sell you fuel. Good luck.

Just remember a 3 ltr auto only has a 2500 kg towing capacity where as the 4.2 ltr can tow 3500 kgs, so the loaded weight of your van may dictate the choice.

Regards,
Neil

perthberts

No-one can give advice until the towball weight and likely gross weight - loaded caravan with water etc - is known.

Just as a general comment, an auto is far kinder to the driver and co-driver.

I don't want this to degenerate into a Patrol versus other brands, however with your brood you could be handling heavy vehicle and towing weights for many years and the best for the big weights is a Landcruiser 4.2TD auto - preferably with the newer 5 speed auto.

The big petrol motors will see you for 20L/100 km and more. You need to think range as well as cost of fuel.

First thing though is to establish what your van weighs with the full load and do not under-estimate or be an optimist. Maybe get someone to drag it across a weighbridge and get the operator's assistance to measure ball weight too.

Whatever you end up with make sure you get the towbar and weight distributing hitch set up by Hayman Reese (I do not have an interest in them):
www.haymanreese.com.au/index.htm

Yes I have towed vans for years and no, I wouldn't use a Patrol 3.0L, especially and early model. A 4.2TD is the go, but don't let brand get in the way of your decision.

EV700

After investigating both options and speaking with a friend who has towed his 20 ft van around Australia for the past 4 years the 3 Litre Turbo model he has has performed well.
I really hope this is the case as 2 hurs ago we bought the new 2007 Common Rail Version with all the options for towing our new camper.
Both get picked up next week so only time will tell if we made the right decision over the Turbo Pajero.
Various friends we have all have patrols and as for value for money they are certainly the way to go.

Enjoy your trip.

perthberts

The other thing I ahould have mentioned is that we ruled out Patrols because we have three children and the middle seating position of the second row is split down the centre which is uncomfortable when the child gets a bit older. This seating position does not have a head restraint either. So check the seat, seat belt and head restraints if you are into safety. For example, lap rather than lap+sash seat belts really put people at risk.

You mentioned a Pajero and I should add that the middle second row seat of the Paj is also uncomfortable for long trips. When will they get rid of the 50/50 split and put in the more comfortable 30/70 split.

Have fun

EV700

Hi All,

Wow, thanks for all the reply's to our question...... 3.0 Turbo v 4.2 turbo diesel Patrols. We just purchased a 4800 TI petrol with 117k kms (reasonably cheeply). Just hope we do regret all the electric stuff during our crossing of the Great Central Road and pending tour of NT and QLD, NSW then back to Perth. Wish us luck.......

Any tips on recommended spares, air-compressors, accessories, etc. etc. for the trip.

Regards J,L,M,F,D,H,Burt