3 litre Patrol engine problem
Submitted: Saturday, Mar 08, 2008 at 01:00
ThreadID:
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12
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thommo(wa)
Can anyone help diagnose my problem. I have a series 3, 2002 Gu 3l Patrol with 210,000 km on the clock, I have had the vehicle from new. I blocked off the EGR valve two years ago ( 70,000 kms ago) and I fitted a D Tronic chip a year ago and have done approx 35,000 km since fitted.
Whilst driving today, running lightly loaded and just entering a main road doing approx 60 kph and accelerating lightly the vehicle started shuddering and lost most of its power along with huge quantities of light to mid
grey smoke coming out of the exhaust.
I checked the dash expecting to see if the engine management light was displaying, but it wasn't and didn't for the 6 or so kms that we putted
home after checking oil and water levels. There was no warning light of any type but the car idled like it is running on 3 cylinders. I got 2000 rpm ok but she was so gutless that I had to run in 4wd low range, first gear, to get up a fairly steep
hill on the way
home and second gear low range after that (keeping two wheels in the loose dirt on the edge of the road). All the while I was putting out enough smoke to justice to a small bush fire.
I have changed the fuel filter but that has made no difference.
My next step if no one can help will be to disconnect the Dtronic chip and run the motor to see if I can get the computer to throw a code to give me some direction. Perhaps the chip is preventing the ECU from recognising the problem or perhaps the chip is the problem.
I would love to hear from anyone who has had a similar experience or thinks that they can help me out.
Cheers
Thommo(wa)
Reply By: Oldsquizzy (Kununurra) - Saturday, Mar 08, 2008 at 01:32
Saturday, Mar 08, 2008 at 01:32
Sounds like mass air flow sensor.
AnswerID:
291523
Follow Up By: Muzzgit [WA] - Saturday, Mar 08, 2008 at 18:58
Saturday, Mar 08, 2008 at 18:58
MAFS will show the engine light on the dash and I doubt it would cause the motor to misfire. It simply gives the puter info about airflow and the worst that happens is it will run with low power because the turbo delivers almost no boost.
FollowupID:
556980
Reply By: Member - John - Saturday, Mar 08, 2008 at 06:11
Saturday, Mar 08, 2008 at 06:11
or a hole in one of the pistons............
AnswerID:
291531
Reply By: Kevern - Saturday, Mar 08, 2008 at 07:04
Saturday, Mar 08, 2008 at 07:04
A bloke I worked with some years ago ( I know another "bloke I know story") had exactly the same problem, It was a simple fix just a hose from somewhere came off. When it happened he had NRMA come out, problem fixed and on way in 5 minuets. Sorry can't be of more help but no longer work with him and I am not a mechanics toe, but from memory it was a simple fix. Good luck.
AnswerID:
291532
Reply By: Member - Tony W (VIC) - Saturday, Mar 08, 2008 at 07:12
Saturday, Mar 08, 2008 at 07:12
Thommo, look here
Nissan Patrol Forum
There are a lot of
well informed, experienced people on this
forum.
Good luck.
AnswerID:
291533
Reply By: Rock Ape - Saturday, Mar 08, 2008 at 08:16
Saturday, Mar 08, 2008 at 08:16
Turbo could have destroyed itself
AnswerID:
291539
Reply By: Peter 2 - Saturday, Mar 08, 2008 at 09:03
Saturday, Mar 08, 2008 at 09:03
check the intercooler hoses, they can pop off with similar results.
do a complete underbonnet
check for something split or detached.
AnswerID:
291553
Follow Up By: Muzzgit [WA] - Saturday, Mar 08, 2008 at 18:50
Saturday, Mar 08, 2008 at 18:50
I doubt it! The intercooler pipe popped off
mine and it ran fine, just a little less power because the turbo boost was lost through the open hose.
FollowupID:
556977
Follow Up By: Peter 2 - Saturday, Mar 08, 2008 at 19:22
Saturday, Mar 08, 2008 at 19:22
The only reason I said that was because I was following a 3l along the road a few weeks back and it suddenly started blowing lots of smoke, lost power and the driver pulled over.
I didn't know him but pulled over anyway as we were on a country road and when we had a look under the bonnet there was oil everywhere and the intercooler hose had come off, we put it back on, checked for anything else wrong, checked the oil on the dipstick and then started it up, ran fine with a bit of smoke initially and then I followed him for about 15 k's into town and it ran fine.
We surmised that the hose had come off allowing oil collected in the intercooler to blow out and make a mess. I did suggest that he should get it checked as the hoses usually come off because of overboost rather than coming loose.
FollowupID:
556991
Follow Up By: Muzzgit [WA] - Monday, Mar 10, 2008 at 00:46
Monday, Mar 10, 2008 at 00:46
Fair enough! I know turbo's spit out a bit of oil,
mine does, but that sounds a little excessive. Still, I doubt it would make the motor misfire.
FollowupID:
557213
Reply By: Member - DOZER- Saturday, Mar 08, 2008 at 09:29
Saturday, Mar 08, 2008 at 09:29
Sounds all to farmiliar, this is what happens when a piston becomes holy, and its usually when your plodding along it happens.
Andrew
AnswerID:
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Reply By: zacc - Saturday, Mar 08, 2008 at 10:06
Saturday, Mar 08, 2008 at 10:06
yeh they have a habbit of doing pistons , probably the back one
AnswerID:
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Reply By: Go Fishing - Saturday, Mar 08, 2008 at 14:41
Saturday, Mar 08, 2008 at 14:41
Another Nissan 3L Hand Granade thats just **** itself.
Unusual that this one lasted beyond the 80,000 to 100,000 km range.
Good luck with that one! Nissan doesn't give a toss about their lemon.
AnswerID:
291605
Reply By: Member - 120scruiser (NSW) - Saturday, Mar 08, 2008 at 15:23
Saturday, Mar 08, 2008 at 15:23
Sounds like its got a hole in one of the pistons. We have done a few of these in my workshop. Looks like the later ones are lasting a bit longer than the earlier ones. My rig
pic is what it will look like. I get
mine rebuilt at a mob in
Melbourne called The Complete Engine Company. They do all our reconditioning and haven't let me down yet. Just a happy customer.
Further if it was a intercooler hose off you would here it pumping air out when the turbo spools up but there would be no smoke. The smoke is the crankcase fumes going straight past the piston.
Best of luck and I hate to say it but its common. I have several complaints a week from my webpage which is down now until I get back from my holidays.
Scott
AnswerID:
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Reply By: yakodi - Saturday, Mar 08, 2008 at 18:07
Saturday, Mar 08, 2008 at 18:07
Sorry to hear another 3L bites the dust. Ours was a late model 2002 GU 3L - 130000km with d-tronic from new (apparently all the 3l problems were solved (my Ars*) - holed pistons 3 & 4 - we could still drive it, just a bit smoky on starting, and a bit gutless- thought it was the injectors until they compression tested it. It required about 8 weeks at nissan for a complete engine rebuild. Hope you still have some sort of warranty on the car.
AnswerID:
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Reply By: Truckster (Vic) - Saturday, Mar 08, 2008 at 22:25
Saturday, Mar 08, 2008 at 22:25
Apparently its making its way to Today Tonight (or lets twist everythign around to make ratings)..
http://www.patrol4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=17789
Which I could see as a really bad thing.
AnswerID:
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Follow Up By: Truckster (Vic) - Saturday, Mar 08, 2008 at 22:27
Saturday, Mar 08, 2008 at 22:27
PS.. heres a good option for those that have been stung. adn those that havent!
TO get your own sticker :)
FollowupID:
557017