GU 3.0 TD..oil on front of motor????

Mick

I wouldn't cross it off the list yet. I would sus out exactly what the prob was with the others and weigh things up. All cars have their own issues.

If your friends cars have lost power and only limped home, you have to look at for what it is. For example, with your brief description it sounds to me like the air flow meter has sensed a problem and put the car into this 'limp home mode' "Is that a bad thing??"

I say that because the Nissan 3.0TD is sophisticated piece of machinery. It has sensed a problem and the ECU has acted accordingly so as to NOT damage the motor.

I would be interested to know what type of air filter your mate is using. If he was a Uni filter or one of the other after market 'wash em and oil them up types' this would almost difinately be your mates proplem. The air flow sensor is located on the engine side of the air filter and sensors the amount of air the engine is getting and adjusts the fuel flow accordingly ie.. more accelerater = more air = more fuel. Not rocket science but your 3.0TD is drive by wire and the computer controls everything. If you put an after market filter in of the type mentioned, I have had first hand experience with others who have done just that whereby it was found that some of the oil had been sucked onto the sensor as the air passes (and boy, those diesels suck air like nothing else) and it had plucked up the sensor because it could not longer send accurate messages thus shuting things down so as not to stuff things up.

Alternatively it could have been auto trans??? if so I am also aware that these are extremely sensitive to oil pressure loss! If the ECU detects a loss it will hold the car in a particular gear (3rd I think) and allows you to get home and get things fixed. However, in the case you may have had a 'spike' or glitch, you can over ride the computer by simply turning the ingition off and then starting again. If it is really an issue, the sensor will detect it again. If not, your on your way.

I'm no mechanic but hanging with others, speaking with my mechanic and info from this forum has clued me in a bit. I've learnt a lot.

So if you are looking for a very good 4 x 4 certainly look at one of these. Problems are few and far between but the're 'in your face' so to speak when you look at forums like this.

I have the manual but from what I hear and read, auto's are the way to go with this particular car. If you go the manual, just get one built after November 2001 to avoid he early dramas which seemed to have now been ironed out.

I have'nt had any dramas with mine (except this little oil leak) and they go like a rocket with all the power and more than you would expect from a diesel. Overtaking for instance at 100/110 is just a walk in the park. FULLY LOADED

cheers

Thanks Andrew. Friends Patrol is stock standard - no mods at all. It has failed them on three occasions - Symptoms always almost complete loss of power. Also reading on here I'm not too impressed either - always been a Toyota man myself and I somehow think the extra cost may be money well spent - never had a day in a garage except for routine servicing. Thanks for all the detail on their faults anyhow Andrew - they certainly don't sound reliable from your description!

What year is your mates car out of interest??? Is it an auto?

Didn't mean to put you off!!! A lot of them around so your bound to hear more about them.

cheers

It's 2001 Andrew. They are happy with it - except when it's let them down. Yes it's auto. Don't worry you haven't put me off - don't think I was all that keen anyhow - I know Toyotas are more expensive but the Patrol is really a very basic machine - don't think it's even got full time 4wd. Cheers

Andrew, I've just finished scrolling down and reading after my last follow up. I think there's enough there to put it to rest!! You can't have an engine which is not far from potentially losing its oil if you're going off road. Cheers

Andrew, Just read a post from July10 - Oh Boy my friends aren't the only ones to have problems!!

Mick

it's all about making sure you get a Series III onwards. I've heard no issues with these. The oil stuff i'm sure is the bung. common problem it seems.
Its not a gush and I notice no drop in my oil level between changes.

Anyway, If I had $20,000 extra, I'd buy a Toyota TD as well. Truth is, there is stuff all performance difference between them. The toyo does have the constant 4wd though. Nissan 3.0TD = nice car. Toyo TD = rich mans car.
Wish I was rich!

seeya

Crow

I noticed the oil before my 20k service originally. I brought it to the attention of the dealer who stated, like yourself, it was the bung.

Common enough for him to jump to this conclusion before he even looked at it.

He recond it just needed tightening up???

When I collected the car they said it had been tightened but it Doesn't seemed to have worked.

I'll be sussing it out a bit closer I think.

Thanks again for the info I will sure be keeping an eye on the leak and will also be on nissans back. Don't want to sepend that sort of money for a truck and not be able to use it for what it was designed for. The Crow. ( as in Slims song flying low when traveling).

Thanks Eric

Have a look above at my response to 'Crow'

I'll mention it to my dealer again since its under warranty before having a go myself.

cheers