Patrol 5th Gear
Submitted: Monday, Jul 28, 2003 at 09:25
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petprass
Well it just happened to me as well. Driving in 5th along the Bass Highway on Saturday morning, doing exactly 100 with cruise control (according to GPS not speedo which is out about 8% because of larger tyres) and whizzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz, bang, crash!! I instinctively deactivated the cruise control as the engine was now reving at about 20k! rpm and knocked the gear lever back to 4th.
Awfull rattling and grinding sounds started to come out from under the bonnet - like a bearing that has collapsed. 5th gear does not work at all.
I called the dealer this morning and told them that 5th gear had gone and that I was bringing in the Patrol. The guy on the desk said something like - "Oh yeah short machined spline on 5th gear syndrome." Anyway when I got to the dealer and saw the service card made up for me, it said "Noisy 5th gear"!!!! So I said - no 5th gone, dead, no more, deceased, gone to a ...... you know how that sketch goes. So then I thought - these guys are not going to do this under warranty are they. Someone got to the guy on the desk between the time I spoke to him on the phone and when I got there. So when I asked the first response was - is it still under warranty!. I said yes - it was purchased in August 2000 and it has done 86,000k's. Response was - we will have a look at it to see if it is not just WEAR and TEAR!
Here I go again with these guys - reading some of the prior posts on this problem, there were quite a few people who said that their dealer replaced the gearbox with no questions asked under warranty - even in one case when the vehicle was just out of warranty. I hope I don't have a battle comming.
Peter
btw - I do not tow a heavy trailer. I do have a medium caravan that we tow twice a year, but hardly ever in 5th (unless it is a flat road with not much wind). Also I never go into 5th below 80 kph.
Reply By: Michael - Monday, Jul 28, 2003 at 10:06
Monday, Jul 28, 2003 at 10:06
Hi there, no battle i think, your car probably fall in the time slot for this problem, but i'd say they would try it on. I think Nissan will continue fixing this problem years out of warranty, they really cant afford any more bad press for mechanical complaints that are of an obvious manufacturing nature.. At least you are just inside your warranty , thats a good backstop. Michael
AnswerID:
26132
Follow Up By: petprass - Monday, Jul 28, 2003 at 10:45
Monday, Jul 28, 2003 at 10:45
I called my leasing company and they said that they will be wanting it done under warranty unless the dealer can demonstrate that there has been abuse or mistreatment of the vehicle. Luckily I have been meticulous in having the vehicle serviced right on the due times, so it shows that I look after the vehicle.
But that I think is what is really annoying me - the sevice people at the dealer know me. I get along well with the service manager, they can see that the vehicle is well looked after and yet they are still playing the "game" with me. I will be looking for another dealer after this is fixed.
FollowupID:
17761
Reply By: peck - Monday, Jul 28, 2003 at 19:58
Monday, Jul 28, 2003 at 19:58
What this country needs is a Ralph Nader. With better lobbying maybe we can force the Government to do something about the rubbish these car manufacturers are forcing on an unsuspecting public. Nissan have obviously known about this problem for some time but refuse to recall the affected vehicles hoping most vehicles will survive beyond warranty period. What I would like to know was when (precise date) Nissan became aware of the problem and how many vehicles they knowingly sold with defective gearboxes. My 5th also went at almost identical time and ks but I had no trouble in getting dealer to replace at Dubbo/
Cobar whilst I was on holidays. What p*ssed me off tho was the week I had to wait to get it fixed! My holidays are precious and I consider Nissan owe me a week!
AnswerID:
26185
Reply By: Andrew(WA) - Monday, Jul 28, 2003 at 23:07
Monday, Jul 28, 2003 at 23:07
petprass
I doubt you will have any dramas but if you do, make sure you put a call into Nissan Australia themselves, explain the situation and your knowledge of this well known and documented problem. Get their response in writing.
If they give you the run around, remind them that the 'media' would probably be happy to it on your behalf.
YOU'LL get it fixed. Don't worry about that.
cheers
AnswerID:
26207
Follow Up By: Andrew(WA) - Monday, Jul 28, 2003 at 23:09
Monday, Jul 28, 2003 at 23:09
And another thing....
If Nissan don't think there is anything wrong with the gearbox....why did they change 5th gear (only) from November 2001 onward.??
FollowupID:
17834
Reply By: petprass - Monday, Jul 28, 2003 at 23:24
Monday, Jul 28, 2003 at 23:24
Well thanks to this
Forum, this afternoon I printed a few posts that set out the problem quite well - especially the one from "desert" in Feb this year. I ran through a few facts that were listed and I was immediately told that it would be done under warranty.
Feeling confident I then asked why they didn't have spare gear box parts for this problem as it is so common - other dealers do! No reply came - I just have to wait two days for parts to come from
Sydney and then to be installed.
Peter
AnswerID:
26209
Reply By: Member - John- Monday, Jul 28, 2003 at 23:25
Monday, Jul 28, 2003 at 23:25
You should not have any problem with Nissan honouring the warranty as they have covered many hundreds of these failures. we have recently done one in
Alice Springs and one in
Broome in our GU coil cab work trucks. Both had all the bearings and offending 5th gear shaft done promptly under warranty. A full overhaul is necessary because of all the loose metals shards distributed around the innards of the gearbox ... don't accept mere replacement of the 5th gear bits.
Some city based dealers may have minimal experience with the problem but the guys out bush sure know about it.
JohnS
AnswerID:
26210