Nissan Patrol Diesels. Any Good?

[KP]

Morning.


Has anyone owned at some stage both a diesel engined Nissan Terrano and a Nissan Patrol?.


I am looking at vehicles built after the year 2000


Do they compare well in terms of reliability and off road ability?.


Does the power to weight ratio favour the Terrano over the Patrol?.


I have mainly been looking for a terrano but I am becoming interested tn the Patrols too.


Thank You


KP

[BIGBADWULF]

Has anyone owned at some stage both a diesel engined Nissan Terrano and a Nissan Patrol?.

No, just patrol,

I am looking at vehicles built after the year 2000

Beware the 3 ltr patrol engine, ZD30, some blow up,
some dont

Do they compare well in terms of reliability and off road ability?.

If it doesnt blow up, reliability is great, one of the strongest
standard drivetrains on the market and great offroad


Does the power to weight ratio favour the Terrano over the Patrol?.

different power outputs i think??


I have mainly been looking for a terrano but I am becoming interested tn the Patrols too

I would have a patrol, easier to lift as live axles all round, tougher,
but I would say that

[Nobby]

ive got a 03 patrol 3.0 7 seater with full leather pack etc etc

amazing vehicle pull a house down but it is very heavy i was going to get a landcruiser but settled on this

i cant fault it

[KP]

Morning.

Thanks for the replies.


I have seen a couple of 3.0 Diesel Patrols for sale on Ebay and they are both " Down on Power " or don't seem powerful enough " according to the sellers.

One has had a new turbo fitted and is still down on power so any ideas as to what the problem is in these cases?.

I can't see many 4.2 Diesel Patrols for sale. Are these very rare in the UK?

Now it has been mentioned that the 2.8 Diesels are underpowered for the size of the patrol. I can understand this as the terrano, which is smaller and lighter has a 2.7TD engine.

I will keep looking.

Thanks Again.

KP

[KP]

Hello.

This is the information given regarding two of the 3.0 TD patrols I have been interested in.

1.

2001 Nissan Patrol 3.0Di GR SE 7 Seater in need of some attention as the engine is low on power. The engine starts and runs fine at tick over, apart from a noisey fan belt & tensioner, but on the road the vehicle is very sluggish. As far as I can tell the engine is running on all four cylinders, sounds fine and does not over heat. I don't know what the problem is and I haven't got the time, money or inclination to sort it out, but this will be a cheap vehicle for someone. It has been suggested that it needs a new mass air flow meter, but I don't know if this is the cause of the problem or not.

2.

This Patrol is excellent and comfy to drive, although does seem sluggish when accelerating sometimes, not turbo fault as had a new one last year, ok to drive and probably how they are for such a large vehicle but i thought worth mentioning.


Does anyone have experience of this problem and was it solved by fitting a new MASS AIR FLOW METER?.


The Patrol seems in good condition apart from this lack of power.


Is this a common fault and easy and cheap to remedy.?


Thank You

KP

[Terranosaurus]

I've not had a Patrol but do have a 2001 Terrano TDi.

Even as a T2 owner I have to admit the Troll is better as a true hardcore offroader but then a T2 is smaller and lighter and will get places a Troll just physically can't. The SWB will turn on a sizpence, and the LWB isn't far behind, not quite up to SJ standards but IFS does have its plus points in this respect.

Power wise the 2.7TDi Terranos are quicker than a TD5 disco etc, mainly cos they are lighter as power outputs are similar, not driven a 3.0L Terrano but they must be awesome the extra 50bhp would be great - these don't suffer from the Patrol engine problems as they aren't from the effected run of engines. The years you're looking at are all chippable for a further boost too.

Reliability wise both are in the same camp I'd say, in that they rarely have problems.. They share a base rear axle design and the fronts on both though completely different are fairly bomp proof too. When offroaded T2's tend to go through anti roll bar drop links, but if you're serious you'll take the ARBs off anyway. The gearbox on earlier T2s can be weak if neglected but a new one will have the later box anyway.

Theres more parts out there to mod Patrols but you'll get a much newer vehicle for your money buying a Terrano.

[norseman45]

Hi KP, I may be speaking out of turn here as I've never owned a Nissan, but a few years ago a friend of mine in Belgium (where the patrols were quite popular) commented on cyl.head problems with the 4.2ltr. & I believe there were issues surrounding emission levels as well.

[issues]

4.2l deisel heads are fine, 4.2l petrol heads will crack if overheated, 2.8l deisels crack heads too.

Can't go past a 4.2td in my opinion.

My coil cab utility has 407,000km and only had injuctors and pump done on it, runs 17psi boost.

The girls wagon has 390,000km and only injectors and pump done also, runs 15psi boost.

Both will be getting bigger ball bearing turbo's and run 20-22psi with bigger fuel pumps and hi lift cams, bigger intercoolers too.

[BIGBADWULF]

you are looking at models after 2000 so they are called Y61.
In the europe Y61's have never been available with the 4.2 diesel,
they started in 98 with the 2.8 diesel, then the 3.0 came out in
2000. There as also never been a petrol option in them here.

it seems like models after 2003 are less likely to bang

[KP]

Morning.


Thanks for the replies everyone.


I keep seeing adverts for " Nissan Patrol 3 litre diesel engines supplied and fitted" on Ebay for @ £1800 to £2500.


Is it a common problem that the 3 litre TD engines need replacing?.


I am looking at 2000 or 2001 models so I would like to know if these vehicles are likely to have the bad batch of engines fitted?.


I have noticed that the price of these models can be cheaper than the price of an older patrol fitted with a 4.2 litre diesel engine.


Thanks Again.


KP

[rwiddowson]

You be careful with those ones on eBay!

I've been looking at them and they are cheap.

I have been searching as you were back in Sept 2008 and decided to try and find out what was potentially wrong with these vehicles.

I read your initial post from Sept 2008 5 mins ago and realised that the text relating to having no money time or inclination to sort this out is EXACTLY the same as the one that is currently £2500!!!!

Is this the same seller? Or has the guy not been able to fix it? I would hate for you to go and blow some of your money on a 'great buy'.

One has to ask why would someone not have the inclination to sort a problem out that would increase the vehicles value by £3000 if it is only a mass meter. I'd buy it if that was a guarantee which it isn'y.

I can never understand why someone would make it sound as though they haven't even got the time to go to a garage and at least get it checked out for the sake of £50 perhaps on a diagnostic machine at your local independent.

You can email me via one of our eBay listings if you access us via www.grumpygreyhound.com if you wish to chat about this as I am off out now for until late afternoon.

I had planned to go up to the one in Harrogate but have decided to give it a miss and I have the time, money and inclination just perhaps not the b*lls!

Good luck if you just decide to go for it and let us know how you get on.

Kind Regards,

Roger

[rwiddowson]

What a dimwit!

I was looking at your Joined Date! and then 'unobviously' looked at your posting of this morning thinking that this was the same vehicle and your questions were posted at different times.

[KP]

Morning Roger.


Thanks for the replies.


Your first post had me worried thinking that the seller had been trying to sell this Patrol since September 2008 and had not even bothered to try to get it fixed.


I hope that the patrol that I am interested in is not the same as the one that you were going to look at in Harrogate.


Was it a Y registered with @ 105,000 miles on the clock, Green over Silver?.


Thanks

KP

[rwiddowson]

Hi

Yes it was but as I say I took the decision to not to bid because of your post and also because I really cannot understand why someone would not have the inclination at least to get it thoroughly checked over.

Also, I am concerned that he says it is sluggish sometimes. Clearly, it has an intermittent fault which could be a nightmare to fix. Seller doesn't make it clear if turbo was changed under his ownership. If so, why did he not spend more.

I hope I am doing right in not bidding as it clearly will be a good bargain if problem is minor. It stands at £2605 now with an hour to go. Luckily about to go out with my partner and a friend for a curry so I won't get tempted into placing a bid.

Wish I had have gone to Harrogate today now. I would have known after a 15 - 20 mile drive if it felt right.

A friend of mine has a garage with dealership diagnostic equipment for Jaguar, Land Rover, Mercedes and BMW but not Nissan so without his confidence in diagnosing faults on Nissan, I wouldn't want to get hammered by a main dealer who will just stroke their chin, sharp intake of breath and shake their head until your wallet is empty. My friend, same one as tonight, would no doubt say that the turbo was probably fitted at a main dealer and they have failed to diagnose it correctly anyway. He sees this so many times from ex main dealership customers. That's why he's just invested huge amounts of money in a brand new garage in his littel empire - because he's so good! One of the only mechanics I'd trust beside me doing D.I.Y. maintenance - you know it's been done.

If a grand or so would fix it, fine but never any guarantee.

As for the one with the air mass meter fault, I wonder if an air mass meter would cause an intermittent problem also. I think it would be consistent. Bad idling or bad movement up the rev range, loss of power at a certain level of revs.

I changed one out on one of my classics once, a Saab 900 Turbo 3 door hatch. It didn't cure the fault. £200 on a replacement meter gone but at least it took the air mass meter out of the equation.

Good luck in whatever fate you choose.

All the best

Roger

[KP]

Morning.


I have just got in from work so my wife placed a bid for the Patrol while I was out working.


The bid was not high enough and apparently it sold for £3150 I think.


I was a little disappointed but this could be a blessing as I am sure that more Patrols will come along.


This may push me to look more towards a Terrano instead of a Patrol what with the problems associated with the ZD30 Patrol engines.


I like the Patrols as they are a wide vehicle and very roomy but I may have to settle for a smaller 5 door Terrano.


I hope that the winner of that particular Patrol has no problems with the engine.


Thanks Again.


KP

[rwiddowson]

I hope they don't either.

They are great vehicles. I borrowed a mate's some years ago now and they definitely command the road.

Another friend of his borrowed it after me and didn't command the road so well and wrote it off, would you believe?

I would still be up for one though.

Do you or anyone happen to know if the ZD30 was only in 2000 - 2001 Year Models or are the 98 - 99's still the same engine.

As John Shaw used to say, keep 'em peeled!

Regards,

Roger

[BIGBADWULF]

98-00 RD28ETi 2.8 six cyl diesel

00-present, ZD3DDTi 3.0 4 cyl diesel

[dane]

ZD30:
Get a model that is from middle of 2002 and forward and they are OK (will not grenade). Avoid pre-2002 unless they have been documented rebuild.

[skunk]

i fix diesels as my dayjob ,, i hate zd30,, dont care if it is an old or newer zd30 they suck big time...... the old 2.8 is a litle bit better..but they have problems with power to waigt ratio.. slow,,
go for a tarano....
regards Jens