2011 Nissan Navara Pricing and Specs

No. While the D40 Navara did have warning lights for things like contaminated diesel fuel and a warning light for the Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) the Navara didn’t stretch to a light to warn that maintenance to the camshaft timing system was due. That’s mainly because the Navara’s four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine used a timing chain rather than a rubber timing belt, and the chain should have been good for the life of the engine.

Experience has shown, however, that the YD25 engines that used a single-row primary timing chain did, indeed, experience premature chain wear and failure in some cases. And this is probably at the root of your question. The trade now recommends that these chains be changed before the 80,000km mark, with inspections every 40,000km to make sure nothing is wearing out too fast. The aftermarket has developed a double-row replacement timing chain for these engines, so any replacement of the chain should take this into account.

This model Navara was known for a couple of faults that could cause it to enter limp-home mode (which sounds like what’s happened given the engine is no longer making full power). The first was a batch of dud exhaust-gas temperature sensors which had a habit of dying young. If that happened, the engine would go into limp-home mode to avoid overheating (and damaging) the turbocharger, even though there was no actual problem beyond the sensor itself.

The other problem with the 2.5-litre turbo-diesel was that the primary timing chain was a single-row item that was, frankly, underdone and could stretch before the vehicle had covered even 80,000km. If that happened, the camshaft-position sensor would become confused and could trigger a limp-home condition. There’s a replacement timing chain that is actually double-row (stronger) that many owners fit as a solution.

As with any other problems like this one, Terry, the best advice is to have the car plugged in to a scanner and have a diagnostic mechanic read the fault codes which will hopefully give an idea of the cause of the limp-home mode and unresponsive throttle pedal. It could be something simple, it may be something really intrinsic, but without a scan, you’re flying blind.

The oil in the intercooler, meanwhile, is a potentially big problem. A little oil inside the intercooler piping is actually quite normal and is usually the result of oil mist from the crankcase ventilation system condensing and leaving a little oily residue. But a large amount of oil in the intercooler suggests a turbocharger with leaking seals and/or bearings. If the seals are leaking, boost pressure from the turbocharger can force oil from the turbo’s bearing into the intercooler. If that’s the case, you’re looking at a rebuilt or new turbocharger unit. A blown turbo could also be enough to prompt the limp-home mode you’re experiencing.