Nissan Navara Diesel Problems

A NUMBER of companies offer gas-on-diesel systems for vehicles like your Navara. They're not dual-fuel systems as used on petrol engines, rather a substitution system that adds some LPG to the mix of air and diesel going into the engine. The LPG boosts performance and the theory is the driver then backs off the throttle and gets better fuel economy as a result of lower throttle openings. Do your homework as I have had reports of engines blowing up.

RETURN it to the dealer and park it there until it's fixed. It appears your car is unroadworthy. Demand the dealer fix it, and have them give you a replacement vehicle in the meantime.

IF YOU'RE not happy with what the dealer has done, and I reckon you have every right to be unhappy with the fuel consumption you're getting, contact Nissan (ph: 9797 4111) and ask for their technical people to take a look.

INDEPENDENT Nissan service specialist Jerry Newman isn't aware of a widespread problem with the Nissan timing chain. Chains rarely break by themselves, he says, unless they've done a lot of kilometres without being serviced. The usual cause is a problem with the tensioner that leads to the failure of the chain. Get the people who pulled the engine apart to give you a report on the failure; they are best placed to determine the cause.

NISSAN claims the diesel auto will do 9.5 litres/100km unloaded, so yours is doing well over the odds, but finding the answer isn't easy. The tare weight of the diesel auto Navara is about 1950kg and you reckon yours weighs 2900kg with all you have added. I reckon that's the reason for your high fuel consumption. Yours weighs 50 per cent more than the standard ute and your fuel consumption is about 50 per cent more, so I would start by taking everything out and off and driving it in the as-built condition. If your consumption is still high, then you have a case.

RETURN it to the dealer and park it there until it's fixed. It appears your car is unroadworthy. Demand the dealer fix it, and have them give you a replacement vehicle in the meantime.

IT CERTAINLY sounds as though you have a problem. I got better consumption than that out of the V6 petrol (12 litres for 100km) the last time I drove a D40. Like you, I doubt the economy will improve as the dealer claims. Go back to him and have it thoroughly checked -- the filters, fuel pressure etc.

IT DEPENDS what you regard as incredibly thirsty. Four-wheel-drives tend to be thirsty. They're heavy and have to drag all that extra four-wheel-drive gear around, and the Rodeo's petrol V6 is a 3.5-litre unit. If fuel consumption is a key consideration for you, try a diesel. Fuel consumption will be much lower, and you won't lose too much performance.