Nissan Patrol Problems

NISSAN is coy about the problems with the 3.0-litre turbo-diesel in the Patrol, but it is clear there is a problem. A change was made to the dipstick to increase the oil level in the engine, and there are reports of work having been done on the cooling jets that deliver oil to the pistons. From the evidence we've seen it seems there is a problem with the lubrication of the pistons. The best course of action, seeing your's hasn't had a problem, is to keep the oil level up to the top mark on the dipstick. We approached Nissan and though they wouldn't admit there was a problem a spokesperson said the company would look after any owner who had one. Read into that what you will.

I'D GO for the GQ Nissan Patrol. It's tough, plenty of parts are available and everyone knows how to fix them. I don't have any real problem with the Jeep, though early ones were poorly built and rather rudimentary with a small cabin.

UNLEADED should be fine for your car. We checked with Nissan and they agreed that unleaded is the way to go.

THE quote should be about $1600 to replace the clutch. A factory Nissan clutch kit costs about $600 and there would be about 10 hours labour, Nissan specialist Jerry Newman says. The gearbox is difficult to remove. Nissan allows more than seven hours to do it, so 10 hours is normal. Your Patrol does have a dual mass flywheel, but it can be machined for about $50.

NISSAN assures me the problem was fixed when it changed the sump and dipstick, but I have had some reports it wasn't totally fixed. I've been unable to verify those claims and can only take its assurance at face value. I wouldn't worry. If it does occur, you'd have very strong grounds to make a claim against Nissan.

MOST modern cars have similar mirrors and carry a warning advising that cars will appear further away than they really are. They are meant to give a comprehensive view of what's happening behind you but you have to adjust them. Until you make that adjustment you need to be very careful and look around as well as using the mirrors.

THE 3.0-litre turbo diesel engine had problems early on that Nissan claims were fixed by the revised dipstick and extra oil fill. Yours should have had that fix, but it's worth checking that with your dealer. The problem seems to be worse when highway driving, and becomes worse still when towing or at high temperatures. It was thought to be a piston-cooling problem, and the extra oil fixed that. But there are reports of failures of the mass airflow sensor, which seems to tell the engine computer to run the engine lean.

THE 4.2-litre would be my suggestion. According to Nissan specialist Jerry Newman, the only criticism is a lack of performance, but they give good fuel economy and are ultra-reliable.

THE 3.0-litre turbodiesel engine had problems when it was launched. The main one was a lack of oil capacity, which resulted in piston meltdown. It tended to occur when the Patrol was driven on the highway at high speed. The problem was traced to insufficient oil in the engine, which affected the cooling of the pistons. Nissan claims to have fixed the problem by increasing the oil fill by about two litres, simply by replacing the oil dipstick with one that has markings farther up the stick. The change was supposed to be carried out by dealers as the cars came in for servicing. Your GUII would have had the new dipstick from new, so you should have no problem.

THE MQ is really getting a little long in the tooth, so I would recommend you think about a GQ, though you will find it hard to fit one within your budget. Going by your description of the sort of driving you will be doing I would advise against the Patrol. It sounds like a very expensive way of getting to the city, ferrying the kids around and going shopping, with only an occasional weekend away. Go for a regular car -- it will be better suited to your needs and be less expensive to run. If you must go for a Patrol, buy the 4.2-litre petrol GQ.