Gu 3.0

[SKID]

I'm looking at upgrading my GQ to a GU in the future, My budget wont permit upgrading to a 4.2, so will be limited to a 2.8 or a 3.0. I've heard and read pro's and con's for both, but more people and mechanic are recommending me getting a 3.0 as opposed to a 2.8, they say the 2.8 was around only for 4 years before the 3.0 which has been around for over 12 years now, the biggest concern with the 3.0 is the "grenade" title it has due to it blowing up and or melting pistons 3 and 4. From what I've been reading etc, blocking off the EGR is number one job and installing a catch can is number two job, some people and forums are saying installing dawes valves etc, but the mechanics I have spoken to have said thats over kill as it only takes control of the turbo away from the computer, they are saying just blocking the EGR and installing a catch can is enough.

I also want to find out is the "grenading" of the 3.0 specific to Auto's or manual's or both? Every second GU I see driving around have the 3.0 badge on the back . so there are plenty driving around, I know the reason there is so much info about the "grenading" of these is due to people complain about things when something goes wrong as opposed to if everything is running fine they have nothing to complain about.

Any info or advice I can get from fellow club members would be greatly appriecated, including how many member actually have a 3.0 and what if any dramas they have had with it.

Another thing concerning me about going for a 3.0 is its fly by wire as opposed to the 2.8 or 4.2.

My best mate and I are planning a trip in a few years time to the Cape, so I will be wanting a GU that will get me up there and back with the least dramas if any.

Thanks in advance

[threedogs]

Its happening to both the Di ZD30 and the Cr ZD30.
First I would highly recommend when you make your purchase to install a boost gauge and EGT gauge in a pillar pod to monitor whats happening with your motor.
Yes block the EGR and Yes fit a dawes valve both cheap mods IMO, Fit a catch can to your Maf meter will stay cleaner longer.
Buy as late a model as you can , pre 2003 seemed to give all the problems buts there are heaps of early ones here still going strong.
I have 210k of trouble free driving only problem so far replaced the alternator, I service it every 500k with good oil and filters.
Good luck and look forward to your new GU

[SKID]

I've updated my post my GQ is a TB42S Carby with auto transmission, From what I've been reading going to a 2.8 I'll near double my fuel ecconomy and to better again if I get a 3.0 GU, a 4.2 just isnt a possibility unless I win the loto as my budget is around the 15K mark.

Regards

[SKID]

Its happening to both the Di ZD30 and the Cr ZD30.
First I would highly recommend when you make your purchase to install a boost gauge and EGT gauge in a pillar pod to monitor whats happening with your motor.
Yes block the EGR and Yes fit a dawes valve both cheap mods IMO, Fit a catch can to your Maf meter will stay cleaner longer.
Buy as late a model as you can , pre 2003 seemed to give all the problems buts there are heaps of early ones here still going strong.
I have 210k of trouble free driving only problem so far replaced the alternator, I service it every 500k with good oil and filters.
Good luck and look forward to your new GU

Can someone give me step by step details on installing the dawes valve, I know the purpose is to take control of the turbo away from the ECU.
I spoke to a 4WD shop today and the guy actually has a 3.0, he said to just block the EGR and maybe fit a catch can!

[mudski]

Can someone give me step by step details on installing the dawes valve, I know the purpose is to take control of the turbo away from the ECU.
I spoke to a 4WD shop today and the guy actually has a 3.0, he said to just block the EGR and maybe fit a catch can!

Lol. Don't go back to that shop then...
The Di's will often go boom when you cruising. Your boost will be too low, thanks to the marvelous effort from the ECU. Low boost at certain revs will create enormously high cylinder temps and having those high temps while the engine is at a constant revs the highway is the recipe for disaster. So just blocking the egr and having a catch can is not enough. Whilst those two perform their designed jobs to T, it ain't enough.
The other beauty about installing the dawes and needle valve is you get to choose what max boost you want and how fast the turbo will spool up and the car will go a crap load better too. I removed the two valve about a month ago, just to see what my boost and egt's were doing. Boost was all over the shop, so where the egt's. Go up a hill in second revving the goat out of her and changing to third I went from 25 psi in second will a crap load of revs to around 5 psi in the next gear and lost all power and had to change back to second. Doesn't happen with the valves in.

[happygu]

4 x 3L Diesel Patrols for me ...

2 x Di and 2 x CRD ... no issues with any of them

I would be heading for the latest model you can get ( in good condition ) for the price you want to spend.

My preference would be the CRD, but I think that the later model Di's actually perform a bit better performance wise with a bit more oomph in the higher rev range, whereas the CRD's are a little better down low

[SKID]

4 x 3L Diesel Patrols for me ...

2 x Di and 2 x CRD ... no issues with any of them

I would be heading for the latest model you can get ( in good condition ) for the price you want to spend.

My preference would be the CRD, but I think that the later model Di's actually perform a bit better performance wise with a bit more oomph in the higher rev range, whereas the CRD's are a little better down low

What modifications did you do to them?

[SKID]

Does any one know where I can get the Nissan Patrol NADS mod done in or around the Brisbane or Ipswich area?

[happygu]

What modifications did you do to them?

2001 DI ..... just Dtronic Chip ( nearly fixed up massive power hole from take off on a hot day - uphill starts ... it was hard not to stall it at times )

2003 Di .... just Dtronic Chip ( fixed up power hole from take off on a hot day - uphill starts ...there were changes to the ECU Map from the factory that helped too )


2008 CRD ..... nothing at all

2011 CRD ..... 2 3/4" Beaudesert Exhaust

[SKID]

2001 DI ..... just Dtronic Chip ( nearly fixed up massive power hole from take off on a hot day - uphill starts ... it was hard not to stall it at time )

2003 Di .... just Dtronic Chip ( fixed up power hole from take off on a hot day - uphill starts ...there were changes to the ECU Map from the factory that helped too )


2008 CRD ..... nothing at all

2011 CRD ..... 2 3/4" Beaudesert Exhaust

So no blocking off the egr, no catch can, and no NADS setup?

What sort of fuel ecconomy where you getting around town and on the highway?
Thank you

[SKID]

Lol. Don't go back to that shop then...
The Di's will often go boom when you cruising. Your boost will be too low, thanks to the marvelous effort from the ECU. Low boost at certain revs will create enormously high cylinder temps and having those high temps while the engine is at a constant revs the highway is the recipe for disaster. So just blocking the egr and having a catch can is not enough. Whilst those two perform their designed jobs to T, it ain't enough.
The other beauty about installing the dawes and needle valve is you get to choose what max boost you want and how fast the turbo will spool up and the car will go a crap load better too. I removed the two valve about a month ago, just to see what my boost and egt's were doing. Boost was all over the shop, so where the egt's. Go up a hill in second revving the goat out of her and changing to third I went from 25 psi in second will a crap load of revs to around 5 psi in the next gear and lost all power and had to change back to second. Doesn't happen with the valves in.

Where can I buy the dawes and needle valve? Havent got the car yet, but this time round doing all my homework and anything I need to do to it straight away I want to have pre purchased..

[kevin07]

mudski sells them

[happygu]

So no blocking off the egr, no catch can, and no NADS setup?

What sort of fuel ecconomy where you getting around town and on the highway?
Thank you

All 4 have been Manuals ...
All 4 have had 33" tyres put on since close to new

After the 33" Tyres were installed, causing the economy to jump up 1 litre per hundred klms:


First two Di's both averaged around 13.1 Litres per hundred

CRD's both average around 13.3 Litres per hundred - but with slightly less top end power



There was no such thing as the NADS kit early on.

I traded in my 2001 model for a new one, as I was using it every day for my work role, and couldn't afford it to fail on me ( even with warranty ). There were internal changes to the designs of the motors from the early ones but these changes came in around July 2001, and as Nissan wouldn't tell me if mine had the changes done ( mine had July 2001 build date )
Traded at 75,000 klms- put the Dtronic on at 30,000 klms ... saw it driving down Ferntree Gully road a couple of years later, and tried to catch him, but got stuck at the lights and he was gone. Wanted to see how it went....
Virtually traded it for my buy price two years earlier, so that made the deal an easy one to do....


For the 2003 Model, I had the rear Spring Towers Strengthened straight off the showroom floor, drove it for 5,000 klms, and then threw the Dtronic in it.

It was a lot better than the 2001 model - had heaps more grunt, and everyone that went in it said it went like a cut cat. I bought extra warranty, as I was still a little worried about the 'bang' happening, but decided to keep it as my forever vehicle, and was up to 127,000 klms when one of my customers finally got me to say yes to selling it to him ...... he has had it since to this day, and has done the clutch and it was over 270,000 a couple of years ago. Sold the Dtronic Chip with the vehicle, as it didn't fit the CRD.



My 2008 Model had the Rear Spring Towered Gusseted too, and I was waiting for Dtronic to get their act together with the CRD Chip, and after waiting and waiting, it sort of lost out being a priority cause it went just fine as it was. Was planning on keeping it forever too, but at 95,000 klms, Nissan kept pestering me to buy a new one, and they finally offered me a good price so I traded it in to get my latest one.



My 2011 Model has been great, and it is up to 65,000 Klms at the moment ... Spring Towers Strengthened, Beaudesert Exhaust


My thoughts are to keep away from the early 2000 - 2001 models unless they have later year model motors installed with the changes that Nissan made after the first year ...... and the 2003 - 2006 greyish interior GU's are much better at staying clean on the interior than the latest model shape black interiors ( which bugs me a little ), but I do prefer the CRD motor overall, and so far its reputation is good, and I would try to get a CRD as a long term vehicle, even with its black interior, and lesser power in the top end of the rev range, and less towing grunt.

[SKID]

All 4 have been Manuals ...
All 4 have had 33" tyres put on since close to new

After the 33" Tyres were installed, causing the economy to jump up 1 litre per hundred klms:


First two Di's both averaged around 13.1 Litres per hundred

CRD's both average around 13.3 Litres per hundred - but with slightly less top end power



There was no such thing as the NADS kit early on.

I traded in my 2001 model for a new one, as I was using it every day for my work role, and couldn't afford it to fail on me ( even with warranty ). There were internal changes to the designs of the motors from the early ones but these changes came in around July 2001, and as Nissan wouldn't tell me if mine had the changes done ( mine had July 2001 build date )
Traded at 75,000 klms- put the Dtronic on at 30,000 klms ... saw it driving down Ferntree Gully road a couple of years later, and tried to catch him, but got stuck at the lights and he was gone. Wanted to see how it went....
Virtually traded it for my buy price two years earlier, so that made the deal an easy one to do....


For the 2003 Model, I had the rear Spring Towers Strengthened straight off the showroom floor, drove it for 5,000 klms, and then threw the Dtronic in it.

It was a lot better than the 2001 model - had heaps more grunt, and everyone that went in it said it went like a cut cat. I bought extra warranty, as I was still a little worried about the 'bang' happening, but decided to keep it as my forever vehicle, and was up to 127,000 klms when one of my customers finally got me to say yes to selling it to him ...... he has had it since to this day, and has done the clutch and it was over 270,000 a couple of years ago. Sold the Dtronic Chip with the vehicle, as it didn't fit the CRD.



My 2008 Model had the Rear Spring Towered Gusseted too, and I was waiting for Dtronic to get their act together with the CRD Chip, and after waiting and waiting, it sort of lost out being a priority cause it went just fine as it was. Was planning on keeping it forever too, but at 95,000 klms, Nissan kept pestering me to buy a new one, and they finally offered me a good price so I traded it in to get my latest one.



My 2011 Model has been great, and it is up to 65,000 Klms at the moment ... Spring Towers Strengthened, Beaudesert Exhaust


My thoughts are to keep away from the early 2000 - 2001 models unless they have later year model motors installed with the changes that Nissan made after the first year ...... and the 2003 - 2006 greyish interior GU's are much better at staying clean on the interior than the latest model shape black interiors ( which bugs me a little ), but I do prefer the CRD motor overall, and so far its reputation is good, and I would try to get a CRD as a long term vehicle, even with its black interior, and lesser power in the top end of the rev range, and less towing grunt.

What was the problem with Rear Springs needing strenghtening?

[happygu]

What was the problem with Rear Springs needing strenghtening?

The rear Spring Towers can crack on heavily loaded vehicles, or ones that have very heavy duty springs, or mostly when people use polyairs or the like for load levelling.

Doesn't happen all the time, but I did it for cheap insurance, as when they are brand new and all clean, it costs around $300 - $350 to get it done, which is nothing when you take into account the price of the vehicle, or the $5K plus to fix it afterwards.

Do a search and you will see a few examples on the net.

I have never had a problem ever, and have been all over the place, doing lots of outback travel ..... just making sure is all ......

( The last time we went through Birdsville and across the desert, there was a Mitsubishi Triton that looked like a triangle .... bent if half in the middle .... just trying to prevent that sort of holiday disaster )

[happygu]

Oh and I had better tell you about the Office Administrator at our work, who owned a 2000 Model 3 Di Auto - which is the one most likely to put a hole in the pistons...

She used to just get in, turn the key, and zoom .... off she would go like a rocket .... over 330,000 klms with no issues at all.

I tried to gently persuade her that she should at least sit for 15 - 20 seconds and let the oil circulate and warm up a little before she pushed it to redline, but she never listened, but never had a problem either.


Car has since been traded, so don't know now how it is going now ..... it will probably blow up now that someone like me is babying it along ....:hpfredgeorge1:

[SKID]

Oh and I had better tell you about the Office Administrator at our work, who owned a 2000 Model 3 Di Auto - which is the one most likely to put a hole in the pistons...

She used to just get in, turn the key, and zoom .... off she would go like a rocket .... over 330,000 klms with no issues at all.

I tried to gently persuade her that she should at least sit for 15 - 20 seconds and let the oil circulate and warm up a little before she pushed it to redline, but she never listened, but never had a problem either.


Car has since been traded, so don't know now how it is going now ..... it will probably blow up now that someone like me is babying it along ....:hpfredgeorge1:

Thank you for all the feed back, although some have still tried pushing me towards a 4.2, saying they have the same or slightly better fuel ecconomy than the 3.0. I'm pretty much sold on the 3.0's, thinking about when I eventually do my cape trip, there are a hell of a lot more 3.0's around than there are 2.8's so parts in the middle of no where would be more so available than that of a 2.8. from what I've been reading even though some are still pushing me towards a 4.2 is there any reality to the fuel ecconomy being as good or better than a 3.0?

[threedogs]

Most parts for a big trip like belts, pulley tensioners etc are easily available via Ebay.
Not much will go wrong if you change most items first and keep the ones you removed as spares.
Drive to the conditions and you should be home free.
I hoping to see the Cape again, maybe next year all going well

[SKID]

Oh and I had better tell you about the Office Administrator at our work, who owned a 2000 Model 3 Di Auto - which is the one most likely to put a hole in the pistons...

She used to just get in, turn the key, and zoom .... off she would go like a rocket .... over 330,000 klms with no issues at all.

I tried to gently persuade her that she should at least sit for 15 - 20 seconds and let the oil circulate and warm up a little before she pushed it to redline, but she never listened, but never had a problem either.


Car has since been traded, so don't know now how it is going now ..... it will probably blow up now that someone like me is babying it along ....:hpfredgeorge1:


ok so that lady hammered her car and had no problems, maybe it was blowing all the crap that builds up out!!! How do you drive your 4 that you never had a problem with. Just want to know in advance if I should drive it like I stole it, or drive it like a Nanna...

[happygu]

ok so that lady hammered her car and had no problems, maybe it was blowing all the crap that builds up out!!! How do you drive your 4 that you never had a problem with. Just want to know in advance if I should drive it like I stole it, or drive it like a Nanna...

I drive mine like a Nanna till it warms up ......

[happygu]

Last year I did a double Simpson Desert crossing with the 3 Litre CRD - no issues at all, and I have no issues taking it wherever.....

Canning Stock Route or Googs Track next up .....

[mudski]

Last year I did a double Simpson Desert crossing with the 3 Litre CRD - no issues at all, and I have no issues taking it wherever.....

Canning Stock Route or Googs Track next up .....

CRD I wouldn't have an issue going to remote area's with. The Di I definitely wouldn't. My mates brother's Di dropped the pin four days after RustyNail's did. Only this was, he was towing a camper, 300'ks from the nearest anything in the NT and over 4000k's from home. 4 and a half K towing bill later he was home. No thanks. I'll wait until I can get the TD42 running. Might be a while though....

[SG1]

Makes it hard hey, as I do want to buy a GU and now in a position to do so with cash behind us BUT then all these 3.0 Di GU's and there problems we cant afford it to go bang, the other option was an 80 series cruiser but really would prefer the GU Patrol, after reading and reading its making it hard for any car to part with our hard earned money..Dam the 3.0 Di engine drama's as its the perfect car for us..

[Bush Ranger]

I bought a 6/2001 ZD30 wagon when it had 187,000 Ks on it and the first thing I did to it, was a service on it. It has 219,000 Ks on it now. The only problem that I have had with it is the MAF sensor needing to be replaced, EGR Stepper Motor being replaced at 205,000Ks, the alternator being replaced at 214,000Ks, as it decided it didn`t want to recharge the battery, the camber / castor rubbers needed to be replaced, as it was pulling to the left and the steering wheel wasn`t central. The front panhard rod was replaced at the same time, as it was on the way out. The radius arms rubber bushes needed to be replaced. I was going to replace the swaybar rubbers and decided to put in disconnects instead. All wear and tear around the 13 year / 200,000 Klm mark and 6 years of ownership of the vehicle. I have also added a 2 inch OME suspension, 33 inch mud terrain tyres onto the vehicle and a dual battery system. I am happy with the vehicle and haven`t really had any thing majorly wrong with it. I have crossed the Nullarbor twice in the vehicle so far with no worries and will be crossing it for the third time in a few weeks time with out any hesitation. Since owning the GU I have, I have seen 2001 to 2004 GUs out there in very good nick. I`ll keep mine for awhile longer. You`ll find one that you will like. Just take your time in looking. As the old saying goes ` It doesn`t cost you anything to window shop`. I have heard to look for 2001, 2003, 2004 onward GUs, as the faults have been ironed out, but if you are in doubt, ask a few mechanics from Nissan and from independent mechanics for their advice on which year GU to go for. It may help you some more.