losing power

[IronVoid]

Hey guys, well I'm having issues with my 3L 03 patrol, when I drive around doing a lot of stopping/slowing down and taking off (freeway traffic) or if I need to get my power back quickly (slowing down for a give way but not quite stopping) I end up just blowing out a lot of black smoke and losing all power, and the only way to stop it is stopping the vehicle completely and sometimes even switching off the engine.
I read through some advice on here, and replaced my MAF and my air filter and gave my intercooler a good clean (noticed a lot of oil on the outside of it near at the bottom), anyway it worked great for a week and now it's back.

Any ideas?
I'm worried it could be injectors but hoping that it maybe the intercooler (oil on it suggests maybe).

I'm installing a boost gauge once the adapter arrives and I'm getting the NADS done on the 8th ($600 parts and labour good price?).

Cheers guys

[4bye4]

Refresh my memory - didn't you just have a new turbo fitted? NADS is a great idea but I doubt that it will change the problem you are having at the mom. When you replaced your MAF did you disconnect the battery for a few hours. I believe the engine management can retain memory and not "learn" the new MAF or any sensor that you replaced.

[IronVoid]

Yes the turbo just got replaced, and yes I disconnected the battery for at least an hour (think it was even overnight)

[4bye4]

Hay mate - I'm no expert, but it sounds like the turbo isn't kicking in to me. It will be interesting to see what your boost is when you fit your gauge. Oil leak from the I/C isn't a problem but air leak is. The oil just accumulates and comes out because of the crimped Nissan OEM I/C. Replace it with a fully welded one. You can get straight replacement from about $300 to $400 or upgraded bigger netter flow etc for as much as you want to spend. I got this one locally.
http://www.brownsradiators.com.au/shop/?category=Intercoolers&number=3&subcategory=Nissan_CAC

[IronVoid]

Looking at the receipts that came with it suggested codes for the MAF and the MAP. Could this possibly even be my MAP playing up.
Also diagnostics has shown nothing...

[IronVoid]

Going back to your air leak suggestion though, I'm not 100% sure but I think I can hear what sounds like an air leak but honestly I'm unsure simply because I haven't had a chance to drive this thing in 100% working order so not sure if some sounds are meant to be there. but at the same time surely if it was an air leak it would also be giving me problems in highway cruising wouldn't it?

[Hodge]

I don't think MAP influences performance or sends any performance altering data to the ECU on a ZD30.

[Hodge]

Going back to your air leak suggestion though, I'm not 100% sure but I think I can hear what sounds like an air leak but honestly I'm unsure simply because I haven't had a chance to drive this thing in 100% working order so not sure if some sounds are meant to be there. but at the same time surely if it was an air leak it would also be giving me problems in highway cruising wouldn't it?

Could this "air leak" be a vaccum leak maybe? If it is, then your actuator might not be sucked in enough for turbo to spool up properly.
Unsure if one could "hear" a vaccum leak under the hood, but anyhow, check your vaccum hoses etc...

[mudski]

Get the gauge and nads in and see what happens. I have a feeling it's more but we'll see. An egt gauge would be handy for this too.

[4bye4]

There are a lot of similarities here I think.
http://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forums/showthread.php?33608-Losing-boost

[IronVoid]

More info, it seems to be at it's worst when I'm travelling between 60 and 90km/h. Also seems that once it drops below 2000RPM in that speed range is when the issue really makes itself known.
Another thing is it seems to also depend on how I drive, if I crawl up to speed on my drive home from work (60km) it doesn't seem to happen, but it's well below normal pickup speed. Basically it mainly happens if I put my foot down a little bit too hard and then have to slow down a little bit. Sorry if this isn't reading very well I'm finding it difficult to explain.

[IronVoid]

Get the gauge and nads in and see what happens. I have a feeling it's more but we'll see. An egt gauge would be handy for this too.

I spoke to my local exhaust and 4x4 shop and the guy behind the counter said I shouldn't bother installing it until I get a new exhaust system done, save on labour that way. He said you don't need them and he has been driving his 02 patrol with NADS since it was about 216km and now it's over 400km without an EGT. He said I should if I plan on towing a caravan round the country or putting it under big loads for long periods of time but otherwise my standard temp gauge will tell me if it's getting too bad.

[mudski]

I spoke to my local exhaust and 4x4 shop and the guy behind the counter said I shouldn't bother installing it until I get a new exhaust system done, save on labour that way. He said you don't need them and he has been driving his 02 patrol with NADS since it was about 216km and now it's over 400km without an EGT. He said I should if I plan on towing a caravan round the country or putting it under big loads for long periods of time but otherwise my standard temp gauge will tell me if it's getting too bad.

First piece of advise from your local is good advice. The second is rubbish and the last about the standard temp gauge is pure bollocks.

For the second comment, well yeah you don't "need" an EGT gauge, you don't "need" to put a bigger exhaust on, or even install the NADs for a matter of fact. Theres a gazzilion grey nomads cruising our land with a 3T caravan in tow using a ZD30 "Grenade", all stock as a rock with half a billion K's on them too. They don't need it. But like the NAD's, and EGT gauge comes in handy. Think of it like a thermometer for a human. The thermometer tells you a lot about how your body is coping. If your temp is not 37c you know your not quite right. Same goes with your motor. I know with my car when cruising at 100ks on a flat road I should get around the 220c mark in EGTs. Give or take... And around 180-220c at your local street speeds. If I notice any difference in temps I know that somethings not quite right. Using your EGT gauge is a great way to tune the NAD's too. not just going by your boost, knowing how to read the EGT's in relation to your motor is quite important and is very helpful.

The third comment. Any mechanic with half a brain would know that the OEM temp gauge, is something no one should use as an actual reading. Plus the standard temp gauge is water, not exhaust. Two very different things and the only thing is common is that they are gauges. When my car over heated and lost all coolant on the freeway a few weeks back, my temp gauge did not move one bit. Although when I plugged a diagnostic machine into the ECU it told me the engine had overheated.
That my 2bobs worth. I could go on more but I want to go out a have a drink. Lol... Take with a grain of salt. Or not.
Cheers.

[IronVoid]

First piece of advise from your local is good advice. The second is rubbish and the last about the standard temp gauge is pure bollocks.

For the second comment, well yeah you don't "need" an EGT gauge, you don't "need" to put a bigger exhaust on, or even install the NADs for a matter of fact. Theres a gazzilion grey nomads cruising our land with a 3T caravan in tow using a ZD30 "Grenade", all stock as a rock with half a billion K's on them too. They don't need it. But like the NAD's, and EGT gauge comes in handy. Think of it like a thermometer for a human. The thermometer tells you a lot about how your body is coping. If your temp is not 37c you know your not quite right. Same goes with your motor. I know with my car when cruising at 100ks on a flat road I should get around the 220c mark in EGTs. Give or take... And around 180-220c at your local street speeds. If I notice any difference in temps I know that somethings not quite right. Using your EGT gauge is a great way to tune the NAD's too. not just going by your boost, knowing how to read the EGT's in relation to your motor is quite important and is very helpful.

The third comment. Any mechanic with half a brain would know that the OEM temp gauge, is something no one should use as an actual reading. Plus the standard temp gauge is water, not exhaust. Two very different things and the only thing is common is that they are gauges. When my car over heated and lost all coolant on the freeway a few weeks back, my temp gauge did not move one bit. Although when I plugged a diagnostic machine into the ECU it told me the engine had overheated.
That my 2bobs worth. I could go on more but I want to go out a have a drink. Lol... Take with a grain of salt. Or not.
Cheers.

Yea that all make sense to me, I had a sort of sideways look at him when he mentioned it, especially after all the advice I've seen everywhere suggesting otherwise. However it will still wait until I can upgrade the exhaust before putting it in, I have the gauge sitting in my room I just don't have the tools to put it on to a standard exhaust so it will just have to wait.
Cheers for the advice.

[mudski]

Where do you live? I have a dump pipe here with the bung welded in you can borrow until you can afford a new pipe.

[IronVoid]

Where do you live? I have a dump pipe here with the bung welded in you can borrow until you can afford a new pipe.

I live in Mandurah WA, if you're sure you don't mind then get back to me with a price for postage and I'll happily take you up on your offer.

[threedogs]

Id take it to a 4x4 shop that specalize in Patrols, I had a mechanic tell me once because my intercooler was oily I had "blow by"
total crock of droppings, As for your mechanic try another, exhaust and water temp are not related. When you have your
gauges fitted like Mudski suggests you can "drive to your gauges" meaning if you see the EGTs getting hot back it off a bit.
I NADS my motor at 185K thanks to a member here [Boots], I have not had an issue with it since, I occasionally tow a small camper
up to the Murray river with no problems at all. Get your gauges fitted ,that will tell you whats going on and then you can adjust any abnormalties
with your NADS