Not happy! EGR?

[dpetersen]

Ok, here's the story and why i'm not happy.
I brought my Nissan Patrol wagon no more then four months ago. 2003 ST model, 285000ks, manual, zd motor. Looked in pretty good shape and had full service history. Few extras, cruise control, snorkel, tradie roof rack. I paid $13500 for it which I thought was a fair deal. Since then iv spent more then $6000 just trying to keep it on the road.

First thing was the alternator, belt and tentioner.$1200, repaired at Nissan in Adelaide.
Second was the MAF sensor, $200 from Nissan in Darwin.
Third was the head gasket. I had the head refaced, new pistons, rings and bearings, new gasket, bolts ect and glow plugs. I also had a catch can installed. I had it repaired at a mechanic in Melbourne, $4500.
Plus I have had it serviced twice at roughly $300 each time. All this and iv travelled roughly 15000K's and only four months.
Now I have only had it back less then two weeks since the head has been repaired and it now has more issues.
I started loosing coolant, heater stopped working, catch can was full of a yellow paste and the same paste was found under the oil cap. I took it back to the mechanic and he said it's possibly the EGR valve. If its the head gasket again it will repaired under warranty. Can somebody please explain to me what the EGR is and how much I will be up for if I have to have it fixed or repaired.

Its pretty clear that I have purchased a lemon of a car, I'd like to sell it but i'll loose too much money on it now.
I have always had Fords as personal cars (AU, BA and BF), and have had very little issues with any of them.
While working in the NT the past few years in conditions most will not understand unless they have been there I have used Hilux's and Landcruisers as work cars, doing serious off road driving and very long highway driving and once again never had an issue.
So as you can imagine my impression of Nissan has not been very good.
Here are a couple of photos of the catch can and oil cap.
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[mudski]

Looks like water has mixed with the oil. The egr valve is cooled by water. But if the egr is blocked i doubt this is the issue. If it is the egr, and its not blocked, block it.
Is there any bubble in the radiator when the engine is running.

[macca86]

Thought only European patrols had water cooled egr

[mudski]

Thought only European patrols had water cooled egr
I didnt think they were watercooled until i found water hoses on mine going to the egr valve.

[dpetersen]

Didn't look like there was bubbles in the radiator. Car is at the mechanics now. How much will it cost to repair/replace?
Honestly all I want is a car that works. Its so frustrating constantly going to a mechanic every month.

[mudski]

Didn't look like there was bubbles in the radiator. Car is at the mechanics now. How much will it cost to repair/replace?
Honestly all I want is a car that works. Its so frustrating constantly going to a mechanic every month.
To repair and replace what though? Depends on whats wrong. Should be covered under warranty yeah? I know you have had a bad run, it certainly leaves a foul taste in your mouth. But i think you've just had bad run with mechanics not fixing the issues properly really.

[mudski]

Just did a very quick google search and it looks to be a head gasket going by your pic and google. Could be wrong but those symptoms were saying its moisture mixing with the oil, and you said you have also lost coolant so its unfortunately looking this way to me.

[dpetersen]

Yeah I've been reading about the EGR valve tonight, I can't see how it would have caused the problem so I'm not too sure why the mechanic suggested that it could be that.
If it is the head gasket again it's covered by warrenty as I only picked the car up two weeks ago from when it was initially repaired.
To be honest when I'm in the car I love it, love driving it. But to spend over $6000 on maintenance and not actually improving the car is what's frustrating, and of course financially it's come at the worst possible time.
I'm just hoping when it is repaired again that nothing else will go wrong with it.

[Hodge]

I can't see how water could mix with oil anywhere in the EGR plumbing. ? And I thought only the CRD EGR systems were water cooled. dpetersen has a Di.


CRD EGR
http://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=58479&stc=1
Di EGR
http://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=58480&stc=1

[mudski]

Cheers Eric. I must stick my head under closer and see where these hoses go. I just assumed they headed to the egr but couldnt see for sure.

[boots]

Keep in mind its a 12 year old vehicle with almost 300 km showing and a '' grenade '' engine . We all know to well these things have issues. goodluck with it . I think you need it . if maintenance costs are an issue now then get this issue fixed and trade it in , cut your losses and move on . I am scared for you reading what you have posted thus far , your wallet and sanity will be damaged if you persist .JMO.

[dpetersen]

Spoke to the mechanic this afternoon, cracked head again, water getting into the number two cylinder. Covered under warrenty.
No car for another week 😒Couple of questions on this;
If the head has to be replaced should this be covered under warrenty or do I have to pay? It was only reserfaced a when he initially repaired it.

[Hodge]

IMO if the head is now damaged DUE to previous work, then yeah it should be replaced under warranty. The keyword here is "If", and how do you prove previous work was at fault.

[4bye4]

Spoke to the mechanic this afternoon, cracked head again, water getting into the number two cylinder. Covered under warrenty.
No car for another week 😒Couple of questions on this;
If the head has to be replaced should this be covered under warrenty or do I have to pay? It was only reserfaced a when he initially repaired it.

hard obne to pick that. the mechanical workshop that just refaced it and put it on should cover repairs if they made the decision to reface and refit. If that was all you asked for though and they agreed to do what you wanted well its going to be difficult to enforce. Hopefully the mechanic agreed that the existing head was Ok for reface and refit and should cover the cost or at least agree to assist with the cost of the repair. I own a repair business (not cars) and if I am requested to repair somthing I am not happy with, I will tell the customer and in writing that I will not cover the outcome if he insists on the repair. If I look at the job and decide its ok to repair and the repair fails, Ive just got to cop it sweet. I recently tried to repair an electric clutch on a piece of equipment, having warned the customer that I was not confident. The repair failed and I am getting a new clutch from the US at cost for him. I will charge fitting labour costs though, and we did charge time for the failed attempt. Hope that helps.

[mudski]

Well if the head has cracked again as you say. Resurfacing surely wont fix a cracked head. Warranty for sure! You paid to get the issue fixedas per quote. Surely not your problem that they didn't do thier half right.

[kevin07]

yep find it hard to believe you can do a gasket then head almost straight after probably head was shagged first time or only thing I could think of to cause that is your water pump has crapped itself.

[mudski]

I can't see how water could mix with oil anywhere in the EGR plumbing. ? And I thought only the CRD EGR systems were water cooled. dpetersen has a Di.


Confirmed its watercooled... reference number 14056 (in blue) and +A are the water pipes.
http://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=58523&stc=1

I thought I was going crazy for a minute there.

[nissannewby]

All egr was cooled on the patrol. Even the one on the td42ti

[Cuppa]

My gut feeling is that the head (or worse) was damaged previously & the mechanic tried to ‘fix’ it with a new gasket. Either not knowing it was damaged, or in the hope of getting away with it. Either way, if that’s the scenario it’s not good ......... been there, experienced that! Rock & hard place - fix under warranty but do you trust the mechanic to do the job properly?

[Hodge]

Confirmed its watercooled... reference number 14056 (in blue) and +A are the water pipes.


I thought I was going crazy for a minute there.

My bad. I always thought it was on CRD's only and quick look at the manual suggested to. I stand corrected.

[dpetersen]

The mechanic actually sent the head away to be refaced so i don't think the place he sent it to would have refaced it if it was too far gone. I just want it to be fixed correctly so I don't have the same problem again.
From my point of view, someone has to have stuffed something up for it to happen again within a week of being repaired.

[mudski]

The mechanic actually sent the head away to be refaced so i don't think the place he sent it to would have refaced it if it was too far gone. I just want it to be fixed correctly so I don't have the same problem again.
From my point of view, someone has to have stuffed something up for it to happen again within a week of being repaired.
Did the mechanic say the head was cracked prior the first repair?

[dpetersen]

Yeah he did

[mudski]

Yeah he did
Well. He either replaces the head or gets it repaired, if it can.

[4bye4]

As per my previous post - if they made the decision that the head could be refaced then they must cop it. What I was trying to say before is that if the mechanic recommended the head be replaced in the first place, the only way out for him is if you you said "I understand what you are saying but I want you to reface it".

[kevin07]

if its cracked machining it going to do nothing, this all making me not understand any mechanic must know this. I shake my head

[Bush Ranger]

If the head was cracked, why would you reface it and or repair it. I would of gotten the head replaced if cracked, but if the head was warped, then refacing / shaving by a thou or so would be okay. Any way, not good happening not long after first attempt at getting the job done.