Zd30 opinion

[Jaakee]

Looking at buying my first diesel. Keen on a 4.2 but everyone I look at looks like it’s been thrashed, has half a million k’a and they want $30,000 for them. There’s a bloke at work selling an 07 common rail 200xxxks has all the engine saver mods and looks clean as and only wanting $16,000 for it. But I have heard to stay away from zd30 and then have been told if it’s a common rail and has the engine saver mods I’ll be fine? Need some opinions and people with a 3L how many Ks yours has? Cheers!

[GQtdauto]

Always a lottery with anything secondhand but yes supposed to be the better one

[drgtr]

Looking at buying my first diesel. Keen on a 4.2 but everyone I look at looks like it’s been thrashed, has half a million k’a and they want $30,000 for them. There’s a bloke at work selling an 07 common rail 200xxxks has all the engine saver mods and looks clean as and only wanting $16,000 for it. But I have heard to stay away from zd30 and then have been told if it’s a common rail and has the engine saver mods I’ll be fine? Need some opinions and people with a 3L how many Ks yours has? Cheers!


Hi Mate

if you were to choose a 3 litre patrol. Yes they are more reliable out of the bunch but they are not without a few issues:

- Some are known to be damn thirsty no matter what you do and Nissan denies this. at 17Lph consumption. Mainly autos.
- Timing gear case coolant leak. The whole motor has to come out so check for coolant leaks there. Expensive repair for such a minor leak
- Oil Pump bolts coming loose either throwing an Oil pressure light or rattly as hell.


Overall though I personally haven't seen/read/heard one grenading .

So they got to be a good thing.

Hope you can find a low km clean Td42ti though. That's where its one less headache for you owning a patrol.

[happygu]

Jake,

I am fairly confident in recommending the CRD Patrol. I have had two of them now, and I had always planned on keeping them long term, and only moved the older one on as I got a deal I could not refuse on a new one. My latest one is now 7 years old now and so far so good.....

The only issues I come across as common issues are Head Gaskets, Warped Exhaust Manifolds, EGR Valves, and some early 07-08 models where the oil pump bolts were missing the correct application of loctite from the factory and the bolts work loose, and a lot of those issues can be common across all makes and models these days.

My previous 2003 Di is up over 300,000 klms with no issues, and that one was awesome too - went like a cut cat, but I was urging the new owner to move it on last time I bumped into him a year or so back, as it is getting to the stage where something is more likely to happen as these ones are less likely to fail but could still be a bit of a lottery at times. Then again, most of the 4.2 Patrols I see for sale around the 300,000 klms mark seem to be all re-built too, so I don't know what is going on with those ones.....

[Portski]

I have a 2012 CRD, 120,000 km on the clock, no fancy mods other than catch-can. Just a couple of days ago my mechanic said to hang on to it as it was more reliable than a lot of the current common rail diesels out there they were now dealing with! My brother-in-law has a 2003 DI with 320,000 km and it's still going strong. No mods or grenade protection, just regularly serviced.

[drgtr]

Just out of curiosity. Do after market Turbo manifolds on the Zd30 and CRD stop the warping?

[Malfunction777]

I’m about to rebuild a 2003 zd30 had a hole in number4 piston it auto was going to put a manual in but auto is nice to drive
Looking to do all the modifications hope to have a reliable 4x4
Mal

[Ghosts]

2001 ZD30 with 243000 Ks and haven`t a problem, apart from replacing MAF sensor a couple of times and general wear and tear.

[Mc4by]

2002 ZD30 with 228000. Hauls my camper trailer around with no issues.
Did a complete coolant system overhaul last year but that's it.
Full NADS installed.

[Fireblade]

new genuine ones from nissan are different now and shouldnt warp again.

[4bye4]

I have a 2005 Di 3 ltr with full NADS. Over 250xxxk on the clock no worries so far. My thoughts are that if/when it blows put in a rebuilt motor or rebuild this one - whatever it takes. Cost say $6000 to $10,000, as compared to your difference, 3 ltr at $16000 to a 4.2 at $30,000. So if the rest of the car is OK and you can repair/replace a motor if it blows for 6 to 10K, you are still 5k ish better off. I am 67 years old and the car has done 250000k in 9 years. If it were to blow tomorrow and I put a new motr in and got at least 5 years out of it, I would be 72 years old and probably not doing as much travelling (by 4x4) anyway.
Also, your choice is based between 2 used vehicles. be aware that 4.2s can blow up as well and replacing that motor could be a mission as good ones are expensive because of their rarety.