Interesting read - doesn't mince words about ZD30's

[AGman]

Agree. But does anyone believe Mr Nissan outsources this procedure for interval servicing of ZD30's? C'mon they're at the limit actually changing filters.

I actually agree with you there. No disrespect to macca, but I do think the author is a bit sensationalist in the article in regards to some of his comments.

"We checked with a development engineer from General Motors about the need for catch cans on non-competition vehicles and he told me that if GM believed for one second that a relatively cheap part attached to the engine would improve reliability, limit warranty claims and reduce replacement costs, it would have been included in the PCV system"

I think it's a bit naive of him to accept this comment from a GM spokesperson. Experience has proven over and over again that most manufacturers will not spend $10 per vehicle to improve the longevity of it. My experience is the opposite, if they know a component will make a vehicle fail a few years out of warranty they will stick with it. I think he might be a bit too close to the manufacturers, they come down hard on dissent these days.

I am an engineer that's been involved in development projects and the bean counters and marketing wonks own the projects, you just build it cheap as possible and tow the line or lose your job.

I don't think he has a complete understanding of the EGR issues either. All the manufacturers are having these problems with their CRD engines, not just the ones he listed. Its not a carbon issue in the strictest sense of the word...its recirculated soot from the combustion process mixing with recirculated oil fumes from the crankcase, remove one or both of these things that shouldn't be in the inlet tract and you fix the problem.