Had enough - Selling the king cab, here's why

I'm not expecting this to be particularly well received but here goes...

I've got the shitts with my King Cab and I'm getting rid of it. I'm going to get what I should have in the first place, a 4.2td Patrol or a Cruiser.

I've had my 09 D40 STX King Cab 2.5td manual since November 09, it's got 8000km on it. I've been struggling through dramas with a few minor things and have as of yesterday gotten the final word from Nissan regarding the fuel economy woes.

Fuel economy - unable to get 500km from a full tank under any conditions, commonly getting less than 450km. (range from 14L/100km to 15.5L/100km) To be precise that would be measured from absolutely full, seeing fuel in the filler pipe, to when the fuel light comes on. That is fairly close to being 70 liters when I fill up. First my local dealer was consulted and returned that the diagnostic was negative and that there were no available fixes such as an ecu re-flash. I contacted Nissan Australia and lodged a complaint with them. As a result of their internal investigation they advised me that the figures I am getting are within range of what would be expected from a vehicle with steel tray and bull bar. So that's that. There's nothing more to be done. For a 2.5td this is crap, I would expect to get this kind of economy from a much bigger engine. My previous vehicle, a Falcon XR6 Turbo with a 4 litre turbo petrol engine, used a combined 11.5-12.0L/100km doing the same driving as I do with my D40. (mostly highway @ 100km/h on cruise)

Other issues
- Ground clearance is very poor, it's very frustrating not being able to negotiate simple obstacles due to running out of clearance under the front suspension.
-No sump guard which is a ~$700 aftermarket proposition.
-Nothing from the dual cab is compatible with the king cab and most aftermarket does not cater for the king or single cabs.
-Interior plastic is the kind that once scratched by a finger nail, ring or anything similar, will leave a permanent scratch that can not be rubbed out. Very poor considering its the first I've seen of it in any other vehicle. The rear king cab doors rattle and let dust in.
-The vehicle has been to the dealer three times to have the doors adjusted/fixed and they still rattle. Same for the under dash rattle - not fixed and still annoying.
- Dash lights, very bright at night! I've had to put some tape over the high beam indicator light because it's blinding at night.
-The fuel filler neck is unduly restricted causing diesel foam to back up in the filler neck and either spill out or cause the trigger on the pump to click off. It is not possible to fully hold down the trigger on any pump I have encountered. Not a huge deal but very very annoying given how regularly I have to fill up.
-Engine torque, it has nothing under 2000rmp until the turbo comes up to boost. I've gotten used to not stalling it taking off in 1st but its way too easy to do so. The Mrs has difficulty in driving it because of this. In my opinion the small capacity of this engine relies on high revs to create power and torque. This is contributing to high fuel usage because of it's high revving nature. I don't like to drive a diesel 4x4 like a suzuki swift, it's easier to drive this vehicle like a work truck (flat out) than it is to drive it sedately.

I admit that some of these minor issues are things I should have picked up on before I purchased the vehicle. My mistake, and I'll learn from it.

I'm shitty that my new vehicle that I paid a fair whack of $$ for is not living up to my expectations. This vehicle was supposed to be nothing like a Patrol or Cruiser, but instead it uses as much if not more fuel, rides the same and rattles the same but is worse in it's off road ability and lacks any kind of low down torue. That's why It's going. I'm not going to force myself to live with something that I don't like and that's that.

Anyone want to buy a King Cab? I'm near Townsville, NQ.

Sorry to hear about your dramas mate. A few of the D40 guys here should be able to tell you how to reset the computer and fuel pump which may make it use less fuel.

I am thinking maybe when Nissan runs the engines in from the factory the computer may have learnt to use the fuel from the few blasts of high revs. Not sure.

If you cant figure out the bad economy and sell it, stay in touch on the forum as your more then welcome to hang around with a Patrol and (shivers) a Cruiser. lol.

Good luck mate.

Dave.

Dave said:

If you cant figure out the bad economy and sell it, stay in touch on the forum as your more then welcome to hang around with a Patrol and (shivers) a Cruiser. lol.

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just had to single me out didn't ya

who knows, might do a nav/cruiser build up...THE CRUVARA! lol

Thats sad to hear, they are a big investment.

You are not expecting bettter economy figures out of the cruiser or patrol are you? I would be amazed if they are more economical. You really cannot compare the economy of the XR6 to the Navara, my 4cyl triton 2wd ute is worse on petrol than my mates SS V8 commodore.

An aftermarket exhaust makes a big difference to low down power, though I am not sure you will be wanting to invest more money into it at this stage.

Delta Sierra said:

I
Fuel economy - unable to get 500km from a full tank under any conditions, commonly getting less than 450km. (range from 14L/100km to 15.5L/100km) To be precise that would be measured from absolutely full, seeing fuel in the filler pipe, to when the fuel light comes on. That is fairly close to being 70 liters when I fill up. First my local dealer was consulted and returned that the diagnostic was negative and that there were no available fixes such as an ecu re-flash. I contacted Nissan Australia and lodged a complaint with them. As a result of their internal investigation they advised me that the figures I am getting are within range of what would be expected from a vehicle with steel tray and bull bar. So that's that. There's nothing more to be done. For a 2.5td this is crap, I would expect to get this kind of economy from a much bigger engine. My previous vehicle, a Falcon XR6 Turbo with a 4 litre turbo petrol engine, used a combined 11.5-12.0L/100km doing the same driving as I do with my D40. (mostly highway @ 100km/h on cruise)

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that economy is bad. something certainly not right. could be anything from maf, ecu reset, fuel filters, poor fuel, poor injectors.

Other issues
- Ground clearance is very poor, it's very frustrating not being able to negotiate simple obstacles due to running out of clearance under the front suspension.

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if you have front bar that may sag the front a fair bit, otherwise ride height is typical of most utes.

-No sump guard which is a ~$700 aftermarket proposition.

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very few if any 4x4 vechiles have bash plates. even patrol/cruisers don't.

-The fuel filler neck is unduly restricted causing diesel foam to back up in the filler neck and either spill out or cause the trigger on the pump to click off. It is not possible to fully hold down the trigger on any pump I have encountered. Not a huge deal but very very annoying given how regularly I have to fill up.

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you got rear tray? that typical of a lot of trays with a lot of vechiles. you have to customize the filler necks to suit. its just the trays filer postion is different to that of the tubs.

-Engine torque, it has nothing under 2000rmp until the turbo comes up to boost. I've gotten used to not stalling it taking off in 1st but its way too easy to do so.

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i wonder if this is related to fuel consumption. turbo not adjusted correctly from factory ??

patrol fuel consumption will be around what you have no. depending a bit on if you buy a grenade or not. the CRD models have been having big fuel consumption issues as well.

I've just posted the ECU reset procedure for both D22 and D40 in other threads, while you could give that a try I don't think it's worth it, because if ya don't like the car for all the other reasons then toss it and get something you'll be happier with.

Good luck with it all, hope things improve for ya.

I know how you feel, I've being very disappointed in mine too. I have fixed all the problems you have mentioned, I get 14-15l per 100k around town which is what I would expect for the weight of mine.
When you bought it you must have realised that it was low and had no underbody protection?. Nissan only classes the Navara as a soft offroader, it sounds to me you choose the wrong vehicle for what you intended to use if for.
As for the turbo lag, it sure is bad, I've never driven a car that is so easy to stall.

I have exactly the same feeling i now have around 50thou k on mine doors rattle since day one dealer fitted snorkel comes loose all time have dust entry thru the air filter into the engine badly. Same annoying rattle under the dash countless abs lights meaning no low range to pull boat out of the water none of the sensors have been damaged just failed.
Suspension sagged and shocks failed within 5000km fuel economy terrible and power no where near as much as every dual cab matched against.
I actually went to trade mine at 5000km but was only offered $35g for it
I am currently going thru fair trading for most of these problems and fair trading is highly interested worth a try all you guys who are as unhappy as me

08KINGCAB said:

Nissan only classes the Navara as a soft offroader,

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I got told by nissan aus they wernt designed to go offroad at all
Just mod it till it suits your needs. Throw that big 2.5 in the trash and put something decent in it.

The fuel economy is pretty bad, mate in a GU on 35's n 6" lift gets better economy. but the rest of the problems i think ull find in some form in all the utes across the range.

I get about 18l/100km around town, and 14.5/100km at the very best on the highway, was told i'm carrying too much weight (alloy tray & boxes).
I'd trade mine but can't stomach the loss (or afford it).
Hilux next time sadly

Old.Tony said:

I've just posted the ECU reset procedure for both D22 and D40 in other threads.

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Which thread has the D40 reset procedure?
Should be made a sticky for both models.

Sorry to hear your woes about the D40, personally I found mine to be great. Maybe you're just a hard man to please!! With your fuel consumption, lugging around a 2 tonne vehicle when you're revving it pretty high will do that. Driving style makes such a huge difference to fuel consumption, especially in a heavier vehicle with a turbo.... Your XR6 turbo probably spent most of the time idling, and pushing around a vehicle that weighs a fair bit less, with better aerodynamics. I'm not trying to say your issues are unfounded, but perhaps your expectations are a little high as well.....

Well i,m not game to complain about my king cabs 11l/100km but do agree very much with the crappy ground clearance especially with the sad low hung nissan steel bullbar! My back springs are stuffed and the seats are not comfy but i find the gearing much better than the 06 stx i had b4 this, the king cab has a much shorter 1st gear better for towing and the speedo is only 3 or 4kms out as opposed to the stx 8km fast. The old man has just picked his new D40 st diesel auto be interesting to see how it is.

I have pretty much the same problems with my kingcab as you do mate, except the fuel economy as i am getting around 10L to 11L per100km and the fuel filler neck because i have the tub and not a tray. The rear doors are doing my head in, i can not believe how bad they rattle, and as for not having any power below 2000rpm i know exactly what u mean by that, i wonder if it is different with the dual cabs.
I cant get over how basic and crap the plastics are in the interior, never seen such crap in a car priced so high. Even if they where to at least make it the same as the dual cab interior and have the same front seats that would be a massive difference.
And as for the sump guard brown davis make one for around $370
nissan really need to have another go at the kingcab model and make some changes!

wow, so glad i opted for dual cab!
how can thy be so different?

navarian said:

Which thread has the D40 reset procedure?
Should be made a sticky for both models.

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Here's a link to the post for the D40 Reset Procedure, hope it helps.

phibza said:

and as for not having any power below 2000rpm i know exactly what u mean by that, i wonder if it is different with the dual cabs.

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In short - yes.

Under 2,000rpm I could get out and push the thing faster with both of my legs tied up. In fact, you could get a Maltese Terrier in a harness and sit on the bonnet and get better performance.

Once that turbo kicks in though, it's "hang on" time. It's right where you'd need the power to come on gently, especially in a manual, but no, even the dual cabs rip a new one in the clutch because of the sudden onrush.

I think a mix of the D22 & D40 tuning, with a much stronger clutch, would have suited the manual better.

It's not the reason why I went for an auto - I didn't know about this problem - but everyone I spoke to seriously recommended the auto for heavy hauling and really, I'm glad I went the way I did.

Definitely something wrong with your car, unless that's how all King cabs are made.
I get 9litre/100km with my dual cab driven in traffic each and every time. Like clockwork, the fuel light comes on at 750km give or take a few k's for every 68litres of fuel i put in. I just love it.
Interestingly, I noticed that I get an extra 50k's when I use BP ultimate Diesel. Any other diesel, I only get 700k's.

With the stalling problem, I found that mine stalled very easily when it was brand new. I had to rev her a bit and ease off the clutch very slowly or else she'll stall. Taking off at the lights was very painfully slow.
However, after about 3000k's, she became a totally different animal. The stalling completely vanish and I can just take off by just releasing the clutch and not even pressing on the gas! I don't think i can even stall her now even if i try. I let my mum drive the Nav the other week (she is terrible at driving manual) and she didn't even stall it once. She complemented on how easy it is to take off in first gear.

I am very happy with my Nav. Glad I didn't get a Triton or a Toyota.

A lot of people talk about the D40's having nothing below 2000 revs but I don't seem to have that problem with mine. As some other people have mentioned - seems to be inconsistent reports.

I can virtually sidestep the clutch at the lights (not quite, but you get the idea) off idle and just drive away. Hillstart, nothing much more than idle necessary.

I'm not trying to give anyone driving lessons or any such thing with the following comment, so please take it with a grain of salt of it doesn't apply to you... In recent times, the popularity of diesel vehicles has gone through the roof. Specifically, we're talking about the D40 - simply one of the largest selling vehicles in the country, probably due in part to quirks within our taxation system that make family sized vehicles like this appealing to buy for everyday transport.

Anyway, on with the main point. A lot of people get into vehicles of this style (small capacity turbo diesel) from other motive styles - generally petrol powered. Now, over the years I've owned quite a number of small capacity turbo diesels - they all suffer from one factor - no guts down low.

People who are stepping into a small capacity TD for the first time often aren't used to that style of engine characteristic. Throw in what is realistically a fairly high first gear ratio (in high range) and some decent tare weight, and you have a vehicle that can, for the uninitiated, be problematic to launch when you expect petrol-like performance.

Newer turbo diesels go hard - no doubt about it. I will use my other car (ML Mercedes) as an example - goes like a shot rat and gets great mileage. All out of a 3 litre turbo diesel in a 2 and a half ton SUV style vehicle. But still, not much urge low in the rev range. That being said, it's masked somewhat by a 7 speed auto and torque converter.

Personally, and this is only my opinion, I think a lot of people expect a little too much from the D40. Maybe I've got a "Wednesday" car that was basically built right, I don't know. Whatever it is, I can only go from my own direct experiences as longer term references.

For the style of vehicle they are, they seem to perform in quite an adequate manner. Sure the performance off the line is a little slower than some other vehicles. But then it isn't a car - it is primarily a goods carrying vehicle in its design from what I can gather - it's just been tarted up a little bit. It's a brickies ute with a 6 stack cd and a back seat... Not a sports car. Mine? Hell, it's got a full complement of barwork (front stell bullbar, replacement steel sidesteps, replacement steel rear bar), winch, roof racks and basket, long range tank, suspension, heaps of other stuff....as you can see, I'm carrying a fair bit of weight - and weight is the demon of acceleration - yet I have no problem keeping up with traffic from the lights. Not working the vehicle hard or anything. Not stalling it, not revving it at all when the lights go green, just holding the revs at maybe 1 or 2 hundred above idle and away we go.

Can only speak for myself, but this vehicle performs exactly as I would expect. Consequently, it's roughly the same (as I have said) as other small capacity turbo diesels I have owned in the past as well. The upshot - the D40 powerplant is an absolute ball tearer as soon as you hot 2 grand. Went hunting on Tuesday... A mate in his (his words) big powerful petrol 80 series cruiser was following me. First set of decent hills, I just chugged on up in 6th gear (100km/h dead on, according to the GPS) at about 2100 revs, and he gradually disappeared into the distance behind me whinging on the UHF about how he missed his "run up" etc....who needs a run up?

Well said ants_oz, I heard all the same complaints about the D22 being gutless etc. and all I can put it down to is driving style and expectations of the newer diesel powerplants. I manage to tow a small caravan (aprox 1.5t) everwhere without any problem, Qld and back mostly in fitht gear. As for any of the other complaints I can't comment because any minor problems I've had have been dealt with by my Nissan service/dealer centre within an acceptable timeframe without question.

Brad

ants_oz said:

For the style of vehicle they are, they seem to perform in quite an adequate manner. Sure the performance off the line is a little slower than some other vehicles. But then it isn't a car - it is primarily a goods carrying vehicle in its design from what I can gather - it's just been tarted up a little bit. It's a brickies ute with a 6 stack cd and a back seat... Not a sports car. Mine? Hell, it's got a full complement of barwork (front stell bullbar, replacement steel sidesteps, replacement steel rear bar), winch, roof racks and basket, long range tank, suspension, heaps of other stuff....as you can see, I'm carrying a fair bit of weight - and weight is the demon of acceleration - yet I have no problem keeping up with traffic from the lights. Not working the vehicle hard or anything. Not stalling it, not revving it at all when the lights go green, just holding the revs at maybe 1 or 2 hundred above idle and away we go.

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I though my problem of stalling and having trouble with the no low down torque was because of the extra weight I carry, 300-400kg constant. But you don't have those problems.
As I've stated I have fitted dump pipe, 3" exhaust and chip, but it still has very poor driviability in the low rev range, where I want the power most. I think if I cant get it to improve, I'll also be trading in far earlier than the 7 years I was hoping to get out of it.