D40 2.5D Auto (Spanish) Limp mode and more...

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patchyfog

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Hi all, I have done a search and although there were various responses, I am unsure of which will apply to me so I thought it best to try a new thread. Apologies if I'm doubling up on a previous post that I overlooked.

Okay, so I recently bought a very used 2007 diesel auto - 260k km - as I was in a pickle and needed a vehicle quickly. I'll be honest it wouldn't have been my first choice as I don't really need a 4wd ute, however, when I was looking there wasn't much else within my price range...that didn't appear to be an absolute piece of junk anyway. Everything I had read led me to believe they are a generally decent and reliable vehicle. It seemed pretty clean and well maintained and the guy I bought it from was a mechanic so I crossed my fingers and hoped for the best.

I haven't really done much driving in the 6 or so weeks that I have owned it as I have had no need. Anyway, I filled it with fuel and off I went. First tank of diesel and I had no issues...other than only getting about 400km from a full tank. Second fill and things are happening!

First thing was, I started it up one morning - started fine but when I put it into reverse I didn't move. I pressed the accelerator and still nothing, it didn't even rev. I put it into drive and it pulled itself forward. Tried reverse again and still nothing. Put it into park and switched off the engine, started it up again and reverse engaged successfully. Off I went on my merry way. Later that day, fired it up and put it into drive, nothing. It just moved gradually forward, again the accelerator had zero effect. Switched off engine, switched back on and off I went. Following day, same thing. Then at the lights, same issue. I believe this is "limp mode" from what I have read. Turned off engine etc and again, off I went. There were no warning lights on the dash. I'm not aware of any real smoke, other than a little white smoke from the exhaust upon first start,
Using a cheap OBDII that I have lying around I checked for fault codes - it returned P0093 Fuel System Large Leak Detected. But why no warning lights on the dash? Possibly warning lights not working?
I reset the ECU and the engine light responded 10 slow, 10 fast, 10 fast, 10 fast (possibly in a different order) which I understand means "no faults".
Took it for a drive and at the first junction, limp mode again. Drove it around town for another 15 mins or so, stopping occasionally, no issues. I don't really want to risk doing any damage to the engine by driving it until I can work out what the problem is/was. What are the likely culprits?

Secondly, the plastic radiator reservoir/coolant bottle has a pinhole leak. The coolant/water looks clear but the inside of the bottle, in the upper section, is black, possibly covered in some kind of gunk. The plastic has deteriorated badly and I suspect this may just be the start. What are my options? Epoxy? Second hand or new reservoir - if so, where from? Would I better to look at the aluminium "race"options I've seen floating around? I, like most other people right now, am on a budget of next-to-nothing, so need the cheapest fix to get me through the next few months/2000km.


Just so you aware, I am a novice when it comes to mechanics and I've never owned a diesel before so you may need to dumb the reply down a bit, please.

Thanks for any help you can offer.
 
Welcome to the forum!

The first issue sounds more like an erratic electrical connection issue. This one, thankfully, is really cheap to go over and hopefully resolve - just unplug everything and replug it (one at a time is fine!). This will cause any oxidisation on the contacts to be removed providing a good electrical path again.

The first place to start is the battery, both terminals. If you need the tripmeter values retained (you will also have to re-enter the radio PIN if you miss this step), get a jump start pack or just any 12V gel battery and connect it to the battery leads before you take them off the battery. Clean everything up on the battery and reinstall. Use hot water if there's any blue powdery deposits.

Then proceed to unplug things like the accelerator pedal (and plug it back in). Back in the engine bay, open the cover of the black box that's rearward of the battery. Remove fuses, reinsert them. Remove relays, reinsert them. Over near the ABS you'll find two black boxes loaded with electric bullshit. Repeat the exercise - remove and reinsert just about everything.

Hopefully something in that will have fixed the issue.

True limp mode prevents the engine from revving over 2,000rpm and sometimes it can be difficult to diagnose, but in the D40 it's most often the SCV, which is a small part about the size of a champagne cork on the fuel pump (vehicle right hand side, on the side of the engine, fairly low so it's a stretch). Remove the electrical connector from this and reinsert it too, just in case.

As for the coolant overflow bottle - my own has cracked (350,000km, 2009 model) and I'm just replacing it (even though, as you point out, money is tighter than a nun). It has to maintain pressure under temperature extremes, and different materials may expand at different rates, so any glue/epoxy/resin repair may not last. I've had a lot of success using UV-setting resins and fibreglass (adding some carbon fibre to the mix) with various repairs and I wouldn't go near this with those. I had considered plastic welding it, but I think I'd rather have something that's "whole".

I'd love to hear from anyone else who may have replaced theirs with something better. Because I do a lot of towing, my engine gets a very good workout!
 
Wow, what a start...

The above is a good staring point and at least it's free to do basic checks.

It's not what you're going to want to hear, but I'd be getting the auto serviced as soon as possible. If you're not sure of the history of wouldn't be a bad idea. It sounds like it would really need a full flush and filter change.

As for that code, it may have been an old code. I believe these are supposed to have the ecu reset after replacing the fuel filter, so if it hasn't it may detect the increased flow from a new filter as a fuel leak. Usually the SCV causes erratic idle and stalling when cold, but it can cause other issues too. If you've got one of those obd2 adaptors and can download apps you a smart phone, you can check things like fuel rail pressure usually to see what's going on.

As for the header tank/coolant overflow, I'd be grabbing a cheap second hand one to get you through for now. There will be plenty of wrecked d40s around now. Even have a look on gumtree and see if anyone is wrecking one near you.
 
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Welcome to the forum!

The first issue sounds more like an erratic electrical connection issue. This one, thankfully, is really cheap to go over and hopefully resolve - just unplug everything and replug it (one at a time is fine!). This will cause any oxidisation on the contacts to be removed providing a good electrical path again.

The first place to start is the battery, both terminals. If you need the tripmeter values retained (you will also have to re-enter the radio PIN if you miss this step), get a jump start pack or just any 12V gel battery and connect it to the battery leads before you take them off the battery. Clean everything up on the battery and reinstall. Use hot water if there's any blue powdery deposits.

Then proceed to unplug things like the accelerator pedal (and plug it back in). Back in the engine bay, open the cover of the black box that's rearward of the battery. Remove fuses, reinsert them. Remove relays, reinsert them. Over near the ABS you'll find two black boxes loaded with electric bullshit. Repeat the exercise - remove and reinsert just about everything.

Hopefully something in that will have fixed the issue.

True limp mode prevents the engine from revving over 2,000rpm and sometimes it can be difficult to diagnose, but in the D40 it's most often the SCV, which is a small part about the size of a champagne cork on the fuel pump (vehicle right hand side, on the side of the engine, fairly low so it's a stretch). Remove the electrical connector from this and reinsert it too, just in case.

As for the coolant overflow bottle - my own has cracked (350,000km, 2009 model) and I'm just replacing it (even though, as you point out, money is tighter than a nun). It has to maintain pressure under temperature extremes, and different materials may expand at different rates, so any glue/epoxy/resin repair may not last. I've had a lot of success using UV-setting resins and fibreglass (adding some carbon fibre to the mix) with various repairs and I wouldn't go near this with those. I had considered plastic welding it, but I think I'd rather have something that's "whole".

I'd love to hear from anyone else who may have replaced theirs with something better. Because I do a lot of towing, my engine gets a very good workout!


Hello and thanks, @Old.Tony. I really appreciate the time you have taken to respond, especially when there are countless other "limp mode" threads already on the go.

I'll go through the all the electrical components this weekend and hopefully find the culprit! You mentioned "true limp mode" not allowing the revs to exceed 2000rpm - maybe you're correct then, about this possibly not being limp mode, as mine will not rev at all. It just sits in idle at around 700/800rpm. Luckily, it being an auto, when the issue occurred at the lights the vehicle just moved itself forward slowly when I released the brake pedal.

As for the 400(ish)kms to a full tank of fuel? A neighbour has a D40, admittedly it's a few years younger, and is getting almost 700kms to a tank. That must mean there's a leak or it's running extremely rich, yeah? For the life of me, I cannot see any signs of leaking fuel though.

I'll look into a replacement reservoir as research agreed with you regarding patching it up.

Thanks again for your help.

Craig
 
Wow, what a start...

The above is a good staring point and at least it's free to do basic checks.

It's not what you're going to want to hear, but I'd be getting the auto serviced as soon as possible. If you're not sure of the history of wouldn't be a bad idea. It sounds like it would really need a full flush and filter change.

As for that code, it may have been an old code. I believe these are supposed to have the ecu reset after replacing the fuel filter, so if it hasn't it may detect the increased flow from a new filter as a fuel leak. Usually the SCV causes erratic idle and stalling when cold, but it can cause other issues too. If you've got one of those obd2 adaptors and can download apps you a smart phone, you can check things like fuel rail pressure usually to see what's going on.

As for the header tank/coolant overflow, I'd be grabbing a cheap second hand one to get you through for now. There will be plenty of wrecked d40s around now. Even have a look on gumtree and see if anyone is wrecking one near you.


Thanks, @bods

I appreciate your response. Hopefully, it isn't the auto box...or anything worse! It shifts between gears smoothly when I'm driving though, wouldn't it be noticeable if there was transmission issues? I unfortunately owned a (piece of crap) Territory which needed a transmission service and that was definitely noticeable. I swear I had suffered whiplash each time it changed gear!
I'll check the wreckers over the next few days for a reservoir and see what there is and whether it may just be more economical to buy a new one.

Thanks again
 
So, there's no secondhand reservoirs online nearby but there are plenty of aftermarket new ones. Is there a difference between SPAIN and THAI built models when it comes to the overflow reservoir? I've found some that look a little different ($100+ cheaper than GENUINE) - some say "SUITS - NISSAN NAVARA D40 2.5 T/D SPAIN & THAI MADE FROM 12/2005 - 04/2015" while others will only say either SPAIN or THAI.

I've attached photos of 2 aftermarket ones - they look a little different than mine but seem to have brackets and outlets/inlets in the same position.

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The first is around $50 and the second is around $150
 

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If you send an email to [email protected], Garry deals with genuine parts. If you tell him you've been recommended from this forum he will look after you with pricing for genuine Nissan gear.

Hopefully it is something simple. Have you got access to a scan tool that can show you throttle position, it would be worth having a look at that data when the accelerator problem is occurring. It could be a failing tps (it is on the electronic accelerator pedal) or even bad earth's somewhere.
 
If you send an email to [email protected], Garry deals with genuine parts. If you tell him you've been recommended from this forum he will look after you with pricing for genuine Nissan gear.

Hopefully it is something simple. Have you got access to a scan tool that can show you throttle position, it would be worth having a look at that data when the accelerator problem is occurring. It could be a failing tps (it is on the electronic accelerator pedal) or even bad earth's somewhere.

Hi, I posted a couple of pics (post which are awaiting mod approval) to this thread, of reservoir bottles. Do you know what the difference is between those in SPAIN models versus those in THAI models?

Not sure if the scanner I have has a throttle position view, I'll have a look in a bit.

Thanks
 
All good. Tony will have to approve it, so I'm sure he will be back soon and sort that out. I couldn't say what the differences are as I only have a d22
 
I can see the pics, there's nothing waiting in the mod queue for action.

On the subject of the overflow bottle, I bit the bullet and bought a new one. I don't need to muck around with possibly faulty bits on the cooling system. I'll be installing it later today and will let ya'll know how it went, as well as a link to the one I bought.
 
So the new bottle is installed.

https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/NEW-RAD...e=STRK:MEBIDX:IT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649

It didn't fit perfectly. I'm not sure if the plastic shrank after coming out of the mould or what, but it was a little smaller in each direction and wouldn't allow the screws to go back in. A small amount of filing and the job was done. It appears to do what it's supposed to.

Notes:

1) Be prepared to remove the battery. I couldn't get mine out otherwise. I also had to loosen (bolts out) the electrical connection box that sits between the overflow bottle and the brake booster.

2) Putting the hose back on was tricksy for me. I have large hands that Uncle Arthur spends a great deal of time reminding me that I spent a lifetime overdoing it. The bottom hose runs under the main harness that comes off the ECU and it's very difficult to get a hand to it to get it back on properly - but that's important to do, make sure!
 
So the new bottle is installed.

https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/NEW-RAD...e=STRK:MEBIDX:IT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649

It didn't fit perfectly. I'm not sure if the plastic shrank after coming out of the mould or what, but it was a little smaller in each direction and wouldn't allow the screws to go back in. A small amount of filing and the job was done. It appears to do what it's supposed to.

Notes:

1) Be prepared to remove the battery. I couldn't get mine out otherwise. I also had to loosen (bolts out) the electrical connection box that sits between the overflow bottle and the brake booster.

2) Putting the hose back on was tricksy for me. I have large hands that Uncle Arthur spends a great deal of time reminding me that I spent a lifetime overdoing it. The bottom hose runs under the main harness that comes off the ECU and it's very difficult to get a hand to it to get it back on properly - but that's important to do, make sure!


Thanks Tony, I appreciate that.
I had a look at the one you linked to but it says it's for models 2008 onwards - mine is 2007. I found the same bottle (it looks the same at least), slightly cheaper, but it states it is not suitable for the 106kw model, only the 128kw model. I seem unable to find which model I have - is there a way of telling from the VIN or engine number?

It's frustrating because each retailer/seller seems to give different information and vastly different pricing! It would be nice to know what, if any, is the difference between the reservoir in each D40 variant.

Thanks again

Craig
 
i believe the thai models ran the 106/126 engine, and your spanish made is 128kw, which was standard across them all till the 140kw came out around 2011!
 
I doubt there's any difference. I noticed this one said "2008--" but only paid enough attention to that detail to know that it suited mine.

But another advert (here) shows a similar bottle that first 2005-2015 and also fits Pathfinders, but for Spanish models (VIN starts with VSK).


My manual gives no indication that there's any difference for the 2006-2010 models.
 
I doubt there's any difference. I noticed this one said "2008--" but only paid enough attention to that detail to know that it suited mine.

But another advert (here) shows a similar bottle that first 2005-2015 and also fits Pathfinders, but for Spanish models (VIN starts with VSK).


My manual gives no indication that there's any difference for the 2006-2010 models.

Yeah okay, I didn't risk it anyway. I didn't want to get stuck with a $100 hamster bottle. Ended up plumping for a Dayco one that looked, from provided images, pretty much the same as the cheaper one but was listed as the correct one for my VIN. The Dayco ones seem to have decent reviews from what I've seen. It's a shame I've just been told I won't receive it from Sydney until May 5th - I guess they're sending it on a bicycle courier.
Luckily I'm not doing a great deal of driving right now I suppose.

Thanks for the help with the bottle. Now, to track down the cause of this "limp mode" and the excessive fuel consumption.....
 
I assume there's no joy on the electrical front - so the next thing I'd look at is the turbocharger. Inadequate boost will result in poor economy (and black smoke). Excessive boost will result in a "fake" limp mode where it will recover simply by lifting your foot off the throttle. If you follow the car while your partner drives it (or you drive it and they tell you what they see), do you get clouds of black smoke under moderate to high acceleration?

I agree that 400km to a full tank (assuming 80L) is high - that's about 20 LPHK, and you should be looking at somewhere in the 10-to-13 LPHK bracket (because she's old like mine, and that's what I'm getting). With the fuel warning light coming on at around 10L left in the tank (mine does), you should expect to see 550km or better before the light comes on with the car unloaded, driven gently and kept off highways. I find that consumption at 100km/h or more goes up substantially, but I've got a roof basket on and usually keep about 100kg of stuff in the tub (2x fridges and some tools).
 
I assume there's no joy on the electrical front - so the next thing I'd look at is the turbocharger. Inadequate boost will result in poor economy (and black smoke). Excessive boost will result in a "fake" limp mode where it will recover simply by lifting your foot off the throttle. If you follow the car while your partner drives it (or you drive it and they tell you what they see), do you get clouds of black smoke under moderate to high acceleration?

I agree that 400km to a full tank (assuming 80L) is high - that's about 20 LPHK, and you should be looking at somewhere in the 10-to-13 LPHK bracket (because she's old like mine, and that's what I'm getting). With the fuel warning light coming on at around 10L left in the tank (mine does), you should expect to see 550km or better before the light comes on with the car unloaded, driven gently and kept off highways. I find that consumption at 100km/h or more goes up substantially, but I've got a roof basket on and usually keep about 100kg of stuff in the tub (2x fridges and some tools).

Hi Tony, to be honest, I had just started to unplug electrical bits when I had to use the ute to go to a relative's place. I ended up having a few drinks and so, as a result, left it there. Should be picking it up this weekend.
Had a look under my neighbour's bonnet at the location of the SCV. I attempted to unplug the connector but with no joy. Is there a knack to removing it?

Also, the reservoir arrived early, so I'll hopefully get that thrown in this weekend too. The quality seems pretty good to my novice eye. Do I need to drain the coolant before replacing the bottle? I replaced one previously, on my Volvo (RIP), that was a breeze and didn't require draining any coolant.

Thanks for the help.

Craig
 
Hi Tony, to be honest, I had just started to unplug electrical bits when I had to use the ute to go to a relative's place. I ended up having a few drinks and so, as a result, left it there. Should be picking it up this weekend.
Had a look under my neighbour's bonnet at the location of the SCV. I attempted to unplug the connector but with no joy. Is there a knack to removing it?

Also, the reservoir arrived early, so I'll hopefully get that thrown in this weekend too. The quality seems pretty good to my novice eye. Do I need to drain the coolant before replacing the bottle? I replaced one previously, on my Volvo (RIP), that was a breeze and didn't require draining any coolant.

Thanks for the help.

Craig

I can't remove the plug myself, too much pain trying to squeeze the retainer tab that prevents the thing from falling out. But that's the only trick. Press the tab and the plug comes out.

I left my reservoir bottle half full and as I undid the lower hose, I put my finger over the hole to retain the fluid then poured it into a clean bucket. After installing the new one, I just topped it back up - I hadn't lost a lot (maybe 100ml), these fingers don't work as well as they used to.
 
Reservoir replaced...now the A/C pressure switch is stuffed!

I can't remove the plug myself, too much pain trying to squeeze the retainer tab that prevents the thing from falling out. But that's the only trick. Press the tab and the plug comes out.

I left my reservoir bottle half full and as I undid the lower hose, I put my finger over the hole to retain the fluid then poured it into a clean bucket. After installing the new one, I just topped it back up - I hadn't lost a lot (maybe 100ml), these fingers don't work as well as they used to.


So, picked the ute up last night and drove home. Started fine. About 2 minutes down the road limp mode started. As the road was quiet/empty I decided not to pull over, instead, I just tried revving it - maybe it is in true limp mode as it would rev but only to a touch over 2k. Anyway, after a few attempts, I put the brakes on and moved it through the gears (auto) to get a response - nothing. Turned off the engine, started it up again and drove home with no further issues.

This morning, changed the water bottle (the Dayco one fit in very nicely) and began unplugging and plugging back in all the electrical stuff I could find. Every single connector is almost impossible to disconnect, there hasn't been one up to now that has come apart with any ease - not even the lights. Started on the battery side as I was already there, got to what I believe is the A/C pressure switch (high side). As I grappled with the connector the whole thing just broke in my hand, so yeah, I'll need to purchase a new one of those from somewhere - here we go again trying to match the right bloody model Navara to the part! I started unscrewing the switch and got covered in A/C gas...which was nice. Obviously I tightened it back up immediately. How do I replace the switch without losing all the gas? Is there some kind of valve to switch off the gas upstream?
I actually had heard hissing from this region a couple of times prior but could never pinpoint the precise origin, I only knew that it was from the A/C - perhaps this brittle switch was the source? I'm not game to tempt it without some advice but, can I drive the ute without this switch connected? Also, someone please tell me that there's a possibility that this switch was causing limp mode?!?!

Could not for the life of me remove the connector from the SCV. Even with the battery out which freed up more space to get my hands in. I squeezed the tab as tight as I could with one hand and pulled the connector with the other - no go! I'm too scared to mess around with it too much now after the A/C switch broke.

I'm contemplating just trying to find a reasonably priced and reliable mechanic (contradiction possibly?) on the Gold Coast before I cause any more damage.

Thanks for the advice.

20200502_105839.jpg
 
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