D40 Purchase Advice

[Timmy]

Hi Guys,
Im looking at buying a D40 Navara in the not too distant future. It'll be used, and diesel.

I'm no stranger to Nissan's, although I have been doing quiet a bit of research into my potential purchase, every car has their own issues, some minor, some major.

Some of the things I have noticed is that the factory dual mass flywheel clutch setup is very poor, easily rectified with an exedy solid flywheel and clutch to suit.

I have heard other things like on particular models the clear lifts off the paint or the engines pop after 180,000kms, cruise control is faulty, faulty electric windows, weak rear diff etc.

I am looking for some advice from Nissan Navara enthusiasts about what to look for, what is truth and what isn't.

Is their any known problems with the automatics?

Ultimately I am using the car to drive to and from work daily 40kms round trip, a tiny bit of beach driving. I would like to chip it and put the 3" exhaust on it.

Thanks in advance,
Tim

 

[Old.Tony]

Welcome to the forum, Tim.

Never heard of the clear coat lifting off the paint. Had a few complaints about thin coats being used (so you could see metal in the roof gutters) but never a problem with the clear coat like you might spot on a 90's Excel, Falcon or Commodore.

Timing chains are a potential issue but they're not as common as it would appear, mostly because people don't jump on the forum and complain that there's nothing wrong with their timing chain!

The cruise control switches in the steering do sometimes give a little grief but there has not been any report of a single incident like the Ford Terrorstory's inability to disengage. Press the brake in the D40 and it cuts the CC every time.

The rear diff is quite strong, it's the front diff that's made from a mix of paper mache and sawdust. If you intend taking the vehicle places where you're likely to spin a front wheel (with the other wheel stopped) and then drop the spinning wheel hard on a firm surface, get a locker. We saw the difference a locker makes on the weekend doing the Lithgow powerline track - chalk and cheese. With the locker you won't get the wheelspin and won't have the risk.

There was one minor issue with the auto - specifically in the torque converter clutch. This engages to solidify the connection between the engine and gearbox input. Haven't heard of it in a while though.

Other than that, the rear view mirror is faulty - it constantly shows me sets of flashing blue lights when all I want to do is drive along listening to AC/DC at cruise (95km/h) around town. I am looking to change mine.

Enjoy!

 

[pbk1776]

Hi Guys,
Im looking at buying a D40 Navara in the not too distant future. It'll be used, and diesel.

I'm no stranger to Nissan's, although I have been doing quiet a bit of research into my potential purchase, every car has their own issues, some minor, some major.

Some of the things I have noticed is that the factory dual mass flywheel clutch setup is very poor, easily rectified with an exedy solid flywheel and clutch to suit.

I have heard other things like on particular models the clear lifts off the paint or the engines pop after 180,000kms, cruise control is faulty, faulty electric windows, weak rear diff etc.

I am looking for some advice from Nissan Navara enthusiasts about what to look for, what is truth and what isn't.

Is their any known problems with the automatics?

Ultimately I am using the car to drive to and from work daily 40kms round trip, a tiny bit of beach driving. I would like to chip it and put the 3" exhaust on it.

Thanks in advance,
Tim

Hi Tim

welcome to the forum - just want to ask first, do you have a red ITR?

You get more room inside of a d40 than the d22

 

[jimmy_jay89]

Hi Tim, welcome and all that crap

in regards to high km engines going pop,

a couple may have but there is quite a few of us running around with over 200k km ( im at 250k)

i am using a factory clutch setup with no problems thus far

but get an auto, driving around town gets laborius quickly with 6 gears
plus autos are alot easier to drive on the sand

 

[Timmy]

Welcome to the forum, Tim.

Never heard of the clear coat lifting off the paint. Had a few complaints about thin coats being used (so you could see metal in the roof gutters) but never a problem with the clear coat like you might spot on a 90's Excel, Falcon or Commodore.

Timing chains are a potential issue but they're not as common as it would appear, mostly because people don't jump on the forum and complain that there's nothing wrong with their timing chain!

The cruise control switches in the steering do sometimes give a little grief but there has not been any report of a single incident like the Ford Terrorstory's inability to disengage. Press the brake in the D40 and it cuts the CC every time.

The rear diff is quite strong, it's the front diff that's made from a mix of paper mache and sawdust. If you intend taking the vehicle places where you're likely to spin a front wheel (with the other wheel stopped) and then drop the spinning wheel hard on a firm surface, get a locker. We saw the difference a locker makes on the weekend doing the Lithgow powerline track - chalk and cheese. With the locker you won't get the wheelspin and won't have the risk.

There was one minor issue with the auto - specifically in the torque converter clutch. This engages to solidify the connection between the engine and gearbox input. Haven't heard of it in a while though.

Other than that, the rear view mirror is faulty - it constantly shows me sets of flashing blue lights when all I want to do is drive along listening to AC/DC at cruise (95km/h) around town. I am looking to change mine.

Enjoy!

Thanks for the quick reply guys.

To be honest I am coming from the other side of the modified car scene (low, loud, fast, harsh rides, stripped interior etc) and have recently bought a house, so I'm keen to settle down, for now lol.

So the 4x4 thing will be on very special occasions, I like a nice clean well presented car so unfortunately that doesn't quiet go hand in hand with off roading.

I haven't sussed out the change out period of the timing chain just yet, but I'll imagine that being a chain Nissan will say change out based on condition.

I've always played with the old faithful SR20's, their chains are the best part about the engines IMHO.

When you say that the cruise control switches play up, is it an age thing where they stop working all together or is it more an intermittent issue with them?

Ahh, front diff. Well as above I don't plan on locking the hubs in too often, so I'm not too stressed about that.

What was the specific issue with the automatic? Does the second overdrive clutch stay locked in? How was this rectified (electrically or mechanically)?

Oh does the D40 have an auto dimming rear view or something similar to stop being blinded at night?


You guys have answered heaps of questions, and I've just asked shitloads more lol.

Thanks again fellers.

 

[Timmy]

Hi Tim

welcome to the forum - just want to ask first, do you have a red ITR?

You get more room inside of a d40 than the d22

I don't mate, I own an N15 SSS, have had it for 7 years now. It was running high 13s 1/4 miles at it's prime N/A. It it now pretty close to standard apart from a pair of mild cams and coil over suspension.

It's not quiet Navara relevant, but it is a Nissan?



[YT]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ePzRXLcnkVg[/YT]

 

[Timmy]

Hi Tim, welcome and all that crap

in regards to high km engines going pop,

a couple may have but there is quite a few of us running around with over 200k km ( im at 250k)

i am using a factory clutch setup with no problems thus far

but get an auto, driving around town gets laborius quickly with 6 gears
plus autos are alot easier to drive on the sand

Oh, that's a great sign!

I am very meticulous with servicing and tend to over service my vehicles. So I am hoping that it will pay off with the next car I buy.

My car is manual at the moment, I've never owned an automatic but I have heard that the auto Nav's are great for towing. Eventually I want to use it for towing a light track car on a car float, so I guess I am just getting older lol.

 

[Tappet]

G'day Timmy and welcome.

No shortage of ideas and advice around here in fact the forum ticks along well.

I brought new in late 2011 and went manual as I didn't want to look pathetic. However if could do it over again I would probably go Auto. Only disadvantage is a slight fuel consumption penalty and most autos were fitted with DPF's that can give issues and the above mentioned problem with the torque converter but for every problem I have heard about there is probably hundreds or more likely 1000's that don't.

In fact if I could do it again, I do so few K's a year in the thing (It's more of a weekend play machine for me) I would probably go petrol.

If you do go manual perhaps consider a Thai built D40 made after about August 2011 as these do not have the dreaded dual mass flywheels the can have slightly more vibes but an Auto will negate that.

With some pretty big discounting on new D40 dual cabs recently it stands to reason the second hand market of D40's has come down and there is some very good buys if you shop around.

Good luck with it.

 

[Old.Tony]

Thanks for the quick reply guys.

To be honest I am coming from the other side of the modified car scene (low, loud, fast, harsh rides, stripped interior etc) and have recently bought a house, so I'm keen to settle down, for now lol.

So the 4x4 thing will be on very special occasions, I like a nice clean well presented car so unfortunately that doesn't quiet go hand in hand with off roading.

I haven't sussed out the change out period of the timing chain just yet, but I'll imagine that being a chain Nissan will say change out based on condition.

I've always played with the old faithful SR20's, their chains are the best part about the engines IMHO.

When you say that the cruise control switches play up, is it an age thing where they stop working all together or is it more an intermittent issue with them?

Ahh, front diff. Well as above I don't plan on locking the hubs in too often, so I'm not too stressed about that.

What was the specific issue with the automatic? Does the second overdrive clutch stay locked in? How was this rectified (electrically or mechanically)?

Oh does the D40 have an auto dimming rear view or something similar to stop being blinded at night?


You guys have answered heaps of questions, and I've just asked shitloads more lol.

Thanks again fellers.

Cruise control: it's a bit of both. Sometimes the switches will stop responding, so you can't engage it or adjust it (you can always turn it off with the brake). It's often nothing more than grit in the contacts, I am not sure how it gets in there - we do get a bit of dust in our cabin when 4WDing with the windows open and we don't have any dramas with ours.

Front diff: forget the hubs in a D40, they don't unlock. It's both a blessing and a curse depending on the situation.

Auto issue: specifically, the torque converter clutch wouldn't fully engage when told to, so it would start clamping and release, then start clamping again etc. This begins at 75km/h+ because that's when the TCM tries to engage it. I think the precise problem is a machining issue - but Nissan were replacing the entire converter to resolve the issue. You'll only experience it if you drive at moderate (<50% throttle) acceleration up past 75km/h up towards 100km/h. It should start vibrating if there's a problem.

You can fit auto dimming rear view mirrors if you're really keen. Alternatively (what most of us do) is a very, very generous application of the brakes to test the reaction time of the idiot behind, followed by chasing them around with OUR high beam + 8 spot lights + 12 driving lights + 4 LED light bars blinding THEIR stupid asses for an hour. A good quality 40W CO2 laser is also effective and will fit in the tub as long as you don't mind holes being punched through your tail gate. Aldi sells an inverter suitable for supplying power to these.

 

[Timmy]

G'day Timmy and welcome.

No shortage of ideas and advice around here in fact the forum ticks along well.

I brought new in late 2011 and went manual as I didn't want to look pathetic. However if could do it over again I would probably go Auto. Only disadvantage is a slight fuel consumption penalty and most autos were fitted with DPF's that can give issues and the above mentioned problem with the torque converter but for every problem I have heard about there is probably hundreds or more likely 1000's that don't.

In fact if I could do it again, I do so few K's a year in the thing (It's more of a weekend play machine for me) I would probably go petrol.

If you do go manual perhaps consider a Thai built D40 made after about August 2011 as these do not have the dreaded dual mass flywheels the can have slightly more vibes but an Auto will negate that.

With some pretty big discounting on new D40 dual cabs recently it stands to reason the second hand market of D40's has come down and there is some very good buys if you shop around.

Good luck with it.

Some good info there!

Thanks mate. I will definitely consider a post August 2011 now I know that the clutch isn't a shit house dual mass flywheel. I will drive both first and see which I like more.

There is a few good buys around at the moment, that's why I am trying to find out as much info from the Guru's

 

[Timmy]

Cruise control: it's a bit of both. Sometimes the switches will stop responding, so you can't engage it or adjust it (you can always turn it off with the brake). It's often nothing more than grit in the contacts, I am not sure how it gets in there - we do get a bit of dust in our cabin when 4WDing with the windows open and we don't have any dramas with ours.

Front diff: forget the hubs in a D40, they don't unlock. It's both a blessing and a curse depending on the situation.

Auto issue: specifically, the torque converter clutch wouldn't fully engage when told to, so it would start clamping and release, then start clamping again etc. This begins at 75km/h+ because that's when the TCM tries to engage it. I think the precise problem is a machining issue - but Nissan were replacing the entire converter to resolve the issue. You'll only experience it if you drive at moderate (<50% throttle) acceleration up past 75km/h up towards 100km/h. It should start vibrating if there's a problem.

You can fit auto dimming rear view mirrors if you're really keen. Alternatively (what most of us do) is a very, very generous application of the brakes to test the reaction time of the idiot behind, followed by chasing them around with OUR high beam + 8 spot lights + 12 driving lights + 4 LED light bars blinding THEIR stupid asses for an hour. A good quality 40W CO2 laser is also effective and will fit in the tub as long as you don't mind holes being punched through your tail gate. Aldi sells an inverter suitable for supplying power to these.

Oh thanks man, that's very precise info. I'll definitely keep that in mind when I take one for a test drive.

Oh so the hubs are constantly engaged? Does that mean that wheel spin is next to impossible?

Lol I like the idea of blinding them with 35,000 lights more

 

[Old.Tony]

The front diff is an open diff, so it is going to spin nice and easy if it lifts while you're on the gas. Far from being next to impossible, it's near impossible to have it NOT spin without either traction control or lockers installed.

The traction control in the STX550 is good - better than expected, ask Nathand22 - but you'll still have a few turns before it cuts in, so maybe the V6 diesel is something to consider. Lots and lots of ponies. The latest model Holden Colorado is advertising 500Nm of torque and the now 3-year old Nissan engine still produces 50Nm more!

 

[Timmy]

The front diff is an open diff, so it is going to spin nice and easy if it lifts while you're on the gas. Far from being next to impossible, it's near impossible to have it NOT spin without either traction control or lockers installed.

The traction control in the STX550 is good - better than expected, ask Nathand22 - but you'll still have a few turns before it cuts in, so maybe the V6 diesel is something to consider. Lots and lots of ponies. The latest model Holden Colorado is advertising 500Nm of torque and the now 3-year old Nissan engine still produces 50Nm more!

Oh I meant that the drive train acts like an AWD car rather than a traditional 4WD?

So get on the gas on slippery wet grass for instance and it'll spin one of the front wheels and both of the rear, instead of traditionally just spinning both rear?

I'd love the V6 turbo diesel, but unfortunately my budget doesn't quiet stretch that far.

We'll see how we go though

 

[Old.Tony]

The rear diff isn't locked by default either. Saw some wheel spinning on the weekend - a lifted front wheel will happily spin but only if at least one rear wheel is spinning at the same rate. The transfer case provides a solid connection between front and rear axles so anything that happens down one end MUST be happening up the other.

In other words, BOTH drive shafts must be turning over at the same rate at all times, so the only way to spin one wheel on one axle is to have enough power to loosen the grip on the other end as well.

That was surprisingly easy to do with wheels off the ground on the powerline track - even happened to me, and I wasn't taking all of the harder lines (I more often chose the bypass tracks).

 

[Timmy]

Ah okay, well there you go. Is there any way of disconnecting this?

 

[Old.Tony]

Apart from selecting 2WD, no. If you want all 4 wheels to be guaranteed of turning over the same no matter which wheel is up off the ground, then lockers are required - you'd then have to lift all four wheels to make them spin badly and in that case I'd guess you wouldn't be worried about kicking a few stones up into the paintwork at that point in time!

 

[Timmy]

Oh right,

Lol I was under the impression that the Navara was no longer 2wd capable.

Gotcha. I'm with you now.

I knew that unless you shim the rear diff really tight (more or less like having a locker) that you'll spin the two opposite wheels in the air.