Keep the D40 or get a GU

[toyota254]

Hi All,

I’ve been lurking on the forums for a while without many posts, so here goes. I’m after your thoughts and opinions on what to do.

Background

First I’ll start off with my D40 navara, it’s a 2008 STX which I got with 101k on it. After reading through this forum I decided to take it into my local Nissan dealer for a service and asking what the funny “chuffing” noise was that I could hear.

After being assured the noise was simply warn belts I opted for the $300 replacement belts. That afternoon I was informed that they had mistaken the noise and it was in fact a loose timing chain. My local dealer really looked after me, in the end they replaced the timing chain out of “Nissan Good Will” which otherwise would have cost me $5000.

When I drove home I found my new belts had been half shredded, after returning to Nissan they said the pulley bearings and tensioner had gone, after realising they should have picked that up when replacing the belts they decided to pay the $1000 to replace the pulleys and belts.
Gladstone Nissan have done well by me.

Now the car has 111k km and has been trouble free since then *touchwood*.

With a bulbar, spotlights, roofracks and canopy I consistently get 10.2L/100km which I think it pretty good.

With all the parts mentioned above replaced how reliable can I expect my Navara to be? Should I be worried about the fuel system failing, etc?

What Next?

With bald highway tyres and flogged out suspension I am pretty disappointed with the 4wd capabilities of the Navara at the moment.
With the new suspension and tyre law in place in QLD as of November I can now lift the suspension 2”, fit 265/75R16s (providing I can correct the speedo) and fit 2” body blocks (providing they are inspected) without needing an engineering cert. I’m wondering if it’s worth spending all that money on the Navara or whether I am better off buying a Patrol GU wagon.

I am also looking at a 3” exhaust for it.

I don’t really do extreme / hardcore 4wding but I do like to be able to climb steep / rutted tracks or have a play in the mud. Will the 265/75R16 tyres and a 2” lift satisfy me or would I be better off looking into the patrol?

I have been leaning more towards an 05-06 year GU, the ZD30 before the CRD. What sort of fuel economy would I expect from this, I know it’ll be worse than the navara but by how much?

Anyone’s comments, thoughts, suggestions etc would be greatly appreciated. I love the way the Navara drives, I’m just disappointed with its 4wd capabilities at the moment.

Should I lift it and buy some decent muddies, or get a GU wagon?

Thanks.

 

[gunning1987]

With the add-ons your looking at, all ready done, there will be no need to spend money on a gu and possibly doing the same repairs but at your expense.

 

[killerdriver]

Honestly I could keep the nav, as its reansoably reliable as long as you have had all the services done, the timing chain is the big thing and the injectors usually need changing after 100K

A decent lift from the likes of the ultimate suspension or monster rides will do wonders for the way it drives, and a decent sett of muddies to match will complement the package.

The Nav is what it is, you cant change that, however if you modify the way you drive it, you can challenge and tackle the hard stuff, I had a mate with a patrol ute 2inch lift and 33 muddies and he was amazed at how capable my truck was with the highway tyres and only a 2 inch lift

I reckon keep the nav and spend a bit of money and you will have a great vehicle

 

[4x4 ST-R]

Upgrade to a D22!!

 

[ourd40]

Upgrade to a D22!!

 

[YBOD]

I can't say too much about keeping the Navara as I've only owned one for three weeks but I can speak a little of the Patrol. I've owned five of them in the last twelve years; four GUs and finally a GQ. Now I'm quite happy with my Navara, drives nice, comfortable and the ute aspect is very useful, that was our reason for switching.

However as I've been underneath and around the Navara I can say it is nowhere near as well built a truck as the Patrol. The patrol is much stronger built, and far better designed for off road. The radiator it well away from being exposed as it is in the navara, the chasis and structure look stronger on the patrol and the whole package has a stronger feel to it.

The Patrol is just as nice to drive and the extra room in the cab is very comfortable for the family travelling etc.

So why did we switch? Well firstly I wanted a ute for all its inherent versitility. But secondly the fuel consumption is far better. I only had petrol versions but the best I ever achieved was 19l/100........the worse was 45l/100!! Although this bad figure was while the engine was having problems.

And the final problem with the patrol was the new price, we wanted a new car but we just couldn't justify the cost of the Patrol so switched to the Navara.

So if you want a strong well built and reliable truck that is very capable off road buy a Patrol. However you will need to accept twice the fuel consumption and a higher purchase price.

Not sure if that helps at all, but there are my thoughts.

 

[mike1303]

If its not the 4.2 then don't bother

 

[big zetor]

I have had 4 desiel patrols in the past all 4.2s and if it comes down to power and econemy the d40 wins hands down.

 

[toyota254]

Thanks for the advice guys.

Killerdriver have you had your injectors done on the D40? What cost am I looking at for this? I’ve had them done on my old LN106 HiLux and it was around the $400 mark, am I dreaming to get a CRD done for that much?

Does anyone have experience with the 3L ZD30 and can comment on its fuel economy?

Has anyone here running 265/75R16s corrected the speedo so it’s legal?

For the 2” I was looking at getting a tough dog kit, I’ve heard pretty good things about this kit from a few people and it doesn’t too badly priced compared to Ironman. My suspension is that sagged that I’ll probably get around 4” lift when I fit a kit…that should put a smile on my face.

Those of you running suspension and body lifts, did your insurance go through the roof? I know the new law states its legal providing I get it inspected but I’d say my insurance would suffer.

I’ve also been looking into blocking the EGR, does anyone who has racked up some miles on their D40 recommend this mod for long term engine reliability?

I reckon I’d be looking at roughly $5k to get a 2” suspension, 265/75R16 tyres, snorkel, EGR block, 3” exhaust and possibly 1-2” body blocks. I don’t want to spend that kind of money then have the motor sh*t itself at the first sign of actually going 4wding, say crossing water up the cape. That’s always the risk with a 4wd but I guess, it’s not just applicable to the D40…

I’ll keep reading through old posts and checking out members rigs for motivation to keep it.

On another note I spoke to my local dealer about engine reliability, he assured me that the new Navaras (140kW I believe) have rectified the timing chain problem and that my engine with the new kit SHOULD be ok now.

 

[ourd40]

When i first got my D40 the speedo issue pissed me off a bit, since fitting 265/75 the needle on the dash reads almost accurate so when you ask if people have corrected it do you want it to read so its out by 7-8kmh ? if you want it to read right fitting the bigger tyres is the easiest and best fix.

 

[ourd40]

And Toughdog is good gear, excellent shocks, but if your wanting more than 40mm lift over standard you might want to look at other springs.

 

[kevinm1962]

hmm if you want a gu why would you not want the crd,motor has been fixed the di still has problems. 3" exhaust will give you overboost beudesert 2.75 is ample.i would not be concerned about your injectors they easily could last another 100k. but to replace 2500 to 3000 oxford scholars. may i ask do you have kids do you go touring with them if so you may want to consider a gu if not you have a good car

 

[killerdriver]

Thanks for the advice guys.

Killerdriver have you had your injectors done on the D40? What cost am I looking at for this? I’ve had them done on my old LN106 HiLux and it was around the $400 mark, am I dreaming to get a CRD done for that much?

Does anyone have experience with the 3L ZD30 and can comment on its fuel economy?

Has anyone here running 265/75R16s corrected the speedo so it’s legal?

For the 2” I was looking at getting a tough dog kit, I’ve heard pretty good things about this kit from a few people and it doesn’t too badly priced compared to Ironman. My suspension is that sagged that I’ll probably get around 4” lift when I fit a kit…that should put a smile on my face.

Those of you running suspension and body lifts, did your insurance go through the roof? I know the new law states its legal providing I get it inspected but I’d say my insurance would suffer.

I’ve also been looking into blocking the EGR, does anyone who has racked up some miles on their D40 recommend this mod for long term engine reliability?

I reckon I’d be looking at roughly $5k to get a 2” suspension, 265/75R16 tyres, snorkel, EGR block, 3” exhaust and possibly 1-2” body blocks. I don’t want to spend that kind of money then have the motor sh*t itself at the first sign of actually going 4wding, say crossing water up the cape. That’s always the risk with a 4wd but I guess, it’s not just applicable to the D40…

I’ll keep reading through old posts and checking out members rigs for motivation to keep it.

On another note I spoke to my local dealer about engine reliability, he assured me that the new Navaras (140kW I believe) have rectified the timing chain problem and that my engine with the new kit SHOULD be ok now.

I havent had the timing chain replaced, however reading through this forum and general knowledge when it comes to diesel is that the injectors need to be replaced around 100,000kms for it to be reliable as they are usualy worn out

im running 265/75/16 and find that I lost a little bit of power at the bottom end, but I get better fuel economy on the highway and I get the extra lift and the speedo is accurate

tough dog is a pretty decent lift kit, and no too expensive, I dont think you would need to do a body lift unless you want to run really really big tyres, as the 2 inch lift from tough dog will fit the 265/75/ 16 fine

Ive have the EGR block in mine for around 15,000kms and you pick up power and lower turbo lag

 

[toyota254]

Thanks again guys, haha narh no kids i'm too young for that!

The reasoning for the GU was because it is a stronger build 4wd, the ZD30 may be suspect but no one can argue that the suspension and diffs are not well designed.

Fuel economy is a big deal, I don't mind a few L/100km extra but I don't want to be driving around if its 16+l/100km unladen.

Do you guys recommend fitting a pyro if I fit a 2.75 or 3" exhaust and block the EGR, or is it unnecessary?

 

[kevinm1962]

100% fit a boost and pyro and block the egr you will be suprised at the difference when you fit a zorst and egr block on the gu L/100km you can get lucky and get 12to13 or16to18 no one knows why there is such a difference if you do a get a troll do yourself a favour and get crd

 

[siringo]

The most common things you get stuck up on while 4wding are the diffs and the ramp over angle.

The height of diffs can be altered easiest by tyre size. An IFS vehicle running the same size tyres as a solid axle vehicle will have the same diff height off the ground, it's not uncommon for an IFS vehicle to actually have greater front diff height than a solid axle truck.

Ramp over angle on an IFS vehicle is very much limited by the IFS, but in a solid axle truck it can be greatly increased by altering the suspension.

A bodt lift makes your seats higher, but your ramp over angle, diffs, gearbox and motor remain at the same height.

You said you're not into hardcore/extreme offroading, then the D40 should be fine for you I would have thought. Have you thrown the thing into Low 1st, it's pretty bloody low, it should get you up most hills, that and a bit more momentum.

Fit a rear locker and a winch and you'll be able to get anywhere.

Patrols and Cruisers are great, but they are larger vehicles and heavier so therefore your fuel economy will be worse. I don't really know, but based on fuel figures I get, I reckon either of those would mostly return 15+L/100k's.

A Pyro gauge is useful, but I don't know. All it really tells you is that things are heating up and you need to stop or something is busted and needs fixing.

I run 285/75x16 tyres and use the speedo in my GPS, problem solved.

I've just fitted a snorkel and I reckon the motor is breathing, or inhaling, much easier. Also, I've never fitted a free flowing straight through exhaust system and not noticed an improvement.

Don't be scared by the doom and gloom stories you read in forums, think about it, you only ever visit one if you have a problem or need advice. I've never visited one tell others how great something is.

All those old sayings we all hear are, I've found, usually pretty accurate and in your case I'd say 'Better the devil you know' ;-)

 

[beno]

Take it to seldom seen vehicles they will fit patrol diffs and then you have the best of both!!!

 

[vool104]

common rail injectors arent a servicable item, they will last for ever if there looked after, fresh fuel reguarly, fresh filters, a bottle of injector cleaner every couple tanks. and drain your filter as much as possible. you shouldnt have an issue. 9 times out of 10 injector failures are from bad fuel. or miss treated. so all in all your nav fuel system should be a ripper oh and DONT run it out of fuel !!!!!!!

 

[mad possum]

oh and DONT run it out of fuel !!!!!!!

not that i've done that but what does it do to the injectors?

 

[siringo]

not that i've done that but what does it do to the injectors?

It can clag them up with crap from the bottom of the fuel tank. It's best to never let your fuel run too low for this reason.