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Thread: Nissan D40 Diesel - Water in Fuel $5500 Repair

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    Default Nissan D40 Diesel - Water in Fuel $5500 Repair

    Just posting this here, incase anyone has some good suggestions.

    My partners poor son and girlfriend, they have just scrapped everything together, to have their dream holiday, which has been 3 years in the planning and purchasing the equipment they need to do the trip (4WD, 4WD Camper, Lift Kit, Bullbar, snorkle, lighting, racks) not too mention the time off work, etc etc.

    They left home for a 4 week trip from Vic to the NT.
    They didn't even get to Alice Springs when the ABS lights came on and they found they could not select 4WD
    Turns out it was a Wheel Sensor, $500 later, they were rolling again.
    1 Day later, they filled up at a smaller town on the Stuart Hwy.
    Next morning the Nissan Navara D40 would not start.
    Tray truck from Tenant Creek back to Alice Springs, but the 4WD camper had to be removed (it is still in Tenant Creek)
    They hired a car to drive and follow the Tray Truck to Alice Springs
    After a morning at the Mechanics workshop, turns out its water in the fuel, all injectors need replacing plus extra work, round figures $5500.

    The poor girlfriend now has to drive the Hire car back to Tenant creek (500k's away) and get a lift back.

    So, apparently the insurance company will pay for the repairs to the D40 less a $750 excess.
    The holiday is rooted, and the repairs will take a week, at which time they will have to drive up to get their camper trailer, turn around and come home.

    So all we can do is feel very sorry for them.

    My question is, is this the way it would/should be handled?
    In my town, the servo paid in full, the mechanics quote for repairs, no insurance company needed.
    (As by then, it was well known they had bad fuel)
    The service station set a start and finish date, and if your receipt for fuel was within that window and you had a quote for engine repairs, they just paid it.

    Any process that anyone can think should be followed here? Or even any suggestions?
    Or just let the Insurance Company handle it, even though that leaves him out of pocket $750 (which is better than $5500)

    Thanks
    Last edited by ol' boy; 07-04-16 at 10:02 PM.
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    Gotta feel sorry for them.

    In theory, the process you mentioned 'should' work.

    That's providing the servo is in a position to pay up front for the repair etc.

    It's probably best to let the insurance company handle it, especially if any further issues result with the vehicle, as they will be able to have anything developing down the track covered by a repair guarantee and could get them fixed close to home and not have to take the vehicle back to Alice Springs.

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    Thanks mtv, yes that was my first concern, would the work be covered once he got back home, 2000+ k's away.
    You are right, probably best to let the Insurance Company handle it, then you have someone to turn to if there is any further problems.

    I will add, this is the third D40 with terminal engine trouble from bad fuel i know of in the passed 4 weeks.
    My neighbour just killed his D40 driving it to Melbourne, $7500 repair bill.
    And the Fridge Mechanic i use has a rooted injector in his D40 and always keeps a spare fuel filter with him at all times.
    And now this case...

    Gotta love old school low tech Toyota Diesels at this point!
    Last edited by ol' boy; 07-04-16 at 10:20 PM.
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    Sure, it's another $750 they're out of pocket, but to me, it's well spent for peace of mind.

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    What a shit of a situation. Agree with MTV though. Does he have a primary or secondary fuel with water separator? Be interested if he does and it got through.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Drift View Post
    Agree with MTV though. Does he have a primary or secondary fuel with water separator? Be interested if he does and it got through.
    Is that the "After Market" kit they sell for these vehicles?
    If so, he didn't have one
    (poor kid, he brought just about everything else for it)
    If u want to go on an expedition get a Land Rover, if u want to come home from an expedition get a Landcruiser!

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    Quote Originally Posted by oceanboy View Post
    Is that the "After Market" kit they sell for these vehicles?
    If so, he didn't have one
    (poor kid, he brought just about everything else for it)
    Yeah. I'm running one of with a 30 micron as a primary.

    I feel for him. That really sucks.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Drift View Post
    Yeah. I'm running one of with a 30 micron as a primary.

    I feel for him. That really sucks.
    Thanks Drift, yeah we are gutted for them both, his poor girlfriend has been in tears.
    They have both jumped through so many hoops and set backs to go on this holiday.
    Hearing his voice on the phone tonight, he was a broken man and i don't blame him
    If u want to go on an expedition get a Land Rover, if u want to come home from an expedition get a Landcruiser!

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    Some of these vehicles have timing chain issues, I drove a borrowed D40 down the east coast earlier this year, it was making a funny noise when cold. I mentioned the noise when cold thing to my mechanic today when my ute was being serviced, & he showed me the bicycle chain they use for a timing chain, & this particular one he showed me had stretched & trashed the motor.

    Interestingly also a $5500 repair......
    Never stand under a shadow that's getting bigger

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    Quote Originally Posted by Antennaman View Post

    Interestingly also a $5500 repair......
    Yeah, it seems to be the go to figure doesn't it, i always hear a figure around that mark quoted, its like they don't even look, just quote $5500 and go from there.

    A set of 4 brand new injectors can be purchased for $1550 for the D40
    So thats a lot of extra money for Labour and whatever else must need replacing?
    Last edited by ol' boy; 07-04-16 at 10:46 PM.
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    We spent 10 years caravanning around Australia with an 80 series wagon as a tug.....the number of fellow travellers we met who had experienced this problem was staggering.

    One poor bastard copped a $12k repair bill out in the middle of Woop Woop somewhere.

    In many cases the problem was not caused directly by the water itself, but rather by the nasties (commonly referred to as diesel algae) created by the existence of the water in the fuel tank.

    The sticky, gooey sludge created by this microbial activity can play merry hell with pumps, injectors and the like.

    Two things to carry on a trip like that.......a good quality fuel funnel fitted with a decent gauze filter for refilling, and a bottle of diesel algaecide.

    Problem with going the "servo" route for compensation is proving the source of the contaminated fuel....the water could have been in the tank for some time, not necessarily acquired at the last fill-up.

    A bloody expensive lesson for the young bloke for sure - but one he won't likely forget in a hurry.

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    The 80 series would just eat it up and spit it out, without so much as a puff of smoke

    Yeah, good point Thala Dan, it could have been from anywhere, but i think there are a few more vehicles reporting issues after filling at the same Servo already.
    To be honest, i'd have thought he would be fairly safe on a busy enough road like the Stuart Hwy.
    But it goes to show.
    Now i think of it, they did get some good rains up that way a few weeks ago.

    Thanks Thala Dan and Drift, this video explains it all well.... too well infact

    Last edited by ol' boy; 08-04-16 at 04:07 AM.
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    Thats a terrible outcome mate , but I cant see how water can get that far through to the injectors,It would near have to be a full tank of water,diesel floats on water,was it running a genuine diesel filter? has the tank been drained and tested? the biggest issue is the actual car D40 they having a shocking revue, anyway hope they get it sorted

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    And was it an United servo they filled up at? These curry munchers running them down here are in strife same issue water in their fuels

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    The cost will also include a new injection pump.

    I would let the insurance company handle it and hit the garage for the excess.

    If a fuel filter will let fuel through it will let water through so for water filtration is not the way to go - you need a "Water Watch" - it captures the water holding enough in its reservoir to allow you to pull over and switch off after you hear its inbuilt alarm before the water gets to the injection pump and injectors.
    Last edited by garrycol; 07-04-16 at 11:17 PM.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Rick View Post
    And was it an United servo they filled up at? These curry munchers running them down here are in strife same issue water in their fuels
    This was the place they last fuelled up


    Don't think many Curry Munchies out here mate
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    Quote Originally Posted by Rick View Post
    And was it an United servo they filled up at? These curry munchers running them down here are in strife same issue water in their fuels
    Maybe it's a Tasmania thing? A few years ago, my other half filled up (petrol) at a United servo and didn't even make it out to the street. There followed a protracted battle with United to get the repair paid for. it was only resolved when she served notice on them to appear at the small claims tribunal. The truly rotten part of it was that the franchisee had long since paid United head office for the repair of her car, but United were being bastards.

    If he can claim through insurance, then it's best to do so to avoid all the hassle of dealing with the individual servo for now. Can always try to get the insurance excess out them later.

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    i feel their pain , same happened to the family Hyundai Terracan , on an outback trip.
    what happens is - minute water particles , over a very long time , rust out the rollers in the commonrail injection pump , then the rollers break down and spit pieces of metal into the injectors at 20,000 PSI , stuffing the injectors , commonrail manifold , and making a mess of the fuel lines and fuel tank. all components have to be removed and replaced , tank & lines flushed etc. the injectors need to be re-coded into the engine's ECU.
    its an $11k job on Hyundai and Mercedes ( same engine ) $15k on Prado and Pajeros , $35k on V8 Landcruiser. its so common that diesel shops sell a "kit" of exchange parts for this purpose. on my mate's new Subaru Outback diesel the insurance company wrote off the whole car cos parts were so expensive.

    the bad fuel may have been picked up anywhere along the route , and the final servo may have killed it off completely.

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    Far out!!!!

    Thanks Vroom Vroom, i just had a read over the 4WD forums, its a bloody common thing alright.
    And as you say, it can get very expensive.
    To my surprise, it looks like the Insurance Companies pick up the bill with "Contaminated Fuel" as opposed to "Wrong Fuel" etc in most cases.
    Some even cover it for "Wrong Fuel"

    Some examples:




    Last edited by ol' boy; 08-04-16 at 08:46 AM.
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    That's one of the reasons i don't have any diesel work utes, all petrol falcons and 1 petrol triton.

    Find me a modern diesel that will do 750k without touching the motor, like one of my falcons.....

    and the falcons do 10 km/l loaded, any modern diesel is lucky to do that....

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