Cheap chips and a hard lesson learned.

[Brad]

About 6 months back my father finds a site on the web that is selling chips for cars. The site seems to originate from Germany so Dad purchases a chip. A couple of months after him running his I decide that all looks good so I purchase one for the Pathie.
Power increased quite nicely and for three months no issue.
A couple of weeks ago the particulate filter light comes on. I read up on it and it says to run the pathie at 80kms or above for a period of time. I did and all returns to normal. But I am suspecting the chip...
This week the particulate filter comes on again. My wife is driving the car this week and as it turns out the light had been on for about three days. Today she rings me and says she is coming home. The pathie has gone into limp mode.
So luckily I am working from home so I limp the car up to a diesel mechanic. He describes putting the car into a burn mode where the exhaust runs red hot and burns the excess gunk that is causing the issue. Chip by this stage has been removed and has been tossed in the bin.
I get a call later today saying the software that controls the diagnostics on the car and allows him to put the car into burn mode is not going to let him do it so he says it will need to go back to Nissan who will kick off the burn mode.
So off to Nissan we went tonight. Nissan will go over the car tomorrow morning.
Fingers crossed this works because if it does not I have been told to replace the particulate filter is around $3000 which will make the cheap chip become the most expensive on the market.

All I can think about is another thread where I posted a link that discussed everything about chips. I found that link after I purchased the chip. Wish I had have found it earlier.

 

[cruza driver]

Bummer Brad, I hope it all gets sorted I have my fingers crossed for you.

 

[leesy]

The increase in exhaust temps is very common for diesel motors with the fitting of a chip to increse power and torque, many people would also add a pyro gauge to monitor the temp of the exhaust gas to better manage.
I have a Tune It chip in my 3lt 2010 Patrol and if the temp gets too hot when am towing it also will go into limp, the turbo looses boost and you have no power and have to pull over and let the motor temp cool. i have also replaced the mass air flow meter and restricted some of the air flow by changing the air filter i use which has improved things and when i tow i reduce the power level of the chip slightly.
Most of the less expensive chips will have this effect i am told and their are some deisel mechanics that will only fit and work on vehicles with the Stienbauer chip as it operates on a broader set of parameters. If i had my time again i would go for the Stienbauer chip, or just buy the V6 Deisel Navara!!
Good luck with Nissan mate.
Cheers

 

[Brad]

So update to this little saga is positive in that no need to fork out $3000 as the burn mode worked.
However the car would not come out of limp mode. Further investigation revealed both sensors that put the car into limp mode were faulty. Thus Nissan are replacing them. However because they needed to order these parts in, we will not have that fully fitted and confirmed till tomorrow.
Yes leesy it will take a while to chip the car again, but when we do it will be the Steinbauer chip and probably installed by Rankin Diesel not too far away from us.

 

[macca]

Brad, I have heard similar things with other diesels even smaller cars like Holden Cruze. Does your wife do lots of short drives, I have heard this is not good. How many K,s has the car done?

I'm not really good with cars, just stuff I have read. I have a few mates who have not had any luck with Navaras, but I dont know if it's the same engine. I think they were the 4 cyl diesel ones.

Geoff

 

[Brad]

Brad, I have heard similar things with other diesels even smaller cars like Holden Cruze. Does your wife do lots of short drives, I have heard this is not good. How many K,s has the car done?

I'm not really good with cars, just stuff I have read. I have a few mates who have not had any luck with Navaras, but I dont know if it's the same engine. I think they were the 4 cyl diesel ones.

Geoff

When you say "similar things" are you talking about the sensors going or the whole filter clogging up?
Simone does a lot of driving doing baby stuff on days not working and then drives to the city for days of work. So yes I would consider generally a lot of short drives.

 

[chartrock]

Maccayak, only auto Navaras have the diesel particulate filter fitted and will go into limp mode if it blocks up. If the vehicle runs around 80km/hr the soot burns off but if it is only driven for short runs and does not reach higher speeds then the vehicle will go into limp mode. Manual models are not fitted with the DPF. :noidea:

As for Navaras being a problem, the ZD30 3.0L engine used to be known as a hand grenade as they would blow up quite often. The same engine was in the earlier Patrol with the same problems but they were pretty much sorted out by the 2004 model. I have had no problem with my 2006 model. :whistle:

 

[Pace]

CR, does the 06 model have the ZD30 or YD25 engine??

 

[Capt. Gadget]

My Last car was an 06 Navara and it had the ZD30

Ps I had a DP chip on that one and didnt have any problems with that

 

[gspy4u]

ALL diesels with particle filters have to be run at highway speeds regularly or this will happen regardless of whether you have a chip in it or not. The chip will just shorten to time needed to clog them that's all. Stupid pollution crap. Just make sure it has a good thrash every now and then or run it in a lower gear for a little to get the temps up to burn off the buildup.

 

[leesy]

ALL diesels with particle filters have to be run at highway speeds regularly or this will happen regardless of whether you have a chip in it or not. The chip will just shorten to time needed to clog them that's all. Stupid pollution crap. Just make sure it has a good thrash every now and then or run it in a lower gear for a little to get the temps up to burn off the buildup.

Nice toys, Aprilia, not so common!!

 

[chartrock]

CR, does the 06 model have the ZD30 or YD25 engine??

Yeah, Pace my 2006 was a runout model and has the ZD30 in it. I think the D40 came out about 2006 with the 2.5 L motor and the D22 was discontinued but a year or two later Nissan decided to bring the D22 back but with a slightly detuned 2.5L motor.

 

[macca]

Maccayak, only auto Navaras have the diesel particulate filter fitted and will go into limp mode if it blocks up. If the vehicle runs around 80km/hr the soot burns off but if it is only driven for short runs and does not reach higher speeds then the vehicle will go into limp mode. Manual models are not fitted with the DPF. :noidea:

As for Navaras being a problem, the ZD30 3.0L engine used to be known as a hand grenade as they would blow up quite often. The same engine was in the earlier Patrol with the same problems but they were pretty much sorted out by the 2004 model. I have had no problem with my 2006 model. :whistle:

They would be after 2008 models. These ones also went Bang. They were not thrashed, just used for normal work. They are probably better these days. All traded for BT50's or Rangers.

Geoff

 

[Brad]

So Nissan ended up being really nice to us. $288 all up to clean up the crap and replace the sensors.
Thank god for that!!

 

[macca]

That sounds a fair price for a dealer.

 

[Brad]

Yep, I thought they were very reasonable. Even offered to drop the car off when they heard Simone was the one without a car and had baby in tow.

 

[leesy]

good result Brad!

 

[straydingo]

$288 is a very good price.
I work from home, so most of my daily trips are short, and I was always in fear of the DPF blocking in the Pathy. I was quoted more than that when I first bought it as a warning....

 

[Capt. Gadget]

Glad it all worked out OK in the end Brad. So replacing the Chip? if so whats your choice, after that link to the Patrol forum that you posted I'm opting for the Unichip.

 

[Brad]

I will replace the chip one day but for now I am happy to run chip less for a while.