[kirriepete]

Got the XT home Friday afternoon, but with the Biblical weather there was precious little assessment done, other than seeing how much grip there was in the wind and rain ..... lots more than the outgoing Berlingo, if you must know!

Anyway, Mrs KP decided that I would take her for a run around Glen Prosen/Clova this afternoon so she could (a) take the dog for a drag, (b) get some autumnal photos and (c) bumprint the passenger seat, so we did.....

Good points:

Comfortable seats
Torquey engine
Plenty grip in 4WD mode
Reasonable handling
Feels solid
Good boot space.

Bad points:

6 CD stereo is pish until warm then goes pish again when it's too hot (JVC on standby, waiting for Dynamic Sounds to come back with info on fitting kits)
Tractor impression on cold startup - dealer that sold me it said his mechanic serviced it and put in the 'usual stuff' for the oil change ..... think I may just throw a few quid down for a decent 5W/40 synth
Torque steer and generally scrabbly front end pulling away in 2WD mode, particularly on less than perfect grip surfaces
Sticky black oily residue on the pipes at the front of the intercooler - no whine from the turbo (yet), but it can only be a matter of time. Have e-mailed Turbo Technics so I can save up for Christmas .... in the meantime I'm treating it with kid gloves.

Overall, I like it - the failings (turbo & i/c) can be cured by throwing some money at better units (any suggestions?), driving it with a bit of mechanical sympathy and using better quality lube than the 'usual stuff', which should see me with a rock solid do everything motor for the next xx years. I'm actually looking forward to taking the caravan in to Dundee for a service on Friday, just to compare this beastie with SWMBO's RAV-4 (2 litre petrol, automatic) - should be fun!

Couple of pics to finish:

Top down view of that sunroof:

Who's the fat, balding old **** giving the thumbs up? Oh .....

This is the sort of pic Mrs KP was after, and yes, that is white sh*te on them thar hills, won't be long now .....

G'night all....

 

[Vandy]

That last photo is amazing - makes me wonder why I ever moved south?

 

[kirriepete]

That last photo is amazing - makes me wonder why I ever moved south?

... and people ask me why I choose to live out here so far from 'civilisation' ... it's the old "If you have to ask, you'll never understand" thing.

 

[colin]

You may find this of interest, I found it on another forum. By the way we are on our second XT 2.2 diesel and we love them....

What to Watch Out For

Listen for timing chain/tensioner rattles and check for losing power. Noticeable between 1,500 and 2,000rpm. Rattling timing chains caused by fracture of the timing chain guides inside the chain cover on some but not all 112bhp 2.2 litre diesels. May also see white smoke.

Reports of injector and ECU problems on 2.2 136s. Further reports of turbo failures on 136PS 2.2i diesel, possibly because drivers are not letting them spool down by idling the engine for a minute or two from red hot. TSB to replace failing 'Power Boost Sensors' that can also lead to turbo failure.

Reason for engine problems may well be that engine air filters are not routinely changed at services and, of course, on any diesel engine, they need to be. Failure of intercooler common. Large number of turbo, intercooler and general quality problems have led me to withdraw my recommendation of the car.

Another reason for turbo failure is down to the intercooler having compressed connections as opposed to the welded connections now used.

This applies to Renault 1.5DCI engines, but may explain why the diesel turbochargers fail: The EGR valve should open to allow carbon dioxide (which acts as a cooling gas) into the combustion chambers when the engine is under load (>30% boost). This allows the combustion chamber temperature to drop and thus the temperature of the exhaust gases. If it sticks in the closed position the exhaust gas temperature will rise causing a) the turbo bearings to fail and b) engine oil into the induction system. This can cause the engine to run on its crankcase oil until it is either stalled or goes bang. Problems with EGR valves are often the cause of rough running when the valve is stuck in the open position as well. In several cases turbos have blown but the EGR valve has not been replaced. Inevitably the new turbo unit will not last long.

Problem on overrun on EU4 136bhp diesels between 2,000 and 2,400rpm.

Unusually the X-Trail is fitted with twin tanks. So if a diesel X-Trail is accidentally part-filled with petrol it means draining both tanks. (The tops can be accessed from inside the car.) Check rear wheel arches for rust.

On 2.5 petrol models the exhaust manifold is prone to corroding around the lambda sensors and starts to leak. As the manifold includes a catalytic converter the cost of replacement is around £1,500.

Rubber sealing strips on bottoms of doors wear away down to the metal spring clips which rust and scrape the paint off the door sills.

New problem notified in October 2007 is failure of the fuel tank lifter pump. Recalls

June 2002/March 2003: TSB to replace rattling timing belt tensioners and guides on T30 YD22 engines. Parts required: top timing chain tensioner part 13070 BN310 and chain tensioner guide part 13085 BN300. Only affects X-Trail 2.2DIs with T30 YD22 engines built before December 2002 and does not affect Almeras, Tinos and Primeras with basically the same engine. 8-12-2003 Recall of 108,563 1.8 and 2.0 litre petrol engines built 1998 - 2003 over angle and position sensors which can cause engines to stall and/or fail to re-start. Sensors to be replaced. October 2005: Recall of 136PS DIs to reprogramme ECU to make life a bit easier for the turbo (also described as "TSB to replace failing 'Power Boost Sensors' that can lead to turbo failure.")

Nissan tech bulletin dated 24th April 2006. Problem is described as hesitation on overrun between 2000 and 2400 rpm with Euro step 4 dCi engines. Most pronounced in 5th/6th gear. It is caused by an incorrect calibration of the EGR (Exhaust Gas Recirculation) - operating at the wrong frequency, and to prove that the problem is caused by this, the garage has to drive the vehicle around without the EGR connected to see if the hesitation goes away. Nissan is working on "electronic countermeasures" in the ECU to deal with the problem. Proper fix with Nissan dealers from end August 2006.

 

[Vandy]

Informative post Colin - nice one :thumbs:

 

[Streetbike]

I am fortunate to have avoided all those problems listed in both my X-Trails. Just routine and regular servicing. Never had anything other than smooth acceleration throughout the rev range without flat spots or hesitancy.