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I Love My T31 - Best Looking SUV (with pics)

10K views 11 replies 6 participants last post by  Ahto42 
#1 · (Edited by Moderator)
This is my first X-Trail, a Sport Expedition Extreme and I have it about 6 weeks. I had been looking a good one for over a year and found it at last.
It's every bit what I expected it to be and more. Still discovering features, today just found how to work the Hill Assist and it works a treat.

Have read a few horror stories on the various forums, hopefully very rare instances. Mine is May 2008 with 82,000 miles, maybe three past owners but has been kept in great shape. It's not all doom and gloom, despite it being a complex car with a vast array of features and systems, I've now tested every system, electrical and mechanical, light etc and everything is working 100%, great for ten years old, despite it being a trade in and I bought it as seen without dealer service and only a short remaining MOT. Not possible with anything that is not of Japanese design and build (I am aware engine is by Renault, perhaps a slight weak point but we have no choice!). Even my Sony Z2 connected first try with bluetooth and works great. Underneath also in great shape and I have cleaned it like new below and all components showing any 'brown' now sprayed with my trademark copper grease. Fully serviced now with Nissan or other top quality filters (fuel / air / oil), original brake caliper pins greased, pistons greased, gaiters (including driveshaft gaiters) and flexible brake hoses all cleaned with rubber restorer and protector, new pads all round, calipers, hubs and desk edges all painted with silver Hammerite etc and many more OCD items I've done!
Engine runs very sweet with no unusual sounds from camshafts, bearings or drive chain.

Needless to say it passed its MOT two weeks ago.

Hope you all like my photos taken yesterday. I've put quite a bit of work into it already, not adding any systems or kit but making it like new. I wish to keep it for a long time since there's nothing else out there that comes close to being my perfect vehicle for looks, versatility, ruggedness, storage / boot space, chunky beefy non curvy looks, easy to DIY service etc etc.

X-Trail A.jpg

X-Trail B.jpg

X-Trail C.jpg
 

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#5 ·
Very nice! Well done on all that work - you'll have to post how you get on with removing and cleaning the EGR valve. I only managed to strip some of it off and had to clean the rest in situ!

If you're ever bored and are passing through Scotland, feel free to come over to my place and work on my car.... ;-) :lol: :lol: :lol: :whistle:

Cheers

Bloggsy
 
#6 ·
My 2005 Tspec has everything also. One previous owner.Every piece of paperwork from delivery inspection to the last service.It has 19 stamps in the service book and has now done 185 thousand miles.I would go anywhere in the old girl.....and often do.I see yours .....like mine has the roof lights .They do come in handy down country lanes.Best Wishes Barry
 
#7 · (Edited by Moderator)
My main reason for making this post with photographs is to make the point that car age does not necessarily tally with condition.

I had a budget saved to buy, and indeed wanted, a 2012 or 2013. I went to look at a number of newer cards and all of them including an expensive 2012 Tekna were in less good condition than this 2008 that I bought.

Advice to any readers considering buying their first X-Trail, have patience and go to see a few over a period of time then you will get to know what you can get for your money.

I did not intend to go as far back as 2008, but this one blew me away being in best overall condition by far. That included body, paintwork, bumpers, wheels, engine bay, interior, boot, least corrosion underneath, driving tightness (including suspension, gearbox, clutch, transmission, steering, shocks etc), brakes, no unusual engine sounds, boot, full Nissan service history, and least overall faults. I was in fact able to buy it with more than one third of my budget staying in my pocket which suited me very well!. T31 prices are coming down as there are a lot of them for sale so you have plenty of choice as man have been trading them in for the less desirable (for me) T32.

Service history was all with same dealer and I contacted them to verify service stamps in book and find out about any other garage visits. Besides services, the car had a turbo boost sensor, one drop link and the various Nissan recall items. There was only one garage visit for DPF with MIL light on back in 2012.

Ahto42 - Regarding brake caliper pins, they should be greased at least every time brake pads are replaced, only needs done more frequently if car experiences a more severe environment or rougher off road driving etc. Easy to do, a little less easy to squeeze grease under piston seal but doable without removing piston. The reason for the rear lower caliper sliding pin being hard to screw out sometimes was the rubber insert near inner end of pin having swollen, probably due to wrong grease having been used on pin. I actually had to completely remove this little rubber piece to get pin back in. I don't believe this small piece of rubber plays any major role and brakes will get along just fine without it. Anyone else have this issue and can comment? If I do have an issue, I'll just by a caliper overhaul kit with new seals and pins another time, plenty on Ebay etc.

Bloggsy - more detailed overhauling including the likes of the EGR valve will have to wait until car goes over 100K miles, or else car develops symptoms like loss of power or rough running idle. I had a couple of weeks off work and spent those long hot days underneath the car, and doing key service items, but back to work means I'll not do much more until next summer, apart from general cleaning and perhaps gearbox oil and pollen filter.

Here's another few odd photos.

X-Trail K.jpg

X-Trail L.jpg

X-Trail M.jpg
 

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#8 ·
Salt is our enemy. Where i live, there is a lot of salt in winter.

In my exerience with the T30 in 5years, and 1 year with the current T31. The brake design is the same on moth models. The front design is better, I got my proof while serviceing. At the front the greaseon the pins where always in good condition, but at the back I saw every autum that they did not will be good for another year. Maybe, if new, then it holds few years.
When i bought my T30 at 2012, it needed rear calibers immidiently, seized, fronts where ok.
Been here quite long time, threads about brakes tends to be about rears.
 
#9 ·
Ahto42: In that case I will need to keep a good eye on my rear calipers. Mine are still original and passed MOT but if they do deteriorate I would have to replace the whole calipers. Hopefully rear calipers are not too expensive.
I agree salt is our enemy that hotter climates don't need to worry about.
Also be careful with power hose or pressurized water. Don't spray high pressure water around brakes because over time this washes grease out of brake components. I had a series of brake seizures on other cars in the past and it suddenly dawned on me that it was my excessive use of pressurized water pointed through the alloy spokes that caused this. I've not had trouble since I stopped doing that frequently.
Only power wash your brake components once each year just before you are going to overhaul and refresh grease or replace pads.
Running water to wash off salt is fine.
 
#10 ·
Looks like you have bought a Goodun :thumbs: looks very nice in photos very clean engine bay...

Ref your comment on squeezing silicon grease under caliper piston seals, I always use an old syringe ( no needle of course - was supplied to dose my muts lug holes when she had mites) filled with silicone grease it's a bit fiddly to get the end under the boot, but once in its easy to inject the grease. I always intended but never got around to fitting one of those wee pipes you get with tins of WD40 to the syringe...

Hope that helps...

K ;-)
 
#11 ·
Re rear brakes.

The rear brakes get very little use so pads will last forever.

I've had several MOT advisories re rusty rear rotors, finally got round to changing them this year.

Offside sliders were fine, one of nearside was really clogged up, I had to screw/pull it out and clean/re-grease.
 
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