Nissan Patrol 4x4 (Africa)

See a video of the gas released by opening the petrol cap. Note thet even though you release the gas - as soon as you close the cap it builds up very quickly again:
[BBvideo 425,350][/BBvideo]

Another video with the sound from the tank:
[BBvideo 425,350][/BBvideo]

Peter - I don't think the breather is blocked - see (and hear) the rate that it releases at:
[BBvideo 425,350][/BBvideo]

Grant - unfortunately I don't have a video of the "other stuff" being released into my body around the fire

Jan I don't suppose you measured the temperature of the fuel?

I still don't think petrol should boil under those conditions, and certainly not at 45-50degrees C.

If your fuel is getting hotter than that, it could be pointing to a more serious problem, like Herrie's bad terminal. Something like this could easily cost you your car, because if a fire starts there you will never stop it in time.

If it's not getting that hot, then it has to be the breater?

I would recommend that you keep an eye on your fuel temp for a while?

I am interested in checking if my breather is in good working order and not blocked.

Is this easy to do? Any suggestions how?

Alex, for a visual inspection, remove the cover in the back of the driver's side wheelarch.

Alternatively, remove the filler cap on a hot day, there should be no whoosh like in the clip above.

Peter wrote:
"I would recommend that you keep an eye on your fuel temp for a while?"

How would I go about doing that, where do I measure that ?

Get thermometer with a probe (there are several options available, some multimeters have temperature probes, and several of the fridge manufacturers (for example Engel) make ones.

Anything with a probe that can read to a remote destination (even if it has a wire), then stick the probe to the fuel tank.

A laser thermometer can also work.

Wow, what a battle

I had my Trol checked for this issue by Nissan from the first time I noticed this. Everytime they come back and tell me it's normal. I even phoned their head office and got in touch with their so-called technical expert in the Western Cape. Although a very friendly guy, that's where it ends

Eventually and loooong overdue, I visited Graham when I was up North on a business trip and arranged - can you believe it - with Peter at Rovertec (Landy workshop) in Hermanus to go through the whole system with Graham's assistance. After testing a few things Peter thought it could be the Purge Valve that was faulty, but the only way to check this was on Nissan's diagnostic system - so I went back to Nissan to check this out. This time I was very adamant, and when they phoned me to say they have tested the purge valve and it was working properly and that I could come fetch the Trol, I said there is no way that I will accept this and for the umpteenth time insisted (this time very, very aggressively) that I would not be satisfied before they went through the whole fuel pressure system from tank to end, and also warned them of some serious consequences if I'm not sattisfied . After a couple of days the workshop manager phoned me to inform me that the fuel check valve was found to be faulty (pressure test on them revealed this) - and said he thought from the beginning of the whole saga (2years) that this could have been a problem re my compaint - then I flipped - why did he not look at it all the previous times I was there for the same problem !!!!

Now I thought this is the end - but lo and behold, after about a week of waiting for the part with my Trol still at their workshop I phoned to inquire on progress (Note I phoned them not the other way round), they said their "system" could not track progress on when the part will arrive, but they will come back to me. I then ordered them to make the Trollie drivable as I cannot stand to be separated for such a lengthy period and subsequently got it back . Another 10 days passed and again I PHONED THEM (not the other way round) and again they said they will come back to me asap - after 2 more calls within the next day I got a reply - The part will only be here by the end of March !!!! There is'nt one available anywhere in the world and they must get it from their manufacturing plant somewhere in who knows where (thought it could be Mars).

This is Nissan service excellence !!! I'm so gatvol for their lack of ownership and apathy towards their clients, you wouldn't believe.

Raise this matter with "hellopeter"

Jan. dup
Sorry om te hoor jy moet so sukkel. Ek dink nie dit jou probleem nie.
Sal graag meer wil hoor van jou voor ek n opinie lig. Na ek die videos gesien het, is jou kar n brand gevaar!
Jy bly in die Kaap?

jan.dup wrote:Can petrol boil in your tank with offraod driving in extremely high temperatures ?

Yes, I have had it happen. The tanks were auxiliary tanks on the outside of the chassis. Going slowly in very heavy sand in extreme temepratures, the heat off the gearboxes was transmitted through the chassis rails to the aluminium tanks, causing the fuel to boil. I've also heard of main tanks boiling their fuel in the Kalahari. Nothing a bit of heat shield won't solve.