MajorCommonEngine

Nissan Vanette: LD20 injection pump wear and hot-restart failure

LD20 injection pump wear and hot-restart failure is a common engine fault on the Nissan Vanette on the 1985–1999 cars, and we rate it major. Putting it right costs $900 to $2,800 at New Zealand independent workshop rates. Below is what goes wrong, the symptoms to notice on a test drive, where to look, and what to ask the seller before you hand over any money. It is one of 5 documented faults on the Nissan Vanette.

Vehicle: Nissan Vanette
Years: 1985–1999
Fuel: diesel
System: Engine

This page covers the Nissan Vanette as a model. Some faults only affect particular engines or build years — enter a plate below to narrow the list to one car.

All Nissan Vanette faults5 documented faults on this model

What you are looking at

No photograph available

We do not hold a verified photograph of the High-pressure fuel pump yet. We would rather show none than show a picture of a different part.

What goes wrong

The LD20 diesel in these vans uses a mechanical injection pump, and pump wear is the fault that ends most of them. The classic pattern is a van that starts perfectly from cold, drives fine, and then refuses to restart once it is hot — cranking away with no fire until it has stood and cooled. A failing fuel cut solenoid on the pump gives the same symptom, and it is worth ruling out first because it is far cheaper. Poor fuel and long gaps between filter changes both bring pump wear on faster. Parts for these vans are also increasingly hard to find new, so a pump problem can mean a long wait as well as a bill.

What you would notice

Starts every time cold, will not restart when hot
Long cranking after a fuel or shopping stop
Loss of power or a stumble under load once warm
Diesel weeping around the injection pump

How to check it

Where to look. Injection pump on the side of the engine, reached through the engine cover between the front seats

Arrange the viewing so the van has not been warmed up, and hear the first cold start yourself. Then drive it for at least twenty minutes, park, switch off, and wait ten minutes before restarting — this is the test that finds the fault, and a seller who is confident will not mind. While it stands, shine a torch on the injection pump and look for diesel wetness or a dark oily crust around the seals and the solenoid at the back of it. Ask when the fuel filter was last changed. If a workshop inspection is possible: ask for the fuel cut solenoid to be tested and for the pump's delivery and timing to be checked on a bench.

Parts involved: High-pressure fuel pump.

What it costs to put right

$900 to $2,800 at New Zealand independent workshop rates. That is for this job on its own, not for the car.

An estimate, in NZD, for the repair as normally carried out. What a specific car costs depends on which part has failed and what it damaged on the way — treat this as the floor for a negotiation, not a quote.

Ask the seller

“Does it ever refuse to start when it is hot?”
“Has the injection pump or the fuel cut solenoid ever been replaced?”
“When was the fuel filter last changed?”

Now check the Nissan Vanette you are actually looking at

Everything above is true of the model, and it is free. What it does not tell you is whether THIS car has been looked after: its odometer history and whether the reading has ever gone backwards, whether there is still money owing on it, whether it has been reported stolen, how many owners it has had and what it is really worth today. That comes from the official records for that plate. Enter the plate for the free details, or get the full history and a market valuation from $13.49.

Not sure what you would be paying for? See what a full KickTyres check includes.

Where this comes from

The failure described above is documented in the sources below. The inspection instructions and the cost estimate are KickTyres’ own interpretation of them.

NissanDiesel Forums — 'Nissan Vanette hot/warm engine non starting problem' thread
Retro Rides forum — 'Injection pump problem - 1995 Nissan Vanette 2.0 Diesel LD20' thread
EngineCode.uk — Nissan LD20 engine reference, common issues

Nissan Vanette buyer questions

Is ld20 injection pump wear and hot-restart failure serious on a Nissan Vanette?

We rate it major and common on the Nissan Vanette. The LD20 diesel in these vans uses a mechanical injection pump, and pump wear is the fault that ends most of them. The classic pattern is a van that starts perfectly from cold, drives fine, and then refuses to restart once it is hot — cranking away with no fire until it has stood and cooled. A failing fuel cut solenoid on the pump gives the same symptom, and it is worth ruling out first because it is far cheaper. Poor fuel and long gaps between filter changes both bring pump wear on faster. Parts for these vans are also increasingly hard to find new, so a pump problem can mean a long wait as well as a bill.

How much does it cost to fix on a Nissan Vanette?

$900 to $2,800 at New Zealand independent workshop rates. That figure is for this job on its own. A car showing the symptoms on this page is usually worth either walking away from or negotiating down by at least the repair figure.

Which Nissan Vanette years are affected?

Our research records this fault on the 1985–1999 Nissan Vanette. Build dates move around, especially on imported cars, so treat the range as the years to look hardest at rather than a guarantee either way. The official records tell you the exact build and first registration date for the car in front of you.