Hi guys what are the benefits of having an S1 PTU?

Not at all Ali, I'm going on the fact that my own car and many others have never had an issue. What I've said if you take in what I wrote is that any electrical or electronic device can fail at any time. There is no correct answer for which is a better unit, it's all about luck and care if the appliance.

I've seen brand new units fail on all sorts of electronic devices, it's simply a matter of if it breaks then fix it or replace it, but I can't see why there is a preference to one or the other! FYI I have a series 2 ptu on my car now, not because I needed it, but simply cos it's a tidier looking unit and I figured as it was old and I had a S2 sitting in a box with the loom adapter, I may aswell get it changed whilst other work was being done.

If this guys ptu has failed and he wants to replace it cheaply then as I said, I have two perfectly good working units here..

 

If reliability of these units in the US genuinely was the reason for recall, why are there so many over the rest of the globe still using S1 without a problem?

Let's have a think about this.. Mr Nissan has a choice of saying to the world, hmm our series 1 units could give you cancer or lets just recall them through reliability issues.. I know which one the pr people would be suggesting don't you?

 

What you read on the net isn't always the accurate truth.. If you're selling to a global market, the last thing you want to advertise is a health hazard on your products.

 

When you look at the US and Canada, you are still using every day products that they have banned use if in those places, can you see what I'm saying Ali?

 

There is nothing wrong with S1 until something goes wrong with it. That could be day one from leaving the factory or 26 years down the line.. Its the same with all electrical unless they were shite to begin with through manufacturing design and processes.

 

It's the simple facts.. If they were that unreliable from factory, we'd all have S2 ptu's in our cars.

From the horses mouth:

 

[ATTACH]101214[/ATTACH]

 

Had never heard about the recall. Does prove Nissan thought the original design was dodgy though, worth remembering next time this rears it's head :gun_bandana:

Well, I truly believe the corporations statements....

The pure and simple fact is that some fail, some don't..

Law of averages..

If the S1 is that bad, then I'm sure they would've been completely recalled globally.

Lets just say that it's non conclusive which is best so you decide what to go with if yours fails..

No denying that both series have failed in the past so it's either pay £20 for a used S1 or somewhere between £40 & £80 for a used S2 with adapter..

Pays your money, takes your choice..

..

Edited September 16, 20169 yr by Alic

..

 

Everyone is entitled to their opinion Ali, why are you being a d**k about Nemesizx's comments?? Picking apart his comments is just plain infuriating!! What's your problem? Who gives a s**t about it anyway. it just looks like you're trying to be a smartarse from where I'm sitting.

Everyone is entitled to their opinion Ali, why are you being a d**k about Nemesizx's comments?? Picking apart his comments is just plain infuriating!! What's your problem? Who gives a s**t about it anyway. it just looks like you're trying to be a smartarse from where I'm sitting.

..

Edited September 17, 20169 yr by Alic

I'm just a bit annoyed that even though everyone is pointing out that the S1 have their faults and are an inferior design to the S2, Paul seems to miss the point and say there is nothing wrong with it, why trust nissan, its inconclusive.

 

But you're right, who gives a s**t, a series 1 does the same job as a series 2 blah blah thread closed.

 

I don't see the point in getting all arsey over something that doesn't affect you bud, now if you had designed one of these PTU's, then I could see a point in arguing the pro's and con's and getting bent out of shape over your hypothetical designs, but at the end of the day......

It doesn't matter as it's just a discussion regarding the differences and people's experiences with both types of part. Nemesizx already told you he has a series 2 fitted but who cares as long as it works.

Ali, I believe your reading things as you want to, all I have said is that the units do the same thing and they can't be that unreliable or we would all have the later one in the car..

 

I honestly don't give a flying fig what Nissan say or any other multi million pound organisations have to say because the truth is that you'll never hear the truth about something from them if it's bad PR..

You seem to be arguing your case thinking that my own opinion of this will change, but as stated a number of times, I personally (along with a lot of other owners) have never had a ptu issue. Some have but as also stated previously, a lot of factors can and do make the difference in electronic parts failure. If you lived in dubai, your Nissan would constantly have electrical issues due to heat and dust and massive temperature difference.

 

All I'm saying is, recall or not, I can't see what the problem is with a ptu being S1 or S2.

 

The US is a much hotter climate than the UK so maybe that is why they had a bigger issue out there. Over here it's a lot cooler most of the year so electrical and electronic items fail far less from heat damage but rather from road salt and wet or damp conditions.

 

I'm going to leave it there as this is probably winding others up a lot more than it is me, but in my opinion, from experience and from others experience that I've spoken to, the S2 and the S1 reliability here isn't so different. The one point I think you're missing us the S1 is much older and therefore is more likely to be an issue, let's see how well the S2 fairs when it's 20+ years old..

Having had Zs for a while,

 

A lot of the series 1 ptu were failing at around 60,000 miles. Or 10 years. I've had two do this. Both were replaced with a new series 1 ptu and both have lasted at least another 10 years

Whether the newer series 1 were better than the first batch i have no idea

Most failures were replaced with series one and only the more knowelegable owners , who were woried and could afford it , bothered with a series two

 

If you bought either of these Zs you wouldnt know that i,d had them replaced, at the point i had them done and it was known to be common, i would have included the first nfo in the sale add. Now i wouldnt bother mentioning it at all

 

So all the people driving round 20'year old Zs not having a problem may have already had one or two replacement ptus in their car without them knowing

This may well be true Ian..

I do have every bit of paperwork that my car has ever had and no mention of it ever being changed in the papers I have. I've been assured that I have everything as well.

 

As you said, yours have lasted ten years so this is my point.. Is that a bad length of time for an electrical component to last considering its use and the horrendous conditions it's subjected to?

I think I've changed the points on cars far more regularly and distributors, alternators etc..

 

Is ten years considered a bad length of time for it to last?

Delicate electrical component poorly located from factory. I think you will find that the Americans had more issues because of climate differences, plus the buying power. Just look at how differently the EU and US market have been treated by VW of late... I think way to much blame gets put on this one part, the amount of threads that come up about poor running and it's become a go to, even when the systems are not "classic ptu". It's always a consideration, particularly if you have the original series 1 but it's certainly not the cursed hand grenade it's got the reputation for. I say if it works then leave it be, if it fails then either replace like for like or go series 2 depending on your desires/wallet. It may well become more economically viable to use the series 2 anyway, as I'm pretty sure it's from the RB engined cars of which there are way more of than Z32s.

This may well be true Ian..

I do have every bit of paperwork that my car has ever had and no mention of it ever being changed in the papers I have. I've been assured that I have everything as well.

 

As you said, yours have lasted ten years so this is my point.. Is that a bad length of time for an electrical component to last considering its use and the horrendous conditions it's subjected to?

I think I've changed the points on cars far more regularly and distributors, alternators etc..

 

Is ten years considered a bad length of time for it to last?

 

What are these points you speak of? Some kind of witchcraft? :lol:

Delicate electrical component poorly located from factory. I think you will find that the Americans had more issues because of climate differences, plus the buying power. Just look at how differently the EU and US market have been treated by VW of late... I think way to much blame gets put on this one part, the amount of threads that come up about poor running and it's become a go to, even when the systems are not "classic ptu". It's always a consideration, particularly if you have the original series 1 but it's certainly not the cursed hand grenade it's got the reputation for. I say if it works then leave it be, if it fails then either replace like for like or go series 2 depending on your desires/wallet. It may well become more economically viable to use the series 2 anyway, as I'm pretty sure it's from the RB engined cars of which there are way more of than Z32s.

 

Im not sold on the poorly located point about PTU,s Steve,i always think its behind a whacking great fan for a reason and Nissan had many other locations they could have used but chose the one they did to gain the most cooling.

No doubt someone clever could retrofit a modern day coil on plug system using a built in IGBT removing the need for a S1 or S2 PTU altogether.

Im not sold on the poorly located point about PTU,s Steve,i always think its behind a whacking great fan for a reason and Nissan had many other locations they could have used but chose the one they did to gain the most cooling.

 

I see what you're saying jimmer, but we must remember that if it were in front of the fan then that may work out well, however, being behind it, you have all the heat being sucked out of the radiator then being blown directly on to the ptu..

 

I think they should have mounted it in the nose panel area, then it'd be as far from heat as possible.

I think Stephen has nailed it though, exactly the point I was trying to make, maybe I didn't explain it in the right way.

What are these points you speak of? Some kind of witchcraft? :lol:

 

They felt like witchcraft at the time! Ah those were the days, setting points with feeler gauges and kinda guessing and hoping it ran OK when you put it back together lol..

Getting the occasional jolt up the arm when you touched the wrong bit with a screwdriver and forgot the ignition was still on :biggrin:

And who can forget the good old dizzy... Running the engine and turning it by hand hoping and praying that the timing would one day be advanced or retarded enough to make it tun lol..

It was all good fun back when I used to turn my own spanners..

Im not sold on the poorly located point about PTU,s Steve,i always think its behind a whacking great fan for a reason and Nissan had many other locations they could have used but chose the one they did to gain the most cooling.

 

Fair comment, but that air is all hot air isn't. But then I suppose if was pre rad for example it wouldn't have any cooling at idle. I haven't relocated mine and don't plan to tbf.

Yes it does. If you flip the S2 PTU over you will see a metal plate. That and the mounting bracket forms the heatsink.

 

I see what you're saying jimmer, but we must remember that if it were in front of the fan then that may work out well, however, being behind it, you have all the heat being sucked out of the radiator then being blown directly on to the ptu..

 

I think they should have mounted it in the nose panel area, then it'd be as far from heat as possible.

I think Stephen has nailed it though, exactly the point I was trying to make, maybe I didn't explain it in the right way.

 

Yes see what your saying but do we a few guys on a car forum know better than Nissan who made and designed it as it was ? :smartass:

Yes see what your saying but do we a few guys on a car forum know better than Nissan who made and designed it as it was ? :smartass:

 

 

Ermmm, yes of course.. We are the drivers.. F1 teams listen to the driver of the car for feedback and suggestions of changes to set up jimmer.. We are the test pilots and we know best.. Of course between you and I, you know a hell if a lot more than I, but I still think they should've put a gutter on the targas.. :rofl:

No doubt someone clever could retrofit a modern day coil on plug system using a built in IGBT removing the need for a S1 or S2 PTU altogether.

No problems, just use vag coils or rb25det series 2 coils. They have built in ignitors. If the 200sx boys can then so can we ?