Nissan Elgrand E52 Lowdown

One drawback for the new E52 Elgrand models is that they are not ideally suited for camping or camper van conversion.  The older E50/E51 cars have more flexibility in seat arrangements or seat removal which can provide a good big space to create sleeping space, or to fit units in.  Or do they!! I wanted to see how much space you could create in an E52.  By removing all 5 headrests from the rear two rows of seats you can actually make a relatively flat area.  Some E51 owners do the same in their cars and they place foam/board over the top and then a thin mattress on top of that. I am 6 foot 2 inches tall and I was able to lay stretched out in the 'flat' area in the back on my E52.  My E52 is a Rider and so it has different seats to the Highway Star model, and I think the HWS might actually be easier/flatter if you do the same. If you are camping and want to make the E52 into a bed, then it seems to me that it is possible after all.  Leave any headrests you d...

Unfortunately, there is a common issue with the power steering pump on the earlier E52 models.  It seems that the pump can leak power steering fluid due to issues with the sealing of the pump itself. In Japan some people have replaced the pump with a newer type model, but also a few outlets in Japan supply replacement o-rings to repair the pump yourself. Although this issue doesn't affect my Elgrand, it seems to be common enough to write about and hopefully help our my fellow E52 drivers. The older and newer style pumps are pictured below and I believe that the new one should not have the leak issue If you do have the leak and can source the o-rings (we have some on eBay here ) then there is a handy video on youtube showing a Japanese mechanic taking a pump apart to replace them. When you remove the pump from your car often the body of the pump which is the yellow plastic and silver aluminium parts, are oily from the leaking EPSF.  You will need to remove the four bolts and th...

Any keen would-be buyer of an Elgrand E52 needs to consider if they can face some of the challenges that arise when you need to find parking. Although the size of the E52 is only slightly wider than a big estate car, driving around a tight car park can be very challenging.  Going back and forth just to get round a corner to then go very slowly down a ramp can result in some annoyed drivers behind you. The Autech Rider model also has a low front bumper spoiler and a reasonably low side skirt which also means it can be difficult to clear a curb edge.  Most UK car parks have high curbs on the entrance barriers and ramp corners so you will need to go slowly and carefully. When it comes to parking spaces my Elsie is always too long for the space, sometimes a lot (20-30cm) and sometimes only a little (maybe 10cm).  Typically my car will fit into any normal parking space width but it can be tight in those smaller car parks.  On the upside if its a tight space you can always...

It is trendy for Elgrand E52 drivers in Japan to remove their rear windscreen wiper, similar to drivers here who de-badge their cars.  Not something I noticed when I bought my Elgrand but after a few months of driving I am ready to restore the rear wiper back into position.  The big issue for UK drivers is that the weather here causes the screen to get very dirty and coupled with the very dark tint it becomes almost impossible to see out of.  As you can see in the picture my one had a round metal blanking cover which has seen better days as its not even very black in colour now. Unfortunately for me the actual rear wiper unit with the motor was removed from the car so it took a few months for me to get the parts together.  I secured a second hand wiper unit, brand new Nissan bolts and windscreen 'bung', and then a replacement wiper blade from Aliexpress. Steps to fit are as follows: 1. Remove the two pop out rivets from either side of the lock, and using plastic tool...

 As there is so little known about the E52 Elgrand models, I thought it best to come clean and admit to some of the issues that have come up, this post is all about cracks. One of the disappointing points when I first picked my car up from Southampton docks is that I noticed a crack in the dashboard.  Its very difficult to see these in pictures and so when I bought the car it was not noticeable from the pics sent by the garage in Japan. I have conducted a little bit of a survey and it seems that this is a common issue rather than just my car.  On one of the E52 Facebook groups when I asked about cracks, approx 50% of the replies said that they also have the same or similar cracks in there car.  Seems odd! Anyway, it seems that the plastics used in the dashboard are prone to cracking in the hot sun, so if you buy a good quality car from Japan there is a high chance of cracks as it would of been driven in the warm areas. (Buy one from the snowy cold region and you are ...

 After a few months of driving my Elgrand E52 the one thing that has bugged me whenever I am driving at night is the lack of real English AV control buttons.  I believe we all do the same in our Elgrands, buying the English vinyl stickers and applying them over the top of the Japanese text.  It doesn't look perfect but its very very cheap and now I can understand what button I need to press.  The downside is when driving at night the illumination of the buttons is now restricted by the sticker on top, making it impossible to read the text and making the button look like they have gibberish instead. Fortunately those clever people over at Xanavi can now produce an set of buttons with English text .  I have no idea how they do it, whether they are manufacturing them or using a 3D printer perhaps, but it is a brilliant solution. The end result is superb with fully lit buttons in English, the plastic is colour matched to the existing controls so they don't look odd...

One of the first questions asked by any prospective Elgrand owner is what fuel economy is like, and there is quite a lot of discussion about the E51's economy, but very little about the E52.  I have kept a log of my fuel and mileage which might be helpful to you as an idea of what you are likely to get.  Be warned though, it might not be pleasant reading! In the last 6 months I have covered nearly 5000 KMs (my car is still recording in KMs) and the records I have are as follows: Litres KMs KM/L MPG 64 325 5.08 14.34 28 289 10.32 29.16 29 171 5.90 16.66 60 517 8.62 24.34 56 435 7.77 21.94 81 703 8.68 24.52 33 309 9.36 26.45 61 498 8.16 ...

The current Elgrand E52 model has unfortunately not been as successful in Japan as Nissan had hoped.  Nissan management did not focus on the Japanese domestic market as much as they once had and the view in Japan is that the Alphard/Vellfire from Toyota is the winner of the luxury large minivan battle.  During the last 10 years the E52 hasn't been improved much from its original debut with only minor tweaks, and the Japanese market is looking for more when they choose a new vehicle. New management at Nissan means a new strategy and they are looking to replace the current E52 with a new (E53?) model and take back some of the ground lost to Toyota.  The concept pictures of the E53 circulating at the moment show an evolution to the E52 model with similar lines and curves, definitely akin to the MPV look and not back to the E51 'van' style.  Interior space is said to be improved and the 3rd row of seats given much more space and comfort. Engines are rumoured to be the sa...

If you need to replace the gear shift selector / knob then heres how you can do it. (Useful if you need to replace the aircon or media control units.) IMPORTANT NOTE: You need to part on flat ground before starting this work.  The parking brake is not sufficient to hold the car if you are on a hill 1. Push down the Shift Lock button on the silver gear surround.  Use a plastic tool or something soft to avoid damaging the silver panel.  2. While holding the Shift Lock move the gear shift selector to Neutral position 3. Lever down and unclip the silver base of the gear shift handle 4. Remove the pin from the gear shift handle 5. Now just pull the handle off the stick.   6. I would recommend not moving the gear selector stick while you work on it.  

One of the easiest jobs to tackle on the E52 is to change the aircon filter inside the car.  As my own E52 had been a smokers car (hard to tell when you purchase from abroad) I wanted to get as much of the smell gone as possible.  The filter I used is a Blueprint ADN12519, just head over to eBay and you should be able to pick one up for under £10. To fit the filter you need to remove the plastic panel in the passenger footwell, which you just pull off.  Then you should see a thin plastic cover that you unclip and remove.  The filter has be squashed together a bit to get it out and the new one carefully pushed in place.  If you need a little help the following video should help.