Nissan Pathfinder Owners Care & Maintenance

brian60 · January 2001

i'm here first. ummm . . . i wash my PF when it gets dirty and change the oil every 5000 miles . . . hello? . . . is this thing on? . . .

crikey · January 2001

Use Zaino to make the Pathy shiny bright -- www.zaino.com to order.

jambazi · February 2001

I'm taking delivery on my 2001 Pathfinder SE 4WD with 5-sp manual transmission tomorrow.

I plan to change the oil at 500 miles, and use the regular stuff (no synthetic yet). Then at 3,000 mile intervals after that.

Anyone have any other advice for proper break-in procedures? What about that old thing about not driving it above 55 mph for the first 500 miles? Has that gone the way of the dodo?

brian60 · February 2001

as i later learned, the 55 mph limit was a legal decision, not an engineering one (never made much sense to me in any case). basic precaution is to not run the engine over 4000 rpm during the first 1000 miles. FYI, the maintenance intervals on PFs is 3750/7500 miles, so changing every 3000 and definately at 500 is overkill.

johnskev · February 2001

the 3000 mile changing isn't necessarily overkill. the initial oil change whether it be at 500 or 1000 is just a recommendation i've heard from every board i've checked. as for 3000 or 3750, that's based more on your driving style.

brian60 · February 2001

well, considering that Nissan says you can wait 3750 miles (assuming severe schedule) before you do the first oil change, i'd say it's overkill. i think their IC engine engineers probably know their product better than we ever will. with the quality of oil additives and engine components these days, i dare say that many people are still living in the carbuerated and leaded days of yesteryear, still fearful of throttle-by-wire and 3k+ oil change intervals. johnskev, i'm not necessarily implying that you're one of these people, but the people posting to the boards you read just might be. then again, my PF might blow up at 75k, and i will have a learned a life lesson. oh well, i'm about 24k miles past caring, so have a great weekend.

jambazi · February 2001

Anybody here buy the Service Manual? I had one for my '95 Camaro, paid about $100 for it, and felt that it paid for itself over the past 6 years.

Now I find that Nissan wants $275 for their manual, and $210 for the CD version. What a rip-off! That's enough to make me think maybe it won't pay for itself.

Anybody out there who has the manual would like to comment?

Also, if you don't have the manual, what are other good reference service docs for the PF?

One question I'd like to look up right off is where the in-cabin microfilter is located. I want to check to see that I actually have one, since I paid for it!

Thanks,
Howie

li_sailor · February 2001

The shop manual has been discussed a few times in the main PF forum...see posts 493, 498, 1033, 1035 and 1037. I'm about to buy it (the CD) myself. As someone else said, one fix will probably pay for it. Even though the owner's manual (the one that comes with the PF) is good as a "user's guide", it has almost no maint info.

loboy · February 2001

The microfilter is located behind the glove box which you'll have to remove to get at the filters (qty of 2). If I recall, I think there's six screws you have to remove and a couple of pins at the bottom of the glove box (pretty easy). The Nissan microfilter I bought came with a couple of stickers that says the vehicle has the microfilter and how often it needs to be changed (7500 mi) and a spot to write when it was last changed. You may want to check for these stickers inside the glove box (if the port or dealer installed them). Hope this helps.

jambazi · February 2001

li_sailor and loboy,

Thanks so much for that info. I'm leaning towards getting the shop manual now, because I plan on keeping this car for a long time, and enjoy doing my own work/maintenance.

I checked my glove compartment, and there is a sticker in there that states exactly when the filter was installed (about a month ago: 01 01 06, 2 km).

Took the car to New Orleans this weekend. Varied the RPMs on the highway, and kept it under 4,000 (between 2500 and 3500). Now it's got 480 miles, up from just 4 when I got it two days ago. I love this car!

loboy · February 2001

You're welcome. Glad you're enjoying your PF as well.

jambazi · February 2001

Anybody know the best way to remove that annoying dealer's logo sticker from the tailgate, without scratching the clearcoat?

It's not a window so I hesitate to put a razor blade to it.

Thanks,
Howie

crikey · February 2001

I just used good 'ol WD-40 and my thumbnail the last time I did this. The WD-40 lubricant seems to break down the adhesive and the thumbnail is blunt enough to prevent scratching the clearcoat. Once you've managed to 'pry off' some of the sticker, it should be easy to peel off as long as you go very slowly and carefully.

I'm like you, I hate dealer advertisements on the vehicle. It's bad enough that they made money off of the vehicle purchase, the customer has to advertise for them with those stickers. Puhleeeaaaasseeee.....

Karen_S · February 2001

You could also try using a hairdryer to soften the glue so that the sticker peels away.

KarenS
Host
Owner's Clubs

jambazi · February 2001

Okay, I'm taking the plunge and ordering the Service Manual.

On the site, it makes a distinction between PFs with VIN "up to 550000" and then from "550001." This refers to the last 6 digits of the VIN, right? Why is there a difference?

Secondly, there has been much talk about the squishy brakes, and one interesting post (#503) about breaking in the brakes. Has anyone here bled the brakes personally (as opposed to having the dealer do it), and if so, did you actually find air in the lines? Any problems/difficulties?

What's the recommended brake fluid?

Thanks!

--Howie

jambazi · February 2001

Has anybody been able to obtain this for less than the $210? Or is that price pretty much locked in?

jambazi · February 2001

I've seen them made out of acrylic, cotton and wool.

Those of you who like to hand-wash your cars, which kind of wash mitt do you prefer and why?

The wool one seems very soft, but I always think of wool as scratchy and not soft. What do you think?

Karen_S · February 2001

I prefer cotton myself. And I don't buy the mitts. Baby diapers work just as well. After all, if it's good enough for a baby's bottom...:-)

KarenS
Host
Owner's Clubs

swfan · February 2001

Aaaaahhhh!!! Please don't use a razor blade on the Pathy! We just got ours and simply told the dealer to remove the sticker. I then took my Durango (I know, I know, they are a maintenance NIGHTMARE, but I only found this board after buying it!!) back to the dealer and had them take it off of it too. They use a real hot air gun (hotter than a hair dryer) and it peels right off w/ no residue or anything. And that way, if they damaged the paint, it is their fault.

Okay, now onto my question: we just bought a 2001 LE. Needless to say, it is fantastic. I am a big proponent of following the break-in period, but the car already had 160 miles on it. I know some of those are highway (drove down from another dealership 60+ miles away) and I assume the rest are test drives. Should I be concerned that the engine may have been floored & reved above 4000 rpm? Clearly the other 840 miles in the break-in period will be to the letter of the manual. Please give me your thoughts...

pathstar · February 2001

I've found an isopropyl alchohol and distilled water 50/50 mix will safely remove most stickers. I'd try that before heat.

As for the breakin procedures, the RPM limit refers to sustained RPMs. Unless someone drove the vehicle at 80-100 MPH for a long period (unlikely) you should be ok. What the manufacturer is trying to avoid with these break-in periods, is overheating of the parts that are "self-machining" themselves to fit (rings, gear mesh, etc.). The overheating only occurs if they are operated at high speed for extended periods. In fact, it's a good idea to rev the engine to reasonably high RPM for short bursts once in a while. That way you don't end up with excessive "ridges" on the top of the cylinder walls (some "machining" is done in places it might not occur if "granny driven"). At any rate, with modern machining tolerances, there is very little "self machining" left to do, so it's not as big a deal as it used to be.

swfan · February 2001

Thanks for the advice. One less thing I have to worry about

brian60 · February 2001

How/where do you lube the propeller shaft on a 4wd PF?

Thanks

ac6000cw · February 2001

I have a 2001 SE. Does Nissan make a special filter wrench to remove the oil filter? I tried removing it with a strap wrench I have but I couldn't get it on and have any room to move the handle? If Nissan doesn't have a wrench does anybody know who does. The oil filter is very small.

lspangler · February 2001

I just used a large pair of Channel-Lock pliers. The can gets crushed slightly but I'm throwing it away anyhow. Your not supposed to tighten them that much, my next one will come off much easier. My fiance's Jetta was much harder, I ended up using some rope wrapped around a screwdriver to make my own wrench along with the channel locks and it finally came free. Of course I don't put them back on that tight and I haven't needed any tools since.

brian60 · February 2001

You need to get one of those "end-caps" (not the real name, i don't think) that fits over the hex end of the filter. it looks like a really shallow cup and has a square hole so you can plug a socket wrench into the back of it. in the future however, you should really only torque the filter hand tight when installing it, so that you don't have a lot of problems removing it in the future.

meca2 · February 2001

brian60: There is only 1 lube fitting on the 4wd it's in the splined
slipjoint. To lube the u-joints they have to be disassembled. Years
ago on my 510 I installed u-joints with fittings on them. Cheers

meca2 · February 2001

An option to lubing the filter seal with engine oil I have used Dow Corning
#4 compound (DC#4) Silicone grease. The filter always turns off by hand
when the engine is still warm.

jambazi · February 2001

I got the Service Manual yesterday and it's very cool. A couple of questions about it, for those of you who also have it.

1) It refers to Type A vs. Type B, but never defines what the difference is between the two. The Owner's Manual does the same thing. Does anybody know to what they are referring with the distinction between Type A and Type B?

2) I was hoping there would be a comprehensive layout of the entire engine compartment, but I couldn't find one. For instance, I was looking for a diagram to see exactly where that ambient air temperature sensor is. I know it's located somewhere forward of the radiator, but they don't show a picture of where. The closest I could come was to look at one of the wiring harness diagrams, which implied the location, but it never went so far as to show what the sensor looks like, how it's attached, etc.

Please let me know if you've found a section that I didn't!

--Howie

li_sailor · February 2001

Mine's arriving today...I'll check it out.

aspenwhite · February 2001

ac6000cw,
You need a 'F' size oil filter wrench. I got mine at AutoZone for $2.99. Same wrench at PepBoys is $4.99. Cheers, AW

meca2 · February 2001

When you refer to "Type A & Type B" what part of the manual are you
referring to? When Nissan publishes there service manuals I think they only have service centers in mind. They don't go into exact detail where some things are located. Sometimes you have to use your own experience on how to do some maintanence procedures,ie. adjust the brakes?.....Steve

jambazi · February 2001

Check out page GI-47 in the manual, under Lift Points and Towing.

It depicts two separate locations for the rear safety stand points, based on whether the vehicle is Type A or Type B.

So there's some sort of difference there, but I'm not sure what it is.

--Howie

meca2 · February 2001

Not a clue? Might be the difference between SE & XE being narrower
than the LE?? 2WD vs 4WD ??

meca2 · February 2001

jambazi on post 15 you asked if anyone blead the brakes. I did before I adjusted them the first time. Did not find any air but the fluid seemed milky like it had water it. I used valvoline syn brake fluid dot 3-4. They did work better and I did it like the manual. Make sure the master cylinder is full all the time and bleed one wheel at a time.Steve

jambazi · February 2001

Still looking for an answer to that Type A/Type B thing. Looks like it makes a difference at least for the lift points!

Also, has anybody found where it shows how to change the in-cabin microfilter? That ought to be SOMEWHERE, right? I haven't found that either!

--Howie

xplorx4 · February 2001

This isn't in the service manual, but based on posts from other Nissan BBS's I've read, replacement of the microfilter requires removal of the glovebox assembly.

The microfilter inserts into a slot near the heater plenum, which is behind the glovebox.

jambazi · February 2001

The Nissan OEM part number that the Service Manual calls for is 15208-31U00. However, when I went to get this, the dealer gave me part number 15208-9E000, which I know is for the VG33E engine. Since I have the VQ35DE engine, should I be trying to obtain part number 31U00? The dealer said that the parts are equivalent, because they're that way in his computer, and a second dealer I called also said that they're equivalent. Anybody have any experience with this?

jambazi · February 2001

aspenwhite,

Thanks for the reply. I went to two dealers today, who verified that the part numbers are in fact equivalent. One of them showed me the catalog which indicated this. The other dealer said that 9E000 replaces 31U00.

Confident I had the right part, I went to change my oil and filter. Lo and behold, the filter that was on the car from the factory was part number
15208-65F01. It was printed right on the filter.

Where did THAT come from? The filter was shorter by about 1/3, but it also had a relief valve.

So now the question becomes, has anyone else seen this alternate (smaller) filter from the factory?

--Howie

meca2 · February 2001

There is a problem with part numbers the dealer has. I came up with:
Nissan p/n 15208-65F00 from 00/01 PF witch is L14622 must be the larger
filter some use. The 15208-31U00 is L14612 is what I use after I call Purolater
and it has a releif spring in it and is very small.. What the ???? Steve

aspenwhite · February 2001

to add to this oil filter mess, read post #1368 in the main comment area about Purolator oil filters.

)

meca2 · February 2001

aspenwhite: I will call a freind at the Nissan parts department on monday
again and will get to the bottom of this. He told me last week that the parts
book had a mistake on the filter p/ns ??? Steve

ac6000cw · February 2001

My dealer's parts dept. gave me the 15208-65F00 filter also. And that was after I refused to take the filters he tried to give me because he looked up the "00 model. I haven't changed the filter on my '01 yet so I don't know what is on it.

The box on the 65F00 list the applications for this filter as being for the SR20DE engine which is the 4 cylinder in the G20, Sentra SE-R, etc.

mdq_ntv · February 2001

I'm thinking abt replacing the trans & transfer oil w/synthetic oil on my 01'PF at 3000 miles and I have a some Q's. Should I replace the trans filter? (or just draining and refilling will do) Do I have to remove the oilpan to drain the trans? I've never done any transfer oil changes before, is this a simple thing to do? (or I better take it to the dealer) Thanks in advance for you help! -CM

meca2 · February 2001

mdq_ntv: I change the oil and filter in trans and transfer case. There is a drain plug on the trans. I did take the pan off and change the filter. I would not do it again. It's a screen and not a paper filter. Perfectly clean not a speck of anything. I used Valvoline Durablend trans fluid. I did notice a little smoother shifting. There is a allen plug on the transfer case for drain and fill. Just fill till it runs out of the fill plug. I also flushed out the trans when I changed the fluid. Cheers.

meca2 · February 2001

I contacted Purolator this AM and found out that L14610 is the proper
filter for the '01 PF with 3.5 L. engine. The filter L14612 was discontinued because Purolator's engineers decided it was to small. L14622 has the wrong base plate and will leak oil!!! Nissan PN 15208-65F01 was superseded from(or to??)15208-65F00 this filter is for the 3.5 L '01 PF. PN 15208-31U00 is for a '00 PF 3.3L engine. PN15208-9E000 was superseded to (or from)PN 15208-31U00. TODAY ONLY!?
Steve

mdq_ntv · February 2001

Now I'm totally confused...I don't have the service manual but as per jambazi's #37 The Nissan OEM part number that the Service Manual calls for is 15208-31U00 which was replaced by PN 15208-9E000 (meca2 #45). If the OEM filter for the 01 is the 15208-65F00 (#42 & #45) is the svc manual showing the incorrect part number?.

meca2,
Thanks as always for the reply. You're big help on this board!. Cheers, CM

jambazi · February 2001

My original post is accurate. The Service Manual does call for 31U00.

I'd also like to know if the Service Manual is wrong! I know for a fact that my Service Manual is for the '01 Pathfinder, and in the beginning it clearly states that the VQ35DE engine is in my car!

(But I also know that the filter I took OFF the car, from the factory, was 65F01.)

--Howie

P.S. I'll definitely update the FAQ with this info as soon as we iron it all out.

mdq_ntv · February 2001

jambazi,
I went to the dealer after work and they showed me on the computer that the filter for the VQ35DE engine is 65F00. It seems that your car had the correct filter (65F01 equivalent to 65F00) and that the svc manual is wrong (or maybe it's not a big deal and both can be used ?)..CM

meca2 · February 2001

I called Tom at Purolator again this AM and he said that the L14610 is
a new filter Purolator just engineered for the 3.5 L engine. He said that this filter should be on the shelves very soon. We might have to order it if we need it sooner. I talked to my friend that I've known for 18 years that works in the Nissan parts department where I purchased my PF and he told me that the 15208-65F00 is the correct PN for the 2001 with 3.5 L engine. The 15208-65F01 is the same as....65F00. The 150208-31U00 and 15208-9E00 is for the 3.3L 2000 PF. He also told me that the parts cataloge is in error over the filters from 2000 and 2001. Tom at Purolator seems to be a nice person to talk to and seems to know about the product the number is 1-800-526-4250 please call and verify. Steve

meca2 · February 2001

The ESM does say 15208-31U00 for the PF. Also it shows a cross sectional
view of the filter on LC-8 it looks like the L14612 and describes the filter wrench
as 2.531" and I measured the L14612 filter it is 2.5" across. I will call the parts
department again and triple check the numbers. The ESM was July 2000 edition?
More tomorrow......Steve

jambazi · February 2001

Yeah, my service manual is the July 2000 edition,
for the Pathfinder Model R50 Series.

Please let us know ASAP what you find out. I want to switch out my filter if it's the wrong one.

I know that the 65F01 filter was about 1/3 shorter than the 9E000 that I installed, but the same diameter. Both of them had the relief valve inside.

Maybe we should call Nissan directly to resolve this? Doesn't sound like the dealers are being too helpful. The two that I talked to swore that 9E000 was the correct one, and that it replaced 31U00, which is what the manual called for, which is why I put it on the car.

--Howie

Nissan Pathfinder Owners Care & Maintenance

Comments

Helpful Tools

Most popular vehicles

Nissan Pathfinder Owners Care &amp; Maintenance

Comments

Helpful Tools

Most popular vehicles

Nissan Pathfinder Owners Care & Maintenance