Nissan Pathfinder Maintenance and Repair

meca2 · May 2001

jeckles:Are the u-joints in good shape? A good drive line shop can balance or
even straighten the driveline. Good luck.........Steve

cub4 · May 2001

I am test driving a V6 2001 PF and found out it calls for premium fuel. Any one using 87 octane gasoline on their V6 2001 PFs? ANy problems?

hylei · May 2001

I have a 2001 PF/LE and use premium gas since the day I purchased. It runs great with mileages between 17/21, city/highway. I strong suggest dear PF owners to use octane higher than 89 (91 or above preferred) because its engine compression ratio is so high (9.6). Do not hurt the engine (detonations will occur using lower octane gas) for a few dollars each fill since you already spend 30K for it.

jeckles · May 2001

I relocated the temp sensor this weekend. WOW! what a difference a few inches make! Now my temperature indicator is within a degree or two of actual air temp.

I only moved it a few inches, so that I didn't have to extend the wiring. The new location gets more air flow and is further away from the radiator. The whole job took me about 20 minutes.

ballfire8888 · May 2001

Where is the temp sensor located out of the factory? What does it look like? Does the existing wiring have enough slcak to extend it inot the new location?

sanandton · May 2001

Jeckles can you post details. Possibly photos? I'm tired of guessing the temp with my PF.

plwilliams · May 2001

By all means PLEASE provide the details on your fix.

jeckles · May 2001

FIRST GENERATION EXPERIMENT

Sorry I don't have pictures... I'll try to explain as clearly as possible.

There are two sensors just in front of the radiator. Top one for A/c and lower one (with white band on harness) for Temp display. To confirm, the lower one should have green/red wire NOT green/white. There is enough slack to move the display sensor and leave the other one alone. However if you move both, you may have even more slack to move them.
First I checked the sensor in a cup of tepid water to confirm accuracy of the actual equipment. My sensor was dead-on. In 77F water the resistance of the sensor was 2.18 ohms.

Just below the sensors is a threaded bolt hole. I borrowed a bolt from my front license plate bracket (since I do not use a front plate) and secured an 8 in piece of soft steel strap that had holes in each end. The strap points up and to the right (about 45 deg)and bend forward (towards the grill). I adjusted the bracket until it was level with the first grill opening near the Nissan emblem. I removed the strap and enlarged the pre-drilled hole in the sensor end to fit the square fitting on the sensor and then painted the metal black.

I installed the bracket and snapped the sensor into the square hole. Then I adjusted the bracket so that the sensor just peaks out the grill opening. Now it get air flow when I move!

I have observed that the sensor has a lot of plastic mass, so it changes temp slowly. Plus the algorithm that Nissan programed slows the change in certain conditions (see earlier posts). Overall I am quite pleased with the new location.

For second generation, I may consider a permanent bracket that holds both sensors. I'm sure the a/c uses the outside temp for something... I'll keep you posted.

alexc · May 2001

I recently took possession of a brand-new 2001 Pathfinder LE 4x4 from Tischer Nissan in Laurel, MD. Had it for three weeks now, and the truck failed to stop several times at low speed - about 5-10 MPH. Happened three times already - last time several days ago.

In all three cases the vehicle did not respond to the brakes and just kept rolling as if on ice, though the surface was pretty dry. The first 2 times was in 2WD, the last time in AUTO.

Called the dealership, but they gave me some BS about anti-lock brakes. But I've driven cars with anilock brakes before and never had such problem.

I also had a service technician at the Gaithersburg Nissan take it for a test drive but the problem did not show up.

I wonder if anyone else has experienced a similar problem or has an idea on what might cause this.

This is pretty unsettling when you have to worry about whether or not the brand new vehicle is going to stop at the light, or at 70 MPH on the highway.

Any comment or insight are appreciated.

meca2 · May 2001

Yes.... PF has questionable brakes. What I have done is first bleed the brakes. It's fairly easy,I don't know if this is something you want to do your self or not. Then adjust the rear brakes. Nissan did not adjust the shoes on the rear at the factory. When the rear brakes are adjusted the parking brake might have to be adjusted also.
After bleeding the brakes,adjusting them about five times and the Nissan service manual said to "burn" the brakes in about 10 times (I did it 5 times) and 5500mi latter they are almost exceptable. If you want I can e-mail you more info if you want to do it your self, several in this group have gone through this procedure.
Check the NHTSA on 2001 PF about brakes. Please include your problem if you like so Nissan gets the message and upgrades their brake system. Hope this helps.

jambazi · May 2001

I've never had this problem with my PF, but my last car (a '95 Camaro) did that, exactly the way you desribed. Problem was fixed after I bled the brakes.

Meca2, where in the Service Manual does it talk about burning in the brakes? I'd like to read that section. Thanks!

--Howie

meca2 · May 2001

Howie: To help with the "soft brake pedal feel" the manual page "BRAKES-28" burnish the brakes 10 times or more. This is a very severe procedure,I did it 3 or 5 times it helped some but adjusting the brakes several times seemed to help the most. I don't think the ABS is engaged at speeds below 6 mph so I don't think it was an ABS problem. Did you see the post on the outside air temp. The hot air from the A/C condenser must circulate behind the grill and heat up sensor. I will move both next week. Steve

mdj3 · May 2001

I recently went up north (Muskoka Area) where the mosquitos were crazy and my windshield and and the whole front of the truck for that matter were covered with dead bugs, so when I got back from the cottage, I needed to clean the bugs off. I was very careful not to scratch the headlights, and other plastic or painted areas, but I was alittle more agressive on the windshield and now I have a lot of very fine scratches, that I obviously want to fix. Does anyone know if there is a coating of some sort on the windshields (that I have partially scratched off), or has anyone else ever scratched a windshield before and how I should go about fixing the problem.

Thanks

jambazi · May 2001

Steve,

Thanks for that reference. I hadn't seen that before!

What exactly is this "burnishing procedure" supposed to accomplish? I mean, how does it make the brakes less squishy?

--Howie

P.S. I got the Nissan Grille Guard, and it looks great! I'll post photos soon.

katstuff1 · May 2001

Depression - my 6 month old LE windshield has a 4" crack from the bottom right hand corner. No noticeable ding.

Any ideas on the best approach to convince service that this should be covered by the warranty?

Does anyone remember someone else with similar problem from postings last Fall?

tinnevely · May 2001

I have had the PF for about 3 months now and everything is working great and love it. Couldn't resist taking it to Yosemite twice already. Just didn't understand Nissan using the manual antenna in LE models. There is an antenna embedded in the windshield for local receptions and the manual one is supposed to be for better reception in the country; explanation by the dealer.
Question: I have been using 2WD on dry pavement per card in the visor; is it OK to leave in AUTO all the time? Seems like all the 4 wheel indicators light up all the time in AUTO.
Agree with using Octane 91 for the PF because of the compression ratio.

danog · May 2001

It will depend on the location and if a mount is close. It should be easy when they inspect it to determine if it was hit or if it was a defect. There was another post a ways back about a cracked windshield, not sure what the outcome was, anyone???

Dano

meca2 · May 2001

tinnevely: You could use AWD all the time but you will not gain anything on dry pavement.
The AWD only activates when the speed sensors detects the rear wheels slipping. Also I
do belive there is a pump in the transfer case is activated and might have a slight
decrease in fuel milage. The service manual shows two pumps-machanical and
electric- that runs at slow speeds and when the vehicle is stopped.

Howie-Brake burnising. Might be to seat the pads or shoes. 100% contact between
the pads and rotors or with mine 100% contact between rear shoes and drums.
At 6500mi. I will rotate the tires and might remove a rear drum to look at the shoes
to check contact area. When the wheel is removed the drum should come off the easy.??
Steve

duper · May 2001

Took my truck to the dealer to inspect what I suspected was a exhaust manifold leak. It turned out that one of the bolt got loose and feel off. This was categorized as "adjustment" and not a defect so it wasnot cover under warranty. It costed $100 to tighten these bolts. What a rip off. I spent a good 5 minutes pointing out how Nissan could be resposible for this but no luck.

He said that this would have been covered under the 12/12,000 bumper-to-bumper warranty, but not after, eventhough I have the extended 5/75,000 warranty.

This exhaust prpblems supposed to end with 96+ models but I've read that a few with newer models experienced it as well. Check yours.

I'm taking a 1,600 miles trip in Mid June and wonder if I should take my 99 SE or the 01 Accord...with gas costs about $2/gl, it's a tough choice.

smithmd · May 2001

Both antennas work all of the time. Nissan calls it the "diversity" antenna. Basically, with two antennas, you get better reception. The idea is that with two separate antennas, one will always have a good signal. The problem with Nissan's diversity setup is that the antennas are so close together that it probably doesn't provide too much of an advantage...although I don't really know of any way to prove it.

nchelo · May 2001

I also have vibration problems. I have a 1995.5 Pathfinder LE and the vibration problem has been getting worse since day one. Now with 35,000 miles on the vehicle the problem is out of hand. I have brought the car in for alignment and wheel balancing twice but that has not done the trick. My problem happens at speeds of 55-70. Way above or below these speeds there is no vibration. However, in that speed range the vehicle shakes and the steering wheel feels like it is going to come undone. Has anyone found a dealer that has fixed their vibration problems???

meca2 · May 2001

duper: Might be an idea to check the federal 5year/50mi. All vehicles must past federal exhaust emissions and several other safety areas (seat belts,ect). The loose manifold bolts might fall under exhaust emissions requirements. Just a thought.

dennis1950 · May 2001

Most insurance companies will waive the deductible if you will agree to have the crack repaired rather than replaced. Epoxy is injected into the crack. If done properly, you might not notice the difference. Since the crack is in the bottom right corner, the repair would not affect visibility.

Get it done asap as the crack will spread.

duper · May 2001

I heard that all new cars/trucks must still pass the smog check within the first 5 years. Is this the 5/50,000 federal safety regulation? How can I findout more about it.

Thanks

smithmd · May 2001

Do you have a '95.5 or a '99.5?

Oops. Gotta run to a meeting. Let me know about the year and I'll type more later.

katstuff1 · May 2001

Thanks danog and dennis1950 for reply to my post 117.

Stupidly dropped my glass coverage a few months ago to shave a bit off my hefty premium increase in moving from a Honda to my beloved PF and adding on an old speeding ticket that finally made it through to USAA. Ouch!

Can a crack appear in a 6 month old vehicle's windshield due to the mounting or am I grasping at straws? It does seem to start from the corner with no ding in the glass... About 1/2 inch from the mounting the split goes through the glass parallel to the surface, but most of the 4" length it goes through from inside to outside.

Many posts about service reps BS keeps me looking here for info to be ready for whatever comes my way when I take it in (which I now realize should be soon). I greatly appreciate any info.

danog · May 2001

The comprehensive part of your insurance should cover it if you have that. Many glass companies will waive the deductible if the glass is pretty expensive since they will get most from the insurance company. If the glass wasn't installed properly I don't believe there is a time frame for it to crack. Depends on temp and type of driving. Have a glass company look at it and give you their opinion but I think if there isn't a rock chip it should be replaced under warranty.

Good luck!
Dano

pathstar · May 2001

I've been watching and waiting for someone to give this answer. Guess I'll have to mention it myself. From personal experience, the only way your symptoms can be "warrenty" is if the glass were touching the body. This will usually result in a broken windshield. Have someone good at it remove the trim to check. If it is/was touching (you will see slight marks on the body) it's Nissan's fault. If not it's your baby. Any other reason for the breakage would be almost impossible to prove to be Nissan's fault (strain in glass, body bending etc). Sorry for the potentially bad news.

loboy · May 2001

Its been awhile since I've posted (been enjoying the PF too much I guess!). I had experienced a crack windshield a couple of months after my purchase (last January I think). I tried the warranty thing with the dealer but no go. The crack started on the driver's side and went horizontally about 6 inches. Reason was a very small ding (hardly noticeable). I didn't want to argue since I had no deductible. I just got it replaced. Make sure you insist on getting a genuine Nissan windshield which has the built-in diversity antenna.

meca2 · May 2001

duper: depends what state the car is regerstered in on how long it must pass
emissions. In Oregon from 1975 and newer the car must pass the test. Please look
in your Warranty Information booklet that came with your PF. Look under Federal
emission warrenty. There is federal emission defect and Fed. ems. long term defect.
Depends what state and what year and miles is one your PF. Steve

nchelo · June 2001

Sorry, I have a 1999.5 Pathfinder LE, not a '95

Please let me know if you have a solution.

smithmd · June 2001

Here is a post I've re-posted a couple of times about the shimmy. Good luck! Something to add to the post...it seems that the only balance machine that is able to balance my tires is the Hunter 9000 or something like that.
------------------------------
After 4 days and going through the TSBs on
shimmies one by one, my '99.5 4x4 Pathfinder
w/Bridgestones and 20,000 miles no longer has a
shimmy at any speed!

Recap (maybe it'll help?): I had a fairly nasty
shimmy that would come and go. It would happen
most of the time, but not all, between 65 and 75
mph, sometimes between 60 and 65, and a few times
between 50 and 60. I drive on the same 45 mile
section of road everyday, so it definitely wasn't
road related because it would happen at different
spots on the road and at different speeds. Because of the intermittent nature and that fact that I have my tires balanced and rotated every 3,000 miles, I was 99% sure that it wasn't a balance problem.

After balancing my tires twice, recalibrating the
balance machine and balancing my tires, and then
using a special attachement and balancing my tires, the service shop could still feel the shimmy. They sent it to another shop to do a "radial velocity" (or something like that) test on the tires and wheels per one of the Nissan Service Bulletins. The place they sent it to indexed (match balanced) the tires, a process that has been mentioned on the board before. They match the heaviest part of the wheel with the lightest part of the tire so that less weight has to be used for the balance. This fixed it! I have driven about 400 miles since I got the Pathy back and I haven't felt the shimmy once!

My Pathy is once again a pleasure to drive on the
highway. Also, if you need service in the Madison, WI, area, Linda at Lancaster Nissan was a pleasure to work with. She actually was looking out for me instead of trying to get out of warranty work. Sorry for the long post. I hope it helps.

I just got the Nissan Service Bulletin I had
mentioned. It's 11 pages and includes and lot of
stuff, so I won't attempt to reproduce it on this
page. I will say that on the flow chart, the first question is, "Is this vehicle equipped with Nissan OEM wheels and tires?" If the answer is no, such as if you have already replaced the tires, the flow chart states, "This Technical Service Bulletin and Nissan Warranty Coverage do not address vibration that can be caused by after market products or modifications." Even though you've replaced your tires already, you might ask your tech to print you off a copy of this NTB.

I remember some folks talking about having their
wheels chromed. The next question in the flow
chart is, "Are the Nissan OEM wheels aftermarket
chrome plated?" If the answer to this question is
yes, you get the same response as the guy that has
already replaced his tires.

Nissan Service Bulletin

Classification: ST99-001
Reference: NTB00-061
Date: July 18, 2000

1999.5-2001 Pathfinder steering and/or body
vibration

Applied Vehicles: 1999.5-2001 Pathfinder (R50)

Service Information
If a 1999.5-2001 Pathfinder exhibits steering
and/or body vibration while driven (without
braking) at speeds between 60 and 70 MPH, the
cause(s) may be:
- Road input (road surface imperfections)
- Out-of-balance front or rear tires/wheels
- Insufficient steering rack sliding force
adjustment
- Tire flat spotting
- Excessive tire Radial Force Variations (RFV)

The last part (RFV) is where they look to index or
match balance your tires and if that still doesn't
work, they replace your tires.

Hope this helps.

windfalls99 · June 2001

Duper, I would have refused to pay the repair bill on your exhaust manifold problem. In my opinion this is clearly a warrantee item. After all we are not dealing with a luxury S.U.V. A well worded letter to the service manager explaining your concerns and a copy to Nissan is in order and perhaps you will get a refund. Good Luck!

nchelo · June 2001

Should I expect to pay for this work? Or will the dealer take care of this since it seems to be a common problem?

smithmd · June 2001

The dealer paid for my work. But, I was under the 36,000 miles and I still had the original tires and wheels. I don't know if this will be covered under the 5yr/60,000mi drivetrain warranty (it would only make sense, wouldn't it?). I'd call the service at the dealer and mention the bulletin number to him. I'd also ask about the 36,000 mi issue.

naxman · June 2001

My '95 Pathfinder SEV6 developed a problem at around 50,000 miles -- a progressively worsening intermittent tendency to unpredictably slide out of gear from 3rd or automatic overdrive and "free wheel" in neutral. Downshifting (the automatic) to 2nd gear would engage 2nd gear, but then would stick in 2nd gear and would not shift into 3rd --or it might slide into neutral again. The problem seemed to mystify a trani specialist who rebuilt the transmission after much head scratching and electronic and road testing. He said when he tore down the transmission, he found metal shavings indicating evidence of some abnormal wear. The fix worked for a short time but the problem is now reoccurring. The problem seems to sometimes be triggered after the sudden automatic downshifting that may occur during an ascent on an incline (rather underpowered powertrain!) but can occur spontaneously otherwise just on a whim. At present, the problem hasn't progressed yet to the point it had reached before and I can still sometimes recapture 3rd gear after the transmission slides into neutral if I downshift to 2nd gear and shift quickly into drive again from an over-revved point above the normal shift point from 2nd to 3rd -- but this is not good! I can feel the shift point occasionally migrate now and the engine may over-rev before shifting a bit clumsily from 2nd to 3rd gear. So what is happening? Electronics? And what is the best way to diagnose it? I don't relish another expensive transmission teardown, but ...
Nissan's response so far is that there have been no recalls for such problems, nor is there a familiar dossier. Anyone recognize this problem?

nchelo · June 2001

Where did you get that Nissan Service Bulletin Message? I brought it to my dealer and he said that was not issued from Nissan and he was not sure where it came from?

smithmd · June 2001

You gave your Nissan service manager the info below and he/she said that this wasn't issued by Nissan? OK. That kind of stuff really hacks me off. E-mail me at smithmdsmith@netscape.com and I'll send you something else that might help.

Nissan Service Bulletin

Classification: ST99-001
Reference: NTB00-061
Date: July 18, 2000

1999.5-2001 Pathfinder steering and/or body
vibration

Applied Vehicles: 1999.5-2001 Pathfinder (R50)

nchelo · June 2001

My e-mail to you got rejected? Try e-mailing me at nchelo@yahoo.com

Thanks,

smithmd · June 2001

I just realized that I never actually answered your question from #139. Sorry about that.

The service manager that I deal with at the Nissan dealership mailed a copy of it to me. She got it from Nissan. It was the document she worked off of to get my vibration fixed under warranty.

nchelo · June 2001

My e-mail to you got rejected? Try e-mailing me at nchelo@yahoo.com

Thanks,

x2guy · June 2001

I've seen numerous posts on this topic. It looks like if you really take the issue to the mat it can be resolved with special balancing. My problem is even though the service techs at the local Nissan dealership (Beaverton, Oregon) acknowledge there is a problem, they say it's not their's and I should pursue this thru the local Dunlop dealer (that's what my Pathfinder came with). The vibration occurs between 20 - 25 MPH and again between 40 - 45 MPH. It's pretty subtle and you have to be driving on smooth pavement to notice it over the vibration from the road surface. There is also a very low frequency hum that comes and goes as the vibration peaks when accelerating or declerating thru the two problem speeds.
The service manager basically told they were not going to fix this and to go away. His comment was that it's within factory tolerence and no worse than any other Pathfinders on the lot. This may all be true, but this does not fix the problem. My take is Nissan knows about this and does not want to absorb the cost of doing the special balancing. It's on a lease, so I guess I'll just learn to live with it, and then dump the vehicle. This was my first and last Nissan. Too bad such a minor problem could not be remedied, but I just don't have the time and patience to deal with it.

meca2 · June 2001

Hi x2guy from Beaverton, OR I'm Steve from Sherwood,OR. My 2001F has
a slight vibration from the rear diff sounds about like your vib. I changed the
rear and front diffs to syntitic gear lube (amsoil) and most of the vib went away.

windfalls99 · June 2001

I am having trouble aligning the low beams on my '01 LE. The lights are too low and even the dealer can't seem to correct the problem. I have on numerous occasions "run out of light" while driving on hilly,twisty country roads on low beam. Has any one else expirienced this problem?

x2guy · June 2001

But this is likely wheel balancing. Both the service techs agreed, and we were able to minimize it a bit with tire pressure, but not much. I'm thinking of having the local Les Schwab balance the tires. I figure they probably have better equipment . . .

kmrq · June 2001

Hey how is your low-beam lights are low?? is the headlight bolted on differently?? I'm trying to lower my low-beam lights to install HID retrofit, so it won't cause glare to on-coming traffic.

windfalls99 · June 2001

Obviously the beam from the headlights can be varied by altering the angle of the vehicle to the road (ie. hitch weight pushing the back of the vehicle down and front up). However, I seldom drive with a load in the back and find the beams too low in normal driving. I think also that the design of the PF headlights has a lot to do with the problem. Any ideas?

jeckles · June 2001

How is your conversion working? Someone said the conversion was only about $600, which I think is dirt cheap!

Can you provide more details and possibly a parts list. I'm hoping to upgrade mine in the near future.

Thanks
Jonathan

meca2 · June 2001

Nissan just updated the outside temp sensor. The new sensor has a bracket that must install on the stud next to the pillar where they were orignaly attached. This stud is about 4 inches from the pillar on the drivers side. The new P/N is 27710-31U00 sensor assy and is the same p/n for both auto heat and outside air temp display.

plwilliams · June 2001

Thank you for the heads up. Do you know if this is the result of our complaints to Nissan? Also do you know if a TSB has been issued?

Nissan Pathfinder Maintenance and Repair

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