Nissan Pathfinder Owners: Accessories & Modifications

meca2 · March 2001

I just received a dashmat from Dashcovers of Florida. They just made a new pattern for the 2001. I think mine was the first off the press. Steve

plwilliams · March 2001

How is the fit of your new dashmat? Because of the hot summer sun here I like to use them as well. I have ordered three of them from three different manufactures and had to return them all due to poor fit. They either fit really bad just to the right of the instrument pod and/or they didn't have the correct cut outs for the auto headlight sensor, etc. How is the color match? Do you have the beige or charcoal interior? I think part of the problem may have been that they were trying to get away with using the mats designed for the 2000 PF.

brian60 · March 2001

What's wrong with the truck-van screens they sell for $7.99 at Pep Boys/Kragen/etc.? I've used mine for about a year and a half now ...

brian60 · March 2001

Has anybody upgraded their factory Bose system? What equipment did you use and how much of an improvement do you think it was?

meca2 · March 2001

plwilliams: The cover fits OK. It has the cutout for the sun sensor and airbag. I have the charcoal int. and ordered the charcoal dashmat. The first one they sent me was for a 1999.5 and the dash is different and had to return it. Someone at a dealer told them it was the same as a 2001 and it is not. The new pattern fairly well. It need to be taped down around the air bag but I have to much vinyl protectent for the tape to stick! Steve

plwilliams · March 2001

Steve,
Thanks for the info. Maybe I'll give it a try if I can find someone that handles it locally. I'm a little paranoid about the fit and all the local folks seem to take returns on them with no hassle at all.
Pat

kmrq · March 2001

Does anyone know where I can get a cheap parts for PF?? I'm looking for a right-side corner light..HELP PLEASE...

looking25 · March 2001

Anyone suggest a place to get a good bug/hood deflector. I've been waiting for my dealer to get some in now for over a month with no success. I saw the x-terminator at carparts.com for $46 but really can't see how good/effective it is. I've kept my baby off the highway because of the stones laid down from recent snow storms. I'm getting impatient and would like to order one.

stephentw · March 2001

You might want to look at www.nissan-accessories.com I haven't ordered one yet, but it looks like the real thing from Nissan. A little expensive at 63.00 but the shipping is free.

jambazi · March 2001

I've always wondered this: how do bug deflectors work? It seems like they cover such a small area...how can they protect your whole windshield? If a bug or a rock were to come in just a little bit higher than the height of the deflector, then **BAM**! it's on your windshield.

Can anybody help explain the physics behind this, and how they work?

phil47 · March 2001

When it comes to rocks or gravel, you're absolutely right. They are not great at protecting your windshield. They are great at protecting your hood, particularly the front of your hood which usually takes the worst beating.

As for bugs, again they keep alot of the mess off the front of your hood. They also *slightly* divert the airflow up and over the windshield which deflects many of the bugs over the top of the vehicle. Unfortunately, in the name of decreasing drag and therefore reducing noise, vibration, and fuel consumption, many bug deflectors now have a very low profile and no "kick" on the back. This means that they continue to do a good job of protecting the hood, but they are more and more ineffective at keeping the windshield clear/protected. Anyone else?

johnskev · March 2001

ditto on phil47's explanation.

kj

hasanas · March 2001

I read the manual and it says that the word "ICE" appears when the temp is below freezing point. However, in my PF, "ICE" was appearing when the temperature was in the 40 degree Farenheuit? Anyone have any comments?

Thanks.

meca2 · March 2001

hasanas: when the temp said "40" was the temp increasing or decreasing?
I seen the same on mine buy it seams the temp was on the rise from below
freezing. Could be a way to keep the driver aware there could be icy spots?
For what it's worth...Steve

pathstar · March 2001

Lots of experience here. "ICE" comes on at +4 deg. C. Here in Edmonton it's on pretty much all winter (though now it's going on and off ;-). The reason is that the road or bridges can ice before the air temp. is at freezing (ground can be colder, wind can cool it, etc.).

plwilliams · March 2001

Has anyone installed an aftermarket (not Nissan) Brush Guard on their 2001 PF? I wouldn't mind the Nissan Guard but it only comes, to my knowledge, in silver, which I don't think would look to good on my Sahara Beige PF. Any recommendations on a black guard? Are there any that, like the Nissan, just bolt on without drilling?

hasanas · March 2001

Has anyone installed a power antenna on their 2001 PF?
If so, can you tell me what the cost was and how long did it take?

Thanks.

woodyr1 · March 2001

I live in Canada, where dealers do not appear to have a listing for Nissan colour keyed body side moldings.

I have tried to enquire with some of the major Nissan parts retailers listed on this board, but all the one's contacted do not ship beyond the USA.

Any thoughts?

Thanks

pathstar · March 2001

Try Tustin Nissan in Calif. I bought the CD-ROM shop manual from them, with no hassle shipping to Canada (they mailed it to me as well, which saves quite a bit on brokerage charges). www.tustinnissan.com/nissan There was also a dealer in Washington State that was willing to sell to me (but he was too late).

phil47 · March 2001

I have twice ordered these moldings from www.nissanpartsusa.com

Reasonable prices and quick (and cheap) delivery to Calgary.

woodyr1 · March 2001

I sent e-mail to nissanpartsusa, and they replied that they do not send beyond continental USA as of 1/1/01. I have located the dealer in Washington state and sent them e-mail as well as Tustin, so awaiting a response.

Thanks for your help.

Do you want me to post the results of these enquiries for us Canadian folk?

Woody

bobforman · March 2001

Has anyone found a satisfactory set of driving lights that will fit in the grill of the Pathfinder? I don't have (or want) a brush grill but figure lights will fit nicely in the lower part of the grill. Bob

bob_path · March 2001

I recently purchased a loaded 2001 LE Pathfinder. Is the drivers seat the only seat where the seat cushion lifts up and down. I have tried the passenger seat cushion to avail. The passenger seat moves front to back and reclines. While the drivers seat moves front to back, reclines, and the height of the seat cushion can be adjusted. Is this standard on all pathfinders?

sanandton · March 2001

Seems correct to me. Although,I haven't been in the passenger seat in my PF before. Maybe I will try it.

sonardude · March 2001

Anyone have info on attachments for carrying sea kayaks?

meca2 · March 2001

sonardude: I have a kayak and used a Yakima rack to carry it. PF has a contract with Yakima and all of their equipment fits the PF rack. I also have ski rack and just put on my bike rack. Steve

li_sailor · March 2001

Here is my 2001 PF LE with the Nissan wind deflector and cargo liner from JC Whitney.

johnskev · March 2001

li_sailer: which cargo liner is that?

li_sailor · March 2001

It's the Black Armor from JCWhitney: <http://www.jcwhitney.com/item.jhtml?ITEMID=19459>

I looked at several, including the popular Husky. In choosing between the lip around the edge of the Husky vs the rear seat back protection of the Black Armor, I chose the latter. The BA also has cut-outs for the cargo net and stuff slides very easily over it (I found this to be a bigger plus than I had thought). You're supposed to drill holes to attach velcro pads to the floor/seat backs but I found that you only need them on the seat backs...it fits very well into the cargo area and doesn't move. It cost $60. Shipping was free for orders over $125 (then, don't know about now) and my entire order arrived together in about 5 days with normal ground shipping. Overall, I was pleased with the stuff and the service.

Tom

woodyr1 · March 2001

I have a Yakima rack system (round bars) that I have adapted to the Nissan factory rack by using Yakima's Locking RailRiders 1's. You need to remove the factory crossbars and install the railriders into the roof rack track, from there, the Yakima round bars fit well. Yakima has good instructions for the do it yourselfer.

Once the Yakima bars are installed, I can mount my Yakima bike carrier, TLC kayak saddles etc.

Woody

jambazi · March 2001

Tom,

I got the same Black Armor cargo liner from JC Whitney, and I love it!

My instructions didn't say to drill holes in the floor for the big piece, but I do have two extra velcro pieces. My floor thing shifts around just a little bit. Where did they say to place the velcro for the floor? How many pieces? I'm thinking of doing it.

Also, in your picture, I can't see the Black Armor logo. Is that an artifact of the picture, or did you put the thing in upside down?

--Howie

li_sailor · March 2001

I didn't notice 'til you mentioned it but now I see that the large piece doesn't have any velcro under it. To explain...the liner comes in 3 pieces...one large and two smaller for the rear seat backs. The seat back pieces have 3 velcro pieces attached and you also get 3 little pieces to attach to the seat back so you can detach the liner easily to clean.

Since it came with 8 little pieces, I assumed that the two other pieces were for for the large section.(I didn't pay too much attention to the instructions...). It doesn't move much so I think it's ok the way it is...so maybe the other 2 pieces are just extras. (?)

The logo is there...it just doesn't show up in the picture.

danog · April 2001

I know this has been discussed here somewhere but I'll ask again anyway.
Is there a good entertainment system that includes a DVD player with at least a 10" screen? I only know of the portable panasonic and sony DVD players that run $600+ but do not come with any mounts for a car application.

Thanks,
Dano

joef4570 · April 2001

Does anyone out there know how to remove the Tonneau cover? There's nothing in the manual on how to do it. I have a PF 2001 LE. Just picked it up this past Friday. Can't believe how it rides. The hardest thing now is having to baby it for the first 1000 miles....

usarmyttt · April 2001

Roll it in and then just tap it towards the back and it will come out of the brackets.

li_sailor · April 2001

Tap it towards the back? On my 2001 LE you tap it UP to remove.

brian60 · April 2001

Yeah, tap it UP near the ends to remove it. Pretty ackward actually, and it's easy to scratch the plastic in the cargo area, so be careful if you worry about that sort of thing.

mbunting · April 2001

I'm thinking of having the two front-side windows tinted on my new Sierra Silver PF LE. Has anyone else had this done? How does it look? I think it will make it look even sharper...but wanted to check here first.

What are your thoughts? What % tint did you use. Thanks for any pros/cons.

linley · April 2001

Don't get me wrong I love the great look of my cherry SE. I am having a bit of "LE envy" because I could've had more options for the same price. What are the chances or cost of adding the auto temp or memory seats (I know how to order the woodgrain but I'm not sure how to find someone to trust to do it cuz I sure wouldn't trust myself.) I plan to keep this vehicle a long time and while I can live wothout them I am thinking of ways to upgrade. I am also looking for a cargo organizer protector to match my beige leather. I love the OEM one but it only comes in black. Anything out there similar?

plwilliams · April 2001

I had the dealer put tinting on my front windows. But, you have to be aware of the laws in your state. This URL will give you an idea of what may be legal in your state.

http://www.pcisys.net/~bpc/auto_law/tint/

That being said, here in Utah I was able to put on fairly light (I can't remember the percentage) tint and it looks good. However, in neighboring Nevada, at least in Las Vegas, there appears to be no restriction or no enforcement and I've seen PF's with very dark tinting that looks very good.

danog · April 2001

We had ours tinted. Did a metallic tint that matched the rear color and it looks great. Seems that the front windows fit tight at the top because it is always dirty. We have to crack the windows and wash them by hand. Its not the tint.
Good luck!
Dano

mbunting · April 2001

Especially for the link......I'm checking it out now.

I'm in the military, so hopefully window tint of any % should be fine. Meaning- I should be able to get away with it (If it is illegal) because I'm an Illinois resident (and my PF is registered there also) who now lives in Biloxi, MS.

I didn't think about having it done at the Nissan dealership...I'll give them a call tomorrow. I was going to have someone who specialized in window tinting do it next Friday for $49.95 + tax.

How much did you pay at your Nissan dealership (plwilliams)?

Thanks again for your inputs!

li_sailor · April 2001

Mike,

Just curious and I don't really know anything about this subject but...is dark tinting of the front illegal because it reduces visibility (as I'm assuming) and if so, wouldn't this be a safety concern even it is legal?

Tom

plwilliams · April 2001

I paid around $60 at the dealer. However, all the dealer does is take it out to another shop that specializes in tinting. Also the tinting has a "lifetime" warantee, if that means anything.

pathstar · April 2001

When I picked up my 2001 LE last summer I had the dealer remove the front plate holder (only rear plates in Alberta). When I looked at the front of the vehicle from ~1ft off the ground I panicked. The rad. is really exposed with no mesh protection. I thought of using standard "bug screen" but it is too fine and cuts off much airflow. When in Canadian Tire (hardware and auto store) I found a nice expanded steel mesh that is well coated with black paint - for eavstroughs. It has 3/16" openings so will flow air fairly well and comes in packages of 6 lengths of 6" wide by 40" long, with a slight curve. I mounted a narrow "trough" behind the lower part of the bumper for these to sit in and installed stainless screws along the top (front of the support you see when you open the hood). I secure these screens (two on each side of the center support) with wingnuts so I can remove and clean them easily. The center was more difficult due to the hood release and temp and compass sensor, so I cut one shorter and secured it with a bolt flat against the center support (in an existing threaded hole).

These screens will stop fairly large rocks, and should keep most bugs out of the rad. (breaks up the large ones). As a bonus, because the screens slant back they may also reduce my radar signature (reflecting radar up), at least that's what I tell myself. Most radar from the front is actually reflected back by the headlamps.

mbunting · April 2001

I think the main reason it's completely illegal or only legal if it's not done over a certain % shade is simply to help aid in the safety of Police Officers in these states.

I know that if I was a Police Officer I probably would want to see who I'm pulling over or who's in the vehicle when I come walking up alongside the vehicle.

I think this is what effects whether tint is considered leagl/illegal tint on the rear window and drivers/passenger sides of vehicles.

Your point about visibility being reduced is probably also correct, but I'm not 100% sure what the main driving factor behind the laws though.

I find that the tint actually helps my visibilty, as I can't stand to wear sunglasses while I'm driving (for some reason), so I really like it when the vehicle I'm driving has tint all th eway round. Definitely not 100%, but I don't see anything wrong with 30% or so.

I'll probably go ahead and do it (get the tint done) next Friday (I'm off, yippeaaa!) and just take my chances. I think it will look great on my Silver LE. If I get caught in a state that doesn't allow it I'll scrape it off or pay the fine if need be. I just think the pros outweigh the cons in my situation.

Mainly, I don't want the leather seats/dash to fade (or at least prolong the process a bit), that's probably my biggest concern. Second is looks, and I can't wait to see how it looks after it's done.

I should be purchasing a new Digital camera in May, so I'll be sure to post some pictures then if anyone is interested.

Have a good weekend!

Mike

li_sailor · April 2001

OK - I'll look forward to the pics!

Tom

linley · April 2001

I have an 01 SE. It has the leather and the sunroof package. In the specs auto lights are not listed. This may be pretty stupid but...There isn't an AUTO tab for my headlights. If I keep it in the ON position the lights come on when I start the engine and turn off when I cut it off. If this is not auto lights would the auto lights have the "delay off" function and would daytime running lights be different?

phil47 · April 2001

I've yet to see a truly dumb question, all questions are welcome.

The auto headlamp system in the PF does more than just turn the lights off or on with the ignition. It turns the headlamps on or off when the outside light conditions warrant it. There is a light detector on the dash to help it do this (actually there are 2 detectors in an LE, one for the auto headlamp system and one for the auto climate control system). This auto headlamp function is independant of the daytime running lights found on Cdn models.

Other than using highbeams from time to time. I haven't touched my headlamp switch in a long time.

beefchuck · April 2001

I have had my 01 silver sierra for a month and decided to tint the windows with that luxurious glossy look. A black tint is just not justified because the factory rear tint is too light. Besides, you still want to be seen while crusing. The tint I have gives me the best of both worlds. It blocks out those harmful UV rays, sunlight (heat) in general and still provides very good lighting.
The moon roof is a nice compliment allowing extra light in when desired.
Check it out http://server5.hypermart.net/beefchuck/pure.jpg
http://server5.hypermart.net/beefchuck/articulation.jpg

Chuck-ATL

Nissan Pathfinder Owners: Accessories & Modifications

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Nissan Pathfinder Owners: Accessories &amp; Modifications

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Nissan Pathfinder Owners: Accessories & Modifications