Nissan Pathfinder

pathstar1 · November 2003

If the hole is in the exhaust, it's a condensate drain hole. To let the water out. The water in the exhaust, BTW, is an acid, and can make short work of the exhaust system. This is why the vehicle should be warmed up fully before shutting it off to vaporize the water, ie: short trips - a few blocks - each day will put excessive wear on it.

mahipalc · November 2003

I think that's what the service technician told me. I work about a mile away from my home. So, there is a lot of short trips that I drive. Is there any special care that I should be taking considering most of my trips are a mile or less than that??

Thanks again!

lbinh · November 2003

Dieselone,

I am very interested in the Yoko Geolanders so keep us up to date. What size are your tires and do they rub at any point? How worn were you OEM tires and how noisy were they? My pathfinder is very noisy at 50 MPH and up. I am starting to think Pathfinders are noisy cars but can't tell if it is all wind noise, road noise, or just tire noise. I know it is not the smooth engine.

jiamin · November 2003

I have 02 QX4 and 00 RX300, and also like to join the noise discussion. The QX4 is noticeably noisier than RX300. If I accelerate QX4 at highway speed, I can clearly hear its "power" noise, but I can hear very little in RX300.

I call it "power" noise because I'm not sure if it's engine noise or exhaust system noise. My guess is mostly it's exhaust which can be reduced by using quieter pipe, muffler or the like, but also with some loss of HP/torque.

Yes I also want the quietest tires maybe with a little sacrifice of performance.

lbinh · November 2003

I also have an ES300 with very little noise. I think Toyota/Lexus beats Nissan/Infinity in the noise reduction department. I know Nissan is on the rebound financially/economically and hope to see vast future quality improvements across the board.

xplorx4 · November 2003

Short trips are one of the worst things for an engine and for a car. An engine barely even reaches operating temperature in a mile. Engine oil is cold, transmission fluid is cold, and acidic condensation formed by the combustion process doesn't fully burn off, and instead makes its way into your oil.

My parents owned an old Ford van with a 460ci engine, and my mom drove it daily to her workplace, just under a mile from our house. By the time she reached work, the engine had barely warmed up! Needless to say, it developed severe problems after only 60,000 miles. It burned a quart of oil every 200 miles (burnt valve and bad rings) and at just over 90,000 miles a connecting rod broke loose and punched a few holes in the block, effectively ending its life.

The best thing you can do for your vehicle to counteract your repeated short trips is to give your car/engine a workout at least once a week: drive it at least 30 minutes continously, more if possible. You should also consider changing your engine oil at no greater than 3000-mile intervals.

Alternatively, consider walking or biking to work.

If you've no choice but to put this kind of wear on your vehicle, don't expect it to last that long.

Jack44 · November 2003

The Lexus is NOT a real SUV...It's a funny looking car...

The Pathfiners and QX4's are SUV trucks...That can do things that cars can't do...

Cars are quieter, mostly, than trucks...

smokey75 · November 2003

Another thing you can do to counteract the damage done by short trips is to use synthetic fluids. Synthetics flow freely down to a very low temperature, before they have had a chance to warm up. I use Mobil 1 oil in the engine, Mobil 1 ATF in the transmission & transfer-case, & Mobil 1 Gear Lube in the front & rear limited-slip differential.

Which brings me to another point... somebody mentioned they didn't think their LSD was working anymore & that they had used Mobil 1 gear lube in it. They also said that Mobil 1 had told them it is not compatible & that it should be used with an additive. Well, I spoke to Mobil 1 today & they said it is compatible with no additives. The manual calls for API GL-5, and he said Mobil 1 exceeds the performance requirements of API GL-5, as the bottle also states. It also calls for 80W-90, which he said Mobil 1, at 75W-90 also exceeds. I don't know why someone at Mobil 1 told you differently, but it seems to be ok to use. If you're still wondering if your LSD is working, you can check it by raising both rear wheels off the ground. With the engine off, car in neutral, & parking brake off, turn one of the rear wheels by hand. A good LSD will turn the opposite rear wheel the same direction. If the opposite wheel turns the opposite direction your LSD is toast.

jiamin · November 2003

Yes it's a fact that most cars are quieter than most SUVs. How about Lexus LX470? Never test drive it but according to some expert test report, it's one of the quietest SUVs (noise level never reachs 68 dB...), and it's true off-road capable.

dieselone · November 2003

ibinh,

The Geolander's I replaced my OEM Bridestones with are the same size 255/65/16. Do not rub under any circumstances. They look wider than the bridgestones for some reason, but clearance is fine. Handling is much much improved. Steering response is very crisp. Road noise is basically nonexistent, big improvement. The Yoko's don't seem to have as much sidewall flex, vehicle stays more stable in turns and inspires confidence. Ride quality has definitely taken a hit though. I'm still dialing in tire pressures, for some reason the shop filled the tires @ 40psi and it road like a buck board wagon. I lowered the pressure down to 32 psi today and it has improved some, but I will probably go ahead and reduce the pressure down to the recommended 26psi to see what happens.

I ran the oem's to 39k. I don't know what the exact tread depth was when replaced, but the were not down to the wear bars. I probably could have gotten another 5-10k out of them but wanted fresh rubber for winter. As far as noise is concerned, the oem's seemed to always have an annoying humming sound and it is basically completely quiet with the Yokos. At 50+ all I hear is wind noise that you'll get with a vehicle that has aerodynamics similar to a brick. I'll post again when I get more seat time with the air pressure further reduced. As it is I'm a little disappointed with the ride, it is pretty choppy. That just may be the trade off for the improved handling.

dieselone · November 2003

I've ridden in a LX 470 and they are very quiet. The one I road in did have some rattles that really surprised me, but it was extremely quiet at all speeds. Toyotas 4.7 v8 is buttery smooth and you can hardly tell it's running even when pushed.

woodyr1 · November 2003

Which model of the Geolander did you have installed? Thanks

lbinh · November 2003

Alright, my 1993 ES300 is a bad example/comparison. I have driven the 2000 RX 300 with little to no noise not like my 2001 LE Pathfinder. In fact, I have driven a 1995 and 2001 Isuzu Rodeo with less wind and road noise at highway speeds. It may be just my Pathfinder and the OEM Duellers. Maybe also the very thick roof rack.

FYI..I moved the forward roof rail back(to rear) as much as possible and it helped a little with the wind noise

Don't get me wrong. All in all, I love my Pathfinder. The quality build, good design, and awesome engine.

lbinh · November 2003

Thanks for the great analysis. That is exactly what I was looking for.

Like Woodyr1 asked, which Geolander model did you buy? There are three. I think you got the unidirectional model with the sportier handling. If so, I think the standard model would ride a little softer with less handling. The third model is for heavy duty commercial trucks.

dieselone · November 2003

I had the Geolander H/T G051 installed.

jiamin · November 2003

I remember tirerack.com shows the Dueller H/T 689 (OEM on QX4) is quieter than many other tires, althrough not the quietest. Not sure of tirerack's index number, maybe from consumers' statistics.

When I am at a constant speed and turn my head around and face to the right side, I hear more noise comes from the back. Maybe caused by the liftgate that can leak some air compared to a fix glass, or maybe caused by the less airodynamic square shape of the back.

Wonder if anybody applied sound-deadening material to their Path/QX4.

Jack44 · November 2003

Another thing to consider is the Air Deflector attached to lift gate...

pathalogical · November 2003

Jiamin,

I have also noticed noise from the glass liftgate, especially on rainy days. I wonder if a wider seal or thicker glass would reduce the noise. I don't think there is a fix for this, so we might have to accept it. The noise is noticeable, but not bothersome...I just crank up the radio !!!

jiamin · November 2003

Hi jack44,
I have the air deflector on (from factory). I'll take it off to check the noise difference.

Hi pathalogical,
Right, I don't think there's a fix to the lift gate. Thicker glass is definetely better that's way some high-class cars have thicker glass. BTW my 00 RX300's front window glass is thicker than the back which is as thick as the QX4's. They say some MB cars even have double-pane windows...

norcalsurfr · November 2003

I have an '03 LE and am looking to ditch the crappy Toyo's that it came with (21k and more than 1/2 the tread is gone, plus there's no grip in the dirt or snow). One problem is the selection for 255/65/16's isn't very good. I was wondering if anyone has tried 255/70/16's and if there was any problem with rubbing? Looking to get a good AT tire that's good in the Sierra snow, any suggestions would be great. Thanks

Jack44 · November 2003

You might consider the Michelin LTX...They come in 255/65/16's...I have them on my QX4, original tires, now 35,000, probably at 1/2 tread, and am very satisfied...

jiamin · November 2003

I took two roof crossbars off and tried both local and highway drive. It's hard to tell because wind conditions change. Well at least it does not seem to reduce noise a lot.

Just recalled driving on one particular road, the QX4 was very quiet. So I think road/tire noise has
a big % of the total.

jiamin · November 2003

Remember from another site that one Maxima owner took almost all interior trim panels off, and applied sound-deadening material behind the panels. The car was much quieter. Later he sold that Max and got a Lexus LS400 and started working on it (if I remember right) to further reduce the already very low noise...

lbinh · November 2003

I agree with you jiamin. I notice very little noise on smooth asphalt roads (little to no tire or road noise, wished all roads were smooth asphalt for our Pathys). It must definitely be combination tire/road noise and poor sound insulation. Sound deadening material looks like the way to go. Anyone have ideas on where to strategically place the sound insulation material?

The roof rack removal does help some with the wind noise.

jiamin · November 2003

I used it one time on my 86 Sentra. When I slamed close its door or just knocked on the door panel, it sounded like a cheap tin can. Took the plastic interior panel off and glued some sound deadening material (maybe called dynomat?) to the door metal wall. Was not a good job because the access was bad. It noticeably reduced the tin can vibrating sound, became a very solid piece. But it didn't reduce overall noise much, as I think the whole car was cheaply built. I knocked the roof panel and it sounded like a real tin can...

I read the wheel well can be a starting point to reduce road/tire noise, and there is some spray type of sound deadening material to apply. But don't know the details.

pathstar1 · November 2003

I haven't noticed that the Pathfinder is noisy. To me it's quiet. Certainly not as quiet as a sedan, but some wind noise is expected from such a "brick". There is a lot of noise from the rear wheel wells, water noise in the wet, and stone noise when on gravel.

The latest "hot setup" for noise reduction is "Brown Bread". Ususally sold at car audio places. It sticks on. Not too expensive, but not cheap either.

jiamin · November 2003

Somewhere I read manufacturers use asphalt based material for noise reduction. I wonder in the wheel well if I use the roof patching asphalt coating from Home Depot, will that reduce tire/road noise to the degree I can tell the difference before and after?

pathstar1 · November 2003

It will work to some extent. However, even if you manage to get it to seal perfectly, eventually a void will develop behind it, which will collect corrosive chemicals. This will eat the body steel. What you're really talking about here is undercoating. In wheel wells it tends to be high maintenance, which is why most cars now have plastic fender liners. It would be best to use the audio damping stuff on the inside. It will not trap corrosive chemicals there. Brown Bread, Dynamat, etc. Easy to apply too, just lift the rear seat bottom. Shouldn't take much material.

jiamin · November 2003

Thanks pathstar1, for the reply.

I think I'll try what you just recommended, under the rear seat. That's an easy enough access. Maybe next I'll try the trunk area, under the carpet which is an easy access too. The door panel is a little difficult to remove and also not so easy to apply material inside, and I think it mainly reduces wind noise that is not so bad compared to road/tire noise.

nne3jxc · November 2003

I just put a set of 265/70SR-16 Yokohama Geolandar A/T Plus II's on my '03 SE 4x4.
Yes, there is some rubbing. The rears are fine, but the fronts rub at the extremes of steering wheel travel left and right. I removed the mud flaps from the front wheel wells and managed to adjust the splash guard at the front of the wheel well away from the tires and all seems to be good.
The Geolandar A/T Plus II's are GREAT by the way -- in both wet and dry. (and based on their ratings at Tirerack.com, I expect them to be spectacular in the snow.) Steering response is tremendous compared to the OEM Duelers. The larger size really looks good too -- I have gotten several positive comments on how well the tires fill the wheel wells. Really changes the look of the truck -- looks very agressive now.
I'd recommend them as long as you don't mind doing some minor mods to the front wheel wells.
Btw: Notice I went up to 265/70 size as opposed to 255/70. If you keep the 265 width but go up to a 70 series tire, you end up with a narrower contact patch. (of course, the 255/70 might not rub... )

bowke28 · November 2003

is set to be early may of 2004.

Jack44 · November 2003

They sound nice...But remember if you do a lot of snow driving...That thinner tires work better in snow than do wider tires...The wider tires act like snow shoes and you will ride up on top of the snow rather than dig down deeper for traction...Something to consider if you live back east and encounter snow for more months than here for just a California weekender...

Jack44 · November 2003

I think you now mean the Nissan Pathfinder Armada...The huge 8 passenger V8 powered SUV...No more mid size...

bowke28 · November 2003

the armada has been out now for 6 weeks. im talking about the 2005 model pathfinder. midsize, 3 rows of seats, and a full redesign.

shark715 · November 2003

Smokey, in your post #7071 you don't have the facts entirely correct. Mobil did not tell me their product is incompatable with the LSD in my '01 Pathfinder. (see my post #7048) What they did say is that a friction modifier additive is required in my vehicle, and they said that the my owners manual specifically states this. However, I pointed out to them that the bottle their product comes in says that it is LSD compatable, but does not say a friction modifier additive may be required. I suggested they note that on the bottle, and they told me they would pass my suggestion onto their Marketing Department. At least one competitive product (Red Line) comes with the friction modifier already mixed in. I've purchased it, but have not had a chance to replace the Mobil 1 product that is in my rear axle now. I'm curious to see if my LSD works properly again after I make the switch.

smokey75 · November 2003

That's what I meant SHARK715... by not compatible I meant without a friction modifier. But, the tech I spoke with at Mobil 1 said that it is completely compatible without any friction modifier... straight out of the bottle. In addition, nowhere in the users manual or the service manual does it call for the addition of a friction modifier. It only tells what weight is required & something else (don't have my service manual with me), but Mobil 1 gear lube meets both of these. Also, I have always used Mobil 1 gear lube in my PF & the LSD still works. You might want to call Mobil again to see what they say this time. Just out of curiosity, have you tested it by jacking up the rear end to make sure it is definitely not working?

lbinh · November 2003

nne3jxc,

Can you explain to us in detail the mud guard "mods" you mentioned. How long did it take with what tools? Did the mods change the look of the mud guards? Any other rubbing after the mods?
Thanks.

shark715 · November 2003

Smokey, I didn't speak to anyone at Mobil in person. I sent an email to the web address on the bottle and they responded in writing. Their response was "Your owner's manual recommends a friction modifier that must be added
with the Mobil1 product." My owners manual calls for "Only LSD gear oil: API GL-5 and SAE 80W-90 approved for Nissan LSD" I have the factory service manual and it says exactly the same thing. I didn't try jacking up the car as you suggested, but I'm familiar with that procedure. I've had several cars in the past with LSD's. Mine is definitely not working anymore. If I have to accelerate quickly from a stop on a slippery road, the right rear tire will loose traction. If the LSD were working properly, both rear tires would lose traction simultaneously (if traction were lost at all). It's certainly possible that the problem has nothing to do with the Mobil 1 gear oil, but it sure seems coincidental. I do a lot of heavy towing, and I guess the heat generated from towing could have damaged the LSD unit. That's why I thought a synthetic product would be a good idea. When I get a chance to install the Red Line product I'll let you know if it solves the problem.

nne3jxc · November 2003

The rubbing is very minor. It only happens when:

Backing up while turning the wheel to nearly the full extent left or right and then applying the brakes. (like backing out of a tight parking space)

It never rubs during during forward travel.

The rubbing occurs at the extreme left and right limit of the wheels -- the outside front edge of the tread catches on the front of the wheel well "tubs."

The mods are very minor and shoud require no more than normal household handtools.
Mod 1:
I removed the mud flaps from the rear of the front wheel well. They weren't rubbing, but one part was within 1/2" or so of the tire. I removed the flaps just for extra clearance for "fenderbergs" (snow build-up) in winter. (they seemed to be more for looks than anything since the step/running boards below the doors will deflect most any sand, snow, etc. coming off the front wheels.)
You need to remove three screws (2 hex heads, one philips) from each side. Total time 5 minutes.

Mod 2:
(This one is still in process.) I need to push the inside plastic wheel well tubs at the front of the wheel wells forward only an inch or so. The tubs are plastic and are lightly bolted/screwed to various body points. They are extremely flexible and I can easily push them to allow even more clearance than I need. The trick is to figure a way to attach a bracket to push them away from the tire from inside the wheel well, or pull them away from inside the fender. The only thing I've tried so far is to wedge something -- don't laugh, I used a few of my daughter's Legos -- inside the edge of the fender between the fender and the tubs. This seemed to work, but it is only a temporary solution as they will eventually fall out, or (if glued in place)could become traps for sand and salt.

I will post a couple of pictures when I get a chance.

Regards,
Jim

PS: Jack44 -- you make a good point about the width of the tire in snow. (and being from New Hampshire I usually see fair amount of it.)
But by increasing the width from 255 to 265 AND increasing the sidewall ratio from 65 to 70, I have kept the same overall treadwidth. Only the diameter increased. (by about 1/5")

xplorx4 · November 2003

Instead of using Lego bricks to mod your front wheel wells, if you have a blow-dryer or a heat gun, you can heat the fender liner and remold it into a shape that gives more tire clearance. (I heard about this mod on another Pathfinder board.)

nne3jxc · November 2003

After looking at the wheel wells again, I said "the heck with it" and glued the Legos in place. Yes, it is kind of a goofy mod, but both the fender and wheel tub are plastic, so I have no fear of body rot starting from trapped salt.
For each side, I took 2 "8-bump" Legos (Black, so they wouldn't show), stacked them and epoxyed them together. Then I placed the glued Lego blocks horizontally into the gap between the fender lip and the tub about 8 inches from the bottom of the fender, pushing the tub forward about 1 inch. I then used a couple of dabs of epoxy to glue the blocks in place in the fender. I figure the Legos should be more than strong enough to resist any damage from road debris, but easy enough to cut out if necessary.
I put up some pictures here if you want to see.

BTW: re-reading my post from yesterday -- the change in diameter should be 1.5" not 1/5"

lbinh · November 2003

Tires look great!! Did you purchase a new spare tire also? I heard that size will not fit in the spare tire space. Anyways, good job and great pictures. I liked how you outlined the locations in the pictures.

bgritz · November 2003

nne3jxc,
they lok great!
We went to the 265/70-16's on our '01 5-spd SE two years ago, and just put another set on last month. I will never go smaller. The added width has not been a detriment in CO's snow. In fact, they absolutly STOMPED in last years 48" blizzard.
http://f1.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/bgritz/lst?.dir=/Blizzard+Pics&a- mp;.src=ph&.order=&.view=t&.done=http%3a//f1.pg.photo- s.yahoo.com/

In your last pic caption you stated "May not be enough for true off-roading"-.........you will be fine.
We've had both the front and rear sets of tires fully "stuffed" into the wells and there is still clearance (1/2" to 3/4"
http://f1.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/bgritz/vwp?.dir=/Canyonlands-Nee- - - dles+Oct.+2001&.dnm=110+Pathy+in+Devil%27s+Lane.jpg&.view- - - =t

all pics can be seen here:
http://photos.yahoo.com/bgritz

Enjoy them!
gritz

nne3jxc · November 2003

Wow -- Great pics! I love the one in Devil's Lane.
Mine will never see that much off-roading -- mud-filled dirt roads from the New Hampshire spring rains and thaw are about as "xtreme" as this truck gets. And I agree, I'll never go back to the OEM tires, the Yoko's handle so much better -- even with the slight rise in the center of gravity.

lbinh: No, I didn't bother with the spare. If I have to I could limp it home with OEM spare. (Be an interesting ride, though...)

xplorx4 · November 2003

If you do use your (smaller) spare tire, be sure to place the spare on a front position, and use 2WD mode (not AWD or 4WD) until you can get a like-sized replacement tire. This kind of sucks if you get a flat in the rear, because you'll have to swap THREE tires instead of just two, but it's better than compromising your drivetrain. Using tires of different diameters can potentially damage the 4WD system if used over long distances.

edit: Just saw your photos. Your truck looks great! Now all you need is a 1-2" lift to complete the look!

fishingguy1 · November 2003

Hello All,

I am new at this website. I think it's great that everyone sharing their ideas regarding vehical.

I just got a new 2003 LE. It's much nicer than my old 95 PF. For Nissan Pathfinder, it has come a longways.

One Problem I am experiencing is a noise coming from engine JUST AROUND 2,900 RMP to 3,100. Have not had a chance to bring it to the service department yet. It sounds like crakling noice as you are in too high of a gear in stickshif. Has Anyone experienced this problem? If you did what was the problem and the solution?

Thanks,

fishingguy1

eagle63 · November 2003

Hey all, just got a 2003 PF SE and I'm loving it! (my first Nissan vehicle) 2 questions, however: Do all PF's have a LSD differential, or is this an option that I missed getting?
Second, my owner's manual lists 2 different engines, but I thought all PF's came with the same 3.5 DOHC V6. Do you know what the differences are?
Thanks in advance!!

-eagle63

lbinh · November 2003

I just installed a 4'x 4' piece of Dynomat Xtreme under the rear seat. I am suprised Nissan did not insulate that area properly as well as it should. A lot of body metal under just 1 layer of carpet. There is that loose piece of rubber mat with foam but I doubt that actually makes a difference since it floats on the body panel loosely.

I removed the jack, brackets and rear seats to get to the bare floor board. I sized and installed Dynomat Xtreme to all the areas I could. Skipping the Fuel pump area, wires, and bolts (4' x 4' piece covers 60-70%). The body panel that supports the rear seat bolts did not have any insulation at all. I covered that panel almost completely. Re-installed everything (less than hour to do). Test drove it and did notice a small drop in interior noise. I am sure a complete cargo area and wheel well (maybe even passenger floor boards) floor board coverage with Dynomat would make a big difference. That stuff is expensive though. Thought I would test under rear seat first and maybe move to other areas.

Next thing for me is to replace the noisy OEM Duellers.

jiamin · November 2003

I installed 4 square inch of dynamat Xtreme in the trunk area. I didn't cover the wheel well but most of its surrounding area. No noticeable noise reduction was found. If I have n easy way to remove side plastic panel in the trunk I will probably install more dynamat.

Hi ibinh, did you really notice a small noise drop, or could it be a psychological affect because you know there is something in there to supposedly reduce noise? The reason why I'm asking is since the material is expensive, I want to install it in the most efficient way and area.

mary327 · November 2003

I just bought a 2000 Nissan Pathfinder and need tires-255/65-16 and an alignment. I know the Bridgestones are original equipment-any recommendations for all season tires and alignment? thanks

Nissan Pathfinder

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