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My question, has anyone recently replaced plugs, wires, cap, etc? If so, what did you use (i.e Bosch, NGk, Nissan OEM,etc) and did you notice any difference?
Any advice would be great.
Thanks
Also, does anyone have Husky Floor Liners. I want to purchase these because they have a "tub shape" (raised edges to keep water in). My question is, do they cover the left foot rest ? My current pant saver car mats have allowed water to spill over on to the carpet and I hate having to drive with my left leg bent just to keep my foot on the mat.
Message #'s 7208 & 7210,
I too like the grille guards, but I noticed how close they contour the hood and bumper area which makes me think that it's more time consuming to wash the front end, having to stick your wash mit in the small gap, especially to clean the headlights/parking lights. By the way, in Canada we call grille guards, "Moose Bars" !!! Cows ???...those little animals???
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The question is...why am I resorting to sticking pencil erasers in my steering wheel? After looking at some of Nissan's newer offerings (Altima, Maxima, Titan, Armada) I think the quality control engineers have either been fired and their work outsourced to Bangladesh, or they are on vacation. Other posters have said they have never had a similar rattle or even a rattle period. Since the 2003 steering wheel was a brand new design, it seems something is amiss over at Nissan.
Has anyone looked at the new Armada or Titan? Their interiors are starting to make The Chevy Silverado's look like a Lexus.
I really am impressed with my Pathfinder's interior - materials and construction top notch, but I don't think I would buy a newer Nissan based on my steering wheel experience.
I am excited to see the 2005 Pathfinder however, maybe Nissan can turn it around, like GM and Ford and Chrysler have been doing.
I have driven 2 cavaliers, a gran prix, a silverado, and a malibu and I never had rattle problems like with this new Nissan - disappointing to say the least. All of those vehicles were used and I drove every single one of them over 150,000 miles, the gran prix to 170,000 miles with no major problems.
Maybe the dominance of japanese quality is now limited to Honda/Toyota.
I also have "the shimmy" - taking it back to the garage this weekend.
I am finished venting - I am confident that once these problems are permaneantly fixed I will enjoy driving my Pathfinder as much as everybody else here.
I will keep you posted on the shimmy problem...
;-)
Only issue so far with ours is the need to burn premium fuel in large quantities. OTOH, we went on a genuine Arizona 4WD loop last Sunday (Montana Pass, near Superior) with #1 son & his family (they have a 14-year old Jeep) and had a really excellent time -- priceless. My goal was to gather a few AZ pinstripes, some mud and at least one dent on the undercarriage prior to getting the dealer plate off the vehicle. We were successful on all counts.
Don't get me started on those who choose a vehicle based on its image rather than what it can do.
We looked at Xterras and went with the Pathfinder for a number of reasons, but the lack of an engine oilpan skid plate is troubling, given the aggresive nature of many of the trails here in AZ. What would you folks here on the board recommend for an aftermarket engine skid plate?
Anyway, I'm joining up and, based on other Edmunds boards, expect to pick up a lot of useful hints. In time, I may be able to provide some as well.
Steve
I gather you aren't impressed with the plastic skid plate that's on there now...Mainly just a pain in the asp to take off when you do an oil change...
Steve
Messages are very helpful and have decided to join.
Since purchasing my 2000 pf April 2003 with 24,700 I have had problems with my windows and everytime I return to dealer, they simply silicone spray the windows...works for a little until I have to spray again.
Yesterday the dealer said I would have to replace the rubber strips around windows and of course my warranty has expired and my extended warranty through Fidelity does not cover this. This will cost $700 to fix.
It seems to me that 2000 and above are all experiencing this problem.
I contacted Nissan of America and they stated that the only recall to windows was for Altimas and that I should not have to silicone spray or lube my windows.
This seems to be a problem that many are experiencing and should be brought by many to Nissans attention. I am looking into what I can do to make Nissan realize that their Altima's windows are not the only problem.
I like my truck but this is a problem. I will keep all in touch.
I look forward to reading more messages and thanks in advance for any feedback.
In your case, the dealer's repeated attempts at a simple fix which was only temporary is unacceptable in my opinion. I would open a complaint file with Nissan saying that this should have been fixed properly the second time the problem cropped up (whether that fix was the adjustment that worked for me or a replacement of the rubber guides that they are finally recommending now that it is off warranty).
Good luck!
but who cares. My PF is an 03, these are for the 02 model. Have a look at these pics and see for yourself. http://photos.yahoo.com/sfd32
I did speak with a supervisor Steve from Nissan of America and he was of no help....told me to go back to the dealer...Nissan will not fix unless it is total failure. Steve also stated that they do not recommend the sale of used vehicles!
My dealer was sold to another and I had problems with both dealers since purchasing...had rotational tires on but noticed they were on backwards and worn the wrong way...had to fight to get new tires for about 2 months. Both dealers never documented anything...I would ask for invoices but told did not need. The only invoice I have is with a third Nissan dealer that is now in the location of where I purchased the truck. The third is not in good terms with the other two dealerships.
I know it is not just a malfunctioning indicator since this has happened a 4 times this week while I drive out of my office parkade (all left turns) and the truck hops as if it was in 4Hi. I have to switch it to 2wd to get out of the parkade!
This sort of makes sense. After all, wouldn't you rather know that the diff really is locked, rather than simply have a light tell you what position the switch is in?
Anyway, from experience I know that on the part-time 4WD system, the green "4WD" dashboard light glows as long as the transfer case is engaged, even after the lever has been moved to 2WD mode. When the transfer case finally releases, the light shuts off. I can only speculate that the same is true with the Auto-mode t-case. For example, if you're running in 4HI or 4LO, the center diff is locked. It will probably remain locked even after you switch back into Auto mode, as long as there is some level of tension in the driveline (such as when turning sharply on a high-traction surface). As soon as that tension is released, the diff will unlock.
Probably the bigger concern here is not why the lamp is glowing, but whether the t-case and center diff are being damaged when the fluid in the diff is cold enough to lock the front and rear driveshafts together. What has Nissan said about this? Anyone check yet?
He recommend getting the tranny and transfer case fluid changed out at the same time. Labor was cheap (around $20), but this would take almost 15 litres of synthetic AT fluid to do both...ouch. I'm going to price it out (Redline has some I know).
Cost:
$9/litre for synthetic AT fluid ($135)
$5/litre for synthetic LSD fluid ($15)
2 hours labour ($160)
For $300 CAD I'm hoping it's worth it....
BTW, I've heard that switching out an entire vehicle to synthetic fluids can improve fuel economy due to reduced friction (around 5% improvement). Sure could use it on this truck!
so i sold my miata and i'm missing the community of miata.net. are there other discussion boards that are consumer oriented (not too techy) or clubs i should be aware of? post links!
thanks
http://www.greasergrrls.com/pathfinder
Please don't! Linking to other auto forums is not allowed in Town Hall per the Terms of Use.
tidester, host
"A monster grill on your pick up or sport utility vehicle may look cool and prevent damage in a low speed accident, but an NBC 5 investigation has found that the popular accessories also pose a danger for people in your vehicle and any others you might hit in a crash."
Grill Guard Safety (NBC 5)
Steve, Host
To be fair, the article correctly states that grille guards are more cosmetic than anything else. In minor collisions (i.e. up to 10mph), grille guards will often damage the hood, fenders, and other forward body parts, where only the bumper might be damaged if the grille guard had not been installed.
All-steel or aluminum replacement bumpers and bull bars (such as those made by ARB, TJM, Reunel, ECB, etc.) are obviously designed to protect you and your vehicle more than they are to minimize damage to another vehicle. But sometimes there's just no getting around the bigger issue of vehicle MASS in a collision.
My wife's 95 Pathfinder has a manual transmission that works perfectly, except for one problem: When it's not moving, it's very difficult sometimes to put the gearshift into 1st gear or into reverse- not always, but sometimes. When we're moving it's shifts fine- it's just when we're starting from a a dead stop that it's really hard to get into gear sometimes. Before we take it to the dealer, anyone have any ideas on what's going on? thanks in advance!
So I will:
As many others here have experienced, the Pathfinder has a need for great accuracy when balancing tires. When I took delivery I took the vehicle on a 1000 mile roadtrip, and I shook off the vibrations as interstate irregulaties. I took the finder in for it's first oil change and also requested a tire balance for the steering wheel shimmy; also felt through the gas pedal while driving.
The first visit to the dealer was a debacle, taking over two hours for an oil change and wheel balance. They then tried to charge me $50 for the balancing and after a short heated exchange I was given a free armband radio and the balance was put under warranty.
The problem was not fixed, and actually was getting worse.
So I took it back in a following weekend and brought with a list of fixes compiled by this other folks on this very helpful board. This time the work was done in a reasonable period of time, but as I walked out to pick up the vehicle from the waiting room one of the mechanics literally bounced it over the lip of the driveway curb coming into the parking lot, driving like a 16 year old in a ricer, going way too fast and slammed on the brakes to a stop in front of me. Needless to say I was stunned. When I got home I noticed that the rims had been marked on the spokes by the balancing machine - scratched with grease ground into the scratches. So I drove it back down to the dealer and demanded (nicely) that my rims be cleaned/polished/whatever to get them clean- mechanic cleaned with tar remover and then waxed rims at my request.
When I arrived at home the second time I checked the tire pressure (after 2 hours of sitting in my garage) since the mechanic had reported filling my tires to 40 psi front, 35 rear which contradicted the mfr stated 30 front/30 rear. All four tires were at 45 psi! I then went to the store to buy a new, quality tire gauge and then let the vehicle sit for several hours. Still 45 psi. When the customer service rep called I reported this "minor problem" and I will apparently be getting a free oil change next appt. Wonder how many quarts low I will be after that.
Anyway, the shimmy HAS been reduced approximately 75% so am very happy about that. Actually pleasant to drive above 60 mph now. I have noticed that on rougher road surfaces the steering is very subject to bumpsteer input. Part of the design I guess.
Loving my finder more and more as all these problems are fixed.
Why is it so difficult to find good, ethical mechanics??
Anybody else have similar experiences???
I've had my 03 Chilkoot for ten months now, and I don't feel the brakes are spongy, I'd rather use the word 'sensitive' or 'responsive'. If I recall my test drive, the brakes felt the same as they do now, I did not feel that the brakes were of any concern during the drive. For comparison, a few weeks after taking my PF home, I had to drive my dad's car, I literally had to use both feet on the brakes. What a difference ! I definitley like the PF brakes. Try going to a different dealer for another test drive. Also, no problems with my steering. I've got 8200 kms, one dealer oil change and not one complaint. You can't go wrong with the Pathfinder...240 hp (more than some V8 suv's) and an excellent 4WD system.
P.S. Why so long for delivery ? I bought my PF on a Saturday and took it home Tuesday morning. Aren't there any sitting around at other dealers ?