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Also, I don't apply anything to the steering wheel leather cause it makes it slippery.
I read from other forums that an internet company specializes in steering wheel refinishing. I think it costs about $200-$300. Will have to look up site URL.
Or simply buy those steering wheel leather covers(non-perforated leather) at autoparts stores. I bought one from Pep Boys($15) for my previous Dakota and it was a nice fit. You just had to thread it yourself, that took a long time.
Here's what we thought about the '05 Explorer...
- conservative but stylish exterior
- simple, clean interior
- good legroom in 2nd row, tolerable 3rd row(I'm a long-legged 6'2")
- didn't like the sloping cargo floor when 2nd & 3rd rows folded
- rough V6, smooth V8
- decent ride
- expensive MSRP when you load it up(although mostly offset by rebates)
- has some of the worst depreciation from I've seen, which meant terrible lease prices and/or low resale
- questionable reliability, depending on who you talk to
and our thoughts on the '05 Pathfinder...
- bold, aggressive exterior...somewhat head-turning
- same for the interior
- tighter 2nd row legroom than Explorer, 3rd row too tight for me to sit
- flat, level cargo area
- smooth, powerful V6; not quite as 'torquey' off the line as the Explorer V8, but quicker 0-60
- nice ride on the freeway; a little stiff on rough roads
- good value for the money; great lease deals
- previous generations had rock-solid reliability...hopefully that carries over
So we ended up going with the '05 Pathfinder SE. We've had it a couple weeks and love it...no regrets. My advice is to drive them all, more than once if necessary. You can read all the opinions and reviews you want but when it comes down to it, you're the one that has to decide what you like. Good luck!
It's rare that I need to put the LE into 4 Hi. I normally leave in auto mode during the winter and it does a great job. I will put it into 4 Hi when I want to play around the neighborhood after a big snowfall.
My lease is coming to an end and I don't really like the looks of the 2005 Pathfinder. I originally picked the 2002 Pathfinder over the then new Pilot. The Pathfinder had a better road feel than the Pilot. Nissan did too radical of a change to the Pathfinder for me.
running boards:
6cd Bose Stereo,
17" alloy wheels,
sliding/flip up sunroof,
air conditioning,ps, pw,pdlocks,tilt wheel,
cruise, roof rack, privacy glass, alloy wheels.
Just hit 28,000 miles, all Florida, had one accident where right front was scraped and had to be repainted, but no body damage. As well, if there are any general suggestions for getting the most of trade in value, I'm all ears.
Thank you,
There's also the Real-World Trade-In Values discussion for cross-checking our numbers.
Steve, Host
How does that trick work? Soap will plug a small fuel leak? Does it work on oil pans?
Steve, Host
--Dan
oil change/oil filter/tire rotation $40
coolant chage/flush (is flush necessary?) $90 (probably cheaper do it at Jiffylube)
change in-cabine microfilter $70
change fule filter
air filter (I can do it, ha..)
Auto Transimission service (I don't know what exactly that is? change ATF?) $150
Change drive belts (it was squealing on cold morning, although not that"squeal")
front wheel bearing grease
reaplace differential oil (dealer advisor said no need ??)
replace radiator cap (dealer advisor said no need ??)
Do I need change transfer case oil? breake fluid?
Any suggestion? Thans here ): :lemon:
Shu
In cabin microfilter requires removal of the glove box door. Other than that it's simple.
Auto transmission is also "flushed" - they should be forcing trans. oil backwards though the cooler in the rad. to clean out any bits of clutch pack fibres. I don't think I've seen a filter to change, so it's just a flush and change of fluid.
Wheel bearing grease needs to be changed - in case you "forded" a stream, but it breaks down and needs to be replaced even without the water issue.
Diff. oil and transfer case oil is just as important as engine and transmission oil. It breaks down from the heat. The manual recommends it so do it.
I'd leave the rad. cap alone unless it's causing a problem. It almost never gets removed (except when you change the coolant - every two years).
Also the brake fluid should be changed - every two years is what is recommended in the industry. It is glycol based and absorbs water out of the air. This water migrates down to the calipers and lowers the boiling temp. of the fluid raising the possibility of loss of braking due to heat. It also corrodes the brake system parts.
Others I know who have changed fluid in their own transmissions do it twice in a very short period of time. This wastes a lot of fluid, but it gets some of the old fluid out of the TC.
Can anyone tell me which hose into the rad is the inlet and which is the outlet? I haven't seen it identified in the manual or on the hoses.
I think it may be easiest to let a lube shop do it as they connect to those two hoses and replace the fluid using the trans. pump, persumably getting it all. My only hesitation is when I checked they all said they don't have Mobil 1. I'll ask next if they will use it if I bring the Mobil 1 trans fluid. (Lube City, Mr. Lube, etc)
Steve, Host
A 1 pound can of bearing grease retails for under $30 and, even with the cost of repacking the bearings and replacing the seals, $350 sounds more like the cost of replacing bearings. The grease itself is special in that it has to withstand high temperatures. Can anyone offer more insight?
tidester, host
Besides Nissan dealer, where can I do it cheaper and trustful?
I think any competent mechanic should be able to do that for you. Get recommendations in your area from friends and colleagues.
tidester, host
Thank you for the advise, I posted on craigslist for $300.00 for the set of four. The tire shop offered me $100.00 for the set.
Also, Ride Quality. This PF rides super nice on the highway, but gravel roads and the usual road imperfections...forgehdaboud !!! Not to mention the occasional set of train tracks. What could the culprit be; tires, suspension components, coil springs or shock absorbers. If I were to guess and replace one of these items it would be the shock absorbers to a more "softer" type of ride. You know, that 'driving on air' feeling. This harsh ride is my only disappointment with my PF, but I can live with it because I'm not an after-market kinda guy. I usually replace stuff when necessary.
Any suggestions on these two topics...
I have 2002 LE and I want to install transfer case protection before I hit the Moab trails during Memorial day weekend.
I have been logging miles religiously and I get around 15.5 to 16.5 MPG mostly city driving. 17-18 highway MPG. Remember that these are larger diamter tires and the actual milage should be a little more than the odometer reads. I saw a technical breakdown of the effects of tire sizes. I think I read actual milage reading will be less by 5%. So add about 5% to the MPG readings above.
Also, I read somewhere the only thing that really decrease gas milage is if you go wider in tread. Makes sense, more contact to the road increases rolling resistance of the tire and thus decrease gas milage. Of course if you go really high profile aggressive A/T tires with the same tread width than yes, that would effect milage also.
Significant increase in tire/wheel width or height from OEM adds more stress to OEM suspension componets. But, I think our 1" increase in tire height wouldn't make a difference.
I have a 1997 QX4 75K Miles and am having the same type of problem. Just driving and the engine shuts down. It was also dying just sitting in a drive thru at fast food resterants with my foot on the brake. No codes are present in the computer so the Nissan dealer is lost. Took it in to another mechanic and had a tune up and thought that things were fixed. Then about two weeks later the problem has come back. Did you get your vehicle fixed?
Thanks
Roger