Nissan Quest/Mercury Villager problems

kymike · October 2002

I have been very happy with my Yokohama Avid Touring tires. About 12,000 miles and not showing much wear, where the original tires were well worn after 28,000 miles. The evaluations on Tire Rack were what led me to this tire also.

revka · October 2002

Just curious. Can someone tell me if the engine oil capacity is different for the 2002 Quest vs previous years? Perhaps someone can look in their owner's manual and tell me what it says.

My 2002 Quest owner's manual (section 9-2) says the capacity is only 4 quarts of oil if you're changing the oil filter; and 3 7/8ths quarts if you're not changing the oil filter. I thought my previous 99 Quest used around 4.5 quarts per change.

The reason I'm asking is because I just had my oil changed, and I noticed the oil is above the overfill line (not good). Also, on the ticket, they've written down 5 quarts. From now on, I'll need to remind my dealer only use 4 quarts. Anyone else had that experience? Thanks.

Revka
Hatchbacks & Wagons Host

stever · October 2002

I've had that experience, but I did it myself :-). My '99 takes ~4.5 quarts with a filter change. I put ~4.8 qts in when I stopped to double check the owner's manual. It was barely over the full mark so I ignored it.

Steve, Host

revka · October 2002

That's a 1/2 quart less for the 2002 Quest. I'm wondering what kind of changes they've made on the engine specs since 99 to require less oil? Does anyone here know?

Also, I'm wondering if I should have them redo my oil. If they put in 5 quarts, they put in 20% more than needed. What do people think? Would it hurt to have it that way for the next 3k miles?

Revka

Hatchbacks & Wagons Host

stever · October 2002

That much overfill couldn't be good - I'd be concerned about fouling the sensors if nothing else. Best ask them to redo it or take a quart out I think.

Dave? Corsica? Anyone?

Steve, Host

cchalverson · October 2002

The Nissan manual for earlier Quests was very specific about not overfilling the oil, but it is easy enough to get the extra quart out if they use a marine type suction pump. Good luck!

corsicachevy · October 2002

My 2001 Quest SE takes about 4.5 quarts. That amount puts the oil level right to the top of the full range on the dip stick.

Has anybody had an experience with a 1999-2002 Quest/Villager burning oil? I have 22,000 miles on my van and have never burned a drop.

revka · October 2002

To Steve, cchalverson, and corsicachevy- Thanks for the feedback on the oil. My owners manual also mentions to not overfill.

This morning I had the problem corrected. It turns out the oil capacity has changed to 4 quarts for 2002 Quests, because Nissan changed the size of the oil pan for 2002 models. Thanks again.

Revka

Hatchbacks & Wagons Host

dhoff · October 2002

My 99 Quest owner's manual I believe (this is from memory, you have been warned!) calls for 4 3/8 quarts when the oil & filter are changed.

I've always changed my own oil and found that exactly 4 quarts brings it right up to the full mark on the dipstick. I'm guessing that they didn't make any changes to the later engines, just refined what they put in the manual as the capacity. I'd be surprised if they made a change to the oil pan on it just in time for the last year of production, but who knows?

If your oil is over the full mark, I'd have them take some out.

As far as burning oil, so far with 76,000 miles haven't experienced it yet. Though I did have a bad oil filter that was leaking a while back, enough that I had to add some oil. I've changed my oil & filter every 3,000-4,000 miles (using Castrol part synthetic), so I wouldn't expect much engine wear yet.

Dave

revka · October 2002

Dhoff- That's a good point. My owner's manual also states that the capacity levels are approximate... and the actual refill capacity will depend on the temperature and drain time.

Btw, I was just at the Auto Zone where their computers showed that both the 2001 and 2002 Quest oil capacity was "4 quarts" if changing the oil & filter. However, the 2000 and earlier models required more oil... at least according to their computers. Talk later.

Revka

Hatchbacks & Wagons Host

rbudn83510 · October 2002

hi...hope you guys/girls have some info for me. First, my tachometer stopped working....it still moves every once in awhile but not fluidly...any tips on troubleshooting?? Next, where is the fuel filter...is it difficult to replace? im nearing 30,000 miles and dealer wants 235.00 for service..im going to try to do all the filter changes myself. Does anyone know where to find what transmission # i have. Its is unclear in the manual as to when to change the transmission fluid. every 5,000 it says to inspect and only change every 30,000 idf you have a particular transmission.....thanx for any info

kristorr · October 2002

I'm new to this message board and a new Villager owner. I just purchased a 2001 Villager with a little less than 24,000 miles. I've noticed twice now that when driving in stop-and-go traffic, upon acceleration, the engine seems to "jump" slightly (thats the only way I can describe it). No other problems and it seems to run fine in other traffic conditions. I've never owned a mini van and a 6 cylinder and my question is: would this be normal, or is this something to have looked at. Any input would be appreciated!

dhoff · October 2002

I have a 99 Quest and my tachometer quit working some time ago. It usually just sticks in one spot, even with the engine shut off, but sometimes it jumps around. I believe it's the head unit that is bad, since it will stick even if the ignition is off (it is recieving no electrical signal then, so it shouldnt). A replacement head unit is available from online Nissan parts places for about $70, I haven't decided if I should try to change it out myself yet or not. It's really not needed with an automatic transmission, but it's nice to have.

I haven't replaced my fuel filter yet, but I should. Don't know how hard it is to get to.

The manual doesn't say when to replace the transmission fluid. 30,000 is a good time to do it. I just changed mine at 75,000 miles, and I probably should have before that. It's pretty easy to do since there is a drain plug for it. I got about 4 quarts out when draining it. I also added a bottle of Lubeguard treatment when I filled it back up. (Someone gave me a good tip on this, the trick is to put back in exactly what you took out. I used clean milk jugs to measure how much came out.) Shifting is noticably smoother now.

Kristorr, not sure what you mean by the engine jumping, but I have never noticed this in our van. Do the engine rpm's jump up or down when this happens? If you could describe what happens in a bit more detail it would help. But, it does sound like something is not right.

Dave

cookie22 · October 2002

I think once you get used to the accelerator petal on your van you will be OK . I hadn't driven a 6 cly. car since the Nash I had back in the 60-70's. (what a dog) when I got my 99 Villager estate I was absolutly amazed at the power that is in this 6 cly. engine. It nearly jumps from under you. It is one really snappy , nice Van. I'm sure you will learn to love it.

corsicachevy · October 2002

"It nearly jumps from under you. It is one really snappy , nice Van." - cookie.

I'll admit that the Quest/Villager is a nice van, especially for the money. I love my 2001 Quest. Snappy? I realize that you are a long term four cylinder fan, but 4000lbs and 170hp does not make for a "snappy" vehicle. Did you move up from a 1976 Rabbit diesel? :-) It would have been nice if Nissan would have equiped the SE models with the 210hp supercharged version of the 3.3V6 - 210hp and 240lb-ft of torque would have made for a "snappy" van.

stever · October 2002

I wonder if Kristorr's problem is the old dirty throttle body issue?

Steve, Host

cookie22 · October 2002

I have driven Cadillac's since 1974. But they got so expensive and look so much like everything else on the road I thought I'd try a Van . I traded my 95 Cadi . for the 99 Villager and still contend that for a 4000 lb. 6 cl. it is a nice , snappy piece of work.

cchalverson · October 2002

Our key fob is getting weak. Does anyone know if the battery(ies) can be replaced or do we replace the entire key fob? Thanks!

kristorr · October 2002

Steve,

Can you expand a little on the dirty throttle bottle issue?

Dhoff, I really didn't pay attention to the rpms, but I will in the event that it happens again.

Cookie22 - so far I really do love the Villager. Great handling and so much room (last car was a Cavalier!), but the accelerator has taken some getting used to.

If anyone has any other suggestions that would be great! Thanks a lot!

stever · October 2002

Often a "sticky pedal" symptom in Quests/Villages is caused by a dirty throttle body. Here's a post on how to clean it yourself:

dhoff Jan 24, 2001 4:54pm

Steve, Host

jpkiwi · October 2002

Check that the radiator cooling fans are working OK.
I had the same overheating problems in my Nissan Sentra, both my fans were not running. One fan is critical to running the A/C - no fan, no A/C

J-P

riswami · October 2002

Yes the battery can be replaced. Refer to your owners manual for specifics.

cchalverson · October 2002

riswami,
Thanks, I thought the wife said she'd looked there to no avail, but we'll do it again!

cindil · October 2002

kristorr, if I were you I would take it to the dealer. Since the villager comes with a 36,000 mile 36 month bumper to bumper warranty (no deductible), it should still be under warranty. They will do the work and it will be documented just in case it happens again and by then if its out of warrranty.

Nissan actually replaced my engine because of some known problem with the quest's and pathfinder engines (mine was a 95 so they have this problem fixed, eitherway, I didn't know about the "known problem" until I complained that I had a weird noise).

Also, dhoff I had to replace my fuel pump on my Quest (which was fairly expensive). They said one of the reasons why you may have to replace it is if you don't replace your fuel filter as recommended. The mechanic had a Quest the day before mine for the same problem and this wasn't at the Nissan dealership. I wonder if others have had this problem.

revka · October 2002

Not sure if this is a problem either, but I'm curious to know if anyone here has noticed an intermittent clicking sound (not very loud) when accelerating from slow speeds... or stepping on/off the brakes. I've been hearing this with my 2002 SE Quest.

It sound like it's coming under the (driver side) front dash area, right above the brake pedal. My dealer thinks something may be lose in the brake booster, and has even offered to take the whole brake booster apart and check it out....

Not sure I really want to go through the hassle of doing this, especially since it's not causing any noticeable problems. But I thought I'd go ahead mention it here in case anyone else has experienced this, and can offer some feedback. Thanks!

Other than that, my Quest has been doing fine. Just had my first oil change at 3750 miles. I'm probably going to switch to synthetic on my next service, then change my oil every 7.5k miles. Still getting around 18.5 MPG (mostly city). ;-)

Revka

Hatchbacks & Wagons Host

stever · October 2002

The clicking rings no bells with me.

Your mpg is "breaking in" nicely. I've been averaging ~20 mostly city lately, and we should break 75,000 miles this next week or two on our '99.

Steve, Host

redgal · November 2002

We have a 94 villager with wipers that come on and off at will. We have had the switch replaced twice yet it does not fix the problem. No one seems able to fix it. We have to replace the manofold and have heard all about the breaking bolts. Are there any recalls that will help us pay for this costly repair? We have 180,000km on our vehicle and are looking at $3000 in repairs. Is it time to fix and drive (taking a big chance on the transmission I think!), fix and sell or trade-in sell as is? Any advice?

mgfl · November 2002

I have a 94 Quest GXE. A few days ago, I thought that my drivers door keypad had died. Now I've found out that's is just the beep that's gone missing when I press keys, and the doors do in fact unlock per normal. Any ideas?

mokyde · November 2002

Bulb that lights the temp gauge on my 99 SE is out. Two other bulbs were replaced under warranty. No warranty on this one, so can anyone give me a few pointers on getting to these little buggers so I can avoid a heavy hit at the dealer?

stever · November 2002

Try this link and click on "Replacing A/C Light Bulbs" under subtopics. There's a sentence or two about the temp light.

I think the temp lamp lives in back of the "combination meter," which looks to be a fancy name for the instrument cluster. Don't know how you get back there without removing parts of the dash....

Steve, Host

stever · November 2002

Mgfl, the only thing that occurs to me is a loose wire or short. I'm not familiar with the earlier models, but popping the door loose to get to the back of the keypad to wiggle stuff shouldn't be all that difficult.

Steve, Host

toyoda · November 2002

I wonder what kind of transmission fluid is recommended for '95 Mercury Villager automatic trans? Service Manual says ATF. Will Dextron 2 or 3 is good enough? Thanks

tcdenver · November 2002

I got "Check Engine" light problem with my 94 Quest. I read several messages here about "Check Engine" and many pointed to EGRC-BPT. Can anyone help me locate EGRC-BPT for my 94 Quest?

Also, what might happen if I choose to ignore the "Check Engine" light? Everything else seems to be just fine. The van is running very smoothly, except that annoying "Check Engine" light.

Thanks.

stever · November 2002

Many auto parts stores (like AutoZone) will pull the codes for free and decipher why the check engine light is on. Maybe it's something different?

Meanwhile here's a link that may be of interest.

Anyone got any tranny fluid info for Toyoda?

Steve, Host

dhoff · November 2002

When I changed the ATF in my 99 I used Dexron/Mercon III. The manual recommends Genuine Nissan or the Dexron/Mercon.

Dave

xquuzme · November 2002

Greetings! I have a 2001 Villager and love it. It's comfortable and quick. I now have about 13K miles on it and for the last month or so I've notice a rattling that's getting louder and louder. It started around both front passenger seatbelt holders (in the walls) and I thought maybe it was the tensioners. The rattling seems to be spreading, however, and I can hear it in both front doors and the ceiling above the doors. It also creaks (like the sound of a leather chair). This rattling occurs when I start or stop or drive at moderate speed over rough road. Has anyone else had this problem? Thanks...

cookie22 · November 2002

I have a 99 Villager Estate and your problem sounds like the one the dealer tried to find for the first 35000 mi. I drove it. I finally took it to the Cadillac dealer and they solved my problem by spraying all the rubber seals on the doors with "Wurth Rubber Care" do not use a spray with silocone in it. Also they found the Roof Rack loose and tightened the knobs on it , RESULT was no more noise. It wouldn't hurt to try these 2 things. Good luck. love this van.

corsicachevy · November 2002

Xqu - Cookie has some good advice about your "creaking chair" sound. It is likely the result of friction between the door seals and the body seals (likely caused by body flex). There isn't much you can do about the flexing, but you can at least make it quiet.

revka · November 2002

No creaks on the doors or ceiling (yet), but as I mentioned above, I've been hearing an occasional click and vibration coming from under the front dash (driver side) area.

The dealer thought it might be something in the brake booster, and he even went as far as replacing the whole thing; but the click still persists.... Oh well, I guess it's to just turn up the radio. ;-)

kmeyerfl · November 2002

My mileage on a 2000 Villager is approaching 36,000 miles. Any advice on spending $1300 on an extended warranty? So far I haven't had any problems so I'm thinking about taking the risk and going without the warranty. I plan to keep it another 2 years or 60K miles.

stever · November 2002

I just passed 75,000 miles on my '99 Quest and haven't had anything unusual out of pocket so far; just the normal recommended maintenance. But the Nissan drivetrain warranty went to 5/60k miles, so it was an easier decision for me to forgo the extended warranty.

Usually the extended warranty is just another profit center for the dealer, unless you get "lucky" and your tranny falls out. I skip them - Revka on the other hand seems sold on them. You may be able to price shop your quote and get a better deal on one too.

Good luck deciding!

Steve, Host

107main · December 2002

I have a 2002 Villager with 4200 miles on it. I went to put it in reverse and heard a noise. The transmission range indicator broke and it don't show corrct gear anymore. Anyone else had this problem? I have a 99 Mazda truck and it did the same thing. The dealers act like this is a rare problem, but it happened to me twice now and never before in my 40 years of driving. The part that breaks is a little white plastic clip that is made so thin, that it breaks, plain and simple. Why can't Ford make the part better. Would have only costs maybe a penny more to make it stronger. It is one job to repair as you have to disassemble the dash. Fortunately my Villager is under warranty, but I will come out with a bummed up dash, I am sure, given the quality of todays mechanics!

bafana · December 2002

The last couple of weeks we notice a gas odor if we leave the door or windows open after we started our '99 Villager. During normal operation we do not smell anything wrong. I looked at the engine compartment but could not see any leaks or wet spots near the fuel injection, hoses or the throttle body. I did not use a mirror to check behind the intake manifold though. Any suggestions as to what might cause this?

derelict · December 2002

Post #1152 mentions a vibration. We have a 1995 Villager and have lived with the same problems for 7 years. The car itself is a dog and the vibration happens only at certain speeds. We have paid money for the dealer to try and fix it but he never can and even though he claims to find problems he hasn't the slightest idea what he is talking about. I think that the problem, like vibrations in any mechanical system, is due to resonant frequencies in the system that manifest when conditions are just right. If this confuses you, recall the story of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge in Washington State. If I were you, post #1152, I wouldn't live with it and I'd harrass and hound your dealer until they give you another car under the lemon law.

izaclown1 · December 2002

I now have almost 65k miles on this one and have had various problems:

Throttle sticking - Dealer fixed it by replacing a module. FORD PAID FOR IT!!

Auto-climate control failed - Fan controller died. FORD PAID FOR IT!! That was out of warranty!

New stuff:

Audiofile Radio - plays fine but the display works when it wants to. Any ideas??

Steering sticks in cold weather. Just freezes up and will not go past 45 degrees. I can let it roll to the end of the drive and it starts working fine. Any ideas? One mechanic says maybe steering seals @ $400. Fluid level is fine and the belt does not squeal under preasure...

Front rattles on bumps. Every one says everything looks fine under there. I am not so sure.

Otherwise, it has been a good traveling vehicle. Too bad I bought it new and cannot afford to trade it. With out the compressor running, I can get up 22 mpg. I cannot complain too much.

stever · December 2002

The radio display issue comes up all too often - the steering problem doesn't ring any bells, and doesn't sound too safe!

An Advanced Search in this topic for "radio" will find a lot of posts like this one:

stickguy Sep 23, 2002 6:35pm

Have you replaced your shocks and struts? I'm at 75,000 on my '99 Quest and I'm overdue. No rattles, but too much sway.

Steve, Host

stickguy · December 2002

Thanks Steve. Saved me the trouble of retyping the details.

rugby4 · December 2002

for UPset1's posting========
This might help-on the 1999-2000 Quest's One or more of the five bolts that mount rack-and pinion steering gear may have been incorrectly tightened; Could result in steering looseness and noise or vibration. Eventually, bolts could fracture or fall out. I found this information on the consumerguide.com. This recall does not refer specifically to your Villager but If I ever have that problem on my 2001 quest that's the first thing I will check.

kentzzs · December 2002

thanks for all the helps in this discussion group that i got the "check engin" light problem solved half year ago. now, new problem surfaced.
3 days ago, my 95 villager suddenly got a rough idle and engin is noiser than before. i can feel the vibration when stop at traffic lights. i noticed that a stronger smell came out of the exhust.
any suggestion on where and how to start the check up?
thanks.

-kent

btw, how can i search by key words through all 1200 messages in this group?

stever · December 2002

Kent, select Advanced Search on the left sidebar and then click the button to search just in this board (as opposed to all Vans discussions, etc.).

Steve, Host

Nissan Quest/Mercury Villager problems

Comments

Helpful Tools

Most popular vehicles