Nissan Pathfinder Owners: Accessories & Modifications

beefchuck

Has anyone changed their dome light? I want to make my dome light blue. The passenger and driver lights provide more than enough regular light for reading. I want to have a blue feel when I unlock my doors at night. That would be cool.

npathfinder

What is the exact type of tint you had installed? I have the same color as you and am interested in tinting the front windows as well. Let me know...Thanks

beefchuck

I believe that it is called a gold gloss, although the shop keeper where I had it put on insisted that it was a metallic silver tint. I like it either way, even though I have seen a true metallic silver tint around town that actually matches the sierra silver paint finish.
It cost me $40 a window for that tint (affordable), so if I fall upon that true silver tint, I will give it serious consideration. I'll keep everyone informed.

weekend warrior
-chuck

kmrq

I've changed my dome lights on my 99.5 PF. But it's not a blue, but I've got a hyper white, which looks like blue anyways. I purchased Polarg Hyper White Dome lights, you can search online for the cheapest prices. I paid $10 for a pair of dome lights, which is all you need to replace the both dome light in PF. I think Polarg also carry hyper blue, so you should consider buying those.

usarmyttt

Just curious what branch of the military are you in and where are you stationed? I also own a 01 LE Sierra Silver and I tinted my windows as dark as NC would allow and it looks great.
Todd

mbunting

I'm in the Air Force, stationed (for now) at Keesler AFB in Biloxi, MS. I'll be moving elsewhere come September, I just don't know where as of yet. Should know in a couple months for sure though.

Getting my windows tinted Friday morning...hopefully mine will look good also. I can't imagine it looking bad anyway, hope I'm not dissapointed!

Todd, how about you>? Where are you?

usarmyttt

I am station commander for the recruiting station in High Point,NC,which is about 15 minutes west of Greensboro.
Let me know how your tint looks.I also just had my 2000 Sentra SE tinted,looks great as well,I wish NC would allow us to go a little darker.I am a Florida native and you could black the windows out down there. Have you done any other modifications on your Pathfinder? I put a chrome exhast finisher on the tail pipe,I want to put a deflector on the rear window next. Todd

mbunting

Had mt 2 front rollup windows tinted this past friday...looks great! The installer did a superb job and was really impressed with the Pathfinder also. He said he may go test drive one this week even!

I had to use 35% tint (Mississippi legal), and it's almost a perfect match. You can't hardly tell any difference between what is already used on the other windows (stock) on the PF when comparing it to the 35% tint that was used.

For those of you that have been wanting to get the front rollup windows on your PF tinted...I say go for it! Just make sure you find a reputable installer (ASK AROUND IF NEED BE!) beforehand, and not just let any Joe Schmoe do the install!

Best Regards!

jmtreetop

I also had my 2 front windows done when I got my Pfinder. I did 20% and yeah, it's dark. It does look awesome though... I paid $60 and it was definitely worth it. Lifetime warranty too.

xplorx4

Does anyone know if there are pet barriers designed specifically for the Pathfinder? Or is there a "generic" brand that is easy to install and remove and doesn't damage the ceiling lining? Thanks.

meca2

Nissan has a pet guard divider. I think it uses the existing clips?
Could call your closest dealer. Steve

ssbf

I am looking for a tow hitch receiver for my LE 01. Any suggestions as to which after market brand would fit the pathfinder and where to buy it. I know that the original tow hitch from Nissan looks the best but it is so expensive ($350 and thats without installation).
Spring is here and I need to put my Thule Bike carrier onto a hitch. I had a Reese tow hitch receiver for my old '97 pathfinder.

woodyr1

I was advised by a Nissan dealer that the genuine Nissan hitch was manufactured by Hidden Hitch. I cannot vouch for the accuracy of that statement, but bought a Hidden Hitch unit for about $200 Canadian, and installed it myself (about a one hour job). The receiver projects beyond the bumper. I had a problem with receiver bar rattle, where the draw bar fits loose inside the receiver. I tried other receivers, and they were all loose. Swagman makes a clamp assembly which reduce the sloppiness, and resolves the issue.

pathstar

If the hitch rattles, just wrap one layer of electrical tape over the square tube before insertion. It wears away quickly, but will last a trip and is very inexpensive. It also provides some lubrication. Free story - I had a towel draped over the rear headrests which blocks vision very well and was backing out of a parking position - right into a Mazda Miata. Worst of all it is my sister's pride and joy. It put a nice impression of the receiver plastic cover in the bumper. I promised if she wanted the bumper replaced I would buy her a new car rather than an expensive Mazda part!

wcroland

Uhaul put mine on which looks almost identical with wiring for $174.

wcroland

Can anyone tell me where to get a good looking Chrome Exhaust Extension and how much to expect to pay?

jeckles

Any Class III tow hitch you buy will project beyond the back bumper because the spare tire is so close to the back of the vehicle. I had hoped to avoid the projection, because it seems like a shin banger!

I got a Draw Tite round tube hitch from 1-800-HITCHIT for $159 delivered. They seemed to have the best price and load capacity claims. It arrived in very short time and was very easy to install. Removing the original tow hooks was the hardest part. In all it took about 30 minutes.

I also got the wiring kit from the same place and it worked fine too.

I prefer the looks of the round tube, rather than the square tube Nissan sells, but wonder if a step would be helpful... I put some no-skid tape on the top of the receiver, but may add a real step to my hitch later.

Hope this helps.

jeckles

Anyone find a good manufacturer of towing mirrors for the pathfinder?

I tow a camper and would like to see around it while I'm on the road...

I had a nice set of mirrors, for my explorer, that slid over my factory mirrors and worked very well. I haven't found anything like that for PF.

wcroland

Uhauls hitch does protrude a little but it has to because of the spare tire. It's a round tube and has the step, just doesn't have the nice rubber on top of it, but guess you could put no skid tape.

It's probably similar to Draw Tite. Tow III hitch load is the same I think no matter what. Both are excellent deals, the Nissan one is way over priced.

ssbf

Thank you for all the response.
Jeckles : The Draw Tite fits without drilling? And $159 is all it cost? Sounds good.

wcroland: Uhaul says that they have to drill my previous "97 Pathy. How about for the 01, any drilling?

Any other suggestion?

wcroland

SSBF
As far as I know and looked , Uhaul didn't drill any holes in 01 LE.

jeckles

The price for the Drawtite hitch was $159 delivered. No other fees.

I installed it myself with no drilling in just a few minutes. Hitch came with 8 new high strength (grade 8.8) bolts.

Not sure how I feel about the step yet. The Uhaul hitch does seem to have a nice step, but I may just try no-skid tape on top of my tube for a while.

ballfire8888

I bought my Draw Tite round tube trailer hitch for $208 CDN + Taxes and the wiring harness for $45 CDN.

Hitch fits with NO drilling.

dennis1950

Anyone buy the electric cooler chest that runs off the PF power outlets? Will be taking the kids camping this summer and thought this might be a good thing. Question- when the PF is not running, how long before the cooler drains the battery?

steviebee

I own a 99 Pathfinder, and I did not purchase the tow package when I bought the SUV. I am now looking to buy a boat and trailer, and was wondering if anyone here could lend me some advice about either buying the Nissan tow hitch on-line (good prices and good service), as well as any expriences with the genuine Nissan tow hitch vs. non-genuine hitches. Thanks in advance.

smithmd

For my '99.5, I bought a Draw-tite hitch and had it installed along with the lights adapter. It was all still more than $100 less than the dealer wanted. I probably could have saved another $50 or so if I had installed it myself. There was no drilling or cutting required. Reese and Hidden Hitch are two other brands that come to mind that could probably provide the same thing with the round tube cross-member.

I definitely wouldn't spend the money on the Nissan hitch. It doesn't get you anything extra and this isn't something that's going to break with-in the warranty period...if ever. Just make sure you get a class III hitch (2" receiver).

Have fun with the boat!

npathfinder

What type of tint do you reccommed and how dark can you get? I have a 2001 Silver LE and would like to tint the front windows. Somebody told me to tint them 35%. Does that sound about right? How much did anybody pay to have the front windows tinted? Any help would be appreciated.

usarmyttt

I had my 01 Silver LE tinted and it looks great. How dark you can go depends on the state you live in. I would recomend you find a reputable car tinting place to do your job. I asked around stereo shops or even the dealer should know someone to do a good job. I found that the average was $50 to $75 to do the front windows. I would go as dark as your state allows. Good luck.

pathstar

I just installed an "NMO" fitting in the roof of my 2001 LE PF (with sunroof and roof rack). Just in case anyone else wants to do this here is what I found:
1. I removed the door trim (weather seals) and the rear hand-hold and coat hanger, then the lower seatbelt bolt, then both front and rear door "sills". It was then possible to remove the "B" piller plastic covers (lower one first - upper one is still held by the seatbelt upper but at least it's loose and you can get in behind it). This allowed me to pull the roof liner down enough to get the cable fed through and down the "B" piller. If you do this be very careful as you can easily crease the roof liner.

2. Next I used a pocket knife and cut at a 45 deg. angle the rubber/plastic black roof-rack center strip just about where the sunroof stops (you can see inside where the roof liner moves up). I cut enough for the antennas I plan to use. The cut piece then can be pulled off (it's held on by double-sided tape).

3. I then used a 3/4" hole saw (radio installers tool) to cut the hole for the antenna fitting - I used the new style NMO from Larson intended for PCS cell - it uses a "nipple" connector for the cable - very cool and easy to run the cable.

4. I then fed a "fish tape" from the hole to the pass. side rear door and after about 15 min. had the tape come out from under the roof liner (it's a double roof, but there are large holes along the sides so be patient). I taped the "nipple" connector and cable to the fish tape and pulled it back, connected to the "NMO" fitting, and installed the fitting.

5. After routing the cable so it would not be pinched in the roof liner and "B" piller, I used the fish tape to feed it under the carpet under the front seat to come out beside the air vents (move the seat all the way forward and you'll see them). Reinstalled all interiour parts and voila.

As for power directly from the battery (ham radios can draw upwards of 20 Amps. and need clean power), there is a "block off plate" on the drivers side outside of the brake booster. I removed the two nuts holding it on and found a clear hole into the cabin. I drilled a hole in the plate, installed a rubber grommet, fed the power cable, and reinstalled the plate. I ran the cable down the inside of the console in the cab. Be sure to put an in-line fuse right at the battery in the +ve lead. I used #12 two conductor cable.

The radio works great! I use velcro to attach the (removeable) front panel to the dash just above the climate control centre. The radio sits on the floor just behind/partially under the drivers seat for now. The remote panel kit cables are routed through the console.

npathfinder

I have check around at local shops and they all said that the factory tint is 20%... They said the darkest that is legal in PA is 35%. Do you think the vehicle will look weird with a lighter tint in the front compared to the rest of the vehicle? Any advice would be appreciated...

xplorx4

I know some of you folks don't have the limited slip for you Pathfinders. Here's an opportunity to acquire one for cheap. Here's the info:

Nissan Pathinder 96-01 H233B limited slip differential

used, 30K miles, no off-road use.

$100 or best + shipping.

See photos here:

smithmd

$100 seems pretty fair. Why did you pull it? What are you replacing it with?

xplorx4

I pulled the diff because I replaced it with an ARB air locker.

Here are some more photos:

nismofreak

I am interested!
nismofreak@yahoo.com

smithmd

So you've got the air springs and the air locker, now. Sounds exactly like what I'm thinking about doing. Have you had any time to test out the locker? What have your experiences been with that? Where did you put the second compressor?

xplorx4

After partially disassembling the case for the airlift compressor, I determined that exposure to the elements (dirt, sand, water, mud, etc.) would pretty much destroy the compressor, so I mounted the Airlift compressor behind the rear right cargo panel cover, just above the wheel well. It's held/wedged in place with "eggshell carton" foam.

The ARB air compressor is mounted under the hood, where the air cleaner assembly used to be.

I will be trail-testing the ARB locker this weekend to see how well it performs.

See my web page, http://dean.thayer.net/off-road/ for more info about the installation and other Pathfinder mods.

smithmd

I like your web site. I've been there several times before. I just never put it together with your nick name (I can be kinda thick skulled at times).

What kind of mileage improvements did you notice with the intake, exhaust, and ignition upgrades? Which Flowmaster series did you go with? Do you like the sound? Is it boomy at highway speeds? Why is your ignition upgrade disconnected?

I know I sound like a two year-old with all of my questions, but these are all things I've been thinking about doing. Thanks.

smithmd

I tried to edit my about message, but I guess I took too long.

I have another question about the air springs control plate.

In my XE, the 5 switch spaces below the stereo are blank just like the 3 switch openings in front of the tranny selector. I was thinking about mounting the controls for the air springs in this space.

Given the size of the plate, do you think this would be possible with a little bit of modification to the plastic and blank switch areas (in the XE all of the plastic in that area is black instead of wood)?

Do you know the measurements of that plate? I know you said that it needed about 3 inches of space behind it for all of the wires, guage protrusion, and air hoses.

Thanks again.

xplorx4

I doubt that the airlift gauge/switch assembly will easily fit into the area you're talking about. I tried lots of different options before I decided to mount it in the glovebox.

Other options I considered were:

inside the coin tray

under the coin tray

on the right side steering column on the lower dash (but it would hit your leg while you're driving)

under the center dash assembly (bolted to the plastic under the section where your XE has 5 'empty' plastic covers.

Here are some photos to give you a size comparison (note the pack of gum):







The gauge, switch, and pressure relief valve are all mounted on the metal plate as one unit. It would be a lot of work to separate each component, but with ingenuity it can be done.

smithmd

Wow! That was quick! Thanks for the pictures.

I'm gonna go buy a pack of gum and do some measurements. Seeing some stuff in your glove box with the guage makes me like that idea more. I was concerned that I might not be able to fit the owners manual and a couple of maps in the glove box with the guage in there.

Thanks again!

mbunting

Just had a Nissan Bug Flector installed at my local dealer here in Gulfport, MS (for free BTW!)...looks like Nissan has finally released the new design they created for the 2001 Pathfinder(This is what I was told anyway?).

Just wanted to say it looks great..anyone considering adding it shouldn't be dissapointed at all.

Also had my 7500 service check-up yesterday also. No problems whatsoever!

usarmyttt

How much did you pay for the bug deflector? Is it bolt on or stick on? Thanks

mbunting

Todd-

It's stick-on (similair to the side-window deflectors I guess) and my price was $85.00 installed.

no problem!

smokey75

Hey MBUNTING... How much did you pay for the 7500 mile service & what did it include, if you don't mind my asking. Thanks...

mbunting

Paid $59.00 for this service

Included the following:

*Oil Change/New Oil Filter
*Clean the Air Filter
*Rotate all 4 tires
*Alignment check (I requested this, not sure if it is normally done or not)
*Hooked up the PF to a computer for various diagnostic checks
Brakes/Rotors were also inspected

That is all I can remember them doing...I was there watching for about half of the job. Took less than 1 hour overall.

I would imagine different Nissan dealers do less/more on the 7500 mile checkup/service than others might do. Give your local Nissan service/parts department a call and see if they offer it and what's included. Best Regards!

nismofreak

I install me Nissan bug deflector two weeks ago. It is a bolt on. It may >look< stick on but you have to pull the weather strip, line up the deflector and then, using the supplied plastic screw holes, bolt the deflector the bonnet.

it is a pretty straight forward install. But like anything else from Nissan, it is a pretty tight fit. I thought I was gonna snap the damned thing the get it lined up with the bolt holes.

BTW, it actually works. I get a lot less bugs on the windshield now. Too bad I didn't have it before I got those two chips in my bonnet. :-(

-nismo

nismofreak

Did someone say that the genuine Nissan hitch is made by Hidden Hitch? Well, this weekend I finally had a chance to attempt an install. All things being equal, it would take the 30mins as suggested by the instruction. But when things don't align correctly, then doing R&R and cussin', the install takes much longer than 30mins. Since I started late on Saturday evening, I didn't get a change to finish it. but I must say I am very disappointed with the product so far.

Oh well. I will get it modified and installed in two weeks time or so.

pathstar

I installed the tubular piece of rubber on the muffler hanger (I put it on the hanger on the input side of the muffler so I wouldn't have to remove the existing rubber). It has stopped the muffler from banging into the receiver hitch. It's about an inch long and pushes the muffler about 3/4" to the outside.

alberta

I have a 1995 SE Pathfinder with a sport rack system. I am trying to find additions to it for different sporting equipment and compatibility for other rack systems.....any ideas?

tferrante

I have a 2001 Pathfinder LE with memory seats and can't find my instructions for the memory seats. I'm a computer geek, but I can't seem to figure out the simple three button interface.

How do I work it?

Thanks,
T