Nissan Pathfinder Owners: Accessories & Modifications

tferrante

I have a 2001 Pathfinder LE with the Nav system and the 6 disk changer in the back. I was under the impression that there was a way to remove the Nav CD-ROM from behind the nav display and put in an audio CD and play it through the stereo.

Is this possible and once I load the CD how do I play it?

Thanks,
T

mbunting

Sorry for the mis-information guys. I assumed the Nissan Bug Flector was simply "stick-on" just by taking a quick glance at it after I had it installed the other day.

Thanks for the information and the correction nismofreak!

I agree, alot less BUG JUICE on the windows these past few days.

duper

Check the forums on
www.suv.com and www.4x4parts.com
There are more owners of older models that could provide an answer to your question.

johnskev

tferrante:

i'm not totally sure on the memory seats (i just set them once and haven't had to reset them), but here goes what i remember. make sure the memory seat switch is on "Auto" (the switch is on the dash, just under and to the left of the steering wheel). once the seat is in the position you want, hold the set button, then hold the memory button. it's odd to me that this isn't outlined in the manual.

as for playing audio CDs in the nav system, apparently earlier 2001 pathfinders had this capability due to the software running on the nav. the newer software doesn't have this capability. run to your dealer and tell them about your problem, they should be able to load the older software, or give you a cd to take care of it.

-johnskev

harris86

I just read # 99 from linley and response # 100 from phil47 concerning auto lights. I also have a '01 PF SE with leather, moon roof, etc, and I can't figure out how to set my lights to come on when I start the engine and go off when I turn it off. I realize the '01 doesn't have DRL's, but my '98 Lumina does and I would rather not have to worry about turning my lights on and off. Any suggestions?

pathstar

Go to your favourite auto parts store (a competant one anyway). Ask about an automatic headlamp control unit for the 2001 Pathfinder. They are made. If you have lots of money, ask a dealer ;-).

li_sailor

I think I'm answering part of your question, but as pathstar is implying, auto lamps are std on LE only.

li_sailor

What johnskev said is right, but I'll add that you must be in park, engine on. Instructions ARE in the manual...page 3-16 I think.

linley

the SE model doesn't have auto lights BUT if you turn your headlights on as you normally would they will turn off when you turn off the engine and come on when you start up. They just don't have the sensor that turns them on as it gets darker so in the day time I am driving with my lights full on. This is fine with me because alot of people do it anyway and I don't have to turn the lights on and off. I may check out the cost of putting on the "real auto" ones. I wonder if you could add the memory seats to the SE. What about auto climate control? Anybody know about the possibility of these or the cost?

blincol68

Call me crazy, but I have a 2001 SE and it has auto headlights. The Switch for my headlights has: Off - Auto - Parking - On. My dash has a light sensor in the top right side. Works fine. When its in auto, I turn the car on, if its dark the lights go on. When I turn the car off, the lights go off. If its light when I start my trip, they are off and as it darkens they go on. Pretty simple.

lofquist

Nissan must have made a running change with the auto headlights for the SE. I noticed at a car show in March that the SE's were coming in with them.
-Jon
who prefers manual headlights.

jeckles

I think I prefer manual headlights too. The autos are fun, but they don't turn on/off when I want them. They also don't turn on with the wipers which I think is a safety hazard.

The general population rarely seems to use headlights to be seen, only to see. These auto lamps seem to perpetuate the problem rather than address it.

li_sailor

I mentioned that only the LE came with auto lamps 'cause I looked it up on the web site and it shows only the LE having them std. After others said they had them on SEs I checked the brochure I got before I bought the PF and sure enough, it says all trim levels have them...so I guess lofquist is right, they changed...and the website has old info.

So...back to harris86...do you have an 'auto' setting on your headlight switch? That would indicate whether you have them or not.

Personally, I think they're great...never have to touch'em. Exactly when to turn them on was never an exact thing for me anyway. The bit about rain may sometimes be so, but usually, when it rains, it's dark enough for them to come on.

Tom

phil47

I would agree with Tom's assessment. I used to control them myself thinking the sensors and programmed logic could never activate/deactivate them properly. Instead, I've found the auto logic to be very good, usually erring on the side of coming on a bit sooner then I would have normally activated them.

harris86

No, I do not have an 'auto' setting on my headlight switch. I bought by '01 PF last June, so I would imagine that the change-over happened after I purchased mine. Thanks for everyone's input. That's what makes this forum so great.

djeanclerc

Hello all. I just got my 2001 PF LE w/ super black exterior. The dealer threw in the Nissan nose mask for me since I do so much highway driving and was concerned about rock chips in the paint.

Now that I read the instructions for the mask, they indicate that it should be removed whenever the vehicle gets wet. I figured that removing it during a wash was a given, but am I putting the clear coat at risk by ever leaving the mask on a wet exterior?

Please let me know what you suggest. Thanks.

shaka62

I saw the pics of your Black Armor cargo liner in post #78 and I'm thinking about getting one. I was just wondering how it looks when the back seats are up? Specifically, how does it look where the material buckles at the bottom of the seats when they are up? Thanks.

li_sailor

There are creases (3, I think) at the flex point that allow the seat bottoms to fold where it meets the floor section. So it works pretty well...since the seat backs are attached, they don't shift out of place at all and the lower end of the seat back slides a bit under the floor piece when the seats go up and down.

actor74

I am considering purchasing the 7pc. wood trim kit for my 01 SE. Has any one had any experience with this installation? How difficult is it? Should I have it done by a professional?
Also any suggestions on a reliable source for the kit with good pricing. Thanks

plwilliams

While I have not installed an entire wood trim kit, I did add several pieces to my LE. They install very easily as long as you follow the instructions. Just make sure you have really cleaned the underlying areas. I got mine from www.autostockinc.com. I was very pleased with the fit and color match to my existing trim

mazadi

I am also interested in adding some additional pieces to my LE. What pieces did you add, and what package did you order from autostokinc? Thanks

plwilliams

Here is the info from the invoice I received:
Pathfinder Q Qty 2
Pathfinder T Qty 2
(these are pieces that surround the front & rear door handles)

Pathfinder PTHOH (Overhead console w/display)
Pathfinder F4
(I think this was also part of the overhead)
I also received a piece for the passenger side air vent.
The total cost was about $100 shipped. I worked with a guy named George. He sent me a "map" of the Pathfinder pieces that were available, from which I ordered.
I hope this is helpful.

baddestbob1

Local shops want about $200 for Cl 2 hitch and wiring. From what I've seen posted a do it yourself job is (usually) not that hard. I igured Cl 2 instead of Cl 3 because of fairly infrequent boat tow needs. Also I understand that the lighter hitch doesn't protrude from under bumper. Not much difference in cost. Comments? Best place to buy. And where is the PF plug in for wiring? Thanks.

danog

Just ordered the Samsonite rooftop carrier from

http://www.rooftopcarriers.com

Sorry, I don't know how to make the link hot.

Hope it works!!!!!

Dano

windfalls99

PF plug in for wiring is in the passengerside storage compartment at the back. Look in the lower compartment.

meca2

There are two different harness roughting depending what month the PF was built. Also just and idea for extra $100 or less the 5000lb hitch might be worth it. Mine,witch I installed myself just protrudes enough to stand on to wash and wax the rear roof. Steve

baddestbob1

Thanks for help. JC Whitney lists HH CL III for 119.95, round tube 139.95 (plus ball mounts etc). Does the square hitch show much? Should I look at Draw-tite? Thanks. Also considering Hitch Haul, any negative, positive comments?

baddestbob1

Looked in lower compartment in RR of truck and didn't see any wiring plug there. Any other clues?

nismofreak

The wiring harness supplied by Nissan (my experience) plugs into the >both< rear lights. From there, there is a converter module for the trailer. I got the 7 wire harness for the ability to work with trailer brakes.

To plug into the lights, you have to remove the lights and plug in hitch harness. Pretty simple.

woodyr1

Hi:

After seeking body side moldings for my Canadian 2001 Pathfinder, I discovered that they were not available from Canadian dealers. I did seek out a US source of Nissan parts, and after some searching found that nissanparts.cc did ship to Canada. Their office is in Tacoma, Washington. The moldings were costly given the low value of the Canadian dollar relative to US currency, but for us Canadians, they are a source that satisfactorily delivered the goods.

windfalls99

Does any one know how the body side moldings are attached? I would also like to see a picture of them. I see that Nissan Autoparts has them for sale, but has no picture on their web page.

woodyr1

Nissan supplies a 4 page installation sheet on the moldings. They are well made, colour coordinated to the vehicle, and have an adhesive back to them. I was going to do the job myself, buy a local trim shop wanted $20.00 so he did the job. I think a photo was posted of them installed on another Pathfinder a month or so ago, so you may be able to do a search. If no luck, I can try to post a photo of mine

plwilliams

Here are some photos of my PF with side mouldings. While the photos weren't taken to specifically show them, you can get a good idea of what they look like

http://y42.photos.yahoo.com/bc/plwilliams/lst?.dir=/2001+PathFinder+LE&.view=t

harris86

Looked at the pictures of your 2001 PF. It looks great. I, too, have a 2001 Sierra Silver PF. Mine is an SE and I'm looking at installing a bug deflector. As there are many out on the market nowadays, I wondered if yours was from Nissan or did you order it from somewhere else? Thanks...

ballfire8888

Thanks for sharing those nice pics of your PF. I have the Canadian 2001 PF SE AWD.

1/ Your "tacky" Sears roof box >>> I notice you lay the box flat on the roof BETWEEN the 2 crossbars. How do you strap the box down?
2/ Did you install the side moldings and window vents yourself? If so, was it difficult?

TIA

plwilliams

Thank you for the kind words about my Pathy. My deflector is a Lund Interceptor that I purchased from www.pickuptruckaccessories.com. At the time they had the best pricing and shiping was very quick. Look around and you may find a better price. I steered away from the factory deflector because my only other experience with a factory unit (not Nissan) was that it broke and It was not covered by a lifetime warantee.

plwilliams

The Sears box is attached with the provided straps to the four small "eyes" that are in the rails. I've had no trouble with this installation, but I will be replacing the box within the next couple of months with a Thule or Yakima, which will sit on the crossbars. The reason I'm repacing the box is that it is pretty flimsy and now seems to have warped a little causing the loss of a water tight seal.

The body side moldings came on the Pathy and were Port installed. I have a feeling it might be hard to find a US PF without them. There have been some previous posts indicating that the installation wasn't to difficult.

I did install the window vents. I opted for the AutoVentShade's, even though they use the 3M double sided tape, because they cover the entire rear door window. So far I've had zero problems with them, even through our 100+ degree summers here in southern Utah.

danog

We used our Samsonite rooftop carrier this past week and I wanted to say it worked great. The only detail that I didn't like was the small lock and keys supplied. Very weak! We drove 350 miles at 80mph+ in the rain and only had a few drops of water. We did trash bag all the items since this was our first experience with a rooftop carrier. This is a better option for us because the hard carriers seem to be taller and remain attached during the vacation. The soft carrier is really like a "large" duffle bag.

Dano

joe233

I found that the heavy pin(bolt) that holds the reciever in place has the hole for the cotter pin in the wrong place maybe? The pin(bolt) has a angled piece that acts as a handle, and when it is placed, the cotter pin hole faces up/down instead of front to back. The up/down position doesn't line up too well with the saftey chain holes and the pin is really difficult to get in and out.
Is everyone's like this, or did I get a missprocessed unit?
joe

smithmd

I just usually turn the receiver pin "handle" until the cotter pin hole is easily accessible. I put the cotter pin in and then forget about it. Am I missing the real problem, here, (such as the cotter pin will scratch the bumper) or are you just "kinda wunderin'"?

ballfire8888

I have one of those hard plastic rooftop carriers you'd find at Sears. It does do the task but like everyone else, I wonder about theft, esthetics, storage, etc.

I notice I kill lots of bugs and insects when doing highway driving. Is it a big deal cleaning that roadkill off the soft carrier after a nice roadtrip?

danog

I noticed a few bugs had hit the carrier but it was really clean. There were several areas along the way that bugs were a plenty. I noticed one area on it were something hit it and actually tore a few strands of the fabric. I think it was a rock or something. It did rain on us both ways so maybe it washed some of the bugs off. I never noticed top carriers much until buying one. It seems many SUVs' have one and it is split near 50/50 for the hard and soft types.

Dano

baddestbob1

I noticed my new PF did not have front to back rails so I was concerned about placing anything directly on roof, thought it might cause scratches. Instead I bought a cargo carrier, rated 500# that fits in tow hitch. Comments?

drdrevans

Hi All,

Just bought a 2001 SE (2wd--wanted a 4, but try to get one in Georgia) without the sunroof. It's replacing our '97 Explorer, which had the compass/outside temp gauge in the overhead console. We miss it!

My brother-in-law bought an aftermarket interior rearview mirror a while ago that has the outside temp and compass built in and had it installed in his Quest...But he lives in Omaha, which doesn't help here too much (central GA). Has anyone around here put/had put one on their Pathfinder? Where did you get it? How much did it cost? I worked in a car stereo store for a couple of years in high school (but that was 20 years ago), so if I can mailorder one I can probably install it myself.

Thanks!

smithmd

Check out JCWhitney.com. Auto-dimming mirror: $100. AUto-dimming mirror with compass and temperature display: $250.

drdrevans

Thanks--found it in JCWhitney. I think I can do it...maybe next month.

donszj

I have a 2001 LE with a fixed mast radio antenna. I would like to install a CB antenna which does not extend over 18" above my roofline for garage clearance purposes. I've considered replacing my radio antenna with a CB antenna and a radio convertor (I read about this elsewhere). I'm also open to other ideas. Any suggestions?

Thanks! donszj@yahoo.com

smithmd

I looked into the adapter for the antenna that's already there, but we have the "diversity" antenna setup, so we have a weird antenna connector at the back of the radio.

I've seen that radio shack has a magnetic cellular look-alike antenna that looks identical to my magnetic cellular antenna...imagine that. I actually looked at this antenna last night at the store.

The only thing that stopped me from buying it was my wife mentioning that she hadn't bought the candles she wanted at B&B Works because we need to save money. What a time for her to get thrifty.

pathstar

I installed a dual band ham antenna on the roof. As you have the LE (presumably with the roof rack), you can put a CB antenna there. Get the flexible type (coil on bottom with spring on top of coil). With this type of antenna you can grab the whip and tuck it under the rear roofrack cross bar for limited clearance entry (I do this when boarding B.C. Ferries). I leave it up when entering my garage - it drags on the ceiling, but does no damage.

Install involves removing one rear door trim, sill panel "scuff covers" on both doors, rear handhold - all so you can pull the ceiling liner down a bit and route the cable down to end under the passenger seat. I then cut the centre roof rack plastic enough for the antenna using a pocket knife, and used a 3/4" hole saw to cut the hole just behind where the sunroof would stop when opened. Then I used a "fish tape" to get the feed line through to the door, and then down the "B" piller under the passenger seat. I used an "NMO" fitting in the roof (brass and plastic with an "O" ring seal). The antenna screws onto it.

Lots of "fun". Two way radio antennas work best on the roof, and mine works great.

smithmd

Thanks for the info. It sounds like you went full-tilt at the antenna thing. I don't really want to do anything quite that drastic. For starters, my wife would kill me.

I'm looking for something discrete that won't make my wife mad, but will allow me to mostly listen and occasionally transmit.

Shoot, if I weren't married, this thing would have more antennas, radios, radar detection gear, and electronic navigation equipment than the International Space Station. I guess on the flip side, I'd probably be sleeping on an air matress and sitting on a bean bag to watch TV.