Nissan Pickup Owners Hangout

PF_Flyer

A place for everything and everything in its place! Are you a Nissan pickup owner? Or maybe you have questions about Nissan pickups that could be answered by owners with firsthand experience? Well this is the place to post your questions/comments. I had an '87 4x4 King Cab that I ran to 140,000 miles before I traded it in (needed a back seat for the two kids at the time) and I REALLY miss having that truck!

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p100

The owner's manual for my 95 SE V6 truck says that the timing belt needs replacement at 105K miles. I have about 78k on my truck and the original timing belt are now eight years old so I am getting nervous. This is an interference enigne and if the belt breaks I will be in for some serious repair bills. Any thoughts on this one? Anybody had their timing belt break before 105 K miles?

mwv

Any body have experience with a bad speed sensor, my trucks speedometer needle rarely moves & the computer is coding out a bad speed sensor. I priced it at $143.00, I want to make sure it is the problem, any help welcome.

p100

I can tell you what happened to my truck. My speedometer stopped working. There were two suspect causes: speedometer sender or the speedometer itself. My truck is a 95 SE V6 king cab 4X4. The speedometer sender is an electromechanical device that is mounted on the right side of the transfer case. It has a plastic gear which is driven by one of the gears in the transfer case and two wires going to the speedometer. The speedometer is an electronic type with a circuit board in it. There is no cable going to it. In my case I had a spare sender becuase I changed the tire size on my truck and bought another speed sender to compensate (Nissan offers both for P235-75R15 tires and 31X10.5 - 25 tires for this truck). In my case the speedometer turned out to be defective and it cost me about $ 200 to replace it. The new one was set by the factory to the exact mileage my old speedometer had when it failed.

Your truck may be different from mine and the "speed sensor" that you are referring to may be a different device, which also interfaces with the engine computer. Some vehicles have magnetic speed sensors located close to the crankshaft pulley, for example, Mercedes Benz uses such sensors for the tachometer pickup on their diesel engines.

There is a simple test to determine if the speed sender is defective by removing the sender and doing both a resistance check and output voltage checks on it but I do not know the exact specs (you need to ask the Nissan dealer or look it up in the shop manual). However in your case the computer registers bad speed sensor, which to me indicates that it probably is defective. On my truck the computer did not detect the defective speedometer and I doubt it would detect malfuctioning speed sender.

silver_bullet

I have a '97 2WD XE standard cab with a five speed. At 46K miles, it is barely broken in, and has been a great vehicle. At about 35K miles, I installed a set of Bilstein shocks and was pleasantly surprised by the improvement in ride and handling. I also dumped the standard 14" alloys for a set of 15" x 7" alloys from a '99 Pathfinder SE. They bolt right on, and give you a much wider range of tire choices. Finally, I was amazed to find that by simply removing the stock Nissan AM/FM cassette unit with attached plastic pocket, I was able to install the AM/FM/cassette/CD double height deck from a 2000 Xterra - it just plugs right in to the existing harness! Set the fader to full forward, get some better door speakers (I used Sony Xplodes), and you're all set.

Has anyone else noticed that the KA24E engine (2.4 liter four) seems to make a few seconds of "lifter rattle" when first started after sitting for a few days? Once it has been started, it won't recur until the truck sits unused for several more days. Do these lifters just normally bleed down after sitting for awhile?

golfdad06

I bought a 1995 Nissan PU from a private party. The driver side door shuts, and latches. It does not rattle but the gap between the door and the cab is lager than normal. It does not leak but I hear an awfull lot of road noise. Can the door be realigned to correct this problem?

CapnT

I purchased this truck at 75K miles and the previous owner said he just renewed the timing belt. Upon disassemble at 152K it is apparent that it has never been apart! Anyway when following the book to time the motor it seems that there could be an easy mix-up of one tooth on the right bank cam. IE it looks OK in either position. What I need are the Cam timing specs so I can put my degree wheel on it to make sure. These specs would tell crank position at a given valve lift for each valve. Like #1 intake 050 lift @ 121 after TDC. ETC Any ideas where to find this info. The local Nissan dealer said DUHHHHH I Dunno. CapnT

klpier

I have a 1993 Nissan ext cab pickup, 4x4 5 speed. The green light indicating the transfer case is engaged is always on. According to the owners manual, the green light means it is in 4 wheel drive. The hubs are set on free, and the transfer case is in the 2H position. Any idea what's going on here? Do I have a defective sensor or ... ? Thanks.

meanbear

I am an owner of a 95 Kingcab 4x4. This is my second one. Long story on that. Anyway, for the timing belt questions, I recently had mine changed at 120K miles because my Nissan mech told me that would be alright. I had it done by a regular ASE certified mech and they messed it up to the point I had to pay out alot of money to get it to work right again. If you think it's time to change your timing belt, have a Nissan mech do it. They might cost a little more but they usually are worth it.
For the speedometer, I had to have mine replaced at 96K miles. It started jumping from 25 mph to 80mph when I was only going about 35mph. Cost me about $350-$400 to have it done. No problems since.
Does anybody know how to boost the power on the engine without having to pay for an overhaul? I am looking to get some more horses and possible better gas mileage. Thanks.

tom3dvideo

My 1991 K/C 4x4 has the ABS light and the BRAKE light come on repeatedly indicating fault with ABS system. Brakes seem to work OK - plenty of pad left on the rears. Hard to tell if ABS works or not. My Haynes manual talks about a "check" connector to diagnose the fault condition from the control module but the connectors are not labelled under the dash. The one connector which matches the picture doesnt' seem to work - you're supposed to count light flashes with a lighted, grounded indicator but the light won't flash at all.

Anybody ever try this? Any ideas?

slipslide

It a problem with all the truck on driver side door. I have had it adjusted several times at the dealer it doesn't help golfdad06

silver_bullet

A friend of mine owns a '96 4WD version of my '97 2WD XE standard cab, and I noticed that his truck has an overhead grab handle for the front passenger. Intrigued, I felt the headliner in my XE and sure enough, I can feel two holes under the headliner that must be the mounting holes. Here's my question: does anyone know if these holes have tapped threads already in place, so that I can just purchase the handle and screws from the dealer and be good to go? Or are there other mounting parts that need to be installed before the headliner has been put in at the factory? My gut tells me that Nissan would have built all these trucks the same, so that they could accept parts like this handle without a big installation hassle.

dustyk

I don't know about your Nissan, but I have seen this on one other vehicle and the nuts were captured onto the A-pillar frame even though the grab handle was not factory equiped.

On the vehcles that I've removed the grab handle from they all had a captured or spot-welded nut to mount the grab handle to.

Regards,
Dusty

silver_bullet

I ordered a grab handle and two mounting screws from the dealer, and after carefully poking two holes in the headliner, the screws turned right in - sure enough, there must be captive nuts behind there since the screws provided are sturdy machine thread type. Now my passengers have something to grab hold of besides me For those of you interested, the Nissan part number for the gray handle is 7394051E22, and the screws are part # 0146100481. The handle even comes with integral snap-down covers for the screw holes, and a removable clothes hanger - all for less than $15.

dustyk

>>>Now my passengers have something to grab hold of besides me <<<

Depending on the gender of your passenger....oh, never mind.

Anyway, glad that worked out. At $15 over-the-counter, that little touch would probably have added a whole $7 to the bottom line if they had provided it that way.

Best regards,
Dusty

renonevada

I have owned my 1991 Nissan pickup since Jun 1991 w/4 cyl and auto trans. I just went thru my 2nd transmission rebuild. I have 187,000 miles on the truck. The original tranny lasted 79,000 miles B4 a rebuild was necessary. As you can see, this is a flaw in Nissan trannys. My driving is 70% highway (interstate). It's been a reliable truck except for this flaw. By the way, the cost each time was $1800. YEOUCH!

How have other high mileage Nissan truck owners faired with their auto trans? I'll drive mine a few more years, but I doubt that I'll keep it for seven more years (was trying to get 20 years).

p100

I also own a 95 4X4 Se V6 king cab. The truck has only 80K miles on it and I am the original owner. I have not changed the timing belt yet and I am considering doing it myself. I changed timing blet before on my 92 Mazda Protege DOHC engine and never had a problem. Nissan recommends changing the belt at 105K miles but this is an interference engine and if the belt breaks, $ 4K in engine damage will likely result.

Here are some tips for changing the timing belt:

1. Always align the timing marks per the service manual before removing the old belt

2. Once you remove the old belt, DO NOT cCRANK or turn over the engine, (not even by hand by turning the crankshaft bolt) because the valves will strike the tops of pistons and damage may occur

3. When you remove the old belt, the valve spring tension will cause the cam sprockets to move slightly out of position. You MUST realign these sprockets against the valve spring pressure when slipping the new belt on. Failure to do this is probably the number one cause of improperly installed timing belts. It is usually a good idea to have a helper hold both sprockets in alignment while you slip on the new belt. Chilton's manual recommends removing both valve covers and loosening all rocker arms bolts to relieve the tension on the valve springs to avoid this problem. This is a very tedious process and somehow they forgot the step which would call for the rocker arm reassembly.

4. Some recommend replacing the cam sprocket oil seal and the front camshaft oil seal, as well as the belt tensioner and the water pump when replacing the timing belt. This seems appropriate at every 105k miles. When replacing the cam sprocket and front crank seal, take care not to damage the housing when removing the seals. A good trick is to drill two small holes in the metal part of the seal, and then screwing in two sheet metal screws and then using Vise Grips to pull the seal out. This method will surely prevent damaging the seal housing. Just make sure you are drilling into the old oil seal, not the engine block!

5. The new belt must be tensioned properly to work correctly. There is procedure for correct belt tensioning in the truck service manual. Proper belt tension is best check when applying certain force in the middle of the belt span between the cam sprockets and measuring the deflection as specfied in the shop manual.

6. Once you have installed the new belt and tensioned it correctly, turn the engine over several times manually by turning the front crankshaft bolt. Recheck the timing marks each time and make sure they are aligned correctly when number 1 piston is at TDC. Do this check at least twice (two revolutions of the cranshaft per one revolution of each cam).

7. check the engine base timing after you have assembled all the accessories on the engine. If you installed the belt correctly, the base ignition timing will not change.

Concerning the speedometer on my truck, it quit at 55K miles and I ordered a new speedometer from the dealer, It came preset at 55k miles from the factory and cost me about $ 210. Took about 1/2 hour to install it and I did it myself.

hlwillia

Has anyone tried towing a 4x4 CC LB behind another vehicle with all 4 wheels on the ground?

mtrombley

I have a 93 Nissan Pickup that will not start when it is cold out. A friend told me to use a hair blow dryer on the dist. to see if it will start. Believe me when I tell you it worked. It would not start then I put the hair dryer to it and it started right up. The dist. was replaced and it still does it when it's cold. Any suggestions. The computer doesn't pick up any bad codes. My mechanic is at a loss. He even went through the sensors that are temperature sensitive. no luck. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

jprice5

I got an excellent deal on a 5-speed reg cab 97 nissan pickup, however it does not have cruise control. What are my best options to install one? Is most of the wiring already in place? Could I find what I need off of a Nissan pickup of similar age that came with cruise? Should I buy from JCWhitney?

jprice

carmudgeon

I can't find this in specs. I want to buy a small pickup with a crew cab (4 doors) and I want a "real" power sunroof that slides back, pops up and has an opaque slider if it's a clear moonroof. I don't consider a popup sunroof to be desireable.

Does anyone know if the Frontier line has a real sunroof?

jbrother

The only factory sunroof on the Frontier is of the pop up variety. I believe it is only available on crew cab se or s/c models.

Perhaps the '05 Frontier, which is coming out soon, will have a power roof option

p100

I believe that jbrother is correct. I have a 95 Nissan SE V6 4X4 with a flip-up glass sunroof and I saw the same thing on a 2000 SE crew cab. I have never seen a power sunroof on any Nissan hardbody or Frontier pickup. I agree that this flip-up sunroof version is of limited use - even the shade on mine is dumb as it does not slide but has to be removed in order to let the light in. The power sunroof in my 99 Mazda 626, 98 Maxima SE, and 83 Mercedes 300SD is much better.

p100

Have you checked the wire connections to your distributor? Moisture can collect in the electrical connectors and cause problems. Also, when was the last time you replaced the coil wire from the coil to the distributor? What about the coil? Your coil could be weak. Maybe you did not need a new distributor but rather a new coil lead. Sugest you buy some dielectric grease, take the distributor primary wire connector appart, and pack with the dielectric grease. This should keep the moisture out.

dahuber

I did the JC Whitney cruise control some years ago on my 95 Nissan. It works very well, but be sure and get the booster vacuum canister for the 4 cylinder engines. The cruise won't hold speed without the extra vacuum storage.

eltonh

Edmunds list the towing capacity for the Frontier at 3500 lbs. Is this accurate? Thanks.

p100

I believe that the 3500 lb towing capacity is correct for the 4 cylinder models, both auto and manual, but for the V6 models, the manual transmission models are rated for 3500 lbs, and auto transmission models for 5000 lbs.

woody3

I have a 95 pickup with 99k miles, and I have noticed over the past few months that the belts have slipped as the engine was cranked. Lately, it has progressed to squealing each time the pickup cranks. I know I am approaching the 105k mile factory recommended schedule to have the belt replaced. I have not noticed any cracking or tremendous wear on the belt. Should I go ahead and get it replaced since it is acting up around the maintenance schedule or are there any ideas from others with similar problems?

terrync

My 97 XE pickup did the same thing, had Nissan to replace all three belts today , costed $110.00 for the belts and labor, not bad for a dealer....

p100

The 105k mile replacement interval is for the engine timing belt which is only found on the V6 models. The 4 cylinder models have a timing chain. You cannot inspect the timing belt unless you remove the timing belt cover. Other belts, which drive the water pump, A/C compressor, and the alternator are called drive belts and they should be replaced about each 60K miles. Belt squealing usually occurs when the belts get too loose and they are suddenly loaded (e.g. turning A/C on)

truckster46

A friend of mine knows I'm looking for a truck. He showed me his 2000 all-wheel drive V6 Extended Cab truck. I was amazed that it only had 16,000 miles on it and has all the amenities anyone would ever want; CD player, cruise control, sun roof, step-up side bumpers, and a hard top cover over the cab. OK, he asked $14,000 for it. Is this a good deal? Can someone get back to me on this. Also, I'm going to be pulling a trailer with a 1,000 lb load. Can the Frontier handle this all right?

mplants

How difficult is it to change these belts yourself? I have a 1991 Nissan 2.4L Pickup and I'm having the same squealing noises when I turn my steering wheel. It doesn't do it all the time, just occasionally.

I would like to replace the belts myself, but i'm not sure how difficult that task will prove to be.

mick3613

14000 sounds too high especially if it is just a king cab. low mileage 2000 crew cabs in this area the dealers are asking 11000-12000. I have a 2000 crew with 147000 miles on it and have it for sale for 7500. As far as it pulling 1000 lbs you won't have any probem especially with v6 i pull 16' flatbed trailer loaded with washing machines all the time and although its not a speed demon, it will do it. i have a cool pic with it seriously loaded if there was a place to post it.

kcf41

I am considering buying a '01-'03 Frontier Crew Cab (V6 engine). I would appreciate any legitimate feedback regarding either one of these s. I am mostly looking for a nice every day truck with the ability to take care of some small jobs around the house. Thought Nissan would be a truck that I could keep for about 8-10 years without major issues. Thanks!

kcf41

Can anyone tell me what's the overall quality of a '02 Frontier SC Crewcab, 210HP, 246TQ SC with a 3.3 liter? Obviously, I don't know if all this is really worth it, but I'm open for legitimate feedback on whether I should be seriously interested in buying this truck.

Thanks!

snesar

I'm thinking of putting 16" rims with 65/70/R16 size tires on my 2000 Frontier XE Kingcab (4X2). Wondering if someone tried that, or is it not going to work. I'm not sure about the front wheel fender clearence, specially ob bumpy turns.
I'll appreciate if someone can help be to avoid mistake...

dougrod

My 1995 Nissan Pickup truck died for unknown reason. Fuse okay. Fuel pump relay okay. Changed fuel filter. Replaced in-tank fuel pump. Still no fuel flow? Anybody have any ideas?

agivens

I have a 1986 Nissan 720 Pickup, when I turn the key nothing comes on and when the engine starts all the gauges stay at zero.

xwesx

Did something, perhaps, come unplugged? Maybe check under the dash and see if there are any disconnected harnesses/wires....

dutch724

I have a 90' Nissan Pickup it is a basic model no extras. It has a 2.4 liter engine, 5 speed, 2-wheel drive. This has been a great truck I have 202,000 on it, never had any problems. I have always done the maintenance on it, but now that it has gotten older it is starting to get this little problem. When take off in 1st gear and it gets to the point where I need to shift to 2nd gear the truck shakes alot then after I shift it is still shaking until the RPMs start to come up some then it doesn't shake in at any other time. Now if I stay in first gear and just floor it thru the shaking the truck will get up and go without hesitation of course it will reach peak RPMs. When I finally shift to 2nd it will still shake. I know last fall I had a bunch of bags of concrete in the back and it shook really bad taking off. I have replaced the plugs (NGK), the plug wires (NGK), distributor cap, rotor button, and the Coil. It still hasn't gotten better. Does anyone have any ideas before I take it in to a dealer?
thx in advance.

reefish

I tried to replace my brake rotors but couldnt get a lug nut off the rotors....does anyone know a tool that can break this loose besides using a flat tip screw driver? size? Thanks

reefish

Dont get the SC version, too much of a gas hog. I get about 15 city and 17 hwy.

alday

does anyone know the vaccum hose routing for a 89 nissan pickup
2.4 liter 2 wheel drive automatic??

orange_pickup

I removed the driver side door panel so that I can reconnect the lever that I accidentally disengaged while trying to "break" into my truck with a clothes hanger. The only thing is, I'm not sure how to secure it back to the door lock assembly.

Does anyone have any experience with this? I was going to remove the other door panel to see the functional assembly but that's my standby plan...

Also, does anyone know where to find technical drawings or exploded views of this essemby without having to pay 400 bucks for the CD/Book on the entire truck? I'm thinking a download of just what I need to know... for a couple bucks does this even exist on the internet??

Thank you fellow Nissan Pickup Owners!

johnnyandjebus

Hello all
I have a 93 2wd KingCab. One of my fuel lines is leaking, which I hope to fix tomorrow. My question is that I notice there appears to be 3 lines coming from the tank. 1 to the pump and one straight into the tank. I understand that one of the lines carrying the fuel to the engine, the second is a return line. So what is the 3'rd line for. I notice it has a fuel filter/check value on it. Any ideas?

Thanks for any replies

dutch724

there is a little plastic clip that holds the lever in place.

dutch724

I figured it out it was the u-joints on the drive shaft......i figured it out when the carrier bearing went out on me.
you can't replace the u-joints Nissan stamped them in with a press. had to buy new drive shaft after market one seeing Nissan's is on back order until the end of April. the after market one was cheaper and you can change the u-joints later if needed.
Everything is fixed and the truck is running well thx for caring.

orange_pickup

Thanks dutch724. I have to order a new one of those from the dealer as mine was torn in the middle.

bonita42

I have a 2000 Extended cab and the quality of it SUCKS!
I will NEVER buy another nissan product!

Spend a couple of extra buck and buy a Toyota!!!! My Son has a 2001 Pathfinder and the same story.... Junk!!!!!! Buy a toyota! I have had 3 and no problems.... Fit and finish better and much much more reliable!!!!

abpelch1

I have a 2000 Extended Cab Desert Runner SE & the quality is great. 5+ years and 75k miles on it so far & everything is running as it should. The only problems have been a separated tire & leaking rear shocks. From a durability standpoint, I would have to recommend this vehicle to anyone.

wiz

Looks like you have an electrical connection that is not tight or snug. When it is cold outside, metal expands, thus making any bad connection worse. When you add heat, hair dryer, your are contracting the metal allowing for the bad connection to be good. Replacing the distributor is not the problem, it's an electrical connection that is not making contact 100%.