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Nissan Pathfinder

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Comments

  • gsyoung1960gsyoung1960 Member Posts: 52
    I need to get an "after market" hitch put on my new 2004 4X2 PathFinder. I live in FL (relatively flat), and intend to use it to tow a flat trailer every now & then for misc stuff...

    I'm not sure what the recommended towing capacity is, but I understand I have two options: a Class II, and a regular hitch. Any advice on one, or the other?
  • tidestertidester Member Posts: 10,059
    While you're waiting for a reply here you might be interested in the Towing tips for SUVs discussion.

    tidester, host
  • viking03viking03 Member Posts: 21
    I have two questions today:

    1) I understand that the in-cabin microfilter is actually TWO separate filters. Is this true? I am possibly looking to buy the filters online and install myself. The dealer said the replacement filter is $70.00 and $105 or so for part+install. That seems a little steep to me. I seem to recall seeing the filters for around $30 online, but maybe you need to buy two...?

    2) I never wanted the microfilter in the first place-it was bundled in as an option. I don't have allergies and am not that concerned about the air quality. Would it make ANY DIFFERENCE at all if I just removed the filters completely and didn't replace them? Would that affect the performance of the truck? I can't think of a good reason why it would - can anybody give me any help on this? I would rather save the $ than reinstall this part every 15000 miles.

    PLEASE HELP Thanks very much for any responses
  • jiaminjiamin Member Posts: 556
    I bought twice from dealer around $32/box. The box has two filters already. I don't think it'll hurt the car if it's removed, but I'd never do that. I'll not reduce the quality of my life...
  • bsorsbsors Member Posts: 2
    by bsors Jun 25, 2004 (2:25 pm)
    I am in the process of purchasing an SUV to replace my Tahoe. I am looking at the Pathfinders and the RX 300. I have researched both and found them to be considered very reliable. I have narrowed it down to an 01 Pathfinder or a 00 RX 300. They are the same price and have similar amount of miles. Both are loaded. I am leaning towards the Pathfinder. But I am not sure if I should take advantage of the lexus great reliablity. Any thoughts???
  • pathstar1pathstar1 Member Posts: 1,015
    You can't just remove the filter. When originally installed you cut a slot in the air duct. The filter plugs that slot. You could remove the filter, remove the media, and put the frame back in to plug the hole. If you're going to go to all that work, you might as well just replace the filter. There are two, side by side. It's a bit of work to get them out - remove glovebox, remove "Pathfinder" plastic dash piece, etc.
  • jiaminjiamin Member Posts: 556
    I have 02 QX4(same as Pathfinder) 4WD and 00 RX300 2WD. Both have top reliability. Depending on what you need: Pathy (QX4) can be used for more serious off-road, RX300 is more for comfort, actually much more, as it's so smooth and quiet.
  • Jack44Jack44 Member Posts: 221
    As jaimin mentions...The Pathfinder and Lexus are 2 different animals...Both good, but different...So it'd depend on if you ever were going off road...Or used a lot in snowy areas...
  • kris2kris2 Member Posts: 51
    Hi - Has anyone bought a pathfinder with the CD based navigation ? I would like to know if the navigation system comes with the complete set of map CDs (to cover entire US) or only the CD for the region where you are buying. I bought a used 01 Pathfinder LE with Navigation and the map CDs where missing. The dealer ordered them for me and I was expecting the complete set of CDs instead I got coverage area 5 (I live in Chicago) only. Dealer insists CD based navigation systems come with only 1 CD for the area where you live and the DVD based systems come with one DVD which pretty much covers entire US and Canada.
  • jiaminjiamin Member Posts: 556
    If I were to buy only one of them now, I think I'd buy RX300. I never go off-road, and the worst case is every winter going to Reno for skiing. I'd rather rent a capable SUV for off-road. Toyota/Lexus has far better attention to detail than most other brands. RX300 is a little less stable (softer) than QX4 when turning, but it's quicker and faster than QX4. It feels lighter. QX4 has more HP and torque but it can't compensate its weight.
  • fromnorthfromnorth Member Posts: 1
    I just bought my new 2004 PF, and a long trip (1000km round trip) is coming up. The user manual says that I shall avoid long drive at constant speed (no matter low or high) for the first 2000km). I guess the question is that shall I take my new PF for this trip? Or if I have to, what shall I do, stop every hour to rest my PF?
  • cdnpinheadcdnpinhead Member Posts: 5,504
    Just keep varying the speed, rather than running flat-out with the cruise control set at 80 mph (130 kph).

    Drive for awhile at one speed then let the engine slow down 5 - 10, then accelerate to 5 - 10 higher than you were originally. Avoid the cruise control. The idea is to drive oil past the rings to help them seat properly.

    Probably the best thing you could do is drive through the mountains, where it's necessary to shift and change speeds all the time.
    '08 Acura TSX, '17 Subaru Forester
  • pathalogicalpathalogical Member Posts: 34
    ...or...you can rent a car and drive worry free by putting the wear and tear on some one else's car ! After all, your new PF is your car, and the rental car...well, who cares how ya drive it !!!

    Also, just made an appointment to bring in my 03 PF for its 12,000km scheduled maintenence. So far, so good.
  • coupedncalcoupedncal Member Posts: 252
    It could be better to break in your engine on a long drive if you follow the instructions given above of varying the engine speed during the drive.
  • sevencycles2sevencycles2 Member Posts: 10
    Sorry hit return by mistake
    Can anyone with an LE roof rack tell me if they have
    three cross bars that ride ride directly on the roof between the the main (raised) bars that are on the front and back of the roof rack, Mine was delivered with just the two raised bars, the one with the triangular tightening knobs and two tie down eyes on each track.
    there are additional(3) inserts in each track to accept additional attachments, presumably cross bars.

    My older PF had these additional cross bars.
    Want to make sure the dealer delivered what I paid for
    Thanks in advance
  • cdnpinheadcdnpinhead Member Posts: 5,504
    Our SE came the same way in December, and I had the same question, but never bothered to ask it. I think it's normal.

    I'm seriously considering taking the "special" rack off to allow my Yakima bike rack to go on -- they make brackets for the standard PF rails, but not for the "upgraded" rack. Also, it'll open up the forward vision out of the moon roof. No doubt there are hidden fasteners that I'd probably need the service manual to find, so I haven't tackled it yet.

    Anyone want to make their standard PF look like an SE/LE? I'll have the hardware, eventually.
    '08 Acura TSX, '17 Subaru Forester
  • neoneo Member Posts: 4
    Grab one of these puppies before they're gone. The deals are real. Just took possession of my 04 SE 4x2 in beautiful Chrome Metallic and could'nt be happier. Got a great deal. $1431 under invoice after $2500 rebate ($6k off MSRP) in Houston area. Toyota dealers wouldn't come near it with their 4Runner offers. Nissan dealer in town really dealing on his remaining stock (2WD only left). Spent the 4th just ogling at it (after driving it of course).
  • omegapomegap Member Posts: 7
    I've passed the 60k km mark now and have been wondering if i should buy an extended warrenty package from nissan. Anyone recommend it? The truck is well maintained.
  • jiaminjiamin Member Posts: 556
    If I were you I'd not buy any extended warranty. I bought new 94 Altima, new 96 Maxima and new 02 QX4 (same as Pathfinder), and never bought any extended warranty. Most Nissans are very reliable. Some far I haven't had any major problem that I need extended warranty.

    No matter how good a car is, there is a probability something could fail. But with Japanese big three including Nissan, if I buy extended warranty I will have much high chance to lose instead of gain.
  • bowke28bowke28 Member Posts: 2,185
    most warranties offer to refund 100% if you never use it...at least the ones in some dealerships. ask if it does.
  • aigengaaigenga Member Posts: 14
    I feel the shudder of warped rotors, especially when braking on the highway. At 28,000 miles on my 20001 QX4 it is too soon, but reality is hard. I am thinking of replacing the rotors and found interesting offerings on ebay: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1- &item=7910942643&category=33564

    The question is - does anyone have any experience with secondary market rotors? What do you think?

    Thanks,
    Gary
  • tidestertidester Member Posts: 10,059
    That must be a rather futuristic version of the QX4 - but I'm not sure why you're the Pathfinder discussion.

    tidester, host
  • canuck3canuck3 Member Posts: 6
    Hello all:
         I'm looking to buy a PF 04 the Chilkoot edition with an automatic in Canada in the next 2 weeks. Just wonder if anybody especially in Canada have recently bought one. The dealers I called are not willing to take anymore than $1500 off the MSRP of $36200 CDN. I'd thought there would be better deals than that considering it's the end of the production. Any input would be appreciated.
  • aigengaaigenga Member Posts: 14
    Yeah, the date is a bit ahead of time, but so is the problem. I am on this site because the machines are almost identical and this site is far more active than the QX4 one. The question remains.
    Thanks,
    Gary
  • xplorx4xplorx4 Member Posts: 621
    I have had good results with aftermarket rotors on my '97 Pathfinder. I purchased a set of cross-drilled rotors from powerstoprotors.com for just a few bucks per rotor more than OEM parts would have cost me. The stopping power is phenomenal.

    Click here for a pic
  • calgaryphilcalgaryphil Member Posts: 17
    This is interesting. I have actually experimented twice on long distance trips to determine the effect of octane level on my 2001 LE, and in both cases found that Premium gave me more power and better mileage...what I expected and the opposite of what a few of you are finding.

    I remember calculating that the increased cost of premium was almost exactly offset by the improved mileage making it economically indifferent, but the premium grade had the added advantage of more passing and hill-climbing power (very important when travelling on 2-lane highways in the Cdn Rockies between Calgary and Kelowna). I've never tried calculating this for city driving (too much variability I would think).
  • calgaryphilcalgaryphil Member Posts: 17
    Are you using aftermarket calipers or the stock units? Have you noticed improved resistance to warpage or increased pad wear? Thanks in advance.
  • xplorx4xplorx4 Member Posts: 621
    Only the brake pads ands rotors are aftermarket. The calipers are stock; I just painted them red. I have noticed no signs of warping (and I tend to drive more aggressively), and not only have my pads lasted longer, but they don't leave as much dust behind either. The pads are Akebono ceramic.
  • calgaryphilcalgaryphil Member Posts: 17
    I'm sold. I know what my next rotor/brake pad combo is. Thanks.
  • zzr12zzr12 Member Posts: 18
    I bought my LE in March and got $5,086.00 off. Paid $41,600.00 Retail in Canada is 46,686
  • danpf1danpf1 Member Posts: 89
    I experienced the same results but was able to increase my MPG by changing over to full synthetics in my 2001 LE. I average 22MPG HWY and 18 City driving. I also use the K/N air filter. I use Royal Purple synthetics for a little over a year now and they work great.
  • pathalogicalpathalogical Member Posts: 34
    Hello,

    I have an 03 Chilkoot, the 04 is called the Chinook with the addition of the power sunroof at no charge and one or two new paint colours. Your price of $36,200 is the same as my PF. My total price with taxes was just over $43,100. I made him an offer of $40,000 on the road and I was out of the dealership in half an hour with a brand new vehicle waiting to be deleverd to me. No hagling, no hassle and no b.s. The difference in price was the "trade in allowance" (NOT the same as trade in value)as I traded in my 13 year old Z-24. This was on a Saturday morning and picked my PF on Tuesday morning and drove it home. Good luck and keep us posted on your pending purchase.

    Also, when turning the key, the ignition beeps four times along with all the check lights coming on. What do these beeps mean and should you wait until they stop before starting the engine, or, can you turn and start right away ?
  • jiaminjiamin Member Posts: 556
    Sometimes when I was in a real hurry, I started the engine right away. Never had a problem. I don't think owner's manual says we have to wait.
  • bowke28bowke28 Member Posts: 2,185
    the whole idea behind the manual saying not to "quick-start" your vehicle is to get you to wait 10-15 seconds after you start it before you put it into gear. this short time allows the oil to properly lubricate the entire engine.
  • xplorx4xplorx4 Member Posts: 621
    When you turn the key, the dashboard lights glow to confirm the lamps aren't burned out. It's like a self-test. The four beeps you hear alert you that you're turning on the ignition with your seat belt unfastened. Note that you'll not hear the beeps if you fasten your seat belt before turning the key. Either way, it's safe to start the engine as soon as you insert the key into the ignition. No need to wait.

    However, as bowke28 stated, it's usually a good idea to wait a few seconds (especially if the truck has been sitting for a few hours) before putting the truck into gear and driving.
  • jiaminjiamin Member Posts: 556
    I usually wait for at least 30 seconds before putting into "D" and drive away slowly until the temp needle goes up and passes the first division. Then I slowly speed up to normal. I can obviously feel the car drives rougher than at normal temp.
  • andy1961andy1961 Member Posts: 32
    Anyone have experience with the replacement? Does the shop manual recommend replacing any strut bearings?

    KYB should have a new gas fitment next month according to the tech support person I contacted.
  • pathstar1pathstar1 Member Posts: 1,015
    Has anyone had long term problems putting on 265/70-16s on 2001 LEs? Looking at Nokian WR SUV. The stock junk is finally wearing out! No more sliding through intersections in winter ;-).
  • xplorx4xplorx4 Member Posts: 621
    When replacing the struts, I strongly advise replacing the strut bearings as well.

    This photo shows strut bearings that are completely toast. They had only 50,000 miles on them. Relative to the overall labor cost and cost of the struts themselves, the bearings are cheap. If they go bad later (usually indicated by popping noises while turning), you'll have to pay the same cost for labor as a strut replacement.
  • smokey75smokey75 Member Posts: 434
    I to have had a constant problem with warping rotors on my 2001 PF. The first set was replaced around 15,000 miles under warranty and those have been warped for some time, but I am waiting to replace them until my 60,000 mile maintenance while the front wheel bearings are off for re-packing. I have been researching aftermarket rotors and have come across PowerStop also. It seems as though they only have a cross-drilled rotor for my PF, not a cross-slotted like the one shown in XPLORX4's pic. However, the person I talked to at www.powerstoprotors.com said he would recommend a cross-drilled anyway. He said the cross-drilled does most of the work as far as heat-dissepation and that the slotted only helps slightly with water removal. He also said that the slots will cause faster pad wear because they act like razor blades on the pad. He recommended using a high quality semi-metallic pad instead of a ceramic because he said the ceramic pads, which cost more usually, don't have as good of performance with cross-drilled rotors. He recommended the Axxis Metal Master pad for low dust & good performance. The best price I've found is at www.brakewarehouse.com. The rotors are $100 a piece there... $20 cheaper a piece than www.powerstoprotors.com.
  • xplorx4xplorx4 Member Posts: 621
    That's helpful information that I will be putting to use the next time I need new brake pads!
  • alinflalinfl Member Posts: 4
    I'm intereste in getting a PF either new or slightly used, and in reading through the various boards here, I'm unclear about the fuel grade "requirements" for the 3.5L engine.

    What does the Owner's Manual officially say, and how does that compare to actual experiences? I'm not looking for a detailed discussion of gas mileage (wrong board, I suppose), just the basic answer on the grade.

    Thanks in advance for any advice provided!
  • xplorx4xplorx4 Member Posts: 621
    Premium fuel is recommended for best performance, but it's not required. The engine is tuned to run on premium, although it will run at a decreased performance and efficiency level using regular unleaded. The engine has knock sensors that retard timing, which is necessary when burning regular gas.

    With regular unleaded prices over $2, premium costs less than 10% more. While some people have balked at filling a thirsty SUV with premium, the reality is that you get reduced MPG with regular so the cost per mile is roughly the same, or may be even more, in the end.

    For example, let's say (hypothetically) that you drive 12,000 miles a year, always fill with regular unleaded @ $2.099/gal and get an average of 17mpg. That amounts to $1482 per year. If you were to fill up with premium @ $2.299/gal, your MPG might go up by one or two MPG, let's say to 18.5mpg. That amounts to $1491 over the same time period. So, you save $9 annually, but your truck won't run as strong or as efficiently as it should be.
  • zzr12zzr12 Member Posts: 18
    Hate to disagree but..... On my 04 I have switched from regular to premium on several occasions and found that regular consistantly gives me 1-2 mpg more with NO reduction in performance.
  • jiaminjiamin Member Posts: 556
    I found the same that premium has little lower MPG than regular, and didn't feel at all the improved performance. I mean if I change my driving pattern a little it'll easily overwrite my "original" MPG.

    One thing I never understand is the RX300 has higher compression ratio, maybe 10.5:1, but it only uses regular. How come Path/QX4's 10:1 compressionratio requires premium? Some marketing issue...?
  • xplorx4xplorx4 Member Posts: 621
    zzr12/jiamin- That's interesting (and surprising!) information. I based my comments on my experience with my Acura, which uses premium gas. I accidentally filled up with 87 octane once, and I noticed markedly decreased performance. It was also the lowest MPG I've ever gotten.

    I wonder if others have had similar experiences as yours.
  • coupedncalcoupedncal Member Posts: 252
    Here is my take on the fuel grade issue. Every engine has some unique characteristics like tolerance and compression differences. My '02 Maxima (with 3.5 liter engine) prefers premium 92 octane and after attempting a couple of times to use regular 87 octane gas, i noticed the engine pinging and working extra hard on inclines. However, there could be the same 3.5 liter engines out there that run just fine on regular octane gas. It is important to listen to your engine for a better idea. I'm sure there are better tools out there that measure the compression with various octane levels but since I don't have access to any, this is the best advice I can give you.
  • jiaminjiamin Member Posts: 556
    I tried comparison on 94 Altima, 96 Maxima and now QX4 and RX300. Many times and found 91 has no advantage in performance, MPG, idle smoothness, engine pinging, etc. Got bored of comparison so now I use more 87 but once in a while 91, just for a change. Never used 89 since I know it'll make even less sense to compare...

    Assuming using a professional meter I can tell the difference between 87 and 91. Who cares that much? At least I don't.
  • pathstar1pathstar1 Member Posts: 1,015
    On my 2001 LE I find premium (92) gives me better mileage and results in overall savings. Mid-grade (89) works just fine, but lowers mileage a bit. It's not always available, unfortunatly. I've never tried "regular" (87) as I prefer the fuel with ethanol in it, and regular has none - mid-grade has "up to 5%" and premium has "up to 10%". I find this type of fuel keeps the intake tracts much cleaner (no soot buildup).

    I also found using Mobil 1 I increased my mileage enough to more than pay for the extra cost of the oil over the 6000 km change interval.
  • scantyscanty Member Posts: 164
    I'm going to be due for a major service within the next few weeks. Any advice on what I should have done, beyond what the owner's manual says? I didn't own it for earlier major service milestones (30k and 60k) so should I be thinking about having more done?
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