Nissan Pathfinder

captainron

Hi all,

I just spoke with the Sales Manager at Port City Nissan (Portsmouth, NH) and asked him if the deal I got would be given to anyone on this forum.

He said:
We'll give $5,000 off MSRP on any 2001 Pathfinder with an MSRP of over $36,000 until the end of the month (tomorrow). Check back with me on Thursday and I'll let you know if we're extending that offer for next month."

It looks like they have six in stock, not including the one I'm picking up (I'm flying from California to get it and did the entire deal over phone/fax/FedEx). I'll keep the list informed about what's hapenning for next month.

Oh, they don't tack on anything hidden either like advertizing fees (what? am I supposed to pay your electric bill too?). The only additional was $195 for licence and doc fees. Ask for Chris in Sales and tell them I sentcha! Maybe I'll get a free keyfob or something when I pick up my new LE. : ) Can you tell I'm excited?

If you have any questions, feel free to shoot me an e-mail! ron.chase@internetmachines.com

Captain Ron

drew_

This week, chat with Edmunds.com's managing editor, Karl Brauer. The chat is tonight at 5-6pm Pacific:
http://www.edmunds.com/chat/brauerchat022701.html


Drew
Host
Vans, SUVs, and Aftermarket and Accessories message boards

rcsutton

I have a SE 4X2. the brakes have not been affected as far as I can tell. There is not much air that is required in the airsprings so I do not see how it could affect the braking at all. As far as the tranny cooler is invloved it is such an easy installation I would not wast my money at a dealership for the installation unless a screwdriver is a challenge.
Bob
S, Fl
78 degrees and no snow

npathfinder

I have had my EL for a little over a week now.. The navigation system is great. I live in the Pittsburgh, PA area and the detailed map in unreal... It has guided me to restaurants I have never even heard of before... different movie theaters and grocery stores... If you feel like spending a little extra money I would go for it.. The only down side is that you have to purchase several DC's if you want the entire country covered, but I still think it is worth it. If anybody is considering feting a remote start installed in their PF let me know... have done a lot of research and know what will work best with it.. had mine installed over the weekend.. can use both the factory remote and an extra remote that came with the starter...milgrad@bellatlantic.net

pathy57

Loach, I purchased my 01 LE loaded around Labor Day. Have 9000 + miles. I watched this forum for several months before I drove the Pathfinder, then I got the courage to test drive on my lunch hour. That night I went back and bought it. Now, here is some real scary stories. You might need to have tires balanced or a CD may stick in the changer. WHEW! Seriously now I think you would like the Pathfinder but if you are not sure dont buy anything yet. If you do buy a Pathfinder you will really like this forum. The big topic here is how much we like em and how much we paid for em. Your ears will be buzzzing with suggestions. Welcome in Advance.
**Pathy**.

captainron

Adam,
I'm picking up my LE with Nav from New Hampshire and I imagine it'll come with MCA 7 (Map Coverage Area) which is New England. Since I live in Los Angeles and will be driving it back, I'll only need MCA 7 for about two days. If your Pathfinder came with MCA 6, maybe we could strike up a deal. I've already ordered the California/Nevada CD (MCA 1) and I don't think I'll be driving back to New England anytime soon. Let me know: ron.chase@internetmachines.com

You can check out all the coverage areas (9 in all) at:

http://commerce.zenrin.com/pr_infinitimca.html

Also, do you like the rear-mounted CD changer? I'm going to make a dozen or so burned CDs for my trek back across the country. I'm thinking that this changer won't have the "stuck homemade CD" problem some have been seeing with the in-dash unit. Any thoughts?

Captain Ron

meca2

nismofreak: Yes,the 2001 has an engine oil cooler it's built into the oil filter base. You can see it when you change the oil filter. The PF with a auto trans has an oil cooler built into the bottom of the radiator. Also there is a trans overtemp light on the left side of the instrument cluster.
Steve

smokey75

Hey, so you're saying these come on all PFs & are not part of the towing package?

meca2

Yes, the auto and manual trans both have engine oil coolers under
the oil filter. I purchased mine without a tow package. I purchased
the tow hitch and wire harness and installed it my self. The coolers
are installed on all PF with/wo tow hitch. Steve

hasanas

I finally haggled enough and was able to get a 2001 PF LE without the leather package
for $28,961 + taxes(and etc). I didn't get the NAV option either, since I think the
magellan nav is a lot better then the nissan one.

Does anyone have any advice of what's the best grille guard to get for the PF and should I get the dealer to install it or any mechanic to do it.

Thanks.

drew_

"He brought you "Confessions Of a Car Salesman" to give you the inside story of his undercover work as a car salesman. For this chat, Chandler Phillips goes one-on-one with "The Cardinal", Dependable Dodge's own Marc Antonucci . Don't miss this battle of truths as these two give it to you straight."

If you haven't read Edmunds.com's confessions of a car salesman, I highly recommend you do so. I found it very entertaining, and yet enlightening as to what may go on in auto dealerships.




Drew
Host
Vans, SUVs, and Aftermarket and Accessories message boards

npathfinder

I will send you an em-ail sometime soon to discuss disc 8. It would nice to have when I travel up north to go king. As far as the changer in the back I love it.. I think it will work much better then the in dash changer. Plus if you are not using the nab system you can play a single disk in the dash. Good luck with the drive back! I am sure that you will love your new truck!

sanandton

Avoid the spellcheck it really jumbles up your posts.

nismofreak

Steve,
Thanks for your response. I will go and "hang out" under the truck this weekend. Could you tell me if there is the same oil and tranny setup for the VG33? This is truly for curiosity sake.

thanks...
Nismofreak

drew_

Those of you living in or close to NY may be interested in Edmunds.com's NY editor contest.


Drew
Host
Vans, SUVs, and Aftermarket and Accessories message boards

tofunrice

Hi everyone...

I have seen several people mention that you can play a music CD in the slot behind the NAV screen? Is the case for all Pathfinders? If so, how do you get it to work?

I have placed a music CD into the slot and received an error message... something to the effect of "No data on disc" or something like that. Any info would be appreciated.

aris

Hello,

I have a question about the CD-roms that go along with the Nav system. DO you absolutely need the extra MCA for the navigation system or not?
I am saying this because I live in East PA, and if i want to drive to Pittsburgh, on another MCA disc, i wanted to know if i would need to buy the disc for West PA.

Thank you very much,
Aris

climber3

I plan to tow a 4500 lb. trailer and this pushes the 5000 lb. limit of the PF-LE. I believe any automatic transmission would benefit from a cooler, and when towing heavy loads I feel that a cooler is required. I spoke with the service manager of the local dealer and he told me that if I had an aftermarket transmission cooler installed that the warranty on the transmission would be voided. He was quite unwilling to accept the logic that even if the cooler failed it would have essentially no effect on the transmission that would not already occur without the cooler. I was nearly sold on buying a Pathfinder, but I'm now reconsidering.
Michael

crikey

Not sure if anyone has asked this before...
A friend of mine recently bought a 2001 PF LE 4X2 with a Nav. Since I bought one back in July 2000, I compared the differences between the two. It seems the recently built PFs have child seat anchors in the cargo area. My 2001 PF LE 4X2 does not have these child seat anchors. I wonder if the dealer would install them if I took in the PF. Anyone notice this or has taken their PF to the dealership to have the child seat anchors installed?

My PF was built in May 2000 while my friend's PF was built in August 2000.

ac6000cw

I have an '01 SE with the in dash CD changer. When I bought it a month ago and loaded up 6 CDs the selected CD would play to the end and then repeat. One day, for reasons unknown, the play mode changed and at the end of one CD it would switch over to the next CD. Now it is back to repeating the CD being played. I don't know what I did to change this and I can't find anything in the owner's manual about it. Anyone know how to change the play mode?

nismofreak

I know your issue is have the extra protection for the tranny not void the warranty but hear me out a sec...

I too will be towing close to the limit ~4000 lbs. with my VQ35 Pathy. From what I know about the VG33 Pathy, some people have had trannys fail on them when towing. But then again, others have not. My source is a Nissan tech who told me that of the trannys that blew, the owners were towing with OD on. He also stated that other VG33 owners who have towed without OD on have not had any issues. (I am not an expert on auto-trannys as this is the first that I have ever owned)

I have asked Steve (Meca2) to look in the 2001 FSM to see if the VG33 Pathy had the internal tranny cooler built-in as well. What would really helps us understand the reliability of the tranny is to see if the older VG33 Pathys that blew their trannys had the internal tranny cooler as well. If the answer is no to the internal tranny cooler, then I will have to bet on Nissan engineering will help prolong the life of the VQ35 tranny with the supplied built-in water-to-oil tranny cooler.

li_sailor

It's a bit subtle but, yes, it's a feature. There are 5 CD playing modes: NORMAL, 1, ALL, RANDOM and ALL/RANDOM. You switch between these modes by pressing the 'program' button when playing a CD. The LCD displays the mode (except NORMAL which displays 'blank' in the mode area when in that mode). Mode 1 plays only the current CD. Modes ALL & NORMAL play all the CDs. IIRC, the difference between ALL & NORMAL is that NORMAL will go thru the CD(s) once and stop whereas ALL will start over when done. I'm not sure but I think RANDOM plays only the current CD in random order whereas RANDOM/ALL plays randomly from all loaded CDs. Not sure 'cause I don't use random much.

So...the answer for you is that you switched modes from 1 to NORMAL or ALL and then back.

There's an explanation on page 4-18 of the owners manual, but it's incomplete.

Hope this helps.

captainron

Aris,

As I understand it, you'll need a separate disc for each MCA (Map Coverage Area) you'll be driving in. You're in a particularly tough spot 'cause you'll likely need three CDs for areas where you'll probably drive. You can check out the MCA coverages at:

http://commerce.zenrin.com/pr_infinitimca.html

I just recieved MCA 1 for California today (I don't even have the Pathfinder yet) and will have an MCA 7 (New England) left over from my delivery in New Hampshire. I'm happy to let it go for a deal. e-mail me if you (or anyone else) is interested. ron.chase@internetmachines.com

Captain Ron. . .

13579tsa

Here's another feature I stumbled across using the 6 disc BOSE system.

If you hold down either of the two arrow buttons on the steering wheel control for a few seconds....the disc changer will move to the next CD...

Just a tip.

loach

Thanks to all who responded to my message. Still haven't made a decision yet, but you've certainly given me food for thought. I'm kind of hoping Nissan sweetens the incentives a bit in March, which would help make the decision a little easier. But I'm not holding my breath.

li_sailor

A follow up...I tried it again after I posted about this ...mode '1' repeats the same track, not the just the same CD.

sbelfield

any word on PF incentives for March?

snicker1

just bought one on the 28th for $200 under invoice with $200 advertising fee tax title extra
Is premium fuel required ?

snicker1

saw dealer add stating program going to march 31 would ask in case a mis-print

bgritz

It's required at elevations below 4500 feet of altitude
(check manual for exact alt.)

Here in Denver I can to run down to 87 AKI. I had switched to mid (89 AKI at altitude) but have switched back to prem in the past few tanks. With the loss of MPG from 18.5 down to 16, it was pretty much a wash in terms of cost. If its going to be that close, I'll take the better gas, the cleaner gas, and the increased engine response that goes along with it.

gottria

Well I finally took a trip to Lake Tahoe with my 01 Pathfinder LE and what a great trip. The Pathfinder handled like a dream and everybody sat comfortable. I even let me wife drive it as I slept in the back seats. We drove up on Friday for a wedding and had no snow fall and did'nt even need to put it in 4x4, I did have it in auto mode though. Saturday morning we awoke and it snowed about 4 to 5 inches. I had to use 4hi the whole day and the Pathfinder was AWESOME!!!. Any how I posted some pictures of my Pathfinder and when I start feeling better I will get more up.

http://members1.clubphoto.com/greg39937/Pathfinder

Feel free to leave any comments, Thanks Greg

suvluv

I have sad news to report. My 3 month old Pathy Le '01 was rear ended yesterday damaging both the front and rear bumpers, etc. Coincidently, I am unable to retrieve the CD's that are in the changer. I am recieving the infamous ERR2 error when I make the attempt to unload. When I went to take pictures of the car this afternoon, I attempted again to unload the CD's. This time, I was able to unload 2 standard CD's. During the switch to another disc, I recieved the error message again. I believe I have 1 homemade CD left in the player and 3 other standard CD's. Does anyone have any thoughts on whether my wreck would have any impact on the CD changer forcing it not operate properly? I just think it is strange that I received the message and was later able to unload and then received it again.

johnskev

13579tsa:
you mention two arrow buttons on the steering wheel controls. i only have one arrow button. i have 3 total buttons for the stereo: on/off, mode, and the one arrow button.

kj

li_sailor

Is it because you have a QX4 and not a PF? The PF steering wheel controls have three buttons (not counting the volume on the side): up arrow, mode (in this case meaning one of AM/FM1/FM2/CD/tape) and down arrow.

johnskev

li_sailor:
yes, i do have a qx4. the one arrow button is an up arrow button.

kj

nismofreak

HUH? My '01 Pathy has three buttons as well but they are: On/Off, Mode, and up arrow. What gives? My build date is July 00. And I have the 6 CD in-dash (doesn't everyone except NAV?).

Please explain why mine is different from other Pathys...
Thanks

phil47

I don't know why Nissan choose 2 different steering wheel audio control layouts, but the manual on the 01 PF illustrates both sets of controls and discusses how to operate either of them. I remember this because I had to run out to my truck and verify which control set I had before reading further about it in the manual.

phil47

Both my 99.5 PF LE and my 2001 PF LE had three cutouts in the cargo area for anchor bolt installation. In both cases I had to ask the dealer (as part of my deal) to install all three anchor bolts in the designated holes/cutouts prior to delivery. They are an option (often offered for free as many dealers consider them safety features), so you need to ask for them to be installed.

draytm01

I had a really interesting call about 2 hours ago from a Nissan/Infiniti engineer. She called because I mentioned something about the cruise control's "SET" and "Cruise" light staying on in the instrument panel when I filled out my ID Power survey.

I had a ton of questions for her and here's what I found out.

Car seat anchors:
All '01.5s, which were released around August are equipped with 3 child safety anchors. (the half year versions again!). I have a 9 week old I feel I really got screwed because it cost me $16 to get one anchor from my local dealer (not the one's that sold me my vehicle) instead of getting 3 for free. I tried getting the dealer to throw them in as "safety" items, but had no luck.

Towing and cranny coolers:
Michael - I tow someone around 4800 lfs and haven't had any issues yet with about a total of 10-12 tows. If you are not towing weekly or more often then that it a PA will be fine. The VQ35 handles the load quite well for a smaller SUB (stays at just about 3000 rams the whole trip).

I did learn and stress that you should be towing with the Over Drive OFF and the size limit on your towed vehicle is 24'. Keeping OD off keeps the engine from constantly shifting up and down. As for the ax coolers, I spoke with Nissan headquarters early on when I got my '01 (called them probably May/June timeframe) and they said by adding a aux cooler it would NOT void the warranty. I also had my dealer confirm this with them. Nissan's HQ said the same thing. I opted not to go with it because I my truck was only 1-2 mths old at the time and didn't feeling like making a modification to a new vechicle.

I asked the Nissan engineer why they didn't include an option for aux. coolers for us towers and she said that they were going to roll it out until they ran into problems with the oil circulation throughout the engine while in Alaska. She said that it was "starving" the engine of the oil in "cold" conditons (she didn't define "cold". I told her there is a lot of us that would like to see it, so keep doing your research Nissan.

CD changer:
Nissan's engineer said that they are aware of the jamming cds in the 6 disc changer and they even worked with Clarion (it's manufacturer). What they discovered is that it happens because of the thickness of the cds (ie. putting labels on CDRs etc). She said the if it jambs or breaks Nissan will replace if it is under warranty. Even if it happens because of CDRs.

Sorry so long. Just wanted to get some things off my chest. - Mark

lofquist

One thing that you do have to consider about installing tranny or oil coolers is that they typically have no thermostat. So in very cold temperatures you can possibly have the effect of >overcooling< the system. Which is not good at all for lubrication and reliability. This is probably why the comment to draytm01 about Alaska and oil flow.
-Jon

suvluv

draytm01 - Do you happen to have the contact information for the engineer you spoke to? If you do, I would really appreciate it if you could send it to me at jennycofran@yahoo.com. Thanks!

13579tsa

I have a 2001 PF LE with a manufacture date of 9/2000.

There are four buttons on the CD steering wheel control. 1) Mode 2) Up Arrow 3) Down Arrow and 4)Volume Control. There is no On/Off Button on mine.

I have another question that perhaps someone can answer: Is there any way to customize the security system so that when you turn the key either on or off the doors automatically lock or unlock? I've had other so called "premium" security systems (Clifford) and that was a feature (use optional). That feature is really nice once you have gotten used to it and I wish the PF had it.

payork

Sorry, I find it difficult to search this board so maybe this has been answered (no advanced search??).

The indash radio/CD player on my 96 Pathfinder is giving me problems (CD won't eject). Does this unit have to be replaced by another factory deck or can I have any model put in (I have keyless/security system)?

keogh1

Just about to take delivery of a QX4 and yes I believe the incentives are good for March as well (at least at Infiniti anyway). Hope this helps.

captainron

Hi all,

I'm gearing up for my road trip across the country (I'll have a wireless laptop connection so, I'll let you folks know how the first 4,034 miles go!) and I'm wondering about the mute function of the factory Bose head unit. The hands-free Nokia cell phone car kit has the ability to mute the radio when a call comes in. This requires wired access to the mute feature on the head unit (usually a blue wire). Does anyone know if this is readily available in the wiring harness of the Bose unit? Any input is, as always, appreciated!

Captain Ron...

loach

Thanks to all who helped me decide between the Pathfinder and Grand Cherokee. I drove the V8 GC and the Pathfinder again tonight. The ride and handling on the PF were much better than the first time I drove it (I think the tires were overinflated the first time - the truck had just arrived on the dealer's lot and they probably hadn't done their initial prep). I still think the GC rode just a touch smoother, but the Pathfinder more than made up for it with better handling. Anyway, I bought a Sahara Beige 2001 Pathfinder SE 4X4 with body colored moldings, microfilter, floor mats, and tow hitch (MSRP $31,485, Invoice $28,566) for $28,369. There were no additional regional incentives in my area, however the national 3.9% financing and $500 dealer cash are STILL in effect. There was an $300 regional advertising fee on the invoice, in case anyone cares. So I got the truck for slightly under invoice or $283 over invoice after deducting the dealer cash, depending on how you choose to view the ad fee. Also got $2,000 for my '91 Dodge Spirit, which is about what Edmunds trade-in TMV is and about $500 more than KBB's trade-in value. Hope you find this info helpful.

captainron

Loach,

I think you made a great choice!!! And it sounds like you got a great deal as well. Enjoy your new Pathfinder!

Captain Ron (I get mine in 9 days, but who's counting?)

hasanas

Can someone please clear up a few questions I have about the car. I picked up my PF today and it's AWESOME. But I was reading through the manual today and I have a few questions for anyone that can answer them.

1) I have an automatic transmisson, so what type of engine does the car have, the
VQ35DE or the VG33E? Also, what's the difference between these 2 types of engines?
Also, what type of octane rating should you put in?

2) Is there a website where I can get all of the commands for the audio controls on the steering wheel. Or can someone just send me an email with the answers.

My email is hasanas@hotmail.com

Thanks.

qx4

you said 2001 pathy
its a 3.5VQ 240HP 0-60 in about mid-high 8s i think
the older engine had 170HP 0-60 in just over 11s i think.

its a much more powerfull engine that is suppose to have the same fuel economy rating as the older smaller less powerfull engine...(i haven't verified it yet)

the VQ is a family of engines rated as the worlds top 10 in the world (the 3L version in the maxima). a version of this engine 3.5L will go into the new Z and the upcoming maxima and possibly and option on the altima. its a well respected engine.

you are suppose to put premium gas....i don't...and i don't want to spark a flaming conversation now.

majorwoody

Hello Folks,

Just picked up a Silver SE 4X4 today, no leather, no sunroof & auto tranny. I really wanted the 5 speed but the dealer said it would take a while to get one, all the PF they have in stocks are all AT. Anyway, I think I got ripped off. I didn't discover this site till after the purchase :[

In a nutshell, the base price is 30,999 but I got it for 29,999 after the 1000 rebate, 3.9% APR for 60 mos. I wasn't aware of the invoice, TMV and all the other neat stuff I should have known prior to purchase. Reading some of the posts here, looks like I paid way too much and some people paid within the invoice. Is there anyway I can go back to the dealer and get an adjustment of some sort? What are my options?

Oh well, other than the price, I love my PF. I already ordered a grille guard for $396.00 and all season floor mats for $44 at Courtesy Nissan.

Thanks!