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Comments
with the bracket was $38 wholesale. I broke one of the sensors when I relocated
them to the front grill with a nylon tie. This week I will fabricate a bracket that will
fasten both sensors to the stud to the drivers side of the pillor in front of the rad.
Alternatively, you can disconnect the battery for about 1/2 hour, then reconnect it. This resets the 'check engine' light.
If it comes back on, then you should take it in. Did you happen to get any kind of warranty when you bought it?
Has anyone else experienced this? Let me know
Thanks,
Bob in South Florida
had a Shimmy issue. I have Dunlop tires and I was wondering if I should just replace the tries with an All-Season tire such as Michelin?
Now the story continues...
Matt,
Yes. I have a copy of the NTB00-061 Service Bulletin. Here's what happened.
First, I called the salesman and told him of the vibration/shimmy. He said
it was because I have aggressive tries and they would "wear in"...I did not
believe this, tires only get worse when not properly balanced. I asked to
make an appointment for a tire balancing. I brought it to Nissan to correct
the shimmy, and they stated they were "unable to verify customer's concern".
I told them to balance the tires anyway (again) and that I wanted a copy of
the bulletin. Next, I asked the Service rep to go for a ride with me. He did
verify the "slight" Shimmy, and I asked him to schedule an appointment to go
through the 5 points on the Bulletin and/or replace my tires. When we got
bad at the dealership, the Service Manager (different guy) "talked me out
it"...Basically, the Service Manager said he personally test drove my
Pathfinder and said it drives fine and that there is nothing more they can
do. I really felt he was full of [non-permissible content removed] and giving me Slick Willy talk. This
was on Monday. Today, Thursday, I brought my Pathfinder into an independent
Tire shop which had the Hunter GSP 9700. They said that the tires were out
of balance, but the vehicle did not exhibit and excessive "Radial Force
Vibration", so they felt the Dunlop on my Pathy are fine. The problem is
that I still have the Shimmy. I do not think it really made much of a
difference. I can still feel it in my seat, armrest, etc. Matt, looking at
the list on the NTB00-061, the only thing that appears to have not been
checked yet is the "insufficient steering rack force adjustment"? What are
your thoughts, my new friend? How did you resolve this frustrating shimmy
issue? I feel like I should now bring it to a second Nissan Dealership and
request they check the steering rack...
X2guy - Have you had your Vibration/Shimmy issue fixed?
On a scale from 1 to 10 had bad would you say the Vibration is? Compared to other vehciles you have driven, how was the shimmy in comparison? As for my vehicle, the steering wheel does not shake to the visible eye. The Service Manager told me the steering wheel would be "really" shaking if there was a problem. I feel only a slight vibration in the wheel, but the seat vibrates, as well as the gas peal, armrest, etc ...which vibrate enough to numb and irritate the hell out of you. What if I changed my tires from "All-Terrain" which I think all Pathfinders come standard...perhaps get the "All-Season" Tires...More of a highway type ride, smoother possibly?
I have a 97 Pathfinder. On a recent long trip when I reached about 70 mph on I95 the vehicle didn't vibrate, but started rocking back and forth with increasing intensity until the cruise was cancelled and I slowed a little. Then the ride returned to normal until a certain stretch of road set off the rocking again.
I called the dealership and they think it might be the sway bar and/or bearings that are bad.
I travel 3 hrs. to the nearest dealership tomorrow to have it checked.
Anyone else have this problem?
Thanks,
Tom
Regardless of the brand of tire on your truck, you have that brand's highway tire. I'm not a Dunlop fan, so I don't really know if they have a better tire. I know that people looking for a smoother ride (in any SUV) have gone to the Bridgestone Dueler H/L. Another popular tire has been the Michelin LTX M/S. That said, I would bet money (and I'm not a bettin' man) on it NOT being your tire tread.
Hope this helps.
e-mail me for details on how to fix your problem
smithmdsmith@yahoo.com
E-mail me at smithmdsmith@yahoo.com if you want a copy.
Tks.. Bruce
Other than that irritation and the fact there is no rear window release on the dash and you can't scan radio stations from the steering wheel, it's a great SUV and I highly recommend it.
First the tires: my PF came with Dunlop HL, so they are not "off road" or all terrain type tires. I like Dunlops, as they seem much more round than many other brands at that price range. Dealer knew right away that it was not a tire problem. I might have them balanced just on principle in case they contribute any extra vibration.
Second Mechanical: I asked dealers to check drive line. They looked at my purchase date, just laughed and said "no new PF would have a drive line problem." They refused to check drive shaft runnout or anything else. I do not have a dial indicator, but on a hunch rotated my drive shaft 180 degrees. Reduced vibration to about 3.0 and changed the speed at which it happens.
Conclusion: I like my PF a great deal, but bought a new one to avoid chasing gremlins like this. Warranty and service have been disappointing, so a used one with more problems would probably be less stressful for me. At least I'd save some money and know I was on my own for repairs...
Pathforward: Continue discussing with others on this message board. I'll also check runnout, and if it is way off spec raise hell. If everything is in spec, I'll switch to synthetics and see what happens. Several mechanics have recommended synthetics for my vibration.
We'll see what happens (sorry for the long post).
I got the driver mirror vibration over 100Km/h right from the beginning. Dealer replaced it but problem still remains. It is really odd, because the right mirror is just fine. Originally I thought that
it is the glass that flutters, but after replacing the whole mirror, I realized that the whole thing is vibrating on hyway speeds. In the meantime I have installed the bug deflector, and now the dealer blames it for the mirror fluttering. I just dropped it because it does not bother me that much, and there is no high noise associated with this.
What is really concerns me, it's the noise of the engine that I it start to pick up lately. I am changing oil @ 4000Km. Should I go with synthetic? What brand would be recommended?
Thanks to anyone for responding.
My driver side mirror also vibrates at highway speed. Doesn't sound like dealers can fix this?
You can scan radio stations with your steering wheel control. Just hold down either the up or down arrow until you hear a beep...presto, next scanned station!
There is around 7300 miles on my PF. This problem is definitely not tires. I purchased a 93 Jeep Gr Cherokee when it first came out and it had a vibration problem. After months of troubleshooting, they replaced the tires and said that it was fixed. It wasn't, and the steering dampener finally catastrophically failed 8 months later ( that's when they said that a tech bulletin had been issued about 4 months prior to the failure ). The reason I don't have another Jeep is because of the way Chrysler handled that problem and their reputation for poor quality. Anyway, there isn't a consumer out there who should put up with any type of drive train problem on a $30,000+ vehicle. I haven't been to the dealer yet, but I hope I'm not going to relive the Jeep.
My father-in-law is a master mechanic for GM and says the AWD systems are prone to vibration because of their complex nature. He said GM has a very low success rate with diagnosing drivetrain vibration because of the complexity...
The heart and soul of the AWD system is the transmission and transfer case. There are lots of pumps and clutches. After checking for mechanical problems, they try changing the fluids. {they will rarely replace or tear-down fully functioning components} In extreme cases, they try using heavier fluids...
As part of my hobby, I became a distributor for Redline and Amsoil synthetic oils to get supplies at wholesale. I plan to begin the change-over this weekend and observe the results.
Here are my observations:
Crankcase: Still observed metal chips & fines in the oil. No magnet in pan and I forgot to purchase one. Will install a magnetic plug nest oil change. Replaced with 5.5 Qt of 5w30 Amsoil & Amsoil Super Duty Filter
Differentials: Front and Rear both have magnetic drain plugs. Earlier posts were correct, the plugs are very tight! Both magnets with covered with metal chip & fines. Replaced with 2Q (front) & 3Q (rear) Amsoil Series 2000 75W90 Gear Oil for LSD's
Transfer Case: Fluid looked good. Drained completely and replaced with 3Q of Amsoil ATF.
Auto Trans: Fluid looked good. Drained pan and replaced with 4.5 Q of Amsoil ATF. Total Trans capacity is 9Q, so I decided not to flush system. I will probably drain again at 15,000 to get another 1/2.
All in all things went well, but several small metal flakes got embedded in my hands. "They" say an post break-in fluid change is unnecessary, now I'm not so sure... I at least recommend changing the Diffy fluids early. For normal passenger use, Amsoil 2000 is practically a lifetime fill. Plus it improves gas mileage!
Vibrations aren't much different. Engine/drivetrain is a bit quieter. I still need to check runnout of the driveshaft...
Regards
je
Transfer Case:
anyone else have this problem? suggestions? BTW - dealer not helpful - outside temps 85-90.
thanks,
bert
This vibration should be classified as more of a shudder. It happens at low speeds (< 60mph, but mainly between 50 & 60) and is most pronounced when barely accelerating or when completely letting up on the accelerator. If I am just maintaining speed, I don't have the shudder. It only occurs when I change the torque on the drive train. It is definitely not tires.
Would someone explain drive-line run-out and how it could affect this problem? Thanks.
I chose the Amsoil fluids because they have such a good (& complete) product line. Plus it's easy to become a dealer and then buy the products at wholesale.
The metal chips were mostly in the diffs, on the magnetic plug. {A magnet is attached to the inside of the diff drain plug} I also observed some chips in the oil pan too, but forgot to buy a magnetic plug (mangetic plugs are non stangard on crankcase)
I'm going to try the foam filter very soon. I have not had good luck with K&N and will avoid them for cars where longevity is desired.
Either Q owners are; a) ashamed to post problems; b) physically insensitive; or c) have no problems. Well, I don't think they are ashamed nor physically insensitive. So, that would leave no problems (at least not significant ones like vibrations). How can that be if these are so-called "twins" ?
Is it possible that Nissan is; a) somehow testing and "selecting" closer tolerance driveshafts, differential gearing, u-joints, transfer case units, and transmissions and targeting these close tolerance components for the "Q" while the PF's get parts with greater tolerances which would make vibration problems more common in PF's; or, b) has Nissan identified the source and is spending the additional money in the Q's and not in the PF's to fix it. Just a thought ...... but those are the thoughts that surface when the only answer you get from the dealer is " our master technician drove it and could find nothing wrong" or "that's how they are".
- - -
Also, the article (no. 188) regarding comparison of the PF to the Infiniti Qx4 was quite interesting, because I thought of the same types of issues.
I also have a creaking noise in the dash. It is coming from the driver's side vent for the windshield. The "grate" is snapped in but there is some play so it just giggles when the truck is moving down the road.
-nismo
Meca2, catch me up, pile of junk??
Dano
comparison test, but then, I found out about the vibration problem. Is it that bad? Now, I am undecided whether to purchase it or not. People that have the vibration problem, please let me know if you are satisfied with your PF. Thanks
Thanks! donszj@yahoo.com
I have had my 01 PF LE since april 2000. I do have the shimmy. It is a very minor nusiance. When a car is this well built there are very few other things complain about. We tend to blow small things out of proportion. I now have 16k miles on my PF and can tell you it is by far the best built and pleasurable vehicle I have owned. I have owned approx. 14 cars in the last 8 years and none of them have been as enjoyable as the PF. You won't get the "bang for the buck" factor with most other similar cars. It has nearly all the bells and whistles for thousands less. By comparison a friend just dropped 38k on a new Tahoe LT. The PF has more small things such as both passenger and driver auto up/down windows, auto open/close sunroof (he didn't even get a sunroof at this price), heated seats, electronic climate control.
My shimmy has been worse at times. It seems that tire rebalance improves my problem, but it only stays gone for short intervals. Drive several at variable speeds on the freeway, mine is most noticeable at 70-75 mph and is smooth as silk from 80-90mph. In all despite the "shimmy" I still luv this truck.
Of course the dealer denies there is a problem "our tech drove it and it works as designed" I notice there is a TSB out for shifts between 1st and second but the dealer claims that it doesn't apply
Any one else have similar experience
check with DOL and see if the vehicle has been TITLED. If is has, it is considered USED; otherwise, it is still NEW. If you want, you can check when your PF was manufactured. Look for a shiny sticker on the driver's side door jamb.
shifts. Used valvoline dura-blend and some have used 100% synthetic. The service
manual indicates several items to check with Nissans Consult II. Do you know a dealer
that will connect the vehicle to the machine and check the trans? Good luck. I hope
this is an isolated problem I got rid of my Explorer because of tranny problems that
Ford could not fix.