Nissan Pathfinder

muttmbl · February 2001

Just got my offer from Pittsburg. Opening offer on Path LE AWD with Ltd Slip, Leather, Mats, Microfilter, Wind Deflector, and Body side molding was $30,986. Only issue is the color. I really want the green/gray combo and the only LE in green is with the Nav system. How much is that worth? I haven't heard great things about the Navigation system - anyone a proponent?

sbelfield · February 2001

Thanx to all for responding...any others are still welcome.

phil47: You mentioned getting at least LSD to help on rare occasions. I thought you had to have 4WD/AWD to have this??

phil47 · February 2001

Not quite. I believe you can get LSD on 2WD but only with the manual transmission on the SE. I don't believe you can get it on the automatics. Sorry, I should have clarified that.

aris · February 2001

Thank you for responding, this really helped a lot. I was wondering what the "net dealer cost" was compared to the invoice. Also, yes i checked and it has the AWD.

I test drove it, and noticed after a few miles of driving i smelled a burning outside of the car. Should i be concerned? i noticed some other responses but didn't understand them much. Also, what is the problem with the shimmying? anyone know? FINAL question, when the PF has a navigation system, is the CD player under the seat? or where? i forgot to ask the dealer.

Thank you so much!
Aris

drew_ · February 2001

You may find it helpful to read through all of the messages (there aren't that many right now) in the 4WD systems vs AWD systems topic. I believe you'll find a lot of info. in there for you to consider.

Good luck!

Drew
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felke001 · February 2001

aris--

I and several others had the burning smell when new--it seems to be quite common and goes away after a few thousand miles. Someone suggested that it was wax burning off the engine/transmission, left over from the trip from Japan.

The shimmying has been covered ad nauseam on previous boards, look for Pathfinder Main comment boards v-viii under SUV archives or just search for shimmy.

Don't know about the nav--don't have it.
Best of luck
Mike

AltimaMan · February 2001

Has anyone seen this charge or paid it on the dealer invoice for a new vehicle. The sales consultant is saying that Nissan is charging them so they must pass it on.

Advice or comments anyone?

AltimaMan

bdk4 · February 2001

We just purchased a '98 Pathfinder SE with 32k miles on it and got a great deal, I think. Since we are virgin 4-wheel drivers, I've got a question I hope someone can enlighten me on. The shift from 2WD to 4WDH is almost instantaneous, but the shift back can take anywhere from 1-10 minutes - is this normal?? The car acts and drives perfectly normal, no strange noises or smells from under the hood.

paco99 · February 2001

Nope. I have a PF SE '01, 4x4, with shift on the fly stick for 4WD, automatic tranny and with LSD; because I wanted the two-tone model color (Sahara Beige body and colored fenders), I had to wait 7 weeks to get it....was worth the wait & I wasn't in a rush to get it.....the dealer found one for me with what I wanted......

paco99 · February 2001

I don't know about the 10 minutes, I never counted it, but I did notice some sort of "time" lag......didn't pay to much attention to it, though....

paco99 · February 2001

You convinced me. I went to Nissan's site and they want list price (not surprized).....Thanks !

vreffett · February 2001

Thanks for all the good info, I really appreciate such a good forum ( I wish there was this kind of participation on the BMW forum ).
I have a 2001 LE with 8K miles and overall I am really happy with my PF. I have read several postings on the outside temp readings and all I can say is that mine never gets closer than 3deg. of the true temp. When I leave my garage at 57deg. and the outside temp is 32deg. it takes about 15 minutes for the tempature to adjust and it will still read 35-36deg. At higher temperatures it is further off and that is while moving. My BMW will read the correct temp within 1 minute of leaving the garage.
The auto seat positioner will always retract when stopping but will only reposition about 40% of the time even if I do the exact routine every time. My dealer says they have never heard of this problem but it appears that I am not the only one with this problem.
I intend to keep my PF for some time and it would definately be more pleasurable if I were not reminded of these two problems everytime I drive it.

Are there any fixes?

Thanks again for the great forum.

phil47 · February 2001

I was referring to the fact that the only 2WD PF (not 4WD like your PF) that has LSD is the SE with a manual tranny, not the auto.

fastfeeet · February 2001

I am a dealer in the state of tn, I havent heard of all of these temp problems down here. I also havent heard of any complaints on the power seats. I will try to find out for all of you though, because it seems like a common problem. If you have the nav system, your cd changer is in the storage compartment on the passenger side of the cargo area. I hope this helps.

pat01 · February 2001

I, too, have had the same problem with the autoseat retracting 100% of time and re-advancing when entering about 40% of the time using the same key fob trained to the same driver position.

aris · February 2001

so if you have the nav. system, the cd player is in the cargo area? thats stupid, because in the QX4 i saw, it was behind the navigation system screen, that was exactly the same one in the PF. oh well......

sbelfield · February 2001

Did any of you consider buying the Xterra vs. the Pathfinder?

It appears to me that the Pathfinder is much more comfortable, however, cost several thousand more. Also the new Xterras are due out in the Fall. Any thoughts??

johnskev · February 2001

aris: with regards to the qx4 vs pathfinder cd changer, the qx4 changer is in the same place as the pathfinder when you have a nav system in either - the cargo area. depending on what version software was installed on your nav system, you can play a single cd in the slot behind the nav system. that slot is not the changer though, it's a single disc player.

-kj

bgritz · February 2001

While the Xterra is a great vehicle, albeit smaller, the main consideration was the engine. I drove an 5-spd Xterra out of Denver up I-70 into the mountains, then drove the 250hp Pathfinder 5-spd. It wasn't even a fair comparison. The 3.5L engine smoked the 3.3L in the Xterra.

Having owned a '86 2.8 litre Jeep Cherokee five years ago, I wasn't really looking forward to enjoyment of going up to the mountains at 55, in 3rd gear, pulling close to 4,000 RPM.

I also looked very closely at the 4runner SR-5, but couldn't justify the extra money for what I believe is a lesser SUV in terms of engine, and especially comfort.

needanissan · February 2001

trying to work the numbers to purchase a new pathfinder. Even with the 3.9% financing I'm afraid the LE is out of my range. I could probably swing the SE 4x4. Should I even bother? Or is it not worth it without an LE and AWD?

I guess plan B would be a 2001 Mazda Tribute w/ AWD. Or(gulp) a 2000 explorer.

Anyone have any thoughts?

nismofreak · February 2001

As an owner of an '01 SE, I would say that it is worth it. But that is most certainly a personal opinion. Although I certainly could find use for the AWD version, I am perfectly content with my 4WD. I also >LOVE< the way the SE looks. It certainly does not look sedate.

But one more thing you may want to think about is reliability. The chance of you getting a Nissan Lemon is low compared to your other two choices. Ford just went through a lot with quality issues.

Good luck in what ever you choose.

lofquist · February 2001

needanissan,
In as much as the new AWD is nice and for the most part requires no driver input, the standard 4x4 system is not a slouch either. I have a 2001 SE with manual transmission. When one chooses the manual, you do not have the AWD option. I live in Minnesota. We have tons of snow and ice this year (finally, a REAL winter!). When you are on marginal roads, just pull back on the stick and you're in 4hi. When you get back to dry roads, push it forward and you're back in 2hi. Really, it's not a big deal.

I've changed between 2wd and 4wd at over 60mph a number of times. No force needed, no grinding, no noise, no delay. It works great. OK, so it requires a little thinking and a little driver input. But that doesn't bother me at all.

Now if I haven't sold you on this idea, did you see that all automatic transmission SE's in Canada get AWD at no extra charge? In the US you have to buy the LE to get AWD. So just take a run up to Canada. And probably save $3000+ too.

-Jon

phandrag99 · February 2001

Have been reading the post for the past few month and this is a great forum.
I have a PF 2001 LE, 4x4 Sahara Beige, Grantek tires and no problem so far with 5600 miles on it. This is awesome vehicle to drive and has edequate power.

I would like to ask if anybody has experienced changing the front signal light lens and how long it takes. It was hit by a rock and it put a hole as big as a quarter. I just noticed it last saturday when I went and gave the pathy a car wash. The dealer told me that the lens cost $48.00 plus
tax.

Thanks everybody in advanced.

Ph99

needanissan · February 2001

Thanks Jon

Purchasing in Canada is intriguing. Although I would like to take advantage of the 3.9% financing. Is that possible? If not I would
probably get a 7.9% or something which would
nearly negate the $3000 savings over 5 years.

lofquist · February 2001

Yes, you are right that the 3.9% here in the US is very attractive right now. The Canadian dealers can't finance to US residents. So that does make a difference. Here's what my loan calculator says for an example:
US price at invoice 29339 @ 3.9% for 60 mo = $539
Canada sales price 25700 @ 7.9% for 60 mo = $519

Both are SE with auto, sunroof, lsd, and mats. US model has regular 4x4, Canadian has AWD.

So over the life of the loan you save about $1200 and you get AWD for free. Might also save a couple hundred on your state's sales tax.

If you paid cash, then the savings here is $3639 plus AWD. Bottom line, the more you put down or the shorter the loan (or pay cash) the more you save.

-Jon

sbelfield · February 2001

I understand that there is a $500 dealer rebate and 3.9% for 60 months.

Given that, how close to invoice are you guys seeing the PF go for currently?

Would $500 below invoice be a good deal for PF SE 2WD?

sbelfield · February 2001

Is it safe to say that 2001 PF's will have similar discounts until 2002 PF's arrive?

$500 off and 3.9% for 60 months.

3.9% offer was supposed to end Jan 31 and they extended it to 2/28.
I'm trying to wait as long as possible (in a pinch for $$$), but don't want to wait too long and lose big savings like 3.9% for 60 mos.

drew_ · February 2001

Did you know about this on the Canadian Auto tarrif policy?
http://www.hssfc.ca/PolicyIssues/Breakfasts/MolotEng.html

I wonder if the days of buying a Canadian Pf and bring it over to the US are numbered for cost reasons (if the duty is implemented)?

Any thoughts?

Drew
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Vans, SUVs, and Aftermarket and Accessories message boards

frodo4 · February 2001

Hi All,

Been speaking to a couple of dealers, all via the internet by the way, and have a received a quote for a '01 PF LE 4x2 loaded without NAV & ENT system for $28,700 at 3.9% financing. What do you guys think? Looks to me after research that this is below dealer invoice.
Thanks for your input.

lofquist · February 2001

Drew,
Yes I am familar with all this on duties levied on vehicles entering Canada (can you see that I was somewhat compulsive when I did all my research last fall before going to Canada?!).

But this really doesn't affect Nissans. Canada ALREADY levies the 6.1% duty on Pathfinders entering from Japan. The big objection by the Japanese govt is that this is not consistant across all brands. Companies that have a "presense" in Canada (Auto Pact) are allowed to import foreign manufactured vehicles at reduced duties. So Nissan is at a disadvantage pricewise in the Canadian market. Also vehicles manufactured in either Canada or the US can pass into the other country duty-free due to NAFTA.

----> If you are getting sleepy on this compelling topic, skip to the next post at this time....

Anyway, all of this bickering among politicians doesn't matter to those of us who go from the US to Canada to buy a Pathfinder. The dealer sets the price based on some profit to him from the price he paid to Nissan Canada. If the duty was to be lowered, that would be even better. Nissan could maybe lower the selling price, but more likely they would just keep most of the extra cash for themselves.

When entering the US, ANY car manufactured outside a NAFTA country is subject to the 2.5% duty as I often mention (Pathfinders too). BTW, the duty on trucks is 25%, but SUV's are not considered trucks by US Customs (go figure...).

-Jon

j1234b · February 2001

Hi Folks,

I'll apologize early since my question probably was addressed in some earlier discussions. Anyway, I was unsuccessful in removing the dust cover in order to get to the filter. I got all of the bolts but not the fastener located on the front center of the cover. Is it removable? I am not familiar with this kind of fastener--it looks like plastic material-- and didn't want to force it.

Thanks!

Jim

loboy · February 2001

Jon, that's how I understood it too but thanks for the clarification. BTW, for those considering the Canadian purchase, the US dollar is back up to where it was last Novevember, around $1.53 Canadian.

Someone asked about other vehicles. We had looked at the Xterra also but considered it to be too rugged for our needs. We had seriously consider the 4Runner SR5 but for the same money we got a PF LE with more standard features. A friend bought his 2000 4Runner SR5 for $29+ttl (I paid about $28K+ttl for mine 2001 LE).

stevinwshingtn · February 2001

And oh by the way, the 6.1% that Canada charges Nissan to bring their vehicles into Canada is technically refundable to Nissan when that vehicle is turned around and exported from Canada via the drawback form. This is what I was told by the office that turned down the air conditioner tax drawback that I tried to claim. Nissan however, will not do this. I don't know why exactly.

li_sailor · February 2001

I don't know whether most folks do what I do, check all the Nissan Pathfinder Club msg areas, but in case you don't and are interested...I have posted the results of my web searches for a hitch-mounted bike rack and a cargo liner for the PF in the Options and Accessories area. Any feedback you might have (or questions) would be appreciated.

I also listed the URLs of the Car Accessories web sites I thought were good (21) there and Howie (our FAQmaster) was good enough to put the list in the FAQ area...so check it out!

Tom

winnyv · February 2001

Insert small flat blade screwdriver under middle pin and pry up,this releases the fastener. Or just break the damn thing off, you don't need it anyway. I think it's a terrible design to have to remove this cheap "skid plate" just to get to the oil filter.

jambazi · February 2001

Has anyone noticed light-colored blemishes in the rear window? They look almost like grease marks or something, but they don't rub out. Very small, like the size of bugs or large dirt. My best guess is that they might be defects in the tint. I've only seen it on the rear window, however.

I'm very curious to know how common this is. It's not enough for me to want to get a new window or anything, but it is noticeable.

--Howie

matt336 · February 2001

Hello, all!! Been reading around a while, and thought I might post my first question. Looking to possibly lease a PF SE. Not too sure on available options but auto tranny, 4x4, and leather is a must.

Has anyone recently leased a similarly equipped vehicle? Terms would be 36-39 months and 15k per year.

Thanks for the help!!

Regards,
Matt

meca2 · February 2001

jambazi: Are the defects on the outside or inside? If there are on the
inside of the glass it might be part of the window defogger wires??
Be carefull not to damage any wires there are difficult to repair.
Steve

mcc32 · February 2001

I own a '01 Pf LE

The other day the"check engine soon" light went on and stayed for a day and a half, then suddenly as quick as it lit up, it went off. Should I be concerned?
It was a damp day, slight drizzle - maybe this had something to do with it?
Any thoughts??

sanandton · February 2001

May have had a gas cap issue. If you don't tighten it the 3 clicks it will cause an "evaporative emissions" code to signal the check engine light. Once corrected the light may cycle off on its own.

ericnewcar · February 2001

I am shopping for a new car and found out you need to pay over MSRP (or at least at MSRP) + long waiting for the MDX and Highlander. At same time Pf is offering low APR financing.
Can someone explain to me why people still want to buy MDX and Highlander even when Pf is offering big discount? Is MDX and Highlander that superior than Pf?
Tks,
eric

smithmd · February 2001

Sorry it's taken so long to reply...I've been swamped at work.

On my '99.5 4x4, the shift into 4wd is instananeos as you said. To get out of 4wd, however, does take a little longer. If I'm accelerating as I push it back to 2wd, the truck will stay in 4wd until I take my foot off the gas and coast...sometimes for a few feet, sometimes farther. Occaisionally, just coasting a little won't get the truck out of 4wd. If that's the case, I'll slowly accelerate up 5 mph and then coast down 5 mph (as traffic will allow) until the truck get's out of 4wd. In cases where this is necessary, it usually only takes one or two cycles. This normally happens when I'm in 4wd on a snowy side road and pulling into traffic on a dry (or at least not snowy) larger road because I'm turning on a "high-traction" surface with the truck still in 4wd. Doing so causes some slight binding in the drivetrain...but that beats the heck outta getting plowed into because I was trying to take off and couldn't get moving in 2wd.

Anyway, try that coasting thing I was talking about. Good luck!

meca2 · February 2001

mcc32: Sometimes a slight amount of moisture forms on the O2 senser
after the engine is shut off or if the engine is started runs a couple of seconds
and then is shut off. Has anyone found a way to check the engine codes with-
out Nissans Consult. Cheers

nismofreak · February 2001

Better yet, does anyone know if the Techtom MDM100 will read the '01 Pathy ECU?

Cheers!

brian60 · February 2001

I've actually noticed the same thing on my 99.5 PF's rear window. Considering how close you have to be to notice it however, I consider it to be a non-issue, although the anal part of me (no dirty jokes, please :P ) wish they weren't there. Maybe it has something to do with the rear defroster heating up the tint coating?

frodo4 · February 2001

I just received an offer from Dealer for a '01 PF LE 4x2 - all options except NAV & ENT sys for $28,500 not including tax & tag fees.

Need to know from you guys if this is a good deal - please let me know b/c I am in the market to buy asap....

Thanks everyone!

highup · February 2001

In Reply to: 2001 oil filters & changes? posted by Steve C on January 13, 01 at 13:22:15:

: Has anyone found a substitute oil filter (ie bigger) to replace the scrawny stock filter on the 3.5 engine? After all, it's the same filter from the
Altima (3+ quarts) and now used for 5+ quarts. I searched through a large selection of filters at the local autozone, but no luck. Also, has
anyone found a way to replace the oil filter without dropping the front pan?

: Thanks
: Steve
Unlike some other things size dosen't matter...There is actually more surface filteration area on the factory "mini" filter than there larger
ones. The key to oil change matainance is consistency. Change oil and filter EVERY 4K and ONLY USE GENUINE NISSAN FILTERS !!
There IS a difference. All Pathfinder engines are 100% Japan product. Top quality iron and alloys, I have seen blocks with over 500k and still
show orignal hone marks. Factory filters not only use a o-ring design seal but will ensure proper hyd.lifter operation. If you can try to find
15208-31U00, made in Japan - the 15208-9E000 is U.S. made..set the 2 side by side, youll see the difference.You just spent 30K, dont shop at
autozone..

duper · February 2001

Smithmd,
I experienced the same thing when pulling out of small street in 4wd into larger one with dry pavement, a little bind was felt.
Like you said, I always need to let go of the accelerator a little to disengage 4wd after shifting it from 4wd-hi back to 2wd.
All this time I thought it was my lack of 4wd skills but glad to find out it's the characteristics of the truck

Have fun

frodo4 · February 2001

Can anyone reply to this? Looking for helpful input....

baddestbob1 · February 2001

If you live out west,So Cal check with Dianne at Carson motors, see info at Highlander discussion. She is quoting $1600 off retail on a couple of basic V6, probobly more as you go up in price.

Nissan Pathfinder

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