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Yes, I DO remove the rubber gasket each time I wash the truck and remove the bug deflector. Don't use pliers or a tool of any kind. Just get a good grip on the small plastic inserts with thumb and forefinger and wiggle gently from right to left while pulling outward. You should hear a "pop" after a couple of wiggles - that's the way each one comes out. I'm impressed with the fact that, after 9 or 10 removals, the retainer pins haven't lost their ability to snap back in and keep the gasket snug. BTW, make sure you replace the gasket - I went a couple weeks with mine off, and opened my hood to find a filthy engine compartment - road grime dust, leaf residue, bugs, etc. What a mess...took two sponges and a good hour to make it look new again.
The bug guard came out of the box with a foam piece for each support, but a couple were shorter in length than they should be. After 10 or so wash and waxes, I'm VERY glad I didn't adhere the foam to the paint as specified. It's very tough stuff with an incredibly strong adhesive. I'm really surprised that Nissan recommends the adhesive-on-paint installation. I can't imagine what it would be like to try to remove one of these bad boys after a couple years of use - I think I'd have a Nissan body shop professional do it for me. The presence of those pads has to have an effect on fading, paint texture, etc.(??)
The deflector seems like a good investment, especially for winter debris. Although, I now travel a 4 mile stretch of road each day that is undergoing a pavement re-do. Those damn eighteen wheelers kick up so much stone that I have multiple BB sized scratches/impressions in the deflector. Could be worse - those marks could be in my paint! Honestly, I think most people aren't as neurotic as I am, and install the thing and forget about it. As long as it's doing it's job and looks good...they're happy.
Good luck.
I think in terms of the filter, which ever your local Nissan dealer sells to you, is the right filter to use. As of moment I have all the different types that have been mentioned on this forum. This was all due to my own confused state of mind. I finally used the 65F00 / Valvoline 5W30. on my first oil change at 5000km.I intend to use the rest later on. Next oil change at 8000km.
I have even bought the K & N oil filter for use with synthetic Valvoline 5W30 in the future. The part number for the K&N Filter is HP-1010 (CROSS REFERENCE IS :FRAM PH7317,
PUROLATOR L1420).
For normal oil change I will stick with Nissan filters . But for long term oil change, I will consider K&N filter. And that's my own humble opinion.
Any special reason some on this board are switching from 5W30 to 10W30?.
The K&N Air Filter charger is good. Full report on my 1997 Ford Crown victoria later on.
full5.
My question, however, is about financing. If I buy in Canada, do I lose the ability to pay 0.9% or 3.9% interest rates? Can I finance through a Canadian Nissan dealership? Can I buy in Canada but finance through a local Nissan dealership? Will Canadian discounts and/or rebates make up for any higher interest rates I might have to pay if I buy in Canada?
Sorry if I sound uninformed, but this is my first car purchase! Thanks!!
-Jon
Also the Purolator P/N L1420 I/I P/N L14620.
full5.
I promised I would post feedback on the Pirelli tires I just put on my Pathfinder. First off, it's a 2001 LE in completely (loaded) stock trim with 11,000 miles...no mechanical modifications yet. I ripped up one of the stock Toyo 255/65R16 tires pretty bad out on a trail a few weeks back and decided to go with a full set of tires that were more aggressive, but still streetable.
I put a set of Pirelli Scorpion AT's in 255/70R16 on two weeks ago and just got around to taking it off-road yesterday. Now that tire is 30.2" tall and 10.2" wide. The stock tires are 29.1" tall and 10" wide. I was a little concerned about rubbing...Not a problem. I had the Pathfinder in some extreme frame-twister, high wheel-articulation situations yesterday and the tires never touched the body once. I even crawled under and around the wheel wells to see if any of the dirt was rubbed off in any area. None. So, the fit is perfect...about the largest you could go with stock suspension and still have no rubbing/clearance problems.
Now, as for traction...I was VERY impressed. There were hills that I couldn't walk up (on foot)that my original street tires would fail on. On the same hills...and ones that were even slicker (soft dirt on hard-pack slippery), I was able to just crawl right up them. I would even stop in the middle, roll back a few feet and hit it again with no slip. The only time I broke traction is when the wheels left the ground. Anybody have a line on sway bar disconnects?
Anyway, I have pics if anyone is interested!
Captain Ron. . .
ron.chase@internetmachines.com
Can anybody help? Thanks.
*Click on the Nissan 2002 Vehicle info button (in the middle)
guess it is time to trade in my 2001 LE for a 2002? I wish!
DETAILS::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Body
New front grille with restyled Nissan badge
New body-color bumpers and fender flares; new titanium-accented step rail and roof rack with integrated air dam (SE)
Aggressive front end sheet metal from the A-pillar forward, featuring a hood with a “milled off” front edge appearance, multi-parabola headlights
Rear styling includes a smooth tailgate with finisher, rear bumper, combination lights and black privacy glass
New exterior colors – Chrome Silver, Merlot and White Pearl
Engine and Driveline
3.5-liter DOHC V6 aluminum block engine producing 250 horsepower and 240 lb-ft of torque (manual transmission) or 240
horsepower and 265 lb-ft of torque (automatic); 100,000-mile tune-up interval
Choice of rear-wheel drive, part-time shift-on-the-fly 4-wheel drive with 2-speed transfer case or push button All-Mode 4WD system (LE only)
4-speed electronically controlled automatic transmission or 5-speed manual (available on SE 4x4 only)
Suspension, Steering and Braking
New 17-inch aluminum-alloy wheels on LE, 16-inch aluminum-alloy wheels on SE
Independent strut with coil springs front suspension, 5-link coil spring rear suspension, front/rear stabilizer bar
Power-assisted front disc/rear drum brakes with standard 4-wheel/3-channel/4-sensor ABS
Interior Features
Revised audio system with new faceplate and faster functioning in-dash 6-disc CD changer; available Bose‚ audio system with new Radio Data System (RDS)
New steering wheel with revised Nissan chrome badge
New seat cloth on SE
Available leather-appointed seats and heated front seats (SE 4x4 and LE 4x4)
White instrument meter cluster on LE, titanium-colored gauges on SE
Available Nissan Mobile Entertainment System with DVD or video cassette player and ceiling-mounted flip-down monitor
Patrol Edition Pathfinder available - LE with the Nissan Navigation System
Safety and Security
Dual front supplemental air bags, front seat belts with pretensioners and load limiters
Available front seat side-impact supplemental air bags
Child Seat Anchor – 3 Tether Points
Safety and Security, Cont.
Vehicle Security System with Immobilizer and remote keyless entry system
Models and Manufacturing
Offered in four well-equipped models: 4x2 SE and LE and 4x4 SE and LE
Assembled by Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. in Kyushu, Japan
Someone asked me the age-old octane question and I thought I'd post what I wrote on the forum...A lot of these points have been brought up at various times, but here they all are:
At this point in automotive technology, the computer chip will advance or retard ignition to compensate for octane differences...pretty slick stuff. That's the up-side. The down-side is that the engine is designed to run on 91+ octane at sea level...In order to squeeze 240HP out of a 3.5 litre engine, they do a pile of things...one of which is to up the compression ratio. This will produce the desired result, but will only run at the appropriate temperatures and detonation timing if a higher octane is used. Now, you can run a lower octane, but the chip has to work fairly hard to overcome the compression ratio demand and doesn't quite do it or maintain the right (cooler) head temp. It also has to effectively re-jet the fuel/air mixture to compensate for lower octane fuel...that's why you see a different octane spec for high altitudes (thinner air).
I'm also involved in building an air-cooled engine...temperature will make or break those engines! It's all about getting the temperatures down. The high-end builders are all saying to lower the compression ratio when designing an engine due to the degradation of pump fuel octane over the last 20 years. They also concede that you'll get more power out of an engine if you design it with a higher CR (compression ratio), but warn about using too low an octane if you want a long engine life. Bottom line...higher octanes run cooler and can handle the higher compression ratios without damage to the engine.
Will running lower octane do any damage? Difficult to say...and even then...it might only be evident nearer to the end-of-life of the engine. I kind of look at it like smoking...it's not going to effect you so much on a day to day basis, but it will in the long haul... Will you notice a difference? Certainly, the engine will not be operating at its designed output. Are you saving a pile of money? Well, if you drive 15,000 miles a year and get 17mpg and premium fuel is 20 cents more per gallon, you'll save a whopping $166 over a 1 year period or a little over 3 bucks a week. Given that this is a $30,000+ vehicle, I think the choice is easy. If you're on a lease and a tight budget, I could see not worrying as much.
I hope this helps...
Captain Ron. . .
The 2003 will probably be the year with a new metal design..
At least our PF is not outmoded yet...lol but only for a few refinements for the 2002
If I like it...I may trade in my 01 LE...maybe....I love my current PF though, so it would be tough.
Anyone happen upon any more 2002 information as of yet?
A friend of mine just purchased an '01 PF LE and I told him about the stereo. He tested his and found that the volume continued to increase as long as he turned the knob. (At least as far as he would go because it was getting distorted).
As far as I can tell the stereos are identical. Anyone have any information about why there is a difference. Is there some type of setting that I can change on mine?
Thanks
______________
All of the Nissan dealerships are willing to offer GREAT deal on all of their remaining 2001 Pathfinder models.
I recently purchased a 2001 Pathfinder SE last month
( June 2001 ). The asking price was $42k, then you have to add the 17% luxury taxes, etc .. but I ended up paying only $40k after all of the taxes & etc.. costs for my 2001 Pathfinder SE. The salesman wanted to get me into a LE for only $3k more, but I found the LE to be on the luxury side, while I wanted a more sporty appearance ( Hell ! I am only 23 years old ! )
The important thing to remember is shop around all of the Nissan dealerships for the BEST DEALS. I went to over 10 different Nissan dealerships before one offered me a great price.
________________
Does anyone have the NISSAN factory cover and is it good quality?
I wanted to trade in my 95 Honda Civic EX for the SE 4X2 at a MSRP of $28,100. Of course, my trade-in is told to be worthless, approximately $2,500.
To make a long, exhausting retake of the hassle I was given, I was asked by the GM "how much do you want for my truck?" Trying to work out some numbers as quickly as possible, and keeping Edmund's advise on the TMV, I came out wth $24,000. But here's the catch: by taking this offer at 3.9% APR, they'd be taking my trade-in 'FREE'! In other words, I walked in with nothing (per say), and I walked out with -- nothing! How dissapointing.
The SE's and all other Pathfinders already on the lot are, naturally, equipped with more options than none. It's difficult finding a dealer that will give you what you want instead of pushing what's already there. I know, they need to move these trucks! But it's also a shame that I continue waiting and waiting, and when I believe I'm finally at that stage, the tables have turned.
So, can anyone offer some advise?
Oh, by the way: when I told these guys about Edmunds, they couldn't have come up with more excuses than they were paid for! Don't worry, Edmunds -- I held my own.
Elsie2
You really are better off selling the trade privately and negotiating the new Pathfinder separately. Edmunds has links that help with both, and there are other services available as well.
the shifting on my 2001 LE jerks from 1st to 2nd which kind of bothers me. I am really interested with this "seamless shifting" Does this mean that you can barely feel or tell when trans shifts? how does it work exactly?
on the subject you discuss. Look under "Nissan-Pathfinder" not "Nissan-Truck- Pathfinder"
Where did you tap into the vehicle wiring at? I got the left trim panel off and found the wiring for the left light. The right trim panel though is giving me fits. I can't get the push pin out of the bottom cubby hole.
Any suggestion on an alternate approach or methods?
Thanks
Hope this helps.
Good luck!
Plus the 0.9% financing. Doesn't have nab. system or sunroof package. Just wondering how this compares to other PA owners? Thanks. ID
I had this option in my previous SUV and it was a nice option. Just wondered if there was some way to do this that I was missing. I have an '01 Pathfinder LE with the 6 disc CD changer.
By the way, I finally did get my rear window deflector on (thanks to a number of you who offered how to' assistance) and I would recommend it to anyone. The rear window stays much cleaner with the deflector. It was money and time well spent!
That's just above dealer invoice, and you may have a little bargaining room left. On the other hand 5spd's are rare in the US and some dealers know that. But if you are in Boston you should consider going to Toronto to buy. That same SE 5spd 4WD would sell there for just over $23,000. And that would include the sunroof package too (it's standard in Canada).
I've done a number of posts on this since I got mine (an SE 5spd also). See above at #2610 or write me - I have lots of info accumulated. I just got the 50th note back from someone telling me they went to Canada to get theirs!
-Jon
Thanks for the info, I knew it had to be there somewhere! I'll try today.
You can buy that same configuration from Carsdirect.com for $26,593...so it looks like the dealer still has $700 to come down.
I use the carsdirect price along with the Edmunds TMV price to figure what a good deal would be. When I bought mine (LE, leather, NAV, 4x4, etc...), the MSRP was $37,241 and the carsdirect.com price was $33,337. I went hunting for a dealer who would:
1. Have the exact vehicle I wanted (options, color, etc)
2. Give me the same price I could get it for at carsdirect.com
3. Give me the 3.9% financing.
I did a LOT of work on this one, but I found a dealer that sold it to me for $32,241!! That was $1,100 below the carsdirect price and $1,400 below invoice(!) with no additional fees ($125 licence/doc fee)! ...AND they were very pleasant to deal with! The deals are out there...Given that, I think the carsdirect.com price or the Edmunds pricing should be the MOST anyone should pay.
I had one local salesman whining about loosing money at that price. I told him, "You know...you seem like a nice guy...you probably have a family to support and you've been so helpful...I just couldn't sleep at night knowing that you've lost money on this deal." ...and walked out. He called me 3 times on Monday scrambling for a deal. He then said that the only one he could find was at a dealer in Arizona (I'm in Los Angeles) and wasn't going to do the swap for the money I'm offering. I asked him who the dealer was and he said I'd have to pay him $100 to tell me. WOW. Then he tried to sell me an XTerra...WHAT??? I actually had a lot of fun dealing...but sometimes I got very frustrated with the car salesman attitude.
I actually had one salesman approach me on the lot...his lounge-lizard, slick-back-hair, coffee-breath opening line was, "Saaaay, the only pressure you'll find here is in our tires..." Oh god. Hey, the 70's called and they want their cheesball opening line back.
I hope this helps...
Captain Ron. . .
PS: I have a very complete spreadsheet I made up when I was doing this deal...It covers MSRP's, invoice pricing, markups, financing deals, etc...It really helped me to know what a good deal was and how much you actually end up paying for a car. If anyone wants it, just ask! ron.chase@internetmachines.com
First time poster and I will get right to the point
Last year my 89 Jimmy blew an engine
I bought a 97 Jeep GC Laredo 4X4 (Impulse buy)(I know, I know)
I want out of the Jeep
Financial constraints have me looking at used (97 or 98)PF LE's(2WD) as they seem the best "bang for the buck".(any other input here would be appreciated)
I would mainly use it for:
everyday driving
NO offroading
some longer trips (800 miles)
towing (trailer now...boat or camper later)
thx for all inputs
Mark
also, what aftermarket parts can i get for the suv. i like the go rhino brush guard that it listed on various online sites. has anyone tried this.
They are two completely different beasts. The Pathy is definatly geared towards the luxury mkt, while the Xterra is aimed at the younger crowd. While I like the looks of the X and fit into the younger crowd demo, I wanted the power (250 hp 5spd) for the mountains here in Colorado.
With the SuperCharger being offered on the X this year, I might have looked at it closer if I were shopping right now.
As for the Pathy, only one regret, I have not been happy with the Bridgestone Dueler H/T tires. If I baby them, I might see 35k.
Everything else has been great.
Like hattrick16, I crossed back into the U.S. at the Fort Erie station. I also found the Customs people on the U.S. side to be astonishingly ignorant of their own rules; it took four officers to figure out the duty, do the paperwork, and work the cash register. Unlike hattrick16, I did get the $200 exemption and did not pay duty on the Canadian taxes. After a quick return trip to Canadian Customs to get the E15 stamped I was back on my way home. The next morning at New York DMV was no problem. They took the safety and emissions letter, the Customs valuation and the Ontario unplated registration without any complaint, and in no time I walked out with a set of plates.
How much did I save? Even after including the duty and travel costs I saved about $5000 USD over the best offer I had from a local U.S. Nissan dealer. This doesn't include the $440 USD I saved in sales tax when I registered the new PF (and I LOVE saving on taxes!). My advice to all those prospective Pathfinder owners out there? Go to Canada. The process was no problem. Do your homework, get the logistics out of the way before you start your trip and save a bundle of money. Thanks a bunch to Jon L. for his advice and information. If anyone has a question, drop me a line.
However, by rare, do you mean that demand is simply not there or that demand is higher than supply. I assumed that the demand was virtually non-existent and thus I could work out a better deal,or is this faulty reasoning?
Not being familiar w/ Pathfinders, we thought the swing-out rear spare tire carrier was done away w/ after '95 pathys, but I now have noticed several newer body style PFers driving arround locally w/ this option.
Is the spare tire carrier a real nuisance? We do want to be able to tow a tent trailer, and we wouldn't have to ad a hitch.
I noticed that Package was an add on to the SE trim level. I am not sure why Nissan moved the spare tire carrier to the rear for this so called Off road package- Ground clearance? or for the tow hitch placement?
I really need input before we make our final decision. We liked this particular PF, very clean lease back w/ 77k miles and this was the most upfront and and reputable dealer we talked with out of the 4 dealerships we visited.
Otherwise, the tire carrier can be a nuisance everytime you need to get into the PF's cargo area. But some people like the look ...
Hitches will fit around the underneath spare; look around, you see lots of them ...
One of my gold locking hubs came off or was stolen today (I think they are stock hubs). Any advice on where to get a used one online or in the twin-cities area would be appreciated (its for a '96 Pathfinder). I guess I will ask the dealer for a price on Monday. Thanks, Peter
SE, 4x2, 5-speed; 39 month lease; $0 down, $0 due at inception (includes 1st payment, 1st year license, security deposit waived); $349/month (or you can buy for 24,277) 15K miles/year. I looked on Edmunds and said there were no special leases in my area.
Questions:
1) to be this low, it would seem to me Nissan is underwriting the money factor (didn't ask, but backed into a factor of about .0025).
2) does the dealer have any room to negotiate? i.e. - if they are backed by Nissan, they may not be able to secure the same money factor on a different model. Does anyone know how specific (model-wise, mileage wise, length-wise) lease specials typically are? I'd like to inquire on getting a 4x4, 12K miles (I drive easily less than that per year), at the same or similar lease rate. However, when the dealer says... "sorry, we can't do that" - I want to know if its because they truly can't, or they just need to be worked over a little bit.
3) I'm not necessarily opposed to the 2wd - we do get some slippery stuff here in St. Louis but I work from home and have an alternate vehicle if I need to get somewhere in the snow. Does anyone have a 4x2? I'd like to hear your input as to how it drives on dry pavement and in rain (obviously not as good as a FWD, but I wanted to know if its just plain dangerous to drive - like a RWD sports care would be).
I owned a 96 Pathy SE 4x4 and absolutely loved it. I traded it in for a small sports car but I now have a newborn and I don't like the idea of driving her around in such a small vehicle.
I appreciate any thoughts/comments/advice you may have. Thanks in advance!