Nissan Pathfinder

mattman055 · January 2003

Today my in-dash 6 disc cd player froze up. It skipped like it does in the morning after a cold night and I went and hit the 6 button to switch my cds. It just stood there for a min and it sounded like it was trying to change cds but it didn't. Then on the display it showed CD ERROR FO. I was able to switch to the radio, and going back to cd didn't fix it. Also turning off didn't as well. About 15-20 minutes I turned it on again and it worked and I did not have the error the rest of the drive.

I've never had any problem besides it skipping in the morning. Anyone else have this? What does the error message mean? I found no mention in the owners manual of error messages.

phil47 · January 2003

I wonder if it was condensation on the laser pickup or disc? Most in-car CD, DVD and VHS players are designed to stop or shutoff if they detect any condensation.

bigorange30 · January 2003

on the QX4 board as well. You might want to check what they have said over there.

tidester · January 2003

The QX4 board is here: Infiniti QX4

tidester, host

mattman055 · January 2003

on the QX4 board but the only messages regarding the CD player and errors had to deal with it rejecting cds when being loaded. Thanks though.

Re: condensation: Many mornings this winter I had a problem with that I belive, it took sometimes up to 15 minutes before it would stop skipping all over the place. I belive there must have been some condensation formed over the laser although I did notice some on a cd when I ejected it, but others (on the maxima.org forum where this is a big problem) noted it still skipped even with cds that they had in their house over night.

On one other issue, I never knew, but it seems that my Pathfinder is really affected by crosswinds badly. On the highway yesterday I would say there were winds of 7-15 MPH (I got that from the local news station's "weathernet" of local high schools and colleges via the internet of a station where I was on the highway).

At around 60-70 MPH I felt as though I was being lifted up almost and had to make constant corrections to just stay in the lane. I did not notice other cars/trucks/suv's around me having this problem although traffic was light.

One last question, I recieved a letter from my dealership yesterday about the 7500 mile service. According to Nissan's service schedule on their website it is just a oil/filter change and inspections of a bunch of things, nothing else. And we know how some dealers don't even follow nissan's own guide. I don't have a price on it, but I suspect its over $100. Seeing as I just had a oil/filter change it would not make sense.

I was planning on taking it in for a "service" at the dealership every 15,000 miles. (Besides regular oil/filter changes).

norcalsurfr · January 2003

The only reason for bringing it in for the 7500 service is for lubrication and preventive maintenance. When I had my X, at the 7500 service they found a caliper hanging up when they inspected the brakes and where able to fix it before it became a problem.

Although I'm not sure if the PF chasis has lubrication ports (I know the X doesn't), they will lube up door hinges, latches and things like that.

One more thing, if down the road you have a problem and haven't had all the services done it will be much harder to get it covered under warranty. I speak from experience on this one, I had a tranny problem that was covered but it came out of the shop worse than when it went in and the dealership tried to blame it on a clogged fuel system because I missed one of my services. The tranny never got fixed and I sold the damn thing and bought a PF.

jeg72 · January 2003

Has anyone put a handsfree car kit in their PF? If so is it the hardwired kind or a cigarette lighter type?
If it is hardwired does the PF audio system have the leads that allow the radio to be muted when a call is incoming automatically?

Thanks in advance for any information.

JEG

ken2001pathy · January 2003

Back in November, my 2001 LE started making thumping noises while the transfer case is in Auto mode. I know it's common to hear a thump and feel a lurch when parking while the transfer case is in auto, but I have been getting it to happen while slowing down for a stop, pulling into a parking space, accelerating from a stop, and sometimes 30-60 seconds into waiting for a light to turn green. The problem doesn't happen all the time, but seems to happen consistently whenever I drive to pick up lunch around noon, or sometimes after driving for a 10-15 minutes. But it doesn't happen during the first 10 minutes of driving in the morning.

I've taken my pathfinder to a dealer a few times and they claim that it is a perfectly normal noise after talking it over with Nissan tech support. They said that it's a clutch in the transfer case engaging/disengaging.

Now it seems strange to me that the problem would start showing up all of a sudden after a year and a half of usage. I had left my transfer case set to 2wd all summer and switched to Auto to prepare for the slippery rainy season. The problem started a few days after I made the switch to Auto.

Has anybody else experienced this problem? Anybody know anything I can do to get more help from Nissan about this?

nikiblue1 · January 2003

to Jeg72:

I have a nokia hands free kit. The phone kit has the capability to have the radio muted when there is an incoming call. BUT, my 2001 nissan pathfinder radio does not have mute button, therefore the shop was not able to connect that option to my radio. I don't know about 2002,2003 radio's Did they change them at all? If the radio has a mute option on it, then you will be able to install the hands free kit. They are wonderful.

usarmyttt · January 2003

Wife totalled our 2001 LE today, thank God she wasn't killed(it rolled twice). Anyway I haven't been here in quite awhile and we want to replace it with a 02 or 03 LE. My question is what kind of deals are out there right now? When we purchased ours I got 3.9 APR, surely things are better now. Please let me know. Thanks in advance.

pathy58 · January 2003

In case anyone is interested I just replaced my Bridgestones with a new set of Michelins. I probably could have gotten another 5,000 miles but living in the snow belt I decided to change out Bridgestones. As far as the vehicle I have only had it serviced on a regular basis and it has performed very well. I love towing my boat with the 240 horse and not having to take out of overdrive. I too have slow windows in cold weather and temp display is couple degrees off but this vehicle is superior to the domestic SUV I got rid of after 20,000 miles. I have the regular 4WD and not the Auto AWD. Anyone out there considering a Pathfinder I would recommend it. Before retiring we used to make 19 hour trips back to see the kids and we were comfortable. I never doubted the dependability of this vehicle and did drive in some nasty weather at times. Nissan has done it right for many years and the Pathfinder is a trusty SUV.

smokey75 · January 2003

If I'm not mistaken, it is recommended to take the PF (and most vehicles) out of over-drive when towing...

world_traveler · January 2003

M99,

I did some more testing of the VDC system. This time I took a sharp 90 degrees turn on a icy and bumpy gravel road in 4WD (not AWD).

So the truck kinda skid a bit in the turn, the VDC/ABS grinding sound kicked in etc but as I tried to accelerate my way out of the skid I pressed the gas pedal and nothing happened. The engine was bringing the revs down by itself..... The gas pedal was somehow disconnected for a second or two.

I remember being told by the dealer that under certain circumstances the VDC system would take engine control over the driver to kinda smooth out "panic" situations (it probably thought that I lost control of the vehicle....).

It felt weird and ackward. At firt I was not so sure I liked that but thinking of it again I realized that in the end the sharp turn ended up being very smooth under the cirucmstances. I would have liked to accelerate my way out but VDC made sure I would not loose control further more....

Being a good driver I could have handled the situation myself but maybe not my wife. So I conclude that it could have helped her a lot if she would have taken the curve to fast by mistake.

So far I consider this system very impressive !!!

Now I have to stop this VDC testing because I think I am starting to push this test too far..... Might as well stop while I'm ahead and test something less risky.... Next test: how much stuff can the glove compartment hold ;-)

mjohnr99 · January 2003

Sounds good. After the glove box, you could start lowering your tire PSI to 25 to see if those new sensors work too! LOL ;>>>>>>

pathy58 · January 2003

I agree, most vehicles require not using O/D when towing. I asked the dealer and the service manager more than once about that and they said only if the tranny is shifting up and down alot do I need to take out of O/D, and basically then because the extra shifting would be a nuisance I have the regular 4WD and not the 4WD AUTO. I have read manual and cannot find any place where they say not to tow in O/D.

jack0565 · January 2003

I haven't seen any posts with my problem. While applying breaks under normal driving conditions there is no problem. When driving say at a decline coming out of the mountains in Tahoe, I apply my breaks and it feels as though the thing will shake itself to pieces. Has anyone had this problem. It's seems that my front rotors may not be able to handle the heated stress of mountain driving.

bgritz · January 2003

Sounds like warped rotors.
When you get the rotors on the front end hot, the metal warps and gives you an uneven braking surface resulting in a distinct shudder.The hotter they get, the worse the warping and the shuddering will be. Many times, once they warp they are warped forever.

Most likely they are warped when driving around town, but you don't brake as hard or often and are not heating them up to the same degree, so it's less noticeable. It happened on our old Cherokee all the time, and I have to be extremely careful not to heat them up coming out of the mountains here in Denver.

To not have rotors warp requires judicious use of brakes, and significant downshifting. (that's why we have the 5-spd) The only fix I know of once they are warped is to have them turned. (putting them on a metal lathe and removing the warped sections til they are straight again). Sometimes you can convince the dealer to do this if your Pathy is still under warrantee.

good luck, you might also do a search for "shudder" or "vibration" and see what you get. That's what I've commonly seen it called

sclmkl · January 2003

I am also shopping for a Nissan pathfinder LE went to the dealer today 1/17/03 and they started 2.9% financing and $1000 back. I hope this helps

losthat1 · January 2003

Help,
Glad that no one was hurt. Infiniti is offering fantastic deals on the QX4 now. $5,000 under MSRP with 0.9% financing for 36 months. They even add in the sales tax to the loan amount. Don't know if this is of interest to you, but certainly for some it might be helpful.

pathstar · January 2003

Generally, the rotors will not warp just from getting them hot. If you get them very hot and stop, you cool the rotors where the calipers are but not elsewhere (hard stop off a freeway for example). This is usually what causes them to warp. After much practise (warping rotors) on my 93 RX-7, I've learned that if you are forced to stop hard, it's good to wait 5 sec. or so and then move the vehicle a few feet forward, then again after a further 5 secs. This spreads the cooling over the rotor, reducing the chances it will warp.

We in the RX-7 community have not had much luck turning the rotors after they are warped. They are too thin to start with on the RX-7. I don't know what luck you will have with the Pathfinder.

The correct fix is to replace the brakes with properly sized ones, but this is not very practical for most people. It can cost upwards of $2500, and requires some knowledge of brake bias setting (as well as a bias adjustment device in the system).

califjohn · January 2003

to replace it. This is in a 2000 PF by the way. Is there a cheaper way to get a new ignition key or are we stuck with the dealer's high cost? I think is some of the other vehicles there is a way to program the key by using the onboard computer some way but I would welcome any advice!

pathstar · January 2003

I presume you are talking of the key with the chip in it. I'm told the key costs around $70 US. The dealer then has to reprogram the truck to accept the new key (erasing the old keys if I remember correctly). He then adds back the old key you still have. This should take less than an hour ($70 or so US?). I'd check around with other dealers. He sounds too high.

To do this the dealer has to use the Nissan equipment. It can not be done any other way (according to the "Electronic Service Manual").

califjohn · January 2003

for the quick response. I guess there is no other option but to use the dealer. You are correct in that other keys must be changed as well since a new code is installed in the chip (I guess). The $240 was the low quote, the other dealer I checked was higher. I suppose I could check the Infiniti dealers too since they probably have the same equipment but I doubt they would be cheaper. I'm sure it would be a nicer waiting room tho'.

phil47 · January 2003

With only 25,000 km on my 2001 LE, I can already feel the warped rotors. It is not obvious on hard braking, only on light brake pressure at slow speeds (ie. when rolling to a stop at a light, etc.). I've been thinking of getting aftermarket rotors to replace the stockers. I believe Stillen makes a set for this truck which are higher quality materials and are slotted. Any thoughts? Experiences?

califjohn · January 2003

Is my face red! It was not $240 for a programmed key fron Nissan it was only $140. I still think its too high. Sorry for the mistake and thanks for the info!

marks1970 · January 2003

Okay its been 2 months since a multitude of you said you were bringing in your Pathfinder to have your temperature gauge fixed as stated in the TSB for it. I haven't seen any responses from those who had it done as to whether it was fixed or not.

For those that had this done, can you please let us know if the high temperature reading was resolved?

Thanks!

c182skylane · January 2003

Here's a couple of questions for PF owners out there:

1. Does the 3.5L V6 actually require 91 octane fuel?

2. If you select the VDC option, where is the tire pressure monitor? Is it on the compass display?

3. Is it true that you cannot operate the vehicle above 50 mph while it's in the AUTO mode on the 4x4 knob?

4. Is the fuel economy really 15 miles per gallon?

Thanks!

world_traveler · January 2003

Hello

Here are some answers to your questions;

1)Nissan suggests 91 but only suggests.... you can use 87 but some people here mention that the truck will not perform as great and that it might make the MPG worst offsetting any savings.

2)No, there is a small indicator in the dash (grouped with the other indicators such as parking break, etc) that will light up only if the pressure of one tire is below 25 psi.

3)No. Some people here complain about a noise when you do so but I have done 75mph in Auto with no problem whatsoever in my 03 LE. It is not very fuel efficient to do so.....

4)More like 10..... Joke aside the Pathfinder is very bad on fuel mainly in the cold winter days. If MPG is in your top 3 priorities for your new car\truck choose something else.....

I took delivery of my 03 LE in late october. I am very statisfied so far, no problems except a very minor problem with radio reception. The truck seems well built and dependable. VDC is great mainly in winter. The only drawback with this truck is fuel consumption (dreadful) but I'm looking forward to see if that improves during the warm summer time (when I do most of my driving).

Good luck

bigorange30 · January 2003

Just after buying an accord, you are looking for a Pathfinder?

I bought a 2002 QX4 last year. Here is my input on your questions:

1 - Yes, you need to use 91 octane to keep the engine from knocking and to insure performance. $150 extra/year is not much to ask when your spending $30K on a vehicle.

2 - The 2002 doesn't have tire pressure monitors so I will let someone else answer that.

3 - I understood the 50 mph limitation was only for 4WD low. I could be mistaken on that. I rarely use the 4WD.

4 - I got 14 mpg fuel economy before I switched to synthetic oil. Now I get 15.5.

c182skylane · January 2003

wow, I'm impressed that bigorange30 figured out that I bought the 2002 Accord. I wish I could afford the 2003 QX4. but the PF is almost the same at a few thousand less. (unless anyone knows of a special lease incentive for it...)

I'm replacing my 99 Accord since the lease is up this week. so, I'm highly interested in the PF, given its looks, performance, quality, etc.

however, now I'm dissapointed with the VDC's tire pressure monitor guage. I thought it was like the Jeep Limited which has it up next to the compass and shows all four tires' psi at once.

too bad about the fuel economy. it's a double wammy since 91 octane seems to be what everyone is recommending. I'm spoiled by the 3.0L V6 in the honda, with it's 22mpg typical economy.

anyway, I must choose soon. I think I'm down to either the 2003 Accord EX-V6 or the 2003 PF LE. (yes, I know, apples & oranges...)

I'd rather go flying today, the weather is very cold and crisp - probably 50 mile visibilities.

bigorange30 · January 2003

don't buy an SUV. On the other hand, the Toyota Highlander gets 18/22 if that's so important to you. The difference in gas cost for 18 vs. 15.5 that I get is $297 in my area for the year assuming you drive 15K miles/year. This is taking into account that the Highlander takes 87 octane.

The ~$2000 difference for the QX4 is well worth the difference in my opinion.

losthat1 · January 2003

Infiniti is offering great prices on the QX4. I got $5,000 off MSRP and 0.9% financing for 36 months! I understand this rate is not available on the PF. You might want to check with your local Infiniti dealer.

c182skylane · January 2003

well, that is a good rate on a 36 month loan for the QX4, but I prefer to spread the payments across 60 months.

The PF gets worse fuel economy than the Highlander, but the Toyota looks more soccer-mom. so does the Pilot. The GrandCherokee limited is nice, but every other SUV on the road is Jeep. and it's V8 has even worse MPG, thus PF still wins.

I wonder why it has rear drum brakes even though it's an over $30k car? And why is there a fixed-mount radio antenna when there's also an antenna built into the front windshield? do most people drive without the exterior antenna attached? I've noticed all the PF pictures online and in the brochure show the truck without it.

pathstar · January 2003

The mileage isn't -that- bad (though it could be better). The power is wonderful. The rear drum brakes are fine - difficult to damage. Remember only 10% or less of the stopping power of any vehicle is from the rear wheels (unless you're backing up of course). The fixed mount antenna is an American oddity. It's a power antenna most other places (Canada for example).

The Rav4 Toyota would be a good choise if fuel economy is a big concern. It's a hoot to drive too.

My research shows that the Pathfinder is the best buy in the 4Runner/Acura/Pathfinder class. Or at least it was.

bigorange30 · January 2003

Infiniti is also offering a 3.9% interest rate on 60 months. Nissan is offering no deals. Therefore the credit union will probably be the best rate there and I can get 4.9% on a new car. That 1% difference is worth $800 in interest over the life of a 5 year loan. That eats alot into the ~$2000 difference right there. I promise you that you wouldn't regret it. Just walk into an Infiniti service department and see how customers are treated. Sit in an drive both the Pathfinder and QX4, look at them in detail on the outside and see if you don't appreciate the differences inside and out. Inifinit gives a loaner with every service visit and Nissan does not where I live.

c182skylane · January 2003

To Bigorange30 - I can't seem to find anything that shows the $5k discount on QX4s. The cheap financing only applies to the 2002 models according to Edmunds. Wouldn't I want a fresh 2003 model?

I think the exterior of the QX4 is great, especially those HID headlights. The door handles are color coordinated with the body, and the wheels are very aggressive looking.

But I think it's a little more than I want to spend, especially since I feel like I'm stretching a little for the PF. I appreciate your enthusiasm for the QX4. Great truck indeed!

Thanks for the info from Pathstar above regarding the brakes and radio antenna.

I can't wait to drive a PF home tomorrow. I'll write back if I get a good deal...

bigorange30 · January 2003

wasn't also offered on the 2003. Edmunds doesn't always have all the information and sometimes they miss things. The $5K discount will not be necessarily advertised. If he says they are doing it, isn't it at least going to the dealer to check out what they are offering?

omega11 · January 2003

The dealer i'm says that he has not heard of such a fix and that US TSBs do not apply in Canada.

Has anyone in Canada been able to get their temp gauge fixed? Any info would be appreciated.

thanks!

andy1961 · January 2003

Yes, the fix has made a difference in mine so far this winter. We'll have to see if the same holds true this summer.

AW

bimmer4me · January 2003

I also had the fix and so far it's fairly accurate. In addition, I've had the bottoming out issue resloved too!

hojam2 · January 2003

i also had the temp/bottoming out issue both fix. the temp is fairly accurate and the bottoming out is resolved. satisfied with the service provided at great neck area.
print out a TSB bullentin and bring it to them.

pzpathfinder · January 2003

Hello all, I am the owner of a 2001 LE AWD. My wife has been driving it for the last 2 years but she just upgraded, so now it's mine... Anyway, I was poking around under the hood yesterday, looking in the fusebox. I noticed there's a fuse labeled "Rad Fan", which I assume is the radiator fan. Only I have no fuse, only the empty spot for it! And with the engine running, the fan seems to work fine. I'm in Phoenix, so I'm pretty sure if the fan wasn't working I'd know by now. Can someone else check their fusebox for that fuse and let me know it's supposed to be that way?

pathstar · January 2003

It is for a radiator electrically powered fan. You don't have an electric fan so the fuse isn't used. I'm not sure which vehicles used the electric fan, but I suspect (based on other vehicles I've seen) it's the 2WD with the 4 cylinder engine.

bd70 · January 2003

Can anyone tell me if there is an advantage to installing the Infiniti rear wind deflector rather than the Nissan part. I've heard that the Infiniti part doesn't require any hinge modifications or drilling whereas the Nissan requires the hinge mod. Is this true? Are there any aftermarket alternatives which are better/cheaper?

I'm also looking for a good system for fork-mounted bike carriers for the '03 LE rack system. I went to the shop today and the guy told me that the Yakima multi-system rack requires replacing the factory rack and they also have an adapter which will mount individual bike carriers to the original PF rack. He also told me that Thule doesn't have a carrier for this rack. I'm looking only for the fork-mount, not an upright, unless someone has a reason why I should consider one.

Finally, I posted a while back regarding body tilt to the driver side. Well, seems that they confirmed this and it needs a new spring. The PF already has 6 days in the shop in less than a month for preexisting problems and now will spend another day or two, still within the first month. I still love driving and looking at the thing, but I'm starting to think lemon law...

marks1970 · January 2003

Thanks for your guys' responses. Can you help me out and tell me at least what the TSB number is? Is there something I can give the dealership for reference, because they have played dumb in the past.

Also, I have a 99.5 Pathfinder (new style, old engine). Wouldn't mine be affected by the bottoming out issue also, since I don't think they've made any changes to the suspension in the last couple years. What exactly did they repair when they followed the TSB for the bottoming out?

Thanks again!!!!

norcalsurfr · January 2003

My 03 SE will not down shift even as low as 35 mph, so when I'm driving around on surface streets (maintaining 35-50 mph)I get a terrible vibration from the engine/transmission, just like when driving a stick in the wrong gear.

Also my brakes seem awfully squishy, I really have to stand on it to slow down quickly, it feels like there is a lot of gas build up between the pads and rotors. I also checked the brake fluid level and it's right on. Maybe there's air in the brake line. I'll have it looked at when it goes in for service in a couple of weeks.

andy1961 · January 2003

You can go to the NHTSA web site

http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/problems/tsb/

to find the applicable service bulletins. But the dealer will need to cross reference those against Nissan's data base using your VIN.

The "bottoming out" fix involves installing new bump stops in the rear springs.

AW

sivi1 · January 2003

have 02 le and my brakes are almost too touchy compared to my maxima and mbenz. also shifts so smoothley i can hardley feel it. i'd have nissan check it.

malachie · January 2003

I've searched the board for info regarding purchasing tires as its time to replace the stock tires on my 01 SE. Right now I'm leaning towards the Michelin LTX M/S but am also looking at the Michelin Cross Terrain SUV. Can anyone tell me what the difference is between these two tires besides the rating? I'm not sure its worth the extra $100 for the Cross Terrain just for one higher rating step. Also, considering the Pirelli Scorpions but my past experience with Pirelli's is that they dont last as long. Can anyone comment on this? Should I be considering other tires? I like outside of Boston so my main concerns are rain and snow plus this vehicle sees most of its action on the highway....

Thanks in advance for the help. The wife (who is the main driver of the PF) cant believe that I would spend this much effort on getting tires but she'll benefit I believe.

newbie1kenobi · January 2003

I replaced my 01 SE stock duellers last November with the Michelin LTX/MS. I was going on 22,000 miles with the OEM tires, and since i was going up to snowboard more, i didn't feel comfortable with the duellers the pathfinder had on. The Michelin tires are great! Very quiet on the highway, and the traction is very good. I was also looking at the Cross Terrain tires, but the extra $$$ put me off, and the fact that i don't do a lot of off-roading, made the Michelin tires a more appealing purchase.

Nissan Pathfinder

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