Nissan Pathfinder

tplunkett · January 2001

After having my 1999.5 PF LE (new body style), I have decided I really need a smaller sedan. Is anyone interested? It is Aspen White (with Charcoal leather) and only a little over a year old with 17k miles. It is in perfect shape and very well cared for. I am asking $25,300 or best reasonable offer. I live in Dayton, Ohio.

Please contact me at todd.plunkett@relizon.com with any questions.

Regards.

phil47 · January 2001

In case anyone's interested...a Nissan Terrano (the European name for a Pathfinder), driven by Stephane Peterhansel has won the T1 class!

The T1 class is the most stock class in Dakar. It is for unmodified, gasoline powered, production 4x4s. As a matter of fact, Nissan Pathfinders put on a tremendous showing, also placing very high in T2 (improved 4x4). You've got to be building a pretty good product to place well in the T1 (or T2) class in Dakar. An MB M-Class took the T1 last year...better luck next year Drew :-)

drew_ · January 2001

Consider it a swap :-) We had the crown last year (the Terrano came in 2nd last year) and now we're passing it on...temporarily! ;-) BTW, Terrano is the Japanese name for the Pathfinder. The Nissan Terrano in Europe is a completely different vehicle (same platform as the Ford Maverick). Seriously though, lucked played into Peterhansel's hands as well. You may find the following links interesting:
http://www.escribe.com/automotive/european/mbmc/m12101.html
http://www.escribe.com/automotive/european/mbmc/m12132.html
http://www.escribe.com/automotive/european/mbmc/m12090.html

I was impressed that Jutta Kleinschmidt won the rally with her Mitubishi Pajero. She was never the quickest, but waited for all of the aggressive (male) drivers to knock themselves out. :-)

Drew
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sanandton · January 2001

Well it appears to be gone. You guys may remember I had a very slight shimmy around 70mph that disappeared when I had the tires rotated at 5k miles. Well, recently it reappeared at 10k when they were rotated again. Yesterday I went in to my dealer armed with a copy of The TSB info posted by "smithmd". In my situation the first step of rebalancing the tires seems to have worked. The service advisor told me to let me know how it does as there is a TSB that directs them to send it out next for index balancing.

sanandton · January 2001

"told me to let HER know how it does". I swear I didn't try the spell check.

phil47 · January 2001

Thanks for the links. Yes, Jutta winning overall was ironic (and well earned). You could see the smirk on her face!

BTW, have you found a decent site on the Dakar Ralley? The official site (dakar.com) really bites.

nismofreak · January 2001

Are there any good places to put the headrests when either or both second row seats are folded flat?

I have emergency stuff in the little storage compartment under the rear floor. And I don't like leaving the head rests behind in the garage.

thanks

tonychrys · January 2001

Ahh, the old headrest problem. Almosy every SUV around has the folding ones now. Oh well.

Going to Home Depot every weekend has taught me that the best place to put them is actually in front of the second row seat.

Working from memory (I had a '97 PF SE):
1. Pull the headrest out.
2. Start to pull the bottom seat cushion up.
3. Before you complete pulling the seat cushion forward, slip the head rest *upside down* in front of it, behind the front front seat. There should be enough room. If not, slip the front seat a tad.
4. Fold down the rear seat back as usual.

Hope this helps.

TC

nismofreak · January 2001

Thanks TC and good luck on your RX300. See you in two years when the Pathy goes up in size with that luscious 300hp/320ft-lbs V-8!

Nissan better make sure that this thing can tow at least 7200 lbs. I will need a bigger tow vehicle by then.
:-)

tonychrys · January 2001

7200 lbs? My, daddy has a big boat! Or is that for towing the "race toys"?

Where do you race?

div2 · January 2001

I notice the same smell on my 1993 SE. I haven't noticed any problems either.

nismofreak · January 2001

That puppy will be for the race toys for sure. Right now I will be within 1000lbs of the towing limit of my '01 Pathy. I can see that I will be needing more in the not so distant future.

I race in the NE: Watkins Glen, Lime Rock, Pocono, Summit Point. New tracks for me this year will be NH, VIR, Rausch Creek, Mont Tramblant and Mid-Ohio.

Cheers!

pathstar · January 2001

How many of you have tried to do your own oil change on the 2001 model? To get at the oil filter you have to remove 14 bolts (as I recall). It's the undertray, made of fibreglass - it needs a bolt every 6" or so because it's so flimsey. I want to replace it with an aluminum skid plate, held on with the 4 large bolts that hold the tubular belt protector (above the undertray). Anyone seen an aftermarket one yet, or shall I just proceed to make my own? BTW, that filter is tiny! You'll need a special filter wrench to get the factory installed one off. I managed with giant expandable pliers, but it's not something I wanted to use.

goose1207 · January 2001

Anyone know of a good automatic wash in the Boston/suburbs area? TIA.

rcsutton · January 2001

You might want to consider relocating your oil filter. Here is a Web site that may help. http://forums.vmag.com/suvpathfinder0200/messages/274.html

Amsoil also sells one.

RCSutton

S.Fl

zamphir · January 2001

Thanks to all who suggested using the silicone spray to prevent doors from sticking. It worked like a charm. (Just a note...I did not need this for the PF, my g/f's car is a bit older and needed some help). Cheers.

Z

drewsherman68 · January 2001

Anyone have or driven a 2001 Pathfinder with a 5spd? Curious as to how the car behaves - is it sportier? More fun to drive? Nissan rates it 10hp higher with the stick (which I can't understand). I know the towing capacity is reduced but since I don't have anything to tow I'd rather reduce the price by 1K.

bgritz · January 2001

Have it!
Love it!
yes-VERY fun to drive!
I handles like a dream!
It still tows great when needed.

I would get the stick again in a second!

lofquist · January 2001

And another vote for the 5spd from me! I second all the comments Brian made in the last post. My wife and I tried both the auto and the 5spd and there wasn't a lot of discussion. The manual won.

But I do realize that they are hard to find. Of all the dealers I surveyed, manuals were under 5% of the units in stock. But as most of you know I went to Canada to get my Path. Found the 5spd I wanted and saved a bundle of cash too. Figure about $24,500 for a 4wd 5spd with sunroof pkg and limited slip.

-Jon

stevinwshingtn · January 2001

I test drove an SE with a 5 spd before I bought my LE. I liked it. I had a hard time finding one. It seemed like 95% of the pathfinders on the lot were automatics. I finally decided I was kidding myself about a pathfinder with a 5spd. It's sportier, but it's not a sports car. It's a 4000+ pound SUV. My big complaint with any automatic has always been that the transmission does way too much shifting trying to compensate for an underpowered engine. The pathfinder has pretty good torque and the auto transmission seems to have fairly sophisticated control logic. I think that made the automatic a good choice, even though I am a stick shift kind of guy. I decided what I wanted was a luxury SUV so I got the LE with the automatic and leather. It's the first automatic I've owned in a long time. I made the right choice for me.

The extra horsepower is traded for torque. The 240hp auto has more 25 lb-ft of torque. I think it makes the auto a little more driveable because you get more power at lower RPM where you seem to be most of the time with an automatic.

As I understand the towing capacity is reduced to maintain the life of the clutch. Did you ever tow something that weighs 5000 lbs up a hill? It takes a little to get going!

stevinwshingtn · January 2001

Jon,
Did you ever find a way to control the DRL's and the foglights seperately?

Since I am talking about lights, I finally put the PIAA super whites in that I got a while ago. I wasn't expecting all that much even though I think I paid about $50 for them. Other posts indicated that there wasn't that much difference. There is no doubt that the light is whiter. They do make the original halogens look yellow by comparison. The brightness wasn't hugely increased but It is a little better. One thing I noticed with the originals was that it seemed like they needed to be adjusted up a little. Others have made that same comment here. With the PIAA's the light does seem to reach farther and it doesn't seem like it needs an up adjustment anymore. I am wondering how the rather expensive PIAA's compare with some of the other low priced brands that are out there.

own3nissans · January 2001

Fellow pet owners,

I'm trying to decide if this is the best route to haul around my growing black lab pup, and would appreciate any feedback. I've checked out the two accessories at NissanParts and they seem to be a decent deal, but I'm looking for any pros, cons or alternatives that you've tried. It does need to be the metal divider, because the pup would chew right through the mesh ones. (the joys of puppy ownership :-)

Jerry

winnyv · January 2001

Do you have a 2001 Pathfinder? If so what are the PIAA part #'s for the headlights and foglights that you installed? Thanks!

lofquist · January 2001

Background: Steve is asking me a couple posts back about modifying the the DRL's and foglights so we can turn them on and off at will. DRL's of course only apply to those of us who went to Canada to buy. Canadians would not want to modify since it's a law to have them on.

Foglights (for US and Canada). The electrical schematic shows it will be very easy for the SE. Just change a wire at the relay. The LE is more complicated though because of the auto-headlight circuit. Will need to study it more.

DRL's. Just pulling the one wire we talked about should disable them. Inserting a switch will allow you to control them.

I have not tried either yet. Excuses so far: Coldest and snowiest December on record, relatives at holidays, house remodeling, broken garage door opener,..... Maybe this weekend since I've been prodded.

-Jon

stevinwshingtn · January 2001

winnyv;
Yes, I have a 01 Canadian LE. The headlights I bought were 15660 PIAA's. I got them from Carparts.com and they were 59.50 minus 1/3 off for the e-coupon (the number is 1963005), plus shipping. I don't necesarilly reccomend Carparts.com but they may be the cheapest. Just be ready to wait and don't expect them to tell you how long.
I didn't replace the foglights (yet).

mbunting · January 2001

Hey fellas! Been a couple weeks since my last post, so I'd thought I'd fill you in on how my PF is doing after being mine for all of 3 weeks now.

Running Perfect with No-Shimmy (that I can tell anyway), as I have been really looking for any shimmy hard after reading of the shimmy troubles had by others in this thread:)

I just hit 3,000 miles (YES, ALREADY!) and had my 1st oil-change/check-up 2 dyas ago at Pat Peck Nissan in Gulfport, MS. While I was there I picked up both the Rear & Side Wind Deflectors and had them installed as well. I also purchased two metal Lisence plate brackets/holders (one says NISSAN and the other says PATHFINDER accross the bottom-center of the bracket. My PF looks pretty sharp now with these accessories, I must say!

Just wanted to give a quick update....gonna go for a drive now along the Gulf Coast in Biloxi and Gulfport, MS. Honk if you see me!

Mike

stevinwshingtn · January 2001

winnyv;
Yes, I have a 01 Canadian LE. The headlights I bought were 15660 PIAA's. I got them from Carparts.com and they were 59.50 minus 1/3 off for the e-coupon (the number is 1963005), plus shipping. I don't necesarilly reccomend Carparts.com but they may be the cheapest. Just be ready to wait and don't expect them to tell you how long.
I didn't replace the foglights (yet).

paco99 · January 2001

Instead of Silicone, go to Pep Boys ( ~ $ 1.99 + tax) or another parts place and pick up a can of "white lithium grease"....much better than silicone (doesn't run as much) and doesn't freeze....also more recommended by auto repair people and locksmiths who work on auto's....

paco99 · January 2001

Such as: a) "cargo liner"..the one sold by JC Whitney not only covers the floor, extends up the sides, but also extends over the back of the seats that can be turned down...they want $ 114.95.....

b) thick [?] 2" high [?} rubber bumper stick on's for preventing damages to bumpers by those who like to park behind or in front of me using the "tap in or tap out" method....some can't park a vehicle in a spot unless they touch the one in back or in front of them.....JC Whitney has something that may work; "bumper protector"
28 1/4" long; 2 3/8" high; 3/4" thick, which can be cut in length for $ 21.95/pair....a lot cheaper than paying for body shop work to "plastic" bumper cover on PF...

c) seat cover for back seats....do they exist ?

Any ideas ?

Thanks.

paco99 · January 2001

Any one notice the ones coming with the vehicle appear too short and don't really do much...maybe I've noticed this bec I've always driven a car ?....

xplorer2 · January 2001

Where exactly are you located, maybe I can help you out.

X2

pyrenus · January 2001

Hey Guys, I've been saving up and I have a couple of questions about the new pathfinders.

1. I want to have remote start on my next vehicle. Is this possible on the new PF's, because of the chip-in-the key thing?

2. What things should I look out for before buying a new pf. So far, I'm on the look out for the shimmy. Anything else?

3. Is it possible to replace the factory stereo and still have the steering wheel controls work?

4. Does anyone have pics posted of their new PF's anywhere?

Thanks a lot!
PYRENUS

brian60 · January 2001

Where's the best deal on side moldings these days?

Thanks.

pathstar · January 2001

There is a place in Edmonton that does alarms/remote starter installs for dealers. He shares the place with a auto-graphics guy.
Side moldings -
I was in there getting the clear vinyl headlamp protector material put on the sides of my PF (6" wide down both doors between the creases) as well as hood protection and headlamp protection on the headlamps.
Remote start -
While there the remote start guy and I discussed putting one in. He said I would have to sacrifice a key (which he would hide inside the steering column to enable start). I don't think it's a very good idea. It would disable the security system. I wonder if the vehicle could be push started with the ignition wired on. That's how many thiefs bypass start inhibit on aftermarket alarms.

loboy · January 2001

Is there a way to adjust the sentivity of the auto headlight feature on the 2001 LE? This feature works great but I'd like it to come on earlier.
TIA

tonychrys · January 2001

I've heard of this stuff, many folks put it on their hoods instead of a bra. How safe is it? Will it damage the paint long term? What happens when you try to remove it?

TC

pathstar · January 2001

It's made by 3M. It's essentially permanent. Quite thick, clear, appears kind of "dull" on the paint. Works great! Surfer Joe (the autographics company owner I mentioned earlier) told me one customer wanted to repaint the vehicle, and when Joe tried to remove it for the owner the paint came off with it! He tells me he can get it off the headlamps without damage (I had it put on them for scratch protection mainly - and I got nervous when I found out how much the headlamp modules cost ;-). It's applied with a solution of isopropyl alcohol and distilled water (and removed with same). The paint underneath is fully protected (will not fade or peal). Good chip protection and door dig protection. Doesn't stop denting when a gorilla hits your vehicle (sigh). I was able to press the dent out though without any remaining marks! The chip prevention stuff is quite thin compared to the headlamp stuff.

tonychrys · January 2001

Doesn't it make your vehicle look weird? Putting a piece of shrinkwrap on part of it? You may be protecting the paint, but you are then essentially permanently covering it up and altering the look?

Something about this just doesn't click with me. Maybe 3M has photos on their site, I'll try to search.

phil47 · January 2001

I had this installed on the front of the hood of my 99.5 PF LE for a year (before trading it in for my 2001). It was great. It is very thin, and after a couple weeks (of warm weather) it dries completely and becomes virtually transparent (you'll see the difference pathstar). You wouldn't know it was there unless you got within a few feet of it.

After a full year (including a tough winter), it came out looking mint. It also lets enough UV through to allow the paint to fade under it so it continues to match the paint not covered by it. I will get it done to my 2001 soon. I would recommend it (although costly, it was around $120 CAD installed).

I had the same material installed on my foglights (because they're glass). For my headlamps, I use the FOCUS clear headlight guards. Very good fit and look, and very quick to put on and take off (snap on, snap off, no mods required).

lofquist · January 2001

loboy,
I checked the factory shop manual. It has a good description of the circuit that ends with saying the lights will come on when "outside brightness is darker than a prescribed level". Does not appear there is an adjustment on the sensor. It has three wires: power, ground, and output. Very little else to guide you from there, but I will assume that it is a voltage output. You would need to monitor this line over a range of light conditions. Could be possible to add a dropping resistor if the voltage needs to be lowered. Would have to add an amplifier if it needs to be raised.

The auto light control is just under the passenger side dash. The output from the light sensor is the white/green wire.

Or the much easier, much lower tech, much more reliable solution would be to put a small piece of tinted film over the sensor. It's on the dash, up against the windshield.

-Jon

pathstar · January 2001

Yes, it's nearly invisible. It looks fine. But, as I posted last week? I'm getting to be a fanatic with vehicle finishes, and _I_ can see it, even from a distance. So there! ;-) It doesn't look bad, though. But I can see it, honest! I had the entire front of my RX-7 covered (to 4" past the front hood line), and the PF has it on the front 8" or so of the hood (and the bits of the fenders on each side to match). I have the thicker headlight stuff on the lights, and 8" strips down each side to protect the doors. I also had them wrap the headlight stuff around the door edges (like those push-on door edge protectors you see in auto stores - but the full length of the door). Like I said, it's great stuff. The hood cost about $75 Can. Shop around.

pathstar · January 2001

The only problem I have with the auto headlamps is the time delay. They take a minute or two to change. I actually have to MANUALLY switch the headlamps on when I enter a tunnel in B.C. Disgusting! ;-)

dave019 · January 2001

Hi, I just bought a 97 DE from the local Nissan dealer here, and I gotta say that I absolutely LOVE this truck ! I test drove all the sport Utes out there before deciding on this one.
I have one question. When I turn on my climate control, and the fan is on a low speed, I can hear the fan making a kind of high pitch whirring sound. Has anyone else experienced this, and if so, what was the fix ? I haven gone to the dealer about it yet, I thought I would get some info from you first

raymondm · January 2001

Regretfully, I took Nissan to arbitration over the shimmy problem on my 1999.5 PF. I really liked the car but the shimmy drove me crazy. Nissan insisted it was normal - the rep didn't even test drive my car. Personally, I think that their focus on the tires is all wrong. There is something going on in the drivetrain. Whenever the shimmy started ( between 60-70 mph) the truck would track to the right. I negotiated a settlement. So it goes back to Nissan. I'm tempted to lease a 2001 but I'm not sure that they have cured this problem.

smithmd · January 2001

That's unfortunate that the problem got that far. The shimmy on my '99.5 was completely fixed and I know that several others on this board have had equal success. Good luck with your up-coming selection. Just out of curiosity, was your '99.5 leased or purchased?

caroln1 · January 2001

I HAVE NEGOTIATED A LEASE ON A 2001 PF SE W/SUNROOF FOR $2000. OUT OF POCKET,36 MONTHS X 15K .PMT OF $369 PER MONTH.I WILL BE PAYING MY LAST 2 REMAINING LEASE PAYMENTS OF 325. EA. DOES THIS SOUND LIKE A GOOD DEAL OR SHOULD I WAIT TILL NEXT MONTH AND SEE HOW PRICES ARE THEN?

johnskev · January 2001

i had my hitch installed by the dealer. he gave me an infiniti logo plug for the receiver hole, but it's just a rubber plug that fits in there. it was stolen a couple weeks ago, and i'm looking for a full hitch plug that i can lock in there. has anyone seen a hitch plug with an infiniti/nissan logo? maybe a chrome one?

kj

loboy · January 2001

Jon, thanks for checking on it. I was hoping there is a potentiometer already built-in so all I have to do is change the resistance level. Your "low tech" suggestion would seem to help. Trying to find the right film would be the hard part.

Pathstar, I agree with you on the time delay. I've noticed other SUV's lights come up earlier than mine, say going through a tunnel at the same. I doubt there is an adjustment for that too, but maybe someone can confirm this.

Update on the cracked windshield: Not under warranty because it was due to a ding, however small. Getting it replaced tomorrow. I checked that I am getting a NISSAN windshield, none of that after market stuff. Can someone suggest anything else I should look out for? Thanks

Also, received the replacement stanchions to install the rear deflector last week. Will try to install this weekend (after a nice car wash-the poor baby has been neglected long enough) and will let you all know how it looks, plus the sunroof deflector and side mouldings.

sanandton · January 2001

I think we need to exchange sensors for the autolamps. I had an initial complaint that my autolamp sensor seemed to be too sensitive and the lights seeemed to stay on too much. I haven't paid much attn lately.
BTW on my shimmy. The dealer here balanced my tires and it is 95% gone. It is now only noticeable on rare occasions. I think I will plan to go ahead with the index balance as per the NSB covered on post 538 here. My dealer did admit the NSB and the next step was index balancing.

crikey · January 2001

Try http://www.sema.org/semanews/may2000/protection.html for more information. It can get quite pricey.

Nissan Pathfinder

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