stevebaz

The driverside door switch is the door jamb switch that controls the overhead light when you open the door.

I only use premium fuel and of that 99.99% is all Chevron by choice. As for your ticking if it was fuel related I would suspect it would be on mild acceleration and not just all the time. If there is a noise and its not from the engine internals it could be from the bearings in the belt tensioners, alternator or maybe just an exhaust leak. I would take a piece of heater hose about 3 feet long and hold one end to your ear and use it like a stetchascope to try and chase down the area of noise. Be very careful of moving parts. Good luck with your search for a cure. Steve

for 1999 try, turn your ignition to the on position (not start) within ten seconds of doing that press the Driver Side Door Switch 10 times and it should turn off/ reset Here's the process to reset the air bag light (copied from somewhere else) If you have the airbag light, it will show steady for a few seconds (the manual says 7 secs) after you turn the key from off to on (but not start) and then start to flash. Here is how to reset it: Next time try this. it works for 2005 nissan fronteers I also read someplace that you will get airbag flashing at 100,000 miles because nissan wants them in for a systems check. 1. Turn the key from off to on. 2. Watch the airbag light closely. It will stay on for a few secs. and then as soon as it blinks off (the start of the flashing), turn the key off instantly. 3. Count to 5 (1 Mississippi, 2 Mississippi . . . .) 4. Repeat steps 1-3 two more times until you have done the cycle three times. 5. Now turn the key on and watch the light. It will start blinking in a different, slower manner. This is diagnostic mode. You can watch this for a little while, no hurry. 6. Now turn the key off again, Count to 5 like in step 3 again, and turn back on. If the procedure worked, the airbag light will not be flashing. If it does not work the first time, just repeat the steps again. I found this stuff from google search. Steve

On my 2001 my owners manual states on section 10-6 "Mineral based or synthetic oils may be used in your NISSAN vehicle. These oils must however, meet the API quality and SAE viscosity ratings specified for your vehicle. Do not mix mineral based and synthetic type oils in the engine at the same time." The oil specified is prefered 5w-30. if the temperature is above 0 degrees f can use 5w-30, 10w-30, 10w-40. When I used 5w-30 in hot weather I had engine clatter on inital start-up due to hot oil drain back so I stopped using 5w-30. no engine noise anymore on engine start-up. This works where I live due to the outside temperatures here. Where you live make your own choice whats best for you. Why would they change that in the 2003 manual I don't know but maybe they just want your service dollars. Happy trails, Steve

If you read the owners manual there is 2 levels of oil protection and in Southern California we just dont get the cold temperatures requiring 5w-30 Most of the time the Pathfinder see's 90 degrees or higher and stop and go traffic. Coldest driving conditions for me is maybe 40 degrees F in the winter and thats only in the earliest morning. If I lived in cold winter climate I would diffinately use 5w-30 oil at least in the winter.

I just use the standard 10w-30 Mobil 1 full synthetic. Mobil 1 has been in my truck since its second oil change at 33,000 miles and has a little over 80,000 miles now. For an oil filter I use Wix or a Napa filter. I like their construction better and change it every 3,500 miles and change the synthetic oil every 7,000 miles or so. I am personally really scared of the sensitivity of the oiling system in the VQ motors. When I got the truck in the first 6 months the used car warrenty from Carmax had to replace both VTC timing solonoids and both VTC timing sensors mostly due to previous owners negelect to a very sensitive oiling system. At 80,000 miles I just replaced a another VTC timing sensor. What ever you do don't let the oil get dirty. As for the Tranny fluid I only use the Nissan dealer specified oil. Steve

I run full synthetic in my 01. I use mobile 1 I use this because when I bought my truck used with 30,000 miles on it the previous owner used regular oil and wasn't meticulus with oil changes. On the top of the engine is a timing control valve that gets hot and sticks with bad oil. It has a spool valve attached to a solonoid and redirects the oil for timing control, a gummy oil system sticks this valve and screws up the cam timing and may throw codes. The valve is very expensive and that thick additive you added is not in my opinion recomended. Your low oil issue and dirty oil you will need to flush out the oil system as best as you can. My first oil changes I used 5-w30 synthetic and changed it every 3,000 miles for the first couple of oil changes. Watch your oil consumption there is a problem in some pathfinders and the factory has changed the design of the valve covers to fix it. It may or may not be your model. Normal oil consumption for my truck is 1/2 quart in about 5,000 miles which is when I change my synthetic oil these days. Steve

If things are good in your motor your oil would not be black in 2 weeks. Your flushing could have loosened up a bunch of crap and polluted your new oil. Did you change your filter? If you are burinig a quart of oil in 2 weeks you would know it out your tail pipe it would be black and sooty. I would look into the oil drain back holes under the valve covers, your flushing could loosen up chunks of stuff and block the drain back holes leaving alot of oil sitting on top of the heads and causing pvc issues and sucking excessive amounts of oil down the valve guides. If you were sucking that much oil through the engine I doubt your catallitic converters could handle it and your o2 sensors would throw a code and a check engine light.

I tow a small boat and a varity of trailers. anywhere from 1000 to 2500 lbs. I never tow in overdrive I always switch it off and I have also added an extra trans cooler on my 2001 Pathfinder. These transmissions are way too sensitive and expensive to repair it makes no sence to push extra load on them.

Standard 2001 SE 16 inch clear the hubs if you remove the plastic center caps.

These are available in the us from Napa for about 69 dollars online. if you need a US source

Alot of thunks and clunks come from the unibody design echoing in the sheet metal. Things to check are trailer hitches and receiver inserts. Loose muffler or resonator. I had a clunk like this and it was my resonator hitting the trailer hitch. Another source is looseness in the rear tracking arm used to keep the axle centered. Also check that you still have the rubber rear spring isolators intact. check the upper shock mounts to see if your going metal to metal. basicly anything hitting the chassie will echo through the body in some form of clunk in addition to all of the usual suspension bushing issues.

VQ for me the truck wouldn't be nearly as much fun with less power. All though I like this truck and will keep it along time I am so pissed at nissan over these minor issues and their lack of standing up for their product it is the last nissan for me. I can fix the chicken S**t issues I can fix the corporate attitude. They are welcome to change my mind anytime if they grow some backbone and do whats right.

Just for the record. My 2001 with factory aluminium 16 inch wheels the warn hubs fit fine my transfer case is part time.

I have the AC lift and its low in the front, stock no extra weight. Your poll doesnt cover us that sit low have lift and didnt use spacers. so i voted for the first one. Curious note though: I measured my wheel well openings before lift and after lift and the truck went up exactly 3 inches all around from its sagged position before the lift. so its downward slope was there before the lift. It wasnt caused by the lift springs.