Howie

I don't include it in the rotation because the rim it's mounted on is a steel rim, unlike the others. So rotating the spare would mean unmounting and remounting the tires on the rims, which I don't have the equipment for and I do my own rotation. I just rotate my rear tires straight forward and cross the fronts to the rear. I always check the psi in the spare, though. I think the spare is about 10 years old, but it still holds air!

That's horrible mileage. I have a 2001 VQ manual tramsission 4WD with over 140,000 miles on it, and I get 15-16 mpg with hubs locked in the winter, 17-18 with hubs unlocked in the summer.

The Pathfinder/Miata combo is a good one. I used to have a Miata (well it was my wife's). Had to sell the Miata but still have the Pathfinder. Now I wish I still had the Miata too.

One thing they got right: it's a unibody, just like ours. Took a whole generation for them to return to what's already been proven.

If the rust in the fenders affect the strut tower/wheel well area, then take it to Nissan. They just might buy it back from you under the recall.

I have a manual with 4WD, and dropped the transmission to replace the release bearing, which is a $40 part for which I didn't want to pay $600 in labor to replace. Anyway, it took me 3 days from start to finish, and had use of a lift with availability of every possible tool including a transmission jack. Good thing, too, because the bolt in the 12 o clock position on the bell housing was impossible to reach without a 6 foot extension for the wrench. You have to stand way at the back of the car and send the extension forward above the drive shaft to reach it. Can't get to it with a standard wrench. I could probably do it in a day now if I still had access to the lift, which I don't. Without the lift, you'll put it up on jacks and use a hydraulic floor jack to lower the transmission. It's do-able, but I'm not sure you should do it without a lift if you haven't done it before, or have an experienced buddy who can help. I'm not sure this will be an issue with your vehicle, but for some reason the rear part of my transmission wouldn't clear the exhaust pipes. So I had to remove the exhaust from the cat back just to drop the transmission, which of course added more time. Also, the clutch slave cylinder was a bitch to get back on, but I finally figured it out. I tore the rubber boot that prevents water from entering the housing around the withdrawal lever, and had to replace it ($10). Don't forget to get the liquid gasket to reseal the bell housing. You won't mess up your engine if you work slowly and make sure everything is disconnected before you lower it. Also, consult the Shop Manual posted elsewhere in this forum before you start. It will give you a step-by-step procedure with diagrams to follow. --Howie

If you decide to change out the MAF sensor, make sure to get the Maxima one, and not the Pathfinder one. It's the exact same thing, but loads cheaper. There's a thread on that here somewhere...

The shop that fixed mine had to replace the grill, bumper, hood and headlights, and repaint those parts as well as the front fenders to blend it all. They did it all in a week. Car looked good as new when I got it back.

I recently had to have front end work done on my '01 Pathfinder. They replaced the hood, and the new one was complete with the insulating blanket, and even some identification stickers that were on the original hood. I have a brush guard that they fixed and remounted for me as well. Your shop sounds like they did a half-assed job. You should report your dissatisfaction to your insurance company, and find a new shop.

Wow, how did you get such a low mileage Pathfinder? Mine's a 2001 with 137,000 miles.

Stealth Warns, FTW!

I have those exact wheels, and the Warn hubs fit perfectly. In fact, you can put the plastic center caps on over the hubs, concealing and protecting them. That's what I do.

The up-down aim is adjusted by turning the bolt on the back of the headlamp assembly. You need a small box wrench to get to it (forget the size offhand). I haven't figured out a way to adjust side-to-side, if there is one.

X3, even if you NEVER unlock them, if you break a CV joint or drive axle on the trail, you can unlock and drive home. Think of it as an insurance policy. There's really no reason not to have them.

When he "cleaned the throttle body," did he also touch the MAF sensor? Those things are notoriously persnickety in these vehicles. Replacing it might help, and its malfunction can cause the symptoms you describe without throwing any codes. Happened to me, and fixed it by replacing the damn thing. Unfortunately, it's a guess as to whether that's the right fix. Also, if you do decide to replace it, get the Maxima one, not the Pathfinder one and it will save you lots of $$$. Search this forum for the thread on that.

I just found these: http://www.rockauto.com/catalog/moreinfo.php?pk=1043005 at RockAuto. They're only $15, and they have activated carbon in them to prevent odors!

Oh yeah, good point. I don't have those around me, but now that you mention it, I remember seeing them when I lived in L.A.

Where did you get the NAPA Gold filters from? I've always used the OEM Nissan ones, but would probably change them more frequently if they were cheaper.

Old Man Emu lift kits are just a set of 4 coils, and they don't need a camber kit.

What size tires? Any rubbing?

I ordered it online, using CarsDirect.com. They weren't selling them below MSRP at the time, because they were pretty rare back then, especially in the Southeastern region where I lived. I was in Pensacola Beach. CarsDirect located one, but at a dealership in Georgia. So the dealer contacted me, and the only thing off was the color. I wanted the Sahara Beige, but all they had was the Burnt Cherry. Also, it was really hard to find it in a manual transmission. All the dealers were ordering them in automatics. So anyway, I agreed to buy the car, and they shipped it right to my house for free. It showed up on a flatbed truck with 6 miles on the odometer. Actually, I'm just now realizing that you wanted to know about ordering it from the factory, which I didn't. So I guess I didn't even answer your question at all...

I got mine in 2001. SE, manual transmission, no Nav. I think it was around $29K.

Even if they do tell you, I'd check it anyway. Go to Autozone, borrow a code reader and pull the code. That way you'll know for sure.

I got my replacement from Rockauto for like $60. It's working fine.