Towncivilian

Huh, why do R51s have an EGR valve when the later VQ35DE-equipped R50s don't... that seems kind of backwards. The factory service manual also says nothing about an exhaust gas recirculation system. Anyway, could you post the exact engine code(s) you currently have?

Are you applying liquid gasket in the proper areas illustrated on EM-39? What type of liquid gasket are you using? You should be using Loctite Ultra Grey. Could you snap some pictures with the valve covers off, just out of curiosity to see how things look?

Sorry we didn't mention it earlier. I had assumed we did, and upon reading the thread again, it looks like we didn't! Waste of good gear oil that could've went in your diff. Oh well.

Get gear oil out of your trans and put a dedicated GL-4 manual transmission fluid in there ASAP.

Ever changed the fluid? Is your Pathfinder 4WD?

I sneezed, and snot went on the steering wheel and my seat.

Yeah, I guess you guys are right. It's probably not worth the trouble or cost. I've only had to replace both license plate bulbs and a front sidemarker light; as far as I know, all of the brake bulbs are original. I've replaced the headlights just for the hell of it with the cheapest Sylvania bulbs and noticed a small increase in brightness. The trusty OEM ones are in the glove box. Maybe I'll change the license plate bulbs to LED at some point, but everything else I'll just leave incandescent. Thanks for your input everyone.

Somewhat unrelated, but my auto trans gear selector lever has some play. I tried correcting this by adjusting the shift linkage, but this made things too tight and moving the lever felt odd. I was not able to set it exactly back to the factory setting. I think it's best to leave it be.

The main reason I want to switch to LEDs is the instant on/off safety benefit. I will probably get a set of white 7443 bulbs from eBay to see how they do in the brake lights. If they are satisfactory I will upgrade the turn signals and reverse lights. Advance sells Sylvania 168 LED bulbs so I might try them in the license plate bulbs.

All of the bulb numbers are correct for my year R50. I will need an electronic flasher. I will also need to keep one incandescent bulb in the brake light circuit to prevent the cruise control system from thinking all of my brake lights are dead due to extremely low current draw; I'd keep one bulb in the CHMSL, obviously. It shouldn't be too noticeable since there are 9 bulbs total.

I'm contemplating replacing my brake/tail lights, reverse lights, license plate, and front/rear turn signals with LEDs due to their inherent safety benefits (instant on/off), brighter light output, significantly lowered power consumption, cooler operation, and longer life. eBay has bulbs significantly cheaper than anywhere else. I'm just wondering if they're of decent quality and will last relatively long compared to more expensive options such as SuperBrightLEDs, V-LEDs, or Autolumination. I converted my interior and instrument cluster bulbs to LED using SuperBrightLEDs and only had one start to flicker and eventually fail (I replaced it with another from SBLEDs, with a different, brighter bulb this time). Every other bulb is still working fine and I am happy with the quality, light output, and color temperature. Of course, all bulbs I'd get would have a 360 degree light output angle to hopefully avoid "hot spots" and better imitate a conventional incandescent bulb for proper appearance in housings designed for incandescent bulbs. Here is a tentative list of bulbs I'd get from eBay: 2x 7443 42 SMD LED red bulbs (tail/stop lights) 10x 168 20 SMD red bulbs (center high mounted stop light) 2x 1156 42 SMD LED amber bulbs (rear turn signal) 2x 921 25 SMD LED white bulbs (reverse) 4x 168 5 SMD LED white bulbs (license plate) 2x 7443 42 SMD LED amber bulbs (front sidemarker/turn signal) This adds up to $59.04 shipped. Of course, I'd need to obtain and install an electronic flasher unit to avoid "hyperflashing" turn signals, but this should be relatively inexpensive as well. Any thoughts? Has anybody used eBay bulbs with success?

2001+ are distributorless.

Nice and clean! Welcome back. Be sure to get it inspected for last May's strut housing corrosion recall if it hasn't been yet. And of course, change out all the fluids and filters if you don't have records indicating they've been done recently. Download a copy of the FSM if you haven't yet; to save a copy of the FSM, right click -> Save As on every PDF, save them into a single folder, then use fwd.pdf to navigate. You may also want to adjust the accelerator cable if there's any slack - see page FE-3 of the FSM. See EL-181 for adjustment of the cruise wire; always adjust both at the same time.

You can take the oil filter off without draining the sump, just be sure to top off the oil level as required.

The security LED should be red as far as I know. I don't believe your 98 QX4 has an immobilizer from the factory though. Can you post a photo of where the security light is at?

I've read of anecdotal reports that stacked plate type coolers can clog easier due to the smaller passages. I have no idea whether this is true; the issue is probably a moot point if you install an additional filter in the cooling circuit. Most (all?) B&M stacked plate coolers have a bypass to allow for quicker warm up when the fluid is cold. I run a stacked plate cooler on my Pathfinder after the stock radiator cooler and have a Magnefine on the return line after the aux cooler. Seems to work just fine.

I would use Mobil 1 LS 75W-90. You'll need 3 quarts. Be aware that the fill and drain plugs are 13mm, a bit larger than 1/2" (12.7mm). Nonetheless, try a 1/2" drive breaker bar with a short extension on it to remove the fill and drain plugs. Always remove the fill plug first! The torque spec for both plugs is 43 - 87 ft-lbs.

Mine encounters a lot of resistance sometimes after not being switched to the defrost position for half an eternity, but I keep going and it eventually goes. I don't know how much resistance you're encountering so I'm not sure if yours is messed up, and I don't know what else to suggest to get it working properly. Sorry!

See HA-183 for control linkage adjustment.

The 2003 and 2004 FSMs do not list the load sensing valve in the bleeding order.

Miles don't mean much if it's been well taken care of and serviced, in my opinion. Do you know whether the engine oil and filter were changed regularly? How about the manual transmission fluid? Is this Pathy 4WD? What do you mean by "no major leaks"? Are there some small leaks or weeping?

I think your trans overheated and puked some fluid. What fluid did you use? Did you install an in line filter or a spin on kit? Have you ever changed the in pan strainer?

I bought a set of new 2002 OEM beige floor mats from eBay for $25 + shipping so you may want to check there.

Perhaps they are quoting a different transmission? Why do you believe you should follow Amsoil's word over Nissan's own TSB for the FS5R30A transmission which your Hardbody has?

You can't expect Amsoil to keep up with TSBs. They are quoting the owner's manual or factory service manual capacity, which is incorrect. Fill with 5.1L.