Towncivilian

Rear defroster is completely independent of A/C. I think the A/C is used with the front defrost setting for dehumidifying the incoming air, though. With manual A/C controls you can just turn the compressor off and have it recirculate air, the blower motor will still work fine.

Yeah, I call my own PF a car. It ain't a truck, I think.

Depends on the ethanol content, probably. Less is better for us, since we get more power (ethanol does not output as much energy as gasoline when burned) and a small MPG boost. Theoretically, Shell is "better" gas as it is "top tier" - it supposedly contains more detergents than mandated by the EPA, but how of those detergents/additives that actually make it into your gas tank is difficult to ascertain. And it's not a van. If you're gonna call it something other than a truck, at least call it a wagon, as that's what the W in WD21 stands for I believe!

Googling the part number (Calsonic 48-86457) yields very few results; another PF owner with a '96 4x4 asking what it is, but other than that nothing too useful. I can't find specs anywhere, and I can't find it on Courtesy Parts. Can anybody shed some light on this? Next time I'm at the junkyard I'll note down the VIN of the R50 I pulled it off and run it through Nissan FAST to check out its year and options. Here is one potential mounting spot on my radiator support, without any modification: The middle bracket was part of this trans cooler, and it is somewhat bent presumably due to the rollover in which the junkyard PF was involved in, so that's why the cooler isn't parallel to the A/C condenser. It's at an angle simply due to the position of the factory screw holes. Some bending and drilling can fix that. Now routing the power steering return hose there and back will be the difficult part. I don't wish to use fuel line as that isn't rated for hydraulic fluid or pressures I believe and it may degrade after some time; I don't want a hose to blow and lose power steering. Thing is, 5ft of 3/8" power steering return hose is $12.75 at my local NAPA! Crazy. Any suggestions? For a transmission cooler I think I will just purchase this cooler. I don't tow very often, and never go off roading, so I think this modest sized 13,000 BTU unit will do well in my case. Thoughts?

I got this off the front of a 3.3L R50: I haven't checked yet, but it should just mount straight to my radiator support, which is good. It seems quite small to be used as a transmission cooler, so I'm thinking of using this one for a power steering cooler. Any reason not to? I haven't looked for a part number yet. It is a Calsonic branded cooler, so maybe it's OEM. I don't see one listed on Courtesy Parts anywhere, so I'll presumably need the part number to find it.

Here is the splash cover. Although at $141 you're better off getting a real skid plate that'll last.

I have kept up with ATF changes, I assume MY1PATH suggested draining and filling the torque converter because a lot of fluid is stored in there and it has no easily accessible drain plug.

Ok, I will let the dealership provide the seal then. Thanks.

I will verify the part number tomorrow with the service advisor and ask him to double check with the master tech to ensure I order the correct part. I will also get a list of other parts required, if any, to compare prices.

Okay, will note that. About how many quarts does it take, so I can supply my own fluid?

I'm getting my leaky rear main seal replaced by Nissan on Wednesday for around $560. They will also be replacing my front seatbelts for free under warranty (they don't retract automatically) and inspecting the driver's side strut as per the recent recall. Is there anything else I should have them inspect or replace while they've got everything disassembled for the rear main seal replacement? What is the part # for the rear main seal for a 2001.5 VQ35DE 2WD A/T? The service advisor claims it would be around $60, I'm wondering whether it'd be cheaper to get from Courtesy Parts. EDIT: Called my local dealer's part department, part # is 12296-31U20. $38.26 vs $60, time to order!

Not sure whether this is applicable, but FWIW some sort of pressure line hose had to be replaced and the system recharged about 31k ago for me. Your system might be low on refrigerant or be leaking, but I know very little about A/C. Maybe see how much Nissan will charge to recharge your system? With summer time approaching every corner shop claims to have an A/C specialist but really they probably just use the same refrigerant in a can crap you can buy and do yourself, which probably isn't the best way to go, especially if it includes stop leak stuff. Also, check your in-cabin air filter and replace if clogged. That would help a little, but it sounds like you have larger issues with the compressor possibly. I also hear a "sigh" frequently after first taking off. It's most audible if just creeping, not applying any throttle when going forward. It's heard after a few feet of movement. I don't think this is your compressor, as this happens even if the A/C is off. Does anybody know what this is, actually? I've always been curious. Is it ABS running a self-test?

Damn, I gotta try that. Mine are all discolored and dirty as well, I was contemplating buying new mats for $72.72 but maybe a good cleaning will restore them. Yesterday I cleaned the windows, and today a bird pooped on my glass hatch. Always happens.

You don't need to flush the transmission for a cooler install, just top off after installation.

Found a TSB that has transmission cooler line descriptions:

There's a tweeter mod you can do to the factory (Clarion?) tweeters to make them actually produce some sound. It helped quite a bit with mine, but I'm sure your Infinitys will still sound better than the factory with the mod! Ouch, Slashjt. But at least you didn't get a significant amount of damage!

What happened? I changed my oil yesterday. SuperTech 5W-30 + Nissan OEM "shorty" filter out, Pennzoil Yellow Bottle 10W-40 and Purolator PureONE PL14610 filter in.

Yeah, I would have to try to find one of those. Just one should suffice for me I think. Florida, while hot, probably doesn't get as blisteringly hot as the UAE. Anybody know what model vehicles have factory power steering coolers? Something tells me I won't see a Patrol at the local junkyard.

I was going to add an in-line Magnefine filter at some point if I installed a PS cooler. But I think I should add a transmission cooler first (already got a Magnefine lined up for that) before thinking about the PS cooler. I'll have to scour the junkyard to find a good trans cooler, I know some Ford Exploders have some stacked plate coolers which might be good enough. I just made this topic to see if a PS cooler is also viable.

I have no idea, honestly. Maybe I'll look for a power steering cooler from some older vehicle instead (dedicated PS coolers seem to be significantly smaller as I'm sure these systems don't generate a ton of heat), and depending on the model of that transmission cooler on the junkyard PF, use that as an additional transmission cooler (rather than as a PS cooler). I could purchase a new power steering cooler for $28 on Amazon, but that's not worth it in my opinion. A cheapo $5 junkyard cooler, some hose, and mounting hardware is all I'd be willing to spend for boredom in this case.

Primarily boredom is the key factor in attempting this. Plus it's cheap, and who said overkill was bad? A 3.3L R50 at the junkyard has a small transmission cooler which I may repurpose as a power steering cooler. Maybe it'd be too large for the application, not sure.

Anybody know if adding a small stacked plate power steering cooler would reduce the hydraulic pressure for the power steering enough to adversely affect anything? R51s have a steering cooler. That model power steering pump has lower maximum pressure (1160-1276 psi) vs. my pump which has 1251-1337 psi. The R51s appear to have a simple metal tube at the radiator to serve as a cooler, and the cooler I have in mind from the junkyard is a stacked plate cooler I believe. However, I don't know whether this will prove that a steering cooler will not affect the pressure significantly in my R50. The only way to be certain is a gauge I'd imagine, but anybody have any input?

Are you still having this smell? Check here for a possible solution.

Is this the transmission cooler you bought? I'm thinking of picking one up too, considering it's so cheap.