Slartibartfast

A few weeks ago, my ABS and BRAKE lights came on. I added a little fresh brake fluid to the master cylinder and forgot about it, figuring the pads were wearing or something. Well, the lights came on again today, and sure enough the fluid was low. When topping up the cylinder, I noticed that the plastic reservoir is loose relative to the metal piece under it. When I wiggled the res I could see a little fluid moving around between the plastic and the metal (like when you get water between a glass top and a table). I assume this is my leak. I don't see any drip marks but there is a far amount of black gunk stuck to the metal. (I'll get pics tomorrow when it isn't dark and freezing outside.) Anyone had this happen? Is it a simple O-ring job or am I looking at a whole new MC? (Also, is it safe to drive in this condition? It appears to be a very slow leak in a non-pressurized area, and the idiot lights kick in well before it would run dry, but given that my E-brake is about as effective as trade sanctions, I'd rather be sure.)

Yep, lots of them came with LSD. The orange 'LSD oil only' sticker on the rear axle is known to last longer than the truck itself.

Jack it up, grab the wheel, check it for excessive play (up/down, side to side). I doubt it's an axle (CV) unless it only does this in 4x.

I'd test it on the inside first to make sure it won't lift anything. Maybe some kind of armorall interior detailing thing?

That's yellow!

Pop the sunroof, hang the fan, plug it in. The connector's tapped to constant power at the dome light switch. Only problem is the blade whacking my finger now and then when I go to shut it off. /thread jack

I would imagine it's easier on it because the gearing (engine to wheels) is generally lower in power mode, so the torque convertor doesn't have to work as hard, so the fluid doesn't heat up as much. And yeah, it would probably help on hills too. Nismo, what's this rail shifter of which you speak?

I mean the lights are right up against the lens, and kind of off to one side of it, which just looks odd to me. Plus it's right up against the plastic so you can kind of see each little light when it's on. Proper conversion bulbs go right where the factory one did, this kit's a board that sticks on maybe a half-inch lower. Nothing to write home about and for $5 I can't complain too loud. Top is factory, bottom is with the kit. Nevermind the power plug coming through the lens, that's unrelated... part of my redneck fan setup to keep the inside cool when it's parked in the sun.

I bought a universal kit off Amazon, it has a little spring-loaded bit that plugs in where the bulb used to be and then plugs into a board with 48 surface-mount LEDs on it. I'm not fond of the stark white color (vs the warmer glow of the factory bulbs) but it puts out a whole lot more light. Mounting was pretty easy but there isn't any clearance between the board and the dome light cover, so there's no real diffusion going on. Not the cleanest install.

Mine's got it. And yeah, it just makes it shift later. I use it sometimes but I'm not sure what it does for my gas mileage... maybe I should do an experiment, run a tank with/without and compare mileage. Too many other variables to get a good read on it though.

You might check the wiring on the oxygen sensors, something may have come loose in a week. I assume that'd throw a code, but then the sensor on my 95 was missing a wire and it the CEL never lit.

AFAIK all WDs use the same transfer case and auto hubs, so yes, so long as the hubs are engaged you can shift on the fly.

LOL were the vans that bad?

Maybe clean your intake and check your vac lines/MAF/TPS, maybe it's down on power.

It would probably be easier to find a set of lighted WD mirrors at a junkyard and install those. The mounts should be the same, and the lights/mirrors look to be a little bigger than in the R50 shades. If you need a pic of the WD ones for reference lemme know.

Junkyard probably. Some people fit Xterra roof racks, so look into that, they're supposed to be a lot better than the factory rack. LOL didn't see the other two posts until I hit save... guess you know what the consensus is

The years of neglect don't show, that thing looks very clean. I put an LED dome light in mine... not sure if I like the white light but it sure is brighter than the stock bulb!

LOL yeah, the new Pathy looks like a Scooby or a Mazda or a Ford or any of the other beige bastard children of the SUV era. I guess people wanted the bloat of an SUV with the capability/economy of a car, so boom... the crossover. Who knows, maybe they'll have a cult following in fifteen years or so.

Is the shape of the cone really important enough that you'd get better sound from a smaller speaker?

I put 6x8s IIRC in my front doors when the factory speakers crapped out. My dad and I had to cut part of the plastic bracketry out. They're Boss Audio (cheap Radioshack sort of deal, $32 for the set IIRC) but they sound pretty good to me, and I'll probably get more when the rears go. I didn't have any of the crackling you mention when my speakers died. (It did make a wub-wub-wub sound that freaked me out a little until I realized it wasn't coming from the front suspension.) Your crackling may be from loose wires, the cassette deck crapping out, or a problem with the amps. Most people just bypass the amps when they put in a new head unit, or run whole new wires. I haven't gotten around to bypassing mine so I've got a little hiss and the volume gets loud quick. Keep in mind that different year Pathfinders had different door cards and different front speakers. Some have round speakers and some have rectangular speakers. I thought it was by year but now that I'm looking around, I don't know.

Maybe it's out of warranty by the time it's a problem... just like there's no service interval for the strut rod bushings.

Looks like quite a project!

I remember seeing a few threads, but I don't remember enough about them to find them again. And yes, you're in for a bad time. I don't remember the exact procedure, but IIRC you have to pull the oil filter and detach the little heat shield hooked to the starter to get it past the transmission lines (if you've got an automatic). Don't worry if you bugger the shield, mine hasn't had one for quite a while and nothing's burned up. Make sure you put the oil filter back on before restarting it! It's surprising how quick an engine pukes oil onto the driveway.

Round dash Pathies got robbed of the voltmeter for some reason.

Might be something to have a mechanic check out. I'm all for fixing stuff yourself but inoperable brakes seems like something worth calling in an expert for.