marbiol

I've been looking at both those options for a while now - right now I've been feeling that with the reportedly poor gas mileage on these options I might as well go with something larger, and I haven't had a pickup for a while. Thanks for the comments, D.

As the title says - my 1993 WD21 has finally died. Engine was going to need to be replaced due to compression issues, electrics have been funny for a while, AC had a leak when turning right and then an altercation with a rather larger vehicle removed most of the exhaust and probably damaged multiple rims. Insurance has written her off so Im looking for a suitable replacement and was wondering what people might recommend as Im in the Midwest and the few local Pathys for sale have serious rust issues and questionable engines (mine actually was fairly rust-free). Has anyone gone onward to a particular alternative vehicle that theyre happy with? Main requirements would be ability to add a simple lift of a few inches for some clearance or good inherent clearance (had a 2.5 on the Pathy) and decent space inside (Id like to be able to lie flat in the back but its not a dealbreaker). I wouldnt mind keeping the overall external size down but I have been looking at bigger vehicles as well.

Hi All, I've been looking at the options for roof racks or bars, with the intention of having a possible roof box or carrying a canoe/kayak. The main options for this seem to be Thule or Yakima mounts if I don't want to drill into the roof (it's a 1993 SE). Since these are pretty expensive new, I was wondering whether anyone had anything lying around that they don't need and would be willing to sell or donate... Thanks, Dan.

madhakish - thanks for the recommendation silverton - I think I have it narrowed down to a combination of the auto hubs and the transfer case. The transmission was well looked after and had regular changes through its life so I was never really that worried, and the two whines come when it's in 4wd (transfer case) or when I haven't reversed after shifting out of 4wd (hubs). The hubs were rebuilt and greased less than year ago so should be OK and they're a little annoying but I don't think they're problematic. The transfer case might be a little low but I think it'll be OK for the moment (I'll get it topped of as soon as I can find some spare time).

(It's a 1993 SE automatic)

As the title says - it's pretty cold here and I don't have a garage at the moment and my drivetrain is whining like its low on fluid somewhere. Can someone recommend a reputable transmission place or general garage that would do a decent job of checking and replacing any necessary transmission / diff fluids? The problem could be anywhere including the transfer case, front and rear diffs so a full checkup would be good. If it helps the diagnosis, the whine is speed dependent and begins to be audible at over 20 mph. Engine rpm is apparently unconnected. Shifting in and out of 4wd has been a little touchy recently - ie not cleanly engaging but that might be unconnected.

The quote is from a local Ziebart that has better reviews than most within a short distance. $50 for the rust eliminator to stop any existing surface rust $250 for a full undercoat for protection after the rust eliminator has been applied. I was offered either the standard or the thick extra noise reduction version for the same price - any recommendation on which to go for? Prior to either application, they are doing a full clean of the underneath of the vehicle and letting it dry properly overnight.

Made it! Turns out my Pathfinder had all of the US EPA and FMVSS stickers on it in addition to the Canadian ones (I think they did both before sending it from Japan). I got to check the US spec boxes on the EPA and DOT forms and when I went over the border, the only issue was that the person looking at it didn't know what he was looking for, so I had to show him where the labels were. And, today I went down to the county DMV and just gave them my Canadian title and the import form from the border and with a grand payment of $64, I now have an MN plated and registered vehicle! I now have a quote for a clean, rust stop coating and then a full undercoat over that so that should put me well on the way to winter spec. Has anyone here found a cheap block heater that could be popped onto a Pathy with minimal effort?

How was the sealing on the TYC ones? I read a study that seemed to show that the beam patterns weren't compliant with FMVSS 108 and the moisture sealing was lower quality than the OEM ones. The main issue is that I don't want to get to the test center and get turned away for non-compliant lights. http://www.capacertified.org/press/CAPALighting3.pdf

Hi All, I need to replace my headlights due to some chipping in the glass ( apparently this is a fail for a driver's test that I need to take to get my US license). I've seen the range of aftermarket headlight units, but they all seem to have plastic lenses. Are there any that have glass lenses (ideally with DOT markings for the inspector), or would I need to go full OEM? If OEM, where would be the cheapest place to get them? Cheers, Dan.

Hi All, I've just moved to the US from Canada and I'm preparing my Pathy for her first real winter. I've been quoted $49 for a full layer of rust eliminator and $249 for a undercoating from a local Ziebart that seems to get good reviews online. (This includes a full clean prior to application and proper drying overnight prior to the undercoat application). Does this sound like a reasonable price for a properly done job? (I'm in MN) Cheers, Dan.

Yep - rust proofing is on the list - sometime in the next 2 weeks. The diff has fully synthetic already - I thought it deserved a change a few months back. A new battery will be happening in the near future as well (for the first time I'm glad I don't need to get a battery for my old terrano as the diesel rated batteries are expensive). Mostly I need to find a reliable garage in Minneapolis as I only have basic tools here at the moment, and don't know what average labor charges are, so I don't want to get ripped off. D.

Well, I made it in one piece! The import border crossing procedure was a little strange, but worked out in the end. (They initially weren't sure whether it qualified as a US spec vehicle). Now, the next item to deal with is getting the car ready so that I can take an MN driver's test. I need to get a few things sorted out as I think they might fail the inspection at the start of the test. Can anyone recommend a good (competent and preferably reasonably priced) garage that I could get to do some work as I don't currently have a covered space to work on things in and I'd like to just get it done as soon as possible. Thanks, Dan.

Thanks for the welcome ;-> ! I'm moving as my fiancee is starting at UMN... Some of my family are from Chicago, so I used to end up in MN for summer camp so I've spent some time there in the past. I'll likely be back on here in a little while asking for advice on garages, and winterizing my Pathy (Vancouver doesn't really get freezing - just wet and rainy). I've never had to put in a block heater or similar as when I've lived cold places, I've ended up with vehicles that previous owners have already dealt with. A recommendation good place to get the underbody coated before salt hits the road would also be useful. I do however have mud/snow tires on anyway. Cheers, D.

Luckily, that's one thing I don't have to worry about - I'm moving to Minnesota for now and they have no emissions testing...

Think I'm going to be able to do it - I've found what I think is the FVMSS sticker, so it should be OK with Federal vehicle guidelines... That and The EPA paperwork should be good. Hopefully between those two, I should be alright. NAFTA seems to cover one personal import per year, and those two cover the DOT and EPA regulations so I guess I'll be going along with it this way! I really hope this works as I don't want to go through the hassle of selling my Pathy... D.

I'm moving from Canada to the US and I was thinking of taking my Pathfinder with me... It's a 1993 SE. I tried searching but didn't come up with anything past a warning to get the paperwork right before crossing the border. It seems like I might need a letter from Nissan saying it complied with the appropriate US safety standards when it was made - has anyone gotten one of these in the past or know where to get one from? The EPA form seems to say that all 1988 to 1995 vehicles are acceptable. Is there anything else I might need? Thanks, D.

283,000 km. Still running well - just have a couple of little issues (one dragging brake or something making a similar noise, and the steering is a little loose). If I can sort those issues i can see myself keeping it for a few years... It's my first automatic ever (managed to avoid having one until I moved to North America) but it could be worse!

Well, I'm getting the exhaust sorted next week (at least one broken stud) so that will be a big one, and with the tires, suspension, weather striping and probably the sunroof deflector, I think the noise should drop appreciably. I don't mind putting in this much in parts into this Pathy - worst case, I'll have a great parts machine when the transmission finally goes ;->

Thanks for the ideas!

Just wondering if anyone has any updates on this - I'm considering doing some extra weather striping and maybe adding a deflector to the front of the sunroof if I can't source replacement seals for the edges. My aim is to make highway driving more pleasant, so Falken Wildpeak A/T tires seem to have a good reputation for quietness on-road and decent performance off-road. Cheers, D.

Somehow I missed that thread when I was searching... Not sure how... Thanks for the pointer.

Hi All, Just moved and got a new Pathy - a 1993 SE V6. It came standard with 31x10.5R15 tires and I'm wondering what recommendations people have for replacements. It'll primarily be on-road as I only have the one vehicle at the moment so I'm looking for something quiet on-road that can handle light off-road duty. I'll look at some more aggressive tires when I pick up a spare set of rims and have some more free time. I'm coming from New Zealand and an R3m TD27T manual to an SE V6 Auto so it's a bit of an adjustment (wish I could find a manual with no body rust up here) but it's coming together and once I get the suspension sorted it should be a fun vehicle. It was the first no-rust one I've seen here and even came with a Rancho lift kit installed ;->). Cheers, Dan.

As the title says, I'm looking for a recommendation for somewhere in Vancouver (preferably near Kitsilano) for servicing a 1993 WD21 SE V6. I've just picked it up and it feels like it could do with some tightening up on the steering and suspension and a general lube change. Cheers, Dan.

My terrano has been pulling to the right when reversing if the wheels start pointing forwards when I begin reversing. If I don't hold the wheel then it turns until it is about halfway to lock as I continue to reverse. Going forwards is fine with no pull either way. Does anyone have any ideas why this might be. I did test this on a flat car park to remove the possibility of road camber being the cause.