Since I bought this vehicle used, I'm checking/changing all the fluids to make sure everything's in good shape. The Pathfinder's an 01SE w/auto tranny, and has 57,000km on it, or 35,418 miles. Here's a ton of questions I hope you knowledgeable folks can answer.
Looking at engine coolant, it looks clean, and is green. I thought most new cars came with that red longer lasting coolant. Either this truck never did, or someone already replaced it with the green coolant. Does anyone know??
Apparently it's due to have the differential oil changed. I looked underneath yesterday, and the rear dif had a sticker indicating to use LSD oil. About half way up the diff (pumpkin part), there appears to be a plug that can be removed with a 1/2 inch drive ratchet. Is that the fill hole? It's only half way up, so I'm assuming the diff is only supposed to be half filled?
Also, is the front diff LSD as well, or just a regular diff. And if so, does it take different oil than the rear diff?
Lastly, does the all-mode transfer case use the exact same fluid as the transmission? If so, where abouts is the drain and fill hole on it?
Is there anything else I should check on this car besides the obvious fluids such as transmission, power steering, & brake fluid levels??
Woah, no one knew the answers to any of those questions???
Anyhow, I changed the rear diff oil last night. In case anyone is wondering, the rear diff takes 80w90 LSD gear oil, almost 3 litres of it! Simple job, just smelly.
I hope you found that you don't fill the housing clear to the top -- just to the filler plug opening or a little below. If you've managed to overfill the housing, you'll be rewarded with a ton of leakage as the rear end gears pressurize the space and pump out the excess fluid. Same goes for anything else under your buggy that contains gears.
Antifreeze doesn't change color much with time unless something in the system rusts or corrodes. But it does change its chemistry, become less effective, and eat thin-walled components (radiator, heater core). 35K isn't all that far, so it's probably OK.
Hey, well as far as maintenance goes, did your truck come with an owner's manual? It will contain a maintenance schedule to follow. I work at a shop and we specialize in Nissan and Mazda, have been doing warranty for both for years. So we have tons of customers, and I know quite a bit.
As for the rear diff, you can use a 80/90w gear oil, just add the LSD additive. You should do your spark plugs, all driveline fluids, fuel filter and a wheel bearing repack. I don't know where you live, so not sure of the type of driving, but if you do lots of city driving, you might be due for front brakes anyway, so the bearings would get done. If your brake fluid is low, then there is a good chance the fronts are low on pad. The maintenace may call for plugs at the 96km interval, but usually they foul up before then, and cause a check engine light on, leading to unecessary money spent at a shop to scan the code, to tell you that it is a misfire. Especially if you live soemwhere that gets all extremes of weather. So, good luck, and try to get your hands on a list to follow, maybe from a dealer. And it's always better to be preventative, than to let something cause a problem.
PS Tip for all: Dealer O2 sensors should be used when replacing, and steer clear of their pads, shoes, and struts. All are crap.
Last edited by Ryanna : Mar 19th, 2005 at 01:21 AM.
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