Honorary Datto - My 2005 Xterra

[]2eDeYe]

My 2005 Nissan Xterra has been a great all around rig for us since about 2008 and about 40,000 miles. 

It is now 2023 and she's got 233,000 well earned miles on the clock. 
Some time ago my oil pressure switch quit working and now to long ago I forgot to check the oil like I need to and now it's time to replace the VQ40DE.

I decided on a rebuilt engine for hopefully a quick R & R to get her back on the road and get Red back in the garage. 
 

 

[KELMO]

Thanks for posting this. It reminded me I need to check the oil on the wife's Xterra and also when I last did an oil change on it.

[]2eDeYe]

No problem. Checking and changing the oil is a lot easier than changing the engine. 🙂

[Stoffregen Motorsports]

Gender reveal party.

[bottomwatcher]

Nice going on the replacement. Most people would walk away on a 230k vehicle. I do the same thing. Maybe because I get comfortable with the mechanics of a vehicle and don't want to change things up. Also there is a certain challenge to keep these old high mileage vehicles going. Maybe this vehicle is just part of the family?

[]2eDeYe]

1 hour ago, bottomwatcher said:

Nice going on the replacement. Most people would walk away on a 230k vehicle. I do the same thing. Maybe because I get comfortable with the mechanics of a vehicle and don't want to change things up. Also there is a certain challenge to keep these old high mileage vehicles going. Maybe this vehicle is just part of the family?

 

Thanks.

The way I see it you can't buy a new Xterra and in my experience new cars are terrible, nanny tech encrusted poo. 

..and yeah it's earned a place in the family.
 

[bilzbobaggins]

Must be Xterra fever going around.  I decided to drag one out of the weeds Monday morning that I bought back in April of 2020.  Bought it sight unseen.  Turned out to be a bad distributor.  But the lifters are trashed and it smokes like hell.  But it is a manual and 4wd.  Cant decide to finish fixing it or just unload it during tax time.

 

And the 4.0 is so much better than the 3.3.

 

Get some bags for that Xterra.

[thisismatt]

I've got a 6sp from an Xterra for my VQ swap...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sorry, just wanted to be part of the party 😛

[Stoffregen Motorsports]

It's almost time to start thinking about a car or truck for my daughter. I was thinking Jeep Cherokee XJ, or Wrangler TJ, but I've also been keeping my eye open for an Xterra. o you guys like them? Are they good trucks? I do know they are about half the price of a 4Runner.

[KELMO]

19 hours ago, Stoffregen Motorsports said:

It's almost time to start thinking about a car or truck for my daughter. I was thinking Jeep Cherokee XJ, or Wrangler TJ, but I've also been keeping my eye open for an Xterra. o you guys like them? Are they good trucks? I do know they are about half the price of a 4Runner.

We got ours for the wife in 2016. For several years she was a hospice nurse and drove all over the quasi-rural area we live in. She has put about 100K miles on it, and it is still going strong, and she loves it. It has been very reliable for her and all we have really done to it is basic maintenance. I don't know if I just got lucky with a used vehicle or what. 2012 Pro 4X

[]2eDeYe]

On 2/22/2023 at 7:55 PM, bilzbobaggins said:

Get some bags for that Xterra.

 

It already has bags, grocery bags stuffed in the seat pocket. 😄

 

21 hours ago, Stoffregen Motorsports said:

It's almost time to start thinking about a car or truck for my daughter. I was thinking Jeep Cherokee XJ, or Wrangler TJ, but I've also been keeping my eye open for an Xterra. o you guys like them? Are they good trucks? I do know they are about half the price of a 4Runner.

 

We had a 92 4runner we traded in on a 2001 Xterra that had 33,000 miles on it way back in 2003ish. My son drives it now and it has over 300,000 on it. Other than a timing belt at 170,000, it's had the distributor and plugs replaced, a new fuel pump and had to wire in a new fuel pump relay. Other than that, oil changes. 

We got this one in 2008 with like 45,000 miles and it now has 233,000. I have replaced a couple coil packs, plugs and the cats as they got clogged due to the coil pack issue. Another family member was using it at the time or I would have caught it before the cats clogged. And once the fuel sender died, had to drop the tank for that one. 
If I had kept up checking the oil, VQs seem to like oil when they get some miles, it would still be going strong. 

All that to say, yeah I like them haha

I am enjoying getting to know the VQ better as I love the 3.5 in my G35. Although I am thinking V8 when that one goes. I do plan to stay up on checking the oil in that one tho, if I ever get it from storage lol...  BTW, it now has 200,000 on it, bought it with about 40,000 in 2006 and I have replaced the clutch, 1 cam sensor and the spark plugs. 

That said, I bought a G35 with a blown VQ for cheap, it had 165,000 on it. Again lack of checking the oil was it's downfall.
So, don't forget to check lol
 

[Stoffregen Motorsports]

Oil going by the rings I imagine. That's harder for a non-mechanic to keep track of.

 

Did they ever come with a 4 banger?

[]2eDeYe]

7 minutes ago, Stoffregen Motorsports said:

Oil going by the rings I imagine. That's harder for a non-mechanic to keep track of.

 

Did they ever come with a 4 banger?

Oil by the rings yes, not that I ever noticed any smoke though.
Also the valve covers leak after a lot of miles, but you can't tell because it's all in the spark plug hole. Just learned this tearing into this one lol. 

Yes, the KA. They also run the fs5w71C 5-speed or the CD009 6-speed for manuals. 
A lot harder to come by though as I believe most were V6

[bottomwatcher]

So not to get to far off topic but the 6 speed CD009 has a KA bellhousing in the line up? 

[]2eDeYe]

 

2 hours ago, bottomwatcher said:

So not to get to far off topic but the 6 speed CD009 has a KA bellhousing in the line up? 

That I cannot verify, I just meant Xterras with manuals.

The frontiers seem to have more manuals, and 4 cylinders in general. 
I haven't done any digging into what is where though. 

[KELMO]

I'm with Redeye, as in can't verify. But, I do not think the later model Xterra came with a 4 banger.

[]2eDeYe]

 

Cleaning up nice. 

[metalmonkey47]

I saw this on FB and I was pretty stoked to see you got one. They're pretty awesome trucks. I impulse bought two at different times. Ones stock, one is not.

Adding to the party here  with a pic of my Xterra for inspiration. Rockin' Titan front suspension and a bunch of other cool stuff.

DSC09864-HDR.jpg by Matt Yates, on Flickr

[]2eDeYe]

9 hours ago, metalmonkey47 said:

I saw this on FB and I was pretty stoked to see you got one. They're pretty awesome trucks. 

 

They sure are. What size tire with the Titan stuff?
 

We've had this one since 2008 back when it had about 50,000 miles on it. It is still super clean considering.  

Our 2000 Xterra has been in the family even longer and had about 30,000 when when got it, 300,000 now. 
 

Camping over Memorial Weekend this summer.

Spoiler, it's back on school bus duty. 🙂

Got some video to edit... 😐
 

[metalmonkey47]

9 hours ago, ]2eDeYe said:

 

They sure are. What size tire with the Titan stuff?

 

I have 295/70/17's on it right now, and I've been running them for about 30,000 miles. It fits with stock arms and 2.5'' lift, but requires some fender trimming on the rear portion to clear the tire at full lock. 

I'm getting ready to move up to 35's with the Titan stuff though, but I need to knock the pinch welds down behind the front tire.

[]2eDeYe]

I am running 285/70-17 currently on stock stuff. 

Good to know what I'll be upgrading when these are shot 😄 

[metalmonkey47]

15 minutes ago, ]2eDeYe said:

I am running 285/70-17 currently on stock stuff. 

Good to know what I'll be upgrading when these are shot 😄 

ahh yes, the tried and true 🤠

Be prepared to lose a few mpg when you upgrade 😂 I average 14 on a good day after going up in size.

[]2eDeYe]

mpg?

[]2eDeYe]

Reviewing parts used in the engine replacement and some parts you need that you wouldn't think of ahead of time. 
 

 

[]2eDeYe]

Got some updates.