Mark Rogers

Are you sure you have the right owner's manual?  I checked the 2015 NV manual online and couldn't find anything that discourages the use of rear-facing child restraints.  I even searched the document for the phrase "never let an infant" and it doesn't appear anywhere in the manual.

https://www.nissanusa.com/content/dam/Nissan/us/Nissan_Commercial_Vehicles/ncv_owners/manuals-guides/pdfs/2015/nissan-commercial-vehicles-2015-nv-passenger-owners-manual.pdf

Huh!

 

We have a 2018 SL and it has neither fog lights nor heated seats.

 

Unless we're missing something?

Those are standard features in the SL version. See https://www.nissancommercialvehicles.com/media/pdf/2018-Nissan-NV-Passenger-Brochure.pdf

I agree with radin2son about the map updates.  Not worth it at all.  For less than the price of a single update for the nav system, you can buy a Garmin GPS that comes with free map updates for life.  Or you can use your phone, which is what I do.  (Although, that might may require downloading maps ahead of time, depending on where you're traveling.)

It is a phone holder.  That's because you can't use Google Maps on the OEM nav screen.  You have to use your phone screen for that.

If you plug an Android phone into the nav system, all it does is slowly charge the phone.  (Android can still play music via bluetooth.)

If you plug an iPhone into the nav system, it plays music and slowly charges the phone, but nothing else.

There is a limited set of optional apps for the nav system that integrate with your phone, but I haven't found any of them to be useful.  For example, the Facebook app lets you use the nav system to "check in" at your current location, but can't do anything else.  The Google app lets your nav system send Google search requests to your phone, but searching directly on the phone works better in my experience.  Although, the Pandora app might be nice for people who use Pandora.

Problem solved for $6.   :)

https://www.amazon.com/WizGear-Universal-Swift-Snap-Technology-Smartphones/dp/B00PGJWYJ0

Okay, so it's not exactly Apple CarPlay, but it's a very cheap and practical way to use Google Maps on the go.

I don't have an SL, so I can't send a picture.  But there's a diagram in the owner's manual at the beginning of section 2 that shows it just to the right of the headlight switch.

Due to copyright, I don't have a diagram I can share.  But if you can find the Nissan NV factory service manual online, look at the DLK section.  It has many pages about the power lock system.

Did you try cleaning the contacts?

That's a great idea!  Personally, I wouldn't trust plastic fasteners in an application like this, but I really like the overall concept.

I also wonder if your remote starter has its own alarm circuit.  Maybe you're setting that off instead of the factory alarm.

Is your key attached to the key fob and is the battery good? If the key is separate or the battery is toast, it may be acting like a valet key.

 

Try your other key, as this was the fix in another key issue.

The key fob shouldn't matter because the transponders are in the key handles, not in the fobs.  But I like your idea of trying another key.  Definitely worth a try.

I don't know if the alarm system has changed at all since my 2016 was built, but I don't have that problem.  The alarm doesn't go off for me when I use the key, no matter which door it is.

Here's an experiment to try with each of the doors that have key locks.  1) Lock all the doors.  2) Insert the key and turn it to the unlock position, then center position, then unlock position again (all within 5 seconds).  That should unlock all the doors.  Then use the key to lock the door (just one turn of the key this time).  That should lock all the doors.  If those steps don't work, you might have a wiring problem.

If you can wait for the new 2019 models to arrive (most likely in early December), you might be able to get a good price on a 2018.  It's a gamble, but it could save you at least as much as 0% financing.

I haven't heard of blown motors or fires with these vans.  It makes me wonder what your drivers are doing with them.  Maybe it's just really bad luck, I don't know.

That usually only happens to me on road trips, especially at rest stops.  One guy also offered some sightseeing tips that helped us have a fantastic trip, so it can have its advantages.

I found the answer in the 2016 factory service manual.  They recommend "API GL-5 synthetic gear oil, Viscosity SAE 75W-90" in the US and Canada, and "Genuine NISSAN Differential Oil Hypoid Super-S GL-5 synthetic 75W-90 or equivalent" in Mexico.  The differential takes 2.6 liters.

If you can find a copy of the factory service manual, you can look up all the fluids on pages MA-15 through MA-19.

The air from all rear vents can only be felt about 2 to 3 inches from the vents.... 

That's just like my 2016 van.  If you find a solution, please share!

Does Sirius provide map updates?  I thought it only provided traffic alerts.

We have magnetic phone mounts in our vehicles so my wife and I can easily use Google maps without messing with the built-in nav system.  It works with iPhone and Android, and Google provides map updates all the time for free.  You can also download maps to use offline so you don't need to use any cellular data.  But if you want to use a tiny amount of data, Google also provides free traffic alerts.

Our built-in nav system almost never gets used.

Consider what would happen if the speedometer was calibrated at the factory to be exactly right.  That would be fantastic until the tires wear down (and the speedometer reading is too low) or the tires are replaced (and the speedometer reading is too high).

It's also illegal in some countries to have a speedometer that indicates lower than true speed.  The EU law is at http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:1975:196:0001:0005:EN:PDF. (Not sure if the US has a corresponding law or not.)  So if you calibrate your speedometer for a particular tread thickness and tire temperature, you could be breaking the law when conditions change, even if you manage to avoid speeding.

I don't have a part number, but several people on Facebook have complained about it falling out of the gear selector mechanism.  Some people posted photos that showed a part that's the same shape, but white instead of black.  My best guess from the various attempts people have made to describe it is that it helps to hold the shift lever in the selected position.

Apparently it can be screwed back in.  Some people have suggested using longer screws that the originals to keep it from falling out again.

If you find an actual name or part number, please let us know.

Just a guess, but I wonder if the ignition switch is faulty.  Do you (or another driver) happen to use a heavy key ring?  Because that can cause the switch to wear out quickly.

Although I did find that the headlights turn off after a few minutes when the engine's off.  So leaving them on won't drain your battery much.

I read somewhere that the HD badge was dropped from the 3500 passenger vans in 2017.  My 2016 says HD, but the newer ones don't, apparently.  I don't know if the cargo vans were affected.  I think it has something to do with the 2017 design changes.

If you think that's small, you should see the itty bitty little yellow warning sign that appears next to the speed limit sign when you're driving over the limit.  (It only appears if you turn that feature on in the nav settings.)

To be fair, it seems that the rear climate control's ability to function varies a lot between vans. I've read a lot of comments about how wonderful it is, and a lot of comments about how terrible it is.

I have no problem keeping the rear warm enough in the winter, but I can't keep the rear windows from fogging up on really cold days. And I can't always keep the rear cool enough in the summer. The temperature of the fourth row is especially hard to control because there's nearly zero air from the vents back there.

I had a dealership look at it, and they say it's functioning normally.