Mark Rogers

The factory service manual talks about a "Fuel level sensor, fuel filter and fuel pump assembly" that's attached to the fuel tank.  Apparently, you have to remove the fuel tank from the van, then use a special lock ring wrench (J-46536) to remove the assembly from the tank.  And you'll need to replace the O-ring under the lock ring.  The manual doesn't say how to remove the filter from the assembly.

Unless you're really determined to do it yourself, it might be best to let your dealer handle this job.

I've heard of people installing a second rear view camera and monitor for that purpose.  There are even cameras available that replace the cover on the third brake light, so they provide a nice high view.  (Apparently, there's more than one camera model like that, and some of them only point down.)

I put some Scotchgard (automotive version) on my cloth seats when I bought the van 13 months ago.  Even with 5 kids, the seats still look like new.  I just wish I had taken the time to put some on the floor mats, too.  I think it's supposed to be reapplied every year or so.

https://www.amazon.com/Scotchgard-Fabric-Carpet-Protector-10-Ounce/dp/B001NPD7BK

That sounds weird.  How could a toy get into the heater core?  Maybe if the cover was broken on the air return vent in the back, then a toy could get inside the duct.  Otherwise, that sounds fishy to me.

The return vent is on the driver's side, between the 4th row and the rear doors.  Take a look to make sure the plastic panel covering it is intact.  Anything bigger than confetti would have a hard time fitting through it.  I have heard hair, dust, etc. getting sucked up in there and clogging the fan.  But you're still getting air flow.  I bet the problem is with a thermostat that controls the flow of hot engine coolant to the heater core.

You can read about a similar issue in this thread: http://nissannvforum.com/topic/426-need-help-with-rear-ac/

I wouldn't expect any huge sales, but you may be able to save two or three thousand in December if you shop around.  The 2018 vans will start hitting the dealerships soon.

Those look pretty similar to the Steelcraft running boards I bought.  The Steelcraft version was much cheaper (just under $200 new on ebay), but they're steel so I expect them to rust someday.

The Steelcraft boards use similar T-bolts, but not just three of them.  Instead, they use T-bolts for all of the connections to the vehicle, so there's no drilling required.  Most of them fit just fine, but a few needed some gentle persuasion from a rubber mallet.

I like the look of the brackets on Luverne's instruction sheet.  I especially like that there are a couple of support brackets that connect the main brackets to the frame, so they're not just hanging on the rocker panels.  I bet that helps with flexing.

The Steelcraft running boards only attach to the rocker panels.  There is some flexing, but not much.  The outside edge of the board sags close to half an inch with a nearly 300 pound load, compared to putting the same load on the step above the running board.  The rear half of the passenger side running board used to flex a lot, but then I convinced Steelcraft to send me an additional mounting bracket for that side.  It made a huge difference!  I'm hoping they update their mounting hardware so future buyers don't run into this problem.

For comparison, here are the installation instructions for each one.  Although, it sounds like you should listen to ASD Dad about the Luverne instructiions.

• Luverne: https://assets.curtmfg.com/masterlibrary/01LUVERNE/415100-401164/installsheet/415100-401164.pdf
• Steelcraft: http://steelcraftautomotive.com/guides/600-41300.pdf

I haven't tried the Luverne running boards, so I can't say which one is better.  Steelcraft is nice in that it's cheap and easy.  But the Luverne version looks like it might be better engineered overall.  I wish I could do a side-by-side comparison.

I suppose you could put an amp meter on the extra ground wires and see if anything's flowing through them.  But this really could be due to a lot of things.  Maybe a good first step would be to have the alternator tested.  And make sure circuit from the alternator to the battery is good.  Or just take it to a Nissan dealership and see if they'll fix it as a warranty issue.

Coloraaaghdo-

 

I'm interested in the lift and conversion as well.

 

I spoke with Quigley yesterday and they are not doing 2017 conversions at this time. My hearing isn't the greatest, but I'm pretty sure that this was the gist of it. The salesman indicated that were re-engineering the parts due to the design changes in the 5.6L and the new 7 speed transmission. Expected to be completed sometime in February. Which would coincide with the release of the 2018 NV.

Quigley has a stocking dealer near their plant. You can get the conversion/lift through the dealership and have it included in the purchase price. Plus you get a road trip, fly and drive!

When I bought my NV last year, I asked the dealership (Tim Dahle Southtowne in Utah) about 4WD.  The salesman said their in-house mechanics could install the Quigley 4WD kit if I wanted it.  So, you might be able to save some miles if you ask a few nearby dealerships.

I have bad news about accessing the blower for the rear vents.  I checked the service manual and it says to get to the blower, you have to remove the whole rear heating and cooling assembly.  The first steps are to discharge the refrigerant and drain the coolant from the vehicle.  That's where I stopped reading and decided it's not my type of DIY project.

If there's an easier way, I'd love to hear about it.

I found this only happens to my van when the weather's cold.  I talked to my Nissan dealer, and they said that they can't do anything about it unless it damages the wires.  Then it should be a warranty issue.

I have a 2016 and it still says 16,000 max combined in the manual.  I wonder if maybe they changed that in 2017 along with the bigger engines.

The old Nissan books stated 16,000 pounds combined for the van plus what you are hauling. 

That 16,000 pound limit is a suspiciously round number, especially since all the other weights and weight limits are given in very specific numbers that don't end with zeroes.  I'm guessing you could get away with a bit more than that weight, but I don't know how far you'd want to push your luck.

So, why 16,000 pounds?  I suspect that's a magic number in the industry for classifying vehicles.  Here in Idaho, I have to pay an annual registration fee that's based on the age of the vehicle for anything with a max combined gross weight up to 8,000 pounds.  Above that, and the fee is based on weight instead of age.  The next cutoff is 16,000 pounds.  If the manual stated a max combined gross weight one pound above that, I'd have to pay more for my registration.  I don't know what's special about 16,000, but I bet it's not a coincidence that it shows up both in the owner's manual and at the DMV.

Nissan sent me a survey, but it was very soon after I purchased the van.  I've had a lot of time to think about it since then and I have no idea how to get ideas to them now.  I also didn't get any response from them after submitting the survey.

If you find a good windshield cover, please let us know.  In the meantime, I recommend one of these: https://www.walmart.com/ip/50-Polar-Vortex-Crossover-Snowbroom/46597244

The DuraTrac looks like a good tire.  It's not available in the OEM size.  Which size did you get?

Also, do any of you have any opinions on tire siping?  It's a whole lot cheaper than new tires.  I've never tried it, so I don't know how much it would help the stock tires I have now.

What do you recommend for an all-season tire for on-road use in a region that gets occasional snow and ice in the winter?  After last winter, I'm really not a fan of the OEM tires.  I'm not interested in snow tires because I don't want to switch out them every time the weather changes.

Some of the all-terrain tires are supposed to be good in the snow, but I don't know how they'll affect gas mileage, comfort, and road noise.  I'd also like tires that last a long time.

I'm not expecting miracles here, but there must be far better options than the tires that came with the van.  What are your recommendations?

I read about the brake controller connector, but I haven't gone looking for it yet.  I don't have any plans to buy a trailer yet.  I've been looking into the requirements out of curiosity more than anything.

That's odd that the pigtail was in your glove box.  It's supposed to be taped up under the dashboard, isn't it?

I found the answer.  Nissan's towing guide and the NV's owner's manual are both wrong.  If the van comes with the towing package, then it doesn't need an additional trailer light converter.  It already has one built in.  I found the schematic in the factory service manual and used a multimeter to verify that it's working.  There are relays in the van that control the power to the trailer lights.

Now I just need something to tow, and maybe a brake controller to go with it.   :)

Here's what the factory service manual says:

WARNING:

Do not touch bulb while it is lit or right after being turned off. Burning may result.

CAUTION:

•  Do not touch glass surface of the bulb with bare hands or allow oil or grease to get on it to prevent damage to bulb.

•  Do not leave the bulb out of the lamp reflector for a long time because dust, moisture, smoke, etc.may affect the performance of the lamp.

1.    Remove the back door finisher. Refer to INT-21, "Removal and Installation".

2.    Rotate  license  plate  lamp  socket  (1)  counterclockwise  and remove.

3.    Remove license plate lamp bulb from bulb socket.

The "back door finisher" is the plastic panel on the inside of the door.  Fortunately, that step is pretty simple: "Release the clips, using a suitable tool, then remove the back door finisher (RH) from the back door."

The owner's manual says to use a W5W bulb.

I agree with radin2son about the key fob buttons being too sensitive. I used to accidently lock/unlock my van a lot until I decided to cover the buttons. Here's my remote starter key fob, but the same principle applies to the Nissan version. http://nissannvforum.com/topic/1481-whats-on-your-keychain/?p=10014

The owner's manual for my NVP says I'll need to install a powered converter in order to provide power to trailer lights. Is that necessary for all trailers, or does it depend on the trailer wiring? Is there a convenient place to connect the converter?

I'd love it if I could get 14 mpg.  Most of my driving is around town (no trailer, light load) and I average 11 mpg.  The only time I get close to 14 is when I'm on a long drive on the interstate.

I don't think the 2018 NVPs will start shipping until December.  That makes it hard to publish a good review in September.  :-)

The local DMV calls my NVP a truck simply because it has a combined max gross weight over 8,000 pounds.  They even made me buy special truck license plates.

I consider it a van because it's great for hauling people, but not such a good choice for hauling dirt, gravel, compost, etc.

It's definitely too big to be an SUV.

Where I live, they just plug into the OBD2 port and run the engine for a few seconds.  If the car's computer says everything's good, it passes.  What the test lacks in trustworthiness, it makes up for in simplicity.   :)

My county also says that cars made prior to 1981 don't need to be tested.  For custom or heavily modified cars, the DMV uses the model year the body most closely resembles as the production year of the vehicle.  So, if you modify the body of a brand new car so that it matches a pre-1981 design, it's exempt from emissions testing.  Not sure you'd ever want to do that, but it's an interesting loophole.

I've taken my NV3500 (standard roof) through automatic car washes on five occasions.  These were at three different locations, including two trips through the automatic wash at the dealership where I bought the van.  The people at each car wash told me the van would fit.  On three occasions, the spinning brushes ended up folding the mirrors in for me.  (I probably should have done that myself before entering the wash.)

The clearances always look really tight, and I sometimes feel like the brushes are pushing the van side to side a bit, but everything always turned out okay until the last trip.  The last car wash scraped some paint off the driver's side running board.  A little black spray paint will fix it, but I think I'm done with automatic washes.  It's time for me to invest in a lot of quarters for the wash-it-yourself places.