New Gen 2.5 Member - Lots of Questions...

[off-roader]

I hope they upgrade the software on 4x4wire soon...my searches by "title" come up as *every post in a given thread.* So if there's only 1 thread titled "Goober," and it has 200 replies, I come up with 200 hits even though I search by "title only." It makes it SUPER hard to find things. I've got a number of questions to ask but I don't want to hear "...search first..." because I already have. lol.

All you have to say is 'I searched and couldn't find X." then ask your question.

Also, what you describe would happen for any search where there are 200 replies. If it comes up with 200 posts to look at then you need to refine the search further.

For example when searching for just "Lift Kit"... you will get lots of hits back. I don't believe any of the available forum software packages including ExPo allow forum administrators to set up automatic 'weighing' of all the search results so that the most relevant posts come up first.

Also, remember that 4x4wire has been around a long, long time (since before 2000) with hundreds of thousands of posts so there will automatically be more hits when you search for stuff there versus a younger forum like the ExPo.

Instead of using the forum search engine though you can also try using the google search on the forum page.

 

[nwoods]

I've been searching 4x4wire extensively for alarm related issues, and found a number of threads, but none of them seem to anticipate the need to hit the alarm reset switch ever single time I want to start the car. This is the most informative thread I found on the issue: http://www.4x4wire.com/forums/showflat.php?Number=539359

Any suggestions?

 

[nwoods]

Also, I found the very helpful lightbulb part number listing, but it is missing the vanity light bulb reference. Anyone have a clue?
http://www.4x4wire.com/forums/showflat.php?Cat=0&Number=1230837&an=0&page=0#Post1230837

 

[SoCalMonty]

No other forum engine works like that though. If you're searching for "thread title only," you get one hit for each thread title that matches - not a thread title match for every *post* within that thread. I'm on about 20 different car boards (been on VW Vortex since it was a BBS in the late 90's!), and I've never seen one do that the way 4x4wire's engine does.

Case in point...I just searched the keyword "Gen" in this section, Thread Titles Only...like every other forum, it showed me the matches, and listed the number of posts within those threads - it did *not* show each individual post as a hit!

The guy I emailed agreed that was funky the way my results showed up, and that's when he mentioned they were upgrading soon.

 

[nwoods]

Offroad, I really enjoyed your thread here: http://www.4x4wire.com/forums/showflat.php?Cat=0&Number=1136427&an=0&page=2#Post1136427
But I am curious, why are the photos no longer available on a lot of the sub-threads? For example, I think i may have the flashing 4x4 light problem, and your excellent writeup refers to annotated photos that are probably very helpful...http://www.4x4wire.com/forums/showflat.php?Cat=0&Number=1177494&page=0&vc=#Post1177494


BTW< I am got the secret handshake or something, and my registration has been completed. So I am properly logged in to 4x4wire now, and still can't view your images.

 

[stioc]

Congrats on the truck! I've always been a fan of the Monteros especially the 2.5 gen and actually looked at a couple before ending up finding the Pathfinder.

I'm sure you'll get the minor wrinkles ironed out soon and it'll be seeing plenty of trail time with you.

 

[off-roader]

The images were on webshots.com and the site went to a pay format and I elected to not pay for picture hosting there.

 

[eurosonic]

Nwoods,

as far as the security system, did you get a chance to look at the card insert in the owner manual folder? I remember seeing something in there about the alarm.

The space underneath the stereo is a blank that's covered up with a "wooden" sticker. I took mine off. You can use a heat gun or a blow drier and the thing will come right off. Im planning to get rid off that wooden nonsense around the gauges and vents also. (I mean c'mon, who are they fooling here with that ). The space under neath is can be useful, although some stuff will need to be relocated underneath.

As far as the stereo, I recomend ditching the stock system and installing an aftermarket unit that will be iphone compatible. There are plenty nice unit that you can get from Crutchfield for under $100. A buddy of mine has this unit http://www.crutchfield.com/p_113KDC255U/Kenwood-KDC-255U.html?tp=5684 in his audi. I really like it, simple and does all the essentials, iphone, Pandora, etc.

For a holding my iphone, I use one of these. Work real well, bought like 5 of them at Frys for under $5 each.

 

[off-roader]

Rather than use a generic phone holder, I prefer to use holders made for the phone. Far more reliable especially off road. I'd also specifically caution against the ones that clip onto the vents because they are a great way to break the vent louvers... yup, been there, got the Tshirt too.:sombrero:

 

[eurosonic]

Reason why I use this one is that its small and hangs on well. There are many vent moutns that I would never use due to their size and bulkiness.

I have this one on all of my cars w/o any problems with the vents.
Of course a Ram mount is nice but for $3.95 this does the job.:smiley_drive:

 

[off-roader]

Not a RAM mount as those are $$$ like you said. I'm using a $10 mount made for my phone. Bought it on ebay.

 

[SoCalMonty]

I've used that same phone holder (well, almost the same...$5 one on Amazon) for about 4 years now (first with an HTC Sensation, now with a GS3). It's been in and out of 5 cars over and over again, back and forth. No broken holder, no broken vents. You just have to be careful. And it's rock solid in the Monty - I finally went in a little dirt the other day.

Incidentally, I've got a few issues with 4x4 too. If you want to team up and troubleshoot at the same time, let me know!

 

[MontyMcV]

Your PSide oil issue will likely be one of three things: 1) spills from filling; 2) shot VC gaskets; or 3) cam's oil seal. Any service history that would help with the last two? At 180k miles and 15 years, it will need both. For that matter, if is has had scheduled maintenance in the past, then it is due for a bunch at 180k miles. At the very least it needs its every 60k timing belt, tune up, and related. If it were me, absent a good history, I'd change all gaskets and o-rings, and all rubber lines for the cooling. If you wrench, something like $500 in parts.

 

[Sabre]

There are a variety of dual-band HAM radios that will fit the single DIN slot below your radio, or you could use one of the models with a remote face and put it up on a bracket on top of the dash or up above the rearview mirror. For that matter, one of the remote-mount faceplates would fit perfectly in that bottom faux woodgrain space (the one with stuff already behind it...which wouldn't have to be moved!), and you could still use the DIN slot for the CB if you absolutely have to have one.

There are a variety of possibilities for the radio stuff you mention; a quick Google found several that work with Mitsu radios. For my wife's Volvo I bought a fairly inexpensive ($30) audio input converter that lives back behind the radio and plugs into the CD changer input. It's connected to her satellite radio and also to an iPod dock. Since she doesn't ever listen to the OEM radio, there was no reason to spend unnecessary dollars buying a new stereo. She can still play CDs (one at a time), but mostly uses SiriusXM or her iPod, selecting between them with the input source switch on the factory radio.

 

[nwoods]

Dmitry, thanks for the info. Sure does look better without the faux wood!
MontyMcV, I'm not that handy with a wrench, but slowly learning. It doesn't come easy for me though.
Sabre, I agree that would be a great place for Faceplate mount, but that's not in the immediate budget. Going to need to figure out a cradle for my Yeasu handheld VX6R.

Good news, I played with my truck today, and boy is it happy now. The first time I tried the low range, it just blinked at me (dash lights). Today I took it to my construction project site and drove up and down big piles of dirt and in/out of a large drainage reservoir. I was unable to get the rear locker to engage, but I got solid green lights up front and. Verified that the front diff was truly engaged (45 degree hill climb in loose dirt proved that... Seems the departure angle isn't quite that forgiving though, LOL).

Then heading back into LA, I went up Parker Mtn, which is a mild dirt fire road, but rutty enough to test cross-axled conditions and articulation. Good news is that rear locker worked great this time around... though I think I have a light bulb out, or perhaps I'm missing a wheel?

Bad news is that these rigs have no articulation. I knew that, but seeing it first hand, wow. I'm used to our Jeep. The Monty will take some Adjustment!