Adding intermittent wipers to '04 Frontier

2935 Views 6 Replies 5 Participants Last post by Delta, Sep 12, 2009

Q451990

Discussion Starter · Sep 11, 2009

I have the absolute base truck. Steel wheels, no bedliner, no tinted rear glass or sliding rear glass window, and I'm told that it didn't even come with a bumper! Apparently Nissan made a few so that they could legally sell the XE as an upgrade. Anyhow, it didn't come with intermittent wipers - just off low and high.

So I'm pleased to say I completed my first "mod" today by swapping out my windshield wiper stalk with an intermittent one from an '03 Xterra. From reviewing the factory service manuals, it appears that Nissan changed designs on the wiper switch for the 2002 model run, and integrated the wiper delay amplifier into the switch assembly - so it's truly a plug and play swap. I was able to get both switches (new headlamp stalk has fog light switch for a later installation) for $40 shipped out of a junk yard.

I did a good bit of searching for this and never found it mentioned, but if this is a duplicate, please don't flame the newbie...

If anyone else has an '02-'04 Frontier without the intermittent wiper option - this should work for you too!

Heath

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shakedownstreet

· #2 · Sep 11, 2009

Wow, you don't see those base models very often. Does it have a/c?

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Q451990

Discussion Starter · #3 · Sep 11, 2009 (Edited)

It does have A/C - I think that would have been a deal killer in here in South Carolina!

Now that you mention it, I did see one on cars.com without it - I think the truck may have been in Wyoming or somewhere like that...

What's funny is that I see another one that looks identical to it in my parent's neighborhood sometimes. I guess it's someone that visits one of their neighbors. I wonder how many of them were made?

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Speaking of A/C - mine has a belt squeal issue with the air conditioning. I hear it chrip sometimes when the compressor cycles on and off, and on really hot days the belt will squeal pretty loudly for a few seconds when taking off from a stop.

I assume I just need to put new belts on it, but I thought it was interesting that I found several mentions of this specifically on the '04 model year when I google searched it. Have you had this on your '04?

Heath

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BRBnismo

· #4 · Sep 11, 2009

Man i bet thats a fun little truck to own. Ive never heard of a frontier with that basic of a model haha, but congrats on the mod. Are there more to come??

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jerryp58

· #5 · Sep 11, 2009

Q451990 said:
It does have A/C - I think that would have been a deal killer in here in South Carolina!

Now that you mention it, I did see one on cars.com without it - I think the truck may have been in Wyoming or somewhere like that...

What's funny is that I see another one that looks identical to it in my parent's neighborhood sometimes. I guess it's someone that visits one of their neighbors. I wonder how many of them were made?

---

Speaking of A/C - mine has a belt squeal issue with the air conditioning. I hear it chrip sometimes when the compressor cycles on and off, and on really hot days the belt will squeal pretty loudly for a few seconds when taking off from a stop.

I assume I just need to put new belts on it, but I thought it was interesting that I found several mentions of this specifically on the '04 model year when I google searched it. Have you had this on your '04?

Heath

I've had it on mine since the truck was new. It slowly got worse but improved after I tightened the belts. It's back quite a bit more now so, at 50k, I'll have to look in there and see if the belts are in good enough shape for another adjustment or if it's time to replace them.

Good job on the wipers :excellent:

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Q451990

Discussion Starter · #6 · Sep 11, 2009 (Edited)

BRBnismo said:
...but congrats on the mod. Are there more to come??

I probably won't do a whole lot with it, but my wish list includes:

-Alloy wheels - right now I'm pretty sure they'll be 16" ones off of an Infiniti QX4 in this style - hopefully I can get Nissan caps from a Pathfinder that will fit.

-Spray in bedliner, or try installing the roll-in kit that I bought several years ago for my hardbody truck and never got around to installing.
-Maybe a Truxedo tonneau cover. If I do that it'll definitely be the roll-in liner.
-Fog Lights
-Exterior LED lighting
-Maybe add a jump seat
-trailer hitch ball and light connections

My only other mod so far doesn't really count in my opinion... I added window tint to all of the side and back windows.

I bought some black leather Infiniti QX4 seats several years ago thinking they would fit in my Hardbody. After I figured out that they wouldn't work, I sold them to someone in NYC that was fixing up a flood-salvage truck from Katrina. Wish I had those seats now... I think they would fit in this truck for sure!

jerryp58 said:
I've had it on mine since the truck was new. It slowly got worse but improved after I tightened the belts. It's back quite a bit more now so, at 50k, I'll have to look in there and see if the belts are in good enough shape for another adjustment or if it's time to replace them.

Yeah... mine is at a little over 55K, so I think I'll just order some new belts and see how that works. At least I can rest easy knowing this isn't the first sign of compressor failure!

My hardbody always had an issue with belt squeal and some chirpyness when it was wet outside. Maybe it's just something in Nissan's design with the v-belts.

Heath

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Delta

· #7 · Sep 12, 2009

Mines an 04' and it has the typical belt squeal with the A/C on. Had it worked on when I bought it, but still never got "silent." Sometimes mine will do it when I get past 2500 RPM's. I rarely use my A/C (despite living in Mississippi :lol

so I never worry about it anymore. I think it's just a Hardbody/Frontier thing.

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