Luxury: First mod at Nissan Prince Fukushima

So as I stated in a previous post, Midorikawa-san, the head of Nissan Prince Fukushima Koriyama branch was sending me updates via photos of the Elgrand being worked on, and this one shows the dash taken apart.

This was to install the first of hopefully many luxury mods, as well as the two modernization mods mentioned in the previous post.  So why the focus on luxury? Well, it IS an Elgrand VIP, and frankly, Nissan should have made the top version of their large minivan much more luxurious. So I plan to go through the Nissan Elgrand options catalog and add everything convenience and luxury-related I can find, while also checking out what is available in the aftermarket. 

So first things first - I am so surprised that I had to get this installed (that the previous owner did not, given the other luxury touches we found), what Nissan calls the "Rear Kicking Plate" with Elgrand lettering that lights up with blue LEDs. 

Front too - the "Front Kicking Plate":

Note - they left the protective film on! Which I plan to keep for a while.

I just don't understand how this car is offered from the factory like this - I hate cheap plastics!

With just plain plastic - functional but cheap looking. Although the prior owner must have put on some covers to keep them this clean! 

Although given how the prior owner kept these so clean, I am inspired to figure out how to protect these newly installed "kicking plates."  This I will discuss in an upcoming post about what I did immediately after I got the Elgrand home!

Next however a post about a performance mod that for me significantly improved how the car drives!

Modernization: First mods at Prince Fukushima

So in addition to the inspection and maintenance work I had done at Prince Fukushima right after I purchased the car, I took advantage of the downtime to have their techs install some items to modernize the Elgrand.

First up was one out of the Nissan Optional Parts catalog (Dealer installed stuff), the Intelligent Rear View Mirror or here in Japan, the Smart Room Mirror which uses a rear camera to give the driver a direct view out the rear window - useful when carrying passengers in a minivan (so I don't have to try to look past their heads)!

And of course, a dash cam (Drive Recorder is what they are called here in Japan) is needed these days - not really for parking lot protection as the newer ones advertise for but for accidents and the occasional road rage we are starting to see here. I really wanted to install the one made by Kenwood and listed in the Nissan Optional Parts catalog, as its advantage is that it can operate via the car's navigation screen, but we could not find any documentation that indicated that would work with this 2016 car. So instead we looked to the aftermarket.

At this time I could not find one from a Japanese company that had all the features I wanted - mainly the ability to view the recorded images and videos on my mobile phone (without paying for a subscription), and further have cameras with the highest resolution possible, in this case, 4K for the front and HD for the rear.  Hence, I asked that the dealer install the NextBase 622GW. Will let you all know if I made the right choice.  

The only problem is that the wiring harness that connects the 622GW to the fusebox, was not ordered in time, and so currently the unit is running off the cigarette lighter. Since that is on the floor and in the storage bin that comes with the "Multifunction Box" (fridge) it is barely noticeable, but this is something I will have to sort in my spare time. Stay tuned!

This post is short, but that is because I have decided, for this blog, to try to have separate themes of Modernization, Luxury and Performance as I gradually shape this Elgrand into my own.  So later this week I will have more posts in those areas.

First Proper Maintenance at Prince Fukushima, Part 1

So the day after we met up at Nismo Omori Factory, Midorikawa-san (dealership head) and Kurumada-san (master technician) from Nissan Prince Fukushima kept me entertained by sending me updates on what they were up to.

I had asked that the techs go over the car and replace any and all consumables, such as all the fluids, filters, hoses and belts.  And while at it, hopefully do a full flush of the engine oil, CVT oil, and aircon gas.  Ideally, I also wanted, time permitting, to replace the spark plugs, water pump, thermostat, and CVT filter.

On my way down to Omori Factory, in addition to weird body roll at speed on corners (not sure if it was too soft of a suspension or chassis flex), I also felt the brakes judder, despite the used car dealer saying they had replaced the pads with new ones.  So I suspect the rotors need to be refaced or replaced.  Then at Omori Factory, Ochiai-san had pointed out that the power steering pump was making a strange noise (and thus possibly on its way out), and that it looked like the fluid had not been properly replaced.  Further, there seemed to be traces of coolant leaking from one of the radiator hose ends, suggesting that all the hose lines should be replaced (the rubber seemed hard and brittle too). Midorikawa-san had confirmed while driving to drop me off at work that indeed the brake judder was there, and that the suspension felt like it was nearing the end of its life.  

I have to say, I was very happy to see how clean the underside of this car was! Given it is a 4WD model, these are popular up north in snowy Hokkaido as well as northern parts of Honshu, but since I know this car spent its entire earlier life in Hiroshima from new, I wasn't too worried about rust, but you never know.

Just in case, I am asking that anti-rust undercoating be applied.

I presume this is to prepare for new rotors

So these non OEM brake pads DO look new. Eager to see if the new rotors eliminate the judder

The CVT is a weak point in these vehicles, so some Japanese YouTube videos show mechanics taking apart the CVT and cleaning out the oil pan and replacing the filter inside it. But turns out that is the procedure for the CVT for the 2.5L engine, for the 3.5L V6 the CVT filter is on the outside and easily replaceable.

CVT filter replacement. Nice, but I still want the entire system flushed.

One additional problem a tech found was that at speed, the engine did NOT warm up.

A bit concerned someone was driving when they took this photo? Or on a dyno?

Turns out the thermostat had failed!

Old one on left, new one on right.

Arrow shows you can see light passing through the old one!

Nice new part

And now installed back in -  total pain to do, apparently!

I am hopeful they find more parts like this that require replacement, because if you recall the used car dealer had sold me that extended warranty, claiming that it could be used for any and all parts at any repair shop in the country, including official dealers! Midorikawa-san will use this part (and extra labor charge required) to test this claim, and if successful we will follow with the power steering pump, if it indeed needs to be replaced. The thermostat is a cheap part, but the power steering pump costs about half of what that extended warranty cost, so that will be huge.

The next day, Midorikawa-san sent me this photo, showing that he had found two new front floormats! I was ready to pay full price for a new complete set, so this saved me about half of the cost as well. Thanks!

He also sent me the following, showing before and after some steam cleaning:

Tempted of course to replace the rubber and plastics with new!

He also sent me this, showing the entire front dash taken apart. This is to hunt down the wiring issue on the Magical Illumination option (pushing the switch did not change the color), as well as to remove an old laser detector left behind by the previous owner, and finally to prepare the car for some new dealer options.

As for the rest of the work done - I have posts separated into Luxury, Performance and Modernization coming up to show what work in these areas was done at Nissan Prince Fukushima, but first I need to go get the car and find out what else, maintenance-wise, was done to the car.  Check out my next post!

Welcoming this E52 Nissan Elgrand VIP to My Garage!

But why at Nismo Omori Factory? Read on!

So I have finally answered the call from family, friends, and even co-workers at Nissan to get a "practical" vehicle. Admittedly a minivan or SUV makes a lot of sense - I can haul lots of shopping around, the kids and their friends, and if a Nissan, I would finally be able to go to Nissan events and not have to "park in the back" (with the Lexus) or at least be met with some puzzled faces.

Yeah, not sporty at all... at least not yet

In deciding between an SUV and a Minivan, it all came down to practicality versus my desire to get the top-of-the-line vehicle with all the options.  Nissan's top SUV here in Japan is the X-Trail (Rogue) but the premium version is available only as a 5-seater. All the cool advanced tech is in it, but I would have to give some of that up and move one grade down in order to get the somewhat cramped 7-seater option. This was an issue, and another factor in my decision was lowered entry, which aligns with the need to haul my aging relatives.

So, I settled on Nissan's largest minivan here in Japan, the Elgrand. And it turns out there are many variants of this car too; 7 seats vs 8 seats; 2.5L inline 4 or 3.5L V-6; front wheel drive or 4 wheel drive (which automatically includes the Cold Climate Package); full leather interior or half leather seat interiors. This one is an E52 variant, which was sold beginning in 2010 (and as of this writing, is still being sold after 2 facelifts in 2014 and 2020).

In the end, using one of the used car websites I found a 2016 (December registration) top-of-the-line VIP version being sold up in Saitama (I found others in Nara and Kyushu but that's a bit far...)!  The VIP versions have ALL of the factory options, including twin glass motorized sunroofs, all of the advanced (for 2016) safety tech, heated front seats, and even a small refrigerator up front! They also have VIP-specific features which I will discuss soon.

The price was unbelievably inexpensive, mainly because the car has almost 99,000km and the Japanese are allergic to anything over 100,000km (but for me, this is ONLY 60,000 miles!). The asking price was just a bit under 2 million yen, which after sales and vehicle taxes, some minor maintenance, road registration, and the inevitable dealer-offered ceramic coating package and extended warranty (i.e. mark-up), came out to a bit under 2.5 million yen. Still, that is about US $16,500 (less than 1/3 of the price new!) so I think I got a really, really good deal, given how rare this car is too! It also helps that compared to the Toyota Alphard/Vellfire, Elgrands are not popular and therefore do not hold their value as reflected in low used car prices.

The VIP version comes in two versions (both 3.5L V6, with either FF or 4WD); most I have seen are the two-row 4 seater type (so REALLY VIP, with those airline business class type seats, and a partition separating the driver from the passengers), but Nissan also offered a three-row 7 seater.  I chose the 7-seater for obvious reasons. And yes, it is a bit down on the luxury front compared to the 4-seater but I have some plans...

This is a heavy car, so my concerns about the Nissan CVT notwithstanding, I wanted a car with the 280ps 3.5L V6.  Also, I plan to go skiing and road trips with the family, so the 4WD was a must. No accident history, the exterior and interior are in great shape, and no strange aftermarket add-ons.

I think this combination must be quite rare, so given the price (which was about half of what I had budgeted) I was thrilled, even though I know I will be spending some money to get this up to my usual OCD standards. 

Anyway, here are some photos from when I picked it up from the used car dealer (just as sketchy as used car dealers everywhere I think). Not going to waste space here discussing.

Yep. I got those light-up green license plates. Always wanted to try them out but no way on my Lexus or GT-R! But on this Elgrand VIP, why not?

Second row has captain's chairs

Most Elgrands are "HighwayStar" or "HighwayStar Urban Chrome" - have to admit the "VIP" emblem looks kind of lonely there.

Electric sliding doors on both sides

On close inspection, turns out this car has some dealer options already installed from new!

Unexpected bonus #1! - Dealer Installed Option "Safety Illumination"- this is either a stand-alone option or part of the dealer-offered alarm package... I suspect the alarm package given the alarm sticker on the back window. 

This "Safety Illumination LED" strip is sometimes seen in taxis here in Japan - just as a warning I guess for other drivers as this is the side of the car susceptible to traffic as passengers usually unload curbside to the left. So these blue LED strips are ONLY on the right side driver and sliding doors on this car.

Issue #1 - what happened to the front seat floor mats?

Unexpected Bonus #2 - Dealer Installed Option "Magical Illumination" (57,242 yen) - provides mood lighting in various colors, as well as illuminating the footsteps on each side.

After picking up the car with almost no gas (dealer was too cheap to fill it up I guess), I left the lot, filled it up, and then drove down to Nismo Omori Factory, as you saw from the first two photos.

Immediate inspection by Ochiai-san and Midorikawa-san

The reason I took the car to Omori Factory was not to get it fitted with Nismo parts (not yet anyway); rather, it was a convenient place for Midorikawa-san from Nissan Prince Fukushima to meet me with a flatbed carrier(!) to take the Elgrand to his shop's service facilities. (In a future post I will explain why I am entrusting this car for the moment to him). Omori Factory is also minutes away from Nissan GHQ, where I had to go to attend a very important meeting afterward (and so Midorikawa-san chauffered me to work in my Elgrand VIP... what a great feeling LOL!)

Between the time I ordered and when I took delivery, I did a lot of research and discovered several items on the car likely to need work at the 100,000km mark. Even though the used car dealer performed maintenance for the car to pass the mandatory "shaken" to get the car registered, there is NO WAY I trust any independent (non-manufacturer associated) used car dealer who I know is minimizing costs to maximize profit.

And I am glad I did this, because in addition to the problems I noted, Nismo's Ochiai-san spotted something, and once in his shop Midorikawa-san and his techs found some more problems.

So for those of you who have followed my adventures with my GT-R and/or Lexus IS-F - yes, I plan to mod this car, but it will be a balance between modernization, the pursuit of more luxury, and the pursuit of more performance. I honestly do not know how many English language readers will be interested in this car, or what I do to it, but for me, this will serve as a memoir of my adventures with it (just like how the GT-R blog started)!

But first, in my next posts, I will talk about what the Nissan Prince dealer inspection revealed, as well as my first mods.