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Nissan Pathfinder Maintenance and Repair

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Comments

  • xplorx4xplorx4 Member Posts: 621
    Swap a known good bulb with the suspected "bad" bulb"
     If the good bulb does not function in the "bad" socket, then there's a problem with the socket or the wiring. If the good bulb works properly, then the problem is the bulb. Plug the "bad" bulb into the known good socket to verify.
  • markxpmarkxp Member Posts: 4
    mikej: My clock does the same thing. It will luminate sometimes, then goes blank. I have the same vehicle as you, 2001 LE. It is really annoying. It seems to be off more than on now. It will stay off for weeks and then reappear for a few days, then off again. I talked to my dealer and they said the only fix would be a new clock for over $200.
  • dogface5dogface5 Member Posts: 87
    My 2001 Pathfinder LE (47K) now has the dreaded ERR2 problem with the Clarion 6 Disc CD Changer. I called the dealership and they want >$500 to fix the problem. Are there any aftermarket CD changers that can work with the Bose head unit by direct connection (not through a modulated FM signal), and do I have to buy a special adapter? Any help on this matter is much appreciated.
  • pathstar1pathstar1 Member Posts: 1,015
    Go here for more info. : http://www.carstereohelp.com/strnissan.htm. They can repair the unit and claim the repair sticks. They don't appear to like changing out the unit for a non-stock setup. I have to agree staying stock might be good. On the other hand, some of the newest aftermarket stuff is pretty tempting. It is hard to get "standard" electronics to work properly with the Bose system. Bose puts the amps. at the speakers (a "good thing") and uses very low impedance speakers (also a "good thing"), but both are "non-standard". A proper replacement would require replacing everything (I've done this on an RX-7 Bose system). It can be an expensive alternative, but you can get a much nicer system.
  • elchallengerelchallenger Member Posts: 3
    I would love to purchase this 01' PathFinder LE @ 108,000Kms listed for $21000 CANADIAN + taxes with one year warranty (not bumper-bumper just engine) to be used for my family. I am very hesitant because of the listed price which sounds too good to be true though (is it?) that I may be making a mistake. If I was to apply the years of depreciations it seems to be just fitting and I am not sure I hope I am right. I will also be able to purchase an extended warranty for 3 yrs/30,000 kms. Right now it is the 108,000 kms mileage it has that bothers me alot. I did some research on 01' PF vehicles all seems to be leaning on the + side. Please HELP!. Much appreciated.
  • smokey75smokey75 Member Posts: 434
    I had the cd changer replaced once under warranty with a factory rebuild & one repaired by the place PATHSTAR1 is speaking of. Interestingly though, when I asked them what the chances of it breaking again I was told they can't insure it won't as they replace the entire internal mechanism, but with the same factory parts. They do warranty the changer for one year. Mine was repaired in 11/03 & I haven't had any problems since then.
  • joe233joe233 Member Posts: 43
    you should try getting a replacement clock from the junkyard if possible. The link in message #1078 shows pics of how to pull out the vent/clock housing. I had to do this to fix my CD changer lockup. I saved $$ by pulling the CD changer my self.
  • pathy04pathy04 Member Posts: 27
    My 04'LE 4x4 gives only 11 to 12 miles per gallon
    its less than 5000 miles. Mostly drive in 2WD mode. I do not have a supercharger or turbocharger
    My 01 SE 4x4 consistently gave over 16 city and 19 highway. i had over 80000 miles before i traded in

    Dealer says they cannot diagnose a problem unless Service engine soon light shows up. Is this true?

    what else can i do to check. I also feel more engine noise. Does anyone have similar problems

    Thanks
  • shark715shark715 Member Posts: 382
    The exhaust pipe on my '01 PF recently developed a leak where the pipe coming out of the front muffler connects to the pipe going into the rear muffler. The local Nissan dealer quoted me $980 for the repair! Even though the mufflers themselves are in good condition, they told me I had no choice but to replace the mufflers because the mufflers and pipes are each one piece. On top of that they charged me a diagnostic fee of $42.50 to put the truck up on a lift and give me a price! My next stop was at a local Midas Muffler shop where they told me the same thing and quoted a price of $796, and they proposed using a generic rear muffler that would have had the extreme end of the exhaust pipe bending to the side (as in the pre '01 PF's with the 3.3L engine) rather than coming straight out the back as is the case with the '01 to '04 model years, so the installation would not have looked original. At least there was no charge at Midas to give me a price. Finally I went to a local Meineke franchisee that does a lot of custom exhaust fabrication, and his solution was to weld in a 6" long sleeve to replace the rusted ends of each pipe as well as the flange and gasket that connect the pipes. The cost?...$50.00. He told me that the problem is common to many Nissans, not just PF's.
  • shark715shark715 Member Posts: 382
    My '01 PF is going to need front brakes soon. Has anyone here had new front pads installed on their PF? What was the cost? Did you need to have the rotors turned? Anyone suffer from noisy brakes afterwards? I've heard that if you don't specify OEM Nissan brake pads that some of the aftermarket pads cause squealing brakes. Thanks in advance for your help.
  • springchild74springchild74 Member Posts: 1
    Hi I have the same problem with my 98 pathfinder - the only difference is that I notice the smell when I stop the car. It usually comes from outside but sometimes I can smell it inside the car too. If any solutions, please let me know.
    Thanks!
  • path9erpath9er Member Posts: 1
    Hello, I have a 98 Pathfinder SE w/87,000 that has developed an intermittent brake pedal noise. The noise could be described as a tick or a click and occurs almost immediately after my foot touches the brake pedal. It does not happen all the time, maybe once every 7-10 times I use the brake. The noise it makes also changes in tone intermittently. Sometimes it is barely audible and other times it is fairly loud. I cannot tell if the noise is electrical or mechanical. When I hear the noise I'm pretty sure I can feel a very slight vibration on the pedal as well. I cannot reproduce this noise in my garage. It seems to only happen on the road. The noise is definitely inside the cabin and as best I can tell, coming from the brake pedal itself. I have replaced both the brake light switch and cruise cancel switch; both are attached to and activated by the brake pedal. I have also replaced the clevis pin, which attaches the brake booster rod to the pedal. None of the parts fixed the problem. I have also applied grease to all metal-to-metal connections on the pedal. Just prior to this noise starting, one of my boat trailer taillights shorted out and blew the tail light fuse as well as destroyed the tail light converter for the trailer wiring. I have replaced both, everything seems to be working fine now, but the noise persists. I don't know if the problems were related or just a coincidence. I am wondering if anyone else has had this problem and what you did to fix it. Thanks.
  • markxpmarkxp Member Posts: 4
    I found a replacement clock at the junkyard for less than 1/2 the price of a new one. Installation was pretty easy by pulling the vents. I have an 01 LE and I have not experienced any problems with my bose head unit (yet). Thanks!!
  • windfalls99windfalls99 Member Posts: 20
    I recently had my front brakes serviced at 85,000 kms (51,000 miles) New pads were installed and the rotors turned. Rear brakes were fine (75% good). There was no noise afterwards. Routine maintenance. Cost about $400.00 CND
  • rlbarrettrlbarrett Member Posts: 7
    I have recently picked up a new '05 PF XE. The other day I noticed my speeds was 80mph but cars was passing me like I was sitting still. I drive this highway all the time and have a pretty good idea how fast people drive and it's typically not more than 80 (too many cops).

    My thought is that since the new PF has some many different options for tires, that maybe the electronic speed sensor(s) are not programmed correctly for my tires. They are OEM though.

    any thoughts?
  • bd70bd70 Member Posts: 30
    I have an '03 LE which intermittently has a problem during startup. I would describe it as being like someone kicked my firewall as soon as the engine turns over upon startup. Doesn't continue, just happens the one time. Its intermittent and will be hard to reproduce, so undoubtedly its gonna be one of those problems that the stealer says doesn't exist. Anyone know what this is?
  • shark715shark715 Member Posts: 382
    Windfalls, thanks for responding. Did you have the work done at a Nissan dealer or elsewhere? If elsewhere, any idea if they used Nissan brand pads? Thanks again.
  • shark715shark715 Member Posts: 382
    bd, I have an '01 PF, and I may have experienced the same thing as you. I chaulked it up to releasing the ignition key from the START position too soon (before the engine was fully started) causing a engine misfire. I'm not at all certain about my diagnosis, but I have found that if I hold the ignition key in the START position a bit longer, it never happens. I would be curious to know if that solves your problem.
  • bd70bd70 Member Posts: 30
    Seems to make sense. I'll give that a shot and let you know. Thanks.
  • BHLBHL Member Posts: 4
    Folks,

    I test drove a 2005 Pathfinder SE yesterday. While the salesman was driving at about 60mph, I noticed a faint whistling noise, seems to be coming from the passnger side window. The sales said that noise is caused by the the roof rack. Anyone knows if that is true? Thanks!
  • pathstar1pathstar1 Member Posts: 1,015
    come from several places. The door windows can leak a bit and whistle (not common these days). On my Pathfinder (2001 LE) the door seals can make faint wind noises. The rear window (hatch window) whistled on some owners - the solution there was new strut brackets. The roof racks can be noisy, depending on design. On the previous models we slid the front cross member back from the sunroof (or forward in my case) to keep the noise it generates out of the cab. I have an Amateur antenna on the roof of my Pathfinder, and it can whistle at certain wind speeds.

    If it's the roof rack I don't think it would be hard to stop the whisling - just change the aspect presented to the wind by adjusting the rack.
  • swdude987swdude987 Member Posts: 10
    I just bought a 2005 pathfinder LE 4x4 and I do not heard any noises. I drive mostly highway at 60-70 mph and it is quiet. I have over 500 miles in less than 1.5 weeks. Have had no problems so far!!
  • meko33meko33 Member Posts: 3
    I have never owned an SUV but have test driven several of them. I have decided on a Pathfinder but don't know whether to buy a new 2004 or a new 2005 LE. Any suggestions or advice?
    Thanks
  • deebardacdeebardac Member Posts: 23
    The light pattern on my 2001 LE could be improved with a little tweaking. There appears to be only one adjustment screw and that for the vertical plane. Does anyone know if there is an adjustment for the horizontal plane?
  • bd70bd70 Member Posts: 30
    I haven't tried out an '05, however I have an '03 LE and love the thing. The '04s should be going out with great deals and they have slight enhancements over the preceding years of the same generation. I'd bet that some of the deals that you can get on a new '04 would make it worthwhile, and possibly make me wish I waited another model year to buy. I suppose it would come down to which body style you prefer and if you need a 3rd row. The new Pathys have a higher MSRP and I would imagine that with a new model and generation, and with some good haggling, you would be paying between invoice and MSRP. The '04 should be going for below invoice though and I believe that there is currently a $3500 rebate on the '04s (check pricing sites such as this one for a price). Good luck and let all of us know what you do and how you like your decision.
  • xplorx4xplorx4 Member Posts: 621
    Why did you decide on the Pathfinder? The 05 is totally redesigned; you'll want to compare the 04 to the 05 to see if the 04 better suits your criteria than the 05.
  • austindaveaustindave Member Posts: 2
    I have the same problem on my 2001 LE. I went to the dealer and they could not find anyting. It sounds like a loose motor mount. I am going back to discuss the issue this Saturday - Nov 20th. I will keep you updated.
  • austindaveaustindave Member Posts: 2
    I just had my 01 LE PE changed in the front from the Nissan Dealer. I had the rotors tunred, which you should always do. I am running into a problem of squeaky brake when I fist drive the car. I am taking it back to the dealer to find out why they are squeaking.
  • bd70bd70 Member Posts: 30
    I am definitely hoping that is not the case. Sounds like a rape case with labor cost. As you more or less said, the dealer is not going to reproduce the problem and chalk it up to some kind of anomaly. BTW, it doesn't happen every time, and it hasn't happened since my post, but I wouldn't be surprised if it happens the next time I start the engine. Let us know how things go tomorrow.
  • bakomanbakoman Member Posts: 3
    How's the whistling noise? Is it solved? I have the same problem with my 99 Pathfinder. It developed @ around 67K. I have replaced the idler pulley and all the belts, and still the problem persist. If anyone has experienced this problem please post...Thanks!!!
  • konekone Member Posts: 19
    97 SE with auto climate control. 1) climate control does not work at all, it's all hot or all cold regardless of the temp setting. 2) When using manually, hot/cold dial does not control temp correctly. when dial is completely turned to cold (blue), it's all cold as it should be but all i have to do is turn it 2 notches towards red (still well within all blue area) and the heat comes on full blast. it's not tempered with any cold. so basically i have 2 notches at all cold or all the other nothces at all hot. i'm not concerned with spending a lot of $ to get the auto climate control working but i would like to at least get manual to work.

    Any ideas? Thanks.
  • blawsonblawson Member Posts: 19
    I've read through many, not all, of the posts concerning the Service Engine Soon (SES)light. Mine just came on last week (2002 SE wt 55K miles). The truck is running fine with no noticeable difference yet in fuel consumption or other problems.

    After looking through the posts, I have a fundamental question. I have a few friends with other Nissan models. They have experienced the same issue with the light coming on for no apparent reason. Some have gone through lots of money with varying degrees of success. Most of the fixes seem temporary, because the light comes on again after a few months. Many of them have gotten to the point where they refuse to put more money into getting the light to turn off because the repair shops seem to be guessing at how to fix and the cars/SUV's are running normally.

    My question is this? For those who have experienced this problem with the SES light, have you noticed any other problems with the vehicle?

    I may try a couple of things (Charcoal cannister, O2 sensors) but if it means throwing lots of money away trying things for an unknown cause just to have a light to go off temporarily, why bother? Although it IS annoying, but if there are no other issues, I may choose to ignore until Nissan comes clean with a fix.
  • konekone Member Posts: 19
    not sure what you've heard but i have an 03 maxima that i had the same problem with - the problem was simply that my wife was not screwing the gas capp all the way to the click.
  • smokey75smokey75 Member Posts: 434
    A good start would be to find out what trouble code is stored. There are many TSBs that are available relating to some of the trouble codes (all available for free on a web site I recently found) & there are a lot of web sites that tell you what the trouble codes mean. Also I have the service manual, so if you get the code I can look it up & see what it says. I don't know if you have an Autozone in your area, but they read trouble codes for free.
  • pf2001pf2001 Member Posts: 110
    Hi all,
      While driving on a wet road. I had to apply the brakes suddenly. I heard a bang from under the car.
     I was wondering if anyone has come across a problem like that?? It's alittle concerning.
    I had the 30k checkup from the dealer and they did change the brake pads. The brakes still squeak though. I guess I have to take it to the dealer again. Thanks
  • lbinhlbinh Member Posts: 190
    Well, my 2001 LE had its share of the dreaded SES light. It had not come up again and I have not replaced any parts. I can only deduce that the long highway road trips cause the light to come on after a fillup. I have not been on a road trip since and the light has not returned. It would turn off after a week or so or normal city driving.

    Pull the codes from Autozone and post them.
  • meko33meko33 Member Posts: 3
    I test drove a Honda Pilot, Ford Freestyle, Ford Explorer, Volvo X70, Murano, and 2004 and 2005 Pathfinders. The 2005 wasn't much different in price but is 6" longer, but looks even longer than that. I didn't need the 3rd row of seats either, there being only 2 of us. There wasn't any difference, that I could detect, in riding and handling. I believe they were the 2 best riding vehicles I have ever driven. Anyway, I decided on the 2004 Platinum Edition 4x4 and I will pick it up this Friday. I got the Merlot color which is a pretty color, I think. I did get the rebate and a good price and got the dealer to add a trailer hitch after he gave me his best price (guess it wasn't his best price after all).
    Thanks for your input.
  • meko33meko33 Member Posts: 3
    BTW forgot to tell you something else. I almost didn't buy either the 2004 or 2005 when I found out that the fuel filler door has a little notice posted that premium fuel is recommended. When I mentioned this to the dealer he showed me the owners manual which said that fuel of at least 87 octane had to be used. This is regular unleaded. Also, my wife found an article in USA Today on the subject. It said that the use of premium fuel was unnecessary and a waste of money. That the only engine that needed premium fuel was a supercharged one. So, I hope this is correct and that I can get by with using regular fuel. Has anyone else found regular fuel to be satisfactory?
  • zzr12zzr12 Member Posts: 18
    Good choice. I bought a silver one a few months back and after looking at the interior of an 05 I know I made the right pick. I have been using regular for 10,000 Kms and find that it runs as good or better than using premium.
  • pathstar1pathstar1 Member Posts: 1,015
    This is an old subject. Many of us (but not all) found that use of premium fuel gave better mileage, enough that it paid for itself. Mine performs better on premium as well. Just try out the various grades of fuel while keeping track of your mileage and you will soon find the best fuel to use. I use the premium with 10% ethanol. I find it performs best and keeps the engine internals nice and clean.
  • bimmer4mebimmer4me Member Posts: 266
    I have a 2001 LE and have tried both, regular and premium...although I couldn't tell the difference in performance, I've gotten better gas milage using premium.
  • deebardacdeebardac Member Posts: 23
    To answer my own query (#1098) this is what I have found out to the question "Can the headlights on a 2001 LE be adjusted in a horizontal plane".
    Nissan Canada- "That question it too technical you must contact your Dealer"
    Dealer #1-"Yes you can, you would have to be able to" (liked this guy but he spoke of two adjusting scews.)
    Dealer #2-"No you cannot, yes you could use shims".
    Dealer #3 " No you would have to go to a body shop".
    This whole thing started when I installed PIAA Extreme White Plus bulbs and the excellent light showed on a foggy night that the passenger side light was aimed slightly toward oncoming traffic.
  • scottinkyscottinky Member Posts: 194
    I had my 03 aligned late this summer, but am finding my right front tire is wearing thin on the outside. All other tires appear to be normal. These are the OEM duelers, with 24K on them. What should I do? I have rotated them regularly, but will not rotate these fronts to the back now that it is winter time. The back tires look ok.
  • 01pfle01pfle Member Posts: 4
    I've got same problem - any luck? TSB to replace a fan cowling was "supposedly actioned".... I am sometimes dubious as to whether or not mechanics at dealerships actually do anything about squeaks & rattles. They probably think it's a waste of their time.
  • 01pfle01pfle Member Posts: 4
    any luck with this?
  • foureyes3foureyes3 Member Posts: 165
    It may have a leak in the tire. Are you sure they are being rotated properly? It just may be a bad tire. I would have the front end alignment checked again. Have you been driving over some rough areas? Check to see if there is a nail or some sharp object in your tire. What is the warranty on the tires? Maybe, you can get switched out. Those are just some ideas.
  • joe233joe233 Member Posts: 43
    I just had a front brake job done at the dealer. I had a squeaking also, but it was coming from the rear brakes from dust build up and were cleaned up which seemed to eliminate the squeak.
  • swamplizard1swamplizard1 Member Posts: 2
    I have a 1988 Pathfinder restored and driven daily. It will run great for a few days then I try to crank it and nothing. All interior and headlights work. You can hear a click when you turn the key however it does not seem to charge the starter.
    Let it set for a few hours and it will crank an run again until the next time.
    Any ideals as to what might cause this?
  • pathstar1pathstar1 Member Posts: 1,015
    A common problem is an intermittent connection in the starter motor. GM units will fail when hot and work when cooler. It can also be an intermittant in the starter solonoid itself. Does it "click" when you twist the key? If it clicks and the starter doesn't turn then it's probably the starter motor itself. If it doesn't click then it's the solonoid. The motor should be rebuildable if money is short. The solonoid is relatively inexpensive.
  • xplorx4xplorx4 Member Posts: 621
    Start by cleaning the battery terminals. Often, corrosion on the terminals prevents a good connection between the battery and starter. Check for other loose, rusted or worn battery cable connections. If that doesn't work, investigate replacement of the starter motor. Most Nissans don't have an external starter solenoid like domestics do.
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