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Nissan Pathfinder Maintenance and Repair

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Comments

  • rctltrctlt Member Posts: 2
    the speedometer and tach stick on my 94 pathfinder, sometimes even while at idle the speedo will show 40 or 50 mph and the tach will be pegged at 8 grand other times they do not work at all,, anyone else have this problem or know the fix for it?
  • drk43drk43 Member Posts: 1
    Has anyone had a similar problem with the a/c system generating a sour/musty smell in the cabin? I have a 2001 PF and ever since 30K miles the problem has been there. The dealer says it's because I run the a/c on recirc too much and bacteria forms and doesn't get cleared out...on recirc mode. For $90 they flushed out the a/c components, as a "maintenance" item not under warranty, but 3 months later the smell was back. On a tip I tried using Lysol sprayed directly in the return air compartment but the results were not great. Need remedy or advise.
  • bd70bd70 Member Posts: 30
    I just noticed a low grinding noise/feel coming from the front brakes of my '03 LE. It is really only noticeable when I brake harder. Not quite as hard as an emergency stop, but enough to make the distance shorter than a normal stop. The thing is that I only have about 11K on the car. I know the rotors are very prone to warping problems, but has anyone else had problems with their brakes wearing down this early? I need to bring it in for an oil change very soon so I'd like to bring some additional knowledge about any brake problems when I go. Thanks.
  • dave_drivesdave_drives Member Posts: 1
    I've heard horror stories about the Pathfinder's exhaust manifold bolts breaking from the heating/cooling and how it gets expensive to replace them. Has Nissan found a permanent "fix" for the problem yet?
  • lbinhlbinh Member Posts: 190
    Could be just dirty brakes. Do you drive off road? If you feel the pedal pulsate then it could be the ABS. Have them inspect your brakes. It should be free and/or covered under warranty. Good luck!!
  • shark715shark715 Member Posts: 382
    I posted about this problem about a month ago, but received no responses...trying again hoping that someone has an idea because I'm stumped. I own an '01 PF, and everytime it rains the carpet under the driver's floor mat gets wet. I first noticed it one day after washing the car and then taking the floor mats out to clean them. The floor mat that protects the carpet does not get wet. Seems like the water is somehow getting under the carpet from somewhere. The same thing happens whether the truck is sitting in the driveway in the rain or if I'm driving in the rain. I've checked around the door seals, around the windshield, and under the hood around the firewall...nothing seems to be amiss. I've even checked the sunroof drains by pouring water down them...they seem to be draining properly. I've gone under the dashboard with a flashlight looking for evidence of water or moisture, and can't find anything. I want to get it fixed because i'm afraid the floor will eventually rust. Anyone have any ideas? Thanks.
  • langodlangod Member Posts: 33
    Only thing I can think of would be a leak under the carpet -- like a missing rubber grommet or something.
    I've had similar problems on other cars -- but always related to something boneheaded that I did.
    (I once found 4 inches of water in the footwell of my Datsun 210. I had run a wire for my "new" foglights through the doorjamb and the rain trickled down the wire into the car....)

    If you haven't done so, I would try seeing if you can tell where it starts. Spray the car a little bit and check the carpet, spray a little more, check the carpet, etc, etc. Until you can find exactly where the leak starts under the carpet. Maybe it'll give you a clue as to where to look.
  • sivisivi Member Posts: 20
    my battery went bad after 2 years. i took to nissan dealer in another state. it took dealer one half hour to change batt. it took another 1.5 hours to figure prorate charge. it cost me 35$,AND I FINALLY got batt with nissan written on it.
  • timstims Member Posts: 1
    We have about 6,000 miles on our 2003 LE. Last weekend the "Service Engine Soon" light came on after the engine started running rough on a trip back from Atlanta. The local dealer replaced a "VTC Sensor". Ran fine for most of the next day. Then it started running rough again. The light has not come back on. Seems to happen after the engine has been shut off for a while and when started runs smooth until shifting into 2nd gear (automatic). After the engine has been shut off for a while, it will start up and run fine again (for a while)The local dealer is still trying to get the problem to occur. Anyone else had this problem?
  • 96pathfind96pathfind Member Posts: 22
    Thanks for your support- already heading that direction. Too bad for the PF, though.
  • uopjeepuopjeep Member Posts: 2
    a friend of mine has a 2003 pathfinder. she was having problems with the vehicle overheating. the dealership claims to have replaced two thermostats to correct the situation. do pathfinders have a dual thermostat system?
  • podracer999podracer999 Member Posts: 8
    Hi All -

    I had a trailer hitch installed (Eaz-Lift) on my 2001 Pathfinder and now the muffler hits the hitch whenever I hit a bump, especially when turning.

    I recall seeing this problem brought up in these forums before. I did a search but was unable to find any solutions.

    So, does anyone have a solution to this? It's starting to get really annoying to hear it banging away while I drive.

    Thanks.
  • 96pathfind96pathfind Member Posts: 22
    Hate to bring up the topic of my screwed up clutch repair again, BUT...
    There's this thing hanging underneath the truck. It's a metal fitting of some sort, with 2 curved "tubes" that are open on one end, and attached to 2 rubber hoses, each perhaps 1/4" in diameter. This is attached to the top of the transmission, I can't see it but can feel it. I'm guessing this is a vent of some sort for the manual trans, and it does appear to be leaking a light-colored oil. I don't think it's supposed to be just hanging loosely under the trans. Anyone know for sure what this thing is and where it's supposed to go?
  • pathstar1pathstar1 Member Posts: 1,015
    I resolved my problem by sliding the rubber exhaust holders and adding another one to keep them in a position such that the exhaust can't hit the hitch. There is a flex joint in the exhaust so this fix was possible.
  • podracer999podracer999 Member Posts: 8
    ooh! good idea, pathstar1!

    I was looking through various search results from the forums here and found one that mentioned a support "hanger" on the inlet side of the muffler. I didn't know that was even there. So I pushed that one as far as it would go and that seems to have alleviated the problem. If they slide back, I may go buy a couple of extra rubber exhaust holders and do as you suggested.

    Are they hard to remove and put on? (They're sort of difficult to slide around.) Or do you just install the 2nd one on w/o removing the first one?

    Thanks!
  • robbmedrobbmed Member Posts: 2
    My '01 PF has gone through three replacements of these sensors since I got it back in Sep'00. First time was when the mileage was more than 15k. The other was when it was over 35k and the most recent was about 8k after that. No problems with how engine behaved/ran though. It was just that damn "service engine soon" light that bothered me. Dealer replaced sensors for free so that was ok. Strangely, they had no explanation for it. Hope your truck will be fine.
  • pathstar1pathstar1 Member Posts: 1,015
    Lub the rubber so it slides easily and just add it. No need to remove the stock one. I used silicone dielectric grease for lub. but dish detergent etc. will also work.
  • brisoupbrisoup Member Posts: 56
    My 2002 Pathfinder seems to be making a chirping noise from it's drive belt when I first start it up when the engines cold.It seems worse when it is cold and or damp outside.The noise sounds like a bird is chirping under the hood.It seems to mostly go away after several minites of the engine running.The truck has 19000 miles on it and the drive belts are tight and do not show any signs of wear.The dealer looked at the belts and said everything is normal and some noise can be expected.Any suggestions would be appreciated.
  • pathstar1pathstar1 Member Posts: 1,015
    You're talking of the fan/alt./water pump/A/C/power steering belts, I presume? If so, you can buy belt lube in spray cans. Use sparingly. You may want to clean the belt "teeth" and pulley grooves with a brush first to make sure there is no dirt in the grooves. I use an old toothbrush.

    Contrary to first thoughts, belt lube does not make belts slip. What it does is make it easier for the belt to seat into the grooves on the pulleys. This allows the belt to operate at a lower temp. (less friction entering and leaving the grooves) and usually makes them quieter.

    Belts get their "grip" on the "V" groove sides, not on the "bottom" of the grooves, so the better they seat into the grooves, the better the grip.
  • joe233joe233 Member Posts: 43
    Does the auto power seat need to be lubricated? At 50K mi, it doesn't sound as smooth as it used to.
  • laundryguylaundryguy Member Posts: 89
    I went to wax my 1997 Pathfinder and found rust in a few places. Interface of body panel and rear mud guard around wheel well just below bottom rear corner of rear passenger door. Also, running mid-rear bumper at seam between upper and lower half of rear bumper on each side. I keep it reasonably clean and the last few winters have been pretty mild so not the usual salt bath from driving on upper midwest roads. Anyone else seeing rust in these areas? The corner under the door by the wheel well looks like it forms a little "lip" to hold water which will increase the risk of damage there.

    Fortunately I have the brownish looking paint with black bumpers which hides it pretty well.
  • hanksmomhanksmom Member Posts: 1
    Hi - I had my PF detailed this weekend and now the suspension control button will not turn off from Sport. The button moves the light stays on and no change in the stiffness. Can anybody suggest what might have happen. Fuses? Moisture?Thank you for any suggestions.
  • hazel4hazel4 Member Posts: 1
    Looking for any help/advice. I have a 2000 Pathfinder. In Aug of 2002, everything on the dashboard would stick or go down to zero and the mileage counter would disappear. The dealer replaced the circuit board. It was still under warranty so I didn't have to pay anything.

    In Feb of this year, it started doing it again. I brought it back to the dealer and was told I need a new speed sensor which I had them replace. Now two weeks later, it is doing it again. I brought it back to the dealer and was told I need a new circuit board. The dealer's comments and Nissan's 800 number's comments were that even though I had it replaced 18 months ago, these things happen and I don't have any choice.

    My question is - does this seem normal or right? Within a period of 18 months and 27,000 miles, the same problem has occurred - supposedly fixed the first time. Do I have any recourse or do I just have to belly up and pay the $520 for a new circuit board (on top of the $425 paid for the speed sensor)?

    Anyone fight Nissan on this and win?
  • roger619roger619 Member Posts: 4
    Hello, fellow Pathfinder owners. Two weeks ago I bought an '04 PF SE and immediately started using it on my daily 86-mile round-trip commute, respecting the break-in rules of varying speeds, gentle acceleration, keeping RPMs below 4000, etc. However, I noticed last night when the engine was cold that the coolant level in the overflow tank was barely at the MIN level, although I haven't had any problems, smelled anything unusual, or noticed any leaks. The outside temp. has been around 80 during the daytime; maybe after the vehicle's been driven the excess coolant just takes longer to seep into the overflow tank? Advice appreciated.
  • zzr12zzr12 Member Posts: 18
    I also purchased an 04 Pathfinder LE and found the coolant level low. I added about 1/2 quart of coolant and water.
  • pathstar1pathstar1 Member Posts: 1,015
    My 2001 was like that when I bought it new. See, they save $0.05 on each vehicle by giving you that much less coolant. It's called "profits".
  • jayzmahaljayzmahal Member Posts: 4
    i just recently bought an '03 pathfinder from a friend of mine who moved out of the country. he doesn't have the car manual when i bought the path. my question is how does the AC work when the temp range (to blow cold air) only goes down to 60 degrees? since i bought the path in the winter i've never really tried the AC until yesterday. do i even have AC installed in the pathfinder??? any help would be apprecaited. thanks!!!!!
  • blawsonblawson Member Posts: 19
    You work the automatic AC/Heater just like you work the AC/heating system in your home. You set the desired temperature and the system does the rest to maintain that temperature. If it is 40 degrees outside and you set AC/heating system to 74 degrees, the system will warm the inside of the car to that temperature. If it is 90 degrees outside and you set the AC/heating system to 74 degrees, the system will cool the inside of the car to that temperature.

    By the way, you can order a replacement manual from Nissan. If you have the automatic temperature controls, you have AC installed.
  • marconnmarconn Member Posts: 1
    I am test driving a 2000 SE pathfinder. I have never driven one before. I must say that I really enjoy this vehicle. The bad thing is that it has 123,000 miles on it. Now the dealer states this is a good vehicle and they often get 200-300,000 miles on them. Should I be wary of this SUV? From what I have read they are reliable vehicles, but not too many state they have over 100,000 miles. Price is 13,900. They are giving me a good deal on trade in as well.

    Also, is the fuel economy really bad? I currently drive a mini-van.

    Thanks for your input!
  • danpf1danpf1 Member Posts: 89
    I just started using Synthetic fluids and oil in my 2001 AWD 4x4 LE Pathfinder. I am using Royal Purple Synthetics in the differentials, transfer case, transmission and engine. Has any one else tried full synthetics in their newer model Pathfinders? I have been using full synthetics in my Motor Home for seven years now. They worked so well, I decided to give it a try in my Pathfinder.
  • Karen_SKaren_S Member Posts: 5,092
    Have you researched this vehicle thru Used Car TMV? You didn't list if it has any options, but without any add ons, the dealer price I'm getting results for is a bit over $11,000.
  • xplorx4xplorx4 Member Posts: 621
    I have a '97 LE, and it's got over 124,000 miles on it. It hasn't had any major problems, and I don't expect it to have any anytime soon. I am very meticulous about maintaining the truck, too.

    One thing you should be sure to ask is whether the timing belt, water pump, and seals have been replaced. The timing belt was due for replacement at 105.000.
  • dieselonedieselone Member Posts: 5,729
    My 01 LE w/ 48k started displaying the dreaded MIL light last week. My neighbor has a scan tool, so we hooked it up and pulled the codes. I was expecting an o2 failure since their is a TSB on it and I had all of them replaced around 28k. Instead, a P1140 code came up, Intake Valve Timing control sensor. I went to the library and looked up the repair procedure for this code and found about 10 pages of diagnostic procedures. I decided this was out of my league and took it to my local shop. I was charged $150 for the diagnostic and another $150 for the sensor and labor. The sensor itself is looks very easy to change since it is at the front of the engine. Oh well, $300 isn't the end of the world. Knock on wood, I won't have any more issues for a while.
  • pathstar1pathstar1 Member Posts: 1,015
    OMG, a sensor for that too! So I have to worry about valve lash AND sensor failure ;-). These new vehicles are just too smart!

    Other items to fail -
    O2 sensors - I had two fail and replaced under warrenty (2001 LE).
    We may be lucky with the coilpacks on the Pathfinder. The Maxima coilpacks are failing with regularity (same basic engine) but I haven't heard anyone complaining of this on the Pathfinder.
  • danpf1danpf1 Member Posts: 89
    I have a 2001 AWD 4x4 automatic LE. I purchased a set of Rancho RS9000x shocks for the rear suspension about a year and a half ago. They are starting to give me trouble. The problem is that they will not dampen minor pot holes or other small raised and lowered surfaces, instead I get loud jaring sound. I have tried changing the settings on the shock, but makes no difference, in fact when I break the rear end bounces two or three times, should not bounce more than one to one and a half times. Has any one who has installed these shocks on the their Pathfinder, had any problems like mine, if so what did you do? I called Rancho and they said the shocks may be defective, so did the place I bought them from.
  • shark715shark715 Member Posts: 382
    Dieselone, the same part on my '01 PF failed last year at 59K miles. Sounds like Nissan may have a problem with this part...they should not be failing at such low mileage. Has anyone else here had this part fail? The good news is that my truck now has 74K miles and my MIL light has never come back on. I observed no other symptoms (other than the MIL light). I took the car to the local Nissan dealer and they charged $145 for the part and $112 for labor. It took just a few minutes to read the computer and tell me exactly what the problem was. I wonder why you were charged a $150 diagnostic charge, especially since you had already scanned the computer yourself. What really irks me is the $112 charge for labor given that I was at the dealer for no more than an hour in total.
  • podracer999podracer999 Member Posts: 8
    I had the part fail on my 01 PF LE as well. It was about a year ago. I think I had something like 25K miles. (Sorry, too lazy to look up the paperwork at the moment.) It was covered under warranty. There were no other symptoms other than the MIL light. I just wanted to reply here just in case there is a trend of this part failing.

    On another somewhat related note, what are the symptoms (if any) of O2 sensor failure? Just curious as it seems to be somewhat common.
  • pathstar1pathstar1 Member Posts: 1,015
    just showed up as a MIL light as well. Dealer found two sensors were bad, and replaced under warrenty. They think the cause is high sulphur content in the fuel.
  • dieselonedieselone Member Posts: 5,729
    The diagnostic procedure with the P1140 code is several pages long. Requiring you to check about every ground and every connection with other sensors that interact with the IVTC sensor. A Nissan dealer probably has more experience with this than my local shop and either could perform the complete procedure in a shorter time, or just went ahead and replaced the part. I took my PF to a local shop that I've used for my routine maintenance because they do give good service and they are close. The two Nissan dealers in the area are both about a 1/2 hour drive and it wasn't convenient to get someone to follow me all of the way out there and back.

    BTW, if you look on MSN auto section under vehicle reliability ratings. The PF does get hit for the IVTC sensor. So it must be a fairly common problem.
  • shark715shark715 Member Posts: 382
    Dieselone, thanks for the referral to MSN...did not know that info was there. MSN states that the problematic part is the Intake Valve Timing Control Sensor, and they say it should cost about $66.14 plus $26.00 for labor. My receipt from the dealer says they replaced the Intake Timing Control Valve and solenoid, and they charged $144.95 for the part and $112.50 for labor. Are we talking about a different part, or did I get ripped off? Thanks.
  • dieselonedieselone Member Posts: 5,729
    I believe we are talking about the same part. I don't know where MSN gets their info from. I called Nissan prior to taking the PF to my local shop. Nissan told me the part was around $120. I was charged roughly $150 for the part and labor to install, with an addtional $150 to diagnose. MSN does state that their cost estimate doesn't include diagnostic fees. So I guess if you got ripped off, I did too.
  • pathstar1pathstar1 Member Posts: 1,015
    It's hard to take when you see it on the bill, but check out how much the diagnostic equipment costs the dealer from Nissan and you'll understand why they want to recover some of that money. Those who are not dealers but can get the codes can only get codes, not set things (some parts chains for example). Their equipment is much more reasonable. Nissan requires dealers to spend the big bucks on their equipment.
  • shark715shark715 Member Posts: 382
    Pathstar, I don't expect the dealers or technicians to perform diagnostic work for free. But the dealers are certainly able to pay for the equipment based on the markup they are making on labor and parts. Not only do most dealers mark up their cost of parts 100%, the typical dealer in my area charges $75 per hour for labor, but the typical "A" techician at a dealer in this area is making only $25-$30 per flat rate hour, and any good technician can beat the flat rate book by a considerable percentage. So a good techician can easily put $500 in the dealer's pocket every day, plus the parts markup. But what really irks me is that on top of this most dealers now charge additional nonsense fees such as hazardous materials fees and shop supply fees, and they try to hide them. What's the logic to a $7.00 hazardous material fee and a $5.00 shop supply fee being added to the cost of an alignment? There are no hazardous materials nor shop supplies involved. Perhaps the charge is to pay for the soap and water the technician used to wash his hands after he finished the job? I recently brought my wife's car into the dealer for the advertised $19.95 oil change. The actual cost was $31.95 due to the fees above. They were not disclosed up front, but the smiling service writer was happy to point them out in the barely legible fine print in their ad after i questioned them. It will be a long time before I feel any compassion for car dealers and their expenses.
  • danpf1danpf1 Member Posts: 89
    I just got back from the Rancho dealer in my area, swapped out the defective Rancho's for a new set under warranty. They are rs99116 Rancho adjustable shocks. I hope this set last longer than the last. Will let you know if they don't. Has any one else had problems with their rs9916 shocks? If so did you change to new brand or or get the same ones under warranty?
  • xplorx4xplorx4 Member Posts: 621
    dan- why did you select Rancho? Do you need the manual adjustability? If not, there are many other OEM-style shock alternatives. Also, the shocks may perform differently if they are installed valve-side up or valve-side down. How was your last set installed?
  • danpf1danpf1 Member Posts: 89
    Xplorx4, I installed the shocks, valve side up, I can reach over the tire and adjust the valve. I installed the shocks for towing and off road use. Most of my off road use is pretty mild compared to serious off road use. When I installed the air bags and the Rancho shocks they made a good match. I had expected the shocks to last longer then 18 months. They worked fine until this last month, when they began to show signs of ware. I first thought that the valve was leaking. but the tech at Rancho said that would not affect the compression or rebound stroke. I changed them out for another set, will see how the new set holds up. Did you have any problems with yours?
  • xplorx4xplorx4 Member Posts: 621
    I don't have any problems with my shocks not performing well, although they're the older 5-way adjustable shocks, not the newer 9-way adjustable RS9000X.

    Did your old shocks still fail to dampen even when fully adjusted to the firmest setting?
  • danpf1danpf1 Member Posts: 89
    They failed to dampen but they did stop the bounce when braking. At the firmest setting it felt more like the mid setting and at the mid setting there was little or no damping at all, just bounce. When I tried the new RS9000x by hand I could tell the difference right a away. I will install the new shocks this week end, right now the OEM or working fine for HWY driving. Also the Rancho dealer said that the RS9000X would be a better shock than the RSX17122's for my use. He said I still get a better ride for WHY at the mid setting. Also the dealer wasn't suprised that the shocks failed so soon, that suprised me.
  • bob_2001pathlebob_2001pathle Member Posts: 5
    My Pathy has 45000 and is a 2001. So far I have not had any problems. But last week I disconnected the negative cable to change the Micro in cabin filter (per their instructions).
    I reconnected the negative cable and a few days later I tried to open the sunroof without any luck. Has anyone experienced this problem? Can it be a fuse? If so does anyone know which fuse box to open? Under the hood or in the vehicle?

    Any response would be greatly appreciated...
  • morgan2morgan2 Member Posts: 1
    my non-power driver seat is stuck! after a garage attendant returned the vehicle it is stuck in its tracks (of course, the garage was no help). has anyone experienced anything like this? has a dealer been helpful?
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