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Nissan Pathfinder Maintenance and Repair

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Comments

  • mtp7xmtp7x Member Posts: 3
    Hi, i have a 1995 Nissan Pathfinder SE has 4wd and my right headlight stays on sometimes too, if you look under the hood and see the fuses for headlamp, remove them and replace them, i had to do that, could be a bad connection or fuse. Or just take the fuses out for headlamp only and put them back in about 15 mins later. ive had to do that too. hope this helps.
  • alyhersheyalyhershey Member Posts: 1
    I just purchased a Nissan Pathfinder 2001 LE yesterday, and my bose 6 disc cd changer isn't working. It seems that I am having the same problem that you are having. Has anyone figured out a way to fix it?
  • tantallytantally Member Posts: 1
    Hi all. I'm currently attempting to access and replace the timing belt in my 98 PF. However, to do so you must remove the fan/pulley from the water pump. I've removed the cooling fan (the plastic part)from the shaft and removed the 4 nuts that feed forward from the water pump, but I cannot see how to remove the pulley/fan shaft. I cannot use a pulley puller because the fan shaft is in the way. Has anyone done this before?
  • hd9691hd9691 Member Posts: 18
    This happen to my 2001 LE also, first time is under warranty, but second time costs me $285 bucks to get it fix. I found the unit on Ebay also selling around $250 bucks if you can install it. I had the technician installed pretty esay.
  • stefanmstefanm Member Posts: 1
    Hi everybody ! I have a 2001 Pathfinder and some while ago the car started to loose power sometimes at any speed. Then in the mornings when I start the car the engine sputters and sometimes dies - then I start it again and try to keep 2-3k but cannot keep it constant. As soon as the car warms up it works almost fine - except sometimes it looses power (at any speeds) - not very often though - well, I guesss more and more lately. I took the car to my mechanic - he checked it out but he wasn't sure - he was suspecting though the mass air flow sensor - so he sent me to somebody else who had a better OBD reader (although my check engine light is not on) so he confirmed that the mass air flow sensor needs to be replaced. Because the part supposedly is pretty expensive I would try to buy it online but I had a hard time finding a place that has them so any ideas would be welcomed.
    Thanks.
  • khurramkhurram Member Posts: 15
    Well after the dealer ripped me off for for $113, I saw the the noise was caused by loose heat shield. Parts of it had rusted and all the dealer did was put two $1 clamps on them to tighten them and problem solved.
    But, of course did not check if all the heat shields were tight, so got a 4 clamps from home depot, cleaned up the rust and put the clamps on the other parts of the heat shields to prevent future issues.
  • khurramkhurram Member Posts: 15
    After having 5 people in the car for the first time, realized this issue. Big, scrapping, thud noise from bottom over bumps.
    Never happens when just two people, at least three people.
    The tsb calls for ground bumper and bumper seat.
    Have red the psi to 30 cold, so 33 hot. This greatly reduces the bumping.
    Did the parts solve the issue
    Thanks
    Khurram
  • smokey75smokey75 Member Posts: 434
    Yes, that TSB fixes the problem. I had it done to my 01 years ago under warranty.
  • khurramkhurram Member Posts: 15
    Hello, Thanks for the input

    Did you have it resolved under original warranty or extended warranty.

    I have the security plus extended warranty. And they said they do not cover this part.
    Thanks
    Khurram
  • khurramkhurram Member Posts: 15
    http://www.nissanextendedwarranty.com/docs/NissanWarrantyComponentCoverageChart.- pdf

    Checked the part
    55240

    Not covered under extended warranty.
    Oh well, parts are online at nissan courtesy parts for 110 incld shipping, dealer was 160 approx
    Will go to my reg mechanic to install the new bound bumper and seat for me.
    Thanks
  • khurramkhurram Member Posts: 15
    I have found nissancourtesparts from ricardson texas. Anyone know any place cheaper.
    Thanks
    Khurram
  • smokey75smokey75 Member Posts: 434
    It was under the original warranty when it was maybe a year old.
  • x3v614x3v614 Member Posts: 3
    Same problem on a recently purchased 97 Pathfinder. Replaced the thermostat and fan clutch and same results. Did you ever resolve yours??? Thx- Mark V
  • x3v614x3v614 Member Posts: 3
    Hi Chris.. Same problem with my recently purchased 97 PF. I replaced the thermostat and fan clutch also. Did you ever resolve your problem?? Thx- Mark
  • gsemikegsemike Member Posts: 2,272
    I need to change the license plate bulb on my Pathfinder. Can anyone tell me how to get to it?
  • tmtrantmtran Member Posts: 2
    My front passenger side keeps getting wet. The carpet and carpeted floor mat are all wet. The underside of the rubber floor mat is all wet too. The dealer looked at it last Friday 9/7. They said it was a kinked AC drain hose. They fixed the kink and dried it out. However, today when I checked, it was all wet again. I bought this car new last Feb07. It's still under warranty. Has anyone else had this problem. Is it leaking somewhere else besides the AC?
  • jackie17jackie17 Member Posts: 1
    My '02 pf had the check engine light came on and the error codes were PO420 and PO430. We had the 2 rear catalytic converters welded to see if this would solve the problem. We drove 50 miles after the repair was done and the check engine light came back on again with the same error codes. The mechanic recommends replacing the front catalytic converters (approx $900 each). The dealer diagnosed this problem 2 years ago and suggested we replace the header pipes or do a patch (temporary fix). We did the patch and now the problem is back. Has anyone had this problem before? Thanks.
  • newronewro Member Posts: 21
    I have a '06 pathfinder with app. 28k miles. This truck has been a bit of a disappointment so far. I had Isuzus for a dozen years previous, best quality ever, too bad they left the US marketplace.
    My pathfinder has developed an incredible vibration when braking from say highway speeed to 30 or so, evident there though not as pronounced. My guess is warped rotors. I called for service yesterday and found that rotors were only warranteed for 18k miles. Mine were ok then. Does anyone know if this is true? I had a 2000 Acura with warped rotors and they were replaced FREE at 44k miles. Is Nissan really this much of a mickey mouse car maker? I was at the dealership yesterday testing a new maxima, after this episode, went down the street and signed on for another acura tl. Thanks for the input
  • shark715shark715 Member Posts: 382
    You mentioned you also warped the rotors on your Acura. Is Are you hard on your brakes? You can warp the rotors on any car or light truck by overheating the brakes, although clearly some models are more prone to this than others. Regarding the warranty, check your warranty book. I think you will find that your dealer is incorrect, and that the rotors are warranteed for 3 years/36K miles. As for Acura replacing the rotors free at 44K miles, ins't that because your Acura was warranteed for 4 year/50k miles?
  • gresamgresam Member Posts: 3
    I have been having a problem with my 2005 pathfinder. When I reverse the truck slows up and I have to go all the way down on the gas to get it to continue reversing. When I turn the wheel I hear clunking noises and the car seems like it is going to stall. I took it to the dealership and they said they fixed it. The next day it worked for a while then started doing the same thing again. The noise is so pronounced that people in the street are looking at me. I have to take the car back to the shop. Does anyone know what this problem is? I think the dealership is giving me the run around.
  • khurramkhurram Member Posts: 15
    the thunking noise over bumps was due to the undercarriage spare wheel bracket which had moved over the differential.
  • khurramkhurram Member Posts: 15
    My nissan pathfinder 2001 has 63,000.

    How necessary is it to change the differntial oil-I do not know if I have lsd, any way I can find out.
    Change the coolant, it looks clean
    change the auto transmission fluid.
    change the fuel filter.

    Have changed the air and micro cabin filter, got the visual inspection done.

    thanks for your help.
    Khurram
  • shark715shark715 Member Posts: 382
    I have the same year Pathfinder. If your truck is equipped with an LSD, there should be an orange tag on your rear differential that says "Use only LSD oil". Also, when both rear wheels are off the ground if they spin in the same direction you have an LSD. If they spin in the opposite direction, you have an "open" rear differential. If you have an LSD, Nissan's maintenance schedule calls for the gear oil to be changed every 30k miles. If not, Nissan doesn't call for the gear oil to be changed, but given the minimal expense it would not be a bad idea after 6 years and 63K miles.
  • khurramkhurram Member Posts: 15
    Hello
    Thanks for replying back so fast

    yes, found the orange sticker. It was dirty, could barely read it. Took if off, cleaned it and saw it says use lsd only.

    have you changed the coolant, fuel filter, auto transmission oil.

    THanks
    Khurram
  • shark715shark715 Member Posts: 382
    Yes, I've had my mechanic do all the maintenance per Nissan's recomendations. One additional item I would recommend is doing a complete transmission fluid replacement, rather than just a drain and refill. A drain and refill won't replace the trans fluid in your torque converter. Cost is $100-150 at garages and trans shops that have the equipment to do it. Especially given the cost of a trans rebuild, it seems silly to only change part of the fluid, and oxidized trans fluid is the #1 cause of transmission failures.
  • khurramkhurram Member Posts: 15
    thanks very much
    will look into that
    khurram
  • jfbclujfbclu Member Posts: 7
    My 01 with 1008K miles is showing a P0171 (fuel system lean bank 1)code. I'm guessing it is an O2 sensor but it doesn't seem to be getting worse gas millage. It runs a little rough at startup but fine after 30 seconds. Any good ideas on how to fix this? If it is an 02 sensor, which one? Thanks.
  • gsemikegsemike Member Posts: 2,272
    I just got a 97 Pathfinder XE with the factory Bose stereo. Can anyone tell me how to set the clock?
  • shark715shark715 Member Posts: 382
    Where is the PCV valve in my '01 PF located?
  • maxeeenmaxeeen Member Posts: 3
    I had problems with my check engine light coming on. They found nothing wrong with it. It eventually went off and came on again then off. It has been off for almost a year now. I had an exhaust leak and went to the muffler shop. They told me the cat converter was bad and under warranty. So I took it to the dealer and paid them to run the tests on it and they found it was in the exhaust not in the converter. No warranty. They said that Nissan reported the same problem but not enough to make a recall so they(Nissan, not the dealer) made a repair kit that cost me $150 plus labor to install. (Even though it was a Nissan defect, I had to pay for it).

    Now my pf is at the dealer because the engine started making a very loud knocking sound. They don't know what it is but said that it is major. I bought it new 5 years ago and have faithfully kept up on the oil changes.
    Good luck with yours. I hope the info helps you.
  • maxeeenmaxeeen Member Posts: 3
    I haven't noticed an increase in oil consumption probably since I take my pf to have the oil changed for me, regularly. However, just the other day the engine started make a very loud knocking sound. I made it home and parked it. Called the Mobile repair guy. He came right over. The first thing he did was check the oil and told me that I was a quart low. I had the oil changed 3 mos. ago. He put a quart in and it was full. He told me not to drive it and tow it to the dealer, so I did. The next day the dealer told me that it was low on oil. I told them it couldn't be and why. He said the technician said it was low and looked for oil leaks and found none. So where is this oil going? Needless to say, they don't know what is wrong with the engine but that it is major. What happened to nissan quality? It also had the service engine soon light problem and the exhaust leak that so many have talked about on this list. If I could go back, I would have bailed out on this pf 2 years ago and cut my losses then.
  • gsemikegsemike Member Posts: 2,272
    Can the 16 from a 2004 with the stock tires go on a 97 without any issues? I need tires and get get the tires and rims off of an 04 for 300. The seller is negotiable and says that the tired have 75% tread left.
  • edbbedbb Member Posts: 2
    97 PF LE with 168,000 km( 100,000 miles). Recently took it in for 100K mile check. Dealer reported all OK except noisy upper strut bearings ($330 Cdn) and need to replace both front stabilizer links($169 Cdn). I do not notice any noise ( might be my hearing or just used to it) and PF seems quite stable and smooth.
    Is this repair justified/prudent? I do not do any off-roading except for minor use of dirt boat ramps.
    Dealer has always been good to me, but there's always a first time.
  • shark715shark715 Member Posts: 382
    It's hard to say without examining the car in person, but it's probably not an urgent repair. If you trust the dealer that much, ask what risk there might be to not spending the $ at this time.
  • jecklesjeckles Member Posts: 87
    I had similar problems with my rotors, and rotors on other vehicles. Some of it is a symptom of automakers trying to use lighter rotors for better performance and lower cost. It is critical all lug nuts be hand torqued to proper torque any time a wheel is removed (and follow proper pattern too, just like they taught us in driver ed).

    I also discovered a secondary cause recently. If you do a hard braking, either from highway speed to a stop light or maybe a panic stop; the rotors obviously get very hot. The hot rotors can melt/burn the brake pad material causing a small micro-layer of friction material on your rotor. This is a combination of the heat from the rotor and the type of pad. If you look at your shiny rotor and see a rectangular shadow or mark on the rotor, then this is likely some of the cause for the warped rotor sensation. To prevent this, avoid a hard stop and then sitting with your foot on the brake. You need to ease forward a little to keep the pads from "sticking" to the rotor while they are screaming hot...

    Very light coatings can sometimes be removed with sandpaper, but they will come back if you don't get a better pad. Something like a Hawk pad is a good choice, I am experimenting with Performance Friction since it was available local. I would avoid generic OEM stuff from brake shops unless you have good performance history.

    Mine was so bad, I replaced rotors and pads. Now I will see if it comes back or not.

    Since a lot of this problem is driving habit-based, automakers/dealers cover the issues at their own discretion.
  • padehartpadehart Member Posts: 1
    My son has a '99 Pathy and is currently experiencing the same problem-no dash air.
    I don't know about the lighter , wiper, etc. but, I imagine they don't work either. Is there
    a ready solution?
  • x3v614x3v614 Member Posts: 3
    Fixed.. As these cars are getting older the (single core) radiator on our car had become restricted. When just about to boil over, I shut the motor and placed my hands on the inside middle of the radiator and it was basically cold outer edges where hot. Replaced the rad it with a new one (@$130 vs. having it boiled/cleaned).

    Make sure the rad cap is not clogged (cheap replace it) also to allow the collant recovery tank to work properly

    Note- limited heat flowing from the middle of the rad makes the clutch for the clutch fan real lazy.

    Hope this helps others with this problem. Mark
  • frrussrefrrussre Member Posts: 41
    Fully loaded all pkg's

    1st problem, when I ease my foot on the accelerator at around 40/45 mph or accelerate, the tranny upshifts & downshifts noisily.
    Dealer says normal.
    2nd problem, almost since new, bad creaking sound rear right on take off. Getting worse.
    Dealer can hear it, but does not know what is causing it. I'm stuck with it.
    3rd problem, really, really noisy windshield wipers, sometimes vibrating on screen.
    Dealer changed blades, once made no difference. Now says normal.
    4th problem, here in Sth Florida, the screen demist does not work well at all. Try all settings/combinations.
    Have not told dealer, he is not interested in other problems, see no point in adding more.

    Had I known: that the 4x4 was unusable, except in sand or snow, Plus needs Premium gas, I would never have bought this truck.
    Reg. Frank R.
  • khurramkhurram Member Posts: 15
    I think your heat shield may be lose. Get a auto clamp from any auto store and tighten it to check.
    Switching to synthetic will make the engine smoother.
    blades, maybe not the rubber but the steel may be bent a bit, that is how my mechnanic fixed mine.
    premium gas, you can use reg for a while.
  • scottinvascottinva Member Posts: 1
    I have a 92 Nissan Pathfinder that has had the same problem off and on for a few years. It does not want to idle. At idle, the RPMs will go up and down and eventually it will stall out. I took it to the mechanic and they said the plugs needed changed, so they did that. It now has less than 2000 miles on it and the same problem is back. When it starts doing this, it will also get very bad gas mileage. If I change the fuel filter it seems to help for a while, but the rough idling and bad gas mileage will come back. Any ideas? 2000 mi on plugs, new fuel and air filter. Thanks.
  • jeg72jeg72 Member Posts: 18
    I have a 01 LE 4x4 and have had some ongoing cooling system problems. Nov of 2006 it overheated. Took it to the dealership in Madison, AL and they flushed the cooling system, replaced the thermostat, new fluid. 3-4 months later I got home from work and heard the antifreeze boiling. Took it to the dealership where they replaced the radiator and all the hoses. Now 6 months later I smelled antifreeze on the way to work. When I got out of the car I heard a hissing sound. I guess I am taking it back to the dealer for the third time. Any thoughts?
  • shark715shark715 Member Posts: 382
    It's possible the hissing sound could have nothing to do with the cooling system. Are you familiar with the noises your evaporative emissions control system occasionally makes? If you do have a coolant leak somewhere, you will likely be low on coolant. If the hissing noise is is a coolant leak, it could be coming from any one or more of many different places...you or the shop simply need to find it. When you thought you heard the antifreeze boiling, was the temperature gauge out of it's normal range? If not, I'm wondering if the radiator replacement was really needed and/or if there was really anything wrong at that point. Keep in mind if you do have a coolant leak, it may have nothing to do with the previous repairs, and may just be a coincidence. Have you regularly changed your coolant since the vehicle was new per the owner's manual? If not, you can expect all kinds of repetitive problems, not only with the cooling system itself, but with other systems the coolant touches such as sensors, etc. Replacing the coolant now probably won't solve all the long term damage that may have been done.
  • khurramkhurram Member Posts: 15
    Hello

    If anyone can tell me if it is possible to do the pathfinder oil change without lifting the car. It is high, so can easily get in.

    Also, a link to the easiest instructions on how to do it.

    Thanks very much.
    Khurram
  • shark715shark715 Member Posts: 382
    You didn't mention which model year you have. I can tell you at least on the 2001-2004 model years, it's easy given how high the bottom of the engine is off the ground. To access the oil filter, there's a large plastic protective cover that you will need to remove. It's held on by approximately 8 sheet metal screws. Your owner's manual will likely show the location of the oil drain plug and the oil filter. You will want to replace the crushable washer on the oil drain plug.
  • spot2spot2 Member Posts: 15
    I have a '92 SE Pathifinder. The clutch release cylinder, the slave cylinder, seems to have started leaking. I had alook and it seems to be fairly inaccesable? Is it a tough job or does it just look harder than it actually is?
  • smokey75smokey75 Member Posts: 434
    My 2001 Pathfinder is approaching 105,000 miles and new spark plugs. Anyone changed theirs on a 2001? Is it pretty straightforward or anything different on this vehicle?
  • rlpage050704rlpage050704 Member Posts: 1
    I purchased a 2004 Pathfinder in July with 25,000 on it. Great deal I thought. I have only put about 8,000 on it. About 3 times now when I am driving the rpm will hit around 4,000 at 15 mph. Pedal all the way down. Dealer says he can't do anything about it because he can't "duplicate" the problem. How are they supposed to duplicate it with only putting 3 miles on it?! Then after I picked up the engine started chirping. Said idler pulley was bent, after they supposedly replaced that the noise came back and they said it was the belts were cracking due to the air dam missing and water hitting belts. I park it in a garage, where did that much water come from? When I first purchased it my interior lights would come on when I was driving and the horn would randomly honk. After 3 weeks of having no horn they finally said it was too long of screws in steering column. sounds like a load of crap to me. Is the pathfinder really this poorly put together?? I feel like I have gotten a lemon, but I was wondering if anyone else has had these problems and what they did to fix it or someway I can duplicate the tranny issue for them. I am driving my hubby's work truck because I don't feel safe is this SUV. I am paying monthly payments on something that sits. I am due to have a baby in less than 1 week and the dealership wants me to drive that around. Doesn't sound reliable to me. Thanks.
  • smokey75smokey75 Member Posts: 434
    My 2001 Pathfinder is approaching 105,000 miles and new spark plugs. Anyone changed theirs on a 2001? Is it pretty straightforward or anything different on this vehicle?

    Anyone? Wow I remember when my PF was new & this forum wasn't dead. :(
  • shark715shark715 Member Posts: 382
    Hi Smokey, how have you been? I asked the same question, and got no responses. Since I've seen things on newer cars that I'm not experienced with (coils on plugs, etc.), I let my trusted mechanic do the job. He's not cheap, but he does do good work, and keeps himself up to date on everything going on with new cars.
  • smokey75smokey75 Member Posts: 434
    So what would happen if one filled their front driveshaft with grease until the nipple wouldn't take anymore on a 2001 PF... or is that what you're supposed to do?
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