2001 Pathfinder Electrical Help

[TXGuy]

Hello, everyone. I hope someone can help me with an electrical issue that is driving me nuts. I am about to drive my pathy off a big cliff if I don't find the issue.

I have listed the issues that I have had with it in 2014. I do not know if they are all related but it might.

• For several months my Pathy hesitates on cold starts. I took it to my local car shop and they said everything looked good but had Orielly's warranty my battery.
• About a month later, the alternator went kaput while I was driving with my 4 yr old in the back. Apparently, the alternator died and my local car shop put a new one in. We were stranded and had to call tow truck.
• The same alternator issue happened a week later. Turns out that the new alternator was bad. The same local car shop had oreilly's warrant the alternator. No charge to me not even labor.
• A week later the initial issue of hesitation on cold start came back.
• This past saturday night the pathy does not start at the grocery store. The first attempts there is hesitation. The 2nd attempt there is just buzzing sound. I was in the store for about 5 minutes. I had to call my wife to pick me up. When I turn the key there is a buzzing noise. No engagement of anything under the hood. The battery light, seatbelt light, odometer lights stay on after I take out the key and open the door.
• I had the truck towed to the same local car shop. It took them about 3 hrs to deduce issues. They even had the electrical guy from their other shop pay a visit. They noticed a wire to the starter was touching the frame. They believe that this was causing the issue. They then tightened it up and made sure that the wire was in the wire plastic thing(sorry, can't remember the name). They did not charge me anything for this.
• I pick up the pathy today. Hours later I take my 4 yr old son to Cabella's and it doesn't start. The first attempt was a hesitation. The 2nd attempt was the buzzing noise. The battery light, seatbelt light, odometer lights stay on after I take out the key and open the door.

Has this happened to anyone before? Any help to figure out the issue would be greatly appreciated.

2001 Nissan Pathfinder
144K miles
Original engine
No previous electrical issues while I have owned it (2009)

[fleurys]

I'm pretty sure I read something similar a few months ago. The problem was with the key holder (Where you put the key) in the steering column. It seems probable that if the lights are staying lit in your dash when the key is removed that something is really wrong in the steering column. I would concentrate my efforts in this direction if I were your mechanic...

Try to see if by shaking/wiggling the key affects/changes the results when the problem occurs.

Cheers.
S.

[TXGuy]

Thanks for the reply.

I had the truck towed to a different car shop that focuses on auto electric. The shop just called me and he said that the issue was the Smart Entrance Module. He said that it did somehow melted and caused damage to a computer. I am not sure if the computer is in the module or in another thing. He told me that it is going to cost $660 to repair the computer and the harness.

Does that cost sound fair? I am in Dallas.

[fleurys]

If that is the case, make sure to have a look at the current module to confirm that it melted.... And if it did melt, then you have a bigger problem I think...

Check here for a discussion on this : best-place-to-buy-the-smart-entrance-co ... 90291.html

Good luck.
S.

[TXGuy]

A quick update.

After paying over $600 to replace the smart entrance module, it turns out that it was not the problem. The problem came back days later. I then took it to my original shop where they heard the issue for themselves. They checked the fuel pressure and the master air flow and those were fine. They felt like it was the recently replaced starter. They then warrantied the starter and labor. They told me that the fly wheel and the starter teeth looked fine.

Unfortunately, it did not fix the issue. The hesitation came back right away but it is no longer at cold starts only. It usually hesitates a couple of times but starts. This morning at daycare it took me 5 attempts before it finally started.

To summarize, 2 alternators, 2 starters and smart entrance module have been replaced.

At this point, I feel like I am screwed completely. I want to sell the truck but noone is going to buy it with this issue. I do not feel that throwing more money on a 2001 truck is going to be smart, either.

[RyanL83]

Has the battery been replaced as well? In your original post you mention it, but not in the summary. This seems like it would be easily diagnosed, but there's a chance that the battery could be weak. If the battery was already replaced but there was a drain that wasn't fixed until some time after the new battery was put in, the new one might need to be replaced as well. To do a quick, grab a voltmeter and put it on the battery, then have someone crank the engine. I don't know exactly what range to expect, but I would think if your voltage dips below 10v, it might be worth considering a replacement. Even better if you can test it when you get the buzzing or any time it won't turn over. At that time, check the voltage while there is no load on it, and then again when you attempt to crank the engine.

[atraudes]

All of the hesitation you talk about is a reluctance to start, correct? I just want to make sure I'm not misunderstanding and you mean hesitation while accelerating. I'd be curious to see what your fuel pressure is after shutting the engine off and while trying to start it. I had a very similar issue myself last year and the problem was that the fuel pressure regulator was bad and stuck open, allowing the fuel rail to empty and causing it to crank for a while before starting. In your case it may be the fuel pump going out as well.

You can borrow a fuel pressure gauge from most parts stores. You'll hook it up to the fuel rail on top of the engine (careful when disconnecting; the line will likely be pressurized) and be looking at what the pressure is immediately after shutting it off, while it's running, and while starting. It should maintain pressure for at least a few minutes after shutting off and slowly bleed off. The nice thing about this check is it only costs you time

To depressurize the fuel system before connecting anything, you start the engine, pull the fuel pump fuse, and let it die. Try to crank a few more times and you should be good to go.

[atraudes]

Actually reading your post again, you may have multiple issues. The lights staying on with the key out and the buzzing do certainly scream electrical issue. I'd still recommend checking out your fuel pressure in the interest of ruling it out.

[4xq]

I think Atraudes is correct - you have two separate issues. Are you still having problems with the dash lights / indicators staying on when you pull the key out? Has the buzzing been fixed? Does the car now immediately engage the starter each time you turn the key to start?

Second, I owned a Ford Explorer at one time that was hard to start after sitting overnight. Turned out it had a leaking fuel injector and lost fuel pressure when it sat for several hours. Atraudes could be right about the fuel pressure regulator as well.

A way to test if fuel pressure ( or the fuel pump) is part of the problem is to turn the key to "on", but don't try to start the car, hold for five seconds, then turn the key off. Repeat three times. This allows the fuel pump to pressurize the system. Then try to start the car. If the car starts right up, even tho it is cold, you may have found the problem. If you can get the car to start right up by doing this test several times, you can show your mechanic what you are doing - he should be able to take it from there.

Anyway, post back and tell us if all the other electrical symptoms got fixed/.

[4xq]

Atraudes, I like your avatar. Had to use tineye to figure out where it came from. Haven't heard the music tho.

[atraudes]

Atraudes, I like your avatar. Had to use tineye to figure out where it came from. Haven't heard the music tho.

Thanks Art rock isn't for everyone, but those that like it REALLY like it!

[4xq]

The little guy would make a good tattoo. Well, it kind of looks like a little guy).

[TXGuy]

RyanL83, you are correct. I missed that in the summary. Throughout this process, they continually checked the battery which was replaced one time. They used a handheld computer thing that connects to the battery and checks the volts/amps every time that I have taken it in. They checked it while cranking and have ruled it out each time.

atraudes, you are correct. The hesitation is only while cranking. It cranks but the engine will not start. They told me that they checked the fuel pressure and that there was no issue. I guess I can do the test that you mentioned on my own. However, which is the fuel fuse?

atraudes, 4xq, in my frustration I completely forgot about add about the lights in my summary. The interior lights and the door ajar noise have stayed on one other time. It fixed itself after I drove it to my next destination.

4xq, in most starts everything starts fine. I will have to listen for the starter on the times that it does not start. It is not clear to my newb ears if the cranking is from the starter or from the engine. Please note that this start problem is not only on cold starts. Yesterday, I took my son to breakfast before taking him to school. The truck started perfectly at the cold start and after breakfast. Then it took me 5 attempts before it started at the daycare. It has been fine on the 3 or 4 other starts on same day.

[4xq]

Ok, try the key on - key off test I described above and see if the car will then start the first time you turn the key to start. Let us know!