2001 Pathfinder - New to me

[TJW]

Hello all,
I decided to pick up a used 4x4 pathfinder. It has 202,000 miles and is in generally good shape. I have been working on the vehicle and taken care of several things. Today I took it into the dealer to let their trained mechanics have a look at it. Here are the issues they raised and that I would like some advice on:
1. The vehicle has a small unsteadiness to it when driving down the road, almost like it jerks left and right coming from the rear. The rear suspension is a little complicated and I am thinking that the suspension bushings may be worn. I have read about the "death wobble". I am not sure if this is what I have. I would like to do this job at home. I am concerned that pressing out bushings and pressing in new ones. Any suggestions on a bushing kit and where to buy it from or other ideas to fix this are appreciated. Dealer quote to fix is $442 ($76 in parts) for total of four bushings.
2. The vehicle has oil leaks. One looks like the rear main seal. Any opinions on doing this yourself? I am thinking it involves dropping the driveshafts, removing the transfer case and the transmission to get to the seal. My guess is eight hours of wrenching. Any estimates on the time this takes or the best way to go about it are also appreciated? Dealer quote to fix is $1301 ($81 in parts).
3. The other oil leak is coming from the oil cooler. This seems to me like it could be just a mounting gasket or a ring gasket. I was surprised at the dealer quote of $754 ($570 in parts). Am I missing something that I should consider? I tried calling on prices for a full replacement, but it seems it is a dealer only part. The only thing the parts store carry is the ring gasket. Any thoughts?
Don't get me wrong, dealers have their place, but most of the time I find I don't like to pay the price to have them do it.

[atraudes]

Hey, welcome to Nico!

1. You're correct, that back and forth feeling from the rear is most likely the infamous death sway. The good news is that it's a well-documented issue. Check out the thread on the topic for full info. For as many miles as you have, they're certainly in need of replacing regardless.
2. I'd recommend letting a shop do the rear main seal. It'll be spendy but I've heard a few accounts of even mechanics having to redo the job numerous times. At least if you have a shop do the work, they'll be obligated to go back and fix the issue again free of charge if it comes back immediately. I guess it comes down to how sure you are of your wrenching and how much you like doing it
3. You certainly don't need a whole new unit; two inexpensive o-rings are all that are needed. This thread will give you everything you need on replacing them.

Let us know how it goes!

[atraudes]

Also, before going any further, check your power valves and make sure your shock towers are in good shape if you haven't already. Both are pretty serious issues if you're subject to them. I'd hope the mechanics would have noticed either, but it wouldn't be the first time it was overlooked.

[4xq]

I would also say to do the rear water valve while you are in there. It is a second thermostat on the back of these engines. They get no maintenance because to access them you must pull the transmission or remove the top of the engine. They cause overheating issues if they stick.

[TJW]

Thanks to both of you. I was unaware of the shock tower issue. All I can say is WOW! I'll check it out. Hopefully there are some reasonable ways to preserve the vehicle if it isn't too far gone.

As for the water control valve...is there a part number? I see it's a 203 deg-F thermostat.

[atraudes]

Here's the rear thermostat. Just offhand, it doesn't appear to be available at parts stores, but you can give it a try.

[binar01011]

TJW,
I had the same death wobble problem several months ago I fixed it by having a mechanic install the kit I purchased shown in the link below:

http://www.4x4parts.com/i-18981478-comp ... g-kit.html

The only real problem I had was finding a mechanic willing to do the job. The first five mechanics I tried turned the job down for one reason or another. Three of them told me they would only install the split design version or rubber ones. The fourth one told me he would only install the entire trailing arm with the bushing already installed on the trailing arm. The fifth one wanted to cut my polyurethane bushings in half to make it easier for him to install them.

The sixth mechanic agreed to install them without cutting them in half and he charged me around $300 (plus $225 for the kit = $525). I saw him do the job from beginning to end and in my opinion it's not a job you want to take on as a weekend project. It requires a press and a lot of expertise to swap the bushings made out of polyurethane. However, if you buy the split design it makes it easier but there are drawbacks to the split design

In short, if I would have gone the route of reinstalling original NISSAN rubber bushings most likely I wouldn't of have had a problem finding a mechanic to do the job because rubber bushings are a lot easier to install compared to the polyurethane version I purchased. However, the reason I opted for the polyurethane ones is because they are designed to last. These polyurethane bushings are going to last for the rest of the life of my 2001 Pathfinder. If I would have opted for the rubber ones in another 5 years I would probably have to change then again.

My research brought up a concern about the ride becoming much harder if you opt for polyurethane vs. rubber bushings. The reality is I can't tell the difference. I feel my Pathfinder still rides smooth.

I hope this helps. Cheers to everyone.

[azoni]

Hi, I also have a 2001 Nissan Pathfinder

A couple of things based on my experiences:

Since it is used, a replacement of the IAC would be recommended, and probably save you a bit of trouble in the long run. I bought my Pathfinder used as well and has 180k on it now. I was getting P0420 and p0430 Catalyst fail, P0120 TPS Sensor, P1705 TPS to A/T fault, and P1320 Ignition Ignition signal fault error codes 6 months after I bought it, and the ECCS2 fuse - under the hood, on the passenger side kept blowing on startup - I think it's fuse 63. I was quoted about $3,300 to fix it all (replace all Cats, O2 sensors, TPS).

I was not into spending twice as much as I spent for the rig, so I decided to research and, and as it turns out (by reading this forum actually) it was actually the Idle Air Control Valve that had failed by coolant leaking onto it, and fried some parts on my ECM. I removed the ECM, disassembled it and found it had visibly blown parts off the board itself. I had it sent off to be repaired, and replaced the IAC at the same time (which actually visibly had dried fluid all over it, and was completely inoperable). It cost me about $230 for the IAC - (BWD brand from O'Rielly Auto Parts), and $200 for the ECM repair, but she runs perfect for over 12 months now. As soon as the repaired ECM was installed, and the new IAC was installed at the same time, all of those fault codes never came back. Turns out that the $3.3 k would have been wasted because they would not have even addressed the true issue. It's interesting that I never got the dreaded P0505 code that seems most get with the IAC issues.

I hate to think that thousands of 2001 Pathfinders are junked every year because of this issue, but sadly the repair shops either know of the issues and find it a way to draw money, or they are just clueless. (neither would surprise me much)

Hope this helps someone.

[Buzzman]

I hate to think that thousands of 2001 Pathfinders are junked every year because of this issue, but sadly the repair shops either know of the issues and find it a way to draw money, or they are just clueless. (neither would surprise me much)

Hope this helps someone.

Both scenarios are probably true.
Third party mechanics/garages don't know the pathfinders well enough to diagnose and fix the IACV problem,
and dealerships will only fix the problem if you buy a new ECM.

[azoni]

I hate to think that thousands of 2001 Pathfinders are junked every year because of this issue, but sadly the repair shops either know of the issues and find it a way to draw money, or they are just clueless. (neither would surprise me much)

Hope this helps someone.

Both scenarios are probably true.
Third party mechanics/garages don't know the pathfinders well enough to diagnose and fix the IACV problem,
and dealerships will only fix the problem if you buy a new ECM.

You are correct on that one. When I visited several 3rd party mechanics to do the job I knew they needed to do with the IACV/ECM they looked at me like I was crazy, and an idiot... figured I'd just do it myself. I forgot to mention that they wanted change out all 6 coils, and plugs, (and possibly fuel injectors) and an additional 2 hour minimum labor charge to 'find the electrical short' .. "if" replacing the cats, O2's and TPS didn't fix the issue, of course at an additional $1,400 dollars. Crazy.

[Buzzman]

When I visited several 3rd party mechanics to do the job I knew they needed to do with the IACV/ECM they looked at me like I was crazy, and an idiot... figured I'd just do it myself. I forgot to mention that they wanted change out all 6 coils, and plugs, (and possibly fuel injectors) and an additional 2 hour minimum labor charge to 'find the electrical short' .. "if" replacing the cats, O2's and TPS didn't fix the issue, of course at an additional $1,400 dollars. Crazy.

These guys obviously didn't have a clue. Change a bunch of parts and hope that it's fixed kind of guys.
In all fairness, this whole IACV/ECM problem has only surfaced in the past few years, and even dealerships were not too bright at troubleshooting the problem.
When this problem first manifested itself in my Pathfinder (about 2 years ago), I went to my dealer and had their top guy look at it.
He didn't know what was going on either.
First he said it was my MAF, so I picked up a couple of used ones at the junkyard for $20.00, and none of them made any difference.
He finally figured out it was the IACV, but was still unaware of the ECM frying along with it.
After a lot of research, including this forum, I figured out what to do, and ended up fixing it myself. Saved a ton of money in the end.
So far so good. 2 years and counting.

[azoni]

After a lot of research, including this forum, I figured out what to do, and ended up fixing it myself. Saved a ton of money in the end.
So far so good. 2 years and counting.

Yep, which is why I decided to sign up and post my experience when I saw this thread. I wanted to post my symptoms, and resolution as accurately as possible. Hopefully it saves our ever dwindling 2001/02 Pathfinders to stay on the roads. I guess the only good thing is, you can get them pretty cheap when someone has abandoned all hope and has already replaced tons of parts. I hate to say that; actually, I would rather help people keep them going, that is why I posted in a detailed manner, but it is what it is. Most people will never read a forum like this.

[Buzzman]

it is what it is. Most people will never read a forum like this.

So true.
I still see a fair amount of Pathfinders around town, but I have only ever known one other guy on here from my city.
Not everyone is a car person/enthusiast.
To most people, a car is just a means of getting around, and when it breaks, they take it to their dealer or mechanic, without bothering to do any research or homework......and blindly pay the bill.
My brother in law is like that.
Drives a nice Acura, but knows diddly squat about how it works, or how to fix it.
He also shows no interest in the car other than to drive it.
I also have a client who owns a 2003 Pathfinder, and I have tried talking to him about it (as one car guy to another), and have mentioned this website to him several times.
He could care less. No interest or aptitude.
Example: He just put four new tires on it. Bought the tires at the dealership. Had no interest in shopping around or checking other deals or prices.
Paid a fortune......and didn't care.
Oh well.

[azoni]

He could care less. No interest or aptitude.

I'm sure this another thread in the making, but to have no interest in a vehicle, is the difference between it going 300,000 miles or ending up on craigslist for "parts only". People need to take care of their vehicles, and not treat them as 'point A to point B' devices. It's all in how you care for them, and get to know them. You have to be involved. Regular oil changes? Fluid flushes? Keep oil type the same , and not jerk around just because the 'salesman' recommends something..keep it the same. (I prefer synthetic blend oil always), but whatever your preference is, stick with it, your engine will like that. People would be amazed at how long their cars last if they actually took care of them properly. The Nissan 3.5 is actually a very strong and reliable engine, sensor hell? maybe. But that engine is strong.