Attention 2001-2004 Pathfinder QX4 owners vibration help!

[Bigdbonz80]

Good Morning Gents and Happy Thanksgiving! I am a long time nissan pathfinder fan and have owned 2 pathfinders (93/95) and now a 2003 QX4. Just so you know where I'm coming from, I am pretty mechanically inclined, I installed the lift kits on both those pathfinders and did all my own mechanic work (brakes, suspension, engine work etc). I find myself stuck with what seems to be a common ALL MODE AWD problem and I'm posting this to see how many people with LE pathfinders or QX4s have this issue. I haven't driven an SE with the manual 4x4 shifter (no awd) so let me know what you guys think. Problem: ONLY from a dead start I get a vibration through the drivetrain at about 3500 (peak trq) then it goes away after 4000 rpm. It is only for that second I can feel that vibration and only from a stop when taking off hard. I can floor it on the highway or while moving and the truck is silk. If I put the QX in AWD or 4x4 it isnt as bad, which leads me to believe its the ALL MODE transfer case. I drove my best friends 2002 LE pathfinder and his does the same thing but he didn't notice it until I pointed it out. My other friend has an 02 QX4 and it also does the same thing?? I changed every single fluid in the truck (including diffs and transfer case) to full synthetic and had the transmission flushed out. Sullivan tire found a bad U joint and changed it, the problem is still there. I finally took it too infiniti and they said it was the rear bushings in the rear upper links, I changed those and nothing! Anybody think this is a stupid problem or what. You guys with your 3.5's let me know what you think, try taking off hard from a dead stop and tell me if you feel the same thing and I'll dismiss it as a nissan thing, I guess I'm just curious if the SE does it without ALL MODE? Thanks for hearing me out. Let me know what you think.

[Bigdbonz80]

Nothing?? Nobody has this issue? Any gear heads out there or am I on the wrong forum?

[Buzzman]

Don't get discouraged. Maybe everyone's taking a little holiday break.As for me in Canada, it's business as usual. Our Thanksgiving is earlier.Anyway, I haven't heard of this problem before, or at least I haven't noticed it, but I'm willing to try it out in my Pathy. (when I get it back from my son.)Could be about a week though. Sorry.

[AJRK]

My 2001 QX4 has done this since new. Complained many times, dealers dismissed it and said "they all do that. It's normal." I haven't really thought about it lately, since I don't usually accelerate over 2500rpm when I can help it. I guess thats the only cure?

[Bigdbonz80]

Thank you for your responses, It seems to be an all mode issue and I'm not really glad to here that its common, but I'm glad its not happening just to me. How can nissan not feel a vibration in a 40,000 dollar truck is unreal to me. Any of you guys with SE pathys have this issue. I may have to cut a hole in the floor and swap transfer cases for a manual shift 4x4 ! No more awd. Thanks gents.

[fueler]

I have the "AUTO" awd too and it doesn't vibrate. But mine is a 99.5 with the weaker 3.3 L engine... Shouldn't vibrate in my opinion....

[b00ster]

Hey...I'm new here...here's my first post. :-)

I have a 2001 Pathy SE with AT and Manual select AWD. I have what would seem to be the same vibration issue. It happens at 3500-4000rpm-ish (not really sure of the exact engine speed because when I'm accelerating that hard, I'm watching where I am going). It doesn't seem to happen because of the high revs but because of the hard acceleration. For instance, if I slowly bring revs up that high, it doesn't happen.

I don't know for sure if it happens in when I am in 4WD or not (don't usually accelerate that hard in 4wd).

**I am NOT a transmission expert**, but I always assumed that the vibration was caused by torque multiplication from the torque converter under hard acceleration causing a vibration from the rear diff or from slipping clutches.

Like I said...that was what I assumed...never really looked any further into it.

-Jim

[vliou]

Does the same on my allmode truck

[88pathoffroad]

IIRC with the All-Mode system there is a center clutch that allows slip between the front and rear wheels in AWD mode. If everyone else is experiencing it, I would bet money it's simply a minimal bug of the overall design and not a real problem. Does it do it in 2WD-only mode?

[Bigdbonz80]

2wd is when it does it! awd, and 4wd it its hardly noticable! (silky smooth)Its very noticeable when in 2wd! And on top of that I have had a vibration lately on the highway at speeds between 55-65 mph. Really fun stuff. My recent updates are: I took the infiniti guy for a ride (head mechanic) and he felt the problem and said it was a u-joint. I have had the u-joints replaced, the transfer case fluid and transmission fluids changed.. there is NO change. Happy Holidays guys, let me know if you come on to some miracle cure. P.S. I haven't heard from any SE pathfinder owners with the non-all mode system, I'm willing to bet they don't have this problem!

[plugnickle]

I have a 1999.5 pathfinder LE, It has had a bad vibration in the steering wheel (moves rapidly back and forth about an inch from 45 mph up even in nuetral) with the last two sets of tires. I have replaced rear shocks, originals were junk, had all u-joints checked, replaced trans- fluid and filter with B & M trick Shift and had all accessable parts checked. Checked all front suspension parts at two shops and I still have that d%&) vibration. The vibration started at about 125,000 miles and I figured it was the tires since they were getting near end of life. I now have yet another set of tires and the same vibration at 165,000 miles. I would unload it but I love this ride, anybody have any ideas?

[fueler]

ur problem sound like the typical signs of out of balance wheels. It doesnt have to be the tires - it can be the rims themselves bent out-of-round or poor balancing. Ever notice any difference after a tire rotation? It could even be warped brake rotors but if it was, the problem would magnify whenever pressure is applied to the brake pedal.

[Buzzman]

I started having minor vibration issues when I put a new set of Goodyear Wranglers on my truck 2 years ago.I had them rebalanced, but it didn't make much of a difference at the time. That's when I started thinking it might be a mechanical problem. Then last winter when I put on winter tires, the problem went away. The problem returned in the spring. Duh.Long story short, I have had these crappy tires balanced 4 times, and the last time gave me the best results. Part of the reason is that I took it to a very reputable tire specialist instead of my local garage or Wal-Mart type place. He not only rebalanced them, he remounted them as well.The Wranglers are still a piece of crap as far as I'm concerned, and I will change them out this spring.In the meantime, I'm running with 4 snows, with no problems. Your problem may be nothing more than bad tires, or bad rims, or a combination of both.

[j0321]

I had the same problem with a set of crappy toyos. Then got some high dollar Michellens (sp.?) and it's as smooth as a baby's butt.

[bigsun]

You hit it spot on with my 2001 QX4, i have the exact issue as you do, i guess its Normal????

[Brian B]

I had that exact same vibration problem on my '95 XE 4X$, and it turned out to be motor mounts.

[Adnan]

i never had that with my path

but my steering wheel shakes quite horribly when i brake on the hwyanywhere over 140 km/h...regardless of how gently i apply the brakes