Help with 2003 Pathfinder

[MNgsp]

Hello All...first post here.

I am having a problem with a 2003 Pathfinder and hoping some of you with service experience might be able to tell me if I'm getting reliable information regarding a repair.

Path stopped running and had to be towed for repair on a Thursday.

Dealer performed diagnostic (took most of Friday) and I finally I had to call for update. Told me it was problem with fuel pump and sending unit. Dealer said it woud be Sat AM before they could get parts but should be ready before noon Sat.

I heard nothing and stopped in Sat afternoon and was told parts were installed but "tech was still having some problems keeping car running and something still was not right". Dealer wanted to wait until Mon AM so they could "spend more time on it"

Didn't hear from them on Mon until late in day and they said now it also needs new Instrument Cluster (another $900 part)! I asked what happen to Instrument Cluster and they said something about voltage and the new sending unit.

The instrument panel was functioning fine when the car went in for repairs. I could initially believe the fuel pump repair as it was acting as if this was the problem when it stopped running. What I don't get - and calls to other dealer service dept. confirms - is what happened or what is the relationship of the instrument cluster.

Any help would be greatly appreciated at this point as I am inclined to believe at this time that someone over the weekend destroyed my instrument cluster. Thanks in advance to anyone who has experience here!

[Towncivilian]

Welcome to NICO.

The instrument cluster should have absolutely nothing to do with a failed fuel sending unit. The fuel gauge itself could have gone bad, but that seems unlikely, and even if it did go bad it would not affect the rest of the instrument cluster. The instrument cluster seems to be a difficult to find part, but it should not cost $900 - more in the vicinity of $220 to $250. Get a proper explanation from the dealer.

[MNgsp]

Thanks Towncivilian,

Could the instrument cluster have been bad originally if the gages were functioning...and is there anything about the instrument cluster that could have caused the stalls. The fact that the service guys said nothing about the instruments not working on Sat leads me to believe the damage to the instrument cluster took place that day (and they were trying to hide it), or after I left there. I am puzzled they would give me this story.

[Towncivilian]

Bad things will happen if you start the vehicle without the instrument cluster plugged in (nothing uncorrectable after a battery reset, I imagine), but I haven't ever read of a faulty instrument cluster causing physical problems with the engine or anything else.

[MNgsp]

Thanks again for your help! I'm going to try and deal with the service manager on this.

[Towncivilian]

The dealer's explanation of "failure to keep it running" is also very vague, try to get some more details on that. Good luck.