Questions re 2001 Pathfinder FS

[zinnoberrot]

Dear all,


I am looking at 2001-2004 Pathfinders. I looked at the FAQ section here and found it very helpful. I test drove one (mfd 3/2000) FS today. I have a question that I don't think I could quite find the answer in the archived posts:


I was disappointed in how slow it seemed to be. The 240hp seemed pokier than my 165 hp 2.5 litre Subaru. Is there a surge of power unleashed near redline that I failed to notice? Do some have a very tall rear end gearing? Is it possible the variable valve timing is subtly malfunctioning, not enough to throw a code but to degrade performance?


If any of you are of the sort that likes to point out problems, have at it with the photos (I've already noticed the body damage in front)

https://www.flickr.com/photos/94549278@ ... 389506128/

Thank you in advance for any useful info...

-Al

[Towncivilian]

87 octane will make the vehicle perform slower. I've found that 89 octane will give me a sufficient performance improvement while not paying the higher price premium for 91 / 93 octane. A restricted fuel filter will also impact the ability to reach higher RPMs; the first time I changed the fuel filter it was a night & day difference. I believe it was the original filter. I currently have three years on a NAPA Gold (Wix) filter without issue, but I was thinking about changing it soon since I have a couple fuel filters on-hand.

Get the K&N air filter out of there if you buy it - it does not increase performance substantially (the throttle body plate is the restriction here, not a paper air filter that can flow more than the engine needs anyway) and will only let in more dirt compared to a paper filter.

I don't know what that circular device between the driver's side fuse box and air box. Kind of looks like it's been spliced in. The photo is a little blurry, can't make out what it says.

The brake fluid is a little dark, but I've seen worse. Flush it if you buy the vehicle.

Otherwise, looks good from what I can tell in the photos.

Welcome to NICO!

[robbykennedy]

Check to make sure the power valves have threadlocker.

[Towncivilian]

That's much easier said than done, but yes, that is a good idea. It's too labor-intensive to remove the upper intake manifold to examine the power valve screws before purchasing, so you'd have to do that after purchasing the vehicle, as soon as possible. This thread has more info about the subject.

[Leo1998]

I have a '98 Pathfinder with the 3.3L and it's got enough horse power to get me up to speed. These rigs aren't for racing, they are more of a utility/family/off-road rig. I also noticed from all my readings that the '01 Pathfinder/QX4 is a headache. Look at a lot of the posts and you will see '01 Pathy problems more than others.
Just my own observation and opinion of course.

[Leo1998]

I just read the link TownCivilin posted and down towards the bottom is a post by "Sobiloff" and he talks about his rig being down on HP...He says:
"So, I asked the dealer to check the power valves and they just called with the verdict: one screw gone and the loose valve was binding the entire assembly, restricting airflow into the engine."

"While I'm happy that I've finally tracked down the problem, I'm frustrated that this has happened to my engine. I've asked the dealer to see if they can get some consideration from Nissan/Infiniti since this clearly is a quality failure and not the result of wear or abuse. I know I'm out of the warranty by both time and mileage (69K miles on the truck now), but I hope that they'll help offset the cost a little. (I haven't gotten the final bill, but I'm probably looking at $600 for the work.)"