I am sorry if this topic is already discussed; I am not good at searching.
My 2002 QX4 cooling fan turns on every time the engines is turned on first time in the morning, AC is not turned on. I never paid attention to it until recently.
So far the car has no issues, everything works fine, and MPG is the same as before. Time it takes to reach the normal temperature is about the same, not much longer due to the fan cooling the radiator when it is not needed.

I like you expert to let me know if this is normal or not?

Thank you.

Is anything on that could engage the A/C separately (defrost, etc)?

Thank you for the quick reply.
I will check it out after work. Normally I keep everything off.

Your radiator cooling fan, like mine on my '02 Pathfinder, does not "turn on". The fan will always passively spin when the engine is cold but then it will fully engage when the thermal activated clutch coupling the fan is mounted to heats up to a set temperature. Our fans do not have an electric motor. If your fan is fully engaged at start up when the engine is cold, then your clutch coupling is worn out, locked up, and needs to be replaced. The Infiniti/Nissan part number is 21082-6P00A. Infiniti Parts Deal has it at less than dealership costs. https://www.infinitipartsdeal.com/parts ... 5DE;3=USA)
Aftermarket replacements at RockAuto and Amazon are also available at even lower prices but I have no idea what the quality of these are like.

Wow, thank you mdmellott.
When I start the "cold" car, the fan looks to me is at full speed. What confuses me is it does not take long for temperature needle to reach normal operation temperature.
I will replace the nearly 20 year old clutch.

When the car is off and cold, you should be able spin the fan freely by hand. Try spinning the fan by hand, giving it as forceful a push as you can. The fan should spin around on its own at least half turn when you give it a good push. I'm not sure if I could tell the difference by looking at a spinning fan (engine on) as to whether or not it is spinning while engaged by the clutch or just spinning normally and not engaged by the clutch but I can tell the difference in the sound it makes when it does engage. If the fan clutch is operating normally and you let the car idle long enough on a hot day it won't take long before you hear the difference yourself. As the clutch engages, there is a distinct sound of the fan spinning faster.

Yes, I tried spinning the fan, it spins about half turn based on my blade count. It spins very smoothly.
Earlier I described fan runs at "full" speed, now I realize it could be the loud engine running right after the cold start, that makes my feel the fan is running at its full speed. Combined with the normal time it takes to reach the set temperature, I guess fan is working fine.

Thanks again, I am learning...

QX4ME wrote: ↑

Wed Aug 25, 2021 8:41 am

Yes, I tried spinning the fan, it spins about half turn based on my blade count. It spins very smoothly.
Earlier I described fan runs at "full" speed, now I realize it could be the loud engine running right after the cold start, that makes my feel the fan is running at its full speed. Combined with the normal time it takes to reach the set temperature, I guess fan is working fine.

Thanks again, I am learning...

Hey, I thought I'd check in to the old Pathfinder forum, and then I see that you are still here. Cool.
I junked my Pathfinder a little while ago as you know, and surprise surprise, I don't miss it nearly as much as I thought I would.
That's probably because I was losing confidence in it, and I was never sure if it would get me where I needed it to go.
We are still down to one vehicle, and so far so good. We don't see getting a second vehicle at this point anymore.
Saving money on gas and insurance and maintenance is kinda nice.

As for your cooling fan, it sounds like it's operating as it should. I wouldn't be concerned. Drive it til it breaks...lol.

Cheers all.

Hi Buzzman, yes I am around just not post much. I check in nearly everyday to see if any new topic interests me. My 02 is very reliable, original engine, transmission, HID headlight, etc. Cosmetic wise it is not as good as my 00 RX300. I will drive it until it resigns. To save money I skipped all major service such as 30k or 60k miles maintenance, only oil change every year, and transmission fluid change once in a long time when I feel like to.

QX4ME wrote: ↑

Fri Aug 27, 2021 9:58 pm

Hi Buzzman, yes I am around just not post much. I check in nearly everyday to see if any new topic interests me. My 02 is very reliable, original engine, transmission, HID headlight, etc. Cosmetic wise it is not as good as my 00 RX300. I will drive it until it resigns.

Ya, I don't check in everyday anymore. Maybe every week or two when the mood hits.
Like you, I might respond to something of interest once in a while.
I don't know where you live or how many miles are on your 2002, but up here in Canada, 19 years driving in the snow, ice, and salt takes a huge toll on our vehicles. That's what ultimately killed my Pathfinder.
The drivetrain was still solid, but everything else was rotting out. It also had 330,000 kms on it (about 205,000 miles).
RIP.

I live in Silicon Valley, nice weather all year round. Been nearly twenty years I drove through snow only five times going to Reno, Nevada for skiing. It has got about 115k miles. Engine oil started leaking but not really bad. I poured in some leak stopper, forgot the name. It took quite a few weeks to notice the leak gets very little now.

Aw man, I envy your your weather. No wonder your truck is still in such good shape.
My wife and I used to winter in Florida for several months every year, and I was seriously contemplating finding a low mileage R50 to bring back to Canada.
Unfortunately, with Covid, we haven't travelled outside of Canada in over two years, so that may never happen. We have no idea when or if we'll ever have a chance to go back.

As a point of (mild) interest, I've been driving since I was 13 (not legally at that time of course...lol), and I am now a retired senior citizen.
I have owned and driven countless cars over this time frame, and I can honestly say that the Pathfinder was the most satisfying vehicle I have ever owned. It wasn't the most exciting or 'get the adrenaline flowing' kind of car I've ever had, but it was certainly the most versatile, reliable and bullet proof one. Like I said, if I could find a low mileage rust free example, I'd buy it.

There are one or two other cars I can think of that I've owned in the past that fell into the 'most fun' category, but those came with their own issues. One I fondly remember was a 1973 Toyota Celica that I bought new. It was my first new new car. Got it just after we got married.
Five years later I sold it when our first baby arrived. It was a fun car, but had some serious engine issues. The engine was poorly designed and burned valves at an alarming rate. Toyota fixed it under warranty at first, but then I was on my own. It was using a lot of oil when I sold it.
The other car I enjoyed was my 2003 Nissan Sentra Se-R with the 2.5 engine. That thing could move. A sleeper car if ever there was one.
The only knock against that was just the poor build quality. It also had catback issues. It would blow engines if not careful.

I now have a 2017 Mazda6 GT with all the bells and whistles. Great car to drive and look at. Mechanically very sound.
The one issue is poor paint quality, common to all Mazda's. It chips and scratches very easily, and next week it is going to the body shop to have the roof repainted, under warranty. I'd recommend a Mazda, but the poor paint quality is holding me back.

OK, that's my ramblings for today.
Take care.
Buzzman.