Riderman

OK, this Trick/workaround worked on my daughters 98 pathfinder! I connected a Jump starter battery pack to her battery terminals, No Key In The Ignition. I found a fuse that was HOT Fuse 25, (Labeled ELEC B) in the fuse box that is located under the drivers side dash). I pulled fuse 25, the left terminal as you are looking up at it, is the hot side. I pulled fuse 8, (labeled METER) it is in the center row of the fuse box, second one down. The right side terminal of fuse 8 is the load side which feeds the instrument cluster. I used a jumper wire with alligator clips on each end. On each end I clipped on a paper clip. I stuck the paper clip of one end of the jumper into the left(hot) side of fuse 25 and the other end into the right (load) side of fuse 8. SUCCESS. All of the idiot lights lit up and the Odometer lit up showing the mileage! You do not have to connect a jumper starter to the battery terminals. You can take the same jump start pack, or a cordless drill battery, then get a second alligator clip jumper wire and connect the negative side of the battery to a decent grounding point. I used the door hinge bolt. Use the alligator clip jumper set up mentioned above to connect the positive side of the power source to the right side of fuse 8 . It works, I used a Dewalt 14 vdc drill battery as well for this trick. I wasn't brave enough to try an 18-20v cordless tool battery on her pathfinder. Maybe I will try a junkyard find in the future. I think onespiritbrain will find out wires #12 and #2 from the instrument wiring connector will power up the cluster as well if it is removed from the vehicle. Remember, pins #12 (hot) and #2 (ground) are located where the white 16 pin connector plugs into the back of the instrument cluster. If you cut the cluster wiring harness off a few inches when you remove the cluster from a junkyard find, it will make it even easier to connect your power source. Just strip those two wires back a little and connect your power source. A 9 volt battery powered up the idiot light's, but NOT the odometer. That would have been nice if it worked. The heart of this instrument cluster is called the "Unified Meter Control Unit". This is what we are powering up. It essentially is the brains of the instrument cluster. The mileage is stored in the instrument cluster, NOT the ECU. Hope this helps somebody. It took you longer to read this write up than it will take you to perform this trick/workaround. UPDATE: 18-20 VDC portable tool batteries work as well. I used a Milwaukee M18 battery today on an 04 Xterra and it worked fine. Someone took all of the fuses out of the Xterra along with the steering wheel and ignition switch. I just grounded the negative side of the battery to some metal, and touched both sides of every fuse socket with the positive side of the battery's jumper until the idiot lights/odometer lit up.

It looks like fuse #8 powers the instrument cluster, which Nissan call's the "Unified Control Meter", as per the FSM electrical drawing I found online. (page EL62) It look's like there is a White 16 pin connector on the back of the cluster. It indicates Pin #12 is the power input and pin #2 is the ground. I may jumper power to fuse #8 tonight on my daughter's pathfinder to see if it energizes the odometer. If it works I'll try a 9v battery to see if that works even.

I really wasn't down on "internet Pro's." I meant it as tongue in cheek. You get what you pay for, so to speak when it comes to advice.... The $45.00 + $5.00 core charge valve body included the solenoids. If I would have replaced the entire valve body with it's solenoids in the first round of troubleshooting, my transmission would have been fixed for less than a $100.00 including new fluid. (The solenoids can be tested with voltage and/or resistance for proper operation before installing them) As most experts that I read stated, if your transmission is slipping, it's probably a clogged filter or low on fluid. If those issues are correct, and you have no OBDII codes, it's "probably" a major mechanical issue. (Clutches, etc) If it has a shifting issue with a code, follow the code to your problem. Shorted/open electrical circuits on transmission solenoids and their associated wiring usually set a OBDII code. I had a shifting issue with no OBDII code to help me TS. It would not shift out of first gear until the engine was at normal operating temp. Sometimes, just as the engine/tranny was warming up, just after shifting into second gear, it would not shift back into first gear, it would stay in second gear even after coming to a complete stop. This would happen even on 90+ degree day's. It was not a cold weather issue. I searched the internet for hours for a solution! Many manufacturer's transmissions have the same issue. Many people had the same questions I had. Most solutions ended up being check/change the transmission fluid and filter, or replace the solenoid's, if that doesn't work, replace or rebuild the transmission. My daughter's transmission shifted FINE after the engine warmed up. (I know, the transmission warmed up as well). I refused to pay about 3 grand for a temporary shift issue on a 20 year old SUV. One could say I wasted my time and money. I did this repair in increments for a reason. I wanted to learn and find out what the REAL problem was in her Pathfinder. I had nothing to lose. As I stated, I replaced the solenoid's, no joy (($22.50 +fluid) I replaced the shift accumulator piston's/orings with their respective springs, no joy ( $15.00 + fluid, both the solenoid pack and accumulator pistons removed from an 02 Pathfinder). I then replaced the valve body ($50.00+ fluid and new filter screen and gasket) removed from an 04 Xterra 2wd. My daughter's 1998 Pathfinder shift's like a new one now! We have drove it over 500 miles since last weekend's repair's. I hope someone does a search on this issue in the future, finds this post and at least tries this repair before they pull their transmission. These beast's are not getting any younger. ABOUT THE 04 Xterra: It looked great for a Pick-N-Pull find! I don't know the mileage (digital Odometer), but the 3.3L engine and interior looked awesome. When I dropped the Tran's pan, the fluid looked dark purple. When I dropped the valve body, the second/third accumulator piston spring was broken in half. If I had to guess, the Xterra owner had a 2-3rd shifting issue, They then got their approximately 3 thousand dollar transmission repair estimate like I did, they traded it in. WOW, I wrote a book!

onespiritbrain, Have you had time to figure this out yet?

That would be awesome if you can figure it out. Especially without having to take apart the dash to power it up.

Anyone have a good way of getting the mileage from a Path Finder that's in the junkyard that has no battery or ignition key? I can get a jump box for power, just no way of turning on the ignition to read the digital mileage on the speedometer. Sometimes it's nice to know the mileage of a vehicle before buying certain parts.

My daughter's pathfinder would not shift into second gear until the engine was completely warmed up. I had no OBD II codes. I searched the Internet for an easy solution. I read that It's "OK" when it's cold outside for a transmission to take up to 3 miles or 3 minutes to shift into second gear . They give several BS reasons why, and then state it's "normal". BS! If it takes 30 seconds to minute to shift into second, there is a problem! I believed the crap about hardened seal's, etc. I put in trans max, Lucas, etc, they didn't work. As recommended by the internet pro's...I replaced the solenoid pack As recommended by internet pro's, even without a OBDII code That was my issue, I had no codes...it didn't work. I replaced the O'rings on the shift accumulator pistons, As recommended by SEVERAL internet pro's. it didn't fix my problem. Today, I took a entire valve body from a 04 Xterra 2WD transmission from Pick N Pull, ($50.00) installed in the 1998 pathfinder transmission, and the Transmission shift's like new again. SOO, if your RE4R01A Transmission has an issue, the gut's from my 98 to an 04 are "nearly" the same. By that I mean the Valve Body with solenoid's. A TRICK HERE: When you drop the valve body, 3 springs will fall out that are located between the transmission case and the valve body on the driver's side of the transmission They are shift piston/accumulator springs. NO PROBLEM! Look up on the internet for the drawing of which bolts need to be removed. There are two different length's of bolts, make sure each bolt goes into it's proper hole.. When re-installing the valve body, just barely start a bolt on the passenger side of the valve body. This will allow the drivers side of the valve body to hang down several inches. This allows you to install the springs, then lift the valve body up to the transmission and install the rest of the fasteners. I wish I could have found that information on the internet.! I was quoted $2900.00 to repair this transmission from a independent transmission repair shop, NOT including a defective valve body! I was told that would be extra. Yep, "PRICES's" transmission shop in Virginia Beach, VA quoted me that last week.

My question is,,,,What makes it fit into my 98 Pathfinder. For example, a 2WD RE4R01 "output shaft" is entirely different from a 4WD, but the valve body is the same. I agree that the front/rear bell housing's may be different. If that is the case, I wanna know..:) I'm going to post my RE4R01A issue that I fixed on a separate post.

If this is a true statement, I'd get one and use it! No one can tell me this is a true statement as of yet. I have no issue pulling one and removing the bell housing and tail housing. I just need to know this will in fact work before I Pull mine, and purchase another one.

OK, I'll try the solenoid's. I got a solenoid pack from the junk yard, and when I dropped the valve body from an 02 Pathfinder, a couple of springs and a few round "disc's" fell to the ground. Not sure I could have put them back if I did this to my daughters' Pathfinder's Tranny. Funny thing is, I let this truck warm up today, without driving it. We let the Engine temp meter get to the middle just idling. It then drove like a new car! We drove it 175 miles today after warm up with no issues. I need to add, I have no OBDII codes to help me out. Hence my reluctance to replace the coil pack.

Not at all. We drove it the evening before for over a hundred miles with no issues. The next morning it stalled when my daughter put it in reverse. I went out and it went in reverse then drove just fine, it just wouldn't shift into second. After about 5 minutes of driving in first gear, it shifted like normal. Just got out of it again a few minutes ago, it's 85 degree's outside. I drove it for about 4 minutes with it stuck in first, engine then warmed up, it then shifted like a new one. I put a can of Sea Foam Trans Tune in it yesterday to see if it may clean flush something out, then drove if for over an hour. It didn't do anything noticeable as it still started out stuck in first gear today.

I understand the pathfinder's tran's has an internal issue. I was wondering if the 04 Xterra Trans could be made to fit/work in her 98 pathfinder. Both have the 3.3 engine. I was wondering what the difference between the trannies is.

My daughters 98 SE 4x4 automatic will not shift into second gear until the engine warms up, even on these warm day's. The trans has been well maintained and the fluid has been changed several times in the last few years and even last week.. It has the 3.3 engine. I can get a automatic transmission out of a 04 Xterra 4x4 with a 3.3 engine. I'm told that the Xterra trans wont fit/work in her pathfinder. Anyone no why it wont fit? Something I can modify to make it fit? I cannot find an answer. Thanks