Guest 89integra Posted July 10, 2005 Share Posted July 10, 2005 I'm in the market for a suv. I think i've narrowed my choices down to a Pathfinder or jeep. I've looked at and test driven a few 92-95 pathfinders. One of the main reasons i want to get rid of my integra is because i'm tired of driving a stick. I want something auto to cruise around in. I've read a few places that the automatic transmissions on the 90-95 pathfinders commonly fail and need to be replaced. It also seems like most of the pathfinders i see for sale with over 100k miles say they have had the tranny replaced. Should i go against what I origionally wanted and look for a 5 speed? I really do want to have to spend a few grand to replace the tranny if i do end up getting a Pathfinder. Any input would be appriciated!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
derogate Posted July 10, 2005 Share Posted July 10, 2005 (edited) well, if you get a 5 spd pathy, you'd be buying one of the most reliable brutes on the market for the time. If you get an auto, you going to have to get it rebuilt eventually.. no matter what. An aftermarket cooler will prolong its life drastically, but the trannies are still prone to failures, at least from what i've read. Anything i know about jeeps, which isn't alot, is that they like to break down a bunch. They are great 4x4's but their reliability, like all domestic 4x4's is lacking. They have a really good aftermarket, and there are lots of parts that are cheap(er) to come by if things break. I'd go with a 5 spd pathy personally, that is, unless you are looking for an offroad toy, not a daily driven weekend warrior type rig. Edited July 10, 2005 by derogate Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigMike Posted July 10, 2005 Share Posted July 10, 2005 the main cause is from the tranny oil cooler. it gets clogged easy cause the lines are small. if you find a pathy that has recently had the tranny replaced then your alright on the tranny issue. if it doesnt have an aftermarket tranny cooler put the biggest one you can find on it. completely bypass the stock one. almost the number one thing to fail on the autos in the reverse. prolly from overheating and killing the soliniod. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slick Posted July 10, 2005 Share Posted July 10, 2005 I have a 92 5 speed 4 door Pathy, and I just sold my 90 Jeep last year..guess which one got to stay in the stable, and which one was put out to pasture? Jeeps are much higher priced to buy used, and as above, are more troublesome... just get the auto Pathy n slap a tranny cooler on it..you'll be good to go. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
derogate Posted July 10, 2005 Share Posted July 10, 2005 well i bought mine at 260k Km's on it and now at 270k km's its starting to slip in OD and 3'rd when i punch it, plus first to second is quite the kick in the arse. Good timing on my part... ohwell, at least I know whats in store and i can save for a rebuild or new tranny. anyhow back to the point of the matter... avoid auto's if at all possible... at least if you are doing any light duty offroading. Auto's are great for people who treat them nicly and drive like granny's, but IMO don't belong on a work truck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kn0xville Posted July 10, 2005 Share Posted July 10, 2005 if your worried about having tranny trouble, STAY AWAY FROM A JEEP! and ya, parts are cheaper for a jeep, but those parts add up quick! youll have less trouble with a 90-95 pathy. theres a reason Jeep stands for Just Everyone Elses Parts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slick Posted July 10, 2005 Share Posted July 10, 2005 Doesn't 88 have an auto tranny? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest 89integra Posted July 10, 2005 Share Posted July 10, 2005 Does anyone here have an automatic that they haven't had any problems with? What is the clutch like on these pathfinders? Are they easy to drive? What advantages do 5speeds have over auto or visa versa? thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slick Posted July 10, 2005 Share Posted July 10, 2005 (edited) I love my 5 speed, and I just changed my clutch at 127,000 miles. Mine drives GREAT and the clutch is not heavy or cumbersome. I love shifting and listening to my new exhaust rumble..hehehe.. I like it better for off road, but don't like to shift a lot around town..that's the only minus. Some prefer the auto off road..less to do while wheelin around .....personal preference there. You have much less overheating problems with manuals, and like above, unless oyu install a tranny cooler on an auto that has just been rebuilt..it will go out eventually..like all trannys. I am sure one day mine will...but at 132,000 (shift-a-lot) miles, mine is smooth as a kitten. It seems (from reading several posts of sorts) that when working with a manual tranny over auto..manual seems to be a bit easier to maneuver around.. I pulled my motor in Feb '05..and lemme tell ya..taking all teh suspension apart pi$$ed me off more than anything else! Edited July 10, 2005 by Slick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
88pathoffroad Posted July 10, 2005 Share Posted July 10, 2005 Mine's an auto, yes. I've gotten it to go into limp mode by revving the snot out of it forward and reverse in the mud a couple of times before I put in the coolers I have on it now. Since then, I've changed the fluid and added a no-slip additive just in case. Still shifts fine, doesn't slip. I have 146,000 miles on the original tranny. *crosses fingers* *nojinxnojinxnojinx* Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigMike Posted July 10, 2005 Share Posted July 10, 2005 i had to rebuild mine at around 115k miles. it had problems with the forward gears, but i could still drive it just fine cept for the fact that i was going 45-50 at 3000-3500rpm consistantly. she still drove fine and during that time i never had another problem with the tranny other that the shift problem. i could even do 70mph but hovering around 4200rpm. it just sounds like your trying to race the whole city like that. i dont drive like a granny either, i tend to gas it hard every where i prolly should take it easy but wheres the fun in that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
headpeace Posted July 10, 2005 Share Posted July 10, 2005 I have a 93 auto with 160k on it and have had no problems with the tranny as of yet, still shifts fine (knock on wood, hope Im not jinxing myself), thats my 2 cents Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Precise1 Posted July 10, 2005 Share Posted July 10, 2005 Auto trannys are definitely more convenient for street driving, and some will claim the same for off road, but personally, I prefer a stick when wheeling. Sure, it takes a little more work, but I feel that you have better control and is perhaps easier on the brakes. I like the way that you have exact wheel control with a stick, but then you can also fry your clutch if you dont pay attention. I guess it really comes down to personal preference.... One main point to me is that a new OEM clutch (everything from flywheel to throw out bearing) is about $250 and 1-2 days of work depending on amount of help and how mechanical you are while the auto tranny is $1k-2.5k to have it rebuilt, and as lgranch (who seems to know) points out, the results are hit and miss. I dont believe I have ever heard of someone destroying a manual tranny in the 90-95 pathys; not saying it hasn't happened or couldn't be done if you try... I know a lot of people here have autos that seem to hold up well as long as the tranny cooler issue is addressed.... Well, this didn't really answer anything, did it ?? B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest 89integra Posted July 10, 2005 Share Posted July 10, 2005 Where do I find an aftermarket tranny cooler? How easy is it to rig up? I'm kind of steering away from the pathfinders now that i've found out about this issue. I want an all around rugged, durable, reliable vehicle. What do y'all think about 4runners? Maybe I'll just find a 5speed path. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
94extreme Posted July 10, 2005 Share Posted July 10, 2005 do a search on the external cooler mod on this site... lot's of good discussion and pictures.. look at the stickies in the garage.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Precise1 Posted July 10, 2005 Share Posted July 10, 2005 I've heard people taking them off of fords/jeeps/etc in junkyards, and I'm sure there must be new aftermarket suppliers, but having a MT I never payed attention... mws, 88pathyoffroad, lgranch and some others I cant think of right now all have good info on this. Use the search function here, look in the garage section up top under pinned topics, etc. It's not that hard, and many people have done it. If it turns you off, ok, but remember that no vehicle is perfect, especially 4x4s... If you have your heart set on an auto, you just need to do your homework and decide. I'll probably get flack for this, but the 4runners are also great vehicles. Slightly larger and heavier I believe, but aftermarket components are more common. I was looking at them along with pathys... One thing is that they are more expensive for basically the same vehicle. Also, the 91-95 (I believe) V6 have head gasket issues. Seems that they used faulty gaskets so they blow intermittently. The stealerships will fix SOME under a silent recall but not all. There is a 1-800# you can call with the VIN to see if that truck is deemed problematic (I dont have the # any more buy you can find it pretty easy). One guy had his replaced at 300k miles for free while others couldn't get it done at 80k... Some people have had no problems, while others had theirs done 3 times. Its a $1.5k-2k repair at the stealership. Seems to me that with the lower sale price of a pathy and possible head gasket repair savings, that pays for a tranny easy were it necessary. Pick your poison my man... For what it's worth, the MT drive and shift fine, and when I replaced my clutch, it was so soft and smooth I thought I screwed something up. Nope... Not trying to convince you to get a pathy or a MT, just trying to inform you. Best advice I can give you is be patient and do your homework... GL Bud B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigMike Posted July 10, 2005 Share Posted July 10, 2005 you can find the tranny coolers at the autoparts store, ebay, junkyards ect. its not hard to do at all. you just mount the new one where you want, disconnect the old one and run new hoses from the tranny lines to the new one. takes like 15 mins to do and cost maybe 50bucks. if you do get an auto pathy its prolly wise to get the tranny flushed for a good measure and filled with some quality oil. just make sure you get the biggest tranny cooler you can find, cause the cooler it runs the longer it lasts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
88pathoffroad Posted July 10, 2005 Share Posted July 10, 2005 MaritimeMan fried his tranny, but he attributed it to using GL-5 gear oil in it instead of GL-4 like it should have had. Here, check out what happened to his input shaft and gear. The green marking indicates where teeth used to be. The baggie has the teeth in it now. Ow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Precise1 Posted July 10, 2005 Share Posted July 10, 2005 Ok, sorry, I forgot that one... But thats the only one I have heard of, and I merely attribute it to him being from Seattle and liking it... Sheesh, baggie full of teeth... B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
derogate Posted July 11, 2005 Share Posted July 11, 2005 also wanted to note for the arguement of auto's vs manuals offroad, that autos have an advantage on steep hills. its alot easier to get going again if you have to stop or slow down on a hill then start moving again. not just becuase of the whole rollback and clutch issues (which an experience driver can overcome), but because the more often sudden jolt of power to the tires causes them to spin quite a bit more than an auto tranny would allow for. think about it. same applies for driving on ice and perhaps mud. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wheelmanLS1 Posted July 11, 2005 Share Posted July 11, 2005 I have a '95 with 153,000 give or take. I have the original automatic and do not have any problems wih it. It's a slow shifter, but I'm pretty sure it was like that out of the factory (I was used to driving Honda VTEC's and SI's which have very fast transmissions). The manuals are much much quicker off the line. I personally would of rather had a manual, just because I love to goose it. I have off-roaded in both transmissions (granted one was a Jeep and the other my Pathfinder) and I prefered the stick. I do the casual trail-riding stuff, so I don't have much experience with rocking out... but I'm sure it's much easier to do in a standard than in an automatic. Just depends on preference. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mws Posted July 12, 2005 Share Posted July 12, 2005 The only time I prefer an automatic is in traffic - but then I REALLY prefer them... Can't wait for the BMW/Ferrari/et al style "automatic manuals" to become commonplace and proven reliable... In the meantime, it's up to you if the convenience and comfort is worth the cost. Sticks are GENERALLY superior (as with everything, there are exceptions) in the following ways: - More fuel efficient - More reliable (less annoying glitches) - More durable (longer lived) - Cheaper to maintain (3 qts vs 10+ of lubricant) - Smaller - Lighter - Generate a lot less heat (which the radiator then has to get rid of) - Less expensive and easier to repair - manuals are like engine technology - a good DIYer can handle it with just a few special tools. Automatics are quite a bit more complicated and harder to repair/rebuild in your garage. Lots of special tools. My clutch is at 200K miles and is still functioning OK - occaisionally a bit of chatter when hot, but hey... it does have 200K on it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duffman Posted July 12, 2005 Share Posted July 12, 2005 I love my auto and I wouldent have it any other way. manual is for cars, auto is for trucks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon Posted July 12, 2005 Share Posted July 12, 2005 MaritimeMan fried his tranny, but he attributed it to using GL-5 gear oil in it instead of GL-4 like it should have had. Here, check out what happened to his input shaft and gear. I did the same thing, and I also (before I knew better ) used GL-5 in my manual tranny. But, from the time I started hearing any noise out of it, (160,000Kms) I got 80,000 on it until it finally REALLY went. When I had it replaced with a used (Jap import) tranny, my buddy (a mechanic) said the clutch was not overly abused (due for change, but not destroyed). I drive fairly hard, and got 240,000Kms on my clutch and original tranny, even with my fluid mistake. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TrailChaser Posted July 12, 2005 Share Posted July 12, 2005 What's so different about the GL-5 that makes it screw up the MT? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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