r0x

I spoke with the Nissan shop manager - he agreed to replace the drive belt tensioning pulley for the cost of the part alone. He also said that the grinding / squeeking is due to wear of the vibration dampening rubber centerpiece so what I'm hearing is metal against metal... :-0 The WD-40 trick did help but it's starting to wear out. Thanks again for all replies! r0x UPDATE: That pully assembly shown in the picture was replaced and now my Pathy purrs like a kitten. Cost: $180+tax (their part cost; no labor charge; free car rental). r0x

dkpath96, I didn't spray the belts with WD-40. The noise isn't from the belts, it's from the tensioning pulley wheels. I sprayed the lubricant into the gap between the "top cover" on those wheels and their inner perimeter. (Hard to explain - see picture. This is the top front of the engine. The white object on the bottom of the picture is the radiator fan.) The engine was off when I did this, otherwise I would be inhaling a cloud of WD-40... I avoided spraying onto the belts as much as possible. Can anyone confirm for me that this belt had to come off for the timing belt job? Thanks, r0x

Solved #3 with generous squirts of WD-40 on both tensioning pulley wheels. The noise seemed to be coming from the top one but I'm not sure. I hope it lasts. Cost: $0 More than anything else, I'm totally P.O.'ed at the Nissan dealer shop for not suggesting the pully wheel replacement while they had everything taken apart for the timing belt job. I can't say if the oil pressure switch leak was related to anything they did but I'm pretty sure it wasn't leaking before they touched my truck! Am I correct about saying that they could have / should have replaced that pulley wheel at the same time? Should I call their service manager and bitch about being quoted $500 for redoing work I just paid for? Thanks again for all replies! r0x

#1 - Oil leak was from the oil pressure switch. Tech. also tightened the valve cover. Cost: $100 parts and labor. (Most of that is labor...) #2 - Steering problem is intermittent and could not be reproduced when I was at the Nissan shop this morning. Tech. said it is due to "a bad linkage from the steering wheel" (?) Tech. pointed out the rod between the steering wheel and the wachamacallit toward the front of the engine compartment. No repair for now. #3 - Squeeking sound is from a "bushing on a belt tensioning pulley" (?) Tech. said that it is quite common for them to go bad over time and that he's heard them a lot worse. Repair estimate: $500 parts and labor. No repair for now. #4 - Removed and discarded the bottom part of the radiator shroud. Any inputs on #3? Should I let a local (non-dealer) shop do that type of work? Thanks again for all replies! r0x

I asked for the cam seals to be replaced as part of the timing belt job. The service manager told me that once they got inside they found that the cam seal wasn't leaking and that his recommendation is not to replace it. Does this statement make any sense? Thanks again for all replies. r0x

Thanks for replies... - The truck is not losing any significant amount of oil. More like "oozing" small amounts oil... Enough to notice the smell anyway... There is some staining / gunk accumulation around the seam between the head cover (I think that's the correct name for it...) and the engine block. I wiped some of the gunk away on the more accessible parts and there seem to be some shiney spots where more oil is coming out... Question: Was this cover removed and reinstalled as part of the timing belt service? - I forgot to mention that I had all of the belts replaced a little over a year ago. I discussed this with the guy at Nissan, which is why they only adjusted the tensioner. - I've had the Tires Plus shop do the 4 wheel alignment several times over the years with no problem. I guess it's time for another trip to the dealer to see what's up with the steering... :furious: Regards, r0x

Hello to all, 1998 Pathfinder 4x2 105,000 miles Here's my situation... The timing belt and water pump was replaced last December. The service was performed by my local Nissan dealer. (They also cleaned the throttle plate for me to fix the gas pedal sticking problem. No charge.) I bought 4 new tires in January and had the shop do a 4 wheel alignment while they were at it. The work was performed by my neighborhood Tires Plus. Problem #1: - The truck smells like it's burning oil. Burned smell in cabin and under the hood. However there are no obvious drips. The truck wasn't burning / losing oil before I had work done on it. Could this have been triggered by the timing belt work? Problem #2: - Steering wheel seems to stick half of the way back after a sharp right turn. Turns back to straight and makes a soft pop noise/vibration after applying a mild additional force to the steering wheel. Not a problem after making left turns. Seems to be worse when the motor is still "cold" (just started). Seemed to get better after topping off the power steering fluid but that didn't eliminate the problem completely. Any ideas? Problem #3: - Squeeking engine sound at idle. Seems to get worse when motor is "hot" (been running for a while). Nissan dealer said belt tensioning issue. (I had them look at it when I brought the truck in for the timing belt service.) They say they adjusted the belt tension(s) but the problem reappeared within a day or two. This noise is not audible at high RPM's. Anything to worry about? Problem #4: - A piece off the bottom of the plastic "bezel" / "duct" around the radiator fan broke off shortly after I had the new tires put on. A piece of it was flapping against the fan - lets just say it didn't sound good... Related to Problem #2? Caused by any service-related work? I forced the flap under a hose and left it at that for now. Just worn out plastics? WTF? Thanks for reading this far and thanks in advance for any replies! r0x EDIT: The steering problem didn't appear until after the new tires were installed. Harder to steer due to increased friction? The old tires were practically bald... TIA for replies... r0x

I have the non-BOSE stock AM/FM/CD audio package on my '98 Pathfinder. I get a lot of engine static when listening to AM radio. This has been a problem only over the last couple of years - previously the AM radio had excellent sound and sensitivity. Sometimes the problem temporarily resolves itself on rainy days, but returns as soon as whatever got wet dries out. Any suggestions appreciated... Thanks, r0x

Thanks again for all replies - I'll have to adjust my holiday shopping accordingly... Are there obvious symptoms of suspension problems? I have a slight vibration at certain speeds (tires are rotated / balanced regularly) but it's nothing that I haven't felt since I've had the truck. Regards, r0x

Thanks for the reply - I have the owner's manual but the on-line tool is great! (100,000 miles = 160,000 km for the metrically challenged... ) What will it cost me to have this work done in the U.S.? (I entered 168,000 km in the on-line tool to force the 105,000 mile timing belt issue...) Thanx, r0x.

Hello to all my fellow Nissan Pathfinder fans! My 1998 Pathfinder is about to roll past 100,000 miles. I'm the original owner, I've been taking good care of the truck, and it has served me well. I like having no car payments but it's probably time to put some $$$ into the Nissan to keep it rolling. My questions revolve around... "What needs to be done and how much will it cost me?" 1. I know I'm due for a timing belt replacement - how much should it cost to have it done? (Doing it myself is not an option.) 2. Replace water pump at the same time? Extra cost when doing the timing belt at the same time? 3. Suspension issues? What needs to be replaced and what will it cost? 4. Anything else? Thanks in advance for any replies! r0x