OR99.5Speed

When we push started it, we must have been going too slow, maybe 5 mph. But the rear wheels would just lock up when the clutch was released.

My LSD doesn't really work. In 2wd, my right tire was on hardpack snow and the left on dry pavement. The right tire simply spun and spun, while the left didn't budge. In wet pavement, I think it makes the rear end a bit more squirrely than it should be. I think that there are rebuild kits available.

I'm sorry, but I'm assuming it's an automatic? I don't know what is compatible with what, but I would assume it would be a little more complicated to swap in a 2001+ automatic due to the change in motor. Yeah, rebuilds can be costly, if that R50 still has an auto tranny 1) See how much the yard wants for it 2) How many miles does it have on it? Would it be more expensive to have it fail 30k miles later than to have rebuilt yours in the first place? 3) Any maintenance records on the junkyard tranny? That would be pretty cool. Good luck, and I would go with a quality rebuilt tranny. Quality being the main word here.

No no no, I love the Pathfinder, but here's how it goes. Pathfinder with 92k miles: $8,000 New Optima and alternator belt: $200 Timing belt, tensioner, water pump & a few other things: $950 New tranny fluid and coolant: $100 New starter and cleaning plugs: $575 -argue- Grand total: $9,825 Plus- What it will need soon: New tires in next 9 months: $600 New suspension (rear factory coils, Rancho shocks + KYB struts and strut mounts): $600 New brake rotors and pads and ATE Super Blue fluid: $375 New AC compressor: $750 All provided nothing else goes wrong in the next 25k miles: $2325 Grand total is $12, 150 for an estimated 2.5 years of use minus value of truck in 2.5 years ($5,000) $7,150 for 3 years of use. Maybe that's not too bad. I just really can't have a new car because I can only have liability after the GF totalled the 4Runner.

Did these spark plug tools happen to come in a black bag under the rear cargo floor? I realized that I have no jack or spare tire tools, or spark plug tools. Where should I get theis stuff from, junkyard or Dave Burnette, the Nissan Parts Guy?

Damn, you're slightly low. I'm so pissed. I know it's not the car's fault, but the amount of money I have and still need to put into it equals lease payments on a new Mazda 3. Unfortunately, it looks like I'll still have the Pathfinder for another couple of years.

And the final verdict is... The starter. Yup, it needed a new starter, but what I can't figure out is why when we kickstarted it it wouldn't start. The plugs were also cleaned off. The bill was so expensive I don't even want to think about it...plus I won't mention how much it was here. Thanks for the help!

The 2001 Pathfinder was 4 Wheeler of the Year, can't remember if it was Petersen's or 4 Wheel Off-Road. 3.5 and the manual helped it win.

Nope. It's hard enough to find a 2002 SE with the manual, but I did and it was fast It's the regular two-speed transfer case. I think just the LE had All-Mode in 2002.

Yeah, sorry guys, but I gave up and called a tow truck. I unhooked the intake tube to the throttle body. It smelled like gasoline but leaving it open to eveaporate didn't do anything. All of my wiring and connectors on the intake were secure. I sure as hell hope I didn't run out of gas, because I will officially be the biggest n00b on NPORA! Thanks for the help and I'll tell what happened when I get my truck back!

One more variable into the equation: low fuel Last night, first time I opened the hood to spray the TB, the low fuel light was on. The needle is at the last hash mark. I was parked facing uphill, maybe 30 degrees. Does that matter any?

Thanks a bunch for searching on that one B. Yeah, my 1996 Jeep ZJ had a bad starter at 130k. Now that I think about it, my symptom's now with the Pathy are the same as the first time the Jeep wouldn't start. The Jeep's starter was really easy to get to, but then again the 4.0 was such an easy motor to work on. The Jeep starter was down low on the passenger side, toward the rear of the truck. You could tap it with a crowbar from above or from under the truck. Where is the R50 starter? I'll tap the solenoid in the morning. I just think it would be way too coincidental for the Pathy starter to crap out when I start working on it.

Well, I think that it's the fuel pump relay that I'm hearing when I twist the key. There is absolutely no turning over. Not a peep from the engine. It sounds like the engine has seized. There is no rapid clicking like you would get from a dead battery either. We hooked it up to jumper cables and tried to start it to no avail. It would be a reasonable guess that the computer is not letting it start. A sensor is a good guess, but I just don't know where to start.

Well, that kinda sucks about the Pathy being totalled...you know you can haggle with the insurance co. about the payoff...you aren't held to their offer. What year New Beetle is it? Hope it doesn't fall apart!

Yup, no rotation at all from the motor. I haven't tested if the battery is getting power to the starter, but there isn't a logical reason why. The battery is a strong Red Top and the connections to the battery are corrosion-free. When I turn the key, it's kinda like I have a dead battery. I can hear the fuel pump, but there is nothing from the engine. Just turning the key and silence. No cranking, no turning over, nothing. All of the warning lights, etc. light up just as when you normally turn the key. It could be a sensor, that would make sense.

Yeah, I didn't knowingly unplug anything, but that could be the case. When you turn the key the symptoms are similar to a dead battery, but the battery is fully charged. We didn't even go near the battery. Are the sensors I should look at all on the intake? I know there are a hell of a lot of wires there but I don't know which is which and what I should be looking at.

Yeah, I've done TB cleaner before in my 1998 4Runner before. It cranked a few times but turned over with a big cloud of smoke from the tail pipe. When my brother and I were in the engine bay there were old shop towels from other mechanics still sitting next to the intake! Also there was a cap from a container of oil! I swear some of these guys do such sloppy work! I would cream my pants if all I did was disturb some wiring...and there sure is a hell of a lot of wiring just connected to the intake. But my truck still has a distributor. I'll take another look at the intake wiring and see, but I was under the hood for a few hours today and nothing popped out at me. I'll download that PDF again and see what wires are which before calling for the tow truck. I'm going to also go by the local community college to see if there are any Auto Shop classes I can take this summer. I want to learn so badly but screwing up is really, really expensive. If it turns out I blew the engine or something crazy I'll probably end up in a new Mazda 3 or something. I'm hoping for the best.

Yeah, it seems like I'm just wasting away money and maybe I am...but was no way in hell I could get to that 6th plug...did you read about my story with the 5th? I'm so not technically oriented it's depressing...it was a huge feat for me to even take off the intake hose. I don't want to screw up anything else and I'm already afraid I've killed my engine. I don't mean to be rude and not take your advice or anything. I'm just saying I will only do more damage that only a mechanic can undo.

Update: This morning my Dad and I went out and took 5 plugs out. The plugs are 5k miles old. There was no cleaner in the cylinders, nothing shot up and nothing was under pressure. There was, however, a lot of carbon buildup on I think cylinder #4 (if you are in driver's seat, the plug on the right closest to the front bumper). We are just going to get it towed. I will need to ask the mechanic that I go to if he can do it. I really don't want to go to the dealer, because I'm sure they will either be so damn expensive or just say "Yeah, you need a new engine". Any more thoughts? We tried kickstarting it again and it the engine is still seized. It will not start with the starter either. I'm really scared on this one and it is a possibility that I won't have a car...

Cool, the towel is a good idea. Okay, one last question? Where is the crankshaft nut that I have to turn once teh sparkplugs are out?

So how does this gameplan look: Knowing that the engine has ingested an awesome amount of liquid I'm going to say that all of the plugs have to come out. I need to hand crank the engine over for a half dozen revolutions or so. Then with the plugs still out crank the engine over for 10-20 seconds with spark and fuel disabled (by taking out the fuel pump relay) until the air coming out of the plug holes feels dry. Then reinstall the plugs, reenable spark and fuel and try to start it. The battery could be pretty low by now, so it would be a good idea to put it on a charger overnight before attempting to use the starter. Any thoughts?

Was I supposed to have tools underneath my rear cargo floor to take out the 6th plug? I don't have those anymore, and I could have sworn I did last summer! I'm gonna take out the 6th plug so I don't bend an rod.

Unbelieveable! Sorry to sound lazy, I'm not when the Pathy is on the line, but how important is it to remove the 6th plug? I don't have the tools under the rear floor like I'm supposed too. Here's a fun story: August 2005- The day before I drive with Dad from Atlanta to IU for my freshman year I buy 6 NGK Iridiums to install. The first 4 go really quickly, #5 is a bit tougher due to the crappy tools I have. So when I put the socket over the plug, it falls from top of the hole onto the spark plug. This was just before noon. So now I'm freaking out, and I try getting my hand in there to pull it out, (you know how deep the plugs are in). So I go to the hardware store to get a long, extendable magnet and a pole thingy with mirror. The magnet gets the socket out, so I reattach the socket back onto the ratchet to get unscrew the plug. Well, for some reason the socket is not catching the plug. The plugs are in so deep I can't see in there even with a mirror and a flashlight. So I go to a mechanic running on five cylinders, and he has no idea of what happened. So, being 5:00, I call a dealership and set up an appointment early in the morning. Keep in mind I have a 600 mile drive to do today. I get to the dealer and the mechanic takes it in. An hour later I'm called to the serivce desk. I'm thinking that the truck is ready to go. No no, the problem is that the porcelain shattered when the socket dropped, surrounding the threads. The socket also bent the metal rod inside the porcelain, so there was no way to get a socket around the plug. They called a guy in with special tools. Another hour later, they got the porcelain out and were able to BREAK THE PLUG IN HALF!!! They changed the 6th plug too and only charged me for an hours worth of labor! Team Nissan of Marietta, GA saved my A$$! When I had my 4.0 Jeep, it was the first vehicle I had with over 20k miles. It had Bosch Platinums, but I wanted the original Champions in there. So I bought the Champion Truck series, but they were a little longer than factory. Well, the electrode hit the top of the piston (showed a lot of carbon on the electrode) so I loosened them a bit. I don't know what the hell I was thinking. On the way up to boarding school, #4 plug fell out on the highway, taking the wire with it! There was a loud popping sound, like a tire was flat. Long story short, I had to call my dad (an hour away) to take me to the auto parts store the next town over. We got a wire set and changed it on the highway at night. That 4.0 is tough as nails. Another time the Jeep overheated. I was in the fast lane as coolant was spewing everywhere (the radiator tanks seals had failed) so I, like an idiot, drove it to the Jeep dealer a half mile away instead of pulling over. The temp needle was in the red past 260 and the "Check gages" light was chiming. I shut it off just in time. The dealer raped me for $1000 for a new radiator and serp belt. They didn't even change the oil! The 4.0 was just fine after that. No head gasket issues, no complaints whatsoever. And it consistently got 20 MPG. I overheated my Mom's 2003 Grand Cherokee 4.0 when I spun into a ditch. The Jeep hit a ridge that busted the radiator and spilled allof the coolant. I didn't know the radiator busted at the time, I just thought there was a bent bumper cover. I left it running waiting for the Good Samaritan with a Trooper and a tow rope to get me out. We heard this boiling sound, and sure enough it was the Jeep. We switched it off, and of course, the 4.0 suffered no damage. Best engine ever to come from Chrysler. So, I don't like changing anything, but I want to learn. I can't tell you how frustrated Dad is, because whenever I come home I always start wrenching and end up immobilizing my car. EVERYTIME! Thanks!

Now I get it, turn the key, stupid!!! So what will the engine be doing at this point? Trying to turn over but spraying cleaner out of the plug holes? Will I ruin my starter?

Haha, you underestimated my stupidity, didn't you...big mistake! What you are saying makes sense...remove the plugs. But then you say crank it. Are you saying crank it using the key, therefore using the starter? Or do I crank it by turning the nut on the crankshaft pulley? Or can I simply kickstart the car like we tried before? Thanks so much for the help! :bow: