ntwrkguy1

Apparently the guy at the alignment shop says I need to have the front wheel bearings repacked on my '97 4x4. He tried to set the alignment, but said due to the bearings being 'loose', he could not get it set correctly. How difficult of a job is this? The shop quoted me $120 to do it, so it seems like they are treating it at about 1.5 hours of labor. And also, is there a difference between bearings that are bad and bearings that need to be replaced? I'm assuming if they were shot, they would be making some grinding noise.

I'll definitely post their reply, if they do try to 'sell' me the 4-wheel alignment. Mine does have a solid rear axle, so they should be content with just aligning the front!

I'm having my '97 Pathfinder 4x4 aligned in the morning (it's drifting ever so slightly), and I was curious about something. The shop is a reputable one, and they offer 2 and 4-wheel alignments. I thought that 4-wheel alignments were for cars with IRS? If you have a solid axle in the rear, why would you need the rear tires aligned? Or am I missing something here? And does the fact that it's a 4x4 have any bearing on the type of alignment I need? Thanks in advance! ntwrkguy1

Got it as well....

Thanks for making my Monday -- this response had me laughing out loud!

When I press the unlock button down, it does depress a little more than usual. I looked at the soldering on the contacts, and it looked fine. What's strange is that both of the remotes I have are doing the same thing with the unlock button. It's probably time to hit up eBay!

The keyless remote on my '97 SE is acting strange. The 'lock doors' and 'alarm' buttons work, but the 'unlock doors' button does not. However, the unlock door button had worked prior to last week. I thought it might be the battery getting weak, so I threw in two new batteries. My results were the same -- the unlock door button still didn't work. I then even tried the reprogramming steps that I found when searching the archives. Again, everything but the unlock button worked. Any thoughts? Or is it time for me to hit eBay for some new remotes? Thanks, Ntwrkguy1

Thanks 88! It's a 4wd, so I guess I'll have to order 6 quarts of Amsoil. Kind of a dumb question.....why is the capacity of the 4wd transmission that much higher than the 2wd?

I've done a couple of searches here, and even consulted the owner's manual on my 1997 Pathfinder, but I can't find the capacity for the manual transmission. I'm getting ready to order some Amsoil GL-4, and need to know! I was thinking that the capacity for the 5-speeds were in the ballpark of 3 quarts. Thanks in advance, DavidM

I definitely agree with you there. Occasionally, you get someone who's fairly knowledgeable, but not often. So, since I seemed to have exhausted my local sources, should I just bite the bullet and order Amsoil or Redline online?

Yes. In fact, I just stopped by Advanced Auto Parts at lunch. They had Mobil1, Valvoline, and some brand called Accel (not the plug wire people either!), and they were all GL-5. What's really funny is when you ask for GL-4 at the counter, they all say "The GL-5 stuff works just the same.". Uh. Yeah. Right.

I went to Carquest , AutoZone, and Advanced, but only found the ones that are "GL-5, GL-4, and GL-3" rated. Am I asking for the wrong stuff? Or should I just order it online?

I saw that Redline and Amsoil were the 'recommended' flavors of GL-4 in that other thread. Any others out there making a GL-4?

Bump

I read the sticky about the TSB for trans issues affecting the brass synchros in manual trans pre-'96 Pathys, but is GL-5 safe for a '97 manual trans? I purchased some Valvoline 85/90 gear oil, and noticed that it was GL-5. Should I be using that to change the fluid on my '97 manual trans? And while we're on the topic, how exactly do I get the old fluid out?

The pics are great.....I guess I'm going to have to invest in a filter wrench, since I don't think I'll be able to twist that one off by hand! I think the last oil change was done by the dealer, and I'm sure they overtightened the filter!

Cool.....thanks for the help!!

I've used the search function for the last 20 minutes, and have come up empty. I did learn a few things (location on the 90-95's is a PITA, some people have gone with filter relo kit, etc) but I can't seem to find any post describing the exact location. The owner's manual does a horrible job (shows a drawing of the filter, but doesn't give any details of where it might be!). I know there is a shroud under the Pathy -- does that need to be removed to get to the filter? I can handle a messy filter change, since the filter location on an '01 Ford Taurus guarantees you'll get oil over you and the exhaust pipe! Can anybody provide a precise location for the '97? Or should I just take it to my friend over at Precision Tune? Thanks in advance, David

...even better, I told my son if there was snow and ice on the ground, he's at home! Good to know about depressing the clutch, and thanks for the link!

So....my 16 yr old son is curious about the 4wd setup on his '97 SE that I bought for him. Personally, since we live in a well-paved area of NC , I'd like him to not worry about it. But being a teenager, he can't leave well enough alone. I've never owned a 4wd in my life (been a car guy, or a 2wd Suburban guy the whole time), and am not sure exactly how to teach him what/how/when to engage 4wd. If I'm reading the owner's manual correctly, the 4wd shifter should always be in 2H. 4L is for speeds less than 30mph, and 4H is for speeds from 30-50. To engage 4wd, does it always need to be done from a complete stop? I realize the 'no dry pavement' rule applies (even wet pavement). But let's say he's out in the dirt with friends -- should he shift into 4L while he is stopped? And does he need to depress the clutch to go into 4L? And what gear should the regular shifter be in at this point? Thanks in advance for your patience.....I should have bought a 2wd for him!!

What's weird is that this vehicle has been an NC vehicle all its life, and we rarely have salt. I'm a little surprised that the tailpipe came off, but maybe it was the original one. The original owner had the muffler replaced in '04, but chose not to replace the resonator. Either way, I'm breaking out the grinder!

Is it even worth the effort to try to remove the bolts? Or should I just break out the Dremel?

I searched on this topic, but couldn't find anything similar. My '97 SE's resonator needs to be replaced due to the tailpipe falling off. My options are: 1) Taking it to Meineke/Midas/Monro, etc, and pay a minimum of $225 to have a new one installed 2) Buy the resonator and pipe from AutoZone for $79 and install it myself. How difficult is this job for someone who has never done it before? The underside of the Pathfinder is pretty clean, but I'm sure the bolts on the flange are probably rusted. Thanks, DavidM

Cool.....thanks for the reply!

Does my '97 SE 4x4 have a steering stabilizer on it from the factory? And if it doesn't, is it worth the time/money to have one installed? ....I'd go look for myself right now, but it's cold and raining outside! Ntwrkguy1