swapdip

Totally, or whatever you want to call it. I've never owned a car before that included one and I'm pretty stoked that the Pathfinder came with one hidden under the seat. Its kind of like my Pathfinder is self-aware of all the rust that I need to bust through for the removal of any bolt, and came equipped. Love it.

How awesome is it that Pathfinders come with their own cheater bar? I've used mine so many times on general repairs, not to mention changing tires. A really handy thing to have around.

I just changed my fluid/filter and flushed the torque converter thanks to the suggestions on this thread, and it has made a ton of difference. No more clunking between gears, and the transmission is much more energetic than it used to be. At 170,000 miles it is shifting like the day it was made. I couldn't be more pleased, it was a perfect Sunday afternoon. I'd never done it before, so in preparation I watched this guy's youtube video: He has a bunch of good videos, he taught me how to replace ball joints, tie rod ends, distributor, and now tranny filter/gasket. Definitely worth a looksee. Also, I noticed that while at first he just seems like an ordinary guy, once you have been watching for a while it becomes obvious that he in fact has a funny accent. Thanks NPORA. And thank you, funny accent dude.

Yeah my truck cruises pretty nicely at 80mph, better than any other vehicle I've ever driven of that size. Thanks guys I feel better about that bearing issue.

Yeah that's what I thought, wheels show no sign of slop or movement when jiggled by hand in the air...I don't think the bearings are very bad at all.

I recently got this 90 Pathfinder from a guy who said it had worn bearings, caused by the local tire shop that "effed them damn bearings up when they put the new tires on." He traded it to me cheap because of the whirring noise he heard at highway speed. Not too much of a bother to me, I thought, I've replaced bearings before. On the ride home I did notice sort of a high whirring noise above 70mph kind of like worn bearings, but it seems to be coming from both sides universally, and so I wonder, could it just be the sound of these brand new 31x10.5 tires? So I ask you guys, how loud are your tires? And could that be the noise we hear?

Well I suppose you all covered pretty much everything, my comealong and stout rope are perhaps my favorite things that I carry with me at all times, although I don't get to use them as much as I would like. This thread is a good lesson for all drivers not just wheelers, because I am always amazed by how unprepared some people can be in their cars. My first car was an 87 IROC that was constantly getting stuck in snow, mud, big puddles, etc, as well as mechanically letting me down, and I quickly learned the importance of a kit that every single driver on the road should carry with them at all times. Good flashlight Appropriate clothing for the weather Necessary fluids for the vehicle A jack and spare tire changing tools Basic tool set incl. ratchet and sockets A baseball bat (for defense) Cell phone Multi-tool with sharp knife Spare key Plus any area-specific necessities (ie tire chains, extra H20 for overheating, etc) My girl drives a Mazda 323 and I make sure she is well stocked for emergencies, even tho she never leaves the pavement. Its a good idea, tell your 2wd friends.

I'm somewhere between novice and shadetree when it comes to mechanics, so whenever I have to do something I have never done before, I go to my local junkyard and pull apart one of their vehicles first just to see how it all goes together. No damage done messing up a junkyard pathfinder, and that way you have the experience to bring home. Good luck

Thanks for the replies guys I appreciate it. The speedo doesn't really bother me, I have a GPS in there anyways, just thought it was pretty neat. I think once the weather warms up I'll take my new Pathfinder into some national parks for some camping and fishing to see what it can do. I also hear you about that hypothetical and I get now why there would be a difference, hopefully it never comes down to it but I was just wondering in case. How about that auto transmission flush tho, worth it or not?

Hey all, I just picked up my first Pathfinder today, a 1990 auto 4X4. I'm pretty excited about it, straight up traded my 1992 Ford Ranger 2wd and I feel like I got the better deal, even if the Nissan has 40,000 more miles and is 2 years older. Awesome tow package, power everything, great sound system, perfect BFG tires, roof rack and everything works really well. I especially like that outside bracket for the spare. My brother owned a finder a few years ago and I haven't found anything like it since...anyways I'm pretty stoked. Drove it hope and it handled great, now it is in my driveway and I expect I have a little maintenance to do. Here's my questions: 1. The trans fluid is a dark maroon color, definitely old fluid but it doesn't smell burnt. The PO had the truck for 7 years and couldn't at all remember the last time the fluid was changed, so I was considering hiring someone to flush the transmission. Is this worth it, or will new trans fluid and filter suffice? It has 170,000 miles, and I feel like it has a lot of life left but I would like to treat it right. I've heard the "let sleeping crud lie" theory of high miles engines and transmissions that don't recommend aggressive cleaning lest solidified gunk be knocked up to clog some as-yet untouched part of the machine, how applicable is that to Pathfinders? 2. It has a K&N air filter, I only use them in my motorcycles but I've heard mixed reviews for automobiles. Should I replace with a paper filter or clean the one I have? 3. What weight oil do you all recommend for a truck of this vintage? 10w30 or 40? 4. The boots look solid, there is a small oil leak from the motor but I'm cool with that, no leak from transfer cases or trans. I did a good road test and everything seems to be in order, but this is my first 4X4 system. Besides replacing fluids is there anything I should look out for in the 4X4 system or replace irregardless? 5. It has some serious tires, they throw the speedo off by 9mph! No lift tho. Anyways for people who take them offroad, what level of adventure can these things take without getting hurt? I don't want to do any rock climbing or anything but this is my only car and I'd rather not break it. So do you all recommend I stick to sand and pavement, or can I sensibly have a little more fun than that? And here is a hypothetical: My gf once had a Honda CRV with AWD, and when her drive shaft got all bent up on a rock we disconnected it and ran just on front wheel drive for over a year until we were able to do a real repair job. Should the same happen in a Pathfinder could I disconnect the rear drive shaft and run it in 4wd (essentially front wheel drive) without doing serious damage to other parts ie tranny and engine? We were both pretty surprised that the CRV did as well as it did for as long, but I am less inclined to do experimental mechanics on my own vehicle, if you know what I mean. Thanks, and I look forward to reading through all of your back posts. -Max