Hey guys,
Im new here, just thought I would join this forum because I just picked up a 1989 Nissan Pathfinder with manual transmission and a V6. This wont be a daily driver...more so just something to tinker around with. It's got 280,000 kms and has been sitting for a year unused...but did start up just fine.
Just brought it home today and the truck has a few issues that I need to work on. Not too familiar with these kinds of trucks, so it will be a learning experience for me. I do have a workshop manual which Ive just started reading up on, but thought I would ask you guys here if you may have any suggestions (or point me in the right direction to get started) on diagnosing some of the issues below:
1) Fuel guage not working properly. Put 15L of gas in to drive her home, but fuel guage still shows empty. The "low fuel" light does not light up however.
2) No heat. The temperature guage on the dash does not move at all...it remains low (cold). There is no heat at all even after the engine has been warmed up. Im guessing this might just be a simple thermostat issue? Are there other things to check?
3) Parking brake doesnt work. I pull on it, and the handle moves easily. Seems like the parking brake snapped. Will try to take this apart later to inspect. Should be able to figure this one out.
4) Oil leak, roughly 1L/month but no white smoke in exhaust. Told by the previous owner that it was a head gasket problem. Any tips of taking apart the valve cover? This V6 engine is a bit more intimidating than a standard 4 banger as there is a whole lot of crap to remove first before getting access to the valve cover. Going to throw in a bottle of Stop Leak to see if that fixes the leak first.
And of course...pics of the truck: