RedRider3141

210+K and I still can recommend the OEM Maxima MAF.

So I joined this forum with a new-to-me '01.5 Pathfinder SE with 135K miles. 9 years later I'm at 210K. My wife's '08 Subaru Legacy is at 110K and we are looking at replacing one of our vehicles. I honestly enjoy the Pathfinder more and the new car will be hers/family car either way. Am I nuts for wanting to keep it? I haven't been active in years but when I was I know a few people where pushing 250K. What are you guys getting to now? Am I on borrowed time? Are these things good for 250K+? Aside from regular maintenance/ wear items I've put relatively little into it and I still enjoy the driving the Pathfinder and its relatively lost cost of ownership. Suspension: Full Poly Bushings and 4X KYB shock/ struts and bearings Both Cam Shaft Position Sensors 3X (takes me about 5min to diagnose and <10min to replace ?) Cyl #2 Coil (OEM) MAF (OEM Maxima) IACV (OEM) Alternator (OEM replacement) Rad Fan and Clutch Radiator (top leak) Since about 175K I've always said one Tranny or Engine repair and this thing is dead to us. Not worth the cost to repair.

Sano! Great Job!

I don't know about it being easier, but it might be a bit cheaper. Still $80 shipped to my door from 3K miles away seems pretty reasonable considering the local dealer wanted $500. It seems like MAF failure is not uncommon and if you plan on keeping it awhile a new one might be better than a used one.

BTW, 180,000 miles and going strong!

Another sucess story here, although not as smooth as others seem to indicate above. Thanks 88pathoffroad! My experience: http://www.nissanpathfinders.net/forum/topic/43311-p0171-and-p0174-code-ses-and-solution/

So as usual, my cream puff 2001.5 R50 that I purchased in 2011 has every problem ~5-10 years after the greater Pathfinder Population does. Bad cam sensors (7 years later), Bad IACV (9 Years later), Bad MAF (10 years later). So fortunate to have this forum and others as a resource for troubleshooting. Anyways.... So my Pathfinder performance has been noticeably lacking for months, but I couldn't quite put a finger on it. Finally I got a SES for P0171 and P0174 (bank 1 and bank 2 lean). No drastic change in performance, just a little sluggish and lacking on >4,500 RPMs. I cleared the codes several times, tried cleaning my MAF but the codes kept coming back. I did some internet checking and came across a variety of solutions but everyone was complaining about the truck being in fail safe mode or running terribly, etc. I was daily driving this thing in traffic for a few weeks without significant issue. Anyways I came across 88pathoffroad's post (http://www.nissanpathfinders.net/forum/topic/12280-cheap-01-maf-sensor-problem-fix/) and decided to jump on ordering the Maxima MAF from Courtesy Parts. In the end it solved my problem (~200 miles with no SES light returning), however my experience was nothing like everyone's description where it dropped in and was a night and day difference and solved their problem. My guess that my MAF was in the middle of dying a slow and painful death and my ECU had slowly gone WAY out of line to try to adapt to the bad signals from the MAF. My Experience when I installed the Maxima MAF was not a night and day change; it took about 30-40 miles of driving until the engine and tranny were anywhere near normal. I also performed an "Idle Air Volume Learning Procedure" which helped greatly. At first the engine had NO power from 3,000 to Redline and the transmission shifted HARD and SLOW. However, after about 30 min of driving it was slowly getting better and better. I think the ECU was so out in left field because of the bad MAF that it took awhile for it to return to center and run like it should. It probably would have been a faster learn procedure if I had reset the ECU. Anyways, long way to say that if you had a slow fail on your MAF your ECU may take some driving time to come back to center after replacing the MAF unless you reset the ECU. Also because I didn't find all of this information in any one place: YES, the Maxima MAF assembly (tube and all) bolted right in place NO, the sensor is not identical in size and shape YES it's plug and play YES the Maxima MAF is a 5 pin YES the Pathy is a 4 pin with an empty 5th pin NO, you do not need an "ECU reprogram", this is for a specific problem related to Maximas only YES, I would recommend the "Idle Air Volume Learning Procedure" YES, I think an ECU reset would probably be a good Idea YES, my Local Dealer wanted ~$500 for the Pathfinder MAF My cost was ~$80 shipped from Texas to Washington from Courtesy Nissan

Fix your clock: http://www.nissanpathfinders.net/forum/topic/29248-how-i-fixed-my-digital-dash-clock/

I'm curious how it's been since you've done the swap. I came across an interesting finding where the Strut Bearings I took out AND the one that came in the Raybestos kit where 100% plastic. However when I looked the parts at NAPA the bottom half was metal and the top half was plastic. Are yours lasting ok? No Clunks? What are the OEMs like Metal/Plastic or Plastic/ Plastic?

Yeah, I have the VQ35, how do you like the 350Z version? Thanks for the info, I didn't even think to check a local chain store, figured that part was special enough. I ended up buying two of the OEM sensors from Amazon for $65/ ea. I preemptively replaced both of the Beck Arnleys I had even though only one had failed. I compared the Beck Arnley units and found that the one that was still good was marked identically to OEM and the one that failed was marked differently... Maybe I got one dud that only went 30K miles.

So I've already replaced both of my Camshaft Sensors with Beck Arnleys from Amazon once See my post here: http://www.nissanpathfinders.net/forum/topic/32751-p1145-and-p1140-codes/ I was disapointed when I am pretty sure that 30K miles later one of them has already failed. What brands/ sources are you guys getting them from? Is OEM worth it, did I get a fluke sensor, or do these things go bad that fast? I checked a few places, any I missed? Genuine 237312Y52A Sensor by Nissan $80 - Courtesy Parts $80 - Factory Nissan Parts $65 - Amazon Aftermarket Sensor $55 - Rock Auto (Beck Arnley or SMP) $55 - Amazon (Beck Arnley or SMP) Thanks!

So here I am 3 years and ~14,000 miles later and I got a P1140 code, I'm assuming that one of my sensors went belly up and died. I've heard that these sensors to die but this seems a little short.... How long are you guys getting out of your sensors? OEM or aftermarket?

I removed everything between the MAF and Intake Plenum.So Rubber Intake boot/Resonator and Throttle Body with IACV attached.I ohm'd out the IACV per the manual and tested the plug at the truck end and all but one terminal on the IACV checked out. As I understand it the IACV is a multistage solenoid so anyone could fail and cause issues. The other issue i noticed was a ton of carbon buildup which couldn't have been helping. I cleaned the Throttlebody thoroughly while it was off the rig. I am glad I didn't attempt it while it was on the car.

So, there I was towing a 4x8 Utility trailer mounded with topsoil and my '01 just up and dies as I round the corner into my neighborhood. Odd? Whatev, Kickit into neutral and start it back up while I'm still rolling. Pull up to my house to back in the trailer. Bleh, it dies again. This goes on a few times as I feather the throttle and brake just to get the thing in the driveway. Lots of fun with some weight behind it. The car will NOT idle, revvs to the moon just fine but will not idle. All through this not a single SES light. I begin to search around and I find many "Solutions' but most everything points back to the IACV which controls the idle.I tried a few "Cheap" Solutions: I needed an air filter, so I did that. I hadn't ever cleaned the MAF in the 35K i'd owned it so I did that. After a few test drives nothing. I even tried the Idle Air Relearn proceedure in the Service manual but got nowhere. Then finally after a few days of testing I got the SES. I scanned it and got P0505. Well in my internet sleuthing I had read about the horror stories of the IACV circuit blowing in the ECM and decided to park it and not mess with it more. I really didn't know if it was too late or not but I didn't want to push it. I ended up ordering the IACV from Parts Geek along with the Throttle Body Gasket and IACV gasket. I paid an arm and a leg for shipping but the grand total was ~$120 which was anywhere from $50-$130 cheaper than Amazon, Rock Auto, Napa, Courtesy Nissan Parts, etc. AND it was the only place I found a Hitatchi brand IACV, Felpro Throttle Body Gasket and Nissan IACV Gasket. Which was my #1 or #2 brand of parts for each of those items. It took about a week for all three parts (shipped UPS, USPS and FedEx) to get to my house another few hours to disassemble and reassemble and now I have a running truck. I run through the Idle relearn from the Service manual and it takes perfectly, idle right back where it should be. For now it seems like my ECM is safe! I couldn't have done it without the help and posts of NPORA and NicoForums thanks guys! You saved me a ton of headache. Old Gaskets, get both they are cheap and after 160K mine where smashed flat and likely to not seal well again. Old IACV, taken apart. Odd little thing, I can see the benefits of fly-by-wire on the '03 on R50s.

This past summer I installed the split Poly bushings from 4x4 parts. No big deal right, lots of tutorials pretty stragiht forward. Three things I learned: 1) Dorman Control arms SUCK. They lasted 10K miles before the death wobble came back. Don't even bother with them, go straight for the poly. 2) 6 out of 8 bolts came of easy with an impact gun. #7 took some convincing with PB blaster, Propane Torch and 3 Ton lift/ 1/2 ratchet. A technique I can only recommend if you do not care at all about your 1/2 ratchet. Basically you put the lift under the ratchet handle and lift the vehicle with it. gradually the weight of the vehicle resisting the torque applied by the lift breaks the nut free. 3) when the method above fails, which it never has except for when I do not have access I did this for nut #8: A few minutes of careful grinding with a cutoff wheel and a few hits with a blunt chisel. Buy the bolts when you get the split bushings from 4x4 parts.