andrewcconti

Ok wet start issue fixed! Thanks to all. BUT... I am still having a weird dash brake light and battery light on issue. When I start the car it starts right up, and both lights glow very dimly. Once up and on the road both lights go out. I checked battery connections, belts, brake fluid level. Everything looks great to my eye.

Thanks to all who replied. I replaced the cap yesterday. Fingers crossed this solves the wet start issued. Oddly Now my brake and battery lights are both coming on? I start the car they stay on and as I get to highway speeds they both go out? Another puzzle for me to solve... I hope to get this rig semi reliable for my 800 miles once a month winter commute from MA to PA this winter.

I have put almost 1500 miles on my new to me 1988 Pathfinder a large part in thanks to all of the helpful answers people in this forum have helped me with. My latest issue is every time we get a heavy overnight rain the Pathfinder refuses to start. If I let it sit in the sun and dry out it starts right up. Any leads as to what I could/should check to solve this problem? I bought the Pathfinder as my "winter beater" and will need to resolve the wet start issue before the snow falls. Thanks in advance! Andrew

Thanks! Unfortunately for me, I spent the $90. at my local dealer. The shop installed the new cable and I now have a working speedo. That said I am looking for: - a battery hold down bracket - two blue door lock knobs (PO dog chewed them off) - a blue drivers side seat belt receiver end - blue rear view mirror with blue attachment point cover Thanks

Ok first long trip for the fresh out of the shop Pathfinder. 32 miles to work. (gotta pay for my $1300 repair bill) So far I am into the truck for $2300. I paid $1000. for it 170k, 5 speed, working A/C, 97% rust free Colorado Pathfinder that just moved to the New England area this winter. Thanks again to all who have helped!

OK the mechanic just called. They put my Pathfinder up on a lift and low and behold the wire to the oil pressure sending switch was disconnected and was barely touching it's connector. He plugged it back in and the car is ready to pick up... Fingers crossed this is the end of this problem. Thanks again for all of the help! Andrew

Nunya! THANK YOU! I am just going to leave it in for 3k and then just go back to regular dino oil. Speaking of oil any specific weight/brand I should consider? I tend to always use mobil1 oil filters in all of my cars and will probably do the same in the pathfinder. They seem to be the best of the readily available oil filters in my area. Thanks again to everyone. I called the mechanic this morning and told him where he would find the oil pressure sensor in my car. His comment "Boy you're good! I should hire you" uhh.... ok

UGHHHH! Is this true? DAMN IT.... Should I take it for another oil change when I pick it up? I wish I was more of a wrench mechanic instead of a "internet" mechanic. I look up stuff and try to figure out what they should be doing. Unlike my wife she coughs, gets on the net and next thing she knows she has days to live. Should I be VERY concerned about having this LUCAS Oil Stuff in the engine? Thanks to all who have replied! I am going to stop off at the mechanics on my way to work to show the mechanic where the oil pressure sending unit is....

No offense taken! NPORA has been much more helpful then my "mechanic" time to find a new mechanic...I hope I can make this Pathfinder a reliable winter commuter, not looking promising so far.

Ok he got it running. He said he dumped the oil out and refilled it himself adding some LUCAS oil additive to see if he could get the oil pressure up? He said the oil pressure seems to be fine but the Oil Pressure light keeps flickering. He is thinking it is the oil pressure sending unit. He then went on to say the Meineke database he has access to does not show where he would find the oil pressure sending unit on my 1988 Pathfinder. I then suggested he might want to reference the FACTORY SHOP MANUAL for the 1988 Pathfinder I left for him when I dropped the car off. UGH....

It is just fast clicking. No start. He told me he tapped the ECU (?) under the passenger seat to see if he can get it to start. No luck so far.

This is not sounding to promising... I called the garage this afternoon for a update. The owner of the shop told me the mechanic who worked on my car told him the Oil Pressure Light was on when the car was delivered! Uh no I just bought the car and I am not completely new to buying cars I have owned over 85 cars in my 46 years... Fortunately the owner agreed the light was not on when the car was dropped off. He then tells me "We can not get it to start..." WTF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I told him I walked 3 miles to get the car last night and it started first turn of the key. I drove it 3 miles and shut it off, let it sit for about 45 mins and turned the key and it started again and drove it right back to his shop last night. UGH! Could the oil pressure light being on for 6 miles have anything to do with the Pathfinder now not starting? I am begining to think my 37 year old Alfa Romeo is a reliable car... Just Kidding.

OK...I paid the $1300+ bill at the garage, drove home and walked back after dinner to pick up my new to me 1988 Pathfinder. Turn the key, starts right up and the oil pressure light does not go off. I had walked from my house after dinner 3 miles to the garage, the shop was closed and at this point it was dark. I decided I needed more light to see if this was something I could possibly deal with so I drove the Pathfinder home 3 miles with the oil pressure light on the whole time. I get home and the engine bay stinks of smoking oil. NICE... I pop the hood and check the oil level in the garage. The level is about 1/2 to 1 inch above the H! I have a mityvac so I sucked out some oil, to be honest I have no idea how much I got out as the mityvac's reserve was almost full and I had to stop. I check the oil level again and it is still a little above the H. I decide to ask my wife to follow me the 3 miles back to the garage and I drop the Pathfinder back to the shop last night. On the 3 mile drive back to the garage the Oil Pressure light stayed on and only a few breif occasions would it flicker off for a second and then back on... Questions: - what could cause this? (too much oil is that possible?) - did I do or could I have possibly done any permenant damage driving the car on my 6 mile round trip with the oil pressure light on? I was hoping for a better start to my Pathfinder ownership... I have to say something good about my Pathfinder the A/C!!!!!!!!! It blew instantly ICE COLD, really meat locker cold! I was very impressed. Thanks again listers! Andrew

87 it is! Thank you both! Perfect! Next stop this afternoon to pay the shop and retreive the Pathfinder. Fingers crossed it will pass MASS State Vehicle Inspection and I will be good to go!

I am finally closing in on the final details of getting my new to me 1988 Pathfinder ready for a State Vehicle Inspection. Thank God and the folks are NPORA for helping out. That said I am curious what octane fuel most of you are running? Is Regular (87) ok? are there any benefits to going with mid-grade or premium? My German cars hate REG/Mid and only run on Premium. I was kind of hoping the Pathfinder would be A-Ok with Reg. Thanks in advance! Andrew

Ok I checked with RockAuto and they do not stock Speedo cables for the WD21 Pathfinder. Great source though as they do stock lots of other parts. That said I decided to call my local Nissan dealer's parts department. The mechanic working on the car supposedly called his local Nissan dealer. Well the good news is Nissan has 8 of these cables left in dealer inventory in their warehouse in NJ. $99.00 was a bit of a ouch but at least I will have a working speedo and odo. Thanks Nunya~!

First Thanks for all of the help to date! This forum is refreshingly drama, kid free, and all of the answers/help I have gotten has been very clear and spot on. NOW the latest hurdle I am trying to overcome... Speedometer Cable. I just got a call from the garage who is doing the mechanical restoration on my 1988 Pathfinder and he let me know the Nissan dealer told him the speedometer cable's for the 88 WD21's are No Longer Available? Does anyone know where I can get a speedo cable? He is going to try to remove my instrument cluster and see if he can repair the existing cable but I am not counting on a success. Thanks again! Andrew

THANKs to all!

I am still working out a few minor details on my new to me 1988 Pathfinder. Mine has a 5 speed and I have learned on this site and the factory had a TSB on transmission fluid level mark being off by 1.5 liters. I read you can A) tilt the car to add more? or add the extra fluid thru the shifter? Does anyone now of a link with step by step for either option? Preferably with photos! Thanks in advance Andrew

Excellent! I am hoping it is as easy and straight forward a fix as you found with yours.

I stopped by the garage where the Pathfinder is being worked on this morning. I asked the mechanic to remove the instrument cluster and to check the connection on the cluster end of the speedo cable. He thought that might be a good idea too... fingers crossed it's just the cable/connector.

LOL! Thanks well I printed out how to remove the cluster and I am going to suggest he check both ends of the speedo cable before giving up. Thanks again

The mechanic told me it was not the cable...then told me he was going to look into how to remove the cluster. ???? I guess I am confused how he could so confidently say it is not the cable and then say he is going to have to look into how to take out the cluster? Wouldn't he had to have removed the cluster to know if the cable is truly not the problem?

I would hate to lose the odo reading by swapping out the whole cluster for a used one. Any chance I can have it fixed by sending it out for repair? I had a old mercedes and I sent the speedo out for repair. I am just not clear if a 1988 Pathy has a mechanical or electronic speedo/odo and if there is a electronic sensor that just goes on the fritz and can not be repaired.

I am in the process of having a local garage sort out a few minor issues on my newly purchased 1988 Pathfinder 5 speed. The garage called today to let me know the problem with the speedo was not the cable and they suggested they will take the speedo out for me to send it to a shop that repairs speedos. Can anyone recommend a shop to do this type of repair? Is this a electronic speedo/odo or mechanical? Thanks in advance! Andrew