Slartibartfast

The four wheel drive engages the front end, which causes the front and rear to spin at the same speeds, but doesn't do anything with the differentials. (The diff cages spin at the same speed, but the wheel speed can change side to side, as the differentials are still open.) If it's stuck in 4x4 and you try to turn on dry pavement, yes, it'll chirp a bit/drag the tires/not do very well. When you turn, the front and rear tires follow different paths (just like the tires on either side) only there's no differential to compensate, so something has to give (usually the tires slide). This isn't a problem on wet/snowy/muddy/loose roads and trails, because the tires are slipping anyway (that's why you need 4x4). Just to get the stupid questions out of the way: is the green 4x4 light off? Is the 4x4 lever (says 2h, 4h, N, 4lo) pushed all the way forward? Have you tried driving it backwards for ten feet or so? Does it have the stock automatic hubs, or does it have manual hubs (turn by hand)? The front end stays engaged when you turn the 4x4 off until you drive it backwards a bit, and if the hubs are still locked, it's still in 4x. The owner's manual goes over working the 4x4, and if you don't have the manual, check above the driver's side sun visor, there should be a cliff's notes version in the clear pocket. The whine at 55 might be related, or it might not. If you notice it even when going dead straight it could be a dragging brake or a wheel bearing or something, or of course it could just be the 4x4 complaining. There is the chance that your rear axle is actually locked up (and both rear wheels spin at the same speed no matter what). Besides a botched LSD, I guess somebody might have locked it up for off-road use (probably with a welder). If this is the case... your rear end could be bad. (The shop guys hopefully would've caught that, though, rather than going on about your 4x4.) Also keep in mind I'm not a mechanic, so I could be totally full of it. Good luck!

I've calculated it a couple times, seventeen ish. I came out with 24 once but I'm pretty sure my dad borrowed it and gassed it up at some point lol

Well, don't shoot it, somebody tried that with my project car and it didn't help much. I've heard you can find a vacuum leak with WD40 or something, spray it on joints etc and it'll suck it in and cough or something when you find the bad spot. I'd expect a vacuum leak to be pretty consistent though... have you checked your grounds? Is the computer throwing any codes?

Oxygen sensor it is... wires went right over the trans to a lug on the exhaust. Given the attention to detail of the guy who re-did my exhaust, the plug thing was probably his work. I figured I'd just solder it up, but the wire from the harness wouldn't take solder. I couldn't cut it, either, it just slid between the blades. I'm not sure just what it's made of, definitely not copper though. Anyway, I reused the little screw connectors I found inside what I'd thought was a plug, and the connections feel solid. I'll run the codes tonight or tomorrow to make sure I did it right, and then glob some grease over the ends to keep water etc out. Thanks guys! And Silverton, yeah, I found a Sharpie. That, and I've seen way too many bad sci-fi movies; I don't want to be the guy opening the hood, seeing steam, and saying "the engine is broken."

Wrinkling is the paint reacting with itself. Sometimes it's from mixing brands/types (enamel, acrylic, lacquer), sometimes it's humidity, sometimes it's just Tuesday. Given long enough it'll harden enough to sand, or you can strip it and re-shoot. (I've had paint craze itself just because I shot it outside of the dry times on the can.) Also, that ^ is one hell of a jy haul.

Thanks guys. Adamzan, what's wrong with them? Apart from the wiring, I mean. Towncivilian, it's amazing what a pressure washer can do. Previous owner had every cranny on this thing full of pine needles...

Confirm the lighter socket against the battery first, there's a bit of wiring, a fuse, and the ignition column between them. Shouldn't make a difference, but might.

Okay, so, there are two wires coming out (looks like, didn't trace with my hand) of the trans. They go into the top of this grey plug, and apparently three wires are supposed to come out of the bottom, one black and two white. (It's up against the fuel/brake/etc lines on the passenger's side frame rail, but the multitude of zip ties suggest that it wasn't meant to go there.) As you can see, the black one is busted off. (I'm assuming that one of the lugs was originally empty?) In an attempt to figure out what it was, I followed the bundle into the engine bay, past this plug, and a wad of electrical tape (previous owner?), into the main harness going through the passenger's side of the firewall. It doesn't seem to be driving funny, shifting funny, etc. I haven't tried pulling codes yet. I do plan to repair this (is there a right way to do this?), but I'd kinda like to know what I'm looking at. Thanks in advance.

First off, make sure the timing belt is okay, if that goes out it'll stop the engine in a hurry. (I'm assuming it's the V6.) Or, it might just have a bad ground somewhere (snapped wire at a plug). There are factory service manuals (http://www.nicoclub.com/FSM/pathfinder/) online but only back to 94 I think. Amazon's got the paper version.

Spray painted Bill Murray's head on the underside of the hood. It's a long story.

... no voltage to the coil?

It'll probably look like somebody carved your truck out of a piece of granite. Not that that's a bad thing... if it keeps the rust down, might be worth it. It would be a royal PITA around mounts and trim, though.

The trace looks awfully clean and square-ended for a burnout. If the board was buggered enough to blow a trace, I'll bet several components would have already released the factory smoke. There's always the chance that your problem isn't that unit, but a bad wire somewhere between it and the lock actuators, a bad ground, etc.

If I'm going to sideswipe something, I'd rather hit it with the plastic than the metal. I'm leaving mine on.

I find it quite easy. They knew it would be driven in salted areas. And they designed the frame stupidly. Some days I marvel at how well my Pathy works... then I try to work on it and wonder what the designers were smoking. (That said, they were only made to last so long.)

Good news, it's fixable. Just got to work up some templates and do some cutting. My uncle might even teach me to weld, so, maybe this'll be a good thing. Chodygt, mine looked fine until I started beating on it with a hammer. Then it made the dreaded thunk (rather than ringing like metal should) and dust started coming out...

Pulled the rear bumper to clean and undercoat the rear frame, started scraping rust flakes from above the axle... and... The other side's a little thin but not full of holes at least. We'll probably weld patches over both sides... so long as we can keep it under $400. Otherwise, I've got a whole lotta parts. NISSAN, WHY YOU NO DESIGN TRUCK RIGHT?

+1 on the frame rusting. I just found a hole above my rear axle. FFFFfffffuuuuuuuuuuuu But yeah, as with everything, depends on what you want it for. I'd rather take a long trip in an R50, but I'd rather have my WD for logging roads (preferably with a good fishing lake at the end).

He said it would ruin the converters, so I doubt he meant cutting them out. Still, I have no idea how a straight pipe would damage the cat...

I think I saw a Terrano on here once with euro-looking tails, looked like it thought it was a Range Rover though. If you were ambitious enough you could split the plastic lens from the housing, make a mold, and re-cast in clear plastic... lot of work for a tail light, though.

Dunno about California, but in Washington if I remember correctly they're cool with it so long as it doesn't stick way out and there's a place for the turn signals and plate and all. But yeah, I would not want to get hit by that! On the plus side, no more shopping cart dings. @OP looks great!

LOL I have way too many projects. Here's the bigger of them: http://loosestandards.atwebpages.com/ It's a '59 Triumph wagon, four popper, awaiting sandblasting atm. Old British lacquer is tenacious stuff! Besides that, well... fishing... electronics... model trains... R/Cs... oh, yeah, and a Pathy that needs a little work.

Watched it get rained on with the sunroof open. My front fluid pump went out a while back, but I just popped it open, cleaned it out, polished the commutator, oiled the bushings, and put it back into service. It's worked pretty well since. The fluid gets into the bushings after a while and seizes them up, but it's nothing a little machine oil, sandpaper, and brute force can't fix. (If you can't find a new pump, why not hack in one from something else? Just change over the plug and you should be fine.)

^^ Same. I know my rear hitch switch works, because IIRC a light on the dash comes on if it's open. I've actually considered hacking something in so that I won't have to grope in the dark for the switch when getting stuff from the back.

If he gets in a bad enough accident for the integrity of the under-seat pan to come into play, chances are the rear passenger's screwed anyway. If it was frame work or a pillar or the seatbelts or something important, I'd share your caution, but the metal back there really just keeps the draft out and catches the pennies that fall between the seats. The seat belts bolt up elsewhere, so even if the whole affair gives way, the passenger's still strapped in. Perhaps the lesson is, don't transport lawsuit-happy people in a twenty year old car.