Chriskaw440

if the cruise control isn't working at all....try checking the rubber pad on the brake pedal arm....if it's missing/dry rotted and fell off....then the cruise control will think the brake are being applied and therefore not operate. (there's a cruise control switch on the brake pedal that stays depressed when the pedal is in the full up position) That's what happened on my 1990. Replaced the rubber pad (I just went ahead and replaced ALL the rubber switch pads on the brake and clutch pedals) and problem solved.

Just fired it up today to check around while on lunch....still a steady "PULSATING" rythym / misfire throughout the range....vacuum lines seem normal, played around with maf harness...no different. Didn't have time to check codes since its old-school and couldnt find my tiny screwdriver to turn the knob on the ECU.

I havent torn into anything. Its not driven much anymore and was running great .... now lately its hobbling along until its warmed up and the gas is good. I'll pull spark plugs soon to inspect though.

Lately my 1990 SE engine has started "motorboating" during its warm up and doesn't run smooth until FULLY warmed up.....it sounds like a steady motor boat rythym and is lacking power when trying to drive it. Kinda like only every other cylinder is firing or at least one is low on compression or something. Not smoking or leaking any fluids. All typical tune up items are up to date. runs better once warmed up because the engine parts have expanded to their operating temperature and possibly closed whatever leak there may be? it has 265,000+ miles and original engine. If its sounding like its on its last legs.....she will become a donor vehicle or sold for best offer. I have another newer vehicle now and can't afford to pump money into the pathy and be without a ride while its torn apart or rebuilt.

Darn I thought he was referring to some hardbody fitness ladies.........oh well.

New rear U-Joint is on and test driven with no vibrations. whew! Been so long since I did U-joints on a car....I had forgotten how FUN it is beating on the caps until they break loose with a Mini Sledge and socket. Only hit my thumb once. My tip for future U-joint do-it-yourselfers.....once the old assembly is removed and soforth, use a small drum grinder on a drill to clean/grind out the insides of the cap cradles (whatever they're called...) on the shaft and flange. The new joint caps will pop in MUCH easier and still be a firm fit.

U joints are Inner lock on the main drive shaft....and I pick up my new joints today Now I'll have something to do tonight.

Yeah I was just given a quote of $250.00 per side. The HUB type on newer cars are so much easier! I dropped my driveshaft at the differential to check the ujoint and it moves freely on one axis but sticks a bit on the other axis...so I'm wanting to replace that which I can do myself of course, but when I look up the parts I see them listed as "Inner lock up" and "outer lock up"....which refers to measuring the size from the c-clip grove inside or outside. Anyone know off hand which ones are on the 1990 rear shafts? I can pull it first and just take it to the parts store to match up but I'd rather know before hand so I can just get them and do the job. thanks, Chris

Yep that's what I was pretty much figuring given the age of it. I'll be better off paying a shop then....as I don't have pullers or presses. thanks for the info! -Chris

I feel as though I have a bearing going bad on my 1990 SE passenger side rear axle/wheel.... Is it a huge pain in the ass to do in your own garage? need a press? etc etc. Most cars I have replaced bearings on lately have had the "hub assembly" type that just pop on and off the axle or spindle... I'm thinking mine (with disc brakes) is probably the old school "cut it off and use a press to install new set".... thanks, Chris

Ah, sounds like the vacuum line that usually gets knocked off when changing that spark plug back there.....I've knocked it off more than once! idles really rough with out it....slide it back on....back to normal.

Hmmm...which vacuum line is for the fuel pressure regulator.....I've been fighting a crappy idle during warm up for a while but figure it's vacuum related....and I probably missed a line somewhere too....along with fixing the cracks in my air tube between the air filter and the throttle body. thanks

I think thats what I tried a couple years ago but it probably didn't last since it is kinda difficult to get it very clean down in the grooves of the tube and I probably did a lame job if cleaning it lol. That's why this time I just covered IT ALL just to see if it made a difference. It even sounds different since I have a K&N cone style air filter...now it sounds like a jet engine whine....maybe because it's sucking more air directly through the filter....or through another tiny leak.

Latest update.....and just some gorilla tape (better than duct tape) may have been my fix. Even though I had tried to seal some dry rot cracks in the air intake tube between the air filter and the plenum with sealant, it looks like it didn't stick very well as I discovered when I removed the tube during an inspection for bad vacuum lines. Since the cracks are all inside the 'flexible ribbed area' of the tube, I just cleaned the whole area with alcohol, and wrapped it up tightly with the gorilla tape, covering the entire flexible area of the tube, and put it back in its place. This was over two weeks ago and the idle has not jumped up to the 2,000 rpm range since and over all idle seems much improved. Nothing else was changed. I'm hoping (since everything else has been replaced) that it was just a matter of the engine sucking in unregulated air through the tube cracks. For now the tape seems to be doing the job as a temporary solution....going to give it more time to see. -Chris

The bushing pictured underneath that round "whatever it is" TIMKIN thing, is a bushing for a front end control arm. The cone shaped bushing under that is for the rear end panhard rod (or sway bar whatever..) the other ones shown are for the upper and lower rear control arms (they have a metal sleeve around them) and they fit both upper and lower arms. -Chris

yeah these are clutch operated fans. Loud at start up like mentioned above, and typically "work" at idle speed or thereabouts, and then disengage at driving speeds thus letting the ram-air through the front grill do the cooling job. Then at idle the fan does the work to pull air through the radiator again...blah blah blah. Electric operated fans cut on when needed, mostly when stuck in traffic or after the car is shut off after a lot of driving in summer heat. You'll hear the fan come on as you are walking away from the vehicle. I just replaced a dead electric cooling fan unit in my stepsons 1996 Saturn.

I think many people are misunderstanding the overfilling thing...doesn't it say you need to overfill the tranny AFTER replacing the transmission case with the new countermeasure tranny case? just wondering. I don't over fill mine because it's never had the whining issue.

do not drive a ton of miles with so much seafoam in the engine...it's not a lubricant...and driving it under load for so long is not recommended I don't care who says it's ok to do that. just let it idle for a short while or drive around the block a few times.

the bushings in my rear lower control arms were blown out on one side causing my death wobble. Rather than replace the entire arms on both sides, I just ordered new bushings and yanked out the old ones and popped in the new ones. Done deal. it wasnt QUITE that easy as it took a good bit of labor to cut and pound out the old ones and wrestle in the new ones (no press in my garage) but it was that or pay big bucks that I didn't have. Been fine ever since and I only had to replace the lower ones. The bushings run around 16 bucks each I think and two in each arm of course.

Well I have tried this and that with the MAF stuff and wiring but no changes. I'm beginning to think I may have some hidden vacuum line leak(s) where they are hard to locate or I have an erratic TPS even though it's still fairly new. Just living with it for now...and besides, my tailpipe just broke off from the muffler so now I have to order a new muffler/tail pipe assembly, instead of getting it welded for a temporary fix since all if it back there is pretty much a rusty mess.

my 5spd manual has 260,000 miles on it now and I run Redline MT90. I've never overfilled it and never had any problems. Not the fastest shifting manual but given the age and mileage it's still doing just fine in my book. Red Line is good stuff. -Chris

Yeah I will have to just take some time and do a full out inspection as best I can and look for the things everyone has suggested soon as I can......and maybe install an Improbability Drive Unit too while I'm at it.

I'll go light a match and hold it along the lines until........ thanks for the info all!

where is the evap canistor on this model....back by the tank or in the engine compartment somewhere.... I've done A LOT of work on my Pathy but never ever seen the evap stuff thanks!

with my 1990 SE I always smell gas around the rear of the vehicle mostly from the passenger side where the gas filling area is...even sniffing around the wheel well. If I park in my garage overnight, the next morning it has filled the garage with fuel smell/vapor so that tells me it must be a small leak somewhere. I replaced the gas cap with a brand new one but no difference. I am not familiar with the EVAP system or charcoal canister on this old of a model. All I have seen online refers to much newer Pathfinder models. When I remove the cap to fill up it always has that usual "whoosh" sound of pressure escaping once it's unscrewed. I removed the access cover from above the fuel tank (in the hatch storage area under the carpet) to see the fuel pump assembly and it all looks tight with no obvious cracks in the seal or lines. Any suggestions? thanks as always. -Chris