MadManMike

So I got off my lazy butt and got underneath to take some pics... Looks like for some strange reason I have a smaller pre-cat after the Y and a regular cat after that. On the left is the CAT and the right is the Pre-CAT Up close of what I believe to be a Pre-CAT Any other 95 owners have a setup like this? -Mike

Hey Guys, Back story: 6 months ago took my pathfinder into the local Japanese auto repair place to look at the loss of power I have been having and the horrible 11mpg. They said that there was a bunch of back pressure on my engine and it was caused by the fact that my muffler was plugged and my Catalytic converter was probably responsible for clogging it. They recommended a full catback exhaust system and quoted me some crazy price. New story: I am on spring break so I had time to take my car into a local exhaust shop and get a quote on a catback. They looked at it and said that they didn't think my catalytic converters were bad just that my muffler was bad. Told me they would replace the muffler with a so called "Turbo muffler" and install a new tailpipe for $180. Questions: Why does my pathfinder have 2 catalytic converters? This is news to me. Does this mean if I want to replace my converter with a magnaflow I am going to need 2 of them? are both the converters the same? Any recommendations for a muffler? or is a muffler just a muffler... Oh and also they said I need new plug wires... recommendations for plug wires? -Mike

98148 is my zip if you still need it.. Yeah i will check around and see if any local places will do that for cheap. What kind of muffler do I need? -Mike

I am not stupid enough to just take their word for it... They took me out and showed me the marred up crankshaft and what was left of the key before they did any work on it. These guys are very professional when it comes to that. And the 2nd time the symptoms came back it was to a much lesser extent and they did not charge me anything for the 2nd diagnoses. They are trustworthy but the downside is that they are expensive. I realize that a mom and pop place could do what I want for less. I will start calling the local exhaust shops and see what kind of bids I get. And why get an off brand when you can get magnaflow universals for $60.. Unless there are off brands that are cheaper than that. -Mike

Hey guys, So as most of you know I have been having major problems with my car for a while now. I was getting about 10mpg, had a crazy lack of power and ticking noise coming from the engine. The guys at the local Japanese auto shop figured out that my woodruff key had been shaved and the crank was damaged (see more about that problem if interested: http://www.nissanpathfinders.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=20384&hl= ) Any way they fixed that problem... now a month later my pathy all the sudden exhibits the same symptoms as it did before they fixed it. Took it in today fearing that my crank was dead again. They checked the crank bolt and said it was as tight as ever... But that my catalytic converter was falling apart and clogged my muffler. They then proceeded to quote me $980 to replace my cat and muffler... So with $300 in my savings account I now need some other options. So what are my options? I know I want to get the magna-flow cat on ebay... But what about the rest of the exhaust? how hard is it to replace the Muffler your self? -Mike

So I am guessing there are no more stickers? The snow and ice scrapers wrecked havoc on my stickers and I need some replacements. -Mike

The problem is I have no way of proving it was them, I had my old tires rotated about 6 months ago by Les Schwab. I hadn't taken off my front tires until I got new ones put on at discount tire, thats when they discovered the first bad stud. (although I did have some exhaust work done on my car since then and they could have taken off the tires). I know I haven't taken off my new tires since I got them, and that's when I discovered the 2nd stripped stud... So that stud is definitely Discount tires fault. And I know it's not me, I put my lugs on hand tight first then give them a tug with the tire iron... I don't use air tools for tires. So any way, long story short. There is no way to tell who ruined the first one, the shop that I found charges $50 per wheel (both stripped studs are on the same wheel) so it is essentially free to fix the 2nd one. It just makes me laugh... I mean you work with tires all day, that is YOUR only job and you strip the stud? how stupid can you be.. -Mike

I just called a local wheel aligment place and they said "$50 per wheel"... So I think I am just going to do that... better than freezing my butt off in the snow/rain..

Hey guys... So after I got my new tires the guy at Discount said that one of my studs was totally stripped (I am pretty sure it was done by les schwab) and so I have been driving with out one lug on my wheel for a few weeks now. Just yesterday I took the tire off and one of the lugs was really hard to take off (another stripped stud)... The guys at these tire places are too air-tool happy Any way, so I call les-schwab and they say it's going to be $100 in labor to get them off (because it's the front tire)... so now I am going to do it my self. What all is involved? Is there better aftermarket studs that I can put in while I am in there? -Mike

Got the hose today... Took me about 4 hours to install. Plus it was icy on the ground and in the 20's all day.. so I was freezing my butt off by the time I was done. Couldn't get a couple of the clips back on, because the new hose really didn't line up with the old one. But I gave them a good wiggle and they didn't move at all, so I am not going to worry about it. For people trying to do it in the future: Taking off the fan shroud and the FAN/clutch makes it a lot easier. Also you have to take off the passenger front tire to get to a clip in there. Any way I got it all done before it snowed again... And now I can finally stop driving my moms corolla Embarrassing and it doesn't fit me -Mike

Yeah I think I am just going to stick with what the manual says... And it says ATF. I put PSF in while it was leaking so I could get home... I have had power steering go out before in smaller cars, but with my new BFG's I was having a hard time steering my pathy with no fluid -Mike

I thought I remembered hearing that. Well the hose was not in at any local stores, including our big napa warehouse ( I really wanted to get my pathy fixed this weekend before we get snow)... So I had to order it online and now I am going to have to wait a week for it to ship. Oh well... I suppose I can let the poor pathy sit another week. -Mike

Any special power steering fluid necessary? -Mike

Pretty much... Be careful when sucking it in... I have never done it but have heard of people causing vapor locks because of sucking it in. If you do a search (maybe you already have) there are a ton of posts on seafoam. And I am sure someone more knowledgeable than me will chime in soon. -Mike

Yeah, when I go to NAPA I go to the distributor warehouse (huge place). When they tell you "We don't have that in stock I am going to have to order it" this is where it comes from. And everyone there knows what they are talking about. At least you warned me... -Mike

Says the mechanic I have a ticking noise as well... And I a pretty sure it's a lifter... but it seems to be louder when cold and then once it warms up it stops ticking. Just thought that was noteworthy... or maybe my manifold studs are shot again... -Mike

Tried to use the 1/2" but it was to big... I don't think I could even jam it in. I am just going to buy a new hose probably... I should have time to install it this weekend. -Mike

Rubber...

Woah man don't go NUTS on us! Okay I guess it's not that crazy of an idea.... Yeah i suppose I could... But then begs the question(s) Will it hold? Will it crack again in a different spot? Might be a good temp fix until I have enough time off from school to replace it. -Mike

Good idea.. Yeah I think most of it has been dealt with. At least most of the major issues (timing belt, exhaust manifolds, stripped out crank, shocks, radiator, starter), only 113K on the truck I bought the truck with lower miles hoping that it would have less problems Still have the *click click click Start* ignition issue, and still hear a ticking coming from the engine (I am assuming it's the lifters). And yeah some dumb kid owned it, his dad sold it to me. I don't think he cared much about maintenance, although when I bought it 2 years ago it was in good shape. Most of the stuff has happened since I owned it. -Mike

Hmm... yeah well if that's the case I will probably just buy the hose. It looks like I am going to have to take out the Radiator to get it in... or at least the fan shroud and a few hoses. It made a beautiful mess of oil in my engine If this car could run for 2 weeks with out having a major problem I would be happy. -Mike

Hey guys, So I am trying to pull into a parking spot at school yesterday and all the sudden I can't move my steering wheel and my engine starts smoking... I instantly knew it was something to do with my power steering... Well now that I look it over the hose that comes off of the top of the power steering pump has a crack in it and was spraying fluid all over my engine. So now I need a new hose, and was wondering.. Do I have to get the whole hose? or just the rubber part, because this hose is part rubber part metal. Pictures for reference: I couldn't find the part number in my manual. Is this the correct one? http://www.partsamerica.com/ProductDetail....artNumber=91857 Thanks guys, -Mike

Yeah me too... It's probably best if you can find some one to tell you about it preferably some one who would be giving the fine. But basically what I get out of it is: You can only mount lights on your roof or roll bar... and make sure they are covered at all times, and don't use them on the road. And for fog lights... you can use them with your headlights when visibility dampened.. But it really doesn't say where you can mount the fog lights... your laws are much less informative than mine here in Washington. -Mike

So what your wondering is.... not necessarily what is legal.... but what you can get away with Because I did give you all the laws I think it's kinda funny, because I have read through the WA state law and there are a bunch of odd laws that no 4x4ers around here follow. Like some bumper off the ground height restrictions, as well as height restrictions for how far off the ground your fog lights can be. I figure if a cop A) knows the law and takes to time to come out and measure it, then he must be some kind of crazy bored. I measured my brothers old Yota 4-runner (it had a 2" lift) and it broke 2 of the laws. Technically my window tint is to dark.... but the cops around here are too lazy to measure it. -Mike

I found our laws on lighting here in Washington on the DOT's website... so I checked your DOT's website and sure enough it was there "Off-road lighting.--Off-road lighting lamps may be mounted on the roof or roll bar of a vehicle and shall be covered with an opaque covering that prohibits any light from being emitted when the vehicle is being operated on a highway or trafficway. Any person who illuminates an off-road lighting lamp while the vehicle is being operated on a highway or a trafficway commits a summary offense and shall, upon conviction, be sentenced to pay a fine of $100." Here is the document explaining all types of lighting for vehicles: http://www.dmv.state.pa.us/pdotforms/vehic...e/chapter43.pdf And here is where they explain all the vehicle codes: http://www.dmv.state.pa.us/vehicle_code/index.shtml -Mike