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vf24renegade

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vf24renegade last won the day on August 11 2016

vf24renegade had the most liked content!

Previous Fields

  • Your Pathfinder Info
    94 Pathfinder SE 4x4 and 95 Pathfinder XE 4x4
  • Mechanical Skill Level
    Skilled/Experienced Mechanic
  • Your Age
    45+
  • What do you consider yourself?
    Rarely Go Off-Road
  • Model
    SE
  • Year
    1994

Profile Information

  • Gender
    Male
  • Location
    South Central Georgia
  • Country
    United States

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  1. SOLVED! At least I'm declaring it so. I tried replacing the coil. (Fortunately I have a 94 Pathfinder with a busted frame and a lot fewer miles as a parts donor). That made no difference. On the off chance that the fan wasn't cooling enough (even though temp gauge never got past half scale)I tried changing the fan clutch. Again, no joy. Considering SCJax2018's reply, I though maybe something on the distributor, like the pick up coil, is getting hot and degraded enough that it will soon fail, so I swapped it out. We've gotten hot weather again and I haven't had anymore stumbles or ignition problems even with the AC on to stress the cooling even more. Thanks to all for your helpful insight and suggestions, esp. SCJax2018 who got me pointed in the right direction. Thank you all very much!
  2. Update: Additional observation: It appears to happen under situations calling for more torque or power.
  3. Okay, 95 Pathfinder XE. 406,000 miles, changed timing belt ,front seal and rotor arm a few months ago. Cool mornings, runs fine. On hot afternoons, after about 20 miles, the engine will occasionally stumble. It will jerk and a noticeable RPM dip when it does it. usual driving speed is 55 mph. After stumbling once or twice, it will pick up and run fine for a few more minutes. Then after shutting down, as in going into the parts store, it will be difficult to start and idle rough. Caramel burning smell. Then when driving, it stumbles continuously and can go about 20 mph. after a few minutes, the engine speed gets up enough to shift gears and can go 35 to 40 mph and stumbling decreases. after a few minutes, can cruise at 45 to 55 with even less stumbling. After a few more minutes, back to 55 and no or very little stumbling. Observations: Doesn't matter whether AC is off or on for this problem to occur. Only occurs when the outside temperature is high (85 or more). The temp. gauge shows normal (1/2 scale or less). There is coolant in the reservoir. It seems as though the engine or compartment is getting hot and is cooiling down as air is moving around it. But as noted above, the temp gauge is normal and it does vary, so not stuck. There is a smell from the front of the car which resembles caramel or a distillery like something sweet is burning. Doesn't smell like hot coolant or oil or burning wire insulation. Actions taken: Replace fuel filter. Checked EGR valve for movement. Any ideas or similar experiences? Thanks.
  4. Thanks! I found it after clearing away enough oil and dirt.
  5. One thing missing and I can't see how it's attached. The metal tube between the lower rad hose and the tstat housing is attached to the engine but I can't see where and how. Vg30 1995 wd21. Thanks
  6. Hi All, I need to unload my Pathfinders. I have 1995 and 1994, both XE 4WD. The 94 has a rotten frame, has been used as a parts vehicle and isn't roadworthy. It's missing the radiator, starter, some wheel lugs, the hub cover bolts, front bumper and grill. The center console disintegrated from age and sun. Probably a few more items I can't remember. It has 157688 miles and when the frame rusted through, everything but the cruise control worked. There is some corrosion on the body but mostly restricted to the front wheel wells and tire rack. The 95 is my daily driver but it has issues. The transmission shifts a little odd like it's trying to find the right gear, especially when down shifting. Also, unless the oil is over-filled, the check engine light comes on, it idles high and the mileage drops to @ 12 MPG. And, the front seal leaks oil. The 4WD sensor seems to have a short in it and is cut at the sensor. Tires are in good shape but it needs some new bushngs in the front suspension. I've replace the tie rod and the tie rod ends. The only thing that doesn't work on this one is the rear window washer and the fog lights aren't hooked up. The previous owner did a crappy job trying to makeit a rock crawler and I've been slowly straightening out ever since. It show about to turn 400k miles but I know the instrument panel has been replaced so I doubt it's true. I've put about 45k miles on it myself. I also put on lego wheels. It has the interior spare tire rack and does not have a roof rack. Also the steering wheel shaft interior covers are missing. (I was going to take them from the 94). Both have aftermarket radio/CD players in them. I am selling both together and with some time and resources could be combined to make one great pathfinder. I am asking 2500 obo for the set. Thanks These are pictures of the 94. Pictures of the 95 PAthfinder to follow.
  7. Wouldn't the brakes have eventually worn and the effect lessened? I've had the vehicle for over 4 years now. Up to now I just figured the poor performance was due to the abuse of the previous owner (I've been improving things as I've been able over the years). Which gear oil? Differential or transfer case? Or both? The front bearings had been repacked last summer.
  8. Thanks, but I doubt that's it. It doesn't warm up in the 100 yards to the end of the driveway. It also does it whether it's damp or dry. Always when its under@ 70 degrees.
  9. Thanks all. I appreciate the tips and I've considered them before. The usual fuel consumption service items do need to be done, but the apparent drag and rapid deceleration when I let off the gas are what got me thinking along other lines. Unless there was a stock gearing change between 94 and 95, I'd assume they were the same. Tires are identical and weight almost identical. Besides we're talking about a 25% difference in fuel mileage.
  10. Nope, it just moves forward as if in lip mode. At the end of the drive way, I shut it off and restart and all is fine. This happens as high as the mid 60's F. outside temperature. Also, as a note, it has always had a high idle RPM @1200 to 1500.
  11. HI All, I have a 94 Pathfinder XE and a 95 Pathfinder XE. The 94 used to get @ 16 mpg and had no issues that I can recall....but it rusted badly and is now a parts donor vehicle. The 95 is my daily driver but ..... it gets about 12 mpg. (This is all highway miles BTW). My musings are thus. Comparing the two pathfinders and how they drove, it seems like....the 95 has more drag. When I let off the gas pedal, it decelerates almost as if applying brakes, but not quite. Still, the body kind of hunkers down as it will when you apply brakes and momentum pushes on the suspension. I am pretty sure the 4wd isn't engaged as I forgot to disengage it one time and over 50 mph, it made a definite noise. It doesn't do that in this circumstance. Also, at a given highway speed, the 95 runs at a couple hundred higher rpms than did the 94. I.E. the 94 would do about 67 at 2500 rpm's, the 95 will do about 62. Also, the torque required to accelerate seems to be higher and unless I pay good attention and try to manipulate the power, it won't upshift until about 3000 rpm. If I let off the gas a bit, I can get it to do so earlier but, of course, I lose some acceleration. Perhaps I have transmission issues? It does shift hard sometimes, and at others @ 50 mph, it may seem to hunt up and down between 4th and 5th but these are rare instances. I have serviced the transmission and checked the fluid but no adverse indications there. Anyone care to chime in? I would really like to keep it, But at 12 mpg, it's a good candidate for replacement. Thanks Oh, I also posted some months earlier, that when it starts out cold (less than 70 degrees outside) in the morning, it will drive as if in limp mode. If I drive it @ 100 yards, shut off the ignition, and start it again, it drives normally (as described above) and the transmission light flashes the code for no faults. Related? I never got any good answers to that post, but maybe it has a bearing on this one.
  12. Hi All, 95 WD21 I have a transmission issue on which I cannot find a like submission. When it's cool or cold (below 60 degrees), especially in the morning, the transmission acts like it's in limp mode. But, after I drive it a bit (100 yards or so), and turn off the key then restart, it shifts normally. The transmission light flashes about 16 times all the same rate, none longer than the other. The manual specifies 10, but all the same length reads no trouble codes. When the weather is warm or the engine is warm, no problems. If it were extreme cold, I might suspect thickening fluid and a partially clogged cooler but not at 50 degrees certainly. I had previously changed the radiator from a 94 pathfinder which had no transmission issues. At some point, I'll add a transmission cooler but for general principal, not for this reason. It may help in this case, but I was wondering if anyone had any thoughts or experiences. Once restarted, the transmission shifts up and down well without any issues. Thanks
  13. I couldn't post this in the garage so I put it here. In the interest of humanity, here is a write-up of my experience changing a starter on a WD21 Pathfinder. A vehicle I loved and wanted….until I had to work on it. Situation: 1994 Pathfinder XE – parts vehicle. 1995 Pathfinder XE – starter just clicks. The starter motor doesn’t turn. The click was loud enough that I knew it was the solenoid engaging. At first, I could turn the key several times and get the starter to turn. After a while, no more. To make things even more comical, my 1987 Chevy Silverado did the exact same thing at the exact same time. I changed the starter on it, much sooner and more quickly. I read several posts on this procedure and, while all were somewhat right, I had to combine several techniques to successfully swap mine out. There is some misleading information out there, probably due to faulty memory. Also, mine are not lifted, so the ‘take out 2 bolts and starter comes right out’ does not apply here. First task: Remove starter from 1994 parts vehicle. Both my Pathfinders are stock in that they are not lifted at all. Many posts decry removing the bolts as difficult. I found it the easiest part of the process. I used a 3/8 ratchet, 1- 8” extension, 2- 3” extensions, a universal adaptor and a 15 mm socket. I jacked up the vehicle, removed passenger tire. The battery was already out, so the positive cable was already disconnected. The mud shield was already out of the wheel well. From underneath, threading the socket affair alongside the transmission and behind the exhaust pipe, I unbolted the starter. A trouble light is very useful and goggles highly recommended. I live on a dirt road so there was a constant shower of sand and dirt as I worked. The bolts came loose and unbolted rather easily. The bottom bolt has the transmission cooling lines right next to it, so it is somewhat challenging. I anticipated this to be the most difficult so I was in good spirits after that, looking forward to a relatively easy removal. Ha ha. Working from the wheel well, I reached between the frame and the various lines in the way I removed the orange cover and plug to the oil pressure sensor. Then I proceeded to work the starter towards the front of the vehicle. Then I moved to the front, underneath. The rock guard there was already removed. I worked the starter out towards the front using the cables to pull with and rotating the starter in different positions to get the shield and or the solenoid past the engine and the engine mount. I was then stopped by the transmission cooling lines. I removed their mounting bracket (10mm bolt) and bent those towards the driver’s side. This was not easy. The fuel and brake lines in the rear of the vehicle rusted and are like tissue paper, but these were like solid steel bars. But I got them bent out of the way between the oil pan and the tie rod. I was then able to pull the starter forward, up and over the tie rod and it plopped out like a newborn baby. I used a small phillips screwdrive to remove the shield for the solenoid connector. There were 3 screws instead of the 2 mentioned in other posts. And I can see no way to get them out with the starter still in the vehicle as some claimed to have done. Perhaps theirs were lifted. I unplugged the solenoid connector and removed the nut holding on the positive cable (14mm). Note: Pay attention to the orientation of the cable on the starter. It must go back on at same orientation or it will short against the frame or motor mount. Total time was about 3 hours. Second Task: Remove the faulty starter from the 1995 driving Pathfinder. The procedure was the same for the 1994 Pathfinder until it came time to remove the starter. This vehicle, still driven on the dirt road has the benefit of a leaky front seal so it has a nice mixture of sand, dirt and oil all over everything underneath. With the starter unbolted, I reached in through the wheel well and moved the starter forward. Moving, to the front, with the rock guard already removed, I removed the 10 mm bolt holding the transmission line bracket to its mount. I moved the transmission cooling lines towards the driver’s side as before. Utilizing the cables and various rotation positions, I worked the starter towards the front as before, but I was stymied by the solenoid or the positive cable hitting the engine mount and I couldn’t move it out further. I tried for several hours and had to stop for the day. Then the rains came, but that’s another story. I did more research and read where others had removed the oil filter and exhaust heat shield. I looked down through the engine compartment and saw that there might be access that way. I removed the battery. Then I unbolted the power sterring reservoir from the wheel well and moved it out of the way as far as allowed. (4-10mm bolts and 1 bendable bracket holding down the negative cable). I did the same with the fuel filter (2- 10mm bolts). This gave me good access to the heat shield. There are 2 10mm bolts on top and 3 on the side. Only the two front-most bolts on the side need to come out as the rearmost bolt on the side does only holds the pieces of the shield together and does not thread into the manifold. I managed to wring the head off only 1 bolt. These were fairly easy to get to and not difficult to remove with some care. Next, I placed a plastic bag over the loose starter to catch the oil, drained the oil and removed the oil filter. I looked and there was the starter in plain sight. I lowered the vehicle so I could reach the starter (a step stool would’ve been handy) and quickly and easily, rotated it and slid it forward past the engine mount. After jacking it back up, I then moved under the front of the vehicle and fairly easily worked it out the rest of the way, up and over the tie rod. Next, I removed the shield and 3 phillips screws, unplugged the solenoid connector and removed the positive cable. Third Task: Put the 94 starter in the 95 Pathfinder. I cleaned up the replacement starter. I also repaired the broken wire and connector for the oil pressure sensor on the 95. I also cleaned all the electrical connections involved. I plugged in the solenoid connector, bolted on the positive cable and inserted the starter up and over the tire rod. I pushed it back as far as it would go then moved to the top of the engine and pulled it back. I moved to the wheel well and put the starter in position. I looked from the top and saw something of concern. The positive cable metal part was touching the motor mount. I thought it might clear once it was bolted up, so I moved underneath and started tightening the mounting bolts (bottom first). I looked up top again, and it did change. The metal cable end wasn’t touching the motor mount anymore, it was touching the frame. So, I had to take the starter back out. This wasn’t so bad because everything was still in position from before. I had mounted the positive cable 90 deg. out of position. This is why I said take note of the position when you take it off. I once again used the above procedure to put the starter back in place and made sure I had good clearance from the electrical connections. I bolted it back up from underneath. ( I never completely removed the bolts and don’t know if you can easily, so they threaded back into the starter without difficulty. Also, I pried the transmission lines away from the bottom bolt a bit with a screwdriver to give me a bit more clearance.) Before I did anything else, I re-installed the battery and gave the key a quick twist just to see if the starter would turn without starting the engine. It did! Success. I again removed the battery. I plugged the oil sensor wire back in. Put the oil drain plug back in. Installed a new oil filter. Added oil to the engine and let the oil bottle drain into the engine while I put the exhaust heat shield back on. I re-attached the fuel filter and the power steering reservoir. I made sure from underneath that the wires and cables were clear from potential damage. I reinstalled the transmission line bracket. Reinstalled the battery and the passenger tire. Fired her up and put her in a better parking position. Total time, about 14 hours. Most of the time was struggling and figuring out what to do. If I had all this information before hand, it would’ve only taken a few hours. Also, I have the service manual, and while it shows how to rebuild the starter, it had nothing about removing and replacing it. The Haynes manual is useless on this matter as well. I hope this helps somebody else who has this daunting task ahead of them. My only fear is that there was a rubber vent or drain tube on the bottom of the starter, but brittle from age and oil, it broke off. Now there’s a small open hole in the bottom of the starter. I think I’ll put some silicon over it unless someone else has a better idea. Whew!
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