yakfish

After some further research It seems that the problem is in fact the idle control valve...more specifically the idle control motor itself. If I look at the shaft the plunger is on I can see how much it is supposed to move and it seems to be stuck in the "fully closed" position which should be why the engine dies when I let my foot off the throttle. I have been searching for the part now and Autozone/Advanced Auto Parts have it for about $240 for the idle control valve and I don't see any place that see l just the motor by itself. I found the valve on eBay from several different sellers anywhere from $140-$180 and up for a new part with shipping included. this seems like a better option right now. I found one (link below) that says it is compatible with the 2003 pathfinder only. I thought the engines where the same? would a idle control valve for a 2003 fit on a 2002?

I have the Idle air control valve out right now. I plugged it back in and then turned on the ignition to see what it does. With the key on it will vibrate. I'm not sure what it is supposed to do exactly but it is getting power to it. Is it supposed to vibrate? Or maybe just click?

I think there is a possibility the smell could be a coincidence. I took a slightly different route to work this morning than I normally take. I noticed the same smell on a previous occasion last week... while taking the same slightly different route to work. I am curious if the smell was something outside the vehicle and not related to these issues. I am wondering if a dirty idle control valve may have caused the fuse to blow which then shut down the vehicle?

I tore the dash apart and looked at everything. Everything looks good with nothing obviously melted or burnt. I did replace the blown ECCS 2 fuse and it will start and run as long as I keep my foot on the accelerator. It won't idle down at all. But at least it will start which is more than I expected tonight. I'm thinking something like the Idle control valve may have got dirty and needs a good cleaning or maybe a vacuum leak somewhere. I'll take a look at it again tomorrow but its dark now so it will have to wait.

I was driving to work this morning and my Pathfinder quit on the highway. I was driving along and everything was fine and normal. I had the cruise set at 70mph. I started to smell something like burning wires, about 10 seconds later the engine quit and I coasted to the side of the road. It will not start. I had my boss tow it back to my inlaws place tonight and I am trying to figure out what happened. I have been looking for burnt fuses and found the ECCS 2 fuse was blown. My Father in law has a code reader and it showed three codes: P1448, P0455 and P0420. I have looked them up and I don't think they are THE main problem but I could be wrong. Dos any one have any suggestion? Thanks

Seems like it was indeed the sway bar end links on both sides. everything else seems tight. Now I just need to find the parts. Thanks

You are absolutely right! I am a procrastinator. Lol! You think 15K is bad...I've had the swinging muffler for 50k. Its been too cold and I've had a driveway full of ice or snow or else I would have checked it out before now... No I wouldn't have... I'll get under there tonight if I get off work early enough. We're supposed to get another 12+ inches of snow starting tomorrow night. Hopefully I can get to it before the storm hits.

Thanks for the replies. I'll try to crawl under there this weekend to take a look.

Awesome! Nothing I like better than easy and cheap! Is there a DIY tutorial somewhere on how to do the job? also do you have any part numbers? Thanks so much!

Hey all! Just found the forum while searching for solutions this afternoon. I have a 2002 4x4 Pathfinder. I have owned it for about 6 years. It has been the most reliable vehicle I have ever owned. I bought it used with 90K miles on It and it now has 214K miles. It has developed a clunking noise in the front end. I first began to hear it when pulling into parking lots or going over speed bumps at angles about 15k miles ago. Now it has gotten worse and I hear it when merging onto the Interstate. There is a clunking noise and a slight vibration on the steering wheel. I am assuming it is either struts, shocks, maybe bushings or maybe even CV joints. I don't have the cash to replace everything and hope I get the issue fixed. I'm wondering if there is a common issue with these trucks that would be the most likely cause. After browsing the forum and seeing some of your rides I may not be opposed to a minor lift if I can do it while fixing the problem. You know...two birds with one stone!