TowndawgR50

Get a Bluetooth OBD2 reader and download a free scantool app for your phone. The readers are super cheap and will give you very easy access to the issues that pop up. This one is only $11 on Amazon and there are far better ones for more money but if you just need to read codes these work fine. It will allow you to scan the ECU with your phone app the moment the code comes up and provide a basic description of the issue. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00PJPHEBO/ref=cm_sw_r_other_apa_i_N4fdEbY1YYENZ I have something similar and have had great success using it on multiple vehicles for that past 6 years to read and reset the Check engine light error codes as well as get live data streams on various sensors. I'd wager it has something to do with your O2 sensors (common issue with the 01+ 3.5 rigs). The check engine light will come on and off intermittently without driveability issues. Nissan put out a TSB for dealers to reflash the ECU and fix the constant O2 sensor problem, related to the time required to reach operating tempature I think, but I've never known anyone to do it. Just heard stories. Check for a broken shoelace sized woven metal grounding strap on the passenger side exhaust pipe, close to the catalytic converter. Very easy to spot. Should go from the pipe to the heat shielding. Not all rigs came with them but I believe most early 01's like mine did. A running theory is that they break and cause these prolonged intermittent Check Engine lights to pop up but there isnt a whole lot of evidence to back that up as it appears the newer rigs with similar proplems never had them. Some, inclduing myself, have had the O2 issue resolved by replacing this broken exhaust grounding strap.

Welcome! Nice rig! Sorry for your loss. Does your truck have the manual transfer case or electronic? (switch in the dash). There are a bunch of us in the PNW. We did a couple portions of the Washington backcountry discovery route this year and will definitely do more in the future. Very fun and great views. What part of WA are you in?

Your rig looks great. How was the outdoor area you went to? Off road park or just federal land? I was just at the JY this week and saw a set of the same wheels with decent tires. Not in the market for any but your setup makes me think that if I had to do it over again I'd probably have stuck with the OEM wheels for my KO2 AT's and aftermarket 15's for my KM2 MT'S instead of getting the TRD wheels.

Depending on time and the amount of maintenance you need or want to do when the power valves screws are done its a great time to do- - Knock sensor - Spark plugs - injectors/injector o-rings - Thermostats ( there are 2) - Intake coolant hose (buried under the intake) - valve cover gaskets All of these require the intake manifold to be torn down.

This is a common problem with the RE4R01A automatic transmission in the Pathfinder. Its likely the reverse clutch basket snap ring. It will break and the debris have the tendency to start to damage forwars gears, although some have had a loss of reverse with no other issue presumably from a clean break that snap ring. This year has been a bad one for the R50 automatic trans. Quite a few have had this issue. You need a rebuilt trans or to rebuild the unit in your rig.

Looks great! I had those wheels when I first got my rig and I never gave them the time of day. Changed over to other OEM wheels off a toyota and a refurbished set of mag's pretty quickly but yours is the second rig I've seen with nice rubber mounted on them. They're really growing on me. Definitely get the power valves taken care of. Worth every penny of labor. I sourced all the required OEM gaskets from Courtesy Nissan of Texas for about $80 and did the job myself. I suspect a few hundred dollars in labor, not including parts, is a reasonable amount for a good shop. Not a terrible job if you're inclined to try it yourself.

This is a great tool. 100% reccomend it

The rear main seal is located at the back if the motor and is only accessible when the transmission is removed. SFD=Sub-Frame Drop This is the primary method of gaining lift over 2" in the R50 platform. To install the SFD the transmission does not come out, but allows you to drop it down a bit to gain access to the upper area of the transmission. You cant drop the mated motor and transmission very far but the small amount of room gained by using the control arm bolts in place of the OE subframe bolts will make the job much easier. The work required to replace a rear main seal opens up opportunities to do preventative maintenance on a variety of other items that require access to the same area. Oil pan gaskets, coolant crossover pipe gaskets etc. The oil cooler does not require the transmission to be dropped to service it and can be done with minimal tools and a pair of jack stands.

Dropping the trans is only a pain because of tool access and hard to reach fasteners. Having done the RMS job as well as the SFD the method I would use if I had to do it again is similar to a SFD installation. By using rear trailing arm bolts in place of the OE subframe bolts you can leave most of your engine components as well as wiring in place and drop the entire subframe a few inches. @hawairish tought me this method and it works very well. This will facilitate tool access and open up a lot room in between the top of the tans and the trans tunnel to see what you need to get at like the upper bell housing bolts, the nickle plated breather tube assembly thats bolts to the upper bell housing and the coolant cross over tube. Then while you're at it toss in a pair of gaskets for the coolant cross over tube because that also requires the trans to be dropped and a SFD because all the work to get there is the same.

I'd agree that the persistent intermittent 02 CEL code related to the ground wire.

Essential for these rigs. Im on the same page and every time I service mine Im so glad I've done it. Back on topic, the bolts on the rear trailing arms, especially the lower units on the axle side, will almost always be rust welded to the sleeve in the bushing and require a lot of work to get out (like cutting the bolt and/or bushing off entirely. When putting everything back together I reccomend liberally coating not only the threads but the entire bolt shoulder. This is usually what causes problems and is the area that sees the most abuse and wear, which is what causes the rust.

Section 3 of the Washington state Backcountry Discovery Route with @RainGoat

Great trip with some of the PNW folks this past weekend @Stpickens and his dad in a slick kitted out Subaru, @zakzackzachary @02_Pathy @Citron and @SteelerCam. Ran section 1 of the Washington Back-country Discovery Route and got my technical fix afterwards at Jones Creek with @02_Pathy

@KiwiTerrano If the diameter and spline count of the steering shaft are the same it very well could

@Mrelcocko We would have to ask @ferrariowner123 I believe he used Yahoo auctions Japan. That's where he tends to source lots of JDM treasures, but I'm not 100% sure about the origin story of the steering wheel.

Could always grab a Nissan OEM option Momo steering wheel. They're equipped with airbags too. I worked a deal out with @ferrariowner123 for his unit and its a pretty slick upgrade, but you will need to relocate cruise control and stereo functions to the dashboard or setup a wheel mounted system

Cleanest 1988 power wheels I've ever seen! And you yanked out the real power wheels (half cut Ford Festiva) at the dunes like it wasnt even there! I thought for sure that thing was going to act like a boat anchor

Ran the Gambler500 with @Slartibartfast this past weekend. The original plan was to take the Pines to Spines 2003 LE but I didnt have enough time to sort its electrical problems. So we took my 2001 instead. Really enjoyed meeting and hanging with @Slartibartfast. His rig is one of the cleanest WD's I've seen! The gambler crowd is a pretty wild bunch and there was plenty examples of creative and nutty cars that had all the right hackery to make for a fun weekend. Explored a large area east of the cascades which was mostly new to me and played around at Moses Lake briefly before heading out.

That teardrop trailer shouldnt be too much trouble. I pull our 18' converted toy hauler, 3750lbs, and it pulls it along just fine. The biggest issue for me was brakes. I upgraded to HD brakes after a couple scary emergency stops and they have paid for themselves in that regard but have proven a poor choice for off road use because the rotors are slotted and drilled which allows debris to degrade the pads and rotors. Id suggest getting HD pads and some load helpers or upgraded rear springs then see how it pulls along.

Lol, yea!

Makes sense. Regional meetups would definitely have better turnouts and those willing to drive could always make the trip from father away. Maybe we could change the location of this thread to a regional sectionsod of the forum to incorporate all generations of pathfinders?

Im inclined to make the meetup point more central. Moab is a 16hr drive one way which makes it a somewhat prohibitive location. What about something more central to everyone? Oregon, Idaho or Nevada?

Yes, trans can be service/rebuilt. Unfortunately when reverse goes out its usually, but not always, a condition of the reverse clutch drum snap ring failing and this cant be fixed unless the transmission is disassembled. This is a common issue with the RE4R01A automatic transmission on these vehicles