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I've had my 02 patty for about 2 years and ever since I can remember it's had some oil loss problems but more recently has it been getting unbearable. I'm the 2nd owner and I believe the first might have sold the truck knowing it was going to get worse. Regardless, I'm having to fill half a quart around every 2 weeks at the least. I've switched to synthetic fairly recently, around 5 months ago, its not until more recently has this problem become bad. Checking for leaks there is nothing I can see, especially for the amount that is lost. I'm stumped though because I have not seen any soot or black smoke coming out of the exhaust, or even smoke for that matter. I've even had other people look at it while I drive. This is completely separate from my decline in acceleration problems which I believe is somehow linked but not totally sure. So after scowering the internet I've come across the possibility of the reason being because of a failing PCV valve or valve cover. I've heard of there being an updated system put out by Nissan that essentially fixes the common oil burning issue from pathfinders but I have no idea where to find this or even explain to a mechanic this idea without sounding crazy. I'm also wondering if I should get my spark plugs and ignition coils looked at as well when I finally do get the truck into a shop for the oil because I believe they are greatly affected by the constant burning of oil. In another regard I'd like to fix the source of the oil issue first so that I am not showing up in the shop for the same plugs over and over again. I'm basically lost as to where to start and maybe get an idea in how much this fix might cost. I really love this truck and would do a lot to keep it in its happier years for a little longer but if it's too astronomical it might not be worth. Also forgot mention that I have a Vyncs Reader in my OBD2 scanner port for many purposes and I keep getting the error notification of poor fuel economy and another error saying engine fuel lean but it seems to only appear occasionally. Don't know if this helps but I thought it might be helpful to mention anyways.

What is the point of installing Warn hubs? Also do the front ball joints and steering racks tend to go bad, is that why you recommended I check?

It's more probable that I'll wait until I get all the parts to install because it's more practical. It's just going to take a minute that's for sure. I'm wondering what the backspacing is because I would like to also put some 1.25" spacers.

Ive been looking around for some information on this subject but can't seem to find exactly what I'm looking for. My question is, can I install 1.75" lift OME coil springs on the front and rear while keeping OEM shocks and struts? I'm the second owner of this vehicle and I'm sure the shocks and struts have not been replaced in a long time if they're not originals. I can tell now I should replace them but will get to that when I have the money. If this does work will it cause any problems down the road when I finally decide to replace the shocks with OME and struts with KYB GR2s? Also with that setup what would be a smart tire size or specific tire without needing to trim or very little trimming. I was thinking 31x10. I have the very good looking 17" wheels off a 2002 pathy if anyone knows which ones I'm talking about.

I actually have a 3.5 if that makes any difference.

I definitely agree with what you said Citron about throwing parts at the car. It's pointless unless the problem is actually known. In other news I got my truck back and they replaced the O2 sensor, serpent belt, and fixed an oil leak. Also gave it a new inspection sticky all for $500. I'll be broke for a while like I said haha. Anyways the truck seems to perform a little better in the higher end acceleration. It picks up more than it used to but lower end still seems to lag and the lower gear shifts seem a little slow. I did notice that after getting it back it seems to idle higher. It's around about 900 rpm now rather than being at 750 to 850 vs before I got it fixed. In regard to the PCV valve I think I want to do that as my last fix before I stop spending money because I've already dropped a lot. It's only $10 and I at least want to check that it is functioning. My question though is I'm unsure where it is located. I've looked around on the internet but I cannot get a straight answer. Is it a simple find or will it take some unbolting of other parts? And if so how much?

As of this point my guess is that the downstream O2 sensor has failed because the catalytic converter is not doing its job. Now the catalytic converter had to have failed for another reason which is what worries me because I pretty much know my engine consumes oil. I am looking to get the PCV valve changed to see if that is the culprit but if not.....does that mean I'll have to change the catalytic converter ever so often just because the engine burns oil? Also could leaving the PCV valve in place well after it has already seen its last leg cause internal engine problems, or only the engine to lose oil and send it into the cats to clog it up?

I see, hopefully things start to piece together and make sense at some point in the near future. Dropped my car off at a shop today to get the sensor looked at so I will report back the findings when I obtain that knowldege. I hope this faulty sensor doesn't mean my cat is failing! If so I'll be broke for a while. Realized the whole underside of my engine is covered in a thin layer of oil the other day so that's nice. Can't wait to get past this stage of fixing up and on to better things for the pathy!

He said it was like a high voltage or low voltage reading, I can't remember which meant the sensor was basically failing. I don't know if that helps.

He said it was like a high voltage or low voltage reading, I can't remember which meant the sensor was basically failing. I don't know if that helps.

Oh so are you saying the cats are most likely clogging up, and the sensor became faulty as a result of that?

Recently my Service Engine Soon light came on. I took it to Advanced Auto Parts and they said the code reader was telling them the 2nd O2 sensor was faulty, the post catalytic converter one. I'll be getting it replaced soon by a mechanic but my question is, could this be a symptom of some other issue going on? Or is that itself the cause of some of my problems? One of the workers also told me I most likely had an aftermarket fan so that's why it's so loud.

I noticed yesterday that my transmission fluid dipstick almost seems like it twists when going back in the tube so that's most likely why I'm not getting an accurate level reading. How am I supposed to do a fluid pan drop if I won't be able to read how much I put back in? Should I just take it to a mechanic at this point to get the transmission checked out? Also how can I fix the transmission tube twisting problem?

I will definitely be dropping the pan in order to change the filter and examine the old one. My transmission fluid though seems cherry red like I had stated earlier on in this thread but it seems like the overall consensus is to still do the fluid change. Just out of curiosity why is that? Also something I feel is worth noting is that on my transmission oil dipstick, no matter how many times I check, I can't get an accurate reading. It just seems like the fluid covers all over the end of the dipstick. Could it possibly be that there is too much?

Okay at this point I have changed out the air intake filter and fuel filter. I've seen very miniscule improvements in power but not enough to indicate them being the main culprits to acceleration loss. The next step I feel is to change the transmission fluid and filter but don't have all the essential tools. Is a torque wrench a necessity in order to get the exact amount of ft-Ibs of torque for the gasket? Also what is the torque converter and where is it located? I know the more fluid you take out the better because it's being replaced with new fluid but is that necessarily that needed or is it something I should definitely do to get an accurate indication if changing the transmission fluid will fix things. Also if I were to do this, in total how many quarts should I end up with?

Should the spot be on the back of my truck or on the sides of my exhaust pipe? Also I just figured out that my fan runs 100% of the time. From the moment I start the car up it runs until I turn it off. It still gets faster when I accelerate which I think it's supposed to do but it never stops spinning.

I have no check engine light on though and I believe that advanced auto parts or autozone will not want to do it unless a sensor actually set of a light. I do remember a while back when I was getting a check engine light serviced, after they said they fixed the problem, once it was handed back to me the light was still on so I had to take it back for them to shut it off. Could this mean they hadn't fixed the actual problem that made the sensor throw that light?

Wow thank you guys for all of this information. I'm sure to try and do most of this but I now have a huge list of things to check. As for the codes, how would I go about checking them myself, or should I take it to a mechanic for that step? There seems to be no visible indicator lights on the dashboard but I'm guessing that doesn't mean there are still error codes. Now in regard with the fan clutch, I tried spinning it with my hand while the engine was cold and it has 7 blades and I observed that with a decent amount of force applied to spinning it, it only moved 1/7th a rotation. I'm not sure if this qualifies as a bad fan clutch because you said it should have some resistance but shouldn't be seized. My last question is does this pathfinder have 2 banks of catalytic converters since it is a 6 cylinder?

It was from the back of the vehicle actually. I got the bushings for my sway bar replaced during April of 2016 and it made a hell of a difference but it seems like the leaning around turns and rough riding has come back to a certain degree. I think new shocks and struts sound like the best idea at this point.

Let me begin to say that I have little to no knowledge on vehicle engines and vehicles in general. The extent of my knowledge goes about as far as changing the oil . Anyways getting to the actual problems, I purchased a 2002 auto trans pathfinder LE from a private owner a little over a year ago. He had all the records of the past maintenance and such so it seemed like a good gig. I also wouldn't begin to say that the truck was not worth the money I paid, I've just been having some frustrating problems with it pretty much since I've owned it. Looking back at when I first test drove it, it seemed like it had more power and faster acceleration. Now after about a year I notice that it feels like its lost compression and struggles to get up to highway speeds at a constant rate. On a side note, the shifting of gears lags a little bit. When turning into oncoming traffic, if I try to accelerate at a decent rate it will almost jump it feels like in between shifts. Besides that point ever since I can remember it roars. From the very start of owning it though I heard this was normal for pathfinders so I kind of shrugged it off, but the thing is loud. My parents know when I've turned on our street if they're outside just from me driving up a slight inclined road in our neighborhood because the engine or fan is so loud. When I start up the car from cold it'll be at a moderate level until about 30 seconds into it it'll start to roar. On further investigation this, if I'm correct, is normal because it's just a way for the car to warm itself up. After about a minute or 2 after startup, the noise level drops as do the rpms from about 1400 to just under 1000. Now this is all fine and dandy but when I actually drive the thing, upon acceleration the engine still roars really loud. I've heard this could be that the fan clutch has too much resistance and its turning at the same rpms as the engine but I have no actual proof of it. As for the acceleration and slow shifting, I checked the transmission fluid and it seems to be nice and at a good level. One last problem I've been dealing with for the past year is it's oil. If I can remember correctly after a few months of owning the thing my dad and I realized that it was somehow losing oil at a substantial rate and still is to this day only worse. Our original thoughts were that it was an old car and burns oil as do many old cars but more recently I just found out it was leaking oil. This seems to have happened relatively within the same time frame as getting the oil changed with synthetic which my dad says is why it's leaking now. I have no idea if he's right but that's why I am here. It could be that we just seemed to notice it leaking because for the first time we actually parked it in the garage and of course that will show signs of leakage. Whether its leaking or burning oil could this be some of the reason for my many other problems. As best I can I try to keep the oil at a solid level but sometimes it'll get really low without me noticing, especially since I'm in college right now and cant always be home to check it with my parents using it every so often. In between oil changes in total on average ill probably end having to add 2 quarts. Probably more now with the recent knowledge of it leaking. If anyone has had the same problems before and can possibly diagnose any sort of culprit it would be much appreciated. Thanks.

I'm trying to improve how smooth my ride is and I currently am unsure if I need to replace struts or shocks for my 2002 pathfinder. The SUV leans a lot going around turns, even at relatively low speeds. It doesn't really bounce or spring up and down after a bump, more of like a rough bump meaning it hits hard and has a loud thump. What should I do to fix this so I notice the bumps less and don't lean as hard. If I should replace shocks or struts, any recommendations for a smooth ride but also decent off road capabilities (upgrade from OEM)?

When you replaced your front speakers jyeager, did yours also have some sort of amp thing adjacent to the woofer like in the 2002 pathy because I have yet to replace my fronts and i believe that amp adjacent to the woofer is what is making the front speakers sound bad too, not just the rear speakers. Also how does your paperclip method tell if the amp is the problem? Also if the factory amp is generally around 20 watts RMS, what would happen putting only a tiny bit more watts do to the sound quality. Could just like 2 watts over the amp cause such a drop in volume like this?

Also how will by system sound with all new speakers coming straight from the headunit? Will it soound better most likely than the stock bose system( I already know I will most likely lose bass)?

Kyle, I figured out the grounding wire so I don't have to worry about that but when I did install the headunit, it does have a limited volume like you said before it gets distorted or fuzzy, less volume than my previous factory stereo which is the opposite of what should be happening. I know all my wires are correct and snug but the speakers are just not performing like they previously did at high volumes. When I sit in the car the highs and mids sound better at medium to low volume but get bad with only a slight increase over medium volume and when I open the door and just listen to the woofer, it sounds echoey and fuzzy at parts. I believe this is because the current factory amps are being overpowered with wattage than what it normally was powered with when I turn it up. The Kenwood has 22 watts RMS if that makes a difference to anyone. Can somebody confirm this because if so I am bypassing all the amps because I NEED MY HIGH VOLUME CLEAR. Hopefully if I do need to bypass I won't lose too much bass.

I am installing a Kenwood stereo in my pathy and there is but one wire I am unsure about regarding the adapter. Because I have factory amps, I have connected the P.CONT/ANT.CONT wire of the Kenwood stereo to the amp turn-on wire of the scosche. Does this also mean I have to connect the amp ground wire(which is adjacent to the turn-on wire) of the scosche adapter to the ground wire of the stereo?