Blindaviator

It feels ok under acceleration and highway cruise speed. Just seems to be in park and not under load that it does it. Some research suggest it may be the IAC valve that could be the culprit. Unfortunately that isn't one of the options in the scanner. Also the idle speed and spark timing is a little off from what the specs should be. Idle is supposed to be @ 700 +- 50 and it is about 850 Timing is supposed to be 14 and it runs about 10

I have had my 2001 for about a month now and it has had the VVT solenoid left bank error since I picked it up. About a week ago I did the power valve locktite preventative maintenance to insure I didn't hose the engine. During that I removed the VVT and dropped it into some B12 in a glass and let it soak for about an hour. Cleaned it up and put it back in. I also replaced all the plugs with NGK Iridium fine wire plugs since some were difficult to reach otherwise. The SES light stayed off for about a day and then came back on with the VVT code again. Prolly will have to replace it since that didn't work. Today I was having to jump start a friend and I noticed that if I reved the engine up to about 2000 and held it the RPM's would suddenly drop after a few seconds to about 1500 and then start surging 1500-1700 or so until I let off the throttle. I reved it pretty good a few times to around 3500 and it sounded fine. But every time I would try to hold a higher RPM it would drop and start surging. I just tested it again. It will even do it as high as 3500 RPM. It seems like if I push the acc pedal down and hold it at whatever RPM it goes to it will seem to hold it. If I slightly let off the acc pedal it will suddenly drop and start surging. I put my code reader on it and watched the live data. The MAF will stay at the same rate of flow even when the RPM's drop and it surges. The same will happen with the TPS sensor voltage. It stays steady at the same rate when the RPM's drop. The only thing I saw really change was the O2 sensor voltages. But I would expect that with the lowered RPM's. There are no codes either stored or pending.= other than the VVT. What should I be looking for to solve the problem?? Suggestions? Could the VVT be causing this or should I be looking elsewhere?

Many domestic cars (especially chevy's) use shims as the starter mounts directly to the block and you have to get just the correct distance and angle for the starter to engage properly. Many of them also use a support bracket for the other end of the starter to keep it from breaking the bolts. The big, high compression, engines such as the chevy 454 takes so much torque to start it that it will tend to break the starter mounting bolts without the support bracket on the end. I am assuming these pathfinders don't need or use shims since the starter mounts to the transmission bell housing which puts it exactly where it needs to be every time (as long as the nose of the starter is not damaged in some way).

Hehe yeah you could add a relay triggered by the parking lights to power the fog light relay. But if you wanted full time power to relay just trigger it with an accessory wire instead. Something that is powered on with the key.

By reverse the connections do you mean swap the electrical connections on the solenoid? Or is it a mounting screw you are talking about? I haven't had the starter off mine yet to fully understand what your meaning is. Also if you are just wanting more battery wire to drop the starter with you could change the stock wire out with a longer marine type wire and battery terminal (the wire has eyelets on both ends).

Normally the starter spinning but the bendix not extending to engage the flywheel means the solenoid switch is not working properly. Either the lever that extends the bendix is bound up (corroded or rusted) or it is not receiving enough power to extend it. If the bendix is being kicked out to engage the flywheel but grinds or doesn't mesh with the flywheel at all is a sign of the starter being out of alignment. Either shims that need to be there are not in place or the nose of the starter is bent or cracked (I have had this happen many times on an old chevrolet). If this is the case make sure you repair the problem before trying to start or run the vehicle too much or you can damage the flywheel. As for the battery wire if you can trace the wire back some you will likely find it has tiedown points that prevent it from moving around a lot. If you disconnect or cut the tiedown points and then disconnect the positive battery cable you may be able to pull the wire out some distance with the starter to get a wrench on it.

By looking at the wiring diagrams it looks like the R/B (Red / Black ?) wire on the fog light relay is the power wire from the headlight switch. You could energize that wire with a switched relay and get full time power for the fog lights and still have the operation of the fog light switch on the headlight stalk.

If you don't have auto lights then you won't need anything more than the mod above. If you have auto lights then the fog light relay is powered by the headlight relay. When the headlights are turned on it also applies power to the fog light relay. You would have to splice into the power wire for the fog light relay and add a switch / relay combo to energize it on demand.

I haven't changed one yet but everything I have read says to remove the splash guard, disconnect electrical wires, and it has 2 bolts that you remove from the transmission side to drop it. Might help some: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=40ihzaknDVY

Ok so after some trial and error I was able to modify the fog lights to run when high beams are on and still be able to turn them off with the switch. This mod was done on a 2001. Don't know if wiring colors will be different for other years of R50's. Now if I could figure out how to upload images here I could use one to show how easier. After several hours of taking the dash apart, accidentally cutting the smallest wire you have ever seen in the hardest location to get to, I finally pulled my head outta my arse and did it the easy way. If you have auto lights it uses the Hi/Low switch to interrupt the ground between the fog relay and ground. Just need to add a full time ground. If you don't have auto lights it uses the Hi/Low switch to cut power to the fog light relay. Have to add keyed power source. THIS WAY WILL ONLY WORK IF YOU HAVE AUTO LIGHTS !!! 1) Get down under the steering wheel and remove the 5 screws holding the top steering wheel cover on and remove the top part. 2) On the top left side you will see 2 white connectors. The small white one that only has 2 wires is what you need. 3) Unplug the small connector and peel back the electrical tape. One wire should be red and the other yellow with a black stripe. 4) Cut the yellow / black wire back from the connector far enough to strip and splice it. 5) Attach the cut end coming from the connector to a grounding source (the other end going into the wiring harness is not needed). 6) Check lights to make sure everything works. 7) Button it back up and you're done. The fog lights should now stay on with high beams and the fog light switch should turn them off as well. They still will not work unless the headlights are turned on since the fog relay gets it's power from the headlight relay. THIS WAY WILL ONLY WORK IF YOU DON'T HAVE AUTO LIGHTS !!! Since I have auto lights I can only go by the wiring diagrams for this modification Same as above remove the top of the steering wheel cover and gain access to the switches. According to the wiring diagrams the fog light switch still has 2 wires. One is black going to ground and the other is R/L (Red with lavender stripe?) that comes from the fuse. The diagram shows that the R/B wire coming from the Hi/Low switch goes through the fuse and comes out R/L to the fog switch. You will need to cut one of the two wires and add power either just before the fog switch (R/L) or just after the Hi/Low switch(R/B). Make sure you connect the power wire to an accessory wire that turns off with the ignition key (it would be better to use a relay so you don't burn up the accessory wire or blow the fuse). Either way you will need to fuse the power wire... After adding the power your fog lights should work when hi beams are on and off with the switch. But unlike with auto lights it is likely the fog lights will work even when the headlight switch is off since the switch will always be powered when the key is on.

The only thing drawing warm air would do is decrease power some and increase fuel economy. Warm or hot air decreases power and increases fuel economy while cold air increases power and decreases fuel economy...

I have been looking into trying to mod the stock driving / fog lights to run with the high beams (I was able to do it to my old 99 Camaro pretty easily). After researching around a bit I came to the conclusion that nobody has done much in this area other than adding relays to keep the driving lights on all the time which defeats the purpose of the switch on HL stalk. I was able to find a good PDF on wiring for my 2001 Pathfinder. You can find the link below: https://carmanuals2.com/get/nissan-pathfinder-2001-electrical-system-section-el-49179 After looking through the diagrams I think I figured out where the relay is that disables the driving lights on high beam. Download the PDF and follow along: It starts on page EL-87: If you look at EL-90 diagram and at the "Combination Switch (Lighting Switch) E7 - E8" on left side near the center... The connector 10 at top to 8 on bottom is what interrupts the signal (it is obviously the high / low switch)... It seems to me you could add in a relay, activated with a switch, between the output of the "Combination Switch (Front Fog Lamp Switch)" 32 terminal to the output of terminal 8 of the Lighting Switch, jumping over the interrupt point (putting it straight to ground essentially), to supply power at all times on demand... Turning off the relay power would revert the OEM switch to regular operation... But I am wondering if that could have adverse effects on the headlamps such as power back flow causing the high / low beams to stay on at all times? I have read that Canada and Aussie versions of the pathfinders don't have this high beam interrupt switch... Possibly it goes straight to ground at all times? Maybe cutting the wire between the fog and lighting switches and running the fog straight to ground would enable full use with switch? Anyone have thoughts on this?

The rack is not so easy to replace compared to the pump or belt so might wanna make sure that is the issue first. Usually they build the cars so the rack can be loosened and pulled out one side or the other. Not sure if the new rack would come with tie rod ends but would be a good time to replace them. Once you get new one in it's time to do a poor mans alignment so you can get down and have it aligned properly.

And make sure there is sufficient fluid in the reservoir.

I was going to suggest that but not sure how the grounding points would react if any was to get between the surfaces. Just have to make sure you don't get the compound on anything but the bolt thread surfaces. Also dunno what the temp limit is on antisieze but not sure if it would hold up to the heat generated by the cat if trying to use it on the O2 sensors nearby. I regularly use it on spark plugs but they don't get anywhere close to the temps a cat will generate. Guess I will have to look that up now.

I haven't heard of the issue before for these vehicles but most likely what they mean is the engine to body / battery grounds are rusted or corroded and need to be cleaned. On most O2 sensors instead of supplying a ground wire they just use the exhaust pipe as the ground. WHen the ground wires on the engine become rusted or corroded then the O2 sensors (as well as other sensors) can't properly ground and it causes issues. If it were me I would try to remove the O2 sensors and clean the threads with steel wire brushes and reinstall. If the sensors have been in a while they may be extremely difficult to remove without damaging them. If they are too difficult or you don't feel comfortable trying to remove them then just skip it. Then locate every body and battery ground I could find and do the same making sure to remove the paint under each ground that attaches to a painted surface for a better connection. Follow the battery ground wire from the battery to where it connects to the engine. Remove that bolt and clean all surfaces well with a steel wire brush (don't forget to clean the end of the wire surfaces) and reattach. If you have a drill or dremel they will make cleaning all the surfaces faster. On mine the ground wire attaches to the engine just above the exhaust on the passenger side. It looks like the attachment point is part of the exhaust, possibly the heat shields, which is not always the best choice as Anything attached to the exhaust will tend to rust really bad (I have only glanced at it so I may be wrong on this). While you are under the vehicle looking at the O2 sensors look for ground wires that attach to the bottom side of the block. Manufacturers seem to like attaching them to the bottom side of the engine to the frame and / or body. On most cars (don't know if this holds true for Nissans yet) the ground wires look like a flat braided wire without any insulation on them. Do a google search for "braided engine ground wire" and look at some pictures. That will give you an idea of what to look for.

If your just needing to make a new ground you could attach it anywhere on the block that has a bolt and run it to the same spot as the ground wire attaches to on either the engine or battery. I just looked at my 2001 and found a good spot for attachment on the engine. Right where the upper radiator hose attaches to the metal pipe at the front of the engine is a bolt that holds the bracket for the metal pipe. I would run a 10 gauge wire between that bolt and either the battery terminal or a body grounding location. There were 2 body grounds close by that I noticed, one was right behind the strut mounting bolts and another is in front of the battery attached to the core support. If you can't find a good spot you can also use a self tapping bolt and attach the wire from the alternator bracket (or any bracket for that matter) to the body grounding point or directly to the battery. You could also remove the main ground wire from the battery to the engine and clean all the contact points with a steel wire brush and reattach (I use a round brush attached to a drill to clean them fast). Do the same for any ground wires you see attached to the body under the hood.

Shamelessly copied from another site:

I picked up a 2001 LE about a week ago and when I started to drive it home I started having issues after a few miles. The ABS light came on, then the airbag light and finally the overdrive turned it's self off and then started blinking and I could hear some misfires. I thought I ended up with a lemon but what I ended up finding was the alternator was out and the previous owner had removed the battery bulb. As the charge on the battery dropped all the lights started coming on and I was getting misfires. After I charged the battery up all of it was back to normal with no codes until it was low on voltage again. So don't discount the low battery as possibly part of the problem. Seems these trucks are sensitive to low battery voltage.

I just found online another person having similar issues... This was the answer they got for the problem So also check the oil level and change it. I just picked up a 2001 about a week ago and it has the VVT left bank code. I am going to try cleaning it before replacing as they are about $130 at Vatozone.

I was just watching some videos on Youtube for stopped up catalytic converters and yours sounds like it. Pick up an infrared temp gauge and you can determine quickly if it is the cat... Do a search on Youtube for plugged or stopped up catalytic converter. Something like this: https://www.amazon.com/Etekcity-Lasergrip-1080-Non-contact-Thermometer/dp/B00DMI632G/ref=pd_lpo_469_bs_lp_t_2?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=S529SVCJ97XRAHEE56MT Basically you use the IR temp gauge to determine the temp of the exhaust before and after cat... The temp after the cat should be around 100 degrees higher than the front... If they are about the same or the front is higher it is likely the cat...

You have a link for the travel inserts possibly?? Not sure what to search for.

Hey LittleFR do you have a pic or two of your rig that's listed in your sig?? I also have a 2001 LE and you have yours setup like I want to possibly go with mine... Want to see how it looks before I make decisions.. Also question about these spring lifts... The rear is pretty straight forward for me but the front leaves me scratching my head a bit... If you get taller or stiffer springs for a coilover strut I'm wondering how that works since the strut can only be extended just so far... Does the spring just make it naturally ride higher on the strut?? If so wouldn't that cause the strut to fully extend a lot more often on bumps around town or at highway speeds? Seems at highway speeds that could cause a lot more instability? I am used to the traditional spring lifts as I recently had a Jeep with a lift and they are pretty straightforward in many cases (they get more complicated and expensive with lifts 3" and above)...

Yes it is because of a floating ground that it occurs (just as I said in a previous post). Also if you will read post #3 you will see that he removed the dash turn signal bulb which also alleviated the problem which is not really a solution obviously. Since the bulbs don't have a direct ground but instead use the other bulb as a ground allowing the current to flow back through it that the issue occurs. Similar to what the original poster was asking for help on. I don't know the Pathfinders very well yet but I am assuming they have a floating ground system as that would be the only way the dash lights would illuminate when the brake pedal is pressed with the LED"s installed and then the problem vanished when the original incandescent bulbs were reinstalled. It all comes back to the point that if you step on the brake and the dash lights illuminate, or turn on the turn signal and both sides blink, the most cost effective, and safest, solution is diodes. They are cheap and don't get dangerously hot with use.

Normally the resistors are only needed if you use the old style flashers and not a modern solid state flasher to prevent hyper flash on the turn signals. Also many systems that have a "bulb out" on the dash will think the bulb is not functioning because the resistance of the LED is not within the norm that it requires. Then you will also need a resistor. Many newer cars have a similar sensor for headlights making the upgrading of them to HID's more problematic but not impossible. It makes a lot more sense, for safety reasons, to use an inline diode to prevent the issues. Unlike the resistors the diodes do not get hot and present a safety hazard and thy address the issue of current flow. This is quoted from this forums about power bleeding back through the system: http://www.vulcanforums.com/forums/49-vulcan-900/24331-question-about-led-swap.html