Kittamaru

Oh, trust me - I rarely go near that high, and I don't hold it there long. Mostly, it's a certain on ramp we have in Harrisburg merging onto I-83... the damn thing has a stop sign at the end of the turn to face the right direction, and the "run on" space is less than 50 foot long before it's an off-ramp again (as in, you ahve about 50 feet to get up to speed before someone hits you in the ass) terrible, terrible ramp... I avoid it like the plague but sometimes I don't have a choice and I have to gun her... she always seems a little peppier after that the rest of the day XD

My truck can rev as high as 6750 rpm before it self-limits. Doesn't matter if I'm in gear or not, it WILL NOT go past 6750 rpm. Which is probably a good thing as that's just a hair before the solid red at 7k rpm Granted, I'm a newer 1990 MPFI engine... but eh. And trust me - she sounds mighty fearsome at 6000+ rpm... and kicks like a damn mule too XD

So no change = dead O2 then? Damn... well, any chance it could just be fouled? I mean... with my engine running as poorly as it was for a while, as well as the leak in my Y-Pipe I had... *shrugS*

Well, I disconnected the O2 sensor and it didn't seem to make any difference 0o' Ran just as well connected as disconnected - not sure if that's good or bad though XD

Meaty tires do that

I was simply explaining the logic behind it mate If your brakes are functioning right, you should be able to "break traction" with just the brakes. If this is the case, the only advantage to downshifting is in poor driving conditions, as it will help you to slow down without breaking traction since the wheels will still be turning. Other than that - brakes should stop you faster As far as opening the windows - eh... a parachute would be far more effective As for hooking back up - I'm assuming you mean re-gaining traction? If so - I figure it would work, though more so in 4x4 as you can use the front to pull yourself around and out... makes sense on paper anyway, but that doesn't always translate into practice

alexrex, I edited my post to explain- sorry, just woke up so my brain's a bit fuzzy. Engine braking should keep the tires from locking because, if they lock - you simply give a touch of gas and they start spinning again

Let me give a rather definitive answer here: Downshifting on dry pavement - I sometimes drop down to second if I'm trying to scare someone that's tailgating me (drop in speed w/o brake lights) or if I only need to slow down JUST enough for the light to turn before I get to it... first gear I've used ONCE, and it was an emergency (box truck nearly tipped over he cut me off so bad... space behind me was clear but I was already in a tturn so I used 1st to temp-lock the rear wheels and push myself sideways... I cleared the dumbass by about 6 inches... I also nearly had to change my shorts as it was a WILD ass ride...) but other than that, you shouldn't really need to drop to 1st on dry pavement... In poor weather, however, downshifting is awesome. I use it a lot in icy/snowy conditions, especially on hills. It doesn't risk the wheel lockup that using brakes does, and, when combined with normal braking, can keep your wheels turning (and thus, you in control of the vehicle) during emergency maneuvers. Again, 2nd gear for the most part should suffice... 1st only if you're already below 25MPH and need to stop in a hurry... but if your'e in that situation and in poor traction, it's a 50/50 if it'll work or not. Yes, it puts some strain on the drivetrain... I'm no expert, but I don't think it'd be any more strain than, say, dropping the clutch in att 2500 rpm or doing a burnout... these are very well built machines tthat will take a lot of @!*% that other vehicles wouldn't. Just... don't TRY to destroy it... or it will break. And also - get your brakes checked. I know I have both rear rotors AND drums and front rotors. If that isn't enough to stop you quick, the extra force from downshifting will only serve to really lock your wheels... and that'll make you take LONGER to brake. Final Conclusion: Your brakes SHOULD be able to apply enough force to LOCK UP the wheels - the point just before that is your maximum threshold, which you CAN NOT change except by increasing TRACTION. My brakes cannot do this (I have the tiniest of leaks... they are working at 95% and I plan to get them checked as soon as I can physically afford it). Engine Braking helps in poor weather by PREVENTING wheel-lock. When your wheels lock, you lose at least half your available traction, you lose steering, and you lose the ability to rapidly decelerate. If friction brakes can push your traction past it's slipping point, then, obviously, adding in engine braking will only make it take longer by causing you to skid. If friction brakes can NOT push your traction past it's slipping point, then, obviously, adding in engine braking CAN make you stop faster - it also means it's time to get your brakes checked.

Yeah, double checked- my numbers are on the money

*bumping* this back up Rechecked the plugs, wires, rotor, and cap - all clear there. My next thing is to try cleaning the intake, but it doesn't feel sticky at all so I don't hold too much hope there. I'm thinking of running a load of seafoam in the oil and gas (I'm due for an oil change in a few hundred miles) - what do you guys think of that? EDIT - I haven't gotten to do the O2 yet, but that's because I'm still fighting the appeal - haven't had a chance to dig around too much - I'll get to that this weekend I hope

I... don't know why my profile says '87 o0' Strange EDIT - fixed it And yeah - today I'll be going on the highway a bit, so I'll double check my numbers - they seem low to me 0o'

At 75mph, I average 2750 rpm steady and the engine has a nice, even, beautiful purr to it. At 65mph, it's around 2250 rpm and sounds a little... choked?

Hm, that's strange sounding for sure - my truck did this for a few days just before I replaced my spark plugs (but they were fouled as hell) and wires... I think that was coincidence though, and since the new plugs have gone in she's been good cept for running a bit rich *shrugs*

Lol, hey. When you go on the turnpike, it's classified as a car Be glad, cause it makes the tolls cheaper

Shiela

That's one thing I don't understand about my '90... I get better MPG highway at 75 than I do at 65... I also believe my speedo reads 10 MPH fast...

Oh, trust me - I double and triple checked my work, as well as checking and rechecking before I started. I know a little bit of dust and other small particulate fell into the ignition chamber... I blew out the plugs as best I could before removing them, but there was dust underneath the metal o-ring on the old plugs, and they were burnt to hell. It ran rough a little bit after that, but cleared up within a day. As for the O2- I'll give it a shot.

Actually, mzxtreme... the Pathfinder is classified as a Car according to PennDOT regulations...

Aighty, so clean the MAF and pull the O2 - O2 is between the Cat and Straight Pipe, right?

My '90 just passed 155k

No no no no no... lol... I already replaced the plugs/wires/cap/rotor. It's running a bit better, but it's running rich. The old plugs I took out were gapped nearly THREE times what they should have been.. think that had something to do with the truck running like crap What I need to do now is bring back how much fuel is being used. I know there's a way to adjust that, just dont' know what it is. Also, AFAIK the O2 checked out fine last time, and my emissions were good before I had the trouble with stuttering (which the new plugs and wires resolved). I guess I could replace it, but I'm pretty well strapped for cash atm... have 1500 total to my name and most of that is dedicated to the wedding plans.

Used the search function, but didn't find anything terribly informative - What I want to do is tune-up my truck myself... I don't know if it's posible considering I dont' have any fancy equipment, but with just being laid off I need to save cash where I can... the truck needs a tune up as she's running VERY rich at the moment... after new plugs, wires, cap, and rotor is when this started. The MPG is down from where it should be, but improved since the new gear. How hard and/or what is involved in a tune up? Would my Haynes manual really be able to walk me thru it? I figure the biggest part right now is "choking" it back a little... isn't that the set of screws on the throttle body that do that?

I average about 16 right now, but I haven't had a good tune-up since the new plugs, wires, cap, and rotor were done... I can smell that it's running rich so yeah

The Murrano and Rogue are pretty good vehicles to be honest... good for your "never really see off-road but need a vehicle able to handle it just in case" kind of guy What surprises me is that the Desiel Terrano isn't in there 0o'

My grandfather was test-driving a dual-wheeled F350 with a long-throw 6 speed manual gearbox... (was for my uncle down in SC who thinks he needs it to tow an equipment trailer that my pathfinder could easily tow *sighs* My uncle isn't very bright)... Was interesting... he used to drive for Greyhound... 30 some years ago. After about 5 minutes of sitting at a stop sign trying to figure out the system, we realized the problem - the throw was almost twice as long as he was used to 0o' Once he figured that out, we hopped on the highway and he flew thru all 6 gears without touching the clutch once 0o' I was like O_O PS - I'm only just learning to drive a stick via my mom's Kia Rio - POS I know, but it's a light and forgiving car