Grumpy

I drove a tractor trailer for 15 years - shifting all day long. Automatics rule!

I may be getting closer to an answer -- apparently the ABS light is part of the trouble code package? http://www.smpcorp.com/download/view/tt4q00.pdf see page three of four What is the name of the parts store chain that will shoot codes for free? If it isn't her brake lamps, (see pdf) then perhaps she popped a code. I hesitate to send her to the Nissan dealer just yet, (she's 900 miles away from me) since they are $75 an hour in her neighborhood. I thought life was cheaper in the south?

The ABS dashboard lamp lit up on my daughter's Pathfinder last night. What does this indicate, and how do I fix it? Is the vehicle OK to drive with the lamp on? Thanks

and a post to dispel the myths

Dogz rule Catz drool

I have no idea what is wrong, but, if this is a low voltage issue, you might try the easy stuff first. Maybe clean up all the battery & alternator connections and see what happens. As you are likely aware, try to keep the battery mung and gunk away from cloth, as it may melt the fabric. Another thought - is there a company nearby that rebuilds auto electrical components? (www.switchboard.com may offer the same) Many of those folks are well versed in these types of issues, and may have some good advice on where to start.

Consumer Reports did a very lengthy test on motor oils using a fleet of NYC taxis with mic'd & matched engines they installed. They came up with some interesting results, including the fact that modern name brand petroleum based oils will actually work well as far as 7500 miles between changes, and that all of the popular snake oils, such as Slik 50, do nothing to enhance engine wear, and that synthetics do nothing that is physically measurable to reduce any engine wear when compared to petroleum based stocks, but yet they felt that synthetics are likely a good choice in extreme cold. CR isn't always the bible, but it was a good article, IMO. Your mileage may vary. When an engine is still tight, I've had good luck with Mobil 1. I use it in the Winter in my wife's Mustang GT, as the car sits for long periods of time in the cold. Mobil also offers a 0W-30 (or 20?) viscosity oil that I like in the cold. Even though I'm only as far north as NW CT, we had one morning of 26.6 F below here last Winter. Brrr.

You might want to check with an attorney or with the department of consumer protection. They may be able to muscle Nissan for you. The repair isn't getting to the cause, and they're wasting a lot of your time, not to mention the large inconvenience associated with bringing the vehicle in for repair so often. Be sure to get & keep copies of all service orders and all correspondence, including the denial from Nissan. Take notes on who you talked to & when. CT has a three strikes and the dealer is out lemon law, but I have no clue how it works where you are.

From http://www.nissanperformancemag.com/february04/ask_sarah/ "I read that GL-5 tranny oils eat away at the brass synchros in older cars (like KA's and SR's). Is this true or is this just another oil myth?" "Gear oils contain extreme pressure (EP) additives that form wear resistant compounds with the metal of the gear tooth surface. This prevents metal to metal contact that could wear or damage the gears. GL-5 oils use twice the concentration of EP’s as GL-4 oils. If you use gear oil with too little concentration of EP, the gears won’t be as well protected. >>>"GL-5 gear oils are required in hypoid diffs but aren’t used in synchromesh transmissions because the EP additives are chemically corrosive to yellow metal components, such as the brass bushings and bronze synchos in a tranny. The corrosion could shorten the life of the synchros in half. "<<< ----------------------------- Sounds like it's important to use GL-4

Check your email

Many thanks for all the help in getting this 94 Pathfinder up & ready. My daughter made it from CT to SC with no issues, and all is well.

The four larger speakers sound like crap in my daughter's Pathfinder. I went to Crutchfield to find out what size they are, and Crutchfield says they don't sell speakers to fit this vehicle. That's a first for me. Before I go out and plunk down some dough on the wrong speakers, what sizes do I need? One web site reports one set of 5 X 7s and one set of 4 x6s Also, will the front door speaker panels pop off with just a panel tool?

Headers should give you a little better MPG, not to mention how good they sound. A highly tuned exhaust system can actually create low pressure drops along the way to almost kinda draw the exhaust out faster. That's not the best way to explain this phemomenon, but then again, there was this elephant that stepped on my head when I was a baby...

So anyway, after reading the list just above this post, what did I forget in my quest to make this car able to be 1,000 away from me for months at a time? I skipped changing the coolant thermostat and plug wires, so hopefully those won't bite me on the butt.

Let's ask Sarah http://www.nissanperformancemag.com/february04/ask_sarah/ To the best of my understanding, GL-5 and above generally exceeds the spec of GL-4, but from what I have read, GL-4 is mission critical to some Pathfinder manual transmissions. Many say the GL-5 or above will attack the Pathfinder synchros. I can't tell you what GL means, but I am fairly certain that the numbers hold significant meaning, as so many providers use this system. Perhaps the SAE came up with this designation. I'm striking out with Google on it. My guess is that GL may well mean "gear lube" but that's a wild guess. Apparently one can find GL-4 available as a lubricant used in some outboard boat engine lower ends. When an oil label reads GL-4, GL-5 & GL-6 compatible, imo, I would not use this oil in a Pathfinder tranny. I have a Lawnboy 2 cycle mower that wants ashless oil in the fuel/oil mix. It can be a little tough to find, but of course, Lawnboy offers it in the same price range as computer printer ink. One day I discovered that Mobil 2 cycle outboard motor oil is ashless, and available at most Mobil gas stations for around 1/8th the price of the Lawnboy oil. :cool2:

I just called Nissan at: Nissan Consumer Affairs P.O. Box 191 Gardena, CA 90248 (800) Nissan-1 (or 800-647-7261) 9:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. Eastern / Central Time 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Pacific Time Monday through Friday Not only did my call get answered in under 5 minutes, but the Nissan rep actually looked up the specs for our '94 - the myths are true - some Nissan manual trannies need an older spec of GL-4, (which can be a little tough to find) and the rear end & front diff case (or whatever you call the front pumpkin) can use GL-5, and the transfer case uses Dexron II. GL-5 or above in a tranny requiring GL-4 is often reported to cause damage to the synchros, not that this is an issue for me.

Would you believe I have a vehicle that uses engine oil for the power steering fluid? ````````````````````````` I just found some info stating that GL-5 should NOT be used in some Pathfinder manual trannies, and to use GL-4 only. I wonder if the rear and front end are OK with GL-5?

I am going to change the oil in the rear end and the front end and the transfer case on a 94 Pathfinder. I have a half barrel of Mobilube HD SAE 80W-90 API service GL-5 multipurpose type gear oil in our garage. It does have the LSD additive, http://www.mobil.com/USA-English/Lubes/PDS...HD_LS80W-90.asp Any reason why I shouldn't use this product in this Pathfinder? I'm not clear on what is in the transfer case - some say Dexron, others say gear oil. We'll know better when we drop the old fluid. Thanks ```````````````````````` Edit - It occurs to me now that if the transfer case should have engine type oil in it, I may not be able to tell what it is by looking at it. Any thoughts on what type of oil is in this transfer case? The vehicle has a 3.0 engine with AC, and an automatic / overdrive transmission, in case that is relevant to the question. Thanks again

I finished a tranny cooler install yesterday. I put it out in front of the AC heat exchanger, mainly for ease of install. There are two apparent negatives to this location -- the physical vulnerability of the tranny cooler being out front, and also the possibility of excess Winter cooling, which might be a bit hard on the pump. In between the AC exchanger and the radiator would be, imo, the optimum location, but I will settle for 2nd best for now. I left the original tubing on the factory cooler, crimped off and tied up from chafing, just in case we have to revert to the factory cooler in a hurry due to stone damage or whatever on the new cooler, or whatever. (hmm-maybe I'll put a section of hardware cloth over the cooler just for good luck) We also did the Jiffy Lube tranny fluid exchange yesterday. To the best of my knowledge, it went well, and the vehicle arrived back at my house with exactly the correct fluid level. Life is good. Today we get what is known as a four wheel alignment, and change the front & rear diff & the transfer case oils. Last week saw the coolant flushed and replaced, new ball joints and a left front axle, new plugs, new engine oil & filter, new PCV, new vacuum hoses, a new air filter, & new Goodyears all around. That should about do it for the new to us used vehicle 1,000 mile trip prep. The best I can tell, all else is good for now. My 19 year old is very good about taking care of things, and I am sending her with a car maintenance survival kit, but I ordered some of those Accu-Pressure (http://www.accu-pressure.com) tire valve cap indicator deals for her new tires, just for the heck of it. I've never tried them before - who knows, maybe they actually work?

yes - that's it - Auto & Power I thought it did wait a bit long to shift. I will try the other selection to see if it shifts a little better.

It occurs to me that an issue with this 94 Pathfinder is a lack of airflow to the front & bottom of the stock radiator/tranny cooler due to the belly pan. I am going to install an aftermarket tranny cooler just for good luck, figuring that if this tranny may have 1/2 or 1/3 of it's useful life left, perhaps I can stabilize it near that point to extend it's life a little. The junkyard cooler sounds like the best way to go, but I was feeling lazy, & found a decent cooler & install kit for $40 from Pep Boys. I am also going to drill out the top front of the skid pan to allow a little more air to find it's way to the front of the engine and to the bottom of the radiator. A link to the $40 tranny cooler kit -- http://www.7453217467431.com/products/prod...D=1084711737875 It appears to be a decent 4 pass tube type cooler, and came with everything needed for installation. More choices http://www.7453217467431.com/search/search...fID&affID=39901 A tip about hose clamps -- after vehicle warms up & the hoses soften a bit, re-tighten the clamps a little bit more. Two clamps are always better than one, if the install is in a hard to reach area. I see hose clamps fail frequently, when the section of "thread" in the band becomes distorted from age & corrosion.

I bought a set of 31 / 10.50 / 15 Goodyears for our 94 Pathfinder. The tires are branded at 50 PSI for maximum inflation at maximum load. That seems a might high, so I am guessing that 35 PSI may be a happy medium for these high flotation tires. (See image below) The vehicle load will primarily be one driver and perhaps a rider or three. I am going to be 900 miles away from this vehicle most of the time, so gaging tread depth as we go is not an option to check wear patterns vs. inflation level. Any thoughts on this issue of how much air to put in these tires? Also, this 94 Pathfinder has a button labeled E-AT, with a selection of "Auto" or "Manual" -- what is this button for? Thanks.

Most antennas are two circuits, one of which is a ground. Your best performance will always come with a correct ground to the vehicle body metal. The window antennas are OK, but not as good as body mounted. The reason the glass mounts are so popular is that they are much easier to install, which is why they were so popular in the car mounted cell phone days of a few short years ago. Not to change the subject, but when installing a new AM/FM antenna, it's a good idea to lightly sand inside the antenna hole, so the ground circuit will get a good clean bite into the body metal.

Someone made a good point to me in here a week or so ago -- be sure you can get the fill plugs out first before you dump the oil.

Thanks. I just discovered this info as well -- "Use the calculator to see what happens to your speedometer reading when you change the size of your tires and wheels. The graphic shows your stock tire selection in an outline overlaid on your new tire selection." http://www.miata.net/garage/tirecalc.html